The eat food NOT money cookbook

Kat's calzone

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Our friends Hollis and April enjoyed my calzone one night and requested the recipe. Since I'm terrible about writing things down, I thought I'd just post it here where they could get it! This recipe makes two calzones: one regular and one supreme.

Preheat oven to 375°

What you'll need:

For crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110°)

Stir together all dry ingredients. Add oil and water and mix by hand until a ball forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about one minute. Let rest for 10 minutes. Cut in half and form into two balls. Let rest one minute. Keep covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use.

For filling:

1 (1 lb) package mild italian sausage (just the meat, no casing; if you can't find bulk italian sausage, you can use the raw links. Just remove the meat from the casing)
1 cup fresh mushroom slices, washed
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
1 package sliced pepperoni
4 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
ranch salad dressing
parmesan cheese

Brown and drain italian sausage. Mix half of cooked sausage in a large bowl with mushrooms, bell pepper, onion and black olives. Set aside.

Take one half of dough (leaving the other half covered with a damp paper towel) and roll it out to pizza pan size. It will be thin. Place on pizza pan (or cookie sheet) that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. *An easy way to get the dough from where you rolled it out to the pizza pan is to roll the dough around the rolling pin and then unroll it onto the pizza pan.*

Spread ranch dressing onto dough to 1/2" from edge. Don't allow ranch dressing to get on edges or you won't be able to seal the calzone. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of that. Lay pepperoni onto half of the dough. To me it looks like a big smiley face. Put mixed sausage/veggies on top of pepperoni and spread out. Top that with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Fold top half over bottom half and press edges together to seal. Gently press top down to flatten calzone slightly. Brush a little oil mixed with italian seasoning onto top of calzone and cut three slits in top to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly. Cut and enjoy!

For regular calzone, follow the above instructions but just add the other half of cooked italian sausage instead of the mixed sausage/veggies.

Cost:

For dough:
all purpose flour - $1.25
yeast - $1.99/3-pack
vegetable oil (regular) - $2.28
sugar - $2.42

Subtotal - $1.24

For filling:
italian sausage - $3.69
pepperoni - $1.29
bell pepper - 79¢
onion - $1.19/lb
mushrooms - $1.88/lb
black olives - 99¢
mozzarella - $2.30/2 cup bag preshredded

Total - $12.08/2 calzones

Corn bake

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:34:00 +0000

I made this at Thanksgiving but it's a good, any-night-of-the-week side dish.

What you'll need:

2 (9 oz) packages frozen corn, cooked & drained
1 (6 oz) can evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbl. finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/2 cup swiss cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 Tbl butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°

Mix together corn, evaporated milk, egg, onion, salt & pepper and 1/4 cup of shredded swiss. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs, melted butter and remaining 1/4 cup of shredded swiss. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cost:

corn - $2.49
evaporated milk - $1.16
onion - 99¢/1 lb
swiss - $4.59/lb
Total - $4.33

ALL YOU MAGAZINE: Lightened-up Comfort Foods, Affordable Winter Meals and More

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:56:00 +0000

Y'all know that when I find things that I enjoy, I like to share them! all*you magazine is one of those things I enjoy and I thought I'd share some of the interesting and helpful stories that are in their January issue (click on the section title to view story)...

Lightened-up Comfort Foods

Stay warm this season with healthier versions of winter favorites. These affordable recipes cut back on fat and calories -- not on flavor!

Affordable Winter Meals

Take the chill off this season with these hearty, delicious and cost-effective family dinners, including a printable shopping list to make meal planning easier.

Low-Calorie Desserts

Our lightened-up versions of 11 favorite treats make for dessert that's decadent – and guilt-free.

30 Days of Slow-Cooker

We’ve got 30 ways to make the most of your slow-cooker, so all you’ll have to do to is press start.

You should definitely go buy you a copy today!

Homemade cranberry sauce

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:57:00 +0000

I told you in my post yesterday that I made my entire Thanksgiving dinner from scratch this year. Most years I take shortcuts like buying premade pie shells and canned cranberry sauce, but not this year. I decided to go all out! Let me tell you, the extra work was well worth the effort! Everything was simply delicious. I even heard the phrase "this is the best everything ever!" That puts a smile on a cook's face...I promise you that!

Today's recipe is the one I followed to make homemade cranberry sauce. It's so simple & so much better than canned!

What you'll need:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 lb (4 cups) fresh cranberries, rinsed

Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Boil 5 minutes. (This creates a "simple syrup" and is what sweetens your sauce.) Add cranberries and cook and stir for an additional 5 minutes or until skins pop. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or cold.*

*To mold sauce, cook 10 minutes longer, or until a drop jells on a cold plate. Pour into a 4-cup mold. Chill until firm. To unmold, set mold into a large bowl of hot water to loosen from edge, invert onto serving plate.

Makes 4 cups.

Cost:

sugar - $3.29/lb

cranberries - $2.56/lb

Total - $2.85

June? Really??

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:09:00 +0000

I just realized that I told you WAAAAY back on June the 1st that I was going to start posting here again. I am so sorry that that hasn't happened yet but, as of today, I am feeling much more myself and I really, really, really, really will begin posting here again! In my defense, in that last post, I said "don't hold me to it", so at least I warned you that what happened was a possibility!

OK, that's lame, I know. I apologize for not posting since June. There's really no excuse for it. I promise to do better in the future!!

On THAT note, see you soon! I can't wait to tell you how Thanksgiving dinner turned out this year.....yummmmy! I made everything from scratch....even the cranberry sauce! And I did it all for less than $45! Go me :)

Have a great day everyone & Merry, Merry Christmas!

Hello lovelies

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:04:00 +0000

Just thought I'd write a quick post to let you know that I plan on starting to post here again....soon. Possibly even tomorrow... Don't hold me to it though (lol) but I'll do my best! Love & miss y'all!

I haven't abandoned y'all yet

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Just wanted to let y'all know that I'm still kickin'. I know I haven't posted here in a while but eventually I will again.....I promise. Please feel free to browse through the existing recipes by going to my sidebar. Thanks! See y'all as soon as I can & as always....Happy Cooking!

Yes, I cooked. And it was more than just a frozen pizza. {Product Review}

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:02:00 +0000

So, if you read my last post, then you know what an incredibly painful journey I am on right now. You also know that I decided to take CSN Stores up on their offer to do another review for them. Like I told you on that post, Tim loved all the things we got from CSN Stores and would want me to keep working with them.

The last time that we looked through CSN Stores 200+ sites, we had narrowed down our decision to a juicer and an indoor grill. I decided that I would actually use the grill much more often than the juicer. If Tim was still here, I probably would have went the other way just because he wanted a juicer so badly. I'm not a big juice person. I like fruit juice but the juicer he was interested in was for vegetables. So... I went with the grill.

I got that same giddy feeling when the UPS man pulled up outside. It's a little like Christmas. A big jolly man in a sleigh bearing gifts... OK, so it was a tall man in a big brown truck but he had a gift for me so it's kind of the same.

The box it came in was ENORMOUS. I got a little worried that I wouldn't have room in my tiny kitchen but it turns out that it was a normal sized grill...

I got it all set up and then got my meat ready. Don't get too excited. I just made a burger. It was a lot for me to do though. I haven't really cooked since Tim died. Not more than the frozen pizza that I told you about in my title. I cooked ALL. THE. TIME. for my love but there just hasn't seemed to be any reason to do that just for me. A bowl of cereal or a ham sandwich has been plenty. Too much really, but I digress...

So I got my burger ready. I mixed some ground chuck with seasonings & then decided to mix in some shredded cheddar cheese. I've been seeing a commercial lately for a Smokehouse Burger that I know Tim would have loved (and I would have hated) and the cheese sounded good. I ended up adding a lot...

What was I thinking??

Anywho...

Following the directions, I preheated my grill and then added my burger...

I seared it first and then let it cook for about 10 minutes. It says to cook burgers for 6 - 8 minutes but I like mine well done. About halfway through the cooking time, I turned the burger so that I would have pretty crisscross grill marks.

Just look at all that fat running off my food and into the drip tray! That's gotta be a benefit.

When it was done, I realized the down side of adding so much cheese....look how it cooked up on top...

The bottom looked real pretty though...

Oh yeah, that's more cheese on the side there. Provolone. I am a cheese girl. So I added that and let it melt...

It was sooooooo good! It was juicy and gooey and delicious. Tim would have loved it!

Of course I could only eat half of it. My stomach must have gotten pretty tiny lately. And when I have a burger, that's all I want. The burger. No fixins. It was truly delicious though...

And look at how the grill marks melted into the cheese or ummmm vica-versa. Super deliciouso!

The grill was really easy to clean too. You just unplug it and put a wet paper towel in between the plates and let it steam about 30 seconds...

Then wipe up (using tongs to hold the HOT towel!!) and ta-da! it's clean! I'm really glad that I chose this item to review & I can see me using it often.

So....

You want one don't you?

I know you do. You can get one today from CSN Stores site cookware.com for only $61.19! I think that's an awesome price and so worth the equipment you get. You should get one. Right now. You won't regret it. I promise!

And don't forget to follow CSN Stores on Twitter & become their fan on Facebook. Lots of good stuff to find out in those places!

And I promise I haven't abandoned y'all or this cookbook. I will get back here on a regular basis as soon as I'm able to do that. Just right now is very difficult for me. I'm sure you understand.

*Disclaimer: I received a $65 promotional code in order to do this review. If you would like to be a CSN Stores Preferred Blogger and review or give away great CSN Stores products, click here.*

Hello strangers

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 17:01:00 +0000

I've thought for several days about this post. Most of you that follow me here, follow me on my other blogs and know why I haven't been here. For those of you that don't, my beautiful husband passed away on December 27th. He fought a long battle but in the end his precious body just wasn't strong enough to keep fighting. One of Tim's favorite things about this cookbook was my CSN Stores reviews. He would ask me starting at the first of each month if CSN had contacted me for another review. He'd help me go through their 200+ sites and ultimately the final decision for all of my reviews was made by him. He'd say stuff like "how about a laptop messenger bag?" or "how about a juicer?". He loved CSN Stores and all the goodies that they have. Which is why I accepted the chance to do another review when I was contacted last week. So stay tuned. I may not be back to "normal" posting but this one is for my baby. ♥ See y'all soon!

Holiday buffet tips from Pillsbury®

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:11:00 +0000

Are you planning a party for Christmas? These great tips came from my Pillsbury® Holiday Cookbook.

Hosting a buffet is a wonderful way to entertain during the holidays. It doesn’t require a lot of dining space and tends to be more relaxed and casual than a sit-down dinner. A buffet also allows you to mix and mingle with your guests easily because you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Here are some tips for making your buffet a smashing success:

• There’s no rule that says a buffet has to be a whole meal; consider serving a variety of appetizers or desserts.

• Let the number of guests decide where you put your buffet table. More guests require more elbow room, so your best bet is to station the table in a spot where people can easily access both sides.

• Unless you plan to provide small sit-down tables for everyone, it’s best to stick with forks when it comes to flatware; knives are difficult to use when standing. The same applies to serving utensils: salad tongs are easier to handle with one hand than a salad fork and spoon.

• Choose foods that are easy to serve and that will stand up well over time. Slow cooker items are good choices, as are casseroles and tossed and molded salads. Include a few make-ahead dishes if you can.

• To keep traffic jams to a minimum, consider setting up separate buffets, one for savory items and another for sweets.

• The buffet table is the center of interest so you’ll want to decorate it with care. A linen tablecloth, festive placemats or runners and beautiful serving trays are just a few simple ways to dress up the table.

• For an easy, inexpensive centerpiece, fill a vase or two with small ornaments and tie or wrap with ribbon.

Chocolate white chip cookies

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:33:00 +0000

After baking nearly 1500 cookies this week, you'd think I'd have some good pictures and recipes for you... Well, I have some good recipes... And one picture that I was able to pull other pictures out of, like the one above. These cookies have a crisp outside and chewy middle and are simply delicious!

What you'll need:

1 c butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
¾ c cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 bag white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, scraping down the sides of your mixing bowl often. Stir in chips. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8 - 9 minutes. The tops of the cookies will get small cracks across them when they are done. Makes about 5 dozen.

Cost:

butter - $2.35
sugar - $2.26
eggs - $1.18
vanilla - 98¢/2 oz
flour - $2.59
cocoa - $2.89
baking soda - 50¢
white chips - $1.78
Total - $3.07

Peppermint Pretzel Canes

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:08:00 +0000

This recipe came from my Holiday Cookbook from Pillsbury®. They are as delicious as they are beautiful and would make a welcome addition to any holiday package or holiday table!

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Start to Finish: 45 Minutes
Servings: 12 pretzels

What you'll need:

6 oz vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark), cut into pieces
2 tablespoons shortening
2⁄3 cup finely crushed peppermint candies (24 candies)*
12 (8½-inch) pretzel rods (from 11-oz package)

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In medium saucepan, melt almond bark and shortening over low heat, stirring occasionally. Pour into 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish or other shallow dish; carefully set baking dish in hot water to keep almond bark soft. (Do not get any water into almond bark.)

Sprinkle crushed candy over separate sheet of waxed paper. Dip pretzels in almond bark; allow excess to drip off. Roll in crushed candy. Place on cookie sheet Let stand until set, about 30 minutes.

Cost:

almond bark - $2.84
shortening - $1.89
peppermints - $1.00
pretzels - $1.00
Total - $3.52

Marx Foods challenge

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Have you ever visited Marx Foods website? Oh my goodness the deliciousness they have there is incredible! If you haven't visited them, you totally should!

I was given an opportunity to challenge myself thanks to Marx Foods. They sent me a package of 5 ingredients: Granulated honey, Ginger salt, Smoked Serrano chiles, De Arbol chiles and Star Anise.

My challenge was to create something using these ingredients. I felt like I was on Chopped! Here's your mystery basket...now go!

I don't think I did too badly! ☺

First, let me tell you a little about the ingredients...

Granulated honey is sugar & honey that has crystallized.

Ginger salt is ginger flavored sea salt.

Smoked Serrano chiles impart a smoky flavor with a little bit of spiciness.

De Arbol chiles are similar in taste to cayenne peppers.

Star anise is a Chinese spice with a slight licorice taste. It's also a mild diuretic so don't use too much unless you really, really like your bathroom!!

So I smelled everything. At tasted almost everything. I was a chicken and didn't taste the chiles. Oh, a little tip for you, don't rub your eye after handling the chiles unless you've washed your hands. PAIN.

After I had regained sight in my left eye and finished in the bathroom (another tip, don't nibble the corner off your star anise to see what it tastes like...remember, DIURETIC.), I decided that those ingredients would actually taste pretty good together.

I had some delicious looking loin chops set out for supper & thought about braising them in a sauce created out of my ingredients. I was outvoted by my husband. He wanted the chops fried. He likes a crust on them. Grrr.

Then I decided I could still make the sauce and he could dip his chops in them. That would be good.

Off I went to my kitchen.

I started two cups of water boiling with two of the star anise pods in it. I let it boil until the water had a nice flavor. Tip #3: Boiling water is extremely hot. You should blow on it BEFORE putting it in your mouth.

