tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11646061925512158182012-01-28T16:26:14.750-05:00Framed CooksMy life. One recipe at a time.Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.comBlogger539125blogspot/nsAdhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-39492712090485111402012-01-26T19:00:00.004-05:002012-01-28T07:37:00.704-05:002012-01-28T07:37:00.704-05:00Mini Lemon Meringue Pies<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1674449805&k=NW24jzD&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-NW24jzD/0/L/i-NW24jzD-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">I woke up a couple of weeks ago with a burning desire to make some kind of a mini-dessert. You know, not a full-on cake or pie (since it's only me and the Southern husband and the dog ever since the teenager deserted us to go to college), but a dessert you could hold in your hand. So I went on my Framed Cooks Facebook page (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FramedCooks">click here</a> if you want to check that out) and did a little survey: mini lemon meringue pies, or peanut butter and jelly bars?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As you may have guessed, the mini pies won in a landslide. It wasn't even a tiny bit close, although the few voters for the pb&j bars were passionate in their support, and so I'll be making those sometime in the very near future.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, back at the little pies, here's what you need. A tube of that pre-made sugar cookie dough you can get at the supermarket, usually next to the tubes of biscuit dough. This is what you are going to use instead of piecrust. Hurray!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Second, a jar of lemon curd, which is kind of like a smooth, rich, buttery lemon jam. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1674449645&k=zx43hBm&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-zx43hBm/0/L/i-zx43hBm-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">If you can't find lemon curd, you can substitute lemon pudding. Lemon curd has a more intensely lemony taste, so that's what I went with. And last, you need a few eggs, some sugar, and a little cream of tartar to whip up the meringue.<br />
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Okay! Take a mini muffin tin (one that has 24 openings) and spray the heck out of it with Pam. Now scoop two teaspoonfuls of sugar cookie dough into each opening and press it down and up the sides to form little cups. Bake them for about 10-12 minutes at 350 - just until the edges start to turn golden. Don't panic (like I did) if they puff up in the pan and look like regular cookies - they will sink back down as they cool. Let them cool for 30 minutes - if they aren't sinking obediently after 15 minutes nudge them down in the center a little with your thumb. When they have cooled off, loosen them by gently turning the edges like you are turning a dial - this way they will pop out nicely later.<br />
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Now separate your eggs, give the yolks to your dog, and take the whites and beat them in the mixer until they are frothy. Then add the cream of tartar, crank the mixer up to high, and beat the heck out of them for three minutes, adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time. By now you have nice shiny thick meringue.<br />
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Next, put one teaspoonful of lemon curd in each cookie cup, spreading it to the side a little. Top each with about a tablespoon or so of meringue. Now pop the muffin tin with your baby pies in the oven and broil it for about a minute - just until the meringue barely starts to turn gold in spots. Take them back out, let them rest about 10 minutes, and you are done. If you want to make them in advance, mine were perfectly nice later when we ate them during the Golden Globes.<br />
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Here's one of the finished guys when I bit into him. Isn't he adorable?<br />
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</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1674449879&k=Cbf6GWh&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-Cbf6GWh/0/L/i-Cbf6GWh-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">And here's what the insides look like under their scrumptious pillow of meringue...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1674450127&k=fShK38t&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-fShK38t/0/L/i-fShK38t-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">And one more with a lemon on the side, just to remind you how teeny they are, and why it is therefore perfectly okay to eat 4 or 5 of them in one sitting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1674450016&k=bTtLmkw&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-bTtLmkw/0/M/i-bTtLmkw-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">BTW, you will probably have leftover meringue batter. Turn your oven on to 250, drop them onto a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet and bake them for two hours - they will be crunchy and perfect.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">This concludes my ode to mini lemon meringue pies. I have to go make pb&j bars now.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mini Lemon Meringue Pies</span></b> from <a href="http://www.petercallahan.com/">Peter Callahan's recipe</a><br />
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12 ounces refrigerated sugar cookie dough, chilled<br />
3 egg whites, at room temperature<br />
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup lemon curd or lemon pudding<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350. Take a mini muffin tin (one that has 24 openings) and spray it with Pam. Scoop two teaspoonfuls of sugar cookie dough into each opening and press it down and up the sides to form little cups. <br />
<br />
2. Bake them for about 10-12 minutes at 350 - just until the edges start to turn golden. Don't worry if they puff up in the pan and look like regular cookies - they will sink back down as they cool. Let them cool for 30 minutes - if they aren't sinking obediently after 15 minutes nudge them down in the center a little with your thumb. When they have cooled off, loosen them by gently turning the edges like you are turning a dial - this way they will pop out nicely later.<br />
<br />
3. Separate your eggs, give the yolks to your dog, and take the whites and beat them in the mixer until they are frothy, about a minute. Then add the cream of tartar, turn the mixer up to high, and beat the for three minutes, adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.<br />
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4. Put one teaspoonful of lemon curd in each cookie cup, spreading it to the side a little. Top each with about a tablespoon or so of meringue. Return the muffin tin with your baby pies in the oven and broil it for about a minute - just until the meringue barely starts to turn gold in spots. Take them back out, let them rest about 10 minutes, and remove carefully from the pan.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/mini-lemon-meringue-pies?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-3949271209048511140?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/plmJJJFZZ0r1wrXCJ9fosNi6e3M/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/plmJJJFZZ0r1wrXCJ9fosNi6e3M/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/plmJJJFZZ0r1wrXCJ9fosNi6e3M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/plmJJJFZZ0r1wrXCJ9fosNi6e3M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-19747203530760007592012-01-24T19:00:00.003-05:002012-01-24T19:00:04.418-05:002012-01-24T19:00:04.418-05:00Chicken Tortellini Soup<a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1659285269_MLfQhsZ-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-MLfQhsZ/0/M/i-MLfQhsZ-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
<br />
Just when you thought I couldn't possibly find one more soup recipe to send your way, here I am back with this scrumptious tortellini number. Although honestly, it's kind of a cross between a soup and a dish of pasta with lots and lots of warm and wonderful chicken broth sauce...that's how hearty and filling it is. Think of it as chicken noodle soup meets macaroni and cheese, because those plump little tortellinis are filled with cheese, and they are floating around in broth that is flavored up with carrots, celery, onions and just the right amount of herbs and spices.<br />
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The second best part? The various parts of this soup are all made up of stuff you pick up in your supermarket. No hours of making chicken broth...pick up a box of Imagine or Pacific brand. No rolling and stuffing tortellini...pick up the already done kind in the fresh pasta part of your supermarket. Now it's down to sauteeing the veggies in a little butter, tossing in the tortellini and some herbs and spices until it is all cooked up and wonderful, and then ladling it out. Sprinkle a little grated Parmesan on top and you are all ready for soup heaven.<br />
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Oh, and if you have leftovers? A day later after it's had a chance to soak in all the various flavors, this soup is even BETTER. Yum, yum, yum.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tortellini Soup</span></b><br />
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3 tablespoons butter<br />
1 cup chopped celery<br />
1 cup sliced carrots<br />
1/2 cup chopped onion<br />
10 cups chicken broth (Imagine or Pacific brand)<br />
2 cups water<br />
2 9-ounce packages tortellini<br />
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
Freshly grated parmesan cheese<br />
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1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium high heat. Add vegetables and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then.<br />
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2. Add broth and water and heat to boiling. Add tortellini, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tortellini is tender. <br />
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3. Add parsley and spices and simmer 5 minutes more. Ladle into dishes and garnish with cheese and more parsley and serve at once.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/chicken-tortellini-soup?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-1974720353076000759?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7QVYu_Zcap1uH8tV8hvfkGUG7_w/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7QVYu_Zcap1uH8tV8hvfkGUG7_w/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7QVYu_Zcap1uH8tV8hvfkGUG7_w/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/7QVYu_Zcap1uH8tV8hvfkGUG7_w/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-52579843136440286162012-01-22T19:00:00.001-05:002012-01-22T19:00:00.460-05:002012-01-22T19:00:00.460-05:00Monday Wine and Cheese Night<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1672010481&k=5Gk7f2X&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-5Gk7f2X/0/L/i-5Gk7f2X-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So, as much as I love to cook (and you KNOW how much I love to cook, especially if there is bacon involved), the Southern husband and I like to shake things up a little bit, suppertime-wise. For example, every Saturday night we go to a new restaurant we've never been to before. We've been to a few duds this way, but mostly we have found some new and wonderful places we may never have tried otherwise. We call the The Restaurant Project, and we have given our GPS a run for its money with this little adventure.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">On Fridays we do something called Friday Night Lights, and I'm not talking about the fabulous television series. Nope, by Friday Night Lights I mean we are having some kind of fun appetizer instead of supper. It's light and fun, and we usually have it in the living room in front of a movie, and it (hopefully) evens out the much more elaborate dinner we have the following night with The Restaurant Project.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So Monday Wine and Cheese Night was kind of a natural progression for us. We are lucky enough to have a couple of places nearby that have simply fantastic cheese selections...gorgeous and exotic cheeses that we usually can't even pronounce the name of. The rules are simple: we have to try a new cheese every time, and the Southern husband is in charge of picking it out. He's doing a fabulous job so far...we've had some decadent triple cream numbers, a lovely nutty Mahon, and a handful of others that I couldn't even tell you what they were, other than scrumptious.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And with each lovely cheese we are also trying a new wine. So far we have stayed with our usual reds...usually merlots and malbecs. And as usual, I tweeted and Facebooked about our new approach to Monday and happily for me, a wonderful winery in Washington State got in touch with me to ask if I might like to try one of their merlots on one of our Mondays.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Why, yes I would! And that's how we found ourselves with that lovely bottle of merlot in the picture above from the wonderful <a href="http://www.alexandrianicolecellars.com/">Alexandria Nicole Cellars</a> winery. It was smooth and delicious and the perfect complement to our <a href="http://www.murrayscheese.com/prodinfo.asp?number=00000003210">Delice de Bourgogne</a> cheese that night. Alexandria Nicole Cellars is located in Washington state, but if you live outside that area you can still pick some up by <a href="https://www.secureclub.net/nicolecellars/asp/sh1.aspx?guest=true">clicking here</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One way or the other, I highly recommend giving Wine and Cheese Night a whirl. There's something so delightful about coming home from work on Monday nights and realizing that all you have to do is curl up on the sofa with a glass of wine, some delicious cheese and your true love. Tuesday is plenty soon enough to be breaking out the regular recipes!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-5257984313644028616?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Kxl6gShYrlS_sUyIUtn2WrM1IpU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Kxl6gShYrlS_sUyIUtn2WrM1IpU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Kxl6gShYrlS_sUyIUtn2WrM1IpU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Kxl6gShYrlS_sUyIUtn2WrM1IpU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-43453089967686939632012-01-19T19:00:00.003-05:002012-01-19T19:00:04.521-05:002012-01-19T19:00:04.521-05:00Baked Hot Chocolate<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1666055182&k=9qqLzkD&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-9qqLzkD/0/M/i-9qqLzkD-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
Remember when you were a kid and you would be outside in the snow for hours, sledding and making snow angels and generally clowning around until your mittens were caked with snow, and you couldn't feel your ears, and there was melted snow in your snow boots? And you would go inside and by the time you had peeled off your snowsuit and your damp socks and your hat with the pom-poms and your hair was wild with static electricity and your nose was bright pink and you were out of breath from dragging the sled up the hill 500 times and screaming with excitement all the way down, your mama had a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows melting on top all ready for you?<br />
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Yep, I remember that.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1666054931&k=t8C64Ms&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-t8C64Ms/0/M/i-t8C64Ms-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
So, what if you could recreate that perfect cup of hot chocolate, but instead of finding hot cocoa under the marshmallows, you spooned up a perfect bite of warm, slightly creamy chocolate cake instead?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1666055363&k=zrzppqn&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-zrzppqn/0/M/i-zrzppqn-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Wouldn't that be almost like the sheer wonderfulness of being a kid on a snow day with nothing to do but play in the snow with your friends and then come inside to a chocolate treat made by your mama?</div><div style="text-align: left;">I think that if anything can come close to that long-ago feeling, it just might be this fun and easy recipe. Go find some oven-safe mugs and give it a try...no matter what season it is, it's enough to bring out the happy little kid in you.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Liam-Turns-Two/17862878_bcb3Jc#!i=1366220070&k=Db4vd7H&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Liam-Turns-Two/i-Db4vd7H/0/L/DSC0864-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
Hot chocolate cake can just do that to a person!<br />
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<div class="recipeIngred" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 30px;"><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount"><br />
</span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="color: #333333;"><span itemprop="amount" style="line-height: 15px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Baked Hot Chocolate</span></b>, from <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/hot-chocolate-cake-10000001570281/index.html">Real Simple</a></span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount"><br />
</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">8 tablespoons </span><span itemprop="name">(1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for coating</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">3 tablespoons </span><span itemprop="name">all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 cup </span><span itemprop="name">sugar, plus extra for dusting</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">10 </span><span itemprop="name">ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">4 </span><span itemprop="name">large eggs</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1 </span><span itemprop="name">large egg yolk</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1 teaspoon </span><span itemprop="name">vanilla extract</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/4 teaspoon </span><span itemprop="name">salt</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 cup </span><span itemprop="name">mini marshmallows</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">2 tablespoons </span><span itemprop="name">unsweetened cocoa powder</span></span></span></li>
</ul></div><div class="recipeDirections" style="background-color: white;"><ol style="margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1.75em;"><li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat oven to 375° F. Generously butter, flour, and sugar eight 6-ounce coffee cups or mugs made of ovenproof stoneware. Wipe the rims clean.</span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Place the 8 tablespoons of butter and the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt, stirring once or twice until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.</span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar at the highest speed until the volume doubles and the mixture becomes foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir the 3 tablespoons of flour into the chocolate, then gradually add it to the egg mixture, beating on low until it's fully incorporated.</span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ladle the batter into each cup until it's about 1/2 inch from the rim. Bake until the cakes puff and begin to crack but the centers are still a bit runny, 13 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with marshmallows, then return to oven for 2 to 4 minutes, until the marshmallow tops begin to crisp. Remove from oven; let cool about 5 minutes. Sift the cocoa on top.</span></li>
</ol><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/baked-hot-chocolate?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></span></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-4345308996768693963?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S1kRpD4DqW39xIUSIgenw5peYmU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S1kRpD4DqW39xIUSIgenw5peYmU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S1kRpD4DqW39xIUSIgenw5peYmU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/S1kRpD4DqW39xIUSIgenw5peYmU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-1173767589313614592012-01-17T19:00:00.004-05:002012-01-17T19:00:02.561-05:002012-01-17T19:00:02.561-05:00Tuna Melts!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1600670428_jvPsz3z-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-jvPsz3z/0/M/i-jvPsz3z-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I have a weird relationship with tuna melts. I pretty much forget they exist in the world until one day when I see them on a menu somewhere, and then I remember that I pretty much love and adore tuna melts. Delicious tuna salad on soft bread, covered with cheese and then run under a broiler until the cheese is melted...why do I keep forgetting about them? It's a mystery.<br />
<br />
They are also one of those meals that are perfect when you are stuck on what to make for lunch or supper, because not only do they taste great, you probably have all the fixings right there in your kitchen. Tuna, mayo, bread and cheese are the basics...that will get your your trusty old classic tuna melt. But one of the great things about tuna melts is that you can go to town on the improvisation, depending on what you like (or don't like!) Sure, regular American cheese will do you just fine, but any kind of sliceable, meltable cheese is fair game. Cheddar, fontina, wwiss...the recipe below calls for provolone, which is heaven in my book. As for the tuna itself, be as crazy as you want to be with the mix-ins. Herbs, spices, onions, capers, chopped pickles, celery, you name it...you'll find a few of those below as well. This recipe also tosses on a couple of sliced tomatoes. I'm not sure why I didn't go ahead and add some bacon under that cheese as well, but you KNOW that would be good.<br />
<br />
So please learn from my mistakes...give the tuna melt the love and respect it deserves. It will love you right back!<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tuna Melts!</span></b>, adapted from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/kicked-up-tuna-melt-recipe/index.html">Emeril Lagasse</a><br />
<br />
<ul class="kv-ingred-list1" style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 7px; margin-top: 3px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 7px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna packed in water, drained</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, plus more for spreading</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup finely chopped red <a class="crosslink" debug="230 234" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/onion/index.html" style="color: #2f2f2f; cursor: default; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">onion</a></span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon capers, drained</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 tablespoon fresh <a class="crosslink" debug="369 379" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/lemon/index.html" style="color: #2f2f2f; cursor: default; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">lemon juice</a></span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4 slices rustic white bread, or other dense white bread</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 medium tomatoes, sliced, or 8 tomato slices</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced</span></li>
</ul><h2 style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 14px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></h2><div class="instructions" style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="instruction" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 7px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler.</span></div><div style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 7px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2. Combine the tuna, mayonnaise, red onion, <a class="crosslink" debug="133 138" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/caper/index.html" style="color: #2f2f2f; cursor: default; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">capers</a>, black pepper, lemon juice, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir until well mixed.</span></div><div style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 7px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. Arrange the bread slices on a work surface. Lightly spread each slice of bread with additional mayonnaise. Divide the tuna salad evenly among the 4 bread slices </span><span style="background-color: white;">and top with 2 tomato slices each</span><a class="crosslink" debug="426 433" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/tomato/index.html" style="background-color: white; color: #2f2f2f; cursor: default; font-family: inherit; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">s</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">. Top with slices of provolone.</span></div><div style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 7px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4. Place sandwiches on a sheet tray and place under broiler. Cook until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/tuna-melts?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-117376758931361459?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LyfX7XN_yPELL6tpOYwUOqDUS4Y/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LyfX7XN_yPELL6tpOYwUOqDUS4Y/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LyfX7XN_yPELL6tpOYwUOqDUS4Y/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LyfX7XN_yPELL6tpOYwUOqDUS4Y/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-3220216937125506842012-01-15T19:00:00.005-05:002012-01-15T19:00:00.776-05:002012-01-15T19:00:00.776-05:00Chicken and Cheese Flautas<a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1668697778&k=xd63pzX&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-xd63pzX/0/M/i-xd63pzX-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
<br />
A little while ago I made <a href="http://leitesculinaria.com/78228/recipes-classic-roast-chicken.html">this recipe for roast chicken</a> from the wonderful <a href="http://leitesculinaria.com/">Leite's Culinaria</a> website. It was without question the best, easiest roast chicken I've ever made in my life, and it made for a perfect Sunday dinner. But it was just me, the Southern husband and the teenager (Home from college for winter break! Happiness!) and hungry as we were, we were no match for an entire perfect chicken. So, what to do with the leftovers?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=648611233&k=p2VAi&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/648611233_p2VAi-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
Nice try, but no. Not with THIS chicken.<br />
<br />
Then I remembered this fun and speedy recipe for chicken flautas from none other than the Pillsbury website. (Why Pillsbury? I think in addition to those tubes of refrigerator biscuits that we all love and adore, they also make tortillas and salsa. Hmm.) Anyway, what is a flauta, you ask? A flauta, my friends, is <span style="font-family: inherit;">a<span style="background-color: white;"> tortilla rolled around a filling, such as beef, chicken, or cheese, into a thin cylinder and sometimes deep-fried. In this case we are going to fill it with a mixture of chicken, shredded cheese, salsa and spices, and we NOT going to deep-fry it. Nope, we are going to brush it with a little oil and cook it in a skillet until it is golden brown, and then we are going to top it with guacamole and sour cream. And then we are going to take that first crunchy bite and remember how fabulous it is to have a little leftover roasted chicken in the fridge.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">So go try that roasted chicken recipe, and then follow it up with some flautas!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Chicken and Cheese Flautas</span></b>, from <a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/printrecipe?RecipeId=d3267885-5929-4940-8d23-28772ec903f1">Pillsbury</a><br />
<br />
6 six-inch flour tortillas<br />
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese<br />
1 cup shredded cooked chicken<br />
1 teaspoon cumin<br />
1/2 cup salsa<br />
Vegetable oil<br />
Guacamole<br />
Sour cream<br />
<br />
<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px;"><li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. In small bowl, combine cheese, chicken and cumin; mix well.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Place about 1/4 cup chicken mixture on each warm tortilla. Top each with 1 tablespoon salsa. Roll up tightly; secure each with toothpick. Brush filled tortillas with oil.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. In large skillet, cook filled tortillas over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until filling is hot and tortillas are toasted, turning occasionally. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.</span></li>
