Words Of Deliciousness

Kaiser Rolls

2013-06-17T21:51:00.000-05:00

Mike and I had been married a couple of years when we moved to the Chicago suburbs. This is where I had my first taste of a Kaiser roll. I fell in love with these hard rolls and have loved them ever since. I love crusty chewy rolls; I think they're perfect for most sandwiches.

When I was looking for a roll recipe to serve my grilled chicken breast from a couple of posts ago I ran across a recipe for these lovely rolls and thought that they would be perfect. The rolls were not quite as crusty and chewy as I thought that they would be. They were just a little bit of a softer roll than the Kaiser rolls that I have purchased, but even though they made a terrific sandwich.

Kaiser Rolls (Source: adapted from Taste of Home)
2 packages active dry yeast
2 cups warms water (110 to 115 degrees F) divided
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white
2 teaspoons cold water
Poppy and/or sesame seeds
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining warm water and sugar and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Grease the bottom of the bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down and divide into 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheets. Flatten a little with palm of your hand. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Beat egg white and cold water; brush over rolls. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or with sesame seeds. With a scissors, cut a 1/4 inch deep cross on tops of rolls.
4. Bake at 400 degree F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

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Triple Chocolate Muffins

2013-06-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it I had never eaten a chocolate muffin before I made my own last week. It seems funny to think that I would not have had at least one in my life time being the chocolate lover that I am. This past weekend I was in the mood to make muffins and I had a craving for chocolate, so I decided it was going to be one of my baking projects for the weekend.

When I ask my guys in the house what they thought of my idea; I didn't get a very positive feedback. Neither one sounded too thrilled with the idea of chocolate muffins, but as you can see my craving won out. Plus the fact I knew the rest of my kids would be around and they are bigger chocolate lovers than these guys are.

I had some milk chocolate and some white chocolate chips that I wanted to get out of my pantry so I decided to throw them in with the cocoa to make the muffins even better. I had some sour cream in the fridge that needed to be used up so I decided to throw that in too. Maybe these muffins should have been called clean out the cupboard muffins. Well whatever they are called I enjoyed them and I know at least one of the guys in house enjoyed them too. And you know it was not my hubby Mike, since he is not the chocolate lover that I am.

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup cocoa

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

In another bowl slightly beat egg and mix in the milk, sour cream, and cooled melted butter.

Take the wet ingredients and add to the dry, mix until just blended. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold in.

Lightly grease muffin tins or use paper liners. Spoon muffin batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each one 2/3 full.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You can use a toothpick to test the muffins if it comes out clean the muffins are ready to remove from the oven.

Set on cooling rack and cool completely.

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Grilled Chicken Breast

2013-06-12T21:41:00.001-05:00

I was in the mood for a little experimenting this past weekend. I had decided on chicken breast on the George Foreman Grill, but wanted to try something a little different. So I decided to throw some flavors together that would I not have thought of trying before.

For the marinate I used beer for the base along with some parsley, cumin, a pinch of onion, garlic, salt and pepper. I wasn't sure what to expect and to my surprise the chicken turned out nice and tasty. I served it on some fresh homemade buns. I had the leftovers later in the week and added a slice of tomatoes and toasted the buns, it was just as tasty the second time around.

With summer here in the States I am sure that this chicken would be great if it was made on an outside grill. I used my George Foreman Grill since it is nice and quick to heat up and easy to clean up.

Grilled Chicken Breast
Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1 bottle beer (your favorite kind)
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
A pinch of cinnamon
1/2 medium onion thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut chicken breast in half and then slice each half the long way for a thin piece of chicken. Add all ingredients into a Ziploc bag and set in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. Turn bag once in a while to mix things up. Heat grill brush with olive oil and cook chicken until no longer pink in center. Serve with your favorite bun.

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2013-06-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

I am a girl that loves sweet potatoes. I didn't discover this until just a few years ago. It was quite by accident, I was on a kick for eating healthy and knew that they were good for you so I decided to give them a try and I was hooked. Usually I like to eat them baked with nothing on them.

I have seen recipes for baking sweet potato fries and chips; they looked so good that I had to try this. But each time I was disappointed.Each time the fries and the chips both came out either limp or black; I could not get the crispy potato that I was looking for. So finally I just gave up and decided to roast them.

I went with sweet and salty, because I thought it sound just right for a sweet potato. So I went with cinnamon, sugar, and tossed in a little sea salt. They turned out delicious and I loved the sweet and salty flavors on the potato. Who needs fries or chips anyway?