Then I added two each of the chiles, 1 cup of tomato sauce, ¼ cup of ketchup, 1 tsp of ginger salt, 1 Tbl granulated honey, 1 smashed garlic clove, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbl soy sauce, some fresh ground pepper and ½ cup brown sugar.

I let it cook over medium-low heat for about an hour and then removed the star anise pods. Then I took the chiles out and pureed them in my food processor and put them back in my sauce. I tasted it and decided it could use a wee bit more sweetness so I added another teaspoon of granulated honey. Tip #4: Food that has cooked for over an hour is also very hot. You would think I would have learned from the boiling water but no, not me. I'm a slow learner.

I let it simmer & reduce while I cooked the rest of my food. I fried my chops & made a medley of new potatoes and carrots for a side dish. Just for fun I threw some of the sauce into the potato/carrot mixture. Delish!! Seriously, it took the plain dish and spiced it right up!

I called my husband into dinner with my sauce sitting in the middle of the table. He said, "Is that the stuff you made out of the stuff you got in the mail?" "Yep.", I told him. He tentatively got a spoonful out and blew on it. Yeah, he's a little smarter than me when it comes to hot food. "Mmmm, it's good.", he proclaimed and then poured it all over his chops.

He took a big bite and then said, "You should have baked these in the oven with this sauce all over them. That would have been good."

Seriously, I almost slapped him.

We have a winner!!

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:45:00 +0000

I stayed up late last night to close the comments on my Black Friday CSN Stores giveaway at midnight and then got up early and did a drawing using random.org...

Congratulations Liz of Quiltz 'n' Hoez!! Have fun shopping at CSN Stores & thank you so much for entering!!

Thanks go to everyone who entered & welcome to my blog for all my new followers!! I'm so happy to have you here!!

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win $60!! Time's almost up!!

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:08:00 +0000

I wanted to remind you that my giveaway ends tomorrow night at midnight, Eastern Standard Time (EST)! Click on the money bag above or right here to enter! Hurry! You don't want to miss out on a chance to win $60 worth of goodies from CSN Stores!! Good luck everyone!

Baked potato casserole

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:04:00 +0000

This is another dish I made for Thanksgiving...and neglected to take a picture of...you can KIND OF see it here on my leftovers plate...

See it under the Saran Wrap? Yeah. Sorry. But the dish is absolutely delicious. If you like baked potatoes then you'll love this!

What you'll need:

2 lbs potatoes (any type but I used russets)
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
½ cup sour cream
½ cup butter
¼ - ½ cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup cooked, crumbled bacon (measure after it's cooked & crumbled)
Salt & pepper to taste

Peel potatoes, cut into uniform sized chunks and boil until tender. Drain, return to pan & mash... Yep, so far we've made your basic mashed potatoes! Now stir in the remaining ingredients, one at a time, mixing well. Spoon into a casserole dish & bake @ 350° for about 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. That's it! It's sooooo yummmy! Truly. Serves 5.

Cost:

russet potatoes (10 lbs) - $2.98
sour cream (small) - 68¢
butter - $2.38
milk - $1.78/gallon
cheddar cheese block - $3.98
bacon - $2.98
Total - $2.34

Reminder: Counting today, there's only 4 days left to enter my giveaway!! Don't miss your chance to get $60 from CSN Stores!! Click here to enter.

Red velvet cake

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:25:00 +0000

I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was really, really good! Here's what it started out looking like:

And after we dug into it:

OK, those aren't the BEST pictures ever but the cake was delicious!

What you'll need:

½ cup shortening
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp red food coloring
2 Tbl cocoa
1 Tbl vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk + 1 Tbl lemon juice*
1 tsp salt
2 ½ flour
1 tsp vanilla

I used my stand mixer to make this cake, so it was running the whole time. If you are using a hand mixer, mix well after each addition of ingredients.

*If you don't have buttermilk on hand (which I didn't), mix together the milk & lemon juice and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350° Mix together baking soda & vinegar & set aside. Cream shortening and then beat in the sugar. Allow to mix until sugar granules are dissolved (about 5 minutes). Mix together food coloring & cocoa and add to batter. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix together salt & flour and add alternately with milk to batter, starting and ending with flour. Beat in vanilla. Fold in baking soda/vinegar mixture. Pour into 3 - 8" pans or 2 - 9" pans & bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly in pans on wire racks (about 10 minutes) then remove from pans & allow to cool completely on wire racks (about 2 hours). Frost as desired. I used the frosting recipe that I gave you yesterday.

Cost:

shortening - $1.89
sugar - $2.42
eggs (18 count) -$1.47
cocoa - $2.84
vinegar (small) - $0.92
all purpose flour - $1.25
milk - $1.78/gallon
Total - $3.19

Just a tip -- Non-exploding frosting

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:18:00 +0000

Now that I have your attention...

*LOL!*

Seriously though, when I've made frosting in the past, I've always had a powdered sugar mess all over my kitchen. This is because I don't have a cover for my mixer so as I add the sugar, it tends to poof out all over the place. I got smart this Thanksgiving though...

I made my frosting in my food processor. You would think that as much cooking as I've done in my life that I would have thought of this before. Nope.

The day before Thanksgiving, my kitchen was a busy, busy place. My mixer was beating egg whites for meringue about the time I was ready to frost my cake. My food processor was drying after having graham cracker crust cleaned out of it and on a whim I decided to throw my frosting ingredients in it. It worked like a dream & took much less time to make then my traditional, in the mixer way.

Food processor buttercream frosting:

Use the cutting blade (the one that fits into the bottom of the food processor). Put ½ cup shortening & ½ cup butter into processor and mix until creamy white in color. You can pulse if you'd like but I just let it run for about 1 minute. Turn the machine off and add in 4 cups of powdered sugar. Put your lid back on and run for about 2 minutes. While the machine is running, add 2 Tbl. milk and 1 tsp. vanilla through chute. When it's all mixed together well, turn the machine off and check the consistency. If you want it thicker, add a little more sugar. If you want it thinner, add a little more milk (1 tsp at a time...it thins quickly!). Ta da! You now have a batch of buttercream frosting that didn't take you 20 minutes to make & you didn't have to babysit it, scraping down the sides of the bowl and holding a plate near the top. Isn't that awesome?! ☺

Do it your way pizza

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:19:00 +0000

I made pizza last week. I got an urge for some... and didn't really have an extra $20 to order some... so I made some instead....for a lot less than $20. And we had two pizzas. One for me, and the one shown up there for Tim. What? You want to see mine too? K, here ya go:

Yum!

What you'll need (for one deep dish pizza or two thin crust pizzas):

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110°)
Sauce (I used tomato paste mixed with a little water & pizza seasoning for Tim's and Butter mixed with a little garlic for mine)
Pizza seasoning

Mozzarella cheese
Various toppings

One quick note here: The dough can be mixed by hand using a big spoon. I used my dough hooks on my stand mixer to make it but I was being lazy (lol). If you don't have a stand mixer with dough hooks, mix it by hand. Do NOT use a regular mixer with beaters. That will mess your dough up!

Preheat oven to 375° and spray a pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. If your don't have a pizza pan, any baking pan will work. You could put it into a rectangular pan or on a cookie sheet.

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water until a soft ball forms. Turn out onto a flour coated surface. Sprinkle flour on top of dough. Lightly knead for about 2 minutes. This dough doesn't need much kneading at all. Roll out with a flour covered rolling pin to size of pizza pan. (For thin crust pizza, divide dough in half and roll out thin.)

Place dough on pan and push to edges with your fingertips forming the crust. Spread sauce on dough. Top with cheese. Now, we like a lot of cheese and use about 2 cups for each pizza but the amount is up to you!

Add your toppings. For Tim's I used pepperoni, cooked pork sausage (Look around the sausage area {breakfast sausage, link sausage, etc.} of the grocery store. I found a one pound package at Ingles that was ground and out of the casing for only $1.89! Just throw it in a frying pan and cook & stir until it's browned.), ½ chopped green bell pepper, ½ chopped red onion & 1 small, large-diced tomato (it was a small tomato that I cut into big chunks). For mine I used pepperoni & pork sausage. If you have any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, I bet it would rock a pizza!

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly & crust is golden.

Cost:

For dough:
all purpose flour - $1.25
yeast - $1.99/3-pack
vegetable oil (regular) - $2.28
sugar - $2.42

Subtotal - $1.24

For toppings:
pepperonis - $1.79
pork sausage - $1.89/lb
bell pepper - 88¢
onion - 76¢
tomato - $1.99/4-pack
mozzarella - $2.26/2-cup bag already shredded
Total - $11.80 for 2 deep dish pizzas/$5.90 per pizza

Mmmmm. Now that's MONEY!

And speaking of money...

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! I know you want that $60 from CSN Stores! Click on the money bag at the top of this page to enter! ☺

Kat's cheatin' beef stew

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:34:00 +0000

Hey guys! I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know normally I'd be posting Thanksgiving dinner leftover recipes but I made this stew last week and wanted to share the recipe with y'all. And yes, yesterday we ate leftovers. But last night it was 30° and this stew would have hit the spot! I call it a cheatin' stew because you just throw it all together & it's practically done.

What you'll need:

1 lb stew meat
Butter
Season salt
Onion powder
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Soy sauce
2 cans new potatoes, drained
1 can sliced carrots, drained
1 can sweet peas, drained
1 can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
1 can red kidney beans, drained
6 cups water
3 pkgs brown gravy mix

Melt butter in a skillet over high heat. Add meat. Dust with season salt & onion powder*. Add garlic cloves and soy sauce. Stir & cook until outside of meat is seared on all sides. Remove from heat. Add water & brown gravy mix to a large pot or dutch oven. Add meat mixture and canned items. Cook over medium heat for 3 - 4 hours or until meat is tender & gravy thickens, stirring occasionally. Serve with biscuits.

Cost:

stew meat - $2.06
butter - $2.38
new potatoes - 92¢/can
carrots - 78¢/can
peas - 78¢/can
corn - 50¢/can
kidney beans - 65¢/can
brown gravy mix - 33¢/pkg
Total - $7.84

*I am allergic to onions so I use the powder for flavor and take a Benedryl (yeah, it's not fun to be me sometimes). You can use ½ cup chopped real onions if you'd prefer, cooking them with the meat until translucent.

Black Friday Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 05:00:00 +0000

UPDATED: We have a winner!!! As soon as the lucky person emails me back, I'll announce it here! Thank you to everyone that entered & welcome to my blog...I hope you enjoy it here!!

*Sing to the tune of My Favorite Things...For those of you that don't know it...*

Ahem.

Ready?

Bean bags and Counter stools and Kid's rugs and Water tubes,
Book cases, Dog beds, and Trash cans and coolio Shoes,
Baby accessories, Projector screens
These are a few of my favorite things!
When the dog pees!
When the baby cries!
When you're feeling sad,
Just simply remember CSN Stores
And then you won't feel....so bad!

☺

All month long, I've told you about some great products from CSN Stores that would make awesome Christmas gifts. Now CSN Stores wants YOU to have a gift, a $60 Gift Card that you can use at any of their 200+ stores!

Now, while I was having fun up there, I wasn't exaggerating. You really can get all those things from CSN Stores and much, much more. I can spend HOURS on their sites just window shopping & dreaming (I know you do that too so hush!). I love their sites!

Here's how the giveaway is going to work:

1. For one entry, follow this blog publicly on Google Friend Connect (you can find that on my sidebar). This is a required entry and must be done before any additional entries will be counted. Leave a comment telling me that you follow me on GFC. Note: If your email address is not on your profile, leave your email address in this comment so that I have a way to notify you if you are the lucky winner!

Additional optional entries:

1. For a second entry, become this blogs Fan on Facebook by clicking here. Leave a second comment telling me your Facebook username.

2. For a third entry, follow this blog on NetworkedBlogs by clicking here. Leave a third comment telling me your Facebook username.

3. For a fourth entry, copy & paste the following on Twitter:

@CSNStores giveaway! Enter for your chance to win a $60 Gift Card! @katbrak http://tinyurl.com/2e3skkc

Leave a fourth comment with a direct link to your tweet. You get the direct link by clicking on the date that is underneath your tweet after you tweet it. That takes you to a page that shows only that tweet. Right click on the address for that page and copy and paste it here. For example, here is the direct link to my tweet about this giveaway:

http://twitter.com/katbrak/status/8102134771875840

(go ahead, click it ☺)

~~~~~

Contest will run from today (Friday, November 26, 2010) until midnight Eastern time, Sunday, December 5, 2010. Winner will be selected by entering the number of comments into random.org and having it select a winning comment number. That means the more legitimate comment entries you leave, the better chance you have of winning! The winner will be announced on Monday, December 6, 2010. Good luck y'all!

~~~~~

Can't wait to go shopping? Do you have the Black Friday Shopping Bug?? Oh my! Wait! Don't leave! I have an antidote! How would you like to get a Disney-Pixar Cars Toddler bed for only $49.99 or an MLB Yankees Toaster for only $24.99 (Yep, it puts the Yankees logo right on your toast!! How cool is that?!) or even a Resolve Treadmill for only $99.99? Well guess where you can get them? You got it! CSN Stores! Click on the links below for some awesome Black Friday deals! You won't be sorry!

Baby deals

Game Room deals

Fitness Equipment deals

Toys & Games deals

And don't forget to follow CSN Stores on Twitter & Become their Fan on Facebook to keep up with all their great deals every day of the year!

What are you waiting for? Start entering. Start shopping. Start dreaming of what you'll get with that $60!!

Thanksgiving switch-up: Classic baked corn pudding

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Every year for Thanksgiving I basically make the same meal with one or two exceptions. For example, I sometimes make potato salad instead of mashed potatoes or I'll use a different stuffing recipe. This year I was going to make my corn fritters (the non-spicy version...so super delicious with maple syrup!) instead of corn-on-the-cob but then I came across the following recipe on the Betty Crocker website and decided that this is it!! (I'll show you a picture of mine after Thanksgiving.)

Classic Baked Corn Pudding

What you'll need:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups milk (1 quart)
6 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
2 bags (12 oz) Green Giant ® Valley Fresh Steamers™ Niblets® frozen corn, thawed, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tablespoon parsley flakes
3/4 cup Progresso® plain bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish or 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.

In 4-quart Dutch oven, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Stir in milk. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Gradually stir in eggs and cheese. Stir in corn and parsley. Pour into baking dish.
In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons melted butter; sprinkle over corn mixture.

Bake uncovered 55 to 65 minutes or until mixture is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 16 servings (1/2 cup each)

Substitution

You can use three 15.25-ounce cans of Green Giant® whole kernel corn, drained, instead of the frozen corn.

Variation

For a change of flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves with the parsley.

Cost*:

butter - $2.38

all purpose flour - $1.25

onion - 78¢

milk - $1.78/gallon

eggs (18 count) -$1.47
cheddar cheese block - $3.98
corn -50¢/can
bread crumbs - $1.89

Total - $4.39

Don't forget to come visit me here the day after Thanksgiving! I'll be having a little Black Friday deal right here and it won't cost you a dime! Matter of fact, you'll be getting a few dimes. But that's all I'm telling you right now...you'll just have to be here Friday to find out just how many dimes that will be ;-) I won't be here again until Friday... tomorrow is a HUGE cooking day for me and I doubt I'll even look at the computer. I hope all of you & your families have the most wonderful, fun, blessed Thanksgiving ever!

*No offense to Betty Crocker but I use generic products instead of the name brand (they taste just as good if you cook them right ☺) and my cost reflects that use of generic products.

Sassafras Kid's Christmas Holiday Baking Kit {Product Review}

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:09:00 +0000

It's time for my fourth review this month for CSN Stores! Today we're talking about the Sassafras Kid's Christmas Holiday Baking Kit. It was a big hit with our 5-year old granddaughter!

Since I received all four products at the beginning of this month, Olivia knew about the cookie kit for several weeks before she got to use it. She was super excited by the time the day came!

She tore into the kit and found:

Sugar cookie mix
3 cookie cutters (1 reindeer, 1 Christmas tree & 1 snowman)
Red & green sprinkles
And a bunch of red & green "streamers" (she called them that; I called them paper but that didn't go over well...they were STREAMERS!!)
But...
No instructions! Ack!

That was OK though because Grandma is resourceful and found the recipe here on the Sassafras website!

Here's what you'll need besides the kit:

3 Tbl softened butter
2 Tbl water
Cooking spray
A little flour
A rolling pin
A cookie sheet

Using a fork, "whip" the butter until it's fluffy.

Add cookie mix & stir until it's crumbly.

Add water and mix until it's well combined. I let Livi use her hands (her washed hands) to do this part.

Of course, her little sister wanted to participate too, so I gave her a cup of flour and let her go...

Once the dough forms a ball...

Wrap it in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Now is when licking your fingers can happen ☺

An hour is a really long time for a 5-year old. Just sayin'.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface & roll out. If you let the young cook put the flour on the surface, you end up with this:

The cookies still turned out good!

Cut the cookies out..

And place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake @ 350° for 12 - 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. You can add the sprinkles now or do like we did and make a frosting. I used this recipe and tinted it pink because that's what Livi wanted:

1 c powdered sugar
2 - 3 tsp milk
3 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp cherry extract
2 drops red food coloring
Mix all together well & brush onto cooled cookies

Then she added her sprinkles. We used the sprinkles that came with the kit plus some sprinkles that I already had because that's the way Livi wanted them and they were HER cookies!

She made one cookie that was especially for her...Can you guess which one it is?

Let me help you...

Look at all those sprinkles!!

She also made a bag up with cookies that were just for her mom & dad...

She was so proud of herself & her cookies! We really had fun & seeing the look on her face was so worth it!

If you have a little cook that would like this kit, I think it would make an awesome Christmas present! And it's only $13.95! At that price, I will definitely get another one of these kits! Plus, if you buy one today, it will be here in time for Christmas!

And don't forget about the other products I reviewed this month:

KidKraft® 27-Piece Primary Cookware Set
Henry Watson Original Suffolk Terracotta Garlic Cellar
Nordicware Pro Form 6 Cup Bundt Pan

They would make awesome gifts too! Of course, with CSN Stores having over 200 different online stores, there are probably a million different items that would make awesome gifts! Plus you can follow them on Twitter & become their fan on Facebook to see other great products they have to offer.

So what are you waiting for? Christmas is only 34 days away! Get shopping!!

p.s. Come back this Friday for a surprise just for you!

*Disclaimer: I received a $60 (total) promotional code in order to do all four reviews this month. If you would like to be a CSN Stores Preferred Blogger and review or give away great CSN Stores products, click here.*

Just a tip -- Turkey tips

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 14:58:00 +0000

If you don't count today (and I don't have to if I don't want to!), Thanksgiving is 5 days away! Lots of good food, family, fun, football & food borne illnesses...

Doesn't quite work does it?

Today I'm going to post some tips on how to prevent those nasty things from showing up at your Thanksgiving dinner.

1. Wash your hands properly & often using hot water & soap. This is probably the number one prevention of food borne illnesses when it comes to all cooking but more than likely today you'll be cooking for several people instead of just your immediate family. And, more than likely, you'll be making a lot more food than normal. It's easy to get distracted but let's keep your guests and their health in mind ok?

2. Don't cross contaminate. Keep your thawing turkey on the lowest shelf of your refrigerator underneath other foods. Don't use the same knife (or other utensils) on your turkey that you use on other foods. That goes for your cutting board too. Have a turkey only cutting board today.