</ul><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/chicken-and-cheese-flautas?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-322021693712550684?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OH2msmPikMR3pgJBqRE1JUSiYXM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OH2msmPikMR3pgJBqRE1JUSiYXM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OH2msmPikMR3pgJBqRE1JUSiYXM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OH2msmPikMR3pgJBqRE1JUSiYXM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-28561225196566774442012-01-12T19:00:00.009-05:002012-01-13T07:22:25.753-05:002012-01-13T07:22:25.753-05:00Chocolate Bacon Peanut Bark<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#!i=1650717065&k=GtLmVkD&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-GtLmVkD/0/M/i-GtLmVkD-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I am one of those people whose birthday falls right around the holidays, which means that the second half of December is a wonderful cascade of cards and presents and birthday lunches and Christmas dinners and other wonderfulness. It's non-stop merriment from December 15 until the beginning of January, when I wake up and realize that I need to go on a steady diet of soup until my Levis fit again. But for those several weeks, I am showered with all sorts of fun goodies. And this year, many of them fell into a sort of familiar pattern. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=1662751033&k=vQnLwTT&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-vQnLwTT/0/M/i-vQnLwTT-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have no idea why.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Okay, maybe I might have mentioned once or twice that I love bacon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=1662750797&k=HDqBFHv&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-HDqBFHv/0/M/i-HDqBFHv-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">That might be why one sweet friend gave me this cookbook entitled<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-love-bacon-jayne-rockmill/1100377907"> I LOVE BACON</a>. She is not the kind of no-holds-barred bacon lover that I am, and she is a regular at my house for dinner, so I take this as a sign of true love. Because you KNOW I'm going to be making pretty much everything in that book.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I also got a big bag of heaven.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=1662751397&k=TMcLg8x&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-TMcLg8x/0/L/i-TMcLg8x-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And by heaven, I mean gingerbread with millions of teeny pieces of bacon in it. The gingerbread was shaped into little pig shapes...which is kind of like chocolate Easter bunnies, where you feel bad for about 2 seconds that you are biting off their ears. And then you bite off their ears.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=1662751184&k=Bg8p4Dk&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-Bg8p4Dk/0/M/i-Bg8p4Dk-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It comes from a site called <a href="http://baconery./">Baconery.</a> They have bacon cookies. They have bacon brownies. They have bacon candy. They have a Facebook page and a Twitter account and an Iphone app. Their slogan is "Life Is Better With Bacon." I'm a goner.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And the bacon fabulousness did not just revolve around cooking it and eating it. Nope.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=1662751664&k=gPM2SZB&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-gPM2SZB/0/L/i-gPM2SZB-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can also wear it. Just like Lady Gaga, only not as sticky. This one is from a site called <a href="http://bacn.com/">Bacn</a>. They also have bacon costumes...just something to keep in mind for next Halloween.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So getting to that bowl of deliciousness that was the first picture of this post...one of my gifts was in this nice little bag.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=1662750593&k=NfBjgFn&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-NfBjgFn/0/M/i-NfBjgFn-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And it came with a recipe!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=1662750456&k=TC3tD26&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-TC3tD26/0/M/i-TC3tD26-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A recipe that calls for just three ingredients...chocolate, peanuts, and...well, you know. On the day that I got this scrumptious bag,<a href="http://twocatsandacradle.blogspot.com/"> the wonderful maker of this deliciousness</a> gave bags to a few other people too. People that I spoke to later in the day. Or rather, people that I tried to speak to, because I would call them up and they would answer the phone sounding something like this: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Them: Huh-whoa?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Me: Are you eating something?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Them: Yeth..can't shtop eating this chocowhat bacon schtuff!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's that good. You can't stop eating it. Let's just say I didn't share. And I'm not sharing my shirt either, so get your paws off please.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#!i=1662751973&k=pTzQC6x&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-pTzQC6x/0/M/i-pTzQC6x-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I will share the recipe though! Happy bacon.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Chocolate Bacon Peanut Bark</span></b>, from <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120994007#120995079">Susan Russo at NPR</a></div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">8 strips bacon</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">16 ounces semisweet chocolate (chunks or chips)</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">1 cup unsalted peanuts</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning several times, until browned and done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely.</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">3. Add chocolate to a double boiler. If you don't have one, fill a pan with a couple of inches of water. Place a glass bowl over the pan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water underneath. Once the water begins to boil, add the chocolate chips. Using a spatula, stir continuously, until smooth and creamy.</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">4. Stir in the bacon and peanuts. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and spread to 3/8-inch thickness. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. The bark should be hard and chilled.</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">5. Place bark on a cutting board and cut into pieces — any size or shape you'd like. Serve at about room temperature.</div><br />
<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/chocolate-bacon-peanut-bark?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-2856122519656677444?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ekBUXZFm5n1Etp9TkXo3M9D27-k/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ekBUXZFm5n1Etp9TkXo3M9D27-k/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ekBUXZFm5n1Etp9TkXo3M9D27-k/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ekBUXZFm5n1Etp9TkXo3M9D27-k/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-687071544730509212012-01-10T19:00:00.007-05:002012-01-10T19:00:04.310-05:002012-01-10T19:00:04.310-05:00Beef Enchilada Casserole<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1586783221_ttTqnr4-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-ttTqnr4/0/M/i-ttTqnr4-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Okay, I think I have oh, zero recipes on this blog that rely heavily on the microwave as the major cooking appliance. There is just something about the microwave that doesn't feel like it is real cooking, with the exception of popcorn. Oh, and that <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2010/11/mixed-nut-vanilla-brittle.html">vanilla brittle</a> I made a ways back. But aside from that...not too much, until for some reason I took it out for a spin with this little number.<br />
<br />
Now, this is one of those recipes that LOOK like you worked and slaved for hours in your kitchen while your teenager was watching the Pretty Little Liars marathon on ABC Family and your Southern husband was reading Moby Dick. (Side note: He's not actually reading Moby Dick. He is reading a book called <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/why-read-moby-dick-nathaniel-philbrick/1100479573?ean=9780670022991&r=1&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10%3a1&">Why Read Moby Dick</a>, and he has taken Moby Dick out of the library, but he isn't actually reading the real thing yet. Why is all this happening? I have no idea. He's a mystery.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, while this may look like you spent ages putting this together, it actually takes a grand total of 15 minutes. Maybe 20, if you are being leisurely. It's that microwave thing I mentioned earlier, which usually doesn't end up giving you scrumptious supper results, but in this case...YUM. Spicy taco-tasting meat and gooey melted cheese mixed in with layers of corn tortilla pieces. Make sure you use corn tortillas, not flour. They are a little more substantial and will hold up with all the meat and cheese going on, and they have a great corn taste that adds to the overall delicousness.<br />
<br />
Once you have put this together and popped it in the microwave, spoon it out onto plates, top it off with a little sour cream and give everyone a lime wedge to squeeze over the top. It's guaranteed to tempt them away from Pretty Little Liars AND Moby Dick. (Scratching head...)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Beef Enchilada Casserole</span></b>, from <a href="http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=16307&categoryCode=CL">The Pampered Chef</a><br />
<br />
1 pound ground beef<br />
1 tablespoon taco seasoning<br />
1 ten ounce can enchilada or taco sauce<br />
3/4 cup water<br />
1/2 cup salsa<br />
12 corn tortillas<br />
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack and/or Cheddar cheese<br />
Sour cream and lime wedges for garnish<br />
<br />
1. Combine beef and taco seasoning in large skillet and cook over medium high heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Add sauce, water and salsa and bring to a simmer. Simmer for one more minute then remove from heat.<br />
<br />
2. As beef mixture cooks, place tortillas in a stack and cut into one inch squares, using a pizza cutter or kitchen shears. Arrange half the tortilla pieces evenly in a microwave-safe casserole. Top with half the beef mixture and half the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef and cheese.<br />
<br />
3. Microwave casserole on high for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and lime wedges.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/beef-enchilada-casserole?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-68707154473050921?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/PzXBQgImOkalTld2QYv1KHIk7Vc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/PzXBQgImOkalTld2QYv1KHIk7Vc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/PzXBQgImOkalTld2QYv1KHIk7Vc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/PzXBQgImOkalTld2QYv1KHIk7Vc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-84898506576206908432012-01-08T19:00:00.002-05:002012-01-08T19:00:02.837-05:002012-01-08T19:00:02.837-05:00Taking The Leap!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Connor-Turns-One/19072825_XrvF2k#1483724552_MN6Z7Fp-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Connor-Turns-One/i-MN6Z7Fp/0/M/DSC5329-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">As you can tell, this is not my usual bacon-filled post. I'll be back to that next time, but for right now I wanted to let you know about a few things that are going on with Framed Cooks, and ask for your help!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But first, the back story. (You know I love the back story!) I started this blog a few years ago knowing very little about blogging. I knew a little bit about photography, a little more about cooking, and I figured it would be a fun way to share some of my pictures and recipes with my friends. Little did I know how many friends I would make along the way, and I am incredibly grateful to every single one of you...especially to those folks who have been there from start, cheering me on. Hug and kiss.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Over the past year or so, Framed Cooks has gone through a very exciting growth spurt. I'm seeing lots and lots of new readers, and I'm doing my best to keep up with how the blog looks and what it does. And along the way, I've gotten lots of friendly advice from folks who know about these things telling me that, as much as I like to think I know how to handle all the technical stuff, it was time to call in some Professional Help.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Gulp. I wasn't sure I was ready to make that leap. Anything could happen! My blog could evaporate and the world as we know it would stop spinning on its axis. I procrastinated and hemmed and hawed and backed away from the edge.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Connor-Turns-One/19072825_XrvF2k#1483724644_H2Cf8Xh-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Connor-Turns-One/i-H2Cf8Xh/0/L/DSC5339-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And then one day, who knows why, I decided to take the leap. And so right now behind the scenes, Framed Cooks is being tuned up, spiffed up, polished up and kicked up a notch or two, by folks who (unlike me) actually know what they are doing. This should take a month or two, I'm guessing, and in the meantime I'll keep posting away on the blog as it looks now. But when it's done, it's going to look better, work better and I will start breathing in and out again like a normal person.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So here's where you come in. I need you to help me with the following, all of which can be done now if you have a sec:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">1. If you have some posts bookmarked, please go back and re-bookmark them. The old bookmarks will still work fine if you don't, but if you DO, it will help me with my Google ranking. Google ranking is near and dear to the hearts of all us bloggers. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">2. If you are Pinterest or StumbleUpon person and you've Pinned or Stumbled a post, please re-Pin and re-Stumble it when you have a sec. Again, your current pins will still work...it's that Google thing again. Muchas smoochas.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">3. Bear with me if there are little bumps in the road along the way. I'm working with an AMAZING team who is not only handling things beautifully but also talking me to me in calm and comforting tones various times a day, but there's bound to be a hiccup or two. It's gonna be worth it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So here I go, taking the leap...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Connor-Turns-One/19072825_XrvF2k#1483724599_qDfF3q8-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Connor-Turns-One/i-qDfF3q8/0/L/DSC5335-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hang in there with me, and cross your fingers with me for a happy landing! Love you guys.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Connor-Turns-One/19072825_XrvF2k#1483724918_FZsK2Lq-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Connor-Turns-One/i-FZsK2Lq/0/L/DSC5410-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-8489850657620690843?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RsXjO77bMwgKD6oy4CA_L9U_n7k/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RsXjO77bMwgKD6oy4CA_L9U_n7k/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RsXjO77bMwgKD6oy4CA_L9U_n7k/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RsXjO77bMwgKD6oy4CA_L9U_n7k/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-23826847269615213952012-01-05T19:00:00.004-05:002012-01-05T19:00:04.955-05:002012-01-05T19:00:04.955-05:00Chicken Macaroni Soup with Tomatoes<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_FkgEY#1406370878_mCCKbb4-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-mCCKbb4/0/M/i-mCCKbb4-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
