An American Housewife

Turkey Wrap with Hummus and Avocado

2012-01-27T10:24:00.001-06:00

The night before last I made wraps for dinner. I've never made this particular blend of ingredients before, but my husband, who loves roasted red pepper hummus, declared it a keeper and took an extra wrap to work the next day for lunch. My 16-year-old daughter is not a fan of hummus so she asked if I would make hers with ranch. Both were deemed fabulous so I give them to you with a 'thumbs up' from my family.

Turkey Wrap with Hummus and Avocado

1 container Roasted Red Pepper Hummus *or homemade
4 flour tortillas or wraps
4 leaves romaine or red leaf lettuce
1 beefsteak tomato, sliced into 8 slices
1 lb. oven roasted turkey breast, sliced
1/2 lb. swiss cheese (I used Provolone on my daughters as she wanted Ranch and no hummus)
1 medium avocado, sliced thin

Spread the hummus mixture on one full side of each tortilla or wrap. Top with a large lettuce leaf, add 2 slices tomato and 2-3 slices avocado to each. Layer on 3-4 slices turkey and a slice of cheese. Roll up each tortilla wrap, tucking in the ingredients as you roll. Place seam side down on the serving dish. If your tortillas were small or they are really full, secure the seam with toothpicks.

Slice each diagonally to serve.

Spread the tortilla or wrap with hummus

Topping the wraps. Mmmm avocado!

*Quick homemade red pepper hummus: 14 oz. can garbanzo beans - drained. Blend in a food processor with 1/4 c roasted red peppers and about 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

This site has outgrown it's brothers and sisters... So follow me on Twitter!

2012-01-26T16:48:00.000-06:00

For the past kazillion years I've used one Twitter ID for all four of my websites, general chit chat with friends and well, everything.

But this week I decided this particular website has grown as such, with about 11,000 - 14,000 hits a month, that it needs it's own email and it's own Twitter ID.

So, now it has one of each!

Every day I post a link to the days recipe and sometimes, photos. I'm also going to start using it exclusively for the contests and product reviews I do for marketing companies and corporations. I'm so excited that my little personal recipe site has grown up over the years and now is helpful to so many others as well.

Please consider following me if you want to get the latest and greatest from An American Housewife. Thanks so very much!!

Follow @AmericHousewife

Southwestern Masa Cup Appetizers

2012-01-26T09:14:00.001-06:00

Because I'm not a fan of any sports and because we just moved here and I don't really know anyone yet, the fact that there is a 'really big game' coming up was and is lost on me. I don't know many of my neighbors yet, but I imagine by next year we might have a football party to attend (or host ourselves once we get the basement family room finished!).

This is an appetizer I would serve as it's an individual cup so it's easier than a dip. Masa is available at almost any grocery store (I bought mine from Walmart) but you can order it online as well.

Southwestern Masa Cup Appetizer

Masa Cups

2 cups corn masa flour
2/3 cup Crisco® Butter Shortening Sticks
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
1/3 cup diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Top with:
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or salted farmer's cheese
Cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place masa flour into a medium bowl. Cut in shortening using pastry blender until pea-sized chunks are formed. Sprinkle with water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing lightly with a fork until dough comes together to form a ball. Divide dough into 24 pieces. Roll into balls. Press into mini-muffin pans. Use a round measuring teaspoon to make a well in center of each masa cup. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden. Cool completely in pans.

While they cool, mix the guacamole. Mash avocado in a small bowl. Add tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice and garlic powder mixing to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 tablespoon guacamole into each masa cup. Top each with a sprinkle of cheese and a cilantro leaf.

Italian Lettuce Salad

2012-01-25T13:49:00.000-06:00

I'm late! Normally I put up the days recipe first thing in the morning but today has been a little bit more unusual than some, and busier than others. It is 1:45 pm and to be honest I'm just now having breakfast. Leftover Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup from last night. But because I'm pressed for time (leaving in 15 minutes to get my daughter from school) I can't upload the photos and post the recipe so that one will wait.

Instead, I have this very simple lettuce salad to post. Remember, all my posted recipes are guidelines. Use what you want but for heaven's sake, leave out an ingredient if you or your family hate it. The idea is to play with your food. Make it your own favorite way.

I am swamped today so this may very well be our dinner tonight too!

Italian Lettuce Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, cut into 1-inch squares
1/4 lb sliced pepperoni, chopped
1/3 c drained sliced pimientos
1/3 c chopped red onion
1 1/2 c drained, rinsed, and chopped canned artichoke hearts
3 T red or white wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 c grated Parmesan

Mix the vegetables and pepperoni first. Mix the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Add to the salad. Toss and top with Parmesan. Delicious!!

Homemade Lasagna... in a Crock Pot? Yes! Crock Pot Lasagna.

2012-01-24T08:46:00.000-06:00

Last week I had two service-people coming to my house on the same afternoon. One was installing our Directv and the other would be replacing the computer panel in our refrigerator. Not only would at least one of them be in my kitchen that afternoon, I had to also have all the food and shelves out of the refrigerator. Busy between both of them, I decided dinner that night would be something I could fix and forget. Lasagna. In the crock pot.

Start with your traditional lasagna ingredients OR cheat and do the REALLY FAST 5 minute lasagna like I did last week. So you cheat? Who cares. It tastes good and your family will love you anyways.

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles
1 jar favorite flavor spaghetti sauce
Parmesan Cheese
Cottage Cheese or Ricotta (I like the large size but we like a lot of cheese filling)
1 -2 eggs
Mozzarella cheese
Garlic (fresh, jarred or even use garlic powder if you usually do)

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with Pam or other spray or grease it with a light layer of olive oil. Mix your cottage or ricotta with about 3/4 c parmesan, about a cup of mozzarella, 1-2 eggs and about a teaspoon or two of garlic (depending on how much you like in your foods). I usually mix in some parsley or basil to this as well but I was in a hurry last week and as you can see from the photo, I didn't this time.

Pour about 1/3 of the jar of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Break 2 or 3 uncooked noodles in half or thirds and place them on the sauce, covering the bottom of the crock. Top with about a third of the cheese mixture. Layer more sauce, more noodles and more cheese. When you get to the end of your layers, add about a cup of water to the spagetti jar. Swish it around and pour this into the side of the crock pot. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese (I like to add a bit of cheddar and mozzarella mixed as I think the colors are nice for final presentation of the food when serving.) Place the lid on and you are going to cook this on low for about 4 1/2 hours.

Every crock is different. The newer your slow cooker is, the hotter it will run (the government got involved in this a few years back) and the newer ones are prone to burning everything. If you have an older crockpot from the 70's or 80's you are going to be able to cook it for 5 hours. Newer crocks will barely be able to do 4 before you need to check it. If you have a timer, all the better! Set it for 4 hours and then let it go to the warming stage.

Serve with some hot bread and and a side salad and you have a full meal that was easy as pie! Lasagna 'pie' that is.

Use your own usual ingredients or use these for a quick 5 minute recipe

Amounts are all relative. And lasagna is very forgiving.

Swish about a cup of water in the sauce jar and pour it in. If you don't do this step your pasta will be dry.

Celebrate National Pie Day: Quick Homemade Key Lime Pie

2012-01-23T11:05:00.001-06:00

Today is National Pie Day! Making pies is as easy as 1-2-3, which is why The American Pie Council chose January 23rd as the day to honor this age-old dessert. (Get it? 1-2-3 and 1-23.)

If you want to impress your coworkers, friends or even hold your family captive (as in hostage?) with some "pie" trivia today, here are a few key points regarding the history of this favorite food.

Pie has been around since the ancient Egyptians. The first pies were made by early Romans who may have learned about it through the Greeks. These pies were sometimes made in "reeds" which were used for the sole purpose of holding the filling and not for eating with the filling.
The Romans must have spread the word about pies around Europe as the Oxford English Dictionary notes that the word pie was a popular word in the 14th century. The first pie recipe was published by the Romans and was for a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie.
The early pies were predominately meat pies. Pyes (pies) originally appeared in England as early as the twelfth century. The crust of the pie was referred to as "coffyn". There was actually more crust than filling. Often these pies were made using fowl and the legs were left to hang over the side of the dish and used as handles. Fruit pies or tarts (pasties) were probably first made in the 1500s. English tradition credits making the first cherry pie to Queen Elizabeth I.
Pie came to America with the first English settlers. The early colonists cooked their pies in long narrow pans calling them "coffins" like the crust in England. As in the Roman times, the early American pie crusts often were not eaten, but simply designed to hold the filling during baking. It was during the American Revolution that the term crust was used instead of coffyn.

I just made Key Lime Pie a few days ago, but chose to make it into tarts instead. (See photo below) but I have a post I published last March, showing you my more typical Key Lime Pie in 'pie' form. How about making a pie for tonight? Easy as..... pie!

I made them into individual pie tarts

Key Lime Pie

1 bag of Key Limes (the very small limes!)
4 egg yolks
1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 pre-made graham crust ready for filling

Zest about 4 of the limes.
Slice and juice all the limes save one. That one will be for garnish.
Strain the juice and reserve. You should have about 2/3 cup of liquid.
In an electric mixer bowl whip the egg yolks and lime zest 5 minutes.
Add the condensed sweetened milk and whip 3-4 minutes more.
Add the lime juice and mix until blended.
Pour into the graham crust. Bake 15 minutes at 325 degrees until filling is set.
Cool 20 minutes on counter. Chill 2 hours in the refrigerator.

A Topping Option

1 c heavy or whipping cream
1 -2 T confectionery sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 t vanilla extract
*optional - 3-6 oz. cream cheese, softened
Mix and use to decorate dollops on your pie if you desire a topping.

Crispy Chicken Strips

2012-01-21T17:26:00.001-06:00

I have a pad of paper on the side of the refrigerator that I use as a running grocery list. Years ago I started to tell my kids and husband "write it down" when they would mention in passing something we needed, were out of, or something they wanted. Something that has been showing up on the list an awful lot lately by my 16 year old daughter is, of all things; chicken nuggets and chicken strips!?

She has a favorite food right now that she simply calls her "chicken wrap" and uses crispy strips or nuggets inside a flour tortilla with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa. It's a current favorite snack of hers that she enjoys after school. Before this relocation I would make chicken strips from scratch. As soon as the dust settles from this move I hope to do so again.

These are great as they are, in wraps, dipped or served with honey mustard, ranch dressing, bbq sauce or ketchup or use them in a delicious lettuce salad.

Crispy Chicken Strips

1 egg, beaten
1 c milk
2 c flour
2 1/2 t salt
3/4 t pepper
3/4 t Accent (or other MSG)
1/8 t Paprika
1/8 t Garlic Powder
1/8 t Baking Powder
boneless, skinless chicken
oil or shortening for frying

Cut 6 chicken Breasts into strips. This is really easy if the chicken is partially frozen. Marinate them overnight. Beat the egg and milk. Mix the dry ingredients in separate container. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture first, then the coating. Then double dip into both again so it's a nice thick coating.

Preheat oil in a deep fry pan or deep fryer to 350 degrees. Fry a few at a time till they are golden brown. Remove the chicken to a rack and allow to drain.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

2012-01-20T09:32:00.000-06:00

This is one of those meals I make when I am not really in the mood or don't have time to cook dinner or I don't know what to make. In other words, it's one of the 'fall back' meals we all have tucked up our sleeves.

I love it for many reasons. First, because it's forgiving for it's cooking method, substitutions and amounts. Second, because you can 'fix it and forget it' in the crockpot so it cooks while you are busy doing other things. Third, because it's just darn good and I'm always happy when I sit down to this meal! Another option that I think tastes even better and gets it crisper is to roast it in the oven for the entire cooking process - skipping the crock pot - but this means you have to be there to 'babysit' it a little more and I'm usually on the go so I cheat and crock pot it and just finish it off in the oven to crisp and brown it.

I don't have an actual recipe... it's just something I threw together about ten or fifteen years ago and have been making ever since.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1 lemon, sliced in half
1 onion, sliced in half
Minced garlic, fresh
Salt and Pepper
Lemon Garlic and/or Lemon Pepper spice mixture

Place the halved lemon and onion inside the chicken. Place it in the crock pot and season it all over with about 2 teaspoons of fresh garlic, salt, pepper and/or your lemon pepper or lemon garlic mixtures. Cook it in your crock pot for as long as you need to while you are busy doing other things (6 hours on low or 4 hours on high - but timing depends on the size of chicken you used and your crock pot as they are all different even though they shouldn't be!). The important part is that when your chicken is just 'done' or it's about 20 minutes before you are ready to eat, take it out of the crock pot. Remove the lemon and onion. Place chicken in an oven safe dish or pan and either bake it at about 450 or put it under the broiler for 6-7 minutes. You are doing this to brown it - make it pretty - and to give it a nice crispy finish. I actually broil mine upside down for 7 minutes, flip it back over with the breast side up and then finish the broiling to the top.

Garlic, lemon pepper and an onion and lemon - and you are good to go!

Not a great view, I know. But simply put the lemon and onion inside the bird

Cover with spices and then? Forget about it while it cooks

Remove it from the crock pot and remove the onion and lemon from inside (toss).

Finish in the oven to crisp it to a beautiful golden brown

A blast from my past.... Homemade Noodles! Spinach and Squash Pasta

2012-01-19T07:04:00.001-06:00

My homemade pasta on a Pasta Drying Rack

Every two weeks or so I sit and brainstorm a bunch of menu ideas. I keep this list in the kitchen where I can glance at it daily to get an idea of what I feel like making for dinner. This week's list included "homemade pasta". Homemade noodles and dumplings are something I grew up with a child - with lots of butter, salt and pepper. To this day, this is my favorite way to eat homemade pasta of any sort, although I do sometimes add a bit of garlic. It's a comfort food for chilly days... which is probably why I've been craving it!

I posted this one in March of 2008 with photos - but am re-posting it so I can set my laptop up on the kitchen counter and make it again today or tomorrow (depending on how crazy my afternoon gets). If you are interested, you should try it too!

Homemade Spinach Pasta
Homemade Butternut Squash Pasta

1 egg
1/2 t olive oil
4-5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and briefly cooked
or 1/2 - 3/4 c butternut squash puree - already baked and scraped from the shell

Place into the bowl of a food processor and whirl until smooth.

Add 1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt

Process just until it gathers to a ball. Let set 10 minutes before working with it.