3. Thaw your turkey properly. NEVER let your turkey thaw at room temperature. It should thaw in the refrigerator or in a tub of COLD water. If the water warms, refill it. Here's a chart of thawing times from FoodSafety.gov:

Turkey Size	In the Refrigerator (Approximately 24 hours for every 4-5 lbs.)	In Cold Water (Approximately 30 minutes per lb.)
4-12 lbs	1 to 3 days	2-6 hours
12-16 lbs	3 to 4 days	6 -8 hours
16-20 lbs	4 to 5 days	8-10 hours
20-24 lbs	5 to 6 days	10-12 hours

4. Cook your turkey properly. Turkey should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165° at the thickest part of the thigh. Do not take the temperature in the breast and make sure your thermometer is not resting on a bone. Always, always, always use a food thermometer to test your turkey. Just because it looks done doesn't mean it is. Do not set your oven temperature below 325° Here's another helpful chart from FoodSafety.gov:

Size of Turkey	Unstuffed	Stuffed
4-6 lbs (breast)	1½-2¼ hours	Not usually applicable
6-8 lbs (breast)	2¼-3¼ hours	2½-3½ hours
8-12 lbs	2¾-3 hours	3-3½ hours
12-14 lbs	3-3¾ hours	3½-4 hours
14-18 lbs	3¾-4¼ hours	4-4¼ hours
18-20 lbs	4¼ to 4½ hours	4¼ to 4¾ hours
20-24 lbs	4½ to 5 hours	4¾ to 5¼ hours

And for alternative ways to cook turkey:

Method	Size	Estimated Cooking Time	Notes
Electric Roaster Oven	8 -24 lbs.	Generally same times as for oven roasting.	Minimum oven temperature 325 °F. Check appliance manual.
Grilling: Covered Charcoal Grill or Covered Gas Grill	8-16 lbs.	15-18 minutes per pound. DO NOT STUFF.	Air in the grill must maintain 225 to 300 °F; use drip pan.
Smoking	8-12 lbs.	20-30 minutes per pound. DO NOT STUFF.	Air in the smoker must maintain 225 to 300 °F; use drip pan with liquid.
Deep Fat Frying	8-12 lbs.	3-5 minutes per pound. DO NOT STUFF.	Oil must maintain 350 °F. Follow manufacturer’s instructions.
Microwaving	8-14 lbs.	9-10 minutes per pound on medium (50%) power. DO NOT STUFF.	Use oven cooking bag. Rotate during cooking

I, for one, am very excited about Thanksgiving. It's a HUGE cooking time for me (which I adore!) and a wonderful family time (which I adore too!). I know how I would feel if I made people sick. I'm sure you'd feel the same way.

Perfect Turkey Gravy from McCormick®

noreply@blogger.com (♥ Kathy) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Make the holidays extra special with Perfect Turkey Gravy. Great flavor and no lumps. For a change of pace, try one of the Flavor Variations listed below.

Makes 15 (1/4-cup) servings.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

What you'll need:

2 packages McCormick® Turkey Gravy Mix
1/4 cup flour
3 cups water
1 cup turkey pan drippings or turkey broth
1 cup chopped cooked turkey giblets (optional)

1. Mix Gravy Mix and flour in large saucepan. Gradually stir in water and turkey drippings with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in chopped turkey giblets, if desired.

2. Stirring frequently, cook on medium-high heat until gravy comes to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. (Gravy will continue to thicken upon standing.)

Flavor Variations:

Sage & Citrus Perfect Turkey Gravy: Prepare as directed, decreasing water to 2 cups. Stir 1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon McCormick ® Rubbed Sage into Gravy Mix. Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Roasted Cinnamon and Bacon Turkey Gravy: Cook 4 slices bacon in large saucepan until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon. Set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in saucepan. Add 1/4 cup chopped onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Mix 2 packages McCormick® Turkey Gravy Mix, 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Roasted Saigon Cinnamon, 2 cups cold water and 1 cup turkey drippings. Add to saucepan; mix well. Continue with Step 2 as directed above. Stir in bacon. Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Herbed Perfect Turkey Gravy: Prepare as directed. Stir 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Rubbed Sage or 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Poultry Seasoning into Gravy Mix. Makes 15 (1/4-cup) servings.

Hearty Sage Turkey Gravy: Prepare as directed, decreasing water to 2 cups. Stir 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Rubbed Sage into Gravy Mix. Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Hearty Herbed Turkey Gravy: Prepare as directed, decreasing water to 2 cups. Stir 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Poultry Seasoning into Gravy Mix. Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Apple-Sage Turkey Gravy: Prepare as directed, decreasing water to 1 cup and adding 1 cup apple juice. Stir 1 teaspoon McCormick® Rubbed Sage into Gravy Mix. Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Garlic and White Wine Turkey Gravy: Prepare as directed, decreasing water to 2 cups and adding 1/4 cup white wine. Stir 1/4 teaspoon each McCormick® California Style Garlic Powder with Parsley and McCormick® Thyme Leaves into Gravy Mix. Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Mushroom-Onion Turkey Gravy: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms and 1/4 cup chopped onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Mix 2 packages McCormick® Turkey Gravy Mix, 1 1/2 cups cold water and 1 cup turkey drippings. Add to saucepan; mix well. Continue with Step 2 as directed above. Makes 8 (1/4-cup) servings.

Cinnamon-Chipotle Turkey Gravy: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Add 1/4 cup chopped red onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Mix 2 packages McCormick® Turkey Gravy Mix, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon each McCormick® Ground Cinnamon and McCormick® Gourmet Collection Chipotle Chile Pepper, 2 cups cold water and 1 cup turkey drippings. Add to saucepan; mix well. Continue with Step 2 as directed above. Makes 12 (1/4-cup) servings.

Cost (for basic gravy):

gravy mix - 89¢ each
flour - $2.89/bag
Total - $2.06