WonderWilson

Bacon and Egg Stuffed Pancake Muffins

2011-04-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

I came up with this idea sometime last summer and dubbed myself a genius. Sometimes you have to pat your own back, you know?

Okay, okay... I probably wasn't the first person in the world to think of this... or DO it, either. But don't tell my family, please. They still think I'm a genius and I need them to hold on to that for awhile. It makes me hopeful that they'll be more forgiving the next time I burn something and make them eat it anyway. It happens.

Turns out, these delicious muffins are the perfect travel food. They are hearty, filling, tasty, and supply a good amount of protein to sustain you for the morning. I've made them to take with us on road trips when we need to get up and get out.

Here's how you do it.

Start with your favorite pancake batter (mix or from scratch is fine). Here's my favorite.

About two cups of batter should do it. This is half of my recipe.

Set that to the side while you work on the bacon and eggs.

I happened to have some leftover bacon from the breakfast of a previous day that week. I like to make lots of bacon when I make bacon. That way I can use the leftovers for BLTs, baked potatoes, soups, muffins, whatever. Bacon doesn't ever go bad in my fridge. It can't... because we will ALWAYS eat it.

Also, I had a bunch of hard boiled, technicolor eggs in my fridge as a result of the Easter weekend. I can only stand so many deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches, so I put them to good use.

You can cook these items fresh, of course. It wouldn't take too much time, but this is much more convenient. So, if you can plan ahead, keep a few pieces of extra bacon in the fridge ("extra bacon"... add that to your oxymoron list) and maybe a couple hard boiled eggs. You could always scramble them fresh, if you needed to.

So, anyway, give the bacon a good chop.

And dice up your eggs. Here's my shortcut. Use the handy dandy egg slicer to slice once,

then rotate 90 degrees

and slice again.

Or, like I said before, if you don't have any hard boiled eggs handy, or don't want to go to the trouble of boiling them just for this recipe, then don't. Scrambled eggs work just as well. In fact, that's how I usually make this, I just happened to have these handy because of Easter.

Get out your really old and tarnished, burnt up muffin pan and either spray with nonstick spray or line with muffin cups. Up to you.

Pour in a thin layer of pancake batter. Just enough to coat the bottom of the cups.

Layer on some bacon

then some egg

and top it off with some more batter. Fill the cups to about 3/4 of the way full.

Pop these into an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Normally, this would be the end of the process for me. But this time I had an epiphany while they were in the oven. I thought, "....icing...." I hadn't intended for this to happen. It just, kinda, did. I wasn't at all prepared. But I knew I had to make it happen, so I rummaged through my fridge and I came up with this:

Maple Cream Cheese Icing
I found about two ounces of cream cheese and threw it into the mixer bowl (dang it! I forgot to buy more cream cheese when I went shopping last night!)

Ideally, this would be room temperature, softened cream cheese, but I was working on the fly. I didn't have time for all that. I was being moved by the Holy Spirit anyway, and you don't mess with that flow. So my cream cheese was cold. But yours shouldn't be, okay? Okay.

Add a little powdered sugar.

Not too much, just enough to sweeten the cream cheese ever so subtly. We aren't making cupcake icing, remember.
This is where I messed up a little. Due to the overwhelming Holy Spirit inside of me I forgot to beat the cream cheese and the sugar BEFORE adding the next ingredient. Had I done that, the resulting icing may have been a little smoother. Coupled with the fact my cream cheese was cold instead of room temperature, as it should have been, my icing was a bit lumpy. BUT! Despite its slightly unappetizing appearance, it tasted divine!! You're gonna have to trust me on this.

Now add a splash of maple extract.

And pretend that my cream cheese and sugar are beaten to a nice fluff.

When you pull the muffins out of the oven, immediately spread/drizzle on the icing.

Again, lumps are just lumps. The icing was so delicious! It was just the perfect compliment of sweetness and maple flavor. I will always make this icing whenever I make these muffins, from now on. Its just too good.

You gotta try this one, guys. You will not regret it!

Bacon and Egg Stuffed Pancake Muffins
makes 9 muffins
2 c. pancake batter
3-4 strips of cooked, chopped bacon
2 eggs, scrambled or hard boiled and diced

Spray a muffin tin or line it with cupcake liners. Layer ingredients starting with a thin layer of batter, followed by bacon and eggs, then more batter. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

For the Icing
measurements are approximate
2 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. maple extract.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Add maple extract and continue to beat until well combined. Spread icing on warm muffins.

PS Can I tell you how many times I misspelled "cream cheese" throughout this post? cream sheese. cream xheese. Its way too early.

Spanish Rice

2011-04-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Before I get into this recipe I feel it necessary to make a statement: ahem

In posting this recipe for Spanish Rice, it is not my intention to start a riot. It is not my purpose to offend you, your family, your grandmother, your country, or your culture. Thank you.

I realize that this is one of those dishes that everyone has their own "family recipe" for. Everyone in the family makes it the same way because that is how it is expected to be done. Not that you couldn't tolerate a different recipe if it were served to you at someone else's home, or a restaurant, or something, but if you go to a family member's house and they serve you spanish rice, you already know exactly what its going to taste like because its the same recipe you use when you make it yourself. Why? Because that's they way you were taught! Because that's the way your mom was taught. Because that's the way your aunts, cousins, grandma, and great-grandmas were taught!

I totally get it.

So don't hate me, okay? I just thought, since I personally know a lot of people who aren't really "cooks" at home, and they read this blog, that maybe they might want to learn how to make spanish rice. Or, at least, my version of it. So are we cool? Its nothing personal, okay?

I love you.

Start by heating up some oil in the bottom of a large skillet.

I've already entered dangerous ground, here. Some people are strict about the kind of oil they use. Personally, I go back and forth between olive oil and vegetable oil. Just depends on how I feel that day. You can use whatever your grandma tells you to use.

Then add some dry rice to the skillet and "brown" it. I'm a little confused about the use of this term because rice doesn't really brown unless you burn it. And you don't want to burn your rice.

Just toast it until it starts to turn white. At this point, I like to add a few cloves of pressed garlic.

I used to just crush them, but leave them mostly whole. Since then, I've decided that I want the garlic flavor to be stronger, so now I press it. I stir it in with the rice while its "browning" and let the garlic flavor infuse the rice and the oil its cooking in. It smells divine.

Next, add some chicken broth to the skillet

and some water.

A little tomato sauce (sometimes I use tomato paste for a deeper flavor),

and a little salt.

Give this a good stir to evenly distribute all the tomato and salt.

This next step is optional, depending on how you were raised.

I happen to like the flavor of cilantro, but many people don't. Sometimes I add it to my rice, sometimes I don't. But if you're going to add cilantro to your rice there is only one way to do it. You must add 3-4 whole, unchopped sprigs of cilantro leaves to the top your cooking rice and, this is important, DO NOT STIR! Once the cilantro touches the cooking liquid, you must not disturb the skillet until the rice is fully cooked! This is the law. Breaking this law will result in your drawn and quartered body. Okay, maybe that's taking it a little too far, but you get the idea.

Put the lid on the rice leaving a little crack for the steam to escape.

Allow the rice to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Allow the rice to simmer for about 20-25 minutes until all the liquid had been absorbed.

Then you have to "check the rice." Use a spoon to push a little portion of the rice to the side so you can see the bottom of the pan. If the bottom is dry and none of the rice sticks to the bottom, its perfectly done. If you see a little liquid then let it simmer a few more minutes. If your rice is stuck to the skillet, its overdone and on its way to burning. Remove it from the heat immediately. Chances are only the very bottom layer is burned and the rest is fine so don't freak out.

When you remove the lid the cilantro will be laying, wilted and lovely, on the top of the cooked rice and it will smell wonderful. You can pick it off, eat it, scoop around it, or feed it to your dog. The choice is yours. This rice is a great addition to any mexican meal. Did I mention my kids love it? They could eat rice and beans everyday, I think.

Spanish Rice Recipe
2 tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 c. chicken stock
1 c. water
2-3 tbsp. tomato sauce or tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro, optional

Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the rice and garlic together. Add chicken stock, water, tomato sauce or paste, and salt. Stir until evenly distributed. Add cilantro to the water (optional) and cover with a lid, leaving it slightly open for the steam to escape. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked and all the liquid is absorbed.

Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos

2011-04-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

When I say tequila, I mean it. It really comes through in this recipe. If you've ever had a bad tequila experience (and if you have, then you know the kind I'm talking about...) and you haven't quite gotten over it, then you might exercise some caution while reading this post. Or just walk away. Its okay. I understand.

I was kinda on a taco kick for a while. I think we had tacos for dinner four times the week I made these. Not the same kind of tacos, though, all different kinds. There were fish tacos, carne asada tacos, two kinds of shrimp tacos, and a whole lotta beans and rice. I think beans and rice are the perfect foods. They go together so well, they're filling and nutritious, and my kids would totally eat them everyday.

To make these tacos you will need to make a marinade for the shrimp. It includes garlic and cilantro,

lime juice,

red chili flake,

TEQUILA (any kind you like),

and a dash of salt.

Pulse this together in the food processor and pour it over your cleaned and deshelled shrimp. I like to do this in a large plastic storage bag.

These shrimp were raw when I put them in the bag. Something about the acidity of the lime juice turns them pink.

Let these marinate for a good hour before you cook them. They will really absorb all that tequila lime flavor. When you're ready to cook, you have several options. I think skewering and grilling them would be a great way to go, but you could also throw them in the oven for a few minutes. I was pressed for time and had run out of charcoal for my grill, so I just sauteed them on the stove top. Turned out just fine!

I put them in the skillet, put the lid on top, and let them cook for about five minutes without disturbing them much, except to shake the pan every couple of minutes. While they cooked, I made a sauce to drizzle over my shrimp. Its a very simple recipe that you can use as a basic seafood taco sauce or you can add other flavors to suit your taste.
Start with some plain yogurt,

stir in some lime juice,

add in a little salt,

and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

Stir it together until its nice and smooth. No lumps here.

If you want a richer sauce, you could stir in some mayo, or some sour cream if you like the tang. You could add some cumin for a smoky flavor, or some dill to cool it down. There are lots of ways you could go with this!

Heat up some corn tortillas and fill them up with the shrimp, drizzle on some sauce, and add whatever greens or veggies you like. I used a little salad mix I already had in the fridge. There was Romain, iceberg, carrots, and shredded broccoli in it. I added some cilantro, too.

Serve this with some rice and beans and a tall frosty margarita! Good stuff!

Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos Recipe
for the marinade:
2 sprigs of fresh cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. red pepper flake
1 shot of tequila

Add all ingredients to the food processor and pulse until smooth. Pour over raw shrimp and marinate for 1 hour. Cook shrimp by whatever method you like (grill, bake, or saute) until they are thoroughly pink.

for the seafood taco sauce:
3 tbsp. plain yogurt
2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
2-3 dashes hot sauce (or more if you like the heat)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth.

Vanilla Bean AND Strawberry Ice Cream

2011-04-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

We had a warm day and the first thing that came to my mind was, "I think I'll make ice cream..." Is that so wrong??

I consulted with my three year old.

She concurred.

I asked for her input as to the variety of said ice cream and she proposed that we initiate a project in which not just one, but two varieties of ice cream were the end goal. I asked her to clarify for me her intentions in this production, to which, she replied, "While grocery shopping with you yesterday, I made the acute observation that you purchased some fresh strawberries. Upon returning home, I also came to realize that you have a jar of Madagascar vanilla bean pods in the pantry. I propose that we use these items to conjure up a unique ice cream recipe in which both are equally represented for the intended satisfaction of as many members of this family as possible."

No really, she said that. But when she said it, it sounded more like this:

"I like strawberry, cause that's what Dora eats. And Julia loves vanilla, so we should make that for her!"

Practically verbatim!

Well, anyway, we made two kinds of ice cream. We started with a really good vanilla bean ice cream recipe and then added a strawberry element to turn the vanilla ice cream into strawberry ice cream. It worked beautifully.
We started by finely chopping some fresh strawberries. These need to be pretty small, maybe M&M sized or smaller. When they're frozen, they can be pretty solid and biting into a large strawberry chunk can be a little upsetting. And ice cream should be a pleasant experience. So chop them finely, please.

Add some sugar, stir it up, and set it to the side to macerate for a bit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
*After about an hour of macerating, the strawberries should be transferred to the fridge to chill. Adding warm strawberries to cold ice cream will just melt the ice cream, not cool the strawberries.

In a medium sized sauce pan, heat some heavy whipping cream,

some sugar,

some whole milk,

and add a whole vanilla bean, seeds and pod, (sliced lengthwise, then scraped with the back of a knife to liberate the seeds),

and a dash of salt.

Warm this over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to help the sugar dissolve and to separate the vanilla seeds from each other, breaking up any clumps that you see. This mixture should not boil. When you notice that the sugar is completely dissolved and the pot is starting to steam, its time to turn off the heat.

Now for the tricky part. Have you ever tempered an egg? Its a bit of a daunting process if you want to ensure the best results. In this case, we're only using the egg yolks, which makes this a little easier.

In a small bowl, whisk together two egg yolks.

While stirring CONSTANTLY, add one teaspoon of the hot cream mixture into the yolks.

Continue to add one teaspoon at a time while stirring constantly. The point of this is to slowly and gently bring the egg yolks up to nearly the same temperature as the cream mixture. This will cook the eggs without causing them to get firm and clumpy. Ice cream should be creamy and smooth, not eggy and clumpy. This process could take several minutes. After every three or four teaspoonfuls, check the temperature of the yolks and compare to the temperature of the cream. You may fill the bowl before the temperature is right.

When the two mixtures are nearly equal in temperature, very slowly drizzle the egg mixture back into the cream mixture, all the while, stirring constantly.

This step is necessary to get the egg up to the same temperature as the cream so that we are working with a uniformly smooth, and fully cooked custard.

*DO NOT TAKE THE TEMPERING OF THE EGG LIGHTLY. If properly done, the results will be a very rich, very smooth ice cream that will make you moan. If the egg is treated carelessly, it can easily ruin the custard and you'll end up with scrambled egg ice cream. Not pleasant.

So now that we've dealt with the whole egg ordeal, we need to cool the cream. You can transfer the cream to a bowl and place it in the fridge for a few hours to make sure its gets really cold. Sometimes I double bowl it, placing the bowl of cream into a larger bowl of ice. This helps things move along quickly.

Its very important that the cream is really cold before you put it into the ice cream maker. Not just cool, but cold. If you have the space for it, I would even recommend that you put the bowl in the freezer and let it it freeze about 30% before you transfer it to the ice cream maker. This will really help it to form those very tiny ice crystals that lend themselves to a very smooth and creamy ice cream consistency.

This is my ice cream machine.