<br />
Okay, I promise this is the last soup recipe for a while. The even better news is, I saved my favorite soup recipe for last. I have had this recipe longer than I have had my dog, my house, my teenager, and almost everything else except for my Southern husband. Yep, he's the only thing older than this soup, but you'd never know it to look at him. It probably has something to do with the fact that the man cannot sit still. Here's a picture of him from one of our vacations up in Vermont.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Vermont-2010/13559613_tqxb5t#988533483_kFm8o-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/988533483_kFm8o-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">That's him. Reading. While walking around. It's one of the many mysterious things that makes me crazy about the guy. Among other things, it DOES keep him in tip-top shape.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But I digress!<br />
<br />
This chicken macaroni soup is the perfect quick, hearty and still good for you soup-for-supper dish. It's also great for a crowd, especially if you serve up some nice crusty bread on the side. Make sure you get good chicken broth to make it with (I like the Imagine and Pacific brands, which come in a box, not a can). It calls for elbow macaroni, but it also works equally well with any short pasta you have hanging around. I frequently take this soup as a chance to finally empty out all those pasta boxes with teeny amounts of pasta still lurking in the bottom of them.<br />
<br />
This concludes Soup Week on Framed Cooks. I'll be back to my evil bacon ways next week.<br />
<br />
</div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Chicken Macaroni Soup with Tomatoes</span></b><br />
<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
2 large garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 teaspoon dried basil<br />
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme<br />
4 ounces cooked ham, cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />
2 tablespoons tomato paste<br />
5 cups chicken broth (I like Imagine and Pacific brands)<br />
1 cup white wine<br />
3 large boneless chicken breast halves<br />
1 cup drained chopped canned tomatoes<br />
8 large pieces oil-packed sun dried tomatoes<br />
1 cup elbow macaroni, cooked and drained<br />
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley<br />
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese<br />
<br />
1. Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium heat. Add garlic, basil and thyme and saute until fragrant, about one minute. Mix in ham and tomato paste. Add chicken broth and wine and bring to a simmer.<br />
<br />
2. Add chicken, cover pot and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
3. Use tongs to remove chicken to plate and let cool. Add chopped and sundried tomatoes to pot and simmer 5 minutes.<br />
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5. Shred chicken into bite sized pieces and return to pot. Stir in cooked macaroni and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
6. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with parsley and cheese and serve.<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/chicken-macaroni-soup-with-tomatoes?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-2382684726961521395?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u9jpKwC6CYNOIm8Hw9XGVqy068o/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u9jpKwC6CYNOIm8Hw9XGVqy068o/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u9jpKwC6CYNOIm8Hw9XGVqy068o/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u9jpKwC6CYNOIm8Hw9XGVqy068o/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-74175531859539716782012-01-03T19:00:00.002-05:002012-01-03T19:00:05.416-05:002012-01-03T19:00:05.416-05:00Chicken Dumpling Soup<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_FkgEY#1076590862_kAsad-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1076590862_kAsad-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">There are few things in life I like better than an adorable, delicious dumpling.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Liam-Visits-the-Pumpkin-Patch/14217722_nRwaF#1050264609_Rm9kX-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Liam-Visits-the-Pumpkin-Patch/DSC2315/1050264609_Rm9kX-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And look at that - a dumpling munching on a dumpling! Okay, he's technically munching on a doughnut...but I was close. And he's definitely an adorable, delicious dumpling, but he's not exactly the kind I had in mind right this second. Nope, I am talking about the kind of dumpling you find in a steaming hot bowl of chicken soup.<br />
<br />
Now, making chicken dumpling soup from scratch is a little more than I am up for, especially when there are alternatives that do the hard part (making the broth) for you right in your supermarket. Stay away from the cans of chicken broth and go for the good kinds in the box...Imagine is the best, and Pacific is a close second. As for the chicken, you can either use leftovers from your last roast chicken, or pick up a roast chicken in the deli section. I'll never tell.<br />
<br />
Now you are about 30 short minutes away from homemade chicken dumpling soup. Once you serve this up to your own dumplings and taste how good it is, the little shortcuts along the way will only be a vague memory. Promise!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Chicken Dumpling Soup</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 tablespoons butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 tablespoons flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 cups good quality chicken broth (I like the Imagine and Pacific varieties)</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 onions, peeled and cut into eighths</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 large celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 medium leek, halved lengthwise and slice into 1/2 inch slices (white and pale green section only)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 large eggs</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 large egg yolks</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tablespoons melted butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tablespoons chopped parsley</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for salting dumpling water</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 teaspoon pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 cups flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Melt butter in large saucepan and add flour, whisking until smooth. Whisk chicken broth into flour mixture and continue whisking over medium-high heat until smooth and at a low boil, about 5 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Add carrots, celery, leek, 1/2 cup parsley and thyme to broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. While broth is simmering, make dumplings. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Mix eggs, milk, egg yolks, butter, parsley, salt and pepper together until well-blended. Stir in flour (batter will be soft). Drop teaspoonfuls of the dumpling batter to the boiling water until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer dumplings to broth pot.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Add cooked chicken to broth, simmer until heated through, add salt and pepper as needed and serve.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/chicken-dumpling-soup?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-7417553185953971678?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iJ-8NlmMPYVZssWRkaTlIkviFvA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iJ-8NlmMPYVZssWRkaTlIkviFvA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iJ-8NlmMPYVZssWRkaTlIkviFvA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iJ-8NlmMPYVZssWRkaTlIkviFvA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-87456994672324325562012-01-01T19:00:00.005-05:002012-01-01T19:00:02.530-05:002012-01-01T19:00:02.530-05:00Italian Meatball Soup<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1597982638_F4BpG5D-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-F4BpG5D/0/M/i-F4BpG5D-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year, everyone! The holidays are at an end, the new year is upon us, and in my house that means one thing, food-wise. We have been feasting on chocolate and cheese and bacon and roast beast and peppermint bark and our jeans are screaming for mercy. And so for the first couple weeks of the new year the Southern husband and I get one thing and one thing only for dinner, and that is soup.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">No cream soups either. The goal is to be able to sit down without popping any buttons off of anyone's pants, especially mine. And if we have to do it, YOU have to live through it with us, so prepare yourself for a parade of soup recipes this week. I'll ease you into it with this scrumptious Italian meatball number. Yes, there are meatballs. Yes, there are croutons. But it's all about moderation, and if you can manage to ladle yourself out a modest amount of meatballs and croutons and go heavier on the delicious tomato broth and veggies, you are well on your way to fitting back into your Levis.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#1404232044_Pp8KGhg-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-Pp8KGhg/0/L/i-Pp8KGhg-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I don't know about you, but I'm cranky when my comfy Levis are no longer comfy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, just a quick word about the meatball part. Frozen store-bought meatballs will work perfectly fine in this soup...they're going to simmer away enough in all the tomatoey goodness that they won't taste that, well, supermarket-ish. But if you want to go all out and make meatballs from scratch, <a href="http://punchfork.com/recipe/Classic-Beef-Meatballs-Martha-Stewart">click here</a> for a good dependable homemade meatball recipe.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'll be back next time with, yes, more soup. Hang in there with me!</div><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Italian Meatball Soup</span></b>, adapted from <a href="http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=16307&categoryCode=CL">The Pampered Chef Cookbook</a><br />
<br />
2 medium carrots, peeled<br />
2 stalks celery<br />
1 small onion<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
2 tablespoons tomato paste<br />
4 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 tablespoon oregano<br />
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes in puree<br />
2 cups beef broth<br />
1 1/2 cups water<br />
16 fully cooked meatballs (you can buy the frozen kind or make them yourself)<br />
Salt and freshly ground pepper<br />
6 ounces Italian bread, cut into in 1 inch cubes<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
Fresh chopped parsley<br />
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1. Finely chop carrots, celery and onion in food processor.<br />
<br />
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add vegetables. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add tomato paste, garlic and oregano and stir well.<br />
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3. Add tomatoes, broth and water and bring to a simmer. Cut meatballs in half and add to soup. Simmer for ten minutes more and season to taste with salt and pepper.<br />
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4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425. Toss bread cubes with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden.<br />
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5. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toasted bread cubes and chopped parsley.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/italian-meatball-soup?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-8745699467232432556?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/duVbLpPNVRjM1pN8bJ_-x-G6KWk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/duVbLpPNVRjM1pN8bJ_-x-G6KWk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/duVbLpPNVRjM1pN8bJ_-x-G6KWk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/duVbLpPNVRjM1pN8bJ_-x-G6KWk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-45307873897735685982011-12-29T19:00:00.003-05:002011-12-29T19:00:03.105-05:002011-12-29T19:00:03.105-05:00Favorite Framed Cooks Recipes of 2011!<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><br />
</h3><div style="text-align: center;">One of the things I always try and do at the end of the year is make sense of the towering pile of recipes for things I have made over the past year. Many of them get filed into my gigantic binders, some of them get tossed out, and there are a handful that I put aside into yet another pile because they were so scrumptious that I have to make them again, and SOON. And while I was being all organized about this, I thought I would pick my very favorites from the past year to share with you...one in each of the major food categories.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, drum roll please...here are my very very favorites. All of these have links back to the original post...just click the recipe title and off you go. ( One quick note for my wonderful readers who have already bookmarked or pinned these recipes...my blog is going through some re-formatting, so if you could re-bookmark or re-pin, that would be terrific!)<br />
<br />
And so here we go, starting with:<br />
<br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Appetizer: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/10/mini-bacon-herb-cupcakes-with-cream.html">Mini Bacon Herb Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1520111635_zLG82QQ-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-zLG82QQ/0/M/i-zLG82QQ-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
This super-easy appetizer is one of those savory cupcake deals that gets me every time. They have a teeny bit of herb in them, and of course...bacon! That and the cream cheese frosting...oh yes. Make more than you think you will need, because you will need that many.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Pasta: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/09/best-tomato-sauce-in-world.html">The Best Tomato Sauce in the World!</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1451865920_hrcd2Mn-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-hrcd2Mn/0/M/i-hrcd2Mn-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Okay, so this is technically a sauce recipe, but it goes over pasta, and I've made it at every possible opportunity over the past year...it's THAT good and THAT easy. You need to make this...you'll never even consider opening a jar of pasta sauce ever again. Promise.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Chicken: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/10/stacked-chicken-enchiladas.html">Stacked Chicken Enchiladas</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1485814305_rwdThL9-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-rwdThL9/0/M/i-rwdThL9-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
<br />
It's hard to get excited about chicken, I know...but add a few tortillas, some cheese and assorted other Tex-Mex flavors and my heart starts to beat faster. This is a hearty meal, so be prepared to share with a friend. Or friends.<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div><br />
</div></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Beef: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/04/brisket-slow-cooked-in-coffee-and-brown.html">Brisket Slow-Cooked in Coffee and Brown Sugar</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1195837891_FJFhe-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1195837891_FJFhe-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
I've never been a coffee drinker, and I've always been afraid of beef brisket. So I don't know what possessed me to make this recipe...maybe it was the brown sugar. Boy am I glad I did.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Seafood: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/01/lemon-shrimp-scampi-with-linguine.html">Lemon Shrimp Scampi with Linguine</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1142004738_7MaLG-M.jpg" title="" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Shrimp is pretty much my seafood of choice...it's easy, reliable, relatively affordable (especially if you buy them at Costco, which has AMAZING seafood). And when you pair it up with lemon and garlic and linguine - oh yeah.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Soup: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/05/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup.html">Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1229143639_pjpSV-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1229143639_pjpSV-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Soup, glorious soup! This one has a nice little kick to it, and it also cooks in the slow cooker, which is extra added bonus points for any recipe, as far as I am concerned.</span></div><span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Veggie: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/08/pan-roasted-baby-artichokes.html">Pan Roasted Baby Artichokes</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1402500614_vz3x8Dd-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-vz3x8Dd/0/M/i-vz3x8Dd-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
This is so much more than a veggie recipe, because while you CAN make them as a side dish (and oh, I have!) you can also pour the artichokes and the delicious olive oil they cook in over pasta and you have an instant dinner. Don't be afraid of the artichokes - use the baby ones and it's a snap.</div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><br />
</h3><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Sandwich: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/03/brie-croque-monsieur-sandwiches.html">Brie Croque Monsieur Sandwiches</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1204082364_FLPm6-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1204082364_FLPm6-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Maybe the best sandwich I have ever made/photographed/eaten/dreamed about in my entire life. Oh, this sandwich.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Dessert: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/01/butterscotch-pudding.html">Butterscotch Pudding</a></h3></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><br />
<a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1159798326_iduab-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1159798326_iduab-L.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
<br />
Butterscotch pudding is the Southern husband's fave, and I made him suffer through many, many, many duds before I finally hit the jackpot with this recipe. Silky smooth butterscotch wonderfulness!</div><div><br />
<br />
<br />
</div></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #2c720d; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">Favorite Bacon!: <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/11/cornmeal-and-brown-sugar-crusted-bacon.html">Cornmeal and Brown Sugar Crusted Bacon</a></h3></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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You didn't think I was going to end this post without giving you my favorite bacon recipe, did you??? This is not only my favorite of 2011, it's my favorite of FOREVER. Happy bacon sigh.<br />
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See you next year!</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-4530787389773568598?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/b4Mu-RLmNetINVFvw-yA-1jC2I8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/b4Mu-RLmNetINVFvw-yA-1jC2I8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/b4Mu-RLmNetINVFvw-yA-1jC2I8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/b4Mu-RLmNetINVFvw-yA-1jC2I8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-83905498676536050952011-12-27T19:00:00.008-05:002011-12-27T19:00:02.809-05:002011-12-27T19:00:02.809-05:00Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken with Biscuits<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1627480137_4m2kX8c-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-4m2kX8c/0/M/i-4m2kX8c-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Is there anything better than warm, wonderful, comforting chicken with biscuits?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Yes! Super-duper-easy chicken with biscuits cooked in the slow cooker and then finished with a little bit of cream and some baby peas so that it is tender and creamy and perfect. In this recipe, you cook up a batch of biscuits right before you are ready to serve the chicken, split them in half, and put the bottom half of each biscuit in each bowl. Ladle the chicken over the top, and then top with the biscuit top. I like to break it into a few pieces to spread the biscuit merriment around. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A few words about biscuits, since we are on the subject. You can take the easiest route and just buy some at the supermarket ready-made...they will be just fine if you heat 'em up in the microwave. You can take the second easiest route and make the kind in the tube. Let's face it - we all love those. You can make super-easy drop biscuits out of Bisquick. The recipe is on the box, and they are always great.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Or, you can finally rise to the challenge that the Southern husband has been tossing down in front of you for years, and make true Southern biscuits like his mama did. For this, you have to hunt down one particular type of flour that is only available in the South. This works out much better for a Yankee like me if you have a teenager going to college in South Carolina (go you Clemson Tigers! Orange Bowl! Woot!) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And that is White Lily flour. I got me some.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1627487762_tnBWwP8-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-tnBWwP8/0/L/i-tnBWwP8-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">If you don't live down South, you can find it by <a href="http://onlinestore.smucker.com/display_category.cfm?cat_id=63">clicking here</a>. And I do have to say, they did turn into lovely light golden biscuits. Yum, yum. So start those slow cookers, because now that we are heading into the heart of winter, it's definitely chicken and biscuit season. Mmmmmm.</div><div class="recipeIngred" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 30px;"><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span itemprop="amount" style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span itemprop="amount" style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span itemprop="amount" style="line-height: 15px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken with Biscuits</span></b>, adapted from<a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/slow-cooker-creamy-chicken-with-biscuits-00000000052389/index.html"> Real Simple</a></span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount"><br />
</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">3/4 pound </span><span itemprop="name">carrots (about 4), cut into 1-inch lengths</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">2 stalks </span><span itemprop="name">celery, thinly sliced</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1 </span><span itemprop="name">small onion, chopped</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/4 cup </span><span itemprop="name">all-purpose flour</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1 1/2 pounds </span><span itemprop="name">boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8)</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 teaspoon </span><span itemprop="name">poultry seasoning</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount"></span><span itemprop="name">kosher salt and black pepper</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 cup </span><span itemprop="name">dry white wine</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 cup </span><span itemprop="name">low-sodium chicken broth</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">6 </span><span itemprop="name">biscuits, split</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1 cup </span><span itemprop="name">frozen peas</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 cup </span><span itemprop="name">heavy cream</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></li>
</ul></div><div class="recipeDirections" style="background-color: white;"><ol style="margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1.75em;"><li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, toss together the carrots, celery, onion, and flour. Place the chicken on top and season with the poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the wine and broth.</span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Cover and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours (this will shorten total cooking time).</span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thirty minutes before serving, prepare the biscuits.</span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ten minutes before serving, remove the chicken and shred into bite sized pieces. Return chicken to slow cooker and add the peas, cream, and ½ teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cover and cook until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes more.</span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">To serve, place the bottom halves of the biscuits in shallow bowls, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining biscuit halves.</span></li>
</ol><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/creamy-slow-cooker-chicken-with-biscuits?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-8390549867653605095?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wCTKp842RU5rpmWCL26Xvkg0lWY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wCTKp842RU5rpmWCL26Xvkg0lWY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wCTKp842RU5rpmWCL26Xvkg0lWY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wCTKp842RU5rpmWCL26Xvkg0lWY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-44124764976470176902011-12-24T19:00:00.019-05:002011-12-25T12:27:38.518-05:002011-12-25T12:27:38.518-05:00We Now Pause To Say Thank You!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#1641913181_RDFSPfH-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-RDFSPfH/0/L/i-RDFSPfH-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's Christmas! and so instead of my usual recipe, I wanted to take this particular post and devote it to one thing and one thing only, which is to say thank you. It's been an amazing year for Framed Cooks, and it's because of all the incredible love and support I've gotten.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you to all you wonderful readers out there who take the time to read my blog, leave me comments and send me emails. You have no idea how much all your sweet notes and suggestions mean to me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you to everyone who has shared my posts on Pinterest and StumbleUpon and all those other places you visit. I've found so many other fantastic recipes and cooks and writers from following you all to the places where you share my posts, and it's been a heck of a lot of fun.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you to everyone who has visited me on the FramedCooks <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FramedCooks">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://framedcooks.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> pages and said all those great things you say. I read and love every single comment and post and question. Keep 'em coming, please!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Framed Cooks has been such an adventure for me...partly because of the chance to share my photography and cooking adventures, but mainly because of how many people I have met, both in person and via your comments and emails, who have kept me going post after post after post. I'm a lucky girl, and so one more time...thank you. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope your holidays are merry ones, and here's to a delicious New Year...I'm looking forward to sharing it with you! Let's start by <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2009/07/best-chocolate-chip-cookies-ever.html">eating cookies!!</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/820162578_83kuw-L.jpg" title="" /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-4412476497647017690?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/idzC35gz4vodVuq0pVdY7nE3kjM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/idzC35gz4vodVuq0pVdY7nE3kjM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/idzC35gz4vodVuq0pVdY7nE3kjM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/idzC35gz4vodVuq0pVdY7nE3kjM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-90806676565957306572011-12-22T19:00:00.006-05:002011-12-22T19:00:04.016-05:002011-12-22T19:00:04.016-05:00Aglio e Olio<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_FkgEY#1284714815_bWtKxT9-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-bWtKxT9/0/M/i-bWtKxT9-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Okay, we are in the eye of the Holiday Hurricane, and it's a whirlwind of eggnog, roast beast, champagne, peppermint bark, canapes, and mountains and mountains of cookies. From party to party, wrapping and unwrapping, and sending whatever licensed driver happens to be nearby to the supermarket for just one more thing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Cousins-Summer-2011/17299875_72cXtL#1313395082_sjTQ7VQ-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Cousins-Summer-2011/i-sjTQ7VQ/0/L/DSC9501-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Can you drive yet? No? Are you sure? Okay, I'll have to find someone else.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#1115589665_55sbM-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1115589665_55sbM-M.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
<br />
Not you.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I promise you that in the midst of all this merriment, there WILL be a meal or two where you aren't supposed to be cooking fancy stuff for a crowd, or being part of the crowd for whom fancy stuff is being cooked. And much as we love all of that, the lulls in between are a little bit of a relief, and that's when you need something easy and delicious and simple. Something for which you probably have all the stuff in your pantry, so you don't have to brave the supermarket.<br />
<br />
That's where this pretty much perfect pasta dish called Aglio e Olio comes in. (Or Aglio y Olio, depending on where you look. Once again, I am an Irish-American girl venturing out onto shaky ground here.) What I can tell you with complete confidence is that if you have a chance in all the hustle and bustle to have a simple comforting dish of something simple for supper, this has your name on it. It's a quick concoction of garlic cooked in olive oil, tossed with a whole lot of fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese. It's ready in about 20 minutes, and after you have a bowl of this I think you might agree with me that there's nothing else in the world that is quite this relaxing.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_ZXTi9#1156870128_v7pNZ-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1156870128_v7pNZ-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Maybe taking a nap with your dog in your Christmas socks is more relaxing than aglio e olio. But that's it.<br />
<br />
Merry happy ho-ho-ho!!! <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aglio e Olio,</b></span> from Ina Garten's <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barefoot-contessa-how-easy-is-that-ina-garten/1102301812?ean=9780307238764&itm=1&usri=how+easy+is+that">HOW EASY IS THAT </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kosher salt<br />
1 lb spaghetti<br />
1/3 cup good olive oil<br />
8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers<br />
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br />
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley<br />
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div></div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large, shallow pot. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges – don’t overcook it! Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan cheese and toss well. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/aglio-e-olio?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this! </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-9080667656595730657?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/IJS2DkSCe7XVevPsHlkTARqt1jQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/IJS2DkSCe7XVevPsHlkTARqt1jQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/IJS2DkSCe7XVevPsHlkTARqt1jQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/IJS2DkSCe7XVevPsHlkTARqt1jQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-19015018409379612892011-12-20T19:00:00.002-05:002011-12-20T21:32:03.966-05:002011-12-20T21:32:03.966-05:00Reindeer Crunch!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1627117370_jQDspTn-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-jQDspTn/0/L/i-jQDspTn-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Okay, so if you are still looking around for one more holiday treat to make, this might be it. The title of this recipe is Reindeer Crunch, and when I mentioned that I would be making it, one of my vigilant Facebook readers asked if I would be using real reindeer.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Nope. No reindeer were harmed in the making of this recipe. No deer of ANY kind were involved in the making of this recipe, even though I have flocks of them living in my yard. (Flocks? Herds? Gaggles? Whatever the right phrase is for lots and lots of deer...that's what I've got. It's gotten so that they will now pose for the camera.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#1636170930_4CbvDJX-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-4CbvDJX/0/M/i-4CbvDJX-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, I'm guessing reindeer might like to actually crunch some of this stuff, because it is made with popcorn and mixed nuts that have been coated in a brown sugar glaze, baked, and then drizzled with melted chocolate.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I now have to go on a brief rant about melting chocolate. I seem to be completely incapable of melting chocolate without having it seize up (which means, having it melt and then instantaneously transform into a totally unusable clod of solid, grainy chocolate mess). I've tried everything...the microwave at the defrost setting, melting it carefully over a double boiler...for some reason, it just won't work for me. So thank goodness for candy melts, which are somehow made in a way that is especially designed for melting. You can get them in bags of all different colors at Michael's craft stores, or you can find them by <a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?sku=pg_candymelts">clicking here</a>. I always keep a bag of them on hand just for moments like this when I NEED to make things like reindeer crunch. But if you are good at melting chocolate, go ahead and use regular chocolate chips, and please tell me your secret.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, that's my Reindeer Crunch tale...be careful with this stuff. It's impossible to take just one bite!</div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reindeer Crunch</b></span>, from <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-with-southern-living-2011-southern-living-magazine-editors/1102589626">CHRISTMAS WITH SOUTHERN LIVING 2011</a><br />
<br />
<ul><li>12 cups plain popped popcorn</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups salted mixed nuts</li>
<li>1/2 cup butter</li>
<li>2 cups packed brown sugar</li>
<li>1/4 cup light corn syrup</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon salt </li>
<li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li>
<li>12 ounces chocolate chips or chocolate candy melts</li>
</ul><br />
1. Preheat over to 250.<br />
2. Combine popcorn and nuts in large bowl<br />
3. Melt butter in medium heavy saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Stir in vanilla.<br />
4. Working quickly and carefully (sugar mixture is super-hot!), pour sugar mixture over popcorn and nuts. Stir with a wooden spoon until coated.<br />
5. Spread mixture in a single layer on two lightly greased two baking pans. Bake at 250 for 30 minutes, stirring once.<br />
6. Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes and break into chunks.<br />
7. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave (if you use the microwave, melt on 50% power for 30 second increments, stirring after each 30 seconds until melted). Drizzle melted chocolate over popcorn.<br />
8. Cool until chocolate hardens (this goes faster in the fridge.) Store in airtight container.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/reindeer-crunch-1?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-1901501840937961289?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
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<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AqCpps0xk9FJX_1ymY6RtjgLiU4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AqCpps0xk9FJX_1ymY6RtjgLiU4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-78620932255106968432011-12-18T19:00:00.003-05:002011-12-18T19:13:37.630-05:002011-12-18T19:13:37.630-05:00Crostini with Roast Beef and Pomegranate<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_FkgEY#1124147976_YJbEB-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/1124147976_YJbEB-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Okay, so right about now my frame of mind is as follows.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I still love and adore the holidays. The Christmas tree, the holiday music on the radio, the daily cards that the mailman brings, the annual viewing of Love Actually, etc etc etc. I love anything that has to do with the holidays that I either don't have to do myself, or is already DONE. Second to that I like anything that I still have to do that is easy. In last place are the one million things I still have to do that seemed like a great and festive idea back in November, but that are long and complicated. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This particular appetizer recipe falls into Category Two - you still have to do it (unless you can recruit someone, which is always a beautiful thing), but it is pretty much as easy as it comes, and is currently tied for first place with the <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2010/11/fig-jam-and-cheese-bites.html">fig and cheese bites</a> as my current favorite nibble before the main event. If you have a supermarket that sells pomegranate seeds that are already taken out of the pomegranate for you (thank you Fairway!) you are looking at about 10 minutes to assemble this thing. If you have to seed your own pomegranate you will need another 10 minutes or so, but this is an activity that can definitely be done while watching Love Actually, which will make things go very fast, believe me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's the scoop: slice a nice thin baguette into thin pieces, brush them with a little olive oil and pop them in the oven until they are nice and golden - about 10 minutes. Once they are out and cool, top them with a little bit of thin sliced roast beef from the deli counter, a dollop of sour cream, a few pomegranate seeds and a couple of sliced scallion bits. If you are feeling really crazy you can grind a little fresh pepper on top.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">That's it. You are done.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now, how many other things on your holiday list can you say THAT about?<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Crostini with Roast Beef and Pomegranate</span></b>, from <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/roast-beef-and-pomegranate-crostini-00000000048706/index.html">Real Simple</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="recipeIngred" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 30px;"><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">24 </span><span itemprop="name">thin slices baguette (from 1 small loaf)</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">2 tablespoons </span><span itemprop="name">olive oil</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">4 ounces </span><span itemprop="name">thinly sliced roast beef</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/4 cup </span><span itemprop="name">sour cream</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1/4 cup </span><span itemprop="name">pomegranate seeds</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount">1 </span><span itemprop="name">scallion, thinly sliced</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span itemprop="amount"></span><span itemprop="name">kosher salt and black pepper</span></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><br />
</li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;">Heat oven to 400° F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides of the bread with the oil. Bake until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side.</li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;"><br />
</li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left;">Dividing evenly, top the toasted baguette slices with the roast beef, sour cream, pomegranate seeds, and scallion; season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.</li>
<li style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px;"><br />
</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/crostini-with-roast-beef-and-pomegranate?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></span></div></div><span class="recipeCrdt" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-7862093225510696843?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/cmGv9m3CGZB_jBLp2ueZKA1ZN2U/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/cmGv9m3CGZB_jBLp2ueZKA1ZN2U/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/cmGv9m3CGZB_jBLp2ueZKA1ZN2U/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/cmGv9m3CGZB_jBLp2ueZKA1ZN2U/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-58866296192993936592011-12-15T19:00:00.001-05:002011-12-15T19:00:02.972-05:002011-12-15T19:00:02.972-05:00Fettuccine with Sweet Potatoes, Bacon and Rosemary<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_FkgEY#1406305791_6SHzbwx-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-6SHzbwx/0/M/i-6SHzbwx-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Okay, so today is my birthday. It's a birthday that ends in a zero. Which was wildly exciting when I turned ten, but let's just say I'm not turning ten. And so I need bacon. Not want. NEED. And pasta. And I need you to eat some with me, and so here we go.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">For this one you will need a sweet potato, and this seems like a good time to ask, does anyone REALLY know the difference between a sweet potato and a yam? I've now reached the ripe old age of ?0, and I'm not really sure what the difference is...but I do know that when I made this baby I used a sweet potato and it turned out pretty delectably, and that's what matters most to me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, peel up a sweet potato and dice it up into nice small pieces. Smash up a couple of cloves of garlic, and cook the potato and the garlic in some olive oil until they are nice and tender. Meanwhile, boil up a pot of your favorite pasta...I went for a nice wide fettuccine. Make sure you scoop out a cup-ful of the pasta water before you dump it out, because it is going to help you make a nice easy sauce.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">While your pasta and potatoes are cooking away on the stove, pop a few pieces of bacon on a baking pan and cook them in the oven until they are nice and crispy, and when they are done, drain them on some paper towels and crumble them into pieces. If it's your birthday, cook up an extra slice or two, just for extra bacon fun...you only go around once.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now it's time to put the whole thing together. Toss the potatoes and garlic into the pot of drained pasta, and add in a good amount of grated parmesan cheese. Mix it all up together over low heat, pouring in a little of the reserved pasta water to make a nice light sauce. Once it is all nice and saucy, add in the bacon and a little chopped rosemary, give it one more good toss, and divide it among plates. Sprinkle a little more grated parmesan on top, grind on some fresh pepper, and dig in.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">If you added enough bacon, it's almost enough to make you feel ten again. :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Fettuccine with Sweet Potatoes, Bacon and Rosemary</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Two sweet potatoes, peeled and diced</li>
<li>Two cloves garlic, peeled and smashed</li>
<li>Three tablespoons olive oil</li>
<li>12 ounces fettuccine</li>
<li>6 slices bacon</li>
<li>1 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish</li>
<li>1/4 cup freshly chopped rosemary</li>
<li>Fresh ground pepper</li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">1. Preheat over to 425 and cook bacon on a baking sheet until crisp, about 10 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until done. Reserve one cup pasta water before draining.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add sweet potato and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until potato is tender.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Add potato mixture and cheese to pot of drained pasta and cook over medium-low heat, adding pasta water in small increments, until cheese is melted and the sauce is a nice light consistency. Only use as much water as you need.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Add bacon and rosemary (saving back a little rosemary for garnish) and toss again.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Divide among four plates and sprinkle some more cheese and rosemary on top, and grind some fresh black pepper on top. Serve at once.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/fettuccine-with-sweet-potatoes-bacon-and-rosemary?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-5886629619299393659?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
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<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wzshpUHS1uycyz1qtJRyGWIIZog/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wzshpUHS1uycyz1qtJRyGWIIZog/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-90874118691767542102011-12-13T19:00:00.001-05:002011-12-13T19:00:05.852-05:002011-12-13T19:00:05.852-05:00Creamy Roquefort and Warm Bacon Dressing<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_FkgEY#1406365726_CFcMLr5-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-CFcMLr5/0/M/i-CFcMLr5-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I don't know about you, but the salad course of any fancy dinner always tends to stump me. So since we are right in the midst of fancy dinner season, I thought I would share one of my tried and true ones. It never lets me down, for two important reasons.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">1. Fabulous and easy blue cheese dressing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">2. BACON.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">As far as I'm concerned, many of the world's problems can be easily solved by adding bacon, but that's just me. Meanwhile, aside from the wonderfulness of the bacon, the dressing is one of best I've come across in a long while. It calls for a good amount of blue cheese (and please get the good stuff. Go to the cheese section of your favorite deli and ask them for their favorite Roquefort. They'll probably even give you a sample piece to try - bonus points!!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But it also calls for a bunch of other wonderful stuff, like mustard, and garlic, and creme fraiche (and if you can't find creme fraiche, sour cream will work just fine.) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now once you have your dressing all mixed up, prep your lettuce however you like it. The classic way is to take a head of romaine and cut it into wedges (if you do it this way, cut off the top inch or two of the leaves as they can tend to be a little bitter). In the photo above, I just went ahead and ripped the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. I'm not sure why...I might just have been in a rip the lettuce to shreds mood. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, here comes the best part. Right before you are ready to serve the salad, take a few pieces of thick-cut bacon and cut it into pieces, and cook it up until it is just the right amount of crispy. Drain it for just a minute, and while you are doing that, put the lettuce on the plate and drizzle the dressing over it. Now sprinkle it with warm bacon pieces. Yep. Warm. Bacon. Pieces. I'm drooling as I type, just from the memory of it all. Now sprinkle a little crumbled blue cheese over the top, and you are ready to serve it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">You might not even have to bother with that pesky main course after all.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="rr_introtext"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Creamy Roquefort and Warm Bacon Dressing</span></b>, from <a href="http://iledefrancecheese.com/index.php?option=com_rapidrecipe&page=viewrecipe&recipe_id=85&Itemid=56">Ile de France </a><br />
<br />
* 2 Tbsp. rice wine or white wine vinegar<br />
* 2 tsp. sugar<br />
* 1 tsp. dry mustard<br />
* 8 oz. Roquefort, crumbled (about 2 cups), divided<br />
* 1 small clove garlic, crushed<br />
* 7 oz. créme fraîche (about 1 cup)<br />
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
* 4 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2" pieces<br />
* 4 large romaine lettuce hearts, halved lengthwise</div><div class="rr_steps"><div class="rr_stepstitle"><br />
</div><div class="rr_stepstext">* In a medium bowl, stir together vinegar, sugar and mustard until dissolved. Add 1/2 cup Roquefort, mashing and blending into mixture until almost smooth.<br />
<br />
* Stir in garlic, crème fraîche and mayonnaise until well blended, then stir in one cup Roquefort.<br />
<br />
* In a medium skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove and drain. Spoon dressing over romaine hearts, then top with bacon and remaining 1/2 cup Roquefort.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/creamy-roquefort-and-warm-bacon-dressing?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-9087411869176754210?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zkAbAQd2dsrpEimdKEXkIeXu-Ak/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zkAbAQd2dsrpEimdKEXkIeXu-Ak/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zkAbAQd2dsrpEimdKEXkIeXu-Ak/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zkAbAQd2dsrpEimdKEXkIeXu-Ak/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-24108980110548455682011-12-11T19:00:00.002-05:002011-12-11T19:00:03.106-05:002011-12-11T19:00:03.106-05:00Rosemary Apple Butter Grilled Cheese Sandwiches<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1615634325_qXPGz3b-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-qXPGz3b/0/M/i-qXPGz3b-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Mmmmm, grilled cheese sandwiches. I love 'em. Everything from the old classic American on white to my highest achievement in grilled cheese sandwich-dom, the <a href="http://framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com/2011/03/brie-croque-monsieur-sandwiches.html">Brie Croque Monsieur</a>. Oh, what a sandwich that was. I still have dreams about it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, I ran across this recipe on the very wonderful blog <a href="http://www.theprofessionalpalate.com/">The Professional Palate</a>, and not only did it look scrumptious, it called for apple butter. For some reason, people tend to give me a lot of apple butter. Which is perfectly fine, because I do like me some apple butter, but because of that I always have some in the house. At this particular moment, the jar of apple butter I had in my pantry was this guy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Misc/6475398_bNXTRw#1615641754_7drTgk9-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-7drTgk9/0/L/i-7drTgk9-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It reminded me of the Southern husband, so I decided this was a sign that I should make us these sandwiches for lunch last weekend. That and the fact that I had all other ingredients hanging around. That always has a big impact on what we have for lunch. Dinner I plan ahead for...lunch, not so much.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It also calls for fresh rosemary, which I also have. It's migrated inside now that it is chilly out at night, but here's the pretty picture I took of it last summer.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Fruits-and-Veggies/16177005_KndqSn#1411544734_fLzbrF7-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-fLzbrF7/0/M/i-fLzbrF7-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bread, cheddar cheese, butter...ready to roll. The original recipe calls for several kinds of cheese, and if I ever manage to be organized about lunch and plan ahead, I'm sure it is even better that way. But I had my usual hunk of <a href="http://www.cabotcheese.coop/">fabulous Cabot sharp cheddar</a> in my fridge, so that's what we had.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Butter the bread on one side, and spread apple butter on the other. Go easy on the apple butter, otherwise it will taste like an apple butter sandwich. Put your cheese slices and fresh rosemary on the apple butter side, and pop them in a nonstick pan over medium to medium high heat. Cook them slowly and lovingly until they are a beautiful golden brown, flip them over and repeat. Let them rest a minute or so, so that you can cut them in half without all the cheese oozing out onto the plate, and there you go - perfect and different grilled cheese sandwich. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Have I mentioned that I love grilled cheese?</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Rosemary Apple Butter Grilled Cheese Sandwiches</span></b>, adapted from <a href="http://www.theprofessionalpalate.com/recipes/rosemary-apple-grilled-two-cheese.html">The Professional Palate</a><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #302d2d; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0em;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0em;">2 slices of your favorite bread<br />
One teaspoon butter, softened<br />
1 tablespoon apple butter<br />
One teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves<br />
Thinly sliced extra-sharp Cheddar cheese </div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0em;">Smooth butter over one side of each bread slice; top other sides evenly with apple butter. Sprinkle rosemary over the side of the bread that is coated with apple butter. Top with sliced cheese and remaining bread slice, buttered side up. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0em;">Heat nonstick griddle over medium-high heat. When hot, turn down heat to medium and grill sandwich 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/rosemary-apple-butter-grilled-cheese-sandwiches?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-2410898011054845568?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iw6CrqPlU_V-GRqgvo14oORAwnI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iw6CrqPlU_V-GRqgvo14oORAwnI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iw6CrqPlU_V-GRqgvo14oORAwnI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iw6CrqPlU_V-GRqgvo14oORAwnI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-89651726757720501072011-12-08T19:00:00.005-05:002011-12-08T19:00:05.200-05:002011-12-08T19:00:05.200-05:00Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#1600639660_Qb3CXJL-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/i-Qb3CXJL/0/M/i-Qb3CXJL-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Tis the season of cookie baking! And this time of year, the bigger and grander and merrier, the better. This cookie recipe is a ridiculously good mash-up of a few of my favorite things: caramel, chocolate (and chocolate in CHUNKS, thank you very much), with a teeny bit of sea salt sprinkled on top to give them that sweet and slightly salty thing that drives me out of my mind. In a good way. Not in a how on earth am I going to get everything done before Christmas Eve way.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, this recipe comes from the <a href="http://picky-palate.com/">Picky Palate</a> site, which is always my first stop when I get a craving for over-the-top desserts of any kind, and these were no exception. The original recipe calls for making them in muffin top pans (yes, these are BIG cookies), but even with all the mountains of stuff I have in my kitchen, I didn't have a muffin top pan. But did I let that stop me? Goodness, no. I just scooped them out onto cookie sheets in the vague shape of muffin tops, and they baked up just fine.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, since we are in the season of holiday parties and cookie swaps and general chocolate-covered mayhem, if you are looking for a serious cookie, give these babies a try. </div><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies</span></b>, from <a href="http://picky-palate.com/2010/05/20/salted-caramel-dark-chocolate-chunk-cookies-the-la-cookie/">Picky Palate</a><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 sticks softened butter</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3/4 cup granulated sugar</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup packed light brown sugar</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 large eggs</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup caramel sauce</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3 3/4 cup all purpose flour</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">12 oz bag mini chocolate chips</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks or chunk-size chopped good quality chocolate</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Sea salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla following the caramel sauce until well combined.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2. Place the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl; mix. Slowly add to wet ingredients then add the mini chocolate chips. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. Place 1/4 cup of cookie dough on a cookie sheet. Press down then sprinkle with a pinch or two of sea salt then press chocolate chunks over top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just golden around edges. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/salted-caramel-chocolate-chunk-cookies?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-8965172675772050107?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fxDuHi86j1Cgc99RhbExv958Img/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fxDuHi86j1Cgc99RhbExv958Img/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fxDuHi86j1Cgc99RhbExv958Img/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fxDuHi86j1Cgc99RhbExv958Img/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-18011268221046214902011-12-06T19:00:00.002-05:002011-12-06T19:00:01.169-05:002011-12-06T19:00:01.169-05:00Tomato Soup with Poached Eggs<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#913410550_gua4S-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/913410550_gua4S-L.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">I don't know about you, but I pretty much think that there are very few things out there that can't be made better by adding a poached egg to them. Poached eggs on top of mashed potatoes? Poached eggs on top of pasta with a little parmesan cheese? A poached egg on top of...wait for it...a nice steaming hot bowl of Cream of Wheat? Yes please, and thank you!<br />
<br />
Until I made this recipe, I think one of the few things on earth I hadn't put a poached egg into or onto was soup. And I'm not sure why, because what that lets you do is actually poach the egg IN the soup. So not only are you getting a poached egg in your soup, you are getting a poached egg that has absorbed a little of the delicious garlicky tomato soup as it is being poached. It's just plain perfect, right?<br />
<br />
And if all that wasn't enough, this recipe calls for toasting up a nice big piece of garlic bread and putting it in the soup bowl first, and then ladling the tomato soup with poached egg over it. Drizzle a little good olive oil over the whole thing, toss a few basil leaves in if you've got 'em, and all is right with the world. You break into that nice poached egg with your spoon, and the creamy egg mixes with the soup and the soft garlicky bread and, well, you get the idea. Poached eggs...they make everything wonderful!<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tomato Soup with Poached Eggs</span></b>, from <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/130467/tomato-soup-poached-eggs">Whole Living</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul class="content-multigroup-group-ingredient" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><li class="ingredient first" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for toast and drizzling</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3 to 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, plus one clove for toast</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Pinch hot red pepper flakes</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3 cups water</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4 large eggs</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4 slices rustic bread</span></li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Shredded basil, for garnish (optional)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><ol class="content-multigroup-group-steps" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 18px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li class="step first" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.38em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In a straight-sided skillet over medium heat, cook the oil, garlic, and pepper flakes until garlic is just beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes,water, salt, and pepper.</span></div></li>
<li class="step" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.38em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes.</span></div></li>
<li class="step" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.38em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Crack one egg into a small bowl. Carefully lower edge of bowl into simmering liquid,allowing egg to slip into pot. Repeat with remaining eggs. Cover pot and cook until whites are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.</span></div></li>
<li class="step last" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0.38em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, brush bread with oil and broil until golden; rub with garlic. Place one slice in each of four shallow bowls; sprinkle with basil. Spoon soup and poached eggs over toast, drizzle with a little more<br />
oil, and serve immediately.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/tomato-soup-with-poached-eggs?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></div></div></li>
</ol></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-1801126822104621490?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_XrdL5Cm-8-gQ4ugOg8vvo6HWJs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_XrdL5Cm-8-gQ4ugOg8vvo6HWJs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_XrdL5Cm-8-gQ4ugOg8vvo6HWJs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_XrdL5Cm-8-gQ4ugOg8vvo6HWJs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-76883410990525939172011-12-04T19:00:00.003-05:002011-12-04T19:00:05.520-05:002011-12-04T19:00:05.520-05:00Cucumber Feta Toasts<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#933844899_vqzMo-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/933844899_vqzMo-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">In the midst of the holiday season it feels sometimes like we are going from party to party to party, eating all the way. This is further complicated by the fact that my birthday is in the middle of December. So is the teenager's. So is our anniversary. Thank goodness the Southern husband was born in May, because one more celebratory dessert might just push us all over the edge.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">On those handful of days where we DON'T have somewhere festive to go, I always like slipping in a dinner that is a little bit lighter than usual, in a feeble effort to balance things out, and this is one of my favorites. Not only is it nice and light, but it's ready in a jiffy. All you do is take a nice thin french baguette and split it in half length-wise. Brush it with a little olive oil and pop it in a hot oven or a toaster until it is golden brown.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">While your baguette is toasting, mash up some nice feta cheese with a little lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper (being careful with the salt, depending on how salty your feta cheese is). Now spread the feta mixture on the bread, top it with thin cut cucumber slices, drizzle it with some nice olive oil and grind some pepper on top. Cut it into sections and voila! Perfect light and tasty supper. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We now return you to your whirl of holiday parties!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Cucumber Feta Toasts</span></b>, from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/333824/cucumber-feta-toasts">Everyday Food</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="print-ingredients recipe-section" style="clear: left; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; width: 600px;"><ul style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 665px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="item-list"><ul style="list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 665px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="ingredient first" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 baguette</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 teaspoons plus 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3 ounces feta</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Coarse salt and ground pepper</span></li>
<li class="ingredient last" style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 small English cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise</span></li>
</ul></div></li>
</ul></div><div class="print-directions recipe-section" style="clear: left; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; width: 600px;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 665px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="step" style="margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees. Split baguette lengthwise and lightly brush cut sides with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake until golden around edges, 5 minutes. </span></li>
<li class="step" style="margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash together feta, 4 teaspoons oil, and lemon juice with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Spread feta mixture evenly over toasted baguette and top with cucumber. </span></li>
<li class="step" style="margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and a drizzle of oil. Cut into pieces to serve.</span></li>
</ol><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/cucumber-feta-toasts?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-7688341099052593917?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0mRjoqU7zvOKazEUEzf4Pg0nrew/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0mRjoqU7zvOKazEUEzf4Pg0nrew/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0mRjoqU7zvOKazEUEzf4Pg0nrew/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0mRjoqU7zvOKazEUEzf4Pg0nrew/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1164606192551215818.post-45588432932410864082011-12-01T19:00:00.003-05:002011-12-01T19:00:06.293-05:002011-12-01T19:00:06.293-05:00Fettuccine Alfredo Without All The Guilt<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/Other/Food/8948435_bVdwQV#844012785_jJWYB-A-LB" title=""><img alt="" src="http://katescasualportraits.smugmug.com/photos/844012785_jJWYB-M.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I do love a good heaping plate of fettuccine alfredo. Alfredo, for those of you who don't already know, basically includes three ingredients. Parmesan cheese. Heavy cream. And butter. Lots of parmesan cheese, lots of heavy cream, lots of butter. Over wide ribbons of pasta. Listen, there's a reason it tastes so dang good...you could drench yesterday's newspaper in parmesan cheese and cream and butter and it would be delicious.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">However, there is a price to pay for all this succulence, and that price will come back to haunt you when you try and button your favorite Levis if you have the classic fettuccine alfredo too often. And since life is just too short to go for long without regular doses of fettuccine alfredo, we need a work-around. When I came across this recipe for a lightened up version, I knew things were looking up. The only issue was that it was a little TOO lightened up. I've included the original link with the recipe, but let's just say that it went from heavy cream all the way over to skim milk, among other things. I'm all for lightening, but I figured there was a happy medium somewhere in between heavy cream and milk that looks, well, blue. (It does! Take a good long look at some skim milk in the light...it's got a definite blue tinge. That's just not okay.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway. Part of the lightening up here is that we are taking out some of the pasta and tossing in some nice crunchy broccoli instead. You don't HAVE to do this part, but it's actually pretty great tasting. The significant lightening, however, comes in the reworked sauce. The parmesan cheese is still there, but the nice thick and creamy buttery sauce comes not from heavy cream, but from a mixture of lowfat milk that has been thickened up with a little flour and about one millionth the amount of butter that alfredo usually calls for.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Does it taste like classic alfredo? Are we making whomever invented fettuccine alfredo spin in their grave? Not exactly, and absolutely. But it IS nicely creamy and cheesy and scrumptious, and if you make this one most of the time when you get that fettuccine alfredo jones, you are allowed to make the real one every tenth time or so. This way both you and YOUR Levis are happy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><ul style="background-color: white; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fetteccine Alfredo Without All The Guilt</span></b>, adapted from <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/low-fat-fettuccine-alfredo-10000000663085/index.html">Real Simple</a></span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">12 ounces fettuccine</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stalk peeled and sliced</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 cups 1 percent milk</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons unsalted butter</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons flour</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">kosher salt</span></li>
</ul><div class="title" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="step" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.</span></div><div class="step" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the broccoli until tender, 3 minutes. Drain.</span></div><div class="step" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. Heat the milk and butter in a large saucepan over low heat and slowly whisk in the flour. Simmer until slightly thickened, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes.</span></div><div class="step" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the pasta and broccoli and cook, stirring, over low heat until heated through.</span></div><div class="step" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5. Top each serving with extra Parmesan.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/framedrecipes/fettuccine-alfredo-without-all-the-guilt?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Print this!</a></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1164606192551215818-4558843293241086408?l=www.framedcooks.com' alt='' /></div>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VohSLSm9f0jZtb9Vvw3W62Jkf3k/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VohSLSm9f0jZtb9Vvw3W62Jkf3k/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VohSLSm9f0jZtb9Vvw3W62Jkf3k/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VohSLSm9f0jZtb9Vvw3W62Jkf3k/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Kate Morgan Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12125417751783736714noreply@blogger.com11