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
2 medium sweet potatoes cut into cubes (about 3 to 4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
Sea salt to taste
Nonstick spray
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F
2. Scrub potatoes and dry off with a paper towel
3. Cut each potato into cubes
4. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and toss until well coated.
5. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the potatoes. Toss until the potatoes are coated.
6. Cover a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with a nonstick spray.
7. Spread the potatoes on the pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
8. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until fork tender. Serve immediately.

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Orange Coffee Cake

2013-06-07T23:02:00.003-05:00

I had a couple of oranges sitting in my refrigerator waiting to be used, they were to the point that I thought that they would only be good to use for a baking project. Knowing that Mike loves sweet breads made with orange flavoring, I started looking for a recipe for a coffee cake.

I wanted to make it for Sunday morning so I was looking for something that would be fast to make. The recipe I found could not have been much simpler to make. It uses a can of refrigerator biscuits, along with butter, sugar, and of course my oranges that were sitting in the fridge. Normally I would not choose a recipe with biscuits that were purchased at the store, I would prefer to make my own dough, but this sounded pretty yummy.

We loved the orange flavor of the coffee cake and the orange cream cheese frosting really complimented the coffee cake nicely. The recipe is supposed to be baked in a 9-inch cake pan which I didn't have, so a 9-inch springform pan was used and I covered the bottom of it with aluminum foil just in case of leakage. I would change one thing the next time, I would bake the recipe for about 5 more minutes than what it called for, the coffee cake was just a tad under baked. But with that said I know that I would bake it again, it is nice to have something that takes so little effort.

Also I want to thank Michele over at Follow Me Home for the award that she nominated me for. I hope you will visit her blog; she is one of the sweetest bloggers around and has the funniest sense of humor. I love her blog and I am sure you will love it as much as I do. Thanks, Michele!!

Orange Coffee Cake (Source: adapted from pauladeen.com)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons, melted butter, plus more for pan
1 (16.3-ounce) can refrigerated biscuits
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon orange zest
Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons orange juice or more as necessary
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
Separate the biscuit dough into 8 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in the center of the pan. Cut the remaining biscuits in half, forming 14 half - circles. Arranged the pieces around the center biscuit with the cut sides facing the same direction. Brush melted butter over the tops of the biscuits.
In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Mix well and sprinkle over biscuits. Bake for 20 to 27 minutes or until golden brown. (Make sure they are golden brown or they may be a little doughy in the center).
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine confectioner's sugar, cream cheese, and orange juice. Blend until smooth adding more orange juice, if needed, to thin. Drizzle glaze over the warm coffee cake and serve.

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Cajun Shrimp Pasta

2013-06-05T21:53:00.001-05:00

We had a college student staying with us for a couple of weeks who works with Mike. She had to be out of her apartment the middle of the May and she couldn't move into her new apartment until June 1st. We have a couple of empty bedrooms since our kids are mostly grown and are on their own, we offered her to stay with us those 2 weeks. She turned out to be a foodie like me, so we got along great.

I had some shrimp in the freezer, but wasn't sure how to make them. Our college student had a recipe that her mother makes with chicken and she suggested we try it with the shrimp. It turned out to be so delicious I could have eaten the whole dish by myself. The Cajun seasoning gave the shrimp and the pasta a nice amount of heat. I love foods that have nice colors to them, I guess that it true that we eat with our eyes first. And one thing about this dish it had nice colors with the red and green peppers along with the pink shrimp.

I am sure that I will have to try this recipe with chicken, since a certain member of the family doesn't eat shrimp, but I know that he would love it with chicken.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta (Source: unknown)
Ingredients:
8 to 12 ounces uncooked pasta (I used Penne Rigate, but you can use your favorite)
1 pound raw shrimp (shelled and de-veined)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or a little less if you want a little less heat
Salt to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon onion minced
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions:
1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with Cajun seasoning and about 1 teaspoon of salt or to taste. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add the shrimp, and saute for 3 to 5 minutes or until it turns pink. Remove shrimp.
3. Add the bell peppers and onions to the skillet and saute 9 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the liquid is evaporates.
4. Mix the lemon pepper, basil, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Return the shrimp to the skillet and add the mixed seasoning to the shrimp mixture. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add the pasta, toss to coat. Serve immediately.

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Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

2013-06-03T22:07:00.000-05:00

I have seen so many recipes floating around the web for this style of potato. I have made hasselback before, but never with cheese. They looked so good that I decided to make them with my oven fried chicken from a couple of posts ago.

In my book cheese and potatoes are always a good combination and make a wonderful side dish for just about any meal. They were easy to make and we all enjoyed them. Most recipes for this potato called for Parmesan, which I didn't have in the house so I substituted Colby jack, which worked out fine. So I would suggest to use your favorite kind of cheese or whatever you may have in the fridge.