I pour the mixture into this frozen bowl thingy and place the thingy on the motor thingy and cover it up with the plastic cap thingy. You should just follow the directions for your own thingy.

My machine's instructions say to let this mix for 25-30 minutes. When it was done, it transferred half of the ice cream to a plastic container.

It should be the consistency of soft serve right now. Pop this into the freezer for a couple of hours to "ripen." When you pull it out, it will be creamy, and dreamy, and rich, and vanilla-y. This was so good, that my family ate it all while I wasn't looking and I didn't even get to take a picture of the final product!!! Suckers!!

But, no worries.

I still have the strawberries and the other half of the ice cream to deal with.

So after you remove half of the vanilla and place it in the freezer, grab your strawberries from the fridge. Pour the whole bowl, juices and all, right into the freezer bowl (or whatever you have) with the rest of the vanilla. Let this mix for another five minutes or so.

Look at that. Closer. Are you thinking about diving in?

When its been well mixed, transfer the strawberry ice cream to another plastic container.

Don't forget to lick the utensil.

Like you need me to remind you.

Chill for 2 hours and serve.

You can have two scoops of vanilla, or two scoops of strawberry, or one scoop of each, or two scoops of each. Or maybe you're in a diet so you can get your beach body ready for the summer... and if you are...
I'm sorry.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. sugar
2 c. whole milk
1 vanilla bean, sliced and scraped
1/8 tsp. salt
2 egg yolks

for strawberry variation
1 c. finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 c. sugar

Over medium-low heat, combine cream, sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Stirring constantly, heat until sugar is dissolved completely and vanilla seeds are separated. Temper in egg yolks and chill the mixture until very cold. Transfer to ice cream maker and follow instructions for freezing.

If making strawberry ice cream: Add chilled strawberries and macerated juices to the ice cream maker during the last five minutes of freezing.

Chicken Enchilada Calzones

2011-03-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

I was surprised at how well these turned out considering they started as a "cleaning out my pantry and using up my leftovers" kinda meal. Everyone loved them. I made a lot of them because I decided they would also be good picnic food for the next day's lunch. Who doesn't like cold pizza, right?

I had some left over chicken breast that I needed to use so I chopped it up into bite size pieces.

To it, I added a can of sliced black olives (drained),

a can of diced green chiles,

some shredded jack cheese,

and some shredded mozzarella cheese.

I gave it a good stir and set it off to the side.

Then I grabbed the blob of pizza dough that I had prepared earlier and divided it into eight equally sized pieces.

You can use whatever kind of pizza dough you like, a mix, a store bought one, or a homemade one that you prepare yourself. I made mine in the bread maker so that the dough would be ready at dinner time.

One at a time, roll the dough out into a sort of circular shape.

Don't be too picky about the shape. You just need a nice, flat, surface.

Put some of the filling in the center of the dough.

Fold the dough over on itself

and, starting at one end, fold the edges of the dough in sections to seal it closed.

If you have any holes, just pinch them closed.

When all of your calzones are assembled, arrange them on a baking sheet

and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.

These were really tasty. Look at all that oozy cheese...

Perfect for an easy weeknight meal.

Chicken Enchilada Calzones Recipe
2 c. cooked chicken breast, diced
1 4 oz can sliced black olives
1 4 oz can diced green chiles
1 c. shredded jack cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pizza dough

Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl. Divide pizza dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each into a circular shape and fill with about 1/3-1/2 c. filling. Fold dough over on itself and roll edges to seal. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.

Honey Vanilla Lemonade

2011-03-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Lemonade is one of my favorite warm weather drinks. It's cool, refreshing, and tart. Better for you than soda, and more satisfying than water. Sometimes I like to mix things up a little and put a new spin on old favorites. I found this recipe for Honey Vanilla Lemonade several years ago and I new I had to try it. I've been hooked ever since. Its still the same sweet/tart flavor of a regular lemonade, but it has a nice smoothness due to the vanilla, and a subtly sweet honey flavor. It's delicious.

Start by making a simple syrup. One cup of sugar and one cup of water.

Obtain a one inch piece of vanilla bean and split it down the middle, lengthwise.

Open it up and scrape out the tiny seeds with the blade of the knife.

Tiny, vanilla caviar.

Put the seeds and the bean pod right into the pot with the sugar and water. Bring this mixture to a boil until all of the sugar is dissolved.

Remove this from the heat and stir in one tablespoon of honey. I like wildflower honey best, but you can use whatever kind you like.

Allow this to cool to room temperature before proceeding to the following steps. Fifteen to twenty minutes ought to do it.

In a two quart pitcher, mix the honey vanilla syrup you just made with one cup of lemon juice.

I like to leave the vanilla beans and pod in the pitcher, but you can strain them out it you prefer.

Fill the pitcher the rest of the way with water and stir.

Now grab a big tall glass, put a few cubes of ice in the bottom, and fillerup.

This is a very fresh, smooth, thirst-quenching drink for a nice, warm day.

Honey Vanilla Lemonade Recipe
makes 2 quarts
for the syrup
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 inch piece of vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 tbsp. honey
for the lemonade
1 c. lemon juice
2 quarts, minus one cup, water

In a small saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar, water, vanilla beans and pod until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the honey and cool to room temperature. Add cooled syrup to the bottom of a 2 quart pitcher along with lemon juice. Stir to combine. Add the rest of the water and mix.

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

2011-03-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice chowder to serve along with those Cheddar Bay Biscuits I posted last week. I made them together and couldn't have been more pleased by how well they got along.

Let me tell you how much I love shrimp.

I LOVE SHRIMP!!!

If I had to request a last meal (we won't get into the details about the events leading up to such a request), it is very likely that shrimp will be involved. Maybe as an appetizer, possibly as a component of the second course (my last meal would have seven courses, minimum. No, I haven't put much thought into this, why do you ask?), but definitely involved somewhere.

This is a very satisfying, rich, and comforting soup. The kind you want to eat on a cold, rainy night to feel all warm and fuzzy all over.

It starts with bacon.

All good things start with bacon. Chop it up into bite sized pieces

and fry it up in the bottom of a large pot until its almost crispy. Almost.

While your bacon is cooking, chop up some celery, onion, and potatoes. Add the celery and onion to the pot, save the potatoes for later.

Add some flour to the veggies and bacon and cook until it turns a nice golden brown.

Add some chicken stock,

the potatoes,

and the corn (canned or frozen, whichever you prefer).

At this point, you want to add the seasonings. Start with some thyme,

and, of course, salt,

and pepper.

Bring this to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let this simmer for about 12-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. When the potatoes are cooked to their proper doneness (it think that's a real word. I've worked in a lot of restaurants and we tossed it around a lot, so I'm calling it legit.) add in some half and half

and the shrimp (peeled and deveined).

Give that a good stir and allow to heat slowly until the shrimp are fully cooked.

Spoon it into some bowls and chow down!

Shrimp and Corn Chowder Recipe
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
6 small red potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 c. corn (frozen or canned)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. flour
2 c. half-and-half
1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Cook bacon until almost crispy. Add onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent. Add flour and cook until golden brown. Add chicken broth, potatoes, corn, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a bowl then reduce to simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Add shrimp and half-and-half. Allow to simmer until shrimp are fully cooked.

Blueberry Muffins

2011-03-19T22:13:00.001-07:00

Muffins are fabulous foods. They're perfect for grab-and-go mornings or just a lazy Saturday when you can sit and enjoy one with a hot cup of tea (or coffee, if that's more your style).

Reasons why I love muffins:

1. They're technically not cupcakes, but you can fool yourself into thinking they are.
2. Because they're not cupcakes, you can justify eating two without too much guilt.
3. They are so versatile! Savory, sweet, hardy, light, however you want to spin it, a muffin can handle it!

I could go on, but lets just get to the recipe already, sheesh.

You'll start by putting some flour in a bowl.

You'll add sugar,

baking powder,

and salt,

then you'll whisk it all together.

In another bowl, you'll crack a couple of eggs,

and add some milk,

and some finely grated orange zest.

I think the orange zest really makes this recipe. Its just enough of a citrus kiss to really compliment the blueberries, but not so much that its tastes like a Blueberry-Orange muffin. Its still just a Blueberry muffin, but better.
To this, also add some melted butter,

and whisk it up good. You want to break up all the orange zest so that it is evenly distributed and there are no clumps.

Now pour this liquid into the dry mixture.

Gently stir this together until its well combined. Lumpy batter is A-okay.

Add your blueberries.

Since blueberries aren't really in season right now, all I had was the frozen kind. They work beautifully, aside from adding some interesting purple streaks to the batter. Fold them in gently to try to minimize this (if you care) if you go with the frozen variety. Fresh is best, but frozen is just as yummy.

Scoop the batter into a well-greased muffin tin.

The following step isn't at all necessary, but I like to do it cause its fun. I sprinkle a little coarse sugar on the tops of each muffin before I put them in the oven.

Coarse sugar is pretty and sparkly. When it bakes onto the muffin tops it creates a crunchy, sweet bonus that puts these muffins over the top!

Can you see the orange zest peeking through?

Bake these at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

Look at that beautiful crunchy dome. I think I could live on muffin tops alone.

Blueberry Muffin Recipe
makes 1 dozen
2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk
1/2 melted butter
1/2 tbsp. finely grated orange zest
1 c. blueberries
coarse sugar (optional)

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2011-03-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

I like these biscuits. They're tasty. I want to eat them as a meal, but that would be irresponsible. And gluttonous. And I would be setting a bad example for my carbaholic daughter. I hate setting a bad example.

It is my life's work to be a shining example of goodness and positive encouragement to my little angels. Poor behavior and untidiness are strongly discouraged in our home.

As is endangering the safety of ourselves and others.

And I make a point to ensure that we always look our best when we leave the house. After all, as individuals, we represent the family.

As you may have guessed, I run a pretty strict home.

Who want biscuits?!?

You'll need flour

salt,

baking powder,

butter,

milk,

shredded cheddar,

and Old Bay seasoning.

Sift together the dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork, then add the milk.

and stir with a spoon.

Then mix in the cheddar.

Scoop the biscuit dough out of the bowl and place it on a baking sheet

Big, heaping, irregular shaped mounds will do quite nicely.

Bake these in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

These are perfect to accompany a big bowl of soup, a pasta dish, or anything with shrimp in it. Old Bay makes me think of shrimp. They go together.

Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe
makes 8 biscuits
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup + 2 tbps. milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Sift together the dry ingredients and cut in the butter until it looks like course crumbs. Add milk and stir to combine. Add cheddar cheese and stir to combine. Scoop onto baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Double Chocolate Muffins

2011-03-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

Ooooohhh Maaannnn...
That's all I have to say.

That, and it kinda makes me think of UFOs....

Anyone?

...just me?

...nevermind.
In a large mixing bowl, combine some melted butter,

eggs,

sugar,

vanilla,

and buttermilk.

...but that's water...

Yes, but its going to be buttermilk.

...but how can it be buttermilk? ...cause its water.

Because of this.

This is cultured buttermilk in powder form. I love this stuff. I use it often. Whenever a recipe calls for buttermilk and you don't have any (I very rarely have actual buttermilk in my fridge) you can substitute with this.

You simply add four tablespoons of the powdered buttermilk to the dry ingredients of your recipe for every one cup of buttermilk that it calls for. In place of adding buttermilk to the liquid portion of your recipe, you add the equivalent amount of water. For example, this recipe calls for one cup of buttermilk. Instead of adding actual buttermilk to the wet ingredients, I'll add one cup of water. To the dry ingredients, I'll add four tablespoons of the powdered stuff. When you combine the wet and dry ingredients together it all works out.

Another trick is to add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the bottom of a one cup measure and fill it up the rest of the way with plain milk.

And now you know.

And knowing is half the battle.

In a separate bowl, combine flour,

cocoa powder,

salt,

baking soda,

baking powder,

and the buttermilk.

...but that's powder...
Yes, but its going to be buttermilk.

...but how can it be buttermilk?...cause its powder?...and didn't we already add the buttermilk?

Nevermind.

Whisk this together.

Now add some chocolate chips.

Toss these into the dry ingredients to coat them all with flour. This will prevent the chips from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during the baking process.

Combine your wet and dry ingredients together, stirring just until the mixture is mostly uniform. A few lumps are okay.

Generously grease and flour a muffin tin

and fill each of the cups all the way to the top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Look at those beautiful mounds of chocolate...

the crispy edges are my favorite part.

These are soooooo goooood.

Pardon my extensive use of the letter 'o.'

Double Chocolate Muffin Recipe
makes 12 muffins
1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease and flour a muffin tin.
In a large bowl, combine together wet ingredients and sugar. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir together well and add in chocolate chips. Stir to coat chips with the dry mixture. Combine wet and dry mixtures and stir until mostly uniform in texture. A few lumps are okay.
Distribute batter evenly into muffin cups, filling each to the top. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Meatloaf

2011-03-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Meatloaf was never one of my favorite foods growing up. It was always kinda bland, boring, and tasted like... well, like bland boring meat, I guess. But I think that had more to do with the way it was prepared rather than the dish itself. Meatloaf, I have discovered, can be very tasty. It all depends on the kind of flavor you want to mix into it. I like mine to be a little zesty. I've come up with a recipe that adds just the right amount of zest without being overpowering and still tastes like a traditional recipe.

It starts with crackers. Put them in a plastic bag and crush them to smithereens. I like to use my rolling pin for this.

Sometimes I use plain bread crumbs, but I think the crackers add a nice flavor.

Add the cracker crumbs to some ground beef.

Also add an egg,

some salt

and pepper.

Now set the bowl to the side and grab a cutting board. Finely dice some onion and mushrooms.

Normally, I would also dice some red bell pepper, but I was out. But you should add red bell pepper. It totally helps. Totally.

You're going to saute these before adding them to the mixture, so prepare a pan with some olive oil.

Saute the veggies until soft and fragrant.

Now add the sauteed veggies to the meatloaf mix.

Using a large spoon or your hands, mix the ingredients together until they are well incorporated into the ground beef.

On a large, rimmed baking sheet or baking pan, form the meat into a loaf.

In a small bowl combine some ketchup with some balsamic vinegar.

Stir this together to form a glaze for the meatloaf. The glaze is what really makes this recipe. Its tangy and sweet and adds just the right amount of zest to the final product. I like to brush it on really thick.

Pop this into the oven at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes. When you pull it out, it will look like this:

The glaze has thickened and crackled from the escaping juices. It may look burned, but that's just the balsamic coming through. On the inside, it will be tender and juicy.

Slice this up and serve with some mashed potatoes for a very comforting meal!

Enjoy!

Meatloaf Recipe
serves 4
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c. cracker crumbs or plain bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 c. finely diced onion
1/4 c. finely diced mushrooms
1/4 c. finely diced red bell pepper

for the glaze
1/3 c. ketchup
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Saute the onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper until soft. Combine sauteed veggies with all other ingredients and mix well. Transfer meat to a baking pan and form a loaf.

In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup and balsamic vinegar. Generously spread all over the surface of the meatloaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Honey Bun Cake

2011-03-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

I can't decide if this is a dessert or a breakfast...

Its sweet enough and satisfying enough to fulfill that after dinner sugar craving, but it also sings of cinnamon and brown sugar and that delicious icing I associate with donuts and cinnamon rolls.

Its a toss up, I tell you. I've been eating it at night after the kids go to bed, because I want to be able to savor every bite. And, as anyone with kids can tell you, when there are children present whilst eating, meals are just a shovefest that happens between calls of, "Eat your peas!" and, "Get your finger out of your nose!"

Or maybe that's just my house.

Anyway, I ate this cake for lunch the other day. It seemed like the right thing to do.

And maybe I'm eating some right now. At 2:21 in the afternoon. Is that so bad?

Here's what you need:

a yellow cake mix, 4 eggs, 2/3 cup of vegetable oil, and 1 cup of sour cream. Ignore the ingredients list on the back of the box and just combine all of these things together in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat it until its nice and smooth, about 2 minutes. I should note that I considered substituting the oil for butter because, after all, it is a "butter golden" mix. But I was good. And I didn't. But I wonder how much more delicious it would be if I had.... mmm, the richness... the buttery goodness...

Snap out of it, Heather!

I get carried away sometimes.

Set your cake batter to the side and prepare the filling.

You'll need brown sugar,

chopped pecans,

and cinnamon.

Stir this together until you get a streusel type mixture.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour in half the cake batter, making sure to spread it all around the bottom of the dish.

Sprinkle on the filling

until it completely covers the bottom half of the cake.

Pour on the rest of the cake batter making sure to drizzle it all over the pecan filling. You can use a spatula to try to spread the batter to cover up the holes, but avoid this if possible. Too much spreading will disturb the filling.

Pop that in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Just before its ready to come out, make the icing.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar,

vanilla,

(sorry about the terrible focus) and milk.

Stir this until it becomes thick, but still runny.

Take your warm cake out of the oven

and immediately drizzle the icing all over the top.

Gently spread this with a spatula evenly over the top. You'll have to work quickly, it will start to set in about a minute.

You'll have to resist the urge to cut this immediately. It won't be easy.

After about an hour (okay, so I caved after about 35 minutes) it will be cool enough to handle and the icing will have started to settle into the cake.

Now is the time to dive in! This cake is so moist because of the sour cream, so comforting because of the cinnamon and brown sugar, and so ridiculously addicting because you can justify eating if for breakfast!

Honey Bun Cake Recipe
1 box of yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
2/3 c. vegetable oil

for the filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. chopped pecans

for the icing:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
2-3 tbsp milk (depending on how thick you like it)

Combine cake mix with eggs, sour cream, and oil. Beat until batter is smooth.
Make the filling by combining all filling ingredients and mixing well.
Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour in half the batter. Sprinkle with filling and pour on remaining batter.
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
Make the icing by combining all icing ingredients in a small bowl and mixing until smooth and desired consistency is reached. When cake comes out of the oven, immediately pour icing all over the top, making sure to coat the entire surface. Cool for 1 hour.

Garlic String Bean Chicken

2011-03-04T16:14:00.000-08:00

I had a craving for Chinese food. It happens a lot.

I also had a large amount of green beans that I needed to cook. That happens a lot, too.

We eat a lot of green beans around here.

This tastes a lot like the string bean chicken you might order at a well-known Chinese-food-chain-restaurant- with-a-Panda-for-a-mascot who shall remain nameless.

Don't ask me where I got the recipe. I'll never tell.

Start by marinating some diced chicken.

To make the marinade, you'll need...

sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix them together in a bowl until the cornstarch is no longer lumpy,

then toss the chicken in the mixture and allow it to marinate for at least 1 hour. But the longer, the better, really.

Before you're ready to cook, prep everything you'll need. I can never stress this enough when cooking Asian dishes. It all happens fast, so be prepared. Make sure that everything you need for the dish is already chopped, peeled, portioned, and ready to go before you even turn on the stove. You'll thank me later.

Start by chopping up your veggies. You'll need some red bell pepper,

green beans,

onion,

and garlic.

This is what garlic looks like after you freeze it and put it through a garlic press. Kinda looks like garlic jelly.

Also, have on hand about this much water.

And some black bean sauce, if you can find it. I didn't have any and didn't feel like hunting it down, considering the recipe only calls for 1 teaspoon. So I substituted with oyster sauce, cause I did have that.

We'll come back to these two items later.

Now heat some oil in a large skillet.

and thoroughly cook the chicken you've been marinating.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer to a large bowl.

Now add the onions and garlic to the skillet and stir fry for about a minute

then add the green beans and bell peppers to the skillet and stir fry those for about 1-2 minutes.

Remember that water I had you put on standby? Dump that into the skillet and quickly cover with a lid.

Let the veggies steam for about 2-3 minutes. This will soften up those green beans just enough so that they aren't too crunchy, but also not mushy.

Remove the lid and add the chicken back to the skillet.

Also add the black bean sauce (oyster sauce) at this point. Stir it around to make sure the sauce gets well incorporated and allow the chicken to reheat for about a minute or so.
Serve this on top of white rice, or, if you're feeling really dangerous, attempt to make some fried rice simultaneously. (You better have a plan - you've been warned.)

Garlic String Bean Chicken Recipe

For the marinade:
2 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. rice wine
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar

For the recipe:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup onion, peeled, cut in 1/2-in. wedges
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. black-bean sauce
12 oz. green beans, trimmed, cut in 1-in. pieces
1 cup red bell pepper, large dice

Dice chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. Combine soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, cornstarch and sugar in large bowl; pour over chicken breast; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to cook. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until chicken is brown and is cooked through. Remove to serving dish. Return skillet to high heat; add onion and garlic. Stir in green beans and bell pepper. Add 1/4 cup water, cover, and cook 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Return chicken to skillet and add black bean (oyster sauce) and stir; toss over high heat until well mixed and heated through; about 2 minutes.

Chocolate Andes St. Patrick's Day Cookies

2011-03-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

These are probably my favorite cookies ever. I love chocolate. I love mint. I love Andes. Put it all together and I love, love, love these cookies.

I always think of these around St. Patrick's Day because St. Patrick's Day makes me think of the color green, green makes me think of mint, and mint makes me think of these cookies. Therefore, I think they're St. Patrick's Day cookies. You can't change my mind.

Like any good cookie recipe worth a dime, start with some butter and sugar.

There's also brown sugar involved.

Cream it together real good and add some eggs.

Oh ya, and some vanilla, too.

In a separate bowl, combine some flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda,

and add it to the creamed mixture. It should look like this:

The original recipe calls for vanilla chips, but in the 12 years I've been making this recipe, I've yet to find vanilla chips in any grocery store and I'm too cheap to pay for shipping to order them online. So I use regular chocolate chips. Or white chocolate chips if aesthetics is a concern of mine. But its usually not.

And then comes my favorite part of this recipe...

Its so hard to resist eating these immediately.

So I don't.

I usually eat several.

But then I come to my senses and remember the cookies.

Chop them up very roughly.

Now add these and the chocolate chips to your cookie dough.

Does anyone eat cookie dough?

I don't. I don't happen to like cookie dough. But this dough makes me want to like it. Maybe one day I'll give in.

But, for now, I prefer this cookie dough in its intended form.

Chocolate Andes St. Patrick's Day Cookies Recipe
1 c. butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 package Andes mints, chopped
1 c. chocolate or vanilla or white chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugars, add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in chips and mints. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Blueberry Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

2011-02-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

This is an easy make ahead recipe that would be perfect for a brunch or special occasion breakfast. You make it the night before so there's no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to start cooking. I like that. More sleep = happy Heather.

Start with some day old french bread. I happened to have half a loaf that I made before a busy weekend of birthday parties, errands, and various running around. We weren't home to eat it, otherwise it wouldn't have been there. French bread doesn't last long around here.

Tear it up into bite sized chunks.

Set that to the side and retrieve a large bowl. Into it, add eggs and milk,

some sugar,

vanilla,

cinnamon,

and a pinch of salt.

Whisk this all together...

and add the bread chunks.

Toss the bread in the mixture until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Grease a baking pan (very well) and add half of the bread mixture.

Sprinkle on some blueberries (I used frozen),

and top with the remaining bread mixture.

Cover this tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. The bread will continue to drink up all that moisture and become infused with all that cinnamon goodness.

In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 and allow the french toast to sit on the counter top for 15-20 minutes to take some of the chill off before heading into the oven. Remove the plastic wrap (duh) and place the dish in the oven while you go take a shower.

Thirty to forty minutes later, you will have this splendid breakfast waiting for you.

Grab the biggest spoon you can find and scoop some onto a large plate. Drizzle with some warm maple syrup and enjoy!

I can think of so many variations of this recipe - you could substitute the blueberries with any fruit or jam you like - peaches would be wonderful. I might leave out the fruit and cinnamon next time and add some chopped bacon bits to the mix... *swoon*... I love bacon. Make it your own!

Blueberry Cinnamon French Toast Casserole Recipe
1/2 loaf day old french bread
4 eggs
1 c. milk
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. blueberries

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Tear bread into bite sized pieces and add to the egg mixture. Toss bread in egg mixture to absorb the liquid. Transfer half the bread to a well-greased baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries and top with the remaining bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, depending on how dark and crispy you like the top.

Pot O' Gold Bread

2011-02-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

Is this totally cute, or what?

I'm trying to get ahead of the game and am starting to do fun St. Patrick's Day stuff before I discover that its March 16th. I came up with this cute little bread creation on paper and was relying on luck that it would translate well in bread form. Not too shabby, I think. Here's how I did it:

Start with a dough ball (I like french bread) and divide it in half.

Set one half to the side for later. With the remaining half, further divide it into a 2:1 ratio.

Take the smaller piece and roll it between your hands to form a snake about 8 inches long.

Now twist this around a bit and do your best to form some type of amorphous, amoeba-like form. Its supposed to be a cloud.

With the other 2/3 chunk of dough, divide it into thirds,

And roll these into snakes about 14 inches long. Lay them side by side and arrange them with one end of the snakes just under the cloud but coming out of the top. Bend them into a rainbow.

Don't worry about the other end being perfect. You're going to cover it up soon, anyway. If you would like more definition in your rainbow, feel free to take a knife and run it through the curves of the rainbow. When it rises and bakes it will lose a little definition.

Now grab that other half of the original dough ball. Divide it into a 2:1 ratio.

Take the smaller one and divide it into several smaller pieces to make your gold. I got seven. You can do however many you like.

Arrange the gold pieces on top of the end of the rainbow not connected to the cloud. Make a nice little mound.

With the remaining dough, divide it into three pieces. The two smaller pieces should each be about one-fifth the size of the original dough ball and the larger ball should be about three-fifths size.

Use the larger piece to form the "pot" and place it directly beneath the "gold."

One of the remaining dough balls should be rolled into a snake to fit across the top of the pot to form the rim.

The last dough ball should be divided in two. Form two snakes of equal size and make each with a pointy end.

Gently place the pointy ends under the pot to form the legs of the pot. Curve them outward to create feet.

Place a piece of cheese cloth or a damp dish towel over this and let rise in a warm, draftless area for 30-60 minutes.

Just before you put it in the oven, brush it with an egg wash to give it a nice shine. Its gold, after all.

Now bake it in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, depending on how dark and crispy you like your crust.

The luck o' the Irish be with you!

Too corny?

Ok, then. Good luck.

Rosemary Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

2011-02-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

Julia hates potatoes. She won't even eat french fries. On the rare occasions when she gets a happy meal, she is sure to inform me that she would rather eat apples with her cheeseburger, and "NOT french fries, Mommy!"

Weird kid.

Sammy, on the other hand, would live on french fries and tater tots if it were humanly possible. She is my meat and potatoes girl.

Just because one or both of my kids doesn't like a certain food, it doesn't mean that I'm going to stop serving it to them. I like potatoes. So I make potatoes. And I put them on my children's plates. It's their job to try everything on their plates, regardless of the fact that they have never liked that food in the past. I love this rule. And every once in a while it pays off.

Much to Julia's surprise, she discovered that she likes mashed potatoes! This discovery happened on one of the nights I "forced" her to take a bite of these mashed potatoes.

Roughly chop about 5 large red potatoes and put them in a pot with just enough water to cover them completely. I like to leave the skins on.

Boil these for ten to fifteen minutes until they are fork-tender. Drain them and return them to the pot.

Meanwhile, take a few sprigs of fresh rosemary

and mince it up nice and small.

Rosemary is powerful stuff and you don't need much of it to get the flavor to present itself. This amount makes for a nice, subtle rosemary flavor.

Also shred some fresh Parmesan cheese.

After your potatoes have drained, take your trusty mashing tool and get to work on the dry potatoes.

HINT: the key to creamy mashed potatoes is to mash them up really well before you add anything to them.

Now add some butter,

and some milk,

and give it a good stir to get the right consistency.

Add some salt,

the rosemary,

and, finally, the Parmesan cheese.

Stir this up really well and let it sit, with a lid on the pot, for about 5 minutes. This gives the cheese a chance to melt really well, the rosemary to infuse its flavor into the potatoes, and the potatoes to soak up any liquid not fully absorbed yet. If, after sitting, you discover the potatoes are too dry for your taste, add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you get the result you want.

These potatoes are delicious! If Julia will eat them, they must be good!

Rosemary Parmesan Mashed Potatoes Recipe

5 large red potatoes, chopped, skins on
3 tbsp butter
1/3-1/2 c. milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. finely minced rosemary
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Beef Stew

2011-02-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

My husband and I used to work together as science teachers at the same high school. Students were frequently confused. Especially at the beginning of the school year... "Did you know that they put 'Mr.' on the schedule? Oooh, burn!"... "Mr. Wilson is in the next building over. You're in the wrong class."... "Oh."... *slink away*

This situation had its ups and downs.

Up: We drove to work together so our gas bill was totally manageable.
Down: I couldn't leave until he was ready to leave. He's such a workaholic.

Up: We got to eat lunch together everyday.
Down: We had nothing new to talk about.

Up: We totally got to gossip to each other about people, and we always knew who the other was talking about! I mean... we didn't gossip. That's not nice.
Down: We kinda gossiped about people, and we always knew who the other was talking about.

Up: Every year our Home Ec dept. would have a cookbook sale as a fundraiser and my hunny always bought one for me!

This recipe came from one of those books. I've adjusted it slightly to suit my own preferences, but overall, its a good one, and I make it often.

Start with some stew meat. I buy a package of chopped meat labeled "stew meat." This makes my life a little easier.

Put this in a crock pot and start layering the following ingredients right on top.

Some roughly chopped carrots

a can of diced tomatoes

peas (I use frozen, but the canned version would be fine)

chopped onion

a bay leaf

some red wine

(This is when my camera battery died... so no more pictures for awhile. Oops.)...

also add some beef broth, salt and pepper to taste, some brown sugar, and some bread crumbs.

Give the stew a quick mix just to make sure its all settled nicely and turn the crock pot on low for 8-9 hours.

About two hours before its done, chop up some potatoes and add those to the crock pot, too.

I used the previous 7 hours to see that my camera battery was indeed charged and ready to go. It was.

When its done, ladle yourself some stew and maybe serve it with some cornbread on the side.

Beef Stew Recipe
2 lbs stew meat
1 c. chopped carrots
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 c. peas
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 c. chopped potatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 c. beef broth
1 c. red wine
1/2 bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Add all ingredients to the crock pot and cook on low heat for 8-9 hours.

Brownies Baby!!

2011-02-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

Brownies are my husband's favorite food of all time, I think. He didn't say that. I'm taking a leap, here. Here's why:

1. When I ask what kind of dessert I should make, his answer is always, "brownies."
2. When I make brownies, he eats them. ALL of them.
3. If he doesn't get to eat the LAST brownie, he pouts.

I think I have a pretty good case.

I made these brownies last night and the girls and I polished off the last two while he was at work today. Ten bucks says he has something to say about it when he gets home. Double or nothing he demands more.

This is an Ina Garten recipe from way back. I love Ina. She makes good brownies.

Over a double boiler, melt some butter, then add 8 oz chocolate chips and some unsweetened baking chocolate.

Stir it until its nice and smooth. Take it off the heat just before its completely smooth so it doesn't overheat and burn.

Set this to the side to cool a bit before proceeding to the next step. Ten minutes should be plenty of time. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, and sugar.

Now you need to add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. While the chocolate should be cool enough by now that it won't cook the eggs, do this slowly to warm the eggs gradually, just in case.

Stir this well.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. (Generally, the dry ingredients should be sifted together in a separate bowl before adding to the wet mixture. Sometimes I do that and sometimes I don't. Depends on what I'm making and how I feel at the moment.)

Give that a good stir. No lumps here. You want it to be nice and smooth. In a small bowl, toss together the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips (and nuts, if you like them in your brownies) and the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.

You're going to add these to your brownie batter. Tossing them with flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the batter. They should remain relatively evenly suspended in the batter as it cooks.

Just mix those in gently.

Pour this batter into a greased and floured baking pan...

...and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so.

These are delicious and goey, and rich, and addicting!

Brownies

8 oz butter
8 oz + 1 cup of chocolate chips
3 0z unsweetened baking chocolate
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 c. + 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 c + 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c nuts (optional)

Follow the directions above and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Belgian Waffles

2011-02-16T14:29:00.000-08:00

My family loves these waffles! They are requested often. I love them, too. They rank right up there with the fancy round waffles they serve you at Denny's. You know the ones all covered in strawberries and whipped cream? My old boyfriend used to call it the "Army Ant Special" and he made fun of me for ordering a plate of sugar for breakfast. Did I mention we broke up?

Anyway, I love these waffles, army ant style or otherwise.

Let me make something clear right from the beginning. You need three bowls. Its necessary. Don't try to simplify for the sake of fewer dishes to clean. Your waffles will suffer for it. Make your peace now.

Okay. Ready?

Let's start with the eggs. You need four of them and you need to separate the whites from the yolks. I suggest that you put the whites directly into the bowl of your stand mixer (if you have one) or another large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer. You'll be beating these egg whites into soft peaks later.

In a large bowl, from which you intend to pour your final waffle batter, deposit the egg yolks and sugar.

Give that a good stir until the sugar is dissolved, then add some vanilla and melted butter. Mix again.

Add some milk and forget to take a picture.

In a medium sized bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder). Forget to take a picture.

Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Don't over mix it. You can see a few bubbles and lumps in there. You want that.

Back to the egg whites. Beat 'em.

Then transfer them to the batter you just made.

Use a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon to gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Just spoon the batter from the bottom of the bowl up over the top of the egg whites, cutting down into the center of the whites. You'll move some of the egg whites down to the bottom of the bowl as you continue in this motion.

Keep going...

Perfect. A few large clumps is okay. You don't want the batter to be too smooth, as that means its probably tough.

Now pour the batter onto your waffle iron.

Please allow me a word about waffle irons. The thing about waffle irons is that they vary widely in both form and function. There are all kinds of shapes and sizes. Mine makes square waffles. Booooring. Mine is also pretty old. That means that it used to take 3-4 minutes to cook waffles, but now its more like 5-6. Sometimes it takes me a good hour to cook all this batter. Which means that my family eats at the table like civilized humans, and I eat standing up at the counter, next to my old, square, slow waffle iron. I need a new waffle iron. My point is this: I don't know how long you need to cook your waffles because I don't own your waffle iron. In fact, I own my waffle iron. And my waffle iron is old, square, and slow. The end.

Belgian Waffle Recipe

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups milk

Valentine Spaghetti and Meatballs

2011-02-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

So Valentine's Day is on Monday this year. If you're a grown up with a job and maybe even some kids, its likely you won't be celebrating with a full shebang on a Monday night. Or maybe you're die hard about
Valentine's Day and you are... to each their own. In case you're staying in, but still would like to do something to commemorate the occasion, here's an easy, Monday night dinner option with a little Valentine's twist for you.

In whatever ratio you like, blend together some ground beef and some ground sausage. I use about a 3:1 ratio, myself. Add an egg and some grated Parmesan cheese.

Add some salt and pepper

some basil

and oregano

some thyme

and some marjoram

and lastly, some fine bread crumbs.

Use your hands to mix this up. Its messy, but necessary. A spoon or spatula just doesn't do the job as well as your own God given utensils. Oh, but wash your hands first. You knew that.

I hate this feeling. Gross.

Start by rolling your meatballs as normal. About a quarter size in diameter. Then flatten them slightly, pinch one end into a pointish shape, and use your finger to create a divot in the top to make...

a whole bunch of these! Place them on a large baking sheet with sidewalls to catch the grease. Throw them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 18 to 20 minutes. Combine these babies with your favorite spaghetti sauce and serve over spaghetti noodles with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

I made this for my kids and they gobbled it up! They loved seeing the little heart shaped meatballs in their dinner. And I loved seeing the smiles on their spaghetti covered faces.

Meatball Recipe
1 1/2 lbs ground beef and ground sausage combination
1 egg
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 dried marjoram
1/2 c finely ground bread crumbs

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly and shape into meatballs about a quarter size in diameter. Place on a large baking sheet, in a single layer, and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.

Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

2011-02-08T21:58:00.000-08:00

All this warm weather has had me wanting for summer foods. So I did the best I could with my winter ingredients and tried to indulge myself. It worked.

Start with a few ripe tomatoes and give them a nice, rough chop.

Combine these with some fresh mozzarella pearls.

Aren't they cute?

Also, please don't try to steal my identity. Apparently, I have deep ridges. Sheesh.

Now, normally, I would use fresh basil, but being that its January and there isn't a leaf of basil to be found (not to mention there's some sort of 'great basil disappearance' happening right now), I had to use the dried stuff.

Add some olive oil...

Some red wine vinegar...

and some salt.

I like to put all the ingredients into a large plastic storage container with a tight fitting lid...

...so I can pick it up and shake the heck out of it! What a great way to alleviate some of the day's frustrations!

Let this marinate in the fridge for at least two hours.

There are so many things you can do with this. You can eat it straight out of the container with a big ole spoon, put it on top of some crusty bread to sop up all of the dressing, use it to top some fresh salad greens, stir it into some pasta... oh, the possibilities!

This is good stuff, people!

Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped
8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
1 teaspoon dried basil OR 2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
1/2 c. olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Optional ingredients:
1/4 c chopped red onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c. chopped olives (any varitey)

or substitute mozzarella for blue cheese crumbles or feta cheese

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least two hours.

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

2011-02-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

I was in Philly once. I didn't eat a cheese steak. I don't know why. Oh, yes I do. Its because I drove right through without stopping. Dumb move. Next time I'm in Philly, I'll eat a cheese steak. Until then, I'll just make one of these. Unless anyone knows where to get a good cheese steak around here?

I used london broil cause that's what I had. I think a thick rib eye is the preferred cut of cheese steak enthusiasts, but don't quote me on that.

I sliced it against the grain as thin as I could.

And placed it in a crock pot with about 2 cups of beef broth (the powdered bullion kind). Then I set it to 'low' for about 8 hours.

When you're ready for it, toast some buttered sandwich rolls on the grill.

Then set those to the side while you slice up some green bell peppers and onions.

Add some oil to the grill (or a large skillet) and drop the veggies right on top.

Stir them around for about 10 minutes, or until they start to get soft and flimsy. Don't be afraid to put a little char on them.

Open up one of the toasted rolls and pile some of the juicy meat on top.

Then add some of the grilled peppers and onions.

Add lastly, put the 'cheese' on your cheese steak. Some thick provolone will do nicely.

You have a few options about what to do next. You can simply slap the other half of the bun on top and commence to scarfing, or you can take a little extra time to melt the cheese so that it gets nice and gooey, and melty, and falls into every crevice of the meat.

I melted mine. You can do this by putting the sandwich into the microwave for about 30 seconds or under the broiler for about the same amount of time. I went with the microwave. Cause that's the kind of girl I am.

Then I ate it.

Make this sometime!

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
2 lbs lean beef (I used london broil)
4 sandwich rolls
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 yellow or white onion, sliced into strips
4 slices of provolone cheese

makes 4 sandwiches

Lasagna

2011-02-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

So this is easy. Really. There are tons of variations to your basic lasagna recipe but this is the way I like to make mine.

Remember that marinara sauce I made the other day? I made it for this lasagna. It was tasty.

Brown up some ground beef and ground sausage. The proportions of each are completely up to you. I use about 2/3 beef to 1/3 sausage. Roughly.

Make sure to drain the fat. Gross.

Add enough marinara sauce to the meat so that it is more meaty than saucy. Just to moisten it a bit.

Set that to the side and find yourself a 9x13 baking dish. Put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish and coat the whole bottom surface with it. This will keep the noodles from sticking to the bottom of your dish.

Set that to the side while you prepare your cheesy filling. Mmmm. Cheese.
In a large bowl combine the entire contents of 32 ounce container of ricotta cheese, 1 egg, half of your shredded mozzarella, some Parmesan cheese, if you like (I didn't have any), and some dried basil or Italian seasoning.

Give it a good mix.

Set it to the side and grab your noodles. I like to use the 'no-boil' kind. It makes my life worth living. But I've tried substituting the 'no-boil' for regular noodles and you know what? No difference. If you're a risk taker, try not boiling your lasagna noodles first. It makes for a nicely layered, not-at-all runny lasagna. Good stuff.
Layer a few noodles on the bottom of your sauced up baking dish.

NOTE* I do not care if my noodles all lay in the same direction.

Throw down about half of your meat mixture and spread it evenly over the noodles. Then plop about half of the cheese mixture directly on top of that.

Carefully, spread the cheese mixture over the entire surface. No need for perfection, here.

Repeat this process to create a second layer of noodles, then meat, then cheese. Top with a third layer of noodles. Spread some more marinara over the last noodle layer. Be a little more generous with the sauce on this top layer just to ensure that there is enough moisture for those noodles to absorb. Nobody likes dried, hard lasagna.

Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover tightly with foil and pop this into the oven at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes.

Delicious!

Lasagna Recipe
1 lb ground beef/sausage (any ratio that appeals to you)
3 cups marinara sauce, divided
1 box lasagna noodles
1 32 oz container ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tbsp dried basil or Italian seasoning
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, optional

Brown and drain meat in a skillet. Add about 1 cup of marinara sauce to the meat and set aside. To a 9x13 baking dish, add about 1/2 cup of marinara sauce and coat the bottom of the dish. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1 cup of mozzarella, Parmesan, and herbs. Stir to combine and set aside. Begin layering the lasagna by laying down 1/3 of the noodles to the bottom of the baking dish, followed by 1/2 of the meat mixture (spreading evenly over the surface of the noodles), followed by 1/2 of the cheese mixture (spreading evenly over the surface of the meat mixture). Repeat the layering process a second time. Add the remaining 1/3 of the noodles to the top of the lasagna and top with the rest of the marinara sauce. Spread the sauce over the top layer of noodles making sure that there are no dry spots. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella cheese. Tightly cover baking dish with foil and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Allow lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Breakfast Tacos

2011-02-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

I have a small problem. No one else in the universe has this same problem, I'm sure of it. But I'll tell you all about it just in case this problem should ever arise in your lifetime. Ready? Here it is...

MY KIDS ARE PICKY EATERS.

I know. Its unheard of. I'm so embarrassed.

Let me fill you in on a few details of my particular situation.

JULIA
Likes - carbs of any form, all dairy products, vanilla, tacos, hamburgers
Dislikes - peanut butter and jelly, yogurt with fruit chunks, anything not smooth in texture, anything remotely spicy

SAMMY
Likes - meat, broccoli, chocolate, apple juice, prunes, chicken nuggets
Dislikes - bread, peanut butter and jelly, yogurt with fruit chunks, food wrappings of any sort (i.e. tortillas, hamburger buns, etc.)

At a glance, it doesn't look too bad, but I can assure you, things can get ugly. Its so difficult to come up with something to prepare that doesn't contain some item on one of the "dislike" lists. If Sammy likes it, Julia doesn't. Or vice versa. Talk about frustrating.

Now the rule is this: You Don't Have To Like It, You Just Have To Eat It.

And I make no exceptions. If its on their plates, they must try it. Depending on how mean I'm feeling during that meal, I may make them eat everything or only the things they like.

Today I managed to come up with something new... that everyone liked... and everyone ate... HALLELUJAH!!

Brown up some breakfast sausage patties.

And fry up some taco shells.

Grate some cheddar cheese.

And scramble some eggs.

Tear the sausage patties into small pieces.

Now build a taco. Sausage first, followed by egg on top, followed by cheese on top of that.

Had I the foresight to anticipate making this dish more than three seconds before I actually did it, I would have added some bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, or some other omelet-y veggie to the eggs while they were cooking just to get some veggies in there. But I didn't. So I didn't. But there's always next time. Maybe.

I'm so prepared.

Breakfast Tacos
makes 8 tacos
1/2 lb breakfast sausage
8 corn tortillas, fried into taco shells
4 eggs, scrambled
1/3 c. shredded cheese, any kind you like
1/3 c. fresh veggies or
1/3 c. salsa