Ashleigh's Edibles

Blueberry Orange Cheesecake Bars

2009-08-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

I love the wonderful fruits of summer! Too bad I have a picky husband who doesn't enjoy snacking on fresh fruits. :) Since the fruit in our home tends to go bad before I can finish it myself, I decided to prepare a fruity dessert we both can enjoy.

And because my fruit was so pretty...they deserve their own spotlight photos ;)

Blueberry Orange Cheesecake Bars
By Ashleigh
(Inspired by Tyler Florence Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 graham crackers)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ( 8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 orange juiced plus the zest of 1/2 orange
1 container blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan to create an even layer. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium high until creamy, about 1 minute.

Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and orange juice with zest. Mix until creamy and well blended.

Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust.
Sprinkle blueberries over the cream cheese mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes, until set and slightly puffed.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator to chill completely.

Cut into bars.

Warm from the oven...before cooling and cutting.

The finished product!

Zucchini Bread

2009-07-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about summer is all the fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables. I can't take credit for growing this lovely zucchini (it was given to me by a co-worker), but I will take credit for the bread. :) Of course I will also give credit to my wonderful husband who used his muscles to shredded 5 cups of zucchini for me to use and freeze. :) Thanks, Sweetie!

My mother-in-law makes the best zucchini bread! She has shared her recipe with me and I recorded it in my "virtual recipe box". I tried all morning to access the internet site were I keep my recipes; however, the server was down. Disappointed, I decided to "wing it" based on memory and a banana bread recipe my mom gave me (obviously substituting zucchini for bananas with a few other changes).
The result....delicious! :) I think my mother-in-law would be proud.

Zucchini Bread by Ashleigh
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 stick of butter, softened or melted
3 eggs, beaten
2 ½ cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powde, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, butter, eggs, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 45-55 min, or until a tester comes out clean.

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

2009-06-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

I’ve been making this treat for years; however, I have become more “refined” in my assembly. In college, I use to make a bowl of the “filling” and throw some sliced strawberries on top! :) Delicious! It wasn’t until I was at a book store reading a cook book by Mary Berry (the name of the book escapes me) when I saw her recipe for filled strawberries. I thought “What a great idea to put the cream cheese inside!”
This is such an easy, yet delicious summer treat. Since I prepared these for Chris and I to eat at home, I left out the step of covering them with chocolate (trying to look out for our health you know :) ). Besides enjoying these at home on a lazy Sunday, these could be served to guests at a picnic or elegant dinner party.
They are best straight from the refrigerator (chocolate or no). You can play around with the amount of sugar to suit your taste. I prefer to use fresh lemon juice instead of vanilla if I have it on hand because it gives it a more cheesecake-like taste. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 container whole strawberries
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (half of a brick)
1 tsp. good vanilla or 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar)
Good Quality Chocolate (optional) *recommended Ghirardelli chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine cream cheese, vanilla or lemon (which ever one you are using), and sugar. Mix to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.
Carefully wash strawberries and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the stems from the berries.
(*Follow directions for chocolate here if using)
Using a small paring knife, core the center of each berry being careful to leave the bottom intact. Fill a plastic baggie with the cream cheese filling. Fill each berry with
Line a small baking sheet with wax paper

*For chocolate coating:
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt dipping chocolate at 30-second intervals until chocolate is smooth and creamy. Dip each strawberry into chocolate, covering 3/4 of the berry. Lay on baking sheet. Fill a second plastic baggie with chocolate and drizzle over the berries in a pretty design. Chill.

Store in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator.

Grilling Sunday! Grilled Salted Cinnamon Sugar Apples

2009-05-31T09:32:00.000-07:00

It's one of those wonderful days off from work when the sun is shining and your agenda is WIDE open! Chris and I decided to enjoy some lunch on the grill! In addition to our spread of grilled chicken and spicy potato wedges, I decided to bring a new twist: grilled salted cinnamon sugar apples! This really isn't a recipe per se. My inspiration came from watching the Giada at Home episode "California BBQ". Here Giada made fried apple and onion rings. I decided to make a version for the grill!

Needed:
Hot grill
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
3 Pink Lady apples, *sliced and cored (slice each apple into 5 rings and pat dry with paper towels.)
Salted Cinnamon Sugar, recipe follows

Spray apples with cooking spray and dip in Salted Cinnamon Sugar mixture. Place on hot grill for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and enjoy!

Salted Cinnamon Sugar:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Chipster-Topped Brownies: A treat to help ease my work week after a significant absence!

2009-05-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hello again! I haven’t posted in a while so this is long overdue. After returning from an AWESOME week of vacation with Chris and our families….I decided to help make my weekly staff meeting more enjoyable for myself and others  When I saw this week’s Tuesday's with Dorie recipe, a brownie layer topped with a chocolate-chip cookie layer, I knew this recipe was for me (and Chris).

I made one small change due to lack of availability of ingredient :) I have noted my substitution in parenthesis below. Also, make sure you watch your bake time due to varying oven temperatures. Mine were done in 46 minutes.
The verdict…It definitely lived up to my expectations! Let’s hope these treats can make it to my meeting tomorrow!

Chipster-Topped Brownies
By Dorie Greenspan in Baking: From my Home To Yours
Ingredients

For the Brownie Layer:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

For the Cookie Layer:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (I substituted 4 tablespoons butter and 8 tablespoons shortening because I was out of butter) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store bought chocolate chip

Getting Ready
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan, line it with wax paper or parchment paper and butter the paper. Put the pan on a baking sheet.

To Make the Brownie Batter:
Put both chocolates and the butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stirring occasionally, heat just until the ingredients are melted, shiny and smooth. If the mixture get too hot, the butter will separate from the chocolates. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until pale, thick and creamy. Beat in the salt and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate and butter, mixing only until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then, still on low speed, add flour, mixing only until it disappears into the batter. Using the spatula, fold in the walnuts, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.

To Make the Cookie Dough:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Working with the stand mixer in the cleaned bowl or with the hand mixer in another large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. One at a time, add the egg and the yolk, beating for 1 minutes after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Still on low, mix in the chopped chocolate. Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls over the brownie batter and, using a spatula and a light touch, spread it evenly over the batter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cookie top is deep gold brown and firm and a thin knife inserted into the brownie layer comes out with only faint streaks of moist chocolate. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

When the brownies are completely cook, carefully run a knife between the sides of the pan and the brownies, then invert them onto another rack, remove the paper and turn the right side up onto a cutting board. Cut into bars about 2 inches x 1 inch. (You can cut larger bars if you're serving cookie lovers with Texas-size appetites.)

Makes 24 servings.

Serving: Ice cream, whipped cream and creme fraiche are all great accompaniments, as is a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Storing: Wrapped well or packed in an airtight container, the bars can be kept at room temperature for 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Playing Around: The cookie top can be varied easily be swapping peanut butter, butterscotch or white chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate. You could even use all of them.

Blondies: I'm ready for a Throwdown? ;)

2009-03-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

I just finished saying to my husband “Why doesn’t the Food Network ever travel to OUR city or state for that matter! I have seen several episodes of shows like: Rachel Rays’ Tasty Travels, Road Tasted with the Neelys, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, etc. none of which are shot in Ohio. So I was super excited this week when I saw Bobby take on the founders of Sugardaddy's Sumptuous Sweeties in Columbus, Ohio. This Throwdown inspired my decision to bake a delicious pan of Blondies. I adapted Bobby’s recipe to fit what I had in my pantry at home. The result was DELICIOUS. The next time I am in Columbus I plan to visit Sugardaddy’s Sweeties.

Blondie
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter melted
1 1/2 c light brown sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
11 ounces (one bag) semi-sweet (or milk chocolate) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish (decrease bake time for metal).
Combine flour, baking powder, salt in bowl, whisk with fork and set aside
Mix melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Crack open eggs in a small bowl and whisk. Add eggs and vanilla to butter and brown sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in dry ingredients using a fork (use spatula on sides of bowl) until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan , smoothing top with spatula.
Bake 25-30 minutes. DO NOT over-bake. Mine took 26 minutes. Top will be golden brown and edges slightly darker.
Cool to room temperature before cutting.

Carrot Applesauce Spice Muffins

2009-03-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

After searching several sites for a muffin recipe that contained carrots, but NOT coconut (I am not a fan of shredded coconut) I was able to find a few, but these had mixed reviews. I decided to “play it safe” and go with a recipe modified from one of my favorite foodie blogs- Annie’s Eats. If you have not visited Annie’s blog you should definitely check it out. However, a word of warning—do not visit while hungry! Annie makes some amazing looking dishes that are sure to jump start your appetite. :) Annie got this recipe for Carrot Spice Muffins from Dorie Greenspan of Tuesdays with Dorie. This was my other clue that I would not go wrong with the recipe.
As I mentioned before, I changed the recipe quite a bit to suit our tastes and also increased the ingredients to yield 24 muffins. I omitted the shredded coconut and added a bit more brown and white sugar. I also decreased the amount of oil and added some chunky applesauce for flavor and texture.

Inspired by Annie’s Eats (Original Recipe Source: adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)

Carrot and Apple Muffins
Makes about 24
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 pound carrots, peeled and finely grated
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup golden raisins (I omitted due to our tastes)
3/4 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (I omitted due to our tastes)

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix both sugars with the eggs at medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes. Mix in the oil and the vanilla.

Stir the carrots, applesauce and raisins (if using) into the wet ingredients until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the pecans (if using). Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them almost to the top. Bake the muffins for 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pans and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar after transferring to wire rack (when slightly cooled)

Peanut Butter Pie for one please!

2009-03-14T08:38:00.001-07:00

The weekend is here! I enjoy a productive Saturday morning when nothing is scheduled and I can catch up on cleaning, laundry, and of course BAKING! I have been craving peanut butter lately and decided mid week I would make a peanut butter pie this weekend.
After cleaning my kitchen floors this morning, the thought of crumbly pie crust flakes that result from cutting slices in a pie really made me cringe. (Slightly OCD...I know.) But seriously...does this bother anyone else? That is my biggest complaint with pies, lasagna, or casseroles. I HATE how they look once you start cutting into them! They fall apart, blend together, and just look down right MESSY.

Anyway, this is why I am a big fan of "individual serving sizes". I had the great idea of making "individual pies" rather then one large pie to cut down on the crumbly crust mess. :) These little treats turned out great. I plan to make them again the next time we entertain to keep my food more visually appealing. :)

The crust recipe comes from my grandma's recipe index (I copied it down and several others while staying with her a few weekends ago). The filling is simply "trial and error"- combining one block of cream cheese with enough peanut butter and sugar to make it yummy. :)

Individual Pie Crusts:
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, chilled
4 tablespoon shortening (Crisco), chilled
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup ice water (or less- will not use full amount of water)

Directions for crusts:

Place butter and shortening (Crisco) in freezer for 15 minutes. When ready to use, remove and cut both into small pieces.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy. Add shortening(Crisco) and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and add 2 tablespoon of water. Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add 2 tablespoon more water and pulse again, repeating until mixture holds together when squeezed (I used 6 tablespoons total but amount may vary). Place mixture in large zip-top bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place one 12-cup muffin tin, well greased in the refrigerator to chill.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Unwrap and sprinkle both sides of dough with flour. Cover again with plastic and roll out with a rolling pin to a 11 to 12-inch circle. Open plastic again and sprinkle top of dough with flour. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, create 12 circles.
***I was able to get 8 rounds out of the first roll before gathering up scraps and rolling dough again into a circle.
Gently mold one dough circle into each of the 12 greased muffin cups. Poke holes in the dough with a fork and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Bake until golden in color, approximately 10 to 15 minutes (mine took 11 minutes). Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool completely before filling.

Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup peanut butter + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 teaspoons milk
3 Reese Cups, crushed for topping (optional)

Directions for filling pies:
Whip cream with 1/4 cup sugar and set aside. Mix all other ingredients until smooth. Spoon mixture into individuals crusts (about 2 tablespoons per crust). Top with whipped cream. Microwave 2 tablespoons peanut butter for 1 minute (until melted). Drizzle melted peanut butter over individual pies and top each with crushed Reese Cups. Chill for several hours before serving. Makes 12 individual pies.

Go Bananas!

2009-02-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks at work that make you feel as though you are going to "go bananas"? This week has been one of those weeks for me. Perhaps that is why I have been craving something comforting. Banana bread is a real comfort food for me.
As a child, one of the things my mom made quite often...and made VERY well was banana bread. As I looked at her recipe I knew I had two options: 1. Make it as well as she makes it or 2. Modify it to make it my own. I chose option 2. :)
I decided to take my mom's banana bread recipe and make banana muffins. I added the cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, and an extra banana (because I had it). I also substituted 1/2 cup of white sugar for brown sugar. Finally, I also added the cinnamon and sugar crumb topping after being inspired by my mom's cinnamon apple muffins she gave me in my Christmas goodie basket. These banana muffins turned out great!

The adorable Mother and Daughter Tea Kettle was a gift from my mom. :)

Go-Bananas-4-These-Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (I used 5 good sized bananas)

For the topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F . Lightly grease 12-14 muffin cups with shortening or butter. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add mashed bananas and stir until well blended. Add dry ingredient mixture to banana mixture and stir just to incorporate. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan (I was able to get 14 good sized muffins so I needed a full 12 cup pan plus two muffin cups  ).

Combine topping ingredients and stir with a fork. Mixture will form a crumb consistency. Sprinkle crumb topping on muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before attempting to remove muffins from pan.

**To make a Banana Bread loaf instead of muffins, Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes.

“A Taste of the Islands” Pound Cake

2009-02-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

Chris and I just returned from another AMAZING Caribbean get-a-way! The 2009 Buckeye Cruise for Cancer Proceeds from the Buckeye Cruise benefit the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at Ohio State's James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. Join us on the 2009 Buckeye Cruise to help fight breast cancer! Check it out!

While on the ship, Chris discovered his love for pound cake. He claimed he has never tasted it before this trip. When I informed him I could easily make this at home he was very excited. This recipe for Pound Cake was adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Dessert, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Simon & Schuster, 2002 ).
I decided to bring a little of the Caribbean into our home to remind us of an amazing time had last week. The mix of flavors is wonderfully fruity, yet subtle. I baked mine in a dark pan and it turned out just fine (the recipe suggests glass).

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,
at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavored extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces sour cream, at room temperature
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 325°F. Lightly grease an 8 1⁄2-by-4 1⁄2-inch loaf pan, preferably glass, and dust with flour.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt until blended. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and all extracts on medium to medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until just blended. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and stir until both are just incorporated. Stir in the sour cream, then sprinkle with the remaining flour mixture and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap gently on the counter to even out and settle the ingredients. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes, or longer if using a metal pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and lift off the pan. Place the cake on one of its sides and continue cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheating....It tastes so good! A Cinamon Roll Cake

2009-02-07T09:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not talking about the "cheating" on a diet type cheating (I don't diet). As a self-proclaimed choc-a-holic, it felt like "cheating" when I told Chris that this chocolate-less cake may just be "the best cake I have ever made!" It's true. This is absolutely delicious!

Inspired by my FAVORITE cinnamon roll, Cindy's Cinnamon Rolls, this cake is moist and surprisingly light with nice buttery edges. It has a deliciously cinnamon swirl throughout and the icing is... well....for lack of a better word "the icing on the cake". If you like cinnamon rolls you will LOVE this cake.

These basic, buttery yellow cake and sugar frosting recipes are both ones my grandma gave me years ago. I added the cinnamon sugar layering effect to the cake and cinnamon to the frosting to create a cake that tastes like a Cindy's Cinnamon Roll. :) I like to microwave my piece for 20 seconds before eating. Mmmm...Enjoy!

CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9 inch pan or 9 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream; beat until well blended. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture over the batter in the pan, leaving only a small amount in bottom of bowl. Spread the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes for 13x9 inch pan (check at 50 minutes- mine took 55 minutes) or 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. For Bundt pan, allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

CINNAMON FROSTING:
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk (Add 1/2 tablespoon at a time)
DIRECTIONS
Cream sugar, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add a small amount of milk (1 to 2 tablespoons). Beat until fluffy. If frosting is too sweet add a little more milk.

2009-02-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

Growing up I hated meatloaf (sorry, Mom). I've talked to several people who feel the same way. This is why I was shocked when my mouth was watering as I watched an episode of Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello.

This was a delicious and easy dinner! I took the "prep work" out of my actual dinner time by following the first few steps in the recipe to create my "mini loaves" before I left for work this morning. I changed the original recipe slightly. Mostly because I didn't have any fresh Parmesan cheese and I decided a sweeter topping might be more our tastes. I highly recommend this recipe to those who have been turned off by meatloaf of the past. :)

Adapted from Italian Meatloaf Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello on Food Network

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded, small diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 large egg (original calls for 2)
3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned)
1 cup grated Parmesan (I omitted)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce (my addition)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt or regular table salt (I used almost 2 teaspoons since I omitted the Parmesan)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce Topping:
3/4 cup ketchup mixed with 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.

When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together except for the sauce topping. Separate the meat mixture into 4 equal “mini loafs” or one large loaf shape on an oiled oven tray or baking dish. Top with sauce topping (recipe above) making sure to spread evenly over the top.

Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes for mini loaves or 50 to 60 minutes for large size loaf or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the middle of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Not-So-Rocky-Road Brownies!

2009-01-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

On this lazy, cold weekend afternoon I decided to whip us up a sweet treat. When I went to the pantry, I discovered a bag of mini marshmallows left from Christmas that I decided needed to be used ASAP.
For me, marshmallows are associated with three treats: fudge, rice krispie treats (or similar bar cookie), and smores. Since I still have fudge in my freezer and my pantry was without gram crackers and rice cereal it was time to broaden my horizons. I did a quick search on the Food Network and found this recipe. Since Chris and I share a love for brownies this seemed ALMOST perfect. I changed the recipe to create "Not-So-Rocky-Road" brownies by omitting the nuts since neither of us like nuts in our brownies. I also poured about 3/4 the mix in the pan, added the marshmallows and then drizzled the remaining mix on top. (I did this because I became nervous when some reviewers mentioned their marshmallows catching on fire...not really ;) )

Later on I served these warm with some vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce! I HIGHLY recommend it. Yummy!

Not-So-Rocky-Road Brownies
Adapted from Food Networks Tyler Florence’s Recipe

6 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
11/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows

To Serve:
Top with 1/2 cup caramel or chocolate sauce, store bought

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside (I used a 9x9 but agree these would be better if they were thicker).

In a glass mixing bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is just melted. Mix it up to melt the chocolate completely. Stir the sugar into the melted chocolate until dissolved. Mix in the vanilla and eggs. Stir in the flour and salt just until combined. Spread 3/4 the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over batter and drizzle remaining batter over top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely before cutting.

A love of chocolate: Amano Artisan Chocolate Review

2009-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

My husband says there is no inherent gene for a love of chocolate. I have to disagree (sorry honey). Our family seems to prove otherwise. My mom has passed down to me her love for all things chocolate. She claims this love came from her mother. Regardless of where the gene came from, I am happy to possess it. :)

There are those few foodie blogs I visit almost daily. Blake Makes is one of them. In addition to doing some really innovative things in the world of blogging, Blake often hosts give-aways. This delectable treat was featured as a giveaway in December and I was luck enough to get one!

This Amano Artisan brand Jembrana Chocolate is very close to the best chocolate I've ever tasted! This 70% chocolate has a smooth and rich flavor. It isn't sharp or biting like some dark chocolates. You can taste the hints of fruit, spice, and honey that the packaging proclaims is found naturally in this cocoa bean. It doesn't leave a strong, unpleasant aftertaste once you've finished. The sleek box and pretty gold foil that encase this chocolate also make you feel as though you are unwrapping yourself an extra special treat. :) I give it two thumbs up! Thanks, Blake!

I encourage you to stop by Blake Makes and read more about Jembrana chocolate and check out his other interesting posts.

Cheddar Beer Bread

2009-01-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

A big thanks to Annie of Annie's Eats for her "recipe rewind". I have been anxious to use my new Williams Sonoma loaf pans that I got for Christmas and our ham vegetable soup dinner was in need of sidekick. :) I discovered this recipe on Annie's blog earlier this week during one of my many visits (she does such a wonderful job). I made a few changes as a result of ingredients I had on hand. I used all-purpose flour (rather then wheat) and added some white sugar to suite our tastes. I also added 2 more tsp. of butter (which could have been omitted now that I've tried the bread). This bread is wonderful! I used Sam Adam's Light (my husband's favorite) brand beer. I highly recommend this as an accompaniment to a hearty soup. Thanks, Annie!

Adapted from: Annie's Eats Cheesy Beer Bread

Cheddar Beer Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
12 oz. beer
4 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9×5” loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flours, both types of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine well. Slowly add beer to dry ingredients and stir lightly until just combined, and all ingredients are completely moistened. Add cheddar cheese and mix to combine. Place into a prepared loaf pan and pour melted butter over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Homemade Pizza Dough: BBQ Chicken Pizza

2008-12-29T04:37:00.000-08:00

One of my Christmas presents from my mom was a "baking supply box" with spices, yeast, natural honey and vanilla, and high end baking utensils. I decided to put some of these to use and make a homemade pizza dough. This dough can be made slightly sweet or traditional by adding or omiting the honey. I prefer the sweet (especially with this recipe).

I have never been a big fan of pork (sausage and pepporoni), but my husband LOVES these and other meats on his pizza. I prefer the veggies. One way we compromise is to make this BBQ Chicken Pizza. I only put the veggies on my half. :)

Pizza Dough At Home
(Adapted from: Baking Illustrated)
Makes enough for 2 large pizzas.
If you want to make pizza dough in the morning and let it rise on the counter all day, use the 1/2 teaspoon and let the covered dough rise at cool room temperature (until doubled in size, about 8 hours. You can prolong the rising time even further by refrigerating the covered dough for up to 16 hours and then letting it rise on the counter until doubled in size, which will take 6 to 8 hours.
If you prefer to use the dough right away, increase the yeast to 1 full envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons). Letting the dough rise, double in size in 1 ½ to 2 hours.

1/2 cup warm water
1/3 envelope (about ½ teaspoon) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting work surface and hands
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon honey
Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for oiling the bowl
1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room-temperature water and oil and stir to combine.
2. Combine the salt and half the flour in a deep bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and use a wooden spoon to combine. Add the remaining flour, stirring until a cohesive mass forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic 7 to 8 minutes, using as little dusting flour as possible while kneading. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, 3. The dough will be a bit tacky, so use a rubber spatula to turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough into a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (8 hours if using 1/3 envelope of yeast or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for full envelope). Press the dough to deflate it.

8:00am Homemade Pizza Dough before rising (doubled in size after 8 hours)

BBQ Chicken Pizza
1 recipe Pizza Dough (see above)
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on the stretched dough
1 pound boneless chicken breast, diced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (mix of basil, oregano, parsley)
Choice of veggies: Onion, Pepper, Mushrooms, etc. (about 1 cup chopped)
1 1/4 cups BBQ sauce
Cornmeal for dusting the pizza peel
1 1/4 cups BBQ sauce
4 ounces mozerella cheese, shredded (about 1 cups)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare the dough as directed in the Pizza Dough recipe. Place a pizza stone on a rack in oven. Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

2. While preparing the dough, heat the garlic and oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the diced chicken and sauté until golden brown about 7-8 minutes. And salt and pepper to taste. Transfer chicken to a bowl and add 1/4 cup favorite BBQ sauce and Italian seasoning. Set BBQ chicken aside. In the same pan used for the chicken, add choice of veggies: onion, mushrooms, peppers, etc. Saute until tender, about 7 minutes.

3. Full recipe makes 4 individual pizzas. When cooking for two, place unused ball of dough in refrigerator or freezer for later use. Divide dough ball into two equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the others covered, shape the dough, then transfer it to a pizza peel that has been lightly dusted with cornmeal.
4. Lightly brush the dough round with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup BBQ sauce over the dough round, leaving a ½-inch border uncovered. Scatter half of chicken and veggies evenly over the sauce. Top toppings with the mozerella cheese. Repeat for remaining dough ball.

5. Slide the dough onto the heated stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and the cheese is golden brown in spots, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan, cut into wedges, and serve immediately. Recipe makes enough for 2 individual pizzas.

7:00pm The finished product!

Christmas Goodies to All!

2008-12-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve day and I decided to surprise co-workers, neighbors, and our faithful mail man with a little treat. :) This bark is festive and simple to make. It also tastes great! The mix of sweet and tart dried cranberries, sea salt and roasted nuts, and smooth white chocolate is a wonderful flavor combination. Enjoy!

Recipe Inspired by: Ina Garten on The Food Network

Ingredients
1 pound finely chopped white chocolate
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4 cups mixed nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, and walnuts), toasted

Directions

Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper and set aside.

Pour a couple inches of water into the bottom half of the double boiler and heat over medium-low to just below a simmer. Put the chopped chocolate in the top half of the double boiler and set over the hot water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. (An alternative method would be to melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each heating.)

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. Spread nuts evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 7-8 minutes or until nuts become fragrant. (Check after 5 minutes)

Quickly stir the fruit, salt, and nuts into the chocolate. Spread chocolate mixture out on the prepared baking sheet so it's about 1/2-inch thick and the fruit and nuts are coated. Sprinkle some dried cranberries on top for visual appeal. Set bark aside at room temperature to harden or refrigerate for 35-50 minutes. Break into angled pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

More Christmas Cookies! Easy, Festive and Cost Saving!

2008-12-18T19:54:00.000-08:00

Can you ever have too many Christmas cookies? I don't think so. They make great gifts for unsuspecting family, friends, and co-workers. Today I decided to make a basic soft sugar cookie recipe into three different types of cookies. The results were fantastic! We plan on enjoying these during our Beechy Christmas get-together.

Soft Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (omit vanilla if making three types of different cookies)
4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
Decorator sugars or favorite frosting

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs (and vanilla if using); continue beating until well mixed.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Reduce speed to low. Beat, adding flour mixture alternately with sour cream and scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Divide dough into four separate sections; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Cookie Type One: Candy Cane Cookies
Take 2 sections of above cookie dough.
Add 6-7 drops of red food coloring to one section and mix with hands (I wore rubber gloves)
Add 1 1/2 tablespoons peppermint extract to the "white dough"

Heat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and shape into a rectangle. Keeping sections separate. Cut dough into thin strips (horizontally). Roll strips to equal length and thickness. Braid one strip of red dough and one strip of plain dough together. Pinch at ends. Curve to shape of a candy cane. Place several inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 8-9 minutes .
*Tipes: Work with cold dough and do not over flour your dough/work surface.

Also, I was worried about the food coloring effecting the taste of my cookies and therefore didn't add enough to get a deep red color. If you are brave...you may want to add more then 6-7 drops. :)

Cookie Type Two: Sparkle Christmas Bulbs
Ingredients:
Portion of Soft Cookie Dough (from above)
Vanilla or Almond Extract
Red or Green sugar crystals (or other sprinkles)

DIRECTIONS

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract to a portion of dough from above. Shape into one inch balls (I recommend using a cookie scoop or melon baller). Roll in red or green sugar crystals.

Bake for 7-8 minutes in 400 degree oven.

Cookie Type Three: Thumb Print Cookies

Ingredients:

Portion of Soft Cookie Dough (from above)
Chopped walnuts or almonds
Favorite jam or jelly

DIRECTIONS:
Shape dough into one inch balls (I recommend using a cookie scoop or melon baller). Roll in walnuts or almonds.

Using your smallest finger, create a "bowl" in the center of your cookie ball. Fill "bowl" with your favorite jam (I used raspberry because of its festive red color).

Bake for 8-9 minutes in 400 degree oven.

My Mom's Triple Layer Brownies

2008-12-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time! That means time for Mom's Triple Layer Brownies. :) These are my most favorite brownies in the world. Not only are they rich and delicious, I associate these with special Christmas memories...

1. Following Christmas Eve church service, driving around the neighborhoods near our home and looking at Christmas lights while Christmas music played on the radio.

2. Stockings came first on Christmas morning-- but not before Mom turned on the Christmas music (signaling it was safe to emerge from our bedrooms).

3. Protesting while my Mom "made" us watch Miracle on 34th Street each Christmas (my sister and I agree we gave her a hard time every year, but secretly cherish this time)

What are some of your family's Christmas traditions and memories? I'd love to see them posted!

TRACY'S TRIPLE TRUFFLE BROWNIES

Pre-heat Oven 350 degrees

FIRST LAYER: 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate

1/2 lb of butter (must use butter)

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

1 cup of flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Melt chocolate, butter together over low heat. Cool slightly; add eggs, sugar and extracts. Blend well. Stir in flour until blended. Turn into greased & floured 9x 13 metal pan.

Bake in pre-heated ovens for 25 mins. Or until toothpick comes out clean.

SECOND LAYER: 6 tbls. Butter

3 1/2 cups of powder sugar (sifted)

5 tbls. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

Melt butter until brown, golden nutty color. Immediately stir in remaining ingredients. Spread over cooled brownie layer.

Chill until set & firm

THIRD LAYER: 1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 tbls. Butter

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Melt chips & butter together. Stir in sugar. Pour over cooled 2nd layer & spread.

Finish with drizzling powered sugar or sugar glaze over top.

The beautiful creator of these treats:

Grandma's Christmas Fudge

2008-12-13T11:53:00.001-08:00

Each Christmas, my grandma makes THE BEST fudge. This week I called her to see if she would pass on her "secret" recipe to me. :) She started listing the ingredients and quantities of each. I was surprised to hear the recipe uses whole (or 2%) milk rather then condensed milk. My grandma said this gives the fudge a richer taste. After she finished giving me the recipe I asked her the recipe came from (expecting it to be some family secret, with a great story behind it, passed down by generation). Grandma said "It came from the back of the Hershey's Coca can in the 70's". Oh boy! I laughed and thanked grandma for sharing "the secret". It took some hunting, but I found the exact recipe on the Hershey's website. Enjoy! It is delicious.

Rich Coca Fudge by Hershey's
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) (My grandma adds walnuts, but I did not add either)

Directions:
1. Line 8- inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil.

2. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in heavy medium size saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 234°F on candy thermometer

3. Remove from heat before adding butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool at room temperature. Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose some of its gloss. Quickly spread into prepared pan; cool completely (refrigerate for at least 2 hours is recommended)

Return of the Whoopie Pie!

2008-12-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

Whoopie Pie!

This is my husband’s favorite dessert! I received this recipe from my wonderful and talented sister-in-law, Peg, at my bridal shower. I posted it to my blog in March, but am reposting it to submit to Joelen’s Holiday Cookie Swap Adventure (www.joelens.blogspot.com)

Peg makes these delicious cookies every year…I can’t wait to enjoy them during Christmas with the Beechy family. :)

Recipe:

Cookie
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup Crisco
2 eggs- beaten
4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup “Sour milk” (1 cup milk plus 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice- stir let stand 5 minutes before use)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients (accept water). Then add boiling water. Mix well. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake 8-9 minutes.

Filling:
1 pound powdered sugar
¾ cup Crisco
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons water
Directions:
Mix well and spread between two cooled cookies

Butter-Balls (and I'm not talking turkey :) )

2008-12-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

It seems our weather went straight from fall-like to blistering January temperatures. Burrrr! Today was 20 degrees and blowing snow. A perfect day to stay in and bake! I decided to make myself a cup of hot tea which lead to a craving for something sweet to go with. Having used the last of our eggs, my options were slightly limited. I found these yummy treats on a recipe search through allrecipes.com and made a few changes to our liking.
These are supper easy to make and taste great...like a cinnamony-sugary shortbread cookie!

Butter Balls-II (asterisks note my changes)
From Allrecipes.com

1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans (*I omitted)
For decorating:
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar (*I omitted)
*2 tablespoon cinnamon
*1/4 cup sugar (a little more)

DIRECTIONS
Beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, beat until fluffy. Add flour, and beat at low speed until well blended, stir in pecans (I omitted).

*I refrigerate the dough for 2 hours because I find it easier to work with, but the recipe works well without refrigeration.

Shape into one inch balls (I recommend using a cookie scoop or melon baller). Bake at 325 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Roll in confectioners’ sugar*

*Here I rolled in a mix of cinnamon and sugar while still warm because I didn’t have an open box of confectioners’ sugar.

They turned out great!

By the way....where do you hang your stockings if your house doesn't have a fire place? I am open to suggestions. :)

The Best Sugar Cookies Ever!

2008-12-02T03:24:00.000-08:00

These sugar cookies will live up to this claim every time....I promise.
During our four day stay with my husband's family over Thanksgiving, I made these with my mother-in-law to welcome the start of the Christmas season. The secret to this recipe is the sour cream. My grandma has been making this soft sugar cookie for years, but I recently discovered it on the back of the Land O Lakes butter box. I omit the orange peel (not included in my grandma's recipe), but I bet including it would make this recipe equally or even more delicious.

The cookie below was my husband's giant snowman cookie. I thought he was very cute. :) (The snowman and my husband)

Soft Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
Decorator sugars or favorite frosting

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Reduce speed to low. Beat, adding flour mixture alternately with sour cream and scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Divide dough into four separate sections; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Heat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one portion at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle cookies with decorator sugars or bake plain and frost once completely cooled.

Bake for 6 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.

Easy Apple Cider Pork Chops

2008-11-24T16:05:00.000-08:00

This was a delicious and quick weeknight dinner! Chris said we are definitely adding these pork chops to the regular rotation. I typically don't like pork; however, I enjoyed it tonight. I didn't have any onion on hand; however, next time I will serve these with carmalized onions and maybe some apple slices. Yum!

Easy Apple Cider Pork Chops

1 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoon butter
1 clove minced garlic
3 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick
Salt and pepper
Flour, enough to coat pork chops
1 cup Apple Cider
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

DIRECTIONS
Mix cornstarch and water and set aside.
Melt butter in skillet with garlic. Meanwhile, add salt and pepper to chops and coat in flour. Add chops to skillet and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Mix together cider, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Add to skillet and heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until done.
Move chops to one side of pan (or remove from pan completely). Add cornstarch mixture to opposite side. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Serve sauce over chops.

O-H....I-O! Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

2008-11-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

It's game day! The Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan game might as well be considered another holiday in our house because our family rarely misses the occassion for a game time party. This year was pretty low key as my parents went to the game and Chris and I watched from home. Now..what is a day home with some great football without some really great game time snacks??

I decided to make these yummy sweet treats for dessert. It is safe to say these are the best, easiest bar cookies that I've made yet. Inspired by the recipe on the side of my Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk can and these Passion Bars from Allrecipe.com, I changed the recipe to accommodate Chris' dislike for nuts and available ingredients in the pantry.
They were almost as SWEET as our victory over Michigan! :) O-H...I-O!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 pinch of salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup peanut butter, heated to a consistency that is easy to stir (I used the microwave for 30 seconds)
2 cup semisweet chocolate chips ( 12 ounce bag)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter to form a crumbly mixture. Reserve 3/4 cups of the crumbs, and pat the rest evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter. Spread evenly over the oatmeal layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the peanut butter layer, then crumble the reserved crust over the top.
Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

To Grandma's house we go...with cookie sandwiches!

2008-11-15T09:16:00.001-08:00

A visit to grandma's is LONG overdue. Chris and I have missed weekly Sunday dinners due to work schedules most of the summer and fall. At last we get to spend time with family this week! I have offered to bring a dessert. Since my mom has the chocolate chip cookie baking perfected (none better then her cookies in my opinion)....I needed to give my cookies a little something extra.
Based on the contents of my pantry (specifically the four jars of peanut butter-- an amazing grocery store deal) I came up with these mini-chocolate chip peanut butter sandwich cookies. The photo doesn't make them appear too "mini", but trust me they are. :)
Chris has been my "taste tester" this morning and he gives his stamp of approval. I can't wait to visit with my family tomorrow! (And eat these mini-cookies.)

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg) chocolate chips

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded 1/2 teaspoon full onto ungreased baking sheets (I usually get 30 “full size” cookies from this recipe, but today I made 60 mini-cookies).
BAKE for 7-8 minutes (larger cookies back 9-11 minutes) or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2-3 tablespoons cream or milk
In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in 1/2 of the confectioner's sugar. Mix in 2 tablespoon of cream. Beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar. If necessary, add a little more cream or milk until the frosting reaches a good spreading consistency.

Simply spread peanut butter frosting on one cookie and top with a second cookie. Make sure cookies are completely cooled.

*Also, it works best to leave one cookie flat on your work service so it doesn't break with the force of the knife while you spread the frosting. Push second cookie on top gently. Enjoy!

Garlic Chicken Veggy Pasta

2008-11-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

On a cold, lazy Sunday nothing warms you up like a yummy bowl of pasta! At least that is my opinion. :) Dinner tonight was easy and delicious! This pasta was one of those "add a little of this...add a little more...taste right" dishes that I created with ingredients on hand.
Chris commented on how GOOD it smelled while cooking and (even better) how GREAT it tasted! I agree. This dish will definitely be added to our usual dinner rotation.

INGREDIENTS
12 ounce package fusilli pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 carrot, sliced 1/4 inch thick slices
1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
frozen sweet corn (previously cut from 2 ears of fresh corn)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until al dente; drain and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 2-3 minutes. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika and add to pan with garlic. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (no longer pink). Remove chicken and set aside. In the same skillet used to sauté chicken, add all vegetables. Saute 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add lemon, wine and broth and heat 2 more minutes. Add remaining butter and oil. Add reserved chicken and pasta.
Remove from heat and stir in basil, parsley and cheese. Enjoy!

Time out from cooking for a girl from Pumpkin Town....

2008-10-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Not really Pumpkin Town...my hometown is actually Circleville, Ohio....home of the Circleville Pumpkin Show. The oldest and largest fall festival in Ohio and also claimed to be (by Circleville natives and others) "The greatest free show on earth". Above is a photo of the "pumpkin" water tower visible from my parent's house (5 miles outside of the city).

The Circleville Pumpkin Show is a 4 day festival held in downtown Circleville the third week of October from Wednesday to Saturday. The streets of the city are closed to allow for booths, rides, displays, crafts, and over 300,000 visitors. For a city with a population of 12,000...that is a lot of visitors!

There is so much to see and do. In the center of the town is the pumpkin tower. It displays more than 100,000 pounds of pumpkins, squash, and gourds. There is a contest for the largest pumpkin. In 2007, there was a record winning pumpkin. This pumpkin weighed in at 1524.5 lbs! (See photo below)

My favorite display is the was once called “The World's Largest Pumpkin Pie”. (Rumor has it a group in California made one bigger, but we don't like to talk about that in Circleville. :) )
This huge pumpkin treat is baked annually for the Pumpkin Show by Lindsey’s Bakery on Main Street in Circleville, Ohio. This pie is 14 feet in diameter and weighs over 400 pounds. Want to try and make it at home? :)

According to the ladies at Lindsey’s, the recipe is as follows: 360 pounds of sugar, 795 lbs. of pumpkin, 60 lbs. powdered milk, 75 gallons of water, 60 doz. eggs, 1 lb. salt, 1 lb. spices, 400 lbs. flour.

15 people to mix
Bake 10 hours - cool 6 hours.

That is a lot of pie!! The first time we went to the pumpkin show my husband asked if they slice the pie and serve it. Yuck! I doubt it. The pie sits out for a couple weeks before it is feed to local live stock. Besides, I'm not sure I would want to eat a pie that has been sitting out for 300,000 people to hold their faces over :)

On the topic of pumpkin treats, there are a variety of interesting foods available at the Pumpkin Show that go beyond pumpkin pie. Such as....Pumpkin Burgers, Pumpkin Pizza, Pumpkin Chili, Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Donuts, and Pumpkin Ice Cream to name a few.

My favorite pumpkin treat is the Pumpkin Roll. This year my mom bought a whole frozen one for me to bring to my husband (who was working) and for us to enjoy for weeks after the Pumpkin Show. :) (Thanks, Mom!)

I have great memories from childhood to high school years at the Pumpkin Show. Now I enjoy seeing old friends who return to visit and running the Pumpkin Classic. A 5 mile run held on the Saturday morning of Pumpkin Show.

I encourage anyone who likes fall festivals to visit. :)

Cake from Scratch

2008-10-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Today was Chris' 24 hours off this week and since it was dark and rainy outside we spent a cozy day inside. I decided to brighten our day with cake. This was the best from-scratch cake I've made. I found the recipe on a foodnetwork.com search just before making it.

Please disregard Chris' fork marks in the photo :) He was literally standing over me begging me to give him his piece of cake back.

Colettes’ White Cake Recipe
From Foodnetwork.com

1 cup all-purpose (original recipe calls for 9 ounces)
1 cup cake flour (original recipe calls for 9 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar (21 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9)-inch round pans. Sift together the flours and baking powder.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl until fluffy. Add the salt and vanilla and mix well. Add the eggs, scraping the sides of the bowl, and mix until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches alternating with the milk, mixing after each addition and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and remove the pans. Let the cakes cool completely. Wrap and refrigerate before decorating.

Butter Cream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoons milk, or as needed
3 cups confectioners' sugar (1 box)

Place butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Mini Mock-Cheesecakes by Ashleigh

2008-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is one of the first recipes I have "created" based on necessity. :) I really wanted cheesecake, but I only had 1 egg, 1 block of cream cheese, no sour cream, and no graham cracker crumbs. Not a good start, right? After searching the Internet for a recipe I decided to combine various ideas found on Food Network and Allrecipes to create these delicious treats!

Mini Mock-Cheesecakes by Ashleigh

1/3 cup butter (1 stick minus 1 teaspoon)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats

Cheesecake Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon butter (left from the 1/3 cup butter above)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
Juice from 1/2 of a fresh lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add flour and oats and stir. Pat 1 spoonful into a greased 12 cup muffin pan. (Reserve remaining mix for top.) Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile, cream together cream cheese, butter, sugar, egg and milk. Add lemon juice and vanilla.
After removing crust from oven, decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees. Spoon cream cheese mixture over crust (muffin cups should be almost full). Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top. Bake for 20 minutes. *Turn off the oven and leave cheesecakes inside for 40 minutes. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight.

These only get better the longer they sit…but good luck keeping them around :)

*Turning the oven off and leaving the cheesecakes inside will allow the filling to harden without over cooking your crusts.

Taco Night! Good bye pre-packaged seasoning mix!

2008-09-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made tacos using my own blend of seasonings. I decided to stop and measure/record each ingredient just in case it came out great and I wanted to blog about it. Now I am so glad I did! I highly recommend everyone try making your own seasoning. The flavor is much more rich and authentic. You can taste and appreciate each spice rather then just tasting a lot of salt. :)

In addition to our tacos, we had our "staple mexican side dish". Anytime we have mexican at home we include our house version of Chipotle's rice. Yum! Tonight I was lazy...but this recipe is even better with Basmati or a medium grain rice (rather then minute rice).

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

For the tacos:

Set saute pan over medium heat and add oil. Once hot, place a finely diced onion (I use 1/2 onion) in the pan and saute until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add meat (works great with ground beef, chicken, or pork) to the pan and cook, breaking the pieces up as they cook, until the meat is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with homemade taco seasoning (about 2 tablespoons per 1 lb of meat). Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup beef broth to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook the meat, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.

*You can also add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste when adding the liquid (but Chris doesn’t like tomatoes)

Serve with your favorite taco fixings :)

Our House Chipotle Rice

1 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cups quick cooking (instant) white rice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Lemon juice (a good “squeeze”)

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan and cook rice as directed. Squeeze lemon over rice. Fluff with fork and serve!

A Housewarming Gift....All the way from Alaska! And the "Homemade Boxed Cake Mix"

2008-09-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

My wondeful friend, Deb, sent me a cake all the way from Alaska! Well...actually she sent me a beautiful, hand-painted mixing bowl by Pamela's Cottage. The bowl contained a cake mix, container of frosting, and a wooden spoon. This was such a cute gift! (Thanks, Deb!)

I decided to use this gift as an opportunity to share a "secret" I have been using for about a year to doctor up store-bought cake mix and frosting to make them taste more homemade. Once you try it you will never follow the directions on the back of the box again!

The More Homemade Tasting Boxed Cake Mix

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix
2 eggs
1 stick butter
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (*or I substitute 1 1/4 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice)

Combine butter, eggs, and milk in bowl and mix well 1-2 minutes. Add cake mix and mix to combine. Pre-heat and bake cake as directed on box.

The More Homemade Tasting Store-Bought Frosting
1 container favorite frosting
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix frosting and sugar using a hand or stand mixer until frosting doubles in size.

Beef Stroganoff Pockets

2008-09-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Rice two nights ago....pasta last night....what's a girl to do when she has beef defrosting for straganoff?!

Chris and I eat A LOT of pasta and rice (which is fine by me :)) but tonight I decided to try something new. Inspired by my husband's love for crescent rolls...I decided to make a homemade "hot pocket" version of beef stroganoff. It turned out to be pretty good! This is my grandma's stroganoff recipe. I HIGHLY recommend it. We typically serve this over egg noodles. YUM!

Beef Stroganoff Pockets

Ingredients:
1 pound beef chuck roast
1/3 cup white or red wine

2 ounces butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (less if you wish)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed beef broth
1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 of a block (2 ounces) cream cheese
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions for preparing filling:

Marinade beef in wine for 1-2 hours before cooking. Discard marinade.
Place butter, garlic, and onion in a skillet. Saute 3-4 minutes or until onion is transparent. Add beef and cook until brown. Combine flour, beef broth, and mustard in a small bowl. Add broth mixture to skillet and bring to just a boil. Turn heat to low and cook 40-45 minutes (to allow meat to tenderize and sauce to thicken). Stir in sour cream and cream cheese the last 5 minutes of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions for filling and baking pockets:

If using right away, allow mixture to cool for 15-20 minutes before filling dough. If making mixture ahead of time, allow to cool 10 minutes then refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350. *Separate crescent dough into four rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto the center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture and pinch edges together firmly to seal.

Place sandwiches on an ungreased waxed paper lined cookie sheet (for easy clean up). Brush tops of sandwiches with 1 tablespoon of melted butter or margarine. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

*Keep dough refrigerated until ready to use. Work quickly to avoid dough becoming too soft.

Hershey's Best Brownies: An oldie....always a goodie. :)

2008-09-13T03:52:00.001-07:00

I recently made Hershey's Best Brownies for a co-worker's birthday. I did not make the frosting, but added 2 cups of Hershey's chocolate chips for some extra chocolaty goodness :)She loved them...so much she took the photo for me (photography is a hobby of hers--great job, Jen!)

Best Brownies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Stir in chocolate chips (I gently stir, keeping most of chips near the top of the batter to prevent them from falling to the bottom or coat with flour)

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.

The "This is MUCH better then Filet Mignon!" Burger

2008-09-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

These burgers were pretty good, but I'm not so sure I would agree with "better then filet mignon". This was my husbands reaction to these tasty burgers I made last night. Chris was unable to attend a Drug Rep dinner at a local 4 star steakhouse so I decided to make him one of his favorite meals....burgers nad fries :) And while I was at it I decided to continue to try and use up the left-over party food.

These burgers had an amazing taste and texture! No ketchup required :) And this is coming from someone who loves condiments and doesn't typically enjoy ground beef (me)!

Recipe:
1 lb. ground chuck or sirloin (I used 85/15)
12 Fire Roasted Tomato and Olive Oil Triscuits, crushed to a pulp :)
1/2 onion, divided
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
pepper
4 hamburger buns

Directions:
Place meat in a bowl. Grate 2 to 3 tablespoons of onion into it—use a fairly fine grater so you get just the juice and very finely grated raw onion. Now mix in about 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce and some black pepper, to taste. Mix using hands (I wear rubber gloves because I hate touching raw meat) until combined- but don’t over mix/handle meat. It ruins the final texture of your burger.

Form into patties--Preheat a grill or a griddle. Divide the ground beef to 4 (4-ounce) patties. Each portion of the beef should be hand patted. Cook on the grill or griddle until the meat is done to your liking. Season with garlic salt and black pepper. Toast the bun on the grill or griddle

If desired, top with remaining onion and other fixin’s

Our NEW Home and All the Fun!

2008-09-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since my last post. Life has been busy. :) At the end of June, Chris and I bought our first home :) This summer has been spent moving, organizing, painting and making the house our own. It has been a lot of work and a lot of fun.

Last weekend was perhaps the most fun had in our new home so far. Chris and I hosted a Housewarming Party with 50 family and friends. It was a blast! Over a dozen kids running around certainly helps break in a new home! :)

Keeping with the theme of the blog...here are a few very simple appetizer recipes I made that everyone seemed to really enjoy. I look forward to posting many more delicious dishes created in my NEW, very own kitchen! :)

Buffalo Chicken Dip My Way...The Make Ahead Way

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper (to taste)

1 8 oz. block cream cheese
8 oz. Hot Sauce
1 green onion, diced
shredded cheese blend (if desired)

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Season frozen chicken breasts with garlic, salt and pepper. Wrap chicken in foil and place on baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes (or until chicken is no longer pink). Remove from oven and unwrap foil. Allow chicken to cool inside foil packet (leaving chicken in all of its juices). Shred chicken with a fork.

Place chicken (and broth from foil), cream cheese, hot sauce, and green onion in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Two hours before party begins, place mix in a slow cooker and warm. Stir occasionally. Sprinkle with shredded chese if desired.

This recipe is so easy since it can be made the day before and you don't need to thaw the chicken. You can easily make this the day you plan to enjoy it and place the mix directly in a slow cooker to heat. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Bacon Blue Cheese Ball

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
10 ounces sour cream
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 green onions, diced
1/2 cup pecans

Combine crumbled bacon, sour cream, blue cheese, and onion in a bowl and mix to combine. Spoon mixture on to a piece of wax paper and form into a ball. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours (I refrigerated mine overnight). Just before serving, roll cheese ball in pecans to coat. Serve with assorted crackers and veggies.

*This was great with the new Roast Tomato Triscuits. But just as yummy when I ate the left over with Ritz crackers the next day ;)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (By Grandma Ruby)

1 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened
1 single serving container Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk (a little less-to get desired consistency)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with hand mixer. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with assorted fruit. Great with apples, bananas, cantaloupe, strawberries, and grapes.

*I've found adding a splash of lemon juice makes the flavor more intense. Yum!

A Special, Non-Cooking Related Post: My Brother

2008-05-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

(Matt going to Prom 2008)

Warning: I am about to be all mushy and sentimental. :)

This felt blog worthy because I am full of so much emotion I had to write about it! I can't believe my "little" brother is going to prom! I can't accurately call Matt my "little" brother anymore. I can not believe how fast the time has gone by. Almost as if it were yesterday I can remember holding him as a tiny baby the day my parents brought him home from the hospital. I remember watching him play t-ball and his first day of school....
Now, seventeen years later he is a young man. I am so proud of him. In addition to being handsome ;) he is extremely caring, respectful, and funny. I am so excited to watch him as he enters adulthood. Graduation....college....marriage....oh my. It is overwhelming to think of my sweet, younger brother doing all these things. However, I am extremely excited and look forward to sharing all these momentous occasions with him. I love you, Matt!

(Senior pic)

Peanut Butter Bars!

2008-04-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

I once told Chris "You and I go together like Peanut butter and chocolate! :) He kind of looked at me funny; however, to me....the two were MADE for each other (kind of like Chris and I)! I made these Peanut Butter Bars from the Allrecipes website for a movie night with our good friends. I changed a few things and the result was OUTSTANDING!

Recipe after modifications:

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
*1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons peanut butter

DIRECTIONS
Combine butter and 1 cup peanut butter in a medium saucepan. Heat over low heat until mixture is smooth and blended. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and peanut butter mixture, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the 2 tablespoons peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth (I microwaved chips 1 minute at a time and it took just 2 minutes and 30 seconds). Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Notes: I refrigerated for about 3 hours. Keep refrigerated until 20 minutes before serving and slicing. These are perfect after 20 minutes at room temperature!

Panerathon

2008-04-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, April 26th my mom and I participated in a 5K walk/run sponsored by Panera in Centerville, Ohio. All proceeds went to benefit the Children's Hunger Alliance – helping thousands of hungry children in Ohio. Medals and gift cards were awarded to the top three finishers overall male and female in each age group. After the race, everyone celebrated at the finish line with fresh bagels, pastries and sandwiches from Panera Bread. Yum!
As you can see in the picture my AWESOME mom and myself both finished top three in our age groups. Actually...we both finished 2nd! There were 609 people running/walking the race. We had a blast together. We always do! I was so glad my mom made the trip to run with me. :)

SCRUPTIOUS STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!

2008-04-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

My favorite dessert as a child was my grandma’s Strawberry Shortcake. Before Chris and I were married he thought “Strawberry Shortcake” was filling that disgusting, pre-packaged sponge cake cups with strawberries. Yuck. The first time grandma made her recipe for Chris, she told him “this is how we make it right”.
I found this dessert courtesy of Paula Dean and made a few changes to incorporate my grandma’s delicious recipe. The result….one SCRUPTIOUS STRAWBERY SHORTCAKE!

For the cake:
Grandma’s “Southern” Fashion Shortcake (recipe below)
**I choose to cut each individual shortcake into 6 “cubes” to create the trifle layer with bite-size pieces. You may also slice shortcake in half using a serrated knife, horizontally and then create layers.

For the custard:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1 container fresh strawberries, cut into quarters
Whole fresh strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish

For the custard:
Mix together cream cheese, condensed milk, and whipped topping in a bowl; refrigerate.

For the glaze:
Place sliced strawberries in a bowl/container with lid and sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate for several hours to allow strawberries and sugar to create their own sweet juicy glaze.

For assembly:
Place 1 layer of cake in a large clear bowl. Top with a layer of glaze, followed by a layer of custard mixture. Repeat layering in this order for remaining cake, glaze and custard. Top cake with 3 whole fresh strawberries and fresh mint leaves.

Grandma’s “Southern” Fashion Shortcake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and cream of tartar. Cut in butter. Stir in cream and egg. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 minutes. Press into a half-inch thick sheet. Cut into squares. Place on baking sheets.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until golden.

Jumped on the Blake Makes bandwagon!

2008-04-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

This week I discovered the wonderful Blake Makes food blog. Black Killian is from New Orleans and as an added bonus to his amazing recipes and food photos, Blake and his wife offer FREEBIES! A few days after joining I found the first Sooper Heroes post! The Chutney Crostata Give-Away followed by the All-Day-sign-up-24-free-jars-of-chutney! I was so excited to see my name at the top of the recent winners post.
Look for updates once I receive my winnings. :)

Sweet treat for my Sweetie.

2008-04-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

We can’t spend a Friday night in without dessert! I am really in the “cupcake” mood lately and these delicious treats definitely did the trick! Rich, chocolaty, and peanut buttery…..yum! The cupcakes themselves came from allrecipes.com, but as I was combining ingredients, I tasted the batter and it didn’t taste “fudgy” enough for my taste. I included my changes in parenthesis. The Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting is also from allrecipes.com(I cut the recipe in half). I have used it MANY times. It is delicious!

Chris was sweet enough to help me with the photography. He wasn't satisfied with his "bite" photo and decided he should cut the cupcake in half for a second shoot. :) He was so careful to make a clean, neat cut in the cupcake! Too cute.(Shhh....don't tell him I published both pics!)

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (**I added 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup baking cocoa (**I added 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE FILLING:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; mix well. Pour into 18 greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
For filling, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar in another mixing bowl. Add egg and salt; mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls into center of each cupcake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

FLUFFY PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons milk, or as needed
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions:
Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.
Frost cupcakes once they have cooled completely.

Finally....Friday Night Together!

2008-04-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

It has been 3 months since Chris and I had a Friday night together due to Chris’ 7pm-7am shift. No more! Chris is done with nights and I am so very happy! To celebrate many more dinners together these upcoming months I wanted to make his favorite meal.
I have mentioned what a picky eater he is and posted his favorite dish in March 2007 Chris loves chicken alfredo (he orders it everywhere we go). At home, I have been making the EXACT same sauce for over two years. I decided to go CRAZY and try a new recipe (which is very daring since Chris likes to stick to a good thing when he finds it). :) I am so glad I was feeling adventurous! Chris loved the change! I was inspired by a recipe I found on Foodnetwork.com. In an attempt to sneak some “green” in to my picky husbands diet, I added one of the only vegetables he will eat….broccoli. Chris’ review….”Mmmmmm”.
In addition to the pasta, we had some delicious Oven Fried Chicken Tenders. I recently read (I apologize for not recalling which of the many food blogs I read that I saw this post) someone used cereal and bagel chips to coat chicken tenders. I decided to give it a try! The result….delicious! A simple, Chris pleasing meal. :)

Chris’ Special Broccoli Alfredo Pasta
Inspired and modified from Eatingwell.com

Ingredients:
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 teaspoons minced garlic
8 ounces pasta (I used thin spaghetti)
1 bag steamed broccoli florets (Birdseye Steam Fresh)
3 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
4 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoon red pepper flakes (Adds a great kick!)
salt to taste (additional for pasta water)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Parsley (garnish)
Directions:
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Combine broth and garlic cloves in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
After the garlic has simmered about 10 minutes, cook pasta in the boiling water, stirring often, for 9 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, add cornstarch mixture to simmering broth; whisk it until slightly thickened, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat and whisk in sour cream, nutmeg, pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt. Return the pot to very low heat to keep the sauce warm. (Do not boil.)
Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add bag of steamed broccoli. Add the sauce and 3/4 cup Parmesan; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, passing the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan separately.

Oven Fried Chicken Tenders
Ingredients:
Cooking Spray (I used Pam Olive Oil)
1 cups rice-corn crispy cereal, (I used Crispex)
2 cups broken bagel chips
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in to strips (4 strips per breast- 8 total)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions:
First, combine crispy cereal and bagel chips in blender or food processor and pulverize until crumb consistency.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish, combine cereal/bagel chip mixture, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Brush each chicken breast with Dijon mustard. Add chicken to seasoning mixture with tongs and turn to coat both sides. Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

Easter in Holmes County

2008-03-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

After a wonderful visit the weekend before, Chris and I headed back to his parents' house in Winesburg. Sadly, this trip was a result of Chris' grandmother's passing away on March 19, 2008. She had been sick from cancer these past few months. Chris' mother is an amazing woman and is very strong in her faith. She is relying on the Lord to help her through her grief and finding comfort in the thought of her mother pain-free in Heaven.
It was wonderful to be with Chris' family for Easter. I decided to contribute to the "Easter Carry-in" by making some adorable cupcakes. These cupcakes were adapted from my grandmother's "Loaded Chocolate Cake". The "Easter Egg Nest" decorating idea came from Betty Crocker; however, rather then use coconut (which I am allergic to) I used chow mein noodles covered in melted chocolate and peanut butter. Yum!

I included some "short cuts" for this recipe. It is great either way. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Cupcakes

Ingredients:
24 paper cupcake liners
1 Box Devil’s Food Cake Mix (I use Duncan Hines)
1 (12-ounce) package peanut butter chocolate (recipe below) or 24 miniature peanut butter cups

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 regular muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Fill the cups half full with cake batter. Place about 1 tablespoon peanut butter chocolate mixture in the center of the batter, or press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cupcakes are set. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. Decorate with frosting (recipe below).
**While cupcakes bake, I prepare the “birds nests” and frosting.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Filling:
Ingredients:
12 ounces (1 bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Melt chocolate chips in double boiler or microwave safe bowl. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Spoon filling in to cupcake liners (about 1 tablespoon).

Fudgy Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed

Directions:
Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl and pour melted chocolate chips over. Gradually mix in milk one tablespoon at a time until frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

**Fudgy Peanut Butter Frosting (Short cut)
Ingredients:
1 container Chocolate Fudge Frosting
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Melt peanut butter until smooth (easily stirred) in a microwave safe bowl. Stir in container of frosting. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter “Bird Nests”:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
6 ounces chow mien noodles (half of a standard size bag)
Wax paper
Favorite brand jelly beans (about 50 beans)

Directions:
Melt chocolate chips in double boiler or microwave safe bowl. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Stir in chow mien noodles. Using a regular table spoon, spoon mixture into piles or “nests” on to wax paper. Let cool and set for 1-2 hours at room temperature or refrigerator. Use to top frosted cupcakes. Place 3 jelly beans or “eggs” in nests once nests are on top of cupcakes.

***Tip: I like to make a “bucket” or indentation using my finger in the center of the nests so the jelly beans don’t roll away.

Long Overdue!

2008-03-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my last blog post was in December! It has been a long, busy winter for sure and I am so glad Spring is almost here! Chris has just 96 days left in his horrible Surgical Intern year. Things are looking up as we look to purchase our first home together and have more time to spend together once this year is over. (It ends in June.)
This weekend I got a reminder of how wonderful it is to spend time with Chris. He had FOUR ENTIRE DAYS OFF (unheard of)! We traveled to Chris' parents house in Amish County. When we were there we hiked in the snow and mud to look at a water fall near his parents' house. It was a lot of fun. I also helped prepare a Mexican dinner while visiting. Chris' mom asked that I teach her how to make my Mexican Rice. We served that with tacos and corn souffle. It turned out great! And it was really fun cooking dinner with my mother-in-law. Enjoy!

(Sorry about the picture. I took it with my cell phone!)

Original Mexican Rice Recipe (modified from www.cooking.com)

Olive Oil (enough to coat saucepan)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped white onions

1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers

2 cups converted long-grain rice

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons chipotle taco seasoning (recommended: Ortega)

4 cups chicken stock

**Chopped green onions

**Sour cream

In a medium saucepan (with lid), add garlic, onion, and pepper and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add rice and cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, seasoning, and stock in saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve with green onions and sour cream as garnish.

Ashleigh’s version

In place of taco seasoning pack add:

2 teaspoons of chili powder.

Salt to taste (1 1/2 teaspoons of salt)

Pepper to taste (1/2 teaspoon black pepper)

1 teaspoon of ground cumin.

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves (or sub. cilantro spice)

(Note: On a hectic weeknight, you can also substitute a jar of your favorite chunky salsa and omit the chopping/cooking/adding of the white onion, green pepper, and tomatoes. :)

Buckeyes

2007-12-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

It has been entirely too long since I made an entry to my blog. These last 4 months have been extremely difficult for my sister and our family, but I am hopeful the new year will bring new beginnings and happier times!

First, the top picture is the one Chris and I used for our Christmas cards. The second is one of the "goofy" takes. Merry Christmas everyone!

Chris is working today, so I decided to make some Christmas treats! I plan to put these goodies in Christmas tins and give them to co-workers and friends. You must try this recipe. It is easy and delicious!

The story of the "Buckeye":

These peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate get their name from their resemblance to the nut of the buckeye tree. As most of you know, the BUCKEYE TREE is the official tree of Ohio and the famous OSU Buckeyes! :)
Here is the recipe my mom passed on to me. You can also melt chocolate chips or baking chocolate and add paraffin. Enjoy!

Buckeyes
Centers
1 lb. confectioner's sugar (1 box= 3 ½ cups= 1 lb.)
3 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Coating
16 ounces coating chocolate for candy making

Directions:
Mix peanut butter, vanilla, butter and confectioner's sugar. Use a large spoon to mix ingredients into a stiff dough. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.
Chill until hard (about 2 hours).
Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave.
Using a toothpick, pock each peanut butter ball and dip each ball into the chocolate, leaving a small patch of peanut butter (about 1/4 of the center) showing. Place the coated centers on the wax paper and remove the toothpick. Chill for 2 hours before serving and store in refrigerator.

A quick weekend dinner: Mexican Chicken Pizza

2007-09-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

I removed the frozen, diced chicken breasts from our freezer this morning because I intended to make stir-fry for dinner. However, Chris and I ended up eating Chinese at the mall today so I needed a contingency plan. I had a thawed pizza dough and a package of Mexican cheese blend in the refrigerator (for Monday) so I decided to make us "Mexican Chicken Pizza". I didn't have a recipe, but I was inspired by a similar recipe by Kraft Foods. Our version turned out very well. It was quick, easy, and pretty inexpensive. This would make a great weeknight meal!

Mexican Chicken Pizza

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound frozen chicken, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne sauce
Salt and pepper to desired taste
(*or substitute packet of taco seasoning for quick fix)
3/4 cup sliced onion
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 ball frozen pizza crust, thawed
1(16-ounce) jar chunky salsa
1 (8-ounce) packages shredded Mexican cheese (Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and other mild cheeses combined)

Optional toppings to serve:
Shredded lettuce
Sour cream
Reserved salsa

Position the oven rack at the lowest level. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread dough on a lightly greased 13x9 inch pan (or use pizza pan or stone) and place in oven for 7-8 minutes. Crust will be barely brown.
While crust bakes half way, heat the oil in a skillet and add the frozen, diced chicken, seasonings, onion, and green pepper. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes, flipping/disturbing chicken half way through cooking. Add 1 cup of the salsa and bring to a boil.
*Reserve some of the remaining salsa to spoon evenly over the pizza crust.
Remove chicken mixture from heat and wait for crust to finish baking.

Spoon salsa over crust and spread evenly. Next top with chicken mixture and then with Mexican cheese mix.

Bake the pizzas for 10 to 12 minutes, then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 10 minutes more. Turn oven to broil for 2 minutes before removing pizza.
Serve the pizza slices topped with the reserved salsa, shredded lettuce, and sour cream.

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Brownies

2007-09-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's the weekend! Even better...OSU plays today and Chris will be home to watch the game with me! I decided to make us a yummy dessert to go with our "football snacking food". (Since we are eating horribly already I figured why not go all the way, right?!) I kind of invented this recipe by merging two recipes together from Gourmet Magazine! The result..."TOUCH DOWN!" I call them...

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Brownies

For brownie batter:
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For cheesecake topping:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Chocolate topping:
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan. Make brownie batter: In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter stirring, and cool. Whisk in sugar and eggs, 1 at a time, and whisk in vanilla. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Make cheesecake topping: In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in lemon juice, egg, vanilla, and salt. Beat in flour and spread mixture in an even layer over batter. Bake brownies in middle of oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is puffed and pale golden and a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Remove from oven and pour melted chocolate chips over brownies. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack and chill, covered, at least 2-3 hours. Cut brownies into bars and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers.

*These took 41 minutes to bake and came out a perfect, fudgy yet creamy texture!
**UPDATE: 4 hours later, after brownies have been in the refrigerator, they are even better!

We're-Not-Going-to-Qdoba-Again Chicken Burritos

2007-09-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

A recipe created by Ashleigh

Since the workers at Qdoba are beginning to re-call our order by memory, I told Chris I was going to make burritos at home rather then follow our usual Sunday ritual of visiting Qdoba. He was disappointed at first, but after tasting it he said "I would recommend this to all my friends". Haha. A true compliment! :)

I wish I could have kept him away from the dish long enough for a photo, but he said he was too hungry. There were plenty of left overs (enough for two more meals) so maybe I can snap a picture when we warm up our next burritos!

In the meantime, a tribute to my inspiration, Qdoba :) (We will go back...for sure)

(Photo taken from: Qdoba nutritional calculator)

My recipe:

Ingredients:

8 soft flour tortillas

Filling:
3 cups chicken broth
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved (1.3 lbs)
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 small onion, quartered
1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/3 palm full
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
Mix Sauce Separately:
2 cups salsa (I used Medium heat)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 pinches
1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 up sour cream
Prepared white rice (about 1 1/2 cups, left-over)
2 cups Monterey Jack shredded cheese

Directions:
Place all ingredients (accept for cheese and prepared rice) in a crockpot. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
Use a fork to shred chicken (chicken will shred very easily). Add sour cream, stir and unplug/turn-off crockpot. Remove 1 cup of mixture and set aside. Add rice to crockpot and let mixture sit for 10 minutes. While rice sits, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat tortillas (30 seconds) in microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel.
Pile chicken and rice mixture from crockpot into warm tortillas and roll. Line 13x9 inch casserole or baking dish with enchiladas, seam side down. Pour reserved sauce mixture over the rolled enchiladas and top with cheese. Place in hot oven and bake 20-25 minutes. Turn oven to Broil setting (high) for 5 minutes. Let sit for 8-10 minutes before serving. We topped ours with sour cream.

5am on a Sunday morning....

2007-09-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

Chris was on-call at the hospital last night and should be home around 7am. Since I was up at 5am, I decided to make some scones. I used the "Simple Scones" recipe from allrecipes.com; however, instead of raisins I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also used regular butter and omitted the salt. I don't believe Chris has ever tried a scone....so I am anxious to see what he thinks of these. :)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Scones/Detail.aspx

Simple Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup raisins (I substituted semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg

DIRECTIONS
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins (chocolate chips for me).
In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

**I baked for 18 minutes. They turned out perfectly golden brown!

A quick use of overripe bananas...

2007-09-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

Not So Homemade Banana Cake

This was such an amazing cake...and since the box of cake mix was on sale for $1.00 it was inexpensive too!! I was inspired to make this cake because I recently learned you can substitute bananas for eggs when making a cake.

Recipe:
1 Box of Betty Crocker Supreme Banana Cake Mix
1/4 cup oil
3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 1/4 cup water

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 inch cake pan. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour in to prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in to the center of cake comes out clean). Cake will darken slightly-but remains a light, golden brown color.

Notes:
This was even better the second day! Very moist and full of flavor.
To serve: top with whipped cream or nothing at all.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

2007-09-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

Chris is on-call this weekend and I am finding ways to keep busy. I decided to take a break from my reading and "girly movies" and bake something for my friend who is stopping by on her drive to a wedding. I made several changes to allrecipe.com Peanut Butter Cup Cupcake recipe and made them Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes! I also added a peanut butter frosting and chocolate drizzle topping. The result is AMAZING! These are so rich...be sure to have your milk ready! Yum!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
(Original recipe: Allrecipes Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes)

Cupcake:
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar (I added this)
1/4 cup baking cocoa (I added this)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
16 miniature peanut butter cups

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, sugar, cocoa, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Press a peanut butter cup into the center of each until top edge is even with batter. Bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted on an angle toward the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting (allrecipes.com):

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Chocolate Drizzle:

1 cup melted semi-sweet chocolate chips
Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave 1 minute. Stir between each heating. Repeat until all chocolate is smooth and melted throughout. (It took about 3 minutes).

To assemble: Top cooled cup cakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and drizzle with melted chocolate.

Adventures with Cabbage!

2007-08-26T04:12:00.000-07:00

As a child, cabbage was one vegetable I was never exposed to. I may have tried it in cole slaw, but....what is "cooked cabbage"? A colleague at work overheard me say that I have never tasted cooked cabbage. She couldn't believe it and brought me a large head of cabbage from her garden. She provided me with a basic "recipe" and encouraged me to modify it to my taste. The result...delicious! Too bad Chris refuses to try it. Haha. He said it is "the look" that turns him off. Maybe one day he will be brave enough for a taste. ;) Here is how I prepared the cabbage:

Sauteed Cabbage

1 large head of green cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, combine butter, garlic, and onion. Heat on medium-high until the butter is melted. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once mixture is boiling, add chopped cabbage. Saute for 20-25 minutes (until cabbage is tender), stirring every 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

**I also added some salt and pepper during the saute processes. Next time I will try it with less butter (I think 3/4 a stick would be plenty)

Oatmeal Cookies

2007-08-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Chris is at work and I was relaxing at home when...uh oh... a craving for oatmeal cookies struck! I decided to hunt for a new recipe on allrecipes.com. I am definitely making this my new standard oatmeal cookie recipe! I made a few changes (noted in parentheses) based on Chris' and my taste. I highly recommend trying this recipe! The cookies are soft and chewy, not to mention....so easy to make!

Excellent Oatmeal Cookies (original recipe from allrecipes.com)
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg (I added this)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (I added this)
1 teaspoon salt (I only used 1/2 teaspoon)
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted this)
1 cup craisins (I added this)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats and nuts until just blended. Mix in craisins. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for about 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

** I made these a little bigger- tablespoon size. They required about 2 extra minutes bake time. Perfect! Next time I will add chocolate chips (I was out) in place of the craisins (at Chris' request).

Chris' Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake!

2007-08-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Chris!
I decided to make a Strawberry Layer Cake for Chris’ birthday. We had our parents over for lunch out and dessert back at our place. The cake was delicious! It had two layers with sliced strawberries and cream cheese frosting on top and between the layers. I baked the cake the night before and decorated it before our guests arrived.

Cake (Recipe modified from Foodnetwork.com Raspberry Cake):
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, puréed
1 package of strawberry flavored jello
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush 2 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and dust with flour.
Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt into a medium bowl; whisk to combine evenly. Stir the sour cream, strawberries, jello and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup, and set aside.

Beat the butter in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on high until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape butter off the sides of the bowl. Continue beating while gradually adding the sugar-- it should take a couple minutes to add all the sugar. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

At low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix. Blend throughout.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. (Lightly tap the pan on the counter so the batter settles evenly.)

Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-38 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes; then turn cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting II (From: Allrecipes.com)

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use (I made this ahead of time and removed it from the refrigerator 1 hour before use--room temperature frosting is easier to spread).

To assemble cake:

1 container fresh strawberries, sliced (divided)

Place one layer on serving tray and top with frosting. Then top frosting with sliced strawberries (about 1/3 container-start in the center and work your way out in a circular fashion. This will ensure you get taste of yummy strawberries with each bite.) Place second cake layer on strawberries. Spread frosting over entire cake (liberally). Top with fresh sliced strawberries 30 minutes or less before serving (the strawberry juices will run down the frosting if you wait too long).

I'm bored...let's make a Lemon Cake!

2007-08-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

Chris is working today...the cleaning is done... and it is WAY to hot to stay out by the pool (I spent a few hours there this morning), so I think I will bake! I was feeling creative and decided to create my own "Lemon Cake". It turned out delicious! I can't wait for Chris to taste it.

Cake:
Mix together the following:
1 box Betty Crocker Lemon Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil (about 1 teaspoon less then 1/3 cup actually)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1-2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup milk
1 8-ounce container cream cheese

Grease 9x13 inch pan (I used a glass pan). Bake in pre-heated oven at 325 for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and cool at room temp.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Mix together ingredients using hand mixer until it reaches a creamy, spreadable consistency. (You may need to add more sugar to thicken.)

Top cooled cake and enjoy!

Potato what!??!

2007-07-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Potato Candy

This is what Chris said when I told him he was tasting "Potato Candy". My aunt introduced me to this sweet treat this weekend. It was a popular type of candy during the Depression. It is quick, easy, and yummy. You must try it! But be warned...a little piece goes a LONG way. These babies are sweeeet!

Potato Candy
½ of a small-medium size baking potato, peeled and mashed (about 2 Tablespoons; make sure it is cooled)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon milk
2- 2 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Mix together potato, butter or margarine, and milk. Add enough confectioners' sugar to make a stiff dough.
Roll out on a flat surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. Spread on a layer of peanut butter and roll up. Chill and slice.

Our 1st Anniversary!

2007-07-22T17:41:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it has been an entire year since we said our "I do's"! It has been a whirlwind year to say the least! We had the wedding....moving in to our first home together...Chris' graduation....a couple of trips....2 new jobs....and a move to a new city to name a few major happenings. I am very much enjoying married life and my life with Chris. I can't wait to see what the future years will bring!

Our first anniversary was spent exchanging small gifts and spending a romantic evening together. We both exchanged cards. Chris also gave me a special photo album which contained just one photo. It was the first "photo record" of us together. It was taken 1 week after our first date. Chris said we would take a picture each anniversary and also write down what we did to celebrate our love. He is so amazing!
Next, we shared the top of our wedding cake...which was still very yummy. (My grandma makes the best wedding cakes..I had to include a picture from the wedding :))

We sat together on a blanket spread out on our tiny patio lined with candles. We roasted marshmallows to make Smores and listened to love songs. It was perfect. We took the 1st Anniversary picture for our album (not yet downloaded)and logged our first memory. This was truly a special evening.

A game called Tag....

2007-06-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

This sounds like fun! I was “tagged” by The Cooking Friend. Thanks for the invite! I hope everyone else who is tagged will enjoy this game too!

Here are the rules since I'm tagging you now! :) Each player starts with seven random facts or habits about himself or herself. A tagged player then writes a blog entry with the seven things, as well as these rules. Then the player tags seven others and lists their names on his or her blog. Remember to leave a comment for your newly tagged players, letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog!

7 random facts about me:

1. I have one green eye and one brown eye.
2. I once had lunch with Senator/former Astronaut John Glenn after I completed a year long internship with the John Glenn Institute at Ohio State University.
3. I wear a size 12 women’s shoe. What is worse…my husband and I wear the same size shoe! Actually….this is kind of nice because if I am running outside to get the mail or something I can slip on his shoes with no problem! :)
4. I am the oldest child. I have one younger sister (age 22) and one younger brother (age 16).
5. If I could live anywhere in the world I would live in Hawaii.
6. I typically require about 5.5 hours of sleep a night- I usually go to bed at 11-11:30pm and wake up at 5am. My husband thinks I am crazy!
7. One day I hope to have my own private counseling practice and work VERY part time while I devote most of my life to taking care of my family (husband and future children ::) )

OK, tag! I am now tagging you – Kayte and Joelen

Easy Supper! BBQ Beef Cups

2007-06-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

I am still a little tired from our return travel day and my first full day back to work so I was looking for an easy dinner. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that inspired me to adopt my own! Chris was intrigued by these little beef cups, but after one taste...they met his approval. I knew these would be something he would like...simple and meaty!

BBQ Beef Cups
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons McCormick Grill Mates “Hamburger” seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, roast red bell pepper, and sugar)
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the cups of a muffin pan (I used a larger, 8 muffin cup pan because there were 8 biscuits in the package).
In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, season beef with seasonings and cook beef until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Stir in bbq sauce, ketchup, and mustard. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat. Add 1/4 cup cheese and heat until melted. Stir and set aside.
Meanwhile, flatten each biscuit, and press into cups of the prepared muffin pan. Make sure the dough comes to the top of the pan. Bake for 2-3 minutes in oven. Remove muffins and spoon a portion of the meat mixture into each dough cup. Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 3-4 more minutes.

Our Carnival Cruise!

2007-06-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Chris and I just returned from a week long cruise with Carnival. Our ship was called the Celebration. Chris has never cruised before; however, this was my third (second with Carnival). We had so much fun relaxing together, touring the ports of call, participating in shore excursions, dining, and watching the nightly shows on the ship. The Celebration is an older ship....we both decided we would like to try a newer ship next cruise.

Dining:
We had the most entertaining dining staff! Our Maitre 'd, Joseph, was quite a character. He made our dining experience so much fun. The service was excellent; however, the food was nothing to write home about. Chris and I DID fall in love with the Chocolate Melting Cake....we ordered one every night at dinner!

Ports of call:
Key West
We LOVE Key West. Both of us have been before, but never together. We went Snuba diving in the morning. This was so much fun! Like snorkeling, but you don't have to come up for air and you can dive up to 25 feet underwater! We also walked around and visited the shops. We also visited the southernmost point in Key West....it is just 90 miles from Cuba!

Nassau
This was an adventure. The Straw Market and downtown Nassau are full of character to say the least.(You will never have to hunt for someone to braid your hair or try and locate a taxi...TRUST me.)
We also went snorkeling here. The water was VERY rough and COLD, but Chris did get some great pictures with the underwater camera!
Our favorite part of Nassau was Atlantas. This is a BEAUTIFUL resort with a the largest salt water aquarium in the World. We had so much fun walking around and looking at the marine life and beautiful architecture. took tons of pictures!

Overall
We had a great time together. Our favorite parts of the cruise were definitely seeing Atlantas and Snuba! We also really liked Joseph and the Chocolate Melting cake :) We agree that we probably will not go on another Carnival cruise; however, we would LOVE to try another cruise line...maybe to Hawaii! :)

Chris' Surprise Graduation Party

2007-05-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe how long it has been since my last post! Things have been very busy and time is flying by so fast! Plans for my husband’s surprise graduation party kept me very busy….but I am happy to report the party was 100% a success!

About the party
The theme was "A Prescription To Party" (I thought it appropriate since he is graduating from Medical School :).)

There were 50 guests...mostly family (due to it being Mother's Day), but some friends made it :) Everyone dressed in scrubs or white coats. At the door, they were given name tags with famous doctor's names on them. (Examples: Dr. Pepper, Dr. Doolittle, Dr. Evil, Dr. Frankenstein, etc.)

The decorations were apothecary jars filled with candies (jelly beans, hot tamales, mike and ikes, etc.) to look like medicine, old fashion medical bags with flowers BLOOMING from them :) , and green/yellow table clothes, plates, cups, napkins, etc. in honor of Chris’ school colors.

As the guests waited for Chris and I to arrive, the kids were given anatomy diagrams to color and played a "GUESS HOW MANY PILLS ARE IN THE BOTTLE" game that I put together. The “pills” were Jelly Belly Jelly Beans and Hot Tamales.

When we arrived…Chris saw a special sign in the drive-way...Chris laughed about it, but still did not suspect. When we walked inside, everyone jumped out and yelled "SURPRISE". Chris was so shocked.

Food
We grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, bbq and italian chicken, and veggies. We also had fruit trays/veggie trays, mac and cheese, baked beans, potato salad, and various chips/dips.

For dessert...I made sugar cookie-cut outs decorated like scrubs, white coats, and nurse uniforms. We had brownies and whoopie pies (Chris’ favorite). My grandma made a cake and topped it with a stethoscope and surenge needles..it was TOO CUTE!:)

To top it off....I revealed my surprise gift to Chris….he is SUPER excited about the cruise we will be taking 4 days after he graduates :) I am excited too!

I will cherish the memories for a long time...It was a great time and I am SOOOO proud of Chris! :)

I hope you enjoy the few photos I have (more to come).

Oreo Cheesecake

2007-04-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

My husband loves Oreos! So I made him an Easter treat :)

OREO Cheesecake

1 cup crushed OREO cookies (about 12 cookies)
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
4 pkgs (8-oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
20 OREO cookies, quartered

**NOTE: Regular OREO cookies are recommended, the cheesecake will not set as well with Double Stuffed.

1. PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees if using silver springform pan (or 300 degrees if using a dark non-stick springform pan). Mix crushed cookies and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.

2. BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Gently stir in quartered cookies. Pour over crust.

3. BAKE 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional cookies, if desired.

Source: Nestie Lalabee0425

Cream Cheese Strawberry Pie

2007-03-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Cream Cheese Crust:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, soften cream cheese and butter and mix together. In a separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Incorporate this flour mixture a little at a time to cream cheese and butter mixture.
Roll out with a rolling pin between 2 wax papers. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and prick with fork before half-baking to prevent shrinkage. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees

*For this recipe I fully baked the crust (since the filling does not require baking). I baked it 18-20 minutes total.

Strawberry Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
8 ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed
10 ounces strawberries, mashed with juices drained away
1 teaspoon lemon juice
fresh strawberries, sliced
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in mashed strawberries and lemon juice. Fold in whipped topping. Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Top with sliced strawberries and store in refrigerator until serving.

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Last night at 2:00am (when I couldn't sleep), I made this pie for the "OSU Basketball Tourny Get-Together" this evening at my parent's house. I hope it tastes as good as it looks!

Piggies!

2007-03-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

These are usually called "Pigs-in-a-blanket", but my husband calls them "Piggies"

Ingredients:
8 Smoked Sausages (We like Johnsonville Smoked Sausages) or Hot Dog
8 slices American or favorite cheese (I also like using Provolone)
1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap cheese around each Sausage or Hot Dog then the crescent roll around that. Place these on a cookie sheet with the overlap of crescents face down (that way you don't have to use any tooth picks).
Bake in preheated oven until crescents are brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

2007-03-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Noodles:
In a large pot, boil noodles as directed on package (We like fettuccine and angle hair pasta the best). I often add fresh chopped broccoli the last 4-5 minutes of boiling time (but not tonight). Tonight, I added some left over chicken breast to the sauce.

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Italian Seasoning (2 “good” sprinkles)
Fresh paprika (garnish)
Directions:
Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly. Toss with hot pasta to serve. Garnish with paprika on individual servings.

Both this recipe and the one above are very simple dishes, but I had to include the recipes in my blog because they are two of my husband's favorite meals. He would alternate each every night of the week if I let him!

Overnight Eooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

2007-03-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

My husband received word that he passed his USMLE Step II so I made him these little yummies for breakfast that next Sunday (started them Saturday).

Rolls:
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs

Filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Frosting:
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons half-and-half cream
Directions:
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted; let cool until lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt and eggs; stir well to combine. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10x 14 inch rectangle. Lightly brush the far edge with water. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and 3/4 cup brown sugar and sprinkle over the rectangles. Then sprinkle the raisins and chopped nuts over the dough. Roll up the dough into a log and seal the seam.
Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces; place the pieces in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan, or 12 inch deep dish pizza pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight.
Day 2
The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take the rolls out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, combine the corn syrup with the vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar and enough cream to make a thick glaze; set aside. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls and serve warm.

Welcome!

2007-03-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome! As a newlywed I have taken a new interest in cooking. I wanted to create a blog so I can share some of my favorite recipes, creations, and ideas. Thanks for visiting!

Whoopie Pies

2007-03-23T03:03:00.000-07:00

Whoopie Pie!
This is my husband’s favorite dessert! I received this recipe from my wonderful and talented sister-in-law, Peg, at my bridal shower.

Cookie
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup Crisco
2 eggs- beaten
4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup “Sour milk” (1 cup milk plus 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice- stir let stand 5 minutes before use)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients (accept water). Then add boiling water. Mix well. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake 8-9 minutes.

Filling:
1 pound powdered sugar
¾ cup Crisco
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons water
Directions:
Mix well and spread between two cooled cookies

Strawberry Diet Coke Cake

2007-03-23T02:47:00.000-07:00

I am not a member of Weight Watchers, but I heard about their delicious cake idea! My husband and I love this cake! It is so moist and yummy! Take a prepackaged cake mix (from any grocery store, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, etc) and instead of using the ingredients listed on the back like eggs, oil, and water, simply mix in a can of diet coke. For whiter mixes, such as vanilla or lemon cakes, you can use diet beverages such as diet Sprite or 7up.

Our favorite so far: Diet Coke + Strawberry Cake Mix + My Strawberry Frosting

Strawberry Frosting Recipe

3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup mashed strawberries, some juice drained off
In a large bowl combine butter, confectioners' sugar and the remaining half of the frozen strawberries. Beat on high speed until creamy.