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes (Source: adapted from zoomyummy.com)
Ingredients:
3 Large Russet whole potatoes, scrub clean
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into slices
Colby jack cheese, sliced enough to fill every other slit of the potato
3 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Scrub the potatoes clean. Using a sharp knife slice into the potato making sure to not go all the way to the bottom.
3. Cut your butter and your cheese. Open the potato slits and put the butter and the cheese alternating between the two. (It helps if the butter is chilled a little so it is more firm).
4. Place the potato on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with a non stick spray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bake for 45 minutes; remove the baking sheet from the oven. Drizzle the cream over the potatoes and top with the shredded cheddar cheese.
6. Place the potatoes bake into the oven and continue to bake for about another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked fork tender.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

2013-05-31T23:00:00.001-05:00

It was just a few weeks ago that our rhubarb plant was cover with snow. Now we have rhubarb coming out of our ears; it is amazing what a few weeks can do. With all this rhubarb I have been looking for some new recipes to feature on my blog.

I thought I would start out with some muffins. I like to make muffins since you can freeze some for another day. I love the combination of strawberry and rhubarb, the sweetness and the tartness of the two fruits go so well together,

The muffins are simple, not to complicated to make, and the crumb topping adds a little bit of sweetness. Even after giving some of the muffins away, I had some to freeze and yes they froze very nicely.

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins (Source: adapted from robinhood.ca)
Ingredients:
Batter-
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cup rhubarb, chopped
3/4 cup strawberries, chopped
Topping-
1/2 brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
1. Combine the first five ingredients. Combine the remaining ingredients for batter in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until dry ingredients are moistened.
2. Spoon into muffin cups that have been lightly greased.
3. Combine the topping ingredients, until well blended. Sprinkle topping on muffins and lightly press the topping in to the batter.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops are firm to touch.

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Oven Fried Chicken

2013-05-29T21:19:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday I was kind of in a rut and had no idea what to make for dinner. Do you ever have days like that? I knew that I wanted something that would be warm, because of the cool weather and I new that it had to be easy. Finally I decided to make chicken, if you read my blog at all you will know that I enjoy making chicken on Sundays. I guess you could say that it is somewhat of a tradition.

Fried Chicken really was very tempting to me, but I didn't want to take the time to fry chicken. Then I found a recipe for oven fried chicken that sounded good. It was such a simple recipe I decided to try it.

The chicken turned out to be delicious. It was nice and crispy, the flavor was wonderful, and we enjoyed it immensely. The only thing with all the frying going on in the oven, it did get a little smoky in the house. So it is a good idea to run a kitchen fan if you have one.

I served this chicken with scalloped Hasselback potatoes. I will be posting the recipe in one of my next posts.

Oven Fried Chicken (Source: adapted from southernfood.about.com)
Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds of chicken (I had 3 leg quarters, divided)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel. In a pie pan combine flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken with the flour mixture.
3. Put butter in a shallow baking pan that is lined with aluminum foil and place in the oven to melt the butter.
4. When butter is melted, arrange chicken in the baking pan in a single layer, skin side down. Bake at 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, remove chicken from oven and turn over, return to oven and bake for addition 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and done.

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oatmeal

2013-05-27T21:25:00.003-05:00

It is already the end of May and I am beginning to wonder if we will ever see warm weather and sunny days in Minnesota. It has not been a nice spring this year at all. We have had snow, rain and gray skies way too much this year.

With that being said a nice bowl of oatmeal is the perfect breakfast these days. It warms you up on these cold gray days and brings a smile to your face. I was looking for recipes when I saw something for peanut butter and jelly oatmeal, it sounded so good that I knew that I had to make it. Peanut butter and oatmeal sounded like a great combination and I like the thought of a little jelly to sweeten up the combination.

This recipe is nice also for the fact that it makes a single serving. I actually made two since our daughter Krista came home for part of the Memorial Day weekend and I knew that she would love it. But as for the guys in the house I knew that they would have no interest in this at all. One does not like oatmeal and the other will not eat peanut butter. So the single serving is perfect.

If you like peanut butter and jelly and oatmeal you will love this morning dish. I have made a few of the baked oatmeal and I have to say that this one is my favorite so far.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oatmeal (Source: The Oatmeal Artist)
Ingredients:
1/2 cups regular rolled oats or quick oats
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
2 to 3 teaspoons jelly or jam
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spray a single serving ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
3. In a medium bow; mix honey, vanilla extract, peanut butter, and 1 teaspoon of your favorite jam or jelly. Stir until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
5. Pour into a prepared ramekin, then take jelly and carefully swirl it into the oatmeal. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

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Buttermilk Hamburger Buns

2013-05-24T23:19:00.000-05:00

When it comes to a sandwich, I think the bread is just as important as what goes in the middle. When I was a kid we always had homemade bread around and I remember that I would cut two thick slabs of bread and then put a thin slice of meat to go in the middle. Even today I would rather have more bread than meat in my sandwich, so I guess you could call me a breadaholic

I wanted fresh buns to go with my pulled pork from my last post. I found a recipe for yeast buns that included buttermilk and decided that this was the one that I would go with. I have been baking more with buttermilk and I like the results of using it. The buns were perfect for the pulled pork.

The buns were nice and sturdy; they stood up to the sauce of the pulled pork. The flavor and texture were wonderful. I guess what I trying to say these buns were perfectly delicious for the sandwiches that we made. They would be perfect for you summer grilled burgers or whatever sandwiches you serve this summer.

Buttermilk Hamburger Buns (Source: adapted from browneyedbaker.com)
Ingredients:
4 to 4 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 package of instant yeast
1 egg, slightly beaten, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
For egg wash for brushing the tops of buns: 1 egg, whisked with 1 teaspoon of water until frothy
Directions:
Mix together the 2 cups flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Pour in the egg, butter, and milk, and mix with a spoon until well blended. Gradually knead in the rest of the flour. Continue to knead bread until the dough is soft, supple, and tacky, but not sticky. This will take about 6 to 8 minutes of kneading.
Grease the bottom of bowl and turn dough to coat both sides. Cover dough and set in a warm place for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough is doubled in size.
After the double is doubled in size divide into 12 equal pieces. Form into ball and place them on to prepare sheet pans and flatten slightly with your hand.
Let the buns raise for another 60 minutes or until about doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the buns with the egg wash, you can garnish with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired.
Bake the buns for approximately 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Once the buns are done baking place them on cooling rack to cool. Serve.

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Saucy BBQ Shredded Pork

2013-05-22T21:36:00.002-05:00

I wanted to make some sandwiches this past weekend using a pork tenderloin that we had in the freezer. Usually I would have made a simple pulled pork with dried onion soup and salt and pepper, but we were hungry for something that was a little more tangy. And by the way the pulled pork made with the dried onion soup mix makes for a delicious sandwich; it one of my favorite ways to make it.

I have been making my own barbecue sauce for years, but I decided to experiment and try a few different ingredients with the ones that I normally use. And of late I have found that I like adding a little yellow mustard to my tomato based sauces such as barbecue sauces, for a little extra tang.

As I was writing about the yellow mustard I was thinking of when Mike and I first got married many years ago; whenever we had the pork and beans (the canned ones) he would always add a little yellow mustard to them for more flavor. So I am surprised that I didn't think of this sooner.

I made this in my crock pot, but it would be perfect made in the oven. If you make it in the oven I would cook it slowly on a 300 to 325 degree F.

Saucy BBQ Shredded Pork

Ingredients:

3 to 4 pound pork tenderloin

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup

1 cup water

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 pinch cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the pork tenderloin in the crock pot, place the onions and garlic over the meat. Salt and pepper the meat to taste. Mix the rest of the ingredients together until well blended. Pour the ketchup mixture over the meat, onions, and garlic. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours remove the meat from the crock pot and shred, return and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 hours or until tender. Serve on your favorite buns.

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Honey Glazed Roasted Carrots

2013-05-20T21:46:00.000-05:00

We were in the grocery store this past weekend, I found myself in the fruit and vegetable department, I knew it was time to make another vegetable recipe and post it on my blog. As I was looking around contemplating which vegetable to choose, I saw bags of carrots on the shelf and decided to pick them.

We never eat carrots cooked by themselves. If we eat them cooked they are usually in a soup or roasted along with a roast of some sort. So I decided that this would be a great time to try this vegetable by itself; kind of like a new adventure.

I know that carrots have a sweet taste on their own, but I really wanted to find a recipe that would add even a little more sweetness to them with a little bit of honey. To me honey glazed carrots sounded the way to go with my family and roasting them was another plus.

I didn't read the recipe all the way through, I more or less look to see what the ingredients were along with the temperature and the time. Now as I am posting this I looked at the recipe a little closer and see that I was supposed to save the glaze and pour it over the vegetables after they were cooked. I did just the opposite I poured it over before placing the baking dish in the oven and let the honey bake into the carrots.

Sometimes mistakes turn out for the best; I loved these carrots. The honey baked into the carrots leaving them just a bit sweeter that usually. And as always the roasting at a high temperature makes all vegetables taste so good. The next time I make this recipe I think I will stick with putting the glaze on the carrots before roasting them I really don't think they could get any more delicious.

Honey Glazed Roasted Carrots (Source: fearlesskitchen.com)
Ingredients:
2 pounds carrots peeled and left whole
3 tablespoons olive oil - plus a little more to drizzle while roasting if needed
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil
Peel carrots leaving them whole. Place them in the roasting pan.
Take olive oil, sage, honey, and lemon juice and mix it together in a small bowl. Pour over carrots and toss until the carrots are well coated, season with salt and pepper.
Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven. Make sure to stir carrots every 15 minutes. If the carrots appear a little dry drizzle a little more olive over them.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until fork tender. Serve.

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Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie

2013-05-17T22:40:00.001-05:00

I feel like I was not prepared for my blog this week. Usually I like to have the recipes that I am going to post for the week ready over the weekend, but this weekend not all my recipes turned out how I planned.

I am going to side step and start from the beginning. We were in Minneapolis a few weeks ago; we went to a market place called Global Market. They had vendors selling all kinds of foods. We walked past a bakery and I fell in love with their baked goods. Everything was just beautiful; to me it was almost like looking at a piece of art work being the foodie that I am.

They sold lemon curd tarts that were really gorgeous and each tart was topped with a beautiful meringue caps. I came home excited because I knew that they would be perfect for my blog and could not wait to make them. I decided on strawberry curd for something a little different. Well to make a long story short, the tarts did not turn out like I had hoped they would and I decided that they were not blog worthy.

So now I was short one recipe and since I am trying to keep on a schedule I had to scramble to find something to replace my tarts. We had strawberries in the fridge that were getting to the point that they needed to be eaten and extra watermelon. So I thought it would be great to use this fruit in a nice smoothie.

At least the smoothie wasn't a disappointment. The strawberry and watermelon turned out to be a great combination, nice and refreshing.

Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie
Ingredients:
5 to 7 cups watermelon cut into small pieces
9 large strawberries (about 2 cups) frozen
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lime juice
4 ice cubes
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until well blended. Serve immediately.

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Banana Oatmeal Muffins

2013-05-15T21:48:00.000-05:00

I am back to baking breakfast foods for my daughter Krista. As I had mentioned in one of my past post she has moved again. She was home for a few months after her internship in Chicago, but now has taken a job in Minneapolis. So when she came home last weekend I wanted to make something for her to take back to her new home.

It was a busy weekend so I wanted something simple, but yet something that she would enjoy and something that was a little bit healthy. I found a recipe for banana oatmeal that sounded easy to make and thought she would enjoy them.

One thing when baking with bananas you are usually guaranteed that it will be nice and moist. I also love baking with cinnamon, it always gives food great flavor and I love the aroma of it. Even though I baked them for my daughter I did have to sample one to see how they would taste. I have to say they were a nice tasty muffin, something I will make again.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins (Source: adapted from mrbreakfast.com)
Ingredients:
2 medium bananas, mashed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup of oatmeal
1 cup of buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Prepare muffin cups with muffin papers or a lightly greased.
Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In a separate smaller bowl, cream butter and sugars together by hand until the texture is like wet sand.
In a third bowl, beat the egg. Add milk and mix well.
Combine all three mixtures in the largest bowl. Mix well. Stir in the mashed bananas.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown (start checking after 20 minutes). If a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean the muffins are done.

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Breakfast Potato Skins

2013-05-13T22:04:00.002-05:00

We are big potato eaters at our house. I love the combination of eggs, potatoes and bacon. So a great way to serve this combination is right in the potato skins. Yes, it may take a little bit more time to prepare, but the combination served this way is worth the effort.

We made these over the weekend, for a late brunch. Mike loved them; he loves potato skins, so this was right up his alley. As for me I am not as big a fan of potato skins, but I have to admit that I really loved these for brunch. I know that we will be making these again. Next time we will try some different flavors, maybe some ham or breakfast sausage.

And as for the potatoes that were scooped out, they didn't go to waste. I fried them up for some hash
browns as a side dish. So it truly was a win win all the way around.

Breakfast Potatoes Skins
Ingredients:
3 Russet potatoes, baked
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
Non stick spray
6 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Bacon, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
Take potatoes that have been baked or micro waved and scoop out the potato leaving a little of the potato behind. Spray the potato with oil and season with salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet. Place in a preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges of the potatoes start turning a golden brown.
While the potatoes are in the oven spray a small skillet with non stick spray; add the onion and pepper and cook over medium heat until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Fry bacon until crisp once completed crumble. Beat eggs with milk season with salt and pepper; add to a skillet that has been sprayed with a non stick spray. Cook eggs over medium heat stirring often.
Once the eggs, bacon, onions, and peppers are done. Take the potatoes that have been crisped up, taking half the onions, peppers, bacon sprinkle over the bottom of each potato. Fill each potato with the prepared eggs. Top the eggs with the remaining onion, peppers, and bacon. Finally top the filled potatoes with the cheddar cheese. Place the potatoes back in the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy.

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Ultimate Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake

2013-05-10T23:08:00.000-05:00

I pinned this recipe at least a few months ago. It really blew me over when I saw the cake, it was amazing and the recipe sounded amazing too. It is chock full of peanut butter cup and chocolate and the frosting is a creamy peanut butter frosting.

When I found this recipe I knew that I was going to save it for a special occasion, such as my daughter's birthday. Lisa loves chocolate and peanut butter so I knew that it would be the ultimate birthday cake. It turned out that not only did she love it; the rest of the family loved it also, except for Mike who is the only one that doesn't like peanut butter.

Seriously, if you like peanut butter and chocolate you have to make this cake. It will blow your socks off it is that yummy!

Ultimate Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake (Source: Adapted from delightlyfulldowling.com)
Cake ingredients:
1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 small package of Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups mini Reese's Peanut Butter cups, chopped
Cake directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a very large bow, mix together everything except the Reese's Peanut Buttercup. Batter will be very thick, stir in the Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Pour batter into cake pans that have been greased and floured. Bake for about 10 minutes more than the cake box suggests or when checking with a tooth pick it comes out clean.
3. Note: I used 2 8-inch cake pans; I think they would do better in 2 9-inch cake pans or divide the batter into 3- 8 inch cake pans.
4. Remove from cake pans and set on cooling racks and cool completely.
Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup smooth peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream
Frosting directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream, blend on low speed until moistened. Then beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.
2. Frost cooled cake. I frosted the top of the first cake and top of the frosting a sprinkled chopped Reese's Mini Peanut Butter cups. Place the other cake on top and continue to frost the rest of the cake. Chop more Reese's Mini Peanut Butter cups and garnished the cake. I bought a 2.5 pound bag and used almost the whole bag. I did take some chocolate candies to garnish part of the cake. Do your own thing and garnish the way you would like to.

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Texas Roadhouse Rolls and Honey Butter - Copycat Recipe

2013-05-08T22:12:00.000-05:00

We started another year of celebrating our kids' birthdays. We celebrated our daughter Lisa's birthday this past weekend. BBQ ribs were requested for her birthday dinner. She loves going to a restaurant called the Texas Roadhouse, she has told me that they have the best food. Some of you that live in the states may have heard of this restaurant, it looks like they are located in most states.

One of the things on the menu that she loves is their rolls and honey butter. She didn't request these for her meal, but I thought I would surprise her and make them along with the ribs. I was anxious to make the rolls since she had mentioned that they were so good, plus the fact that I love making bread.

These rolls are super simple to make, which is always a good thing. You don't have to form each roll; you simply roll the dough out into a rectangle and cut them into squares. They were super fluffy and light, definitely on the list to make again. And as for the honey butter, it was perfect on the rolls. It was definitely a keeper also.

Texas Roadhouse Rolls - Copycat Recipe (Source: eatcakefordinner.com)
Ingredients:
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
3 tablespoons of melted butter, slightly cooled
1/2 cup sugar
7 to 8 cups all-purpose flour
2 whole eggs
2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar, let stand until frothy. Combine yeast mixture, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter (about the consistency of pancake batter). Beat thoroughly. Add melted butter, eggs, and salt. Beat well. Add enough flour to form a soft dough, kneading the dough for until smooth and satiny. Grease the bottom of the bowl and turn dough over to coat both sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down. Turn out onto a greased surface. Roll out dough int a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick, then fold the rectangle in half, making it about 1 inch thick. Seal the ends to keep the dough together. Using a pizza cutter and cut the rolls into squares, place the rolls on to greased baking sheet. I had about 19 big rolls, but you can cut them into the size the you prefer. Let the rolls rise until double and bake in a 350 degree F preheated oven. Bake rolls until lightly golden brown about 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven and baste rolls with butter. Serve with honey butter, recipe follows.

Honey Butter
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter room temperature
1/4 cup powder sugar
1/4 honey 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Whisk butter for approximately 30 seconds until lightly whipped. Add the sugar, honey, and cinnamon beat with electric mixer until smooth and thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl while mixing. Continue beating on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

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Blueberry Oatmeal Scones

2013-05-06T22:08:00.000-05:00

I have had oatmeal scones on my to do list for weeks. I finally got around to making some last week. My first plan was to make raisin oatmeal scones, until I saw blueberry on sale at the local fruit market. The fresh fruit sounded so much nicer than the raisins.

I was expecting the oats to make the scones a little heavier, but I was surprised how light these scones turned out. Topped with a little icing, these were the perfect treat for breakfast. To date I have to say that these are my favorite scones that I have made since I started my blog.

I know down the road I will be making scones with raisins too, but as long as there is fresh fruit that is not too pricey I will stick with that.

Blueberry Oatmeal Scones (Source: adapted from bonappetit.com)
Ingredients:
3 cups of all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
11 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup oatmeal (plus 1 tablespoon to sprinkle of top of scones)
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 14/ cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
* Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets
* Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut in with a fork so that the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cup of oatmeal and blueberries; stir to blend evenly.
*In a medium bowl beat the 2 eggs; add the cream and vanilla and blend together. Gradually add to the flour mixture, tossing until dough just comes together.
*Using a 1/2-cup measuring cup for each scone, drop dough in mounds onto prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with the remaining tablespoons of oatmeal.
*Bake scones for 20 to 23 minutes, until scones are golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer scones to rack and cool completely.
* In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of powder sugar and 2 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream. Beat until smooth and drizzle over cooled scones.

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Asparagus with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Parmesan

2013-05-03T22:31:00.000-05:00

I had bought a bunch of asparagus, but had decided to wait to make it until I had someone to share it with. Our daughter Krista came home for the weekend and I know how much she likes asparagus and I knew that she would enjoy it. My guys in the house refer to asparagus as "death sticks" so I knew that they wouldn't be eating any. Some people just don't know what is good to eat.

This is a simple recipe that doesn't take much time at all to make. I served with my crispy chicken thighs from my last post. The chicken and the asparagus made a wonderful meal, but this asparagus would pair well with any meat that you may be serving for your meal.

Asparagus with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Parmesan (Source: travel4taste.com)
Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove
Salt to taste
Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
Wash the asparagus and remove the ends. Bring a saucepan of salted water (enough water to cover the asparagus) to a boil. Once the water is boiling add the asparagus and boil for 5 minutes. While the asparagus is cooking heat the olive oil over medium heat. Take your clove of garlic and crush it, add it to your olive oil cook over medium heat. Let the garlic fry in the olive oil for about a minute and then remove it. You just want the flavor of the garlic to be added to the olive oil. Once the asparagus is done cooking remove it from the water and add it to the hot olive oil in the skillet. Toss asparagus for about 3 to 4 minutes so that it is tender. Remove from the skillet, top it with Parmesan cheese and serve.

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Crispy Chicken Thighs

2013-05-01T21:27:00.000-05:00

I remember going to my grandma's house for Sunday dinners when I was a kid. She always served chicken, usually roasted in the oven. We loved going for those dinners; the food was always excellent and it was always fun to see my grandma. My grandma passed away many years ago, so these are cherished memories.

As an adult I still like eating Chicken on Sundays, maybe because it brings back those memories of my childhood. I am sure that some of you out there grew up eating chicken on Sundays too.

So I am always on the look out for new chicken dishes. I always like the easy ones and the one that I am sharing today can't get much easier or tastier. If you don't like the seasonings that are used for the chicken you can always change them, I think the method of baking the chicken is the high point of the recipe.

Crispy Chicken Thighs (Source: adapted from wineandbutter.com)
Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons of salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on the foil.
3. Dry chicken with paper towel.
4. Combine the seasonings on a plate.
5. Roll the chicken in the seasoning. (I rubbed the seasoning on the chicken so it would was well coated)
6. Place the chicken on the cooling rack and place in the oven.
7. Place the chicken into the preheated oven. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until the juices run clear. Baking it a high temperature when placed in the oven crisps up the skin and keeps the juice in. This chicken is very moist and tender.

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Italian Shrimp and Pasta

2013-04-29T21:49:00.000-05:00

Mike is not a fussy eater when it comes to most things, but there is one thing that he will not eat and that is shrimp. The bad thing is that I love the stuff. He has been traveling for work of late, so I have been making a few shrimp dishes for our son Adam (who loves shrimp too) and myself.

Until lately I had never really cooked with raw shrimp, so it has been a fun new experience. Last week when Mike was traveling I took a bag out of the freezer and started looking for a shrimp dish to make. I wanted make pasta with the shrimp, since it is something I have never made before.

When I found the Italian shrimp pasta recipe it sounded perfect. I actually made half of a recipe since the recipe suggested that it was 4 servings. Adam and I loved it. It actually made more than 2 servings, but Adam took the rest for lunch the next day, so it worked out perfect. If you like spaghetti and you like shrimp you will love this dish.

Italian Shrimp and Pasta (Source: adapted from tasteofhome.com)
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (14 1/2 ounce diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
3/4 pound of uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 servings uncooked angel hair pasta
Directions:
In a large skillet, saute garlic in oil for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Add the tomatoes, broth, basil, oregano, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add the shrimp to the tomato mixture; cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Drain pasta; toss with shrimp mixture and serve.

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Honey Cinnamon Coffee Cake

2013-04-26T22:22:00.000-05:00

A perfect ending to a delicious brunch is always a little of something sweet or at least if you have a sweet tooth like me. If you read my last post, I wrote about breakfast potatoes that were for a Sunday brunch, we topped the brunch off with a cinnamon coffee cake.

I had a few ingredients that I needed to use up in the pantry and the fridge. We had some honey that had been sitting in the pantry just waiting to get used and the buttermilk in the fridge was ready to expire. Not finding the perfect recipe I merged a couple of recipes and then changed them even a little more to come up with this marvelous coffee cake.

I love the simplicity of this coffee cake. The honey topping and the cinnamon flavored coffee cake will make any brunch a little more special or serve it for a snack at any time of the day.

Honey Cinnamon Coffee Cake (Source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and technicolorkitcheninenglish.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:

Coffee cake -

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Honey topping-

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Honey topping -

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt cake pan.

In a small sauce pan combine all the ingredients except for the pecans. Over medium heat stirring until the butter is melted and ingredients are well combined, about a minute. Pour the ingredients into the Bundt pan and top with the chopped pecans.

Coffee cake-

In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the butter and with an electric mixer on low mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat eggs in another bowl, to this add the buttermilk and mix together. Add to the flour mixture and mix just until all the ingredients are blended. Pour the batter over the honey topping.

Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from pan and place on a platter. Cool and serve.

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Breakfast Potatoes

2013-04-24T22:29:00.001-05:00

I love hash browns with my breakfast. Potatoes go so well with eggs, toast, and bacon; it's a perfect combination. Normally my hash browns consist of potatoes, salt, and maybe a little pepper, but you know sometimes it is good to change your old favorites and try something new. That is where these breakfast potatoes come in.

Our son Jon and his fiancée Brianna were with us this past weekend. I wanted to make a nice brunch for them before they left on Sunday. I wanted some hash browns, but not the ones that I normally make. When I found this recipe it looked like it was easy to make and it was baked in the oven, so it free up my time to make the eggs and the bacon.

The recipe called for dill or parsley for one of the herbs. Now I know it is just me, but I am a little afraid of dill. Yes, I know that it is silly, but you see I have not done much cooking with dill besides making pickles. And when I was growing up my mother would have never thought of using dill in anything but pickles. So it is silly, but I am always worried that the food may taste a little on the pickle side (if that makes sense). But being the brave soul that I am I chose the dill over the parsley and it was the right choice. We loved these potatoes!

Breakfast Potatoes (Source: adapted from bigoven.com)
3 medium russet potatoes, diced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup red peppers chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
Wash potatoes and dice into small cubes. Chop the onion and red pepper, place in a medium bowl along with the potatoes. Add the olive oil and toss to coat all the potatoes. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to miss, making sure that all the potatoes are well coated. Place potatoes on a aluminum foil lined jelly roll pan that has be sprayed with non sticking cooking spray.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until nicely golden brown.

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Caramelized Broccoli

2013-04-22T21:40:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that my family doesn't like to eat their vegetables; I know that I have shared that on this blog more than once. So I guess that is why you haven't seen a lot of veggie recipes around here, well I am hoping to change that. I am on a quest to eat healthier and have more vegetables on the table for meals.

So when I see vegetable recipes that catch my eye I have been cooking them and some they like and some they are not too fond of. When I found this recipe for caramelized broccoli I knew that this was one that would be going on the dinner table. Caramelized anything always taste wonderful.

I made this broccoli last week; it was so simple to make and smelled so good as it cooked. After my guys had tried it I couldn't wait to see what their response would be. They both said this "it taste better than plain broccoli". Well I guess that meant that they kind of liked it, right? As for me the person that actually likes and eats vegetables, I loved the flavor of this broccoli, the caramelizing brings out the flavor of the broccoli and I agree with my guys it is so much better than plain broccoli. And I know that I will be bringing this one back to the dinner table again.

Caramelized Broccoli with Garlic (Source: foodandwine.com)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 heads of broccoli about 1 1/4 pounds stems peeled and heads halved lengthwise (I used 4 small heads)
1/2 cup water
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
In a large deep skillet heat 2 tablespoon olive oil add the broccoli, cut side down, cover and cook over moderate heat until richly browned on the bottom about 8 minutes. Add the water cover and cook until broccoli is just tender and the water has evaporated about 7 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with the garlic and the crushed red pepper and cook uncovered until the garlic is golden brown about 3 minutes. Season the broccoli with salt and pepper, drizzle with the lemon juice and serve.

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