Roll it out very thin on a lightly floured surface, or if you have an Italian pasta machine, roll it out in portions starting at 1 and thinning it down to a 3 or 4. If you have rolled it thin by hand, now use a pizza cutter to slice it into 1/2 inch strips, or even 1 inch if you like your noodles wide. With the pasta machine, make it into noodles if you have the attachment or lay it out and use the pizza cutter as well. This pasta is also perfect for making homemade ravioli with if you cut it into squares, fill and seal instead of slicing into pasta strips. Use right away by dropping in boiling water and boiling for about 8 minutes. Toss with butter, salt and pepper or your favorite sauce or use in a chicken noodle soup! If you want to let them dry, just let them dry on the counter overnight, flipping the next morning and continuing to dry or if you have a Pasta Drying Rack, let hang over night or to the next day until dried. Store in a sealed ziplock in the freezer until use.

Stop processing when it forms a ball

Roll thin with a pasta machine or with a rolling pin

Butternut Squash pasta, Spinach Pasta and a blended squash/spinach pasta dough

In order from the left; Squash/Spinach Pasta, Spinach Pasta and Butternut Squash Pasta

Todays Lunch: Veggie Bagel Sandwich

2012-01-18T13:15:00.000-06:00

A busy day. So busy in fact, I had to postpone an errand until tomorrow because I just do not have time to run it and still pick up my daughter at school on time. In the middle of everything, I realized my stomach was growling, and boy! Was I hungry!

I knew what I was craving and thankfully, knew that we had 'everything bagels' in the house. Time for my favorite bagel; a veggie bagel! Now, this isn't really a recipe of course because really, you shouldn't need a recipe to make yourself a 'sammich'. I happen to like everything bagels, jalapeno or onion bagels, but if you like plain, egg, sesame seed or whole wheat... knock yourself out! Use the bagel you like! Start with cream cheese (flavored or plain) and add your goodies to top.

Here is what I made to help you brainstorm what you want on your bagel!

1 bagel of your choice, split
cream cheese of your choice (low fat, fat free, plain or flavored)
cucumbers, sliced thin
onions, sliced thin
red peppers, sliced
yellow banana peppers, sliced
options: lettuce, jalapenos, bean spouts, green peppers, avocado, radishes, olives, pickles

Smear cream cheese on both top and bottom of the bagel not only for flavor, but it helps hold the veggies in place. Top with whatever vegetables you prefer, close the sandwich and enjoy!

The cream cheese helps hold the vegetables on

My favorite! All vegetables, no meats.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

2012-01-16T07:58:00.000-06:00

I'm one of those odd kids who actually loved Brussels Sprouts and spinach. But as a kid I only had them one way; butter, salt and pepper. And usually just at school as I don't think my family members cared for them. After I was out on my own I would make the sprouts with cheese sauce. Over the past few years, this has been my favorite way to enjoy them; crispy and caramelized with garlic.

A 'recipe' isn't really needed as the amounts will all be relative - but give it a try.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

Brussels Sprouts
Butter
Olive Oil
Fresh chopped or minced garlic
Salt and Pepper

Cook sprouts in a pan or microwave until just tender. Heat a dollop of butter and about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the sprouts. Turn the heat down a bit and let them cook, stirring once in a while until they are golden brown and the butter starts to caramelize them. Add the garlic in the last 3 minutes of cooking as you don't want it to burn and get bitter. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

2012-01-14T08:12:00.000-06:00

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast

When I'm busy or not in the mood to cook dinner, I try to think of what I have on hand that is quick and easy. Chicken breasts always come to mind. This is a quick photo I snapped of dinner earlier this week when I needed to get something into the oven, but I had better things to do.

It was a cold, rainy day so I paired it with a crock pot full of cheesy hashbrown potatoes. It was a perfect, hot, filling, comforting meal on a cold night and since it took little work on my part, I was able to continue to do other things until it was ready to be served on my plate!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

4 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound package bacon
Salt & Pepper

Rinse and pat dry thawed or fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Using 2 or 3 slices of raw bacon (depending on the size and thickness of each breast), wrap each piece of chicken with bacon, securing the ends under each breast and laying seam side down on a greased baking sheet.

Continue with all chicken breasts and obviously you can make 1 breast or up to 100 this way - just figure 1 pound of sliced bacon for every 4-6 chicken breasts accordingly. You can also make the bacon go farther by stretching it tightly around the chicken, thereby using 1 or 2 slices per chicken breast. Our family loves bacon so I like it nice and thick.

Season the top with salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated oven around 350 for 45 minutes or until the bacon is golden brown and the chicken is done. At this point, flip the chicken breast over, as many times the underside is not crisp. Place it under the broiler and broil for about 4 minutes until the bacon is done. Now flip it back over again and broil the top for just a minute or two until the bacon is completely done and crisp.

This goes well with almost any side dish. I often use a sour cream mushroom sauce on them but it's a healthier alternative to leave the sauce off completely and yes, you can use turkey bacon too! And for those of you doing Atkins or other low carb diets? This is an acceptable dish.

Cake in a Cup

2012-01-13T09:40:00.000-06:00

Recipes... I have.
Photos... I have.
Files... I have.

Time?

Not so much. Wow. I don't know how long it will take for the dust settle around here since our relocation to the new state but I am frustrated in that I have so many wonderful recipes and photos to share but no time to do so! They are trapped on my camera or I have the photo uploaded into my files but no time to sit and pound out a post and recipe with it.

With no time in mind, I thought this would be a great quick recipe for today. A true "cup cake" - a cake in a cup! For when you want that special treat but you either don't have time to bake or it's just you and you have no need for a whole pan. Now, I'm off. Out the door yet again for another errand to the hardware store. Ahhh, moving. Fun, no?

Cake in a Cup

1 T butter, soft
2 T sugar
1/2 of a beaten egg (if you have to add the whole thing, go ahead)
2 T sour cream
3 drops of vanilla (pour into the cap and then into the cup)
1/4 c flour
1/8 t baking powder.

Mix into a coffee mug in the order listed, using a fork.

Now mix together;

1 T butter
2 T flour
1 T brown sugar
1/2 t ground cinnamon

I like to mix these in a ziploc baggy and smash it together with my fingers or you can put it in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Pour on top of the cake batter in the mug and microwave regular power for about 3 minutes.

Let it cool for at least 5 minutes before you enjoy it or you'll burn your tongue!

Spinach Salad with Craisins and Feta

2012-01-09T10:54:00.001-06:00

Needing a quick and simple side dish for dinner a couple nights ago, I opened the refrigerator and saw an inviting bag of baby spinach. Knowing we had feta in the cheese drawer and craisins in the cupboard, it was only a quick glance to the door of refrigerator to see we still had a bottle of Balsamic dressing and I knew what our side dish would be. The only thing left to do was top it off with some sugared almonds.

Spinach Salad with Craisins and Feta

1 package or desired amount of fresh baby spinach leaves
Feta Cheese, crumbled
1/2 c Craisins (**or consider other flavored of dried berries! I've used pomegranates and fresh strawberries in the past)
Balsamic dressing of your choice (original, creamy, raspberry, pomegranate, etc.)
Pecans or toasted, sugared almonds, chopped

*other dried fruits - consider blueberry, pomegranate (or use original cranberry)

Start with a bowl or serving plate of desired amount of spinach leaves. Sprinkle on feta and dried fruit and nuts according to how it looks and how much you desire. See my photo above for the amounts that I like to add. Just before serving drizzle with the dressing.

Start with with fresh spinach


	To quickly make sugared almonds, add about a 1/2 cup sugar to 1 cup chopped almonds	in a medium hot pan

Stir the almonds continuously while cooking until the sugar melts and caramelizes


Place the almonds on buttered foil and break apart and let cool

Italian Dressing

2012-01-06T08:18:00.001-06:00

There is a package mix I like to keep on hand at all times; Good Seasonings Italian Dressing. Sometimes zesty style, sometimes regular. Doesn't matter. They are similar. I use it not only to whip up yummy Italian dressing for salads, but this is what I drizzle on our Italian Ciabatta bread sandwiches, I use it with cream cheese for delicious dips with Wheat Thin crackers and I use it mixed in with mayonnaise and sour cream for our favorite Bread Bowl Sandwich.

This Italian Dressing starts with a package mix and dresses it up a bit. Try it! Some people think it tastes just like Olive Garden's house dressing.

1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c rice wine vinegar (or use white vinegar if it's all you have on hand)
1 t dried Italian spices
1 t salt
couple dashes of black pepper
1 t sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 T mayonnaise
3 T water
2 envelopes Good Seasonings Italian Dressing, prepared according to directions on package

Whip or blend all ingredients until mixed. Shake the container before each use.

Capellini al Gamberetti

2012-01-03T15:45:00.002-06:00

Photo by the Los Angeles Times

It's that time of day... time to ask myself the age-old question; What's for dinner? I came to my computer, glanced quickly through some files and saw the word "artichokes" jump out at me. I have an open can of artichokes in my refrigerator right now and coupled with the shrimp in the freezer and the angel hair pasta in the cupboard? I knew this would be a great fit.

PS: This recipe is from the LA Times and reminded me that two of top 10 favorite cookbooks are:

Dear S.O.S.:30 Years of Recipe Requests to the Los Angeles Times

Dear SOS : Favorite Restaurant Recipes

Dear SOS is a feature they run where readers request the LA Times to get the recipe for their favorite dishes around the greater LA area - some of which are from days long gone, but their wonderful dishes can live on in the kitchens of their fans.

Napoli's capellini al gamberetti
Adapted from Napoli Italian Restaurant in Loma Linda

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large (16 to 20 count) shrimp, peeled and cleaned
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup drained jarred artichokes
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound capellini (angel hair) pasta, cooked al dente in salted water
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Heat a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the olive oil, shrimp and garlic and cook, tossing or stirring frequently until the shrimp is just cooked, about 2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, tomatoes and artichokes and continue to cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the pasta and parsley, and toss to combine and warm the pasta. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Each serving: 519 calories; 29 grams protein; 50 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 168 mg cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 328 mg sodium.

Two of my favorite cookbooks from the Dear SOS series.

Homemade Salted Nut Rolls

2012-01-02T07:33:00.001-06:00

I made them into bite sized balls this year instead of the traditional logs

I've had this recipe in my files for about 16 years already. It's one I typically only make at Christmas however, because I hate making any candy I have to 'dip'. I don't have the patience for the dipping process nor the mess. However, this year instead of making them into the traditional 2 inch logs like you purchase at the store, I cut them into bit sized balls. So... you can make them into the little 'logs' that you are familiar with if you eat this kind of candy, or you make them into little bites. Completely up to you. Play with your food!

Homemade Salted Nut Rolls

3 c powdered sugar

1 - 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme

1 t vanilla

1/4 t almond

1 - 14 oz. bag caramels, unwrapped

3 T water

3 c salted peanuts and/or cashews, chopped

Combine the powdered sugar, marshmallow creme, vanilla and almond and knead until smooth. This will be a very dry mixture at first until it's incorporated. If you have a KitchenAid or other heavy duty mixer with a dough hook, it's a lifesaver! When it forms a ball, continue kneading by hand with extra powdered sugar so it's smooth and not too sticky. Shape into logs (about 8 - 10 of them) that are about 1/2 inch thick and 5-6 inches long. Wrap in wax paper and freeze. Melt the caramels with the water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth. Remove the logs from the freezer and dip each into the caramel and then into the salted, chopped nuts. Roll back in the wax paper and refrigerate for at least an hour to harden the caramel. Slice into 1/3 slices.

This year I took the logs from the freezer, but cut them into bite sized pieces before dipping into the caramel and then into the nuts and lightly and quickly rolling them by hand and placing them on the wax paper.

The delicious white center starts off dry but comes together quickly

All ready to go!

Chop the nuts in a food processor - but not too long or you'll end up with powder

Little logs, straight from the freezer and ready to be dipped in caramel and nuts

Holiday Tray 2011: Red Velvet Cake Balls, Rosettes, Homemade Twix Bars, English Toffee, Cream Wafers and SO much more!

2011-12-31T08:40:00.001-06:00

Another year of baking is over. I had 24 items on my list to make this season and even around the relocation to the new state and all the unexpected repairs and things breaking down in the new house, I managed to pull off all but 6 of them. I chose most of those six to forgo as they were similar to something else I made already (such as not making the Russian Tea Cakes as I had already made Peppermint Tea Cakes. Or not making the stars and tree's sugar cookies as I already had the snowflake sugar cookie.)

A couple of the candy recipes are so incredibly quick and easy, I'm sure more people would make them if they knew how simple it was. These are things like the candy dipped pretzels, toffee, and of course, the homemade Twix Bars. As a matter of fact, I'm adding the Twix 'recipe' to this post. It happens to be one of the very very few candy bars I'll ever eat (remember, I'm not a fan of chocolate).

Twix Candy Bars

35 caramels - unwrapped
2 12-oz. bags milk chocolate chips
1/4 c water
1 box (about 40) Nabisco Lorna Doon Shortbread cookies (square) or Walkers shortbread (long stick)

Combine the caramels with the water in a small pan and melt over low heat. Place the shortbread cookies side by side on an ungreased or lined cookie sheet. Spoon a dab of the melted caramel on the cookie. Place all cookies in the refrigerator until firm. Melt the chocolate chips in a double broiler or in the microwave. Remove cookies from the refrigerator and dip each one into the melted chocolate. Tap off excess and place on wax paper. Let them set up at room temperature - can take up to several hours depending on the heat and humidity of your home.

Jicama Salad

2011-12-29T09:02:00.000-06:00

Pachyrhizus erosu. It sounds rather exotic and strange, but most of know it by it's other name; Jicama. The sorta-sweet vegetable that looks like a white turnip and tastes more like an.... apple? Green beans? Sugar Peas? Yeah. That.

I didn't 'discover' jicama's until I had a strange white, crunchy 'something' in a salad at a restaurant and later when I finally bought them myself, realized this is what I had. I loved them. Although I don't have them on hand all the time, I use them quite a bit when my husband and I do a cleansing 'low carb' way of eating. They are so delicious and versatile.

Jicama Salad
For each person eating have this approximate amount of ingredients per person;

2 cups ripped romaine lettuce pieces
1/4 c jicama sticks, peeled and cut into match-stick-size pieces or diced
1/4 c halved red seedless grapes
1/2 c fully cooked diced or cubed chicken
2 T cashew pieces
2 T red wine vinaigrette salad dressing

Combine all ingredients but the dressing and when ready to serve, pour red wine vinaigrette salad dressing evenly over salad ingredients.

Cherry Pop Tarts

2011-12-26T08:26:00.000-06:00

The month of December is always expected to be a little hectic and crazy but with our move 1000 miles across the country, getting ready for Christmas and preparing for my college kids to come home, I didn't get a recipe made that I was so excited to make; Mini Pop Tarts! I saw this on Pinterest and saved it in my files knowing these would not only be a hit with my three kids, but I love cherry Pop-Tarts as well and making them homemade would be not only fun, but a healthier alternative to the chemicals and preservatives in the store bought kind!

Alas, time got away from me, the rest of the week is jam packed before my kids fly off to various parts of the United States, and I know I won't get to make these until next month. Nevertheless, here is the recipe from Pinterest for my files.... and a determination to get these made as soon as life slows down a little in the new year!

Mini Pop tarts

1 c fresh cherries, pitted and diced
3 T sugar
2 T cornstarch
2 T water
1/2 t almond extract
1 pkg pie crusts

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
1-2 T milk
1/2 t vanilla
food coloring and sprinkles

In a small saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch and almond extract. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Unroll pie crusts and using a pizza cutter, slice them into 1 1/2″x 2″ rectangles.

Place a wooden Popsicle stick on top of one of the cut rectangles, then spoon a heaping teaspoon of cooled cherry filling into the center of the pie square, leaving a border around the edges. Gently lay a second rectangle over the top of the cherry filling. Press the edges of the rectangles together with a fork to seal. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges begin to brown.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to make glaze. Tint with food coloring, if desired. Spoon over cooled pop-tart pops, sprinkle with colored sugar, and allow to the glaze to harden slightly before serving.

Our Swedish Christmas Tradition: Rosettes

2011-12-23T09:01:00.002-06:00

Christmas celebrations usually involve traditions. One of the traditions from the Swedish side of my family that I have carried on to my family as well is the making of the Rosette's each Christmas.

A crispy, light, fried pastry, sprinkled with sugar crystals or confectioner's sugar; it's a flaky dessert cookie that I have to say is probably my first or second favorite at the holidays. While I shun most desserts and don't care for chocolate, this is one 'cookie' I can and will eat.... it's my kryptonite of the goodie tray!

You must have a rosette/timbale set to make these. Available for about $15 and you can get it on Amazon if you don't have a kitchen store near you.

Because I make these every year, I've posted this recipe previously on my website, back in 2007. Why reinvent the wheel? Here is my post from 2007, which I'll be making this morning.... will you join me?

Rosettes

2 eggs
1 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
1 c milk
1 c flour

Break eggs into a bowl, add sugar, salt, vanilla, milk and flour. Beat briefly just until smooth. Do not overbeat! Too much beating makes your rosettes blistered and tough.

Have hot oil, lard or shortening in a pan on the stove heating. Leave the rosette iron in the hot oil for several minutes while you make the batter. Dip the hot iron into the batter being careful not to let the batter come up over the edge of the iron. Dip just about 4/5th of the way up the iron. Immediately place the iron/batter into the hot oil. Hold the iron in place and cook the rosette until it's golden brown and crisp. The temperature of the oil is perfect when it takes about 25-30 seconds for the rosette to cook. Too fast and it burns, too cool and it will be soggy and greasy. Use a fork to shake the rosette off the iron and onto a paper towel lined rack. When they are cool sprinkle with powdered sugar. These can be frozen. This recipe will make about 40.

If they do not come off the iron they were not fried long enough or you let the batter come up over the edge of the iron.
If they are blistered and thick, you have beaten the eggs too much.
If the rosettes drop off in the hot oil the iron is not deep enough in the oil.
If they are not crisp they have been fried too fast or the oil was not hot enough.

Heat the iron in the oil while you mix the batter

You must have a rosette set to make these.

Don't dip the batter up over the edge of the iron so they will slide off after frying.

Drain on paper towels

Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a delicious treat!

Cut Out Christmas Cookies (edited to add the frosting I used)

2011-12-20T12:30:00.001-06:00

I'm about half way done with holiday baking - about 11 (?) items made so far. Yesterday I finished decorating the sugar cookies (snowflakes pictured above) and the cake balls. I have numerous cookies, English Toffee and another candy to make yet but today? Today would be perfect for baking but I'm soooo tired. Literally. I'm procrastinating against doing, well, pretty much everything!

I'm thinking a little freshly made coffee and a walk out to the mailbox is in order to wake me up and then? Onward to more holiday baking for the goody trays!

Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 c butter, soft
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cream of tartar
1 t salt

Combine sugar and butter, beat until creamy with your electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough until it's easy to work with; 30-60 minutes.

On lightly floured surface roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies. Bake on lined baking sheets at 350 until the edges just start to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Decorate as you desire.

Your wish is my command! The comments below asked what frosting I used on the snowflake cookies. They are both recipes I've posted on the site before but I'm pasting them here for easy access. The first is the base coat glaze I put on the cookies and the second is a basic royal icing recipe I use for the swirls and lines of the snowflakes.
Icing Glaze for the Base Coat
Makes about 1 & 1/3 cups

2 1/2 c powdered sugar
2 T water
1 T butter, softened
1 T light corn syrup
1/2 t almond extract or vanilla
Food color, if desired

Combine powdered sugar, water, butter, corn syrup and vanilla in small mixer bowl; mix until powdered sugar is moistened. Beat at medium speed until smooth, adding additional water if necessary to reach desired spreading consistency. Tint with food color, if desired. Glaze cooled cookies and let stand until hardened (6 hrs. or overnight).

Royal Icing Swirls - Frosting

4 c confectioners' sugar
3 large egg whites
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/2 t vanilla
1 T water

Beat 4-6 minutes on high. (Add more or less water depending on stiff it is and how stiff you want it). Will be very hard when it dries.

A busy day Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

2011-12-20T08:23:00.000-06:00

It had been a busy day and in between cleaning and doing the school run, I had been baking holiday goodies and had been in the kitchen. I went online to check email and read the news and relax when I looked at the clock. My husband would be home from work in about 45 minutes. My daughter and I weren't really hungry, nothing sounded good and frankly? After making holiday treats all afternoon and cleaning up the kitchen, the last place I wanted to be back in was the kitchen.

What could I throw together quickly, put into the oven and forget about? My husband is not a casserole guy. Actually, no one in our family is. Most pasta dishes and casseroles just aren't loved in this family so it gets tricky. But, once in a while I can pull one off, and this is one of them.

Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Chicken - almost any style
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1 box long grain wild rice with seasoning packet
water
*optional - fresh sliced mushrooms (about 1/2 cup)
salt and pepper or favorite seasoning

The chicken you use depends on what you have on hand. Raw, boneless, skinless chicken is great. Whole or sliced into long pieces. Chicken tenders. Cubed and cut up chicken. You can even make it with precooked chicken or turkey left over from another meal or if you are one to buy canned chicken, you could even use that. Pour the rice into a greased baking dish or casserole dish. Sprinkle on the flavor package. Add the can of soup. Fill the soup can with water and mix into the rice. Place the chicken on top (as much or little as you wish - I usually use about 3 chicken breasts). Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste or you can use a seasoned topping like lemon pepper, Mrs. Dash or whatever you like. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until chicken is completely done and the rice is golden brown around the edges.

Fix it and forget it! A five minute meal to mix and then you are done until it's time to set the table.

You know... 'the things with the pretzels and hershey's kisses?'

2011-12-19T09:00:00.002-06:00

Ready to go into a warm oven

When you are pressed for time, not in the mood to make a holiday goody or want to make something with a child that is quick and easy... these are all good reasons to make something that doesn't really have a real 'name' yet. You know, it's those things you make with the pretzels and a Hershey's kiss or hug. Sometimes called a Pretzel Hug or a Pretzel Kiss, but we all know what they are and they are so good and so easy!

A recipe isn't really needed... but perhaps just a photo to get you started!

Use milk chocolate, caramel, dark chocolate, peppermint or use a Rolo Candy

Pretzels - squares or rounds
Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Hugs (use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel or even peppermint)
Or use a Rolo
You can add an M&M on top as well if you like!

Place an unwrapped candy on a pretzel. I like to line my baking sheets with foil or parchment.
Place in a warm oven 275 is fine until the chocolate is shiny and glossy. This is usually about 3 minutes for the milk chocolate and sometimes a minute or so more for other flavors. Remove from the oven, press another pretzel on top or press an M&M candy on top. Let set until hardened again (up to an hour or two). That's it! So easy and so good! Play with many different variety of chocolate candies for different flavors. Personally, we like the round pretzels with a caramel kiss and a peanut M&M on top!

My personal favorite? Peppermint!!!

My family's favorite; caramel filled chocolate with a peanut M&M

Homemade Stuffing Like Grandma Makes

2011-12-17T11:57:00.000-06:00

Tradition. It's part of what makes holidays so special. It's also what makes some of our favorite holiday meals so special. Many a cook has heard a gasp or a groan when they've messed with a much loved, traditional recipe only to find that new additions, new recipes or leaving it out all-together was a huge mistake. For my brother, it's my Grandmothers Cherry Dessert. For my husband it's a Double Layer Pumpkin Pie. For me, it's traditional sage stuffing. Even as an adult who likes to be polite and eat what is given me; if you put raisins, cherries, apples or other fruits in my stuffing, I will pick them out. Discreetly of course, and I won't say a word, but I will be disappointed you ruined my beloved stuffing with fruit.

Tastes however, are up to the individual and some people love raisins in their stuffing (my Grandma for instance!) but for those you looking for a good old-fashioned, traditional stuffing with no bells or whistles, this is my recipe and this one is for you!

Traditional Homemade Stuffing

1/2 c chopped onion
3/4 c celery, chopped or diced
1/4 c butter (half a stick)
4 c dry bread crumbs - cubed or ripped to about 1 inch pieces
3/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/4 t poultry seasoning
1/4 t dried sage
1/2 - 3/4 c water or chicken boullion
1 egg - beaten

Cook the onion and celery in the butter in a pan over medium high heat. When it's soft and translucent, add this to the bread cubes in a large bowl for mixing. Sprinkle with the dry seasonings. Mix the 1/2 cup water with the egg and add to the mix. If it's too dry and not holding together (depending on the bread you use) add more broth or water a little at a time until it just binds together. You do not want a soppy mess so go light. The juice from your chicken or turkey is going to help it bind together during the roasting process. Stuff your cleaned and prepared bird and bake according to the poultry time table. Remove stuffing to a bowl for serving at meal time.

Cooking the celery and onion in butter until translucent and soft

Add enough broth or water just until it binds together but is not soupy

Lemon Tea Cakes

2011-12-16T13:27:00.000-06:00

Yesterday and today I've been baking and making holiday goodies. One thing I am not making for Christmas but will make later on this Spring is Lemon Tea Cakes. I AM however making regular, original Russian Tea Cakes (also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes) and I have my Peppermint Tea Cakes DONE and packaged as of last night (recipe and photos to come). In the meantime, enjoy this lemon version made in mini muffin tins, and slip it into your files to make in a few weeks!

Lemon Tea Cakes

1 1/2 c butter
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 1/4 c sugar
6 eggs
3 T lemon juice
2 t lemon extract
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 t grated lemon peel
3 c flour

5 1/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c plus 3 T milk
3 1/2 t lemon extract

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Beat in the lemon juice, extracts and lemon peel. Gradually add flour. Fill greased mini muffin tins and bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, remove from pans. In a bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. Dip the tops of each cake into the glaze. Place on waxed paper to dry. Makes 8 dozen.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

2011-12-15T10:25:00.000-06:00

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

One of the many positives about our recent relocation to the South is my love of some traditional Southern foods. Biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, bacon, pecan pie....

While I have a favorite biscuit recipe I've used almost exclusively since the 90's, I always try new recipes once in a while to make sure I'm not missing out on anything better. On Tuesday night I tried a new (although very basic) buttermilk biscuit recipe.

I always tell my readers that recipes are just a guideline and you should always 'play' with your food to make it your own based on preferences, allergies, and mostly? What you have on hand!

Since we just moved in I don't have my pantry built up with all the basics so once in a while there are things I don't have on hand. Right now I do not have any shortening in the house so my first substitution was using all butter. I tweaked a few other things and here is the recipe I came up with. It is fairly similar to our family favorite, and it's a great 2nd place. See what you think.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 c butter (half a stick)
3/4 c buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with no-stick baking spray. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, two forks or your fingers (my personal favorite) until the butter is incorporated into the flour mixture and it's course crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk with a fork or wooden spoon until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface (I turn it out directly onto the parchment lined baking sheet), sprinkle with flour and knead only about 8 - 10 times until no longer sticky. Pat or roll out to about a half inch thick and cut with a floured round biscuit or sharp edged cookie cutter. Cut straight down, don't twist! This ensures high rising biscuits. Re roll scraps up to a couple times, but keep in mind every time you re-roll the dough gets a little stiffer and your biscuits a little tougher. Bake about 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm. Makes about 8-10 biscuits.

Stir just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl

Cut straight down with a biscuit cutter or sharp edge. Do not twist.

Simple Christmas Cranberry Sauce

2011-12-13T15:10:00.001-06:00

Everyone thinks of cranberries for Thanksgiving but they are so brilliant, so bright and so beautiful I certainly hope they are going to be served at everyone's Christmas holiday table! What could be more easy than throwing the ingredients into a saucepan and letting it cook? You can do it!

Christmas Cranberry Sauce

1 (12-ounce) package fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 c sugar
2 t orange zest
1/2 c orange juice
1/4 c water

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened.

Rib-eye with Sauteed Onions, Mushrooms and Bacon

2011-12-09T13:58:00.002-06:00

Our family loves sauteed onions and mushrooms over a nice steak, but this time around, when I opened the refrigerator, I spied an open package of bacon calling my name and the addition of bacon to the mix was delicious!

I can make up this mixture and eat it as a side dish, I love it so much, but most people will probably want to top a grilled steak or even a baked potato with it.

Sauteed Onions, Mushroom and Bacon

Butter (about 3 T)
1 large onion (I like to use yellow onions or sweet yellow onions whenever I can!)
1 package or can of mushrooms (4 - 8 oz. depends on how many you want to add)
1 - 7 slices of bacon (again, depends on how many you want to add)
salt and pepper
(a dash of sugar if you would like - I'll explain in a moment)

Place the butter in a pan over medium to medium high heat. Add chopped onion, sliced mushrooms and chopped bacon. Cook all, stirring every now and then, until it's all golden brown. You don't want to cook it too fast. 10 - 15 minutes is great. The onion and butter will make this naturally somewhat sweet but if you want to help it along, you can add just a dash (like, 1/2 teaspoon) of sugar, but this is completely optional. Season with salt and pepper.

My Homemade Guacamole

2011-12-07T06:31:00.002-06:00

When my two youngest kids were about 9 and 6, they used to have a running argument each time we had guacamole. Who was the "king" or "queen" of guacamole. Basically, it was a sibling argument over who loved guacamole more. Even though my son is now in college and that little six year old is almost 16, they still bring up the "I'm the King of Guacamole!" "No! I am the Queen of Guacamole!" argument when he is home from school and it's served.

Tonight when I picked my daughter up after school she picked up a 'easy' style recipe book I had sitting the seat and flipped through it as we made the commute home. She was mortified at the two guacamole recipes featured in the book. One called for cottage cheese and the other added cream cheese and salsa. She made me promise to never even try these two recipes. I assured her that I have yet to find a better guacamole recipe than the one I make, and that I had no intention of adding cottage cheese.

The Guacamole My Kids Argue 'Who Loves it More'

2-3 avocados (2 large, use 3 if they are on the smaller side)

1/2 onion, quartered

1/4 c diced chilies

1 heaping teaspoon minced jalapeno's

1 T cilantro or parsley (half that if you use dried)

1 T lime juice

1 large clove minced garlic (or use about 1 teaspoon pre-minced jarred style)

1/4 t salt

1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and diced

Slice and remove the seed from the avocados. Scoop the flesh into a food processor bowl. Add the onion, chilies, jalapeno, cilantro, lime and garlic and salt. While on pulse a few times, just a few seconds each time. Don't over process, but be sure the onion is all incorporated. Stir in half the tomatoes, put into a serving dish, top with the remaining diced tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cream of Spinach Soup with Cheese

2011-12-06T11:59:00.000-06:00

I may have relocated down 'South' last month from our previous home in the North, but it seems we brought some cold weather with us! And to add insult to injury, our heat went out last Friday night and I've been doing everything short of bribery to get the service guy to come out here and fix it! They do things differently in the South, that's for sure. I'll just leave it at that.

Our family loves creamy soups and this is one of the many that I have that I 'play' with the recipe depending on what we have on hand. I expect, and hope you will too! One of the best things about this soup is using different cheeses to give it a different subtle flavor. I like to add any smoked cheese we have to it but this time around I also left out the salt and pepper and instead, used grated Beecher's Peppercorn Cheese (Marco Polo) from Seattle's Pike Place Market. Delicious!

Cream of Spinach Soup with Cheese

1 - 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 medium sweet onion or 1 small white or yellow onion, chopped
3 T butter
5 - 6 cups chicken broth
1 c cream (or if you only have milk, mix in 2-3 T flour and whisk well before adding)
1/4 t lemon juice
2-3 oz. cubed Velveeta (thickens, adds a hint of color and creamy texture)
3 oz. grated smoked Gouda or cheddar (the hint of smokiness with the spinach is fabulous!)
2-3 oz. grated Peppercorn cheese (this eliminates the need to add pepper to season too!)
Tabasco sauce (just a dash or two!)

Cook the spinach in the microwave (or a pan) and drain well. (See the photo below - I cook it in the box, squeeze it out flat over the sink and tear the box over the pan to let the spinach out - quick and easy!). Cook the chopped onion in butter over medium high heat until translucent. Add the broth (use chicken bouillon cubes with water if you wish!). Add lemon juice and a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce. Add spinach. Add cream. Heat through (do not let it boil after you add the cream). Add the cheese, stir until melted. Serve. Goes great with a hearty bread on a cold winter night.

I cook the spinach in the box and squish it flat to drain

grated cheese ready for adding to the hot soup

Add some toasty bread and enjoy!

Delicious Alfredo with Bowtie Pasta - starting with a jar of store bought

2011-12-03T08:54:00.000-06:00

My teenage daughter was grocery shopping with me and placed a jar of alfredo sauce in the cart telling me she was craving pasta alfredo and simply must have it! I make a really delicious homemade sauce but with the bad luck we've had since moving into the new house just a week before ($4000 in vehicle issues, heating problems, lost billfolds (my husband, not mine), etc. I've not only been busy with repairs and phone calls but I really haven't been in the mood to cook!

Store bought Alfredo sauce has a taste that I don't particularly care for. It doesn't matter the brand, they are all similar to me. But knowing it would make a quick and simple meal and she was wanting to have pasta Alfredo so badly I said "sure", knowing it can easily be doctored up!

Here is a quick and simple way to use what you have on hand and make a dish starting with a store bought sauce.

Pasta Alfredo with Vegetables

12 oz. dry pasta

1 jar alfredo sauce

1/2 - 3/4 cup of various chopped fresh vegetables; red peppers, broccoli, snap peas, carrots, onions and/or peas

1/3 c grated smoked cheese (optional, as is most of this recipe)

Tomatoes, diced

Boil your pasta according to package directions. Add fresh vegetables of your choice to the boiling water. Drain as usual. Add the pasta sauce. Stir and top with cheese and diced fresh tomatoes. The cheese should quickly melt into the hot pasta but if it doesn't, just microwave it for 2 minutes or put it under the broiler of your oven for 1 or 2 minutes. Delicious with French or garlic bread.

Simply add chopped vegetables to the boiling pasta

Adding some chopped tomatoes and a little smoked cheese

Apple Cranberry Pie

2011-12-01T14:15:00.001-06:00

Apple Cranberry Pie

This Thanksgiving I had to two packages of brilliant, beautiful, fresh red cranberries.
And a family that doesn't tend to eat cranberry sauce. Even yummy, delicious cranberry sauce.

Determined to find a new way to add them to our holiday dinner I made my favorite cranberry sauce, put it into the bottom of my daughter's favorite apple pie and a lovely two layered dessert was made. What was even better is that I made two (2) of them and then decorated the top of one with Autumn leaves and the second with holly berries and leaves; which is currently wrapped and frozen, ready to be taken out and used at our Christmas dinner.

And the family that always says they don't like cranberry sauce? Loved it.

Apple Cranberry Pie

3 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
1/2 t dried, grated orange peel
1 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c water
1/4 t salt
5 cups apples (McIntosh or mixed varieties)
1 T lemon juice
3/4 c brown sugar
3 T flour
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t salt
2 T butter
2 double pastry pies

Bring cranberries, orange peel, sugar, cinnamon, salt and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, pressing the berries against the side of the pan with a spoon to break the berries down. Simmer about 10-12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

Peel, core and slice your apples into a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 T lemon juice. Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Toss with a wooden spoon to coat the apples. Pour the cranberry mixture into the bottoms of two unbaked pie shells. Spread evenly. Top with half of the apple mixture in each. Dot the tops of the apples with a tablespoon of butter on each. Roll and cover each of your pies with the top pastry.

Seal the edges with your finger pinching or a fork, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over tops and cut vent holes in the pastry. Place on a cookie sheet to catch any over spills that may or may not happen. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven. If you are baking both at the same time be sure to swap the pies around half way through baking to ensure even cooking and browning. Bake approximately 1 hour. Let cool at least 2-3 hours before serving. Goes great with home-whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Layer the cranberries in the bottom of the pie pastry

Place the apple filling on top of the cranberry mixture

Decorate the top of the pies with excess pastry trimming if you wish

My current favorite cheese ever? Bellavitano Merlot!

2011-11-30T11:42:00.000-06:00

Every year for Thanksgiving we have a cheese tray. There are a few family favorites that we absolutely *must* have every year but then I like to mix it up a little by adding new and different cheeses we've never had before.

For about 3 years I've tried various merlot cheeses from all over the world, but never found any I loved enough to make a point to search that particular brand out again. Until this year.

I have a clear winner... so much so that after I tasted it, I dug the wrapper out of the trash, carefully washed it out with soap and water and saved the label so I wouldn't forget to pick up more for our Christmas holiday! What was this cheese I loved so much? And was it from France? England? Italy? No.... Wisconsin, USA! It's Bellavitano Merlot Wisconsin cheese and it's incredible.

Here is the description they give and then I'll tell you my thoughts after;

Created by the master cheesemakers at Sartori using time-honored techniques and the highest quality milk, Bellavitano features a rich and creamy texture with a great, cravable taste reminiscent of an aged, premium Cheddar balanced by a full flavored Parmesan. Bellavitano offers a versatile flavor with excellent melting characteristics and a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. This Bellavitano is then soaked in merlot to give it extra tang and full merlot flavor.

In my own words; It's a semi hard cheese with a hint of Parmesan, but only just. It's a nice firm, but crumbly texture that starts to melt when it hits your tongue. The Merlot the rind is soaked in has great flavor, not overbearing or too bitter. It just has the slightest hint of berries but it's paired perfectly with the flavor of the cheese that neither fight for your attention.

I'm loving this cheese right now and so very glad I can find it locally here in our new city and state! But for those of you who can't, I've included the link above that takes you right to a place you can purchase it from on Amazon. Enjoy!

Who Wants Turkey!? No One. So... Let's Make it Into Sandwiches! Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Ideas

2011-11-26T09:04:00.000-06:00

Who wants some turkey?

The roasted turkey on Thanksgiving afternoon smelled and tasted delicious. Leftovers that evening and even yesterday were quite good! But today, the second day of reheated turkey, a dab of potatoes and a little gravy doesn't sound appetizing.

In our home, today is the day I freeze what is left over. Two weeks from now I'll make ours into a warm, comforting Turkey Pot Pie with a homemade crust that we just love on a chilly winter evening.

For those of you who don't want to put your leftover turkey in the freezer for a later date, here are some sandwich ideas to use it up. Now, if you ask my Dad, he'll tell you the best sandwich is also the simplest. Use a split dinner roll, butter both sides, add some sliced leftover turkey pieces, sprinkle with a bit of salt and squish it together before biting.

For those of you who want a little more to your leftover turkey sandwich, here are a few ideas.

Turkey BLT
It's a classic with a twist

2 slices bread
lettuce
thin sliced leftover turkey slices
tomatoes
bacon
mayonnaise

Microwave or fry a couple bacon slices. Toast the bread and top each with a smear of mayo; add the lettuce, tomato and turkey. ** Also note that I like to add avocado slices to this and top one side of it with Chipotle Dressing. (Taco Bell makes a great store bought Ranchero or Chipotle Sauce.)

Grandma's Favorite Turkey and Gravy Sandwich (eaten with a fork)

My memory of this 'sandwich' is that when my mother, my grandmother and I would stop at a little cafe' restaurant in the small town where she used to live, she would order this from the menu.

Mashed potatoes
Gravy

Leftover turkey pieces, thin sliced
Bread (of your choice but a nice hearty style is best)

Place bread on a plate. Top with hot mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy. Serve!

Turkey Quesadillas
A favorite of my son and daughter as they are so quick and easy to make

2 flour tortillas
butter or oil
thin strips of leftover turkey
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
salsa and sour cream if you wish to top or dip it

Brush the outside of the flour tortillas with butter or oil. Place a tortilla, butter side down in a medium hot pan (or use a George Foreman Grill) and top with cheese and turkey. Place a second tortilla on top, butter side out. When golden brown and the cheese is melting, flip it quickly and carefully. (Not necessary to flip if you are using the George Foreman Grill).

In America: The Day Before Thanksgiving... Preparation!

2011-11-23T14:56:00.001-06:00

Cooking down the cranberries for use in the Cranberry Apple Pie

It's the day before Thanksgiving in America and many people are in the kitchen doing some of the prep work and/or baking to prepare for a day of blessings and thankfulness tomorrow; shared with their friends and family.

This year is a very strange, odd and rather sad year for me in that it's just the three of us. Our recent move to Alabama places us 1000 miles from not only extended family, but two of our own kids as well! Even though we are paring the size of the turkey down to accommodate fewer eaters, the traditional foods and fare will be on our menu. This year I'm mixing it up a little by changing the apple pie to 'cranberry apple' with a layer of delicious and brightly colored cranberries on the bottom and therefore incorporating this traditional side dish into a fabulous dessert.

Cheese Tray with various imported and smoked cheeses
Crackers

Roasted Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Cheesy Corn
Rolls
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
Cranberry Apple Pie

Wine and Sparkling Grape Juice

Making the pies

Simmering a delicious broth for use in the gravy

Baked Mini Cake Donuts

2011-11-21T10:17:00.001-06:00

Baked Mini Cake Donuts

This weekend my daughter and I were shopping for dishes for the new house when I got sidetracked in a kitcheny store and couldn't help myself; I bought a few little trinkets including an adorable itty bitty mini donut pan.

Last night in between caulking the master bath and sealing the grout I decided to bake mini donuts with the new pan and see what I thought. When you purchase specialty pans they almost always come with a stock recipe printed on the packaging. My pans for Madeleine's, Cream Horns and other little desserts and cookies all come with them but I've rarely (if ever?) found that they were good recipes. Still, I believe in giving them a chance so last night I followed the recipe on the package with one exception; I added a 1/2 t of vanilla to the batter and when I found it was too thick to pour into the pan, I added an additional 1/2 cup of milk.

In the end I found this recipe from the package to be ok but not fabulous. When my husband and daughter got home last night, my description to them, which I think is fitting is; If the 'cuteness' factor is more important than taste, then this is a fine recipe to use. For small children, parties where there are a lot of other foods and venues where presentation is more important than someone eating just one and savoring it, this would work fine and is simple. But if I am serving just these mini donuts and I want the 'wow' factor to be the flavor and texture of the donut, I would probably use a traditional fried cake donut instead of baked.

Baked Mini Cake Donuts

1 1/4 c cake flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t nutmeg
3/4 t salt
scant 1 c buttermilk (use more or less depending on the thickness of your batter)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray your pan very lightly with nonstick spray. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, egg and melted butter. Stir just until combined. For ease of filling the molds, you can place the batter into a ziploc baggy and snip the end or just spoon the batter into the cups about 1/2 full. Bake 4-6 minutes until the tops spring back when touched. Let cool in pan for 3-4 minutes and then remove to cool complete. Frost as you wish with a simple glaze and sprinkles. (Glaze can be made with 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 T milk and 1/4 t vanilla or almond extract).

Placing the batter in a ziploc for ease of filling the cups

Out of the oven. These don't 'brown' but stay white

Decorate as you wish!

WIN A BOTTLE OF TORANI FLAVORED SYRUP!

2011-11-18T10:53:00.003-06:00

Contest is now closed! Winners have been contacted. Thanks so much!

Hello An American Housewife Readers! I have a yummy contest for you!

The number one flavored syrup in America is Torani, which is no wonder considering they have 100 flavors to entice you with! (They offer sugar free versions too!)

This week I enjoyed a free bottle of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup compliments of SheSpeaks.com and Torani Flavored Syrups. While great in coffee, I personally love it even better in cooking. From desserts to fruits, flavored soda's to oatmeal. Have fun finding new ways to use it. You can order from the vast choices online at Torani.com with a special code to save 10% (use offer code "shespeaks") but I've also got a bottle (free coupon) to give out to one lucky Housewifebarbie.com reader for free!

A splash of syrup and a dash of milk for an amazing coffeehouse style drink or perhaps an Italian Soda? The choice is yours. Comment below with your favorite flavor (make sure your email is linked to your user name or you leave it for me, or else I won't be able to get a hold of you!). I will draw one random winning email/name next Monday, November 21, 2011 at 12:noon. If you prefer to email me your comment and name (and not post it on the website) you can do that too. All entries will be created equal.

Regular Flavors Available from their website:

Vanilla
Raspberry
Strawberry
French Vanilla
Irish Cream
Syrup Dispensing Pump
Almond Roca®
Amaretto
Apple
Bacon
Black Currant
Blackberry
Blood Orange
Blue Raspberry
Blueberry
Brown Sugar Cinnamon
Butter Pecan
Butter Rum
Butterscotch
Cane Sweetener
Caramel
Chai Tea Spice
Cheesecake
Cherry Lime
Cherry
Chocolate Bianco
Cookie Dough
Chocolate Mac Nut
Chocolate Milano
Chocolate Mint
Cinnamon
Classic Caramel
Classic Hazelnut
Classic Root Beer
Coconut
Coffee
Crème Caramel
Crème de Banana
Crème de Cacao
Crème de Menthe
Cupcake
English Toffee
French Vanilla
Gingerbread
Grape
Green Apple
Guava
Hazelnut
Honey Vanilla
Huckleberry
Irish Cream
Italian Eggnog
Kiwi
Lemon
Lime
Macadamia Nut
Mango
Maple
Orange
Orgeat (Almond)
Passion Fruit
Peach
Peanut Butter
Peppermint
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Spice
Raspberry
Red Raspberry
Ruby Red Grapefruit
Salted Caramel
Shortbread
Strawberry
Tangerine
Tiramisu
Toasted Marshmallow
Vanilla Bean
Vanilla
Watermelon

Delicious Coffee Cake

2011-11-16T07:59:00.000-06:00

A chilly Autumn morning, fresh coffee and... coffee cake.

This is a recipe I found years ago for a coffee cake but I made it into a loaf bread which was similar to the flavor and texture of Entenmann's. I love to serve this bread to family and friends because not only is it awesome, but if I don't? I'll eat the whole loaf myself within two days!

Coffee Cake
Like Entenmann's

3 3/4 c flour
1 3/4 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt

Mix in a large mixing bowl and then remove 2 cups of the dry mix to reserve for later.

To the rest of the flour in the mixing bowl add;

1 stick butter (not margarine)
2 eggs
2/3 milk

The batter will be thick, spoon and spread this into a greased and floured pan (I use a little of the reserved flour topping mix to flour the pan).

To the reserved flour mixture add;

1 stick butter
1/4 c brown sugar
2 t cinnamon
dash of salt

Mix this together with your finger tips until it forms pea sized crumbles. Cover the entire coffee cake with this topping. If you chose to use a cake pan you'll use all the topping, a loaf pan like I do, you will only use half the topping. Freeze the rest in a baggy to use on muffins at a later date!

Bake at 350 degrees at least 60 minutes until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean.. In my oven it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Create and Print a Family Cookbook for $39.00

2011-11-15T12:46:00.000-06:00

I admit... I've been busy. I've been steer heading the relocation of our family 1000 miles across the country from home to home and life hasn't slowed down to allow me to sufficiently concentrate on my freelance writing nor my blogs. We also just hosted guests (my parents) when we aren't even living in our new home yet! We didn't have appliances, mattresses nor beds so we are actually sleeping and eating in the temporary apartment while cleaning, unpacking and working on the house during the day. On top of everything else however, I'm reminded that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. Yikes!

This morning I was updating some information online when I clicked on one of the companies I write for on another website of mine, and an offer for my readers caught my eye... but not for my readers. For me! I saw it was an offer to create and print a family cookbook for $39.00. Every time I see my parents it seems like I'm handwriting one of my favorite recipes for my mother to take home with her. This weekend it was my blueberry bread recipe. What a great gift idea... a cookbook printed with all the recipes my parents rave about when they visit me and ask me to write out or print out for them.

I haven't had time to click on it and read through all the details yet and I can't even do so right now as I've got to leave to get my daughter from school but it's here for my own use (and yours) later when I'm in a 'Christmas gift' frame of mind and can settle down with a cup of coffee and check out the details.

If I find it's something I don't think is a good fit I will come back and remove this post. If any of my readers have already done this please feel free to comment below and let me know what you thought!

Make Ahead Gravy for Thanksgiving or Christmas

2011-11-13T07:46:00.001-06:00

Perfect Gravy... made ahead to save time and stress

Although we relocated 1000 miles away from 'home' last week, we signed the paperwork to purchase the new home and I've spent hours cleaning, scrubbing, unpacking and repairing.... we are not yet actually living in the house. It's still a rather nomadic lifestyle as the new home is still sans beds, mattresses, dishes, washer, dryer or even a refrigerator. I drive to the house each morning and spend the day there but we are still returning to the apartment to sleep each night.

Because our lives have been in such turmoil over the past couple weeks, the fact that Thanksgiving is literally just around the corner has not been first and foremost in my mind. And Christmas? Gah. I didn't give a hint of a thought to that until my oldest daughter texted me to ask what I was getting her sister so we didn't double up. Christmas? Gifts? I've not even thought about it much less bought anything!

Now that I've been made aware that Thanksgiving is almost upon us, it's time for me to try to gear up for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner in between unpacking a kazillion moving boxes, accepting delivery of our refrigerator and other appliances and trying to learn a brand new oven and microwave (this oven has convection capabilities, which I've never used before). One baby step that will not only help me, but help my readers is my all-time favorite and perfect gravy recipe. One I've used for twenty years and will probably use for twenty more as it's not only that delicious, but it's easy, makes perfect gravy each time and can be made a week ahead of Thanksgiving or Christmas and then reheated the day of - without lumps, gelling or odd textures!

My Make Ahead Gravy

6 c chicken broth (don't worry, store bought or even water with chicken bouillon is fine)

2 lg. onions, chopped
1 c sliced fresh carrots
1 c water or dry white wine
1/2 c celery leaves and stems

6 T butter with
3/4 c flour

Mix the first 5 ingredients (broth and vegetables) in a soup pan and simmer on low 1 1/2 hours. Strain through a wire strainer and disgard vegetables. Add water if needed to make it 6 cups total.

Mash the 6 tablespoons butter with the flour until it's a paste and break into 4 chunks.

Simmering vegetables for broth

Bring the 6 c broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in flour chunks one at a time, whisking each until thick and smooth. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat. If you will be using it within 2 days; cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. If you won't be using it for a few days more, be sure it's in an airtight container in the coldest part of the fridge. Greatest of all? You can also freeze it at this stage until needed and slowly reheat to thaw before continuing.

When you make your gravy; Reheat your gravy base that you've already made and after your turkey is done, add the pan drippings - at least 3/4 of a cup of pan drippings (up to but not more than 2 cups) heat until hot and serve!

It's THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! Time for my annual Mini Thanksgiving Dinner Cupcakes!

2011-11-08T11:21:00.000-06:00

I've just arrived for another day of unpacking and cleaning at the new house. But first I wanted to brew a fresh pot of coffee, sit down and enjoy the kitchen for a moment before I drag out yet another moving box and fill my counters with packing papers and 'mystery' items as the movers seem to have taken great joy in packing random items together; for example I have 2 boxes in front of me right now that read "Clothes and Xmas Items". Really? Those don't even go together. And to top it off they are in a box marked "Garage".

Spare time is not something I have right now as we are chest high in moving boxes. But it's time I re-post an annual favorite anyway! Our families traditional Mini Thanksgiving Dinner Cupcakes!

Thanks to my website, I've shared this 'recipe' many times and I'm happy to report that I now have many, many bloggers and friends and readers that make these (or similar using the products they can find in their own grocery stores) every year for their families. What a great tradition! Are you ready to start???

Needed:
24 baked and cooled cupcakes
Brach's Maple Nut Candies
2 cans white frosting (or homemade)
Yellow gel food color (in a little tube)
Tiny round non-perils - red for cranberries and green for peas
I prefer to use the long skinny green sprinkles and call them green beans
chocolate chips or butterscotch chips to melt for 'gravy'
A package of cookies of your choice to look like a plate (a pretty edge on the cookie is a nice touch)
Yellow frosting or other color besides white for the 'plate'

Bake and cool your favorite cupcake recipe. Frost each cupcake with white or tinted frosting of your choice and top each with a cookie while the frosting is soft to 'adhere' the cookie-plate to the cupcake.

Carefully frost a circle on each cookie to be your plate. Be sure not to frost more than 2 or 3 'plates' at a time as you want the frosting to be soft enough to press the candy 'food' into. Slice the maple nut candies thin and place them on the cookie plate to be 'turkey'. Dab some white frosting next to it for 'mashed potatoes' followed with a little dab of yellow gel food color as 'butter'. Add the 'cranberries' (red colored sugar or non-perils) and little green 'peas' or 'beans'. Melt your butterscotch or chocolate chips and thin with a little vegetable oil. Drizzle over the 'turkey' as gravy.

These are always a huge hit no matter where I've taken them; family functions, school parties or the work office. Enjoy!

In Honor of My New Home: Southern Fried Chicken

2011-11-06T05:55:00.000-06:00

The 320 moving boxes waiting for my attention make it official. I'm a southerner! And lucky for me I love good ol' southern home cooking. As a matter of fact, on my solo trip here with the last of our things from 'up north' I stayed the night in a small town in Tennessee and the only thing I wanted for dinner? Fried Chicken! And I got it. And when the waiter asked me if I cared for any dessert that evening? I said, "No, but I think I'll have another piece of fried chicken!" (Yes, I really did!)

This is my post for Fried Chicken that I first shared with you in 2008. It's "MOVING WEEK" for me and I'm snowed under with boxes, utility installation, packing paper and a counter full of 'stuff' that has no home in our new house. My time is short, but in honor of my relocation to the South I give you; Fried Chicken!

Fried Chicken

1 whole chicken, cut for frying (8 pieces or so)
1 1/2 c self rising flour
1/2 t salt
1 t black pepper
*optional: cayenne, sage, accent, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
oil for frying

Soak the chicken pieces in salt water for 15 minutes. Drain. Mix the seasonings with the flour - you really only need salt, pepper and flour, but can add a few other spices too. Just don't get too heavy handed with them. 1/4 teaspoon is a good starting point for adding extra's and increasing from there.

Coat the chicken and let it set for about 15-30 minutes if you have time. This helps the coating stay on through frying. Heat about 1 1/2 cups oil or shortening in a pan over medium high. It's important the oil is not too hot! This is one of the mistakes I made through the first few years of our marriage. Every time I tried to make fried chicken it would be golden brown on the outside and un-cooked on the inside. The trick is to have the oil be hot enough to sizzle a bit when the chicken is lowered into the pan, but not enough for the oil to splatter and jump all over the place. If it's too hot remove the pan from the heat, let it cool down a bit and then add your chicken. Cook half the time, turn, cook the other half. Turning again if necessary.

The chicken will take about 20-30 minutes to cook completely. It should be golden brown and done all the way through. Drain for a few minutes and serve.

Here is my spices - 1 1/2 c self rising flour, 1 1/2 t pepper, 1 t Accent,
1/2 t salt, 1/4 t garlic powder, 1/4 t onion powder, a dash of sage and a dash of paprika

Ready to go into the oven~ Southern Biscuits!
I reserved about 1/4 cup of the unused seasoned flour to mix
into my biscuits. I love them flavored this way with gravy!
PS: This is not my 'regular' biscuit recipe - you'll find the one I usually
make in the 'breads' links to the right - along with photos. This was just a quick and simple
recipe using self rising flour, shortening and buttermilk.

The chicken floured and setting for a bit.

The camera's flash made it look a little orange colored
but here it is frying in the pan... yum!

I've Arrived in the New State

2011-10-31T13:56:00.000-05:00

For my regular readers, you know that I'm trying to buy a home, sell a home, update my websites and relocate 1000 miles away all at the same time. In the middle of this, life goes on with running the busy schedules and lives of not just the three kids but my husband and I as well.

I'm happy to say I just finished the solo trek across the country and arrived in my new home state. I'm currently in the temporary corporate apartment my husband and daughter have been staying in but if all goes well we'll close on our home this week.

Can't wait to get moved into a new home and get back to work as an American Housewife and share some fabulous recipes and food photos with you. Hang in there! I'll be back soon!

Fudge Nut Truffles - Perfectly Delicious

2011-10-23T12:30:00.003-05:00

Sleeping on an air mattress, living among chaos, mere days before the moving truck shows up to pack up our lives into boxes that we won't see again for 7-12 days and I make... truffles?

Born out of frustration and the need to do 'something' mindless to vent built up energy I opened the almost bare cupboards last night and saw a box of Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate. Thinking I would make them into brownies, I grabbed the box and opening it, saw a simple recipe for fudge. Did I really want fudge? No, not really. I don't like chocolate all that much and don't crave it so honestly I'd rather have a nice pile of caramelized onions or a bowl of steamed broccoli. But... I was bugged, the semi-sweet chocolate was there and I needed something to do that wasn't moving related.

Since I always "play with my food" and view recipes as a guide for brainstorming, I looked at the recipe;

Fudge

2 packages of 8 squares each (16 total) Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 t vanilla

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Melt the chocolate squares in the microwave with the milk. Stir in nuts and vanilla and pour into a foil lined 8" square pan. Let cool, lift from pan and cut into squares.

Obviously, being 'me', that's not what I would do. I didn't have a plan yet, but I started in anyway.

The first thing I changed was to half the recipe

as I only had 1 box of Semi-Sweet Chocolate

I melted the chocolate with the sweetened condensed milk.

I then tasted it and decided I'd pour most of the rest of the can

of sweetened condensed milk into it.

I used about 3/4 of the can.

(The rest I mixed with toasted chopped walnuts

and ate with a spoon).

I increased the amount of vanilla to about 3 teaspoons.

I poured the mixture onto foil and placed it in the refrigerator or freezer to set up. I left mine all night as I went to bed after this point. In the morning I took it back out. It will still be soft and pliable since we used more sweetened condensed milk than fudge would have, but it sets up so you can scoop it out.

Scoop and form into balls rolled between your palms and place the balls back on foil. Place the foil in the freezer. Let the balls freeze for 30 minutes if you can wait that long. At least 10-15 at minimum. In the meantime, melt 1/2 lb. of almond bark. I used vanilla but feel free to use chocolate as well.

Dip each fudge nut ball into the melted almond bark.

Place on foil. Sprinkle with jimmies if you wish or leave plain.

Let harden on the foil at room temperature.

My Fudge Nut Truffles

1 packages of 8 squares each Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate (I only had 7 squares so that's fine!)

1 can sweetened condensed milk (use most of it, just shy of the whole can)

3 t vanilla

3/4 c chopped walnuts

1/2 lb. almond bark, melted at 50% power in the microwave and stirred smooth

Sprinkles if you wish

Melt the chocolate squares in the microwave with the milk. Stir in nuts and vanilla and pour into a foil lined 8" square pan. Let cool. Scoop out heaping teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture and roll between your hands to form balls. Place on foil. Place in freezer for at least 20 minutes and longer if you wish. Melt the almond bark in the microwave at half power and stir until smooth (takes about 3-4 minutes depending on the microwave). Use a skewer, fork or toothpick to dip the chocolate truffle balls into the melted almond bark and place on foil. Sprinkle with jimmies if you wish. Let stand at room temperature to set up and harden.

*If you have leftover almond bark, don't throw it out. Look into your cupboards to see what you have to make 'almond bark candy' out of it. I used a cup of toasted coconut stirred into mine. Then pour out onto foil and let harden at room temperature. Other ideas: M&M's, peanuts, cereal, crushed peppermint candies, chopped halloween candy corn, popcorn or chocolate chips. When it is hard (about 20 minutes) break into pieces and enjoy!

Hot Shrimp Dip

2011-10-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

The moving trucks come in less than a week! I am obviously cooking to 'use up' all the food in our refrigerator and freezer, but I highly doubt there are many of you out there doing the same. Instead, this is a recipe that you could use for that Sunday football party or a great Halloween party dip! The red bell pepper I put in there more for looks than flavor. I love the little red pieces it adds to the visual presentation. You could leave them out if you don't care. Or you could substitute a bit of green pepper, some spinach or even tiny diced tomatoes.

Hot Shrimp Dip

2 lbs. cream cheese, diced
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 pound chopped cooked shrimp
1/2 T minced fresh garlic or 1/2 t garlic powder
4 banana peppers, chopped fine

Microwave the mixture and stir smooth. Serve in a fondue pot or a warming dish. Serve with a variety of crackers and thick tortilla chips.

Edited: A Free Cookbook for My Readers

2011-10-18T08:07:00.003-05:00

I am often contacted by companies and individuals who want me to talk about their product, help sell their product or do a contest for my readers. This week I was contacted by Jeff Pirtle, better known as Chef Jeff. After attending culinary school, being a food service director, a chef on a yacht and more, he put his experience and some of his recipes into an easy to read and easy to follow cookbook for families. He left out the pretentious recipes and instead chose family-friendly recipes that were healthy, used less than 10 ingredients and involved fresh foods.

Before I would offer this free download to my readers I scanned through the recipes myself to be sure they were 'real food' for 'real families' like I feature (and cook) on An American Housewife for my own family. They were! I was thrilled with the delicious recipes and the simplicity style of his writing (much like mine when I tell you to just 'mix it all together!'). Here is a sample of just one... and at the bottom of the page, a link to get his ebook for free.

Balsamic Chicken

This is a nice recipe where the sauce coats the chicken with the onions- yum! I like to add
a pinch of fresh rosemary when cooking the onions, but that is optional.

Serves 4
Cook time: 25 minutes

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound Chicken Breast
1 sliced Onion
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup Chicken Broth low sodium
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown the chicken in the oil in skillet over medium-high
heat, Place in a baking dish. Add the onions to the skillet and turn to medium. When they
start to soften and caramelize, add the garlic, balsamic, and chicken broth, and cook until
it starts to thicken. Pour on top of chicken and bake for 15 minutes.

per serving: 279.25 calories; 25 gram protein; 17 grams total fat; 0.5 gram fiber; 5 gram
saturated fat; 9.75 grams carbohydrates; 72 mgs cholesterol; 219.5 mgs sodium

Over 200 healthy and mouthwatering dinner recipes and all recipes have less than 10 ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to prepare. An amazing variety of recipes including vegetarian and

simple side dishes... all available to my readers for free; (normally a $27 cookbook): DinneRevolution

*Edited to add: It's a two step process - when you sign up for the ebook you'll get a page that says it isn't found. About 2 minutes later you'll get an email verification with a link to click on to get the free book. Click on the link and you are there! 200 delicious recipes at your fingertips.

Thanks Chef Jeff!

If it's in the freezer, I Grilled It. Improptu Chipotle Shrimp

2011-10-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterdays plans included trying to give away our grill in anticipation of the move. However, my husband wants me to save the empty propane tank and bring it with me so we have an extra tank as we do grill a lot and often run out in the middle of grilling our steaks!

Yesterday I opened the freezer and the pickings were sparse, but I grilled everything in there that was grill-able. A pound of shrimp, 2 burgers, 1 pork chop, 2 chicken breasts.... the propane was still going strong. I let it run about 30 or 40 minutes more and used the time to scrub it clean with the wire brush. Still showing no sign of letting up I decided to turn it off, admit I wasn't going to be able to give it away yet and resigned myself to buying a steak later this week for dinner.

Here is last nights shrimp marinade - although I didn't measure anything, I can guesstimate. Marinades are like that. Just play with your food!

Impromptu Shrimp Marinade

In a large ziploc baggy place the cleaned shrimp. Add oil (canola or olive) - about 1/3 cup. I added about 2 teaspoons Chipotle chile powder seasoning. About 1 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning. Massage the baggy to coat the shrimp. Thread on a metal skewer and grill about 4-5 minutes per side over medium heat until pink and white and no longer gray. Mmmm!

Store Bought Almond Scones - Quick Review

2011-10-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

With only a couple weeks to go before moving, I'm trying to use up all the food in the house, not buy more. Of course I still have to keep stocking up on the basics and during a quick grocery trip this week I gave into a craving I got when I spied these Barista Baking Company brand scones.

In the refrigerated section of the store, they were priced cheap enough (at about $2.50) to give them a try. I love scones. I love almond. It would hopefully be a win/win situation.

Opening the package I found them to be a little slimy and shiny but that is to be expected with a store bought product. The aroma of almond was heavenly and I could see slivers of almond in the dough.

They say to break the scones apart on the pre-scored lines which was simple to do but I did note that the scones are not uniform in size. This actually makes them look more homemade in the end, and gives you a choice of a small scone or a larger size depending on what you wish so it's not a bad thing.

You simply place them on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. The result? Delicious. You can tell they are not homemade scones and they quite like an almond cookie in many ways, but for 'quick and easy' and tasty, they went great with coffee and yes, I'd even buy them again.

Streusel Coffee Cake (when I was out of eggs and brown sugar)

2011-10-05T09:10:00.000-05:00

Remember this past Spring when I made this coffee cake? Over the past 3 weeks or so I've been thinking about it and craving it. Life has been so busy with the relocation that I didn't have time to even think about baking and of course I didn't have a yellow cake mix on hand. Yesterday when I stopped the grocery store for some basics, (I just returned from a house hunting trip 1000 miles away in the new state and of course needed groceries after being gone for 9 days) somehow a yellow cake mix found its way into my cart.

When I came home I laughed at myself when I realized I was a little short on the amount of cinnamon needed, out of brown sugar and I was completely out of eggs. I had a dozen when I left to drive down south, but my college aged son had been home last weekend and went on a deviled egg kick and used them all up! I had used the last of the brown sugar making cookies a few weeks ago and because I'm trying to 'use up' the groceries in the house in preparation for the move, I don't buy basics anymore unless I need them for a particular recipe.

No worries. Play with your food. Recipes are just guides anyway.

Here is the recipe and at the bottom I'll post what I did differently.

Streusel Coffee Cake

1/3 c graham cracker crumbs
3/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
2/3 c butter, melted

1 regular sized package yellow cake mix
1 c water
1/4 c canola oil
3 eggs

1 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube or bundt pan. Make the streusal by combining the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle half in the bottom of the pan. Set the other half to the side.

Mix the cake mix with the water, oil and eggs. Beat on low with 1 minute, beat on medium for 2 minutes. Spread half the batter in the pan, sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the batter and then pour the rest of the batter on the over streusel. Bake for about an hour but watch as all pans and ovens are different. Test for doneness when the center is done. Let it cool for about an hour, loosen and turn out of the pan. Make the powdered sugar glaze with the vanilla and just enough drops of water to make it a drizzle consistency. Drizzle over the cake. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

*How I substituted ingredients:

Instead of oil and eggs: I used about 3/4 cup real mayonnaise. (When substituting mayonnaise for eggs in a recipe, the mayonnaise also replaces the fat in the recipe as well).
Instead of brown sugar: Use white sugar and mix in a tablespoon of molasses. Blend and press with a fork until incorporated.
Instead of the full amount of cinnamon: I just used what I had on hand, which was about a teaspoon -and because I was doubling the amount of streusel (it's my favorite part) I thought it might be too faint but it was simply delicious and perfectly yummy!

Unfortunately for me, this cake is most excellent with coffee... and I'm the only one home this week... and I love it so much that there is a good chance I'm going to eat the whole darn thing myself!

Beer Battered Fish

2011-10-01T07:56:00.000-05:00

As a child some of my earliest memories are going fishing at the river. By the time I was 2 years old I was holding my own fishing pole. Over the years we camped and fished often and I only have to think about beer battered fish to taste it in my memory.

As I got to be a teenager I lost interest in fishing and soon was married and off on a life of my own that rarely, if ever includes fishing. As a matter of fact I think the last time I camped, fished and had beer batter fish I caught on my own was an extended family camping trip to Canada when I was pregnant with our third child. Funny though, I can still taste the beer battered Walleye I had on that trip.

About once a year I make beer battered fish for our family, although it's usually with fish I've 'caught' in the seafood aisle of my local grocery. It's quick and easy to make and if you have beer already on hand, use what you have. It's really good with a heavy, dark beer like Guinness but any beer will do.

Beer Battered Fish

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup heavy beer

Oil for frying
Fish fillets
Flour

In a bowl, sift the flour and salt. Add the egg and whisk to blend. Slowly add the beer while continuing to whisk until all the beer is added.

Heat the oil in the pan, about a third of the way up the side.

Wash the fish under cold water and roll in the flour to coat. Dip the fish pieces, one at a time into the batter and drop into the oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately plain, or with vinegar and oil or tartar sauce.

Not a Vacation: But I'm a Thousand Miles From Home

2011-10-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

House Hunting! It's been quiet this week because I'm far away from home. My regular readers recall my husband was transferred and we are currently in the middle of relocating 1000 miles away.

A new home in a new state is going to take some time to make our 'own'. While fun, it's also overwhelming to start with a blank slate and have to decorate and purchase items to make the house into your home. Luckily for me I know how to pinch a penny and I like to look at all shopping options. While I'm content to sometimes drive to a brick and mortar store, I often do my research, window shopping and buying online. Not that I'm going to be looking for a kegerator , or marsala wine; but if I were, it would be no problem to find them within seconds and a few clicks of the keys.

Finding the lowest price for an item is easy on sites like Become where you search for your product (example; pedestal sinks) and it does the footwork for you of finding the best price and shows you which store they found it at.

As I'll be in a new city, in a new state and the house we are currently looking to purchase is 10 miles from the closest retail areas, I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of online searching.

Thank Goodness for Hotel Coffee Makers and Ramen

2011-09-30T08:39:00.000-05:00

My regular readers might recall I'm traveling this week.

Our family has been transferred to a new state and are in the middle of relocating 1000 miles away. We were blessed to get an offer on our current home so after trying for 3 weeks to get away and get to the 'new' city and state, I finally could not put it off any longer and left last weekend to travel to where my husband and 1 daughter have been living for the last few months, and go house hunting this week.

Our family travels by car a lot. We rarely fly (who can afford it when you have a family of five?) So making a 15 hour solo drive across the country, I decided to do something I normally never do. I made the decision to make it more 'leisurely' by only driving 10 hours the first day, stopping for the night and then continuing the rest of the way in the morning.

Stopping only for gas twice and a quick bathroom break once; I munched on a peach and a banana on the way and drank the bottled waters I had brought with me. I arrived in Tennessee and got settled into my hotel room around 7:pm and realized... I was hungry. Very hungry.

The last thing I wanted to do was get back into my vehicle to drive somewhere and pick up fast food. I had no cash on me (only a debit card and credit card) so I didn't want to order pizza delivery, and although there was 1 full serve restaurant within walking distance of my hotel, I really didn't want to make eating that big of a deal nor do I like eating solo in large, busy restaurants.

Then I remembered; I had slipped a package of Spicy Hot Ramen Noodles into my computer laptop bag! It was a spur of the moment decision at the time, but I the packages are thin and easy to tote and I had put one in there, although at the time I didn't know why I did. It was just a random thing I did at the time.

Then I laughed at myself.

I had Ramen but I had no bowl. No fork. But wait! I had a coffeemaker a styrofoam cups in my hotel bathroom! Bingo.

I broke the Ramen into quarters (the cups are small), added some of the Spicy Hot flavor packet and brewed a cup using the hot water from the coffeemaker by not adding a coffee packet. I sipped it as soup and it was... delicious!

Hot and spicy. Filling. Just what I needed at the end of a long day having only had fresh fruit.

Just as I keep an extra pair of flip flops in my truck, I guess I may just have to keep an extra package of Spicy Ramen in my laptop bag!

Bavarian Spiced Baby Potatoes

2011-09-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

Covered in olive oil, Bavarian Spice Mix, Rosemary and Thyme

Yesterday I had a bag of petite Klondike Gold Dust buttery yellow potatoes that I needed to use up. I pulled out an electric dutch oven, put in some water, the potatoes, turned it on and boiled them while I decided how I wanted to make them.

One favorite is to partially cook them, then grill with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and olive oil. As I opened the cupboard to get the rosemary and thyme I saw my container of Penzey's Bavarian Spice mix. Originally I bought it for use on chicken but opening it and smelling the aroma of the spice mixture, I knew it would be wonderful on my potatoes as well. Time to play with my food and see what I get! It was... delicious!

Bavarian Spiced Baby Potatoes

Petite baby potatoes (come by Klondike in 1.5 lbs. bags - enough for 4 people)
2 t fresh minced garlic
olive oil - about 2 tablespoons - more for cook time
Salt and pepper to taste
Penzey's Bavarian Spice mix - about 2 teaspoons
Rosemary (fresh or dried) to taste (about 1 t)
Thyme (fresh or dried) to taste (about 1 t)

Pre-boil the potatoes. Drain. In a bowl mix the oil with the potatoes (you can cut the larger ones in half) and add all the spices. Mix until well coated. I like lots of flavor on my potatoes but if you like your foods a little more bland, go lighter on the spices and taste and adjust accordingly. Cook in a pan or skillet over medium high heat until golden or my favorite - over a grilling rack on the grill. About 3 minutes before you are going to remove them from heat, add the garlic, stir till the garlic is golden as well but don't let it burn. You can add more oil during any time in the cooking process if it's used up.

Just starting to cook the seasoned baby potatoes

Thick Sugar Cookies Like Lofthouse

2011-09-21T08:21:00.001-05:00

My posts might be fewer during this crazy time of selling, house hunting, relocating; but my goal is to update as much as possible. Yesterday however, I ate more like a college student than a Mom! I even had hot spicy chili flavored Ramen noodles for lunch. Shhh!

This morning I'm sipping coffee now, but in 45 minutes my world gets busy. My parents coming to switch vehicles, the roofer coming with a truck load of building supplies for a new roof this week, relocation company is supposed to contact me regarding details and the loan 'guy' for the pre-approval paperwork.

I feel a little bad so as I looked through my files this morning I saw a recipe for a faux Lofthouse style Cookie with thick frosting and I knew I could post it as a "I'm sorry I'm so busy right now but here is a cookie!" offering to my readers.

Let me be the first to say that Lofthouse cookies on their own... aren't that great. If you scrape the icing off, you are left with a really thick, floury, dry cookie. It's the oh-so-thick brightly colored frosting that makes them taste good as it gives flavor and moisture to the cookie. So make sure you have plenty of flour on hand, don't over bake the cookie (they should not be browned at all) and do not attempt to eat with mounds of frosting or you'll be left with a lackluster, dry, floury vanilla cookie.

Cookies (similar to Lofthouse)

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.Mix in baking soda, baking powder and enough flour to create a consistency for rolling. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough to a 1/4-to 3/8-inch thickness using a generous amount of flour. Cut out shapes and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes. Cook on a wire rack. Frost and decorate as desired.

Frosting

1/2 C. Butter
1/2 C. Shortening
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

Blend the butter, shortening, egg whites, and flavorings together in a mixer for 1 minutes. Add 1/2 the sugar and gently start to mix, then mix on high for 1 minute until smooth. Add the remainder of the sugar. Gradually increase your mixer volume to high as the sugar blends in. Beat on high for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides once during mix time. Use to frost cookies and sprinkle if desired.

Spinach Artichoke Dip with Fresh Spinach

2011-09-17T05:50:00.001-05:00

In the past I've always made this family favorite with a package of thawed frozen spinach. No reason really other than the fact that buying chopped frozen spinach at the store and keeping it on hand for 'whenever' is just so easy. When we would crave this tortilla and pita dip we would simply grab the frozen spinach out and make it.

This time around I was trying to 'use up' a container of fresh spinach. I had bought it to make the Greek Pizza I'm so fond of but they sell fresh spinach in such large containers that I was then forced to think of what I was hungry for that used spinach (before it started to go bad!). It was a toss up between Cream of Spinach Soup and this dip. The dip won.

When I make this dip I make it 'a little different' every time based on whatever I happen to have on hand. Remember what I always say; recipes are a guideline but play with your food! Don't be afraid to add or delete based on what you have or what you like or don't like (within reason of course!)

Looking in my cupboards and refrigerator I pulled out some basic ingredients and this is what I came up with!

Spinach Artichoke Dip with Fresh Spinach

1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese (you could use all 8 oz. if you want)
1/2 c fresh shredded parmesan
1 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 t minced garlic
4-5 artichoke hearts, barely chopped
1 large handful clean, loose fresh spinach leaves (maybe 2 cups if you were to have to measure)

Chop the spinach leaves and add to everything else in a lightly sprayed or greased casserole dish. Bake at 325 or 350 for about 20-25 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave it if you wish. You can always microwave and then put it under the broiler for 2 minutes to give it a bubbly golden 'finished' look on top. The finished photo above is what it looks like if you microwave it and do not finish under the broiler as it stays 'white' since the cheese does not brown. You could also put this in the crock pot. Serves well with tortilla chips and pita chips.

For my regular readers and new readers who have stuck with me over the past couple months...

2011-09-16T12:43:00.001-05:00

Look what showed up in my yard this morning!

It's been difficult to try to keep up my websites as well as getting two kids enrolled and off to college, one more enrolled and starting high school 1000 miles away and then getting our house ready to go on the market and finally... selling it. But I've done it. And it's hopefully going to start to get better within a couple months.

After the first part of November I can't wait to devote more time to cooking, baking and product reviews and become 'just' (eh) a happy housewife again!

Comfort Food: Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce (and yes I used canned soup!)

2011-09-12T10:15:00.001-05:00

When life is full of ups and downs, sometimes you just start craving 'comfort foods'. Typical comfort foods might be homemade chocolate chip cookies, hot macaroni and cheese, rice pudding, roast and potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna casserole... things typically from your childhood that somehow make you feel better when you eat them.

This week I craved a food from my childhood that I almost never make anymore as my husband is not a fan of pork (outside of bacon, which he loves!). Since he was currently working 1000 miles away and I could have anything I wanted for dinner without anyone else chiming in their opinions, I made myself pork chops with mushroom sauce... the same way my mother used to make them; with canned soup.

It was hot. It was delicious. It was exactly what I needed and wanted. And the way this week is starting out? I think I better go buy another can of soup and see if we have more pork chops in the freezer. I think I might be in need of a lot more comfort food!

Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce

2-4 pork chops (bone in or out - up to you but bone-in has more flavor)
1 can mushroom soup
salt & pepper
oil
water*

Heat about a tablespoon or two of oil in a pan over medium high heat and brown both sides of the pork chops, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. When they are golden brown with bits of dark brown, place them in an oven safe dish or pan. Turn off the heat and immediately add about 3/4 c water to the frying pan to deglaze the pan. As you scrape the bottom of the pan and stir the water it will make a wonderful sauce. Add 1 can of mushroom soup to this mixture and pour over the pork chops. Bake at 375 until the pork chops are done; typically for my oven and meat it's about 35 minutes. This pairs well with potatoes.

Deglaze the pan while hot

*use more water if the sauce is too thick. You can use up to 1 1/2 cups of water to a can of soup. When I make this for the whole family I double the soup and sauce and serve with mashed potatoes with the sauce as a gravy. Delicious!

Passing Along the Information: Turkey Product Recall

2011-09-11T09:07:00.000-05:00

Minnesota-based Cargill Inc. is recalling more ground turkey products because of possible salmonella contamination.

The company recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey last month after a salmonella outbreak that federal health officials say had sickened 107 people in 31 states by Aug. 11. One person died.

That recall covered products from Cargill's plant in Springdale, Ark.

The company shut down the plant but said Aug. 17 it had resumed limited production after the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved additional safety measures.

The USDA said Sunday that Cargill was recalling about 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products made after production resumed because a sample tested positive for salmonella. No illnesses linked to those products have been reported.

Dark Sweet Cherries and Vanilla Ice Cream with a Sprinkle of Walnuts.... Mmmm

2011-09-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

Cherries are a fruit my mother never bought when I was a child. Cherries in our home came in the form of a can in ooey gooey glaze that she used to make Cherry Dessert. That was it. Nothing else. Ever. There are sour cherries and sweet cherries, and when the dark sweet cherries are in season and readily available in your grocery, it's time to enjoy a nice sundae or cherry malt on the deck, after dinner, as the sun goes down.

Although you can put the mixture into a blender, I've never found it necessary. Instead, I scoop vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt into a glass, cut pieces of cherry straight from the pits (use a small paring knife and just cut around the pit, giving you about 4-5 perfectly sized pieces and then toss the stem and pit into the trash) and top with some chopped walnuts. You can use whipped cream on top if you would like.

As the ice cream softens I mix mine with a spoon while eating and enjoy a pink tinged 'cherry nut' ice cream that is so perfect on a late summer evening.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp on the Grill with Sweet Onions on the Side

2011-09-05T09:26:00.002-05:00

The night was clear, the sky was blue, the weather perfect. I was craving shrimp and had a package of bacon thawed in the refrigerator as well. I knew exactly what would be for dinner that evening. Grilled Shrimp! Incredibly easy and oh-so-good I have to admit something to you dear readers... it looked and smelled so good I started to eat and forgot to take an 'after' photo!

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

1 lb. bacon

2 lb. shrimp (shelled and deveined but with the tail on)

Lemon Pepper seasoning

Garlic Pepper seasoning

Olive oil

Optional: yellow, red and green peppers, mushrooms, onions and zucchini - chopped large

I find this recipe cooks best if you precook the bacon for a few minutes so it is translucent and about 1/2 of the way cooked (and cooled a bit) before you wrap the shrimp but you don't have to if you don't have time. I was really hungry this night and didn't want to but the bacon cooks more evenly and crisps better if you do. Slice the bacon into thirds or halves lengthwise. Wrap a piece of bacon around each shrimp and place on a tray. When all are wrapped, drizzle with olive oil and season with a mixture of lemon pepper and garlic pepper mixes. Chop vegetables on the side. Place all on a grill pan with holes (I use a pan pizza style pan with the holes in the bottom) and cook over medium high on your grill, turning to get all sides of the bacon crisp. If the bacon is not crisp enough but the shrimp is done, place on a metal tray and finish quickly under the broiler in your oven. Do not over cook the shrimp or it becomes hard and rubbery (which is why I prefer to precook the bacon strips before wrapping). Mmmm.

Bacon wrapped shrimp with chopped onions on the side

Skunk Deodorizer

2011-09-04T12:51:00.001-05:00

I can honestly say that in the past 5 years of running this website I've never featured a recipe for... skunk odor remover! And thankfully I didn't need to mix any up this weekend but a run in with a skunk during some errands made me look up the best 'odor deodorizer' I could find. This one seems to be the most popular and featured on a dozen of the most promising sites I researched.

The little guy that stalked me during one of my errands - yes in the day time and yes in the rain!

Skunk Deodorizer

1 quart hydrogen peroxide (3%)
1/4 c baking soda
1 t liquid soap - laundry or dish

Mix and use with a wash cloth to wipe down the pet or skin. For clothing and dark haired animals be warned that peroxide fades and causes 'red' hair or highlights.

My "Fall Back" Food - Greek Pizza

2011-09-02T10:05:00.001-05:00

My regular readers know life is rather crazy right now. In the middle of selling our home and relocating 1000 miles away.. my husband and daughter are already in the new state so she could start school there and not switch mid-year. I'm here selling our home and just got our other two kids off to their respective colleges. We are currently in an odd (and new) chapter in my life when it comes to cooking. It's no longer "How many extra are we going to have around the house at dinner time...." to "I wonder if anyone but me will be here at dinner time...."

Everyone has quick and easy 'Fall Back" meals. You know, the meal you 'fall back' on when it's dinner time and you are hungry and want something you know you have the ingredients for and it won't take long to make. This Greek Pizza is one I've made for years (and blogged about numerous times) and I make it often... but I make it different every time based on what we have on hand!

If you haven't tried it yet, give it a go. I can eat this twice a week; it's that yummy and simple!

Greek Pizza
(I left the spinach off in the photo above and added artichokes. Play with your food!)

1/2 c mayonnaise
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c crumbled feta cheese
1 - 12 inch pre-baked pizza crust, homemade crusts or 2-3 thick flour tortillas
1/2 c oil packed sun dried tomatoes
olive oil (or oil from the sun dried tomatoes)
1/4 pitted Kalamata olives,, chopped or sliced
1 t dried oregano
2 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and dry
1/2 small red onion, sliced into rings

Heat oven to 450. Mix the mayonnaise with garlic and 1/2 cup feta. Spread this over your pizza crust or over 2 or 3 thick flour tortillas. Top with tomatoes, olives and oregano. Bake until heated through. Toss the spinach and onion with about 1 tablespoon olive oil or if you have it - oil from the sun dried tomatoes. Tops the pizza with the spinach mixture and the rest of the 1/2 cup feta. Return to the oven for about 3 minutes. Slice and serve!

Quick and Easy Mexican Casserole

2011-08-31T10:48:00.002-05:00

Now that our house is on the market, we are in the middle of relocating 1000 miles away and I just got 2 kids off to college; 'dinner' time in our home is completely different than it's ever been before.

My cooking and baking revolves around "how long will it take?" and "how much of a mess will it make?" and "will it leave a lingering aroma in the house?" more than what sounds good, looks good or what I'm in the mood for.

Sunday night I returned home from having a house showing, and with no other showings scheduled over the next couple days I was ready to cook. My busy full time schedule at work on top of everything else I was handling that week had me exhausted and eating quick meals by myself at the kitchen counter (that didn't take long, didn't smell up the kitchen and didn't make a mess to prepare!). By Sunday night I wanted a nice, hot, comfort food. Mexican Casserole it was.

Starting with a base of ground beef or pork, you can add or delete what you have in the cupboard. That's the awesomeness of a recipe like this one. It will turn out. It will taste good. It can usually be served as a casserole or a dip with tortillas as well. Yum!

Quick & Easy Mexican Casserole
Add what you want, leave out what you don't. Just keep the general idea and have at least 4-5 layers.

1 lb. ground beef or ground pork
1 onion, chopped
1 can refried beans or a can of northern beans, drained
1 can green chili peppers, chopped
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 c salsa
1 can white or yellow corn (or Mexican blend style)
1 - 16. oz. container sour cream
black olives
green olives

Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion. Place the refried beans in the bottom of a casserole dish, top with the drained beef/onion mixture. Top with layers of the chilis, 1 cup cheese, salsa, corn, sour cream and the rest of the cheese. Finish with green and/or black olives. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes until warmed completely through. Serve as a casserole with warm flour tortillas or as a dip for tortilla chips.

I decided to mix the beans WITH the ground pork this time

Mmm cheese. I always double what it calls for

More cheese on top! Cheese is God's way of saying "Hey, I love you guys!"

Doing some serious cooking in my dorm room

2011-08-31T10:34:00.002-05:00

Guest post written by Tina Lawson

One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is to cook. I started doing that years ago with my mom and I've picked up all kinds of really great recipes along the way. But I've also come up with them too. I don't want to stop cooking just because I'm living in the college dorm. It will be a little tough doing this, but I definitely think that it will be worth it.

I've done a lot of research on what I think will actually work to cook in the dorm room. While I was looking up some ideas about that, I ran across the website WIRELESSINTERNET.net. I sent it to my mom because she wanted to change over her home internet service to something better.

I think that I'm going to be able to make some really great dorm room eats, definitely stuff that will trump whatever is in the dining halls. I just haven't been so impressed when all of the food that I've had in the dining hall so far. We'll just have to see how it all goes.

Homemade Marshmallow Fondant

2011-08-30T09:43:00.001-05:00

Although I've used fondant in the past, I admit (freely) that I've bought it. I think I attempted to make homemade fondant years ago but it's a dim memory. In the last 6 years I've begrudgingly parted with the money to purchase it already made. However, pricing it a couple weeks ago in what is typically the most affordable store to buy it, showed me the price had jumped! It had gone up almost $3 a package and those packages are not large.

This morning I was thinking about my son's birthday next week and deciding what kind of cake to make him. As I quickly looked over the recipes in my collection I saw this one for homemade marshmallow fondant - which I've never tried.

Being that our home is currently on the market and we have 1-2 showings pop up every week, my cooking and baking plans usually revolve around one question to myself; "How much of a mess will it make?" After almost 20 showings now I'm tired of cleaning and sometimes the clean up and amount of dishes required for a dish is the sole factor in deciding whether or not I'm going to make it! As it is, I'm not sure what kind of a cake I'm going to make my son yet so this recipe is 'on ice' for me; but maybe one of my readers is looking for something similar right this moment!

Homemade Marshmallow Fondant

1/2 pound mini marshmallows
2 T of water
1 lb. of powdered (confectioner's) sugar
Shortening (Crisco)
plastic wrap

Grease the inside of a heat safe bowl and a wooden spoon with shortening. Place marshmallows and water in the bowl. Microwave the marshmallows for 30 seconds at a time stirring the mixture in between with the wooden spoon.

When the mixture is the consistency of Marshmallow Fluff, stir in 3/4 of the powdered sugar one cup at a time.

Cover your work surface with powdered sugar and cover your hands with shortening.

Turn out the fondant on the sugared surface and knead the rest of the sugar in. Continue kneading until smooth.

Separate the fondant into different parts and color as desired. When coloring, add a bit of gel color at a time with a toothpick and knead in until the color is evenly distributed and you get the color you want.

Wrap each piece in plastic wrap until you use it. Wrap leftover fondant tightly in plastic cling film and store in a zip lock bag.

Say "Thank You" with Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-08-28T09:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning I was going to meet my friend for coffee. Because we are both so busy, we ended up running errands together as well as having coffee and during that time she told me about how an early morning jogger showed up at her home last Saturday morning to give her her driver's license, credit card and other items he had found thrown in her neighbors yard. Apparently she had dropped her billfold getting out of the car and during the night someone had found it, stolen the cash and her debit card, and strewn the rest of the items on the ground. She was thankful to him for returning her things. She was planning on bringing him some homemade cookies as an extra 'thank you'.

It just so happens I had been meaning to make cookies as a 'thank you' of my own. Our home is currently on the market and because we are located in a cul-de-sac without traffic passing by, my realtor asked the homeowners on the corner if we could please put a location sign in their yard pointing towards our home. They agreed. It's been there almost 3 months now. I know they are probably tired of it and wondering how long it will be there. As a small "Hey, thanks!" I have been wanting to make them homemade cookies but over the last 6 weeks I've been out of state, working full time, working a couple late nights till 9:pm, I've also been doing about 18 house showings, moving 2 kids to college on other sides of the state... I've been so busy I've been putting off making the cookies. When I DID have time, I didn't want to do so because I knew it would mean extra cleaning for the house showings.

But yesterday was the day. And of course it didn't take long, didn't make a big mess and I was very happy to put together a cute Autumn themed plate of cookies with a handwritten 'Thank You' card tucked inside.

Is today your day to make cookies? Is there someone you can say "Thanks" to or brighten their day or deliver a few cookies just to say "I was thinking about you!"?

Great Frosting for Pumpkin Bars and Carrot Cake: Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-08-24T07:30:00.001-05:00

Although the last two days saw sweltering temperatures in my area of the country, the early mornings as the sun rise feel like Autumn is just around the corner. Listening to my body, I knew it was time to make pumpkin bars, and what is the best frosting for pumpkin bars? Cream cheese frosting! I'm having a piece right now with my morning coffee. Mmmm.

mix the cream cheese and butter

Super Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

2 packages cream cheese (8 oz), soft
1/2 c butter, softened
2 c confectioners' or 'powdered' sugar
1 t vanilla extract

Mix the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add the vanilla. Mix in the sugar and beat until smooth. Great with carrot cake and pumpkin bars and other spicy Autumn desserts.

Spinach Ricotta Ravioli

2011-08-23T10:13:00.000-05:00

A favorite of mine: an Italian hand cranked pasta machine

Spinach Ricotta Ravioli

3 eggs
2 3\4 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Filling:
2 tbsp butter
4 cups spinach cleaned and stems removed or 2 10 oz. frozen packs frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup ricotta cheese
1\2 cup Parmesan cheese

salt
pepper
egg

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cups half and half
3/4 grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper

Mix together the eggs, flour and salt to form a ball. Use extra flour to dust the area you'll knead the dough on. If you're rolling it out by hand knead for 10 minutes, a little less if you are using a hand crank pasta machine. Let the dough rest in plastic wrap for 10 to 15 minutes.

While the dough is resting, start to prepare the filling. If using fresh spinach, chop and cook it in a pan with butter. Cook stirring occasionally until the water has cooked out of it (5-8mins). Put the spinach into a bowl and let it cool. If using frozen thawed spinach, microwave until heated through and drain again.

Cut the pasta dough in half, put one half back in the plastic wrap and start rolling out the other half. Roll The dough out until it's about 1/8 inch thick, the thinner the better. Cut the rolled out pasta into two 2 1/2 inch strips. If using a hand crank pasta machine, start with #1 and work down to a #4 or #5 strip. Cut the flat strips into two - 2 1/2 inch strips.

Mix the spinach with the other ingredients. Put small tablespoon scoops of filling on the strips about 2 inches apart. Take some water ,use your finger or a pastry brush and wet the edges of the strips plus in between each mound of filling. Place one flat strip over the other and press the pasta together to form the ravioli. Try to make sure the air gets pushed out of each one and try not to get the filling in where the pasta should be pinched close(this can make it fall apart when it cooks). Cut the pasta into squares around each sealed filling and let them sit on floured dish clothes while you finish the other pasta.

Fresh pasta cooks quickly, you'll only need to cook the raviloi 5-8 minutes. Put them in salted boiling water.

Put the sauce ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil while stirring. Do this for about three minutes and you're ready to eat. Toss the sauce with the pasta and if you wish, sprinkle with a bit of parsley to garnish and serve.

Frosting made with meringue powder

2011-08-21T19:10:00.000-05:00

There is an old saying that goes, "Easy as pie!" but really, frosting is much, much easier even than pie! How about this oldie but a goody? If you have meringue powder and don't know what to use it in, just whip up a chocolate cake and top with this gooey goodness!

Meringue Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder
1/4 cup hot water

Beat together all ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth. Use immediately.

Espresso is Just the Start

2011-08-20T08:28:00.002-05:00

It's Saturday morning and I have yet another big day ahead of me. I'm currently drinking not just coffee, but espresso. I have a feeling I'm going to need the caffeine kick!

Some of my readers may like to order espresso or espresso based drinks from local coffee shops, but did you know you can make them at home? I've had an espresso machine (similar to Saeco Espresso Machines) a for about 6 years now and as intimidating as I thought it might be at first, it ends up to be a quick and easy way to brew espresso for many delicious drinks.

One of my favorite is simple;

4 oz. freshly brewed espresso
1 1/2 - 2 T sweetened condensed milk
Milk foam

If you have a clear espresso mug or coffee cup, this is a pretty layered drink. Brew the espresso into the cup. Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk. It will go to the bottom of the cup and form a cream colored layer. Top with milk foam. When you sip it, stir and enjoy!

If you want to check into Saeco Espresso Machines or many other brands; you can look online at places like Seattle Coffee Gear. A retail store based in Seattle, it also offers online shopping with photos and description's of not just Saeco Espresso Machines, but coffee makers, grinders and roasters but parts, accessories, coffee and teas as well as offering repair if you live in the Seattle area.

Espresso to kick start your morning, homemade capuccino's, macchiato's and latte's... all available in the comfort of your own home.

A Grown Up Grilled Cheese: Broiled Cheese on Rustic Bread

2011-08-14T09:17:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Comfort Foods: Grilled Cheese

Friday night I was craving 'comfort food'. My crazy busy schedule and the stress of everything has me on the go from about 6:am to 11:00 pm every day and sometimes I just want the world to STOP and I want to sit and eat something hot and comforting. That day I had been thinking about grilled cheese. Not just any grilled cheese, but a thick, hearty bread with various cheddars and gouda's. When I found I would be alone at dinner time that evening I knew exactly what I would make myself!

Broiled Cheese Sandwich

2 pieces of your favorite thick, hearty bread
Butter, real
Various cheeses of almost any sort that you love

If you are using a hearth bread or ciabatta, slice it in half lengthwise to make 2 slices. Butter the tops with a thin layer of real butter. Place under the broiler in your oven just long enough to toast it and give it a golden, crispy layer. Top with your favorite cheese(s). I mix it up different each time but this time used shredded Cheddar, a Cheshire Cheddar from England, Gouda from Wisconsin and topped it with a slice of good old American. Return the sandwich to the broiler for a minute or two until the cheese melts and starts to bubble. Serve immediately with a bowl of hearty soup, or a salad or just as it is.

Slicing a hearth bread to make 2 slices

Top with your favorite cheeses; pictured it Cheshire Cheddar from England

Broil until melted and bubbly

Impromptu Dinner: Feta, Artichoke and Dried Tomato Pizza

2011-08-08T21:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had returned home from long travels. I was exhausted and hungry and wanted something quick and easy. Impromptu pizza sounded like a great idea and I had a premade thin crust ready in the refrigerator.

I didn't measure so my amounts are approximate, but if you are a frequent visitor to this site you know I always encourage you to play with your food - to use what you have - substitute what you don't and make it your own. This is a great pizza to 'play' with.

1 premade pizza crust
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 - 1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
4 oz. can sliced black olives
1/2 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, (about 2-3 large) chopped
1/2 t fresh minced garlic
1/4 t dried Italian seasoning
1/4 t dried basil
5-6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, sliced

Mix mayonnaise and feta cheese. Add the basil and dried Italian seasoning and garlic. Mix well and spread on pizza crust. Top with artichokes, black olives, sun dried tomatoes and sliced onion. Bake at 400 until hot through, the crust is golden and the onions are just starting to turn golden on the edges.

Spread the mayonnaise and cheese mixture on the crust and top

If you don't like a certain food leave it off. Add what you like!

Bake until golden brown

Back online but then I left town!

2011-08-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

New computer... back online... but then I left town!

As some of my regular readers know, we are in the middle of a relocation to another state about 1,000 miles away. I've just returned from a solo trip to see my husband and daughters there, get them moved into temporary housing, sign leases, get my daughter signed up for high school in the 'new' area, find a vet for the cats (one of whom got a UTI so finding the veterinarian, while on my 'todo' list, wasn't planned for that trip) and then rushed back home just 2 days later. Exhausted but safe and sound; I'm now ready to start a new week at work full time AND get back to updating.

I have a delicious feta artichoke pizza I made last night for an impromptu dinner. At least I remembered to take photos before I devoured it! Updates soon now that I'm back in town!

New Computer: I'm back online

2011-08-01T20:57:00.000-05:00

I'm back online!

This weekend I researched (briefly) some computers online. I quickly found one I liked that was in my budget (about $400) and got good reviews by 'real people' rating it. They had it in stock at my local Best Buy so I went in, got it and got out.

I couldn't even set it up because I was home a grand total of 15 minutes before leaving to go camping with extended family about 3 hours away. There was so much on my plate however with the relocation, house showing, setting up rentals in the new city and more that my brain was fried and I was preoccupied. I came home Sunday and finally, Sunday night, the new computer up and running.

It's great to be back online!

Computer Woes!!!

2011-07-29T08:08:00.000-05:00

The coffee I spilled on my laptop is worse than I imagined. As time goes by the damage is mounting. As of this morning, opening a file, highlighting, or even clicking to open a program makes it repeatedly try to delete it instead of opening or saving. I've almost wiped out my EXTERNAL hard drive as I tried to make a backup copy of a couple files this morning.

I will need to invest in a new laptop I'm afraid and until then I'll have to post from the library or another computer. It has also started to eat my sentences and paragraphs so I'm posting this quickly to let my readers know I'll be posting sporadically until I get this figured out! Thanks all!

Something I had never thought of before: How to make Butterbeer

2011-07-28T20:42:00.000-05:00

Wayyy back when the first Harry Potter movie came out, I liked it. I liked enough that I finally caved to peer pressure and bought and read the books. I liked the book series and I thought the first two Harry Potter movies were good, but after that I somewhere along the way lost interest. Because of my own personal lack of interest, I hadn't paid much attention to the hullabaloo surrounding a popular drink that now has a recipe even Muggles can make. Butterbeer. Apparently this is the bees knees right now. I found a few versions of the recipe and most of them were the same so I offer it here for your trial-and-error. I'll also let you know when I give it a go, although I suspect it won't be until this Fall.

Homemade Butterbeer

1 c light or dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

6 tablespoon butter

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cider vinegar

3/4 c heavy cream, divided

1/2 t rum extract

Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda

In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.

Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.

Camping This Weekend: Cooking our socks next to the biscuits

2011-07-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

This morning I'm running behind and must get to the office so it's a quick post, but one I think my readers will enjoy. This is a photo of camping this weekend. It was triple digit heat, coupled with unbelievable humidity and yes, rain. When it wasn't raining the wind would blow through the trees and the trees would drop big, fat drops down on us as if it were still raining. And the humidity levels were so high that nothing would dry. Nothing. Not shoes, socks, the clothing you were wearing or even your hair.

It all makes for funny memories though... like trying to dry socks and a pair of shorts over the campfire at the same time we are attempting to make biscuits. For the record the shorts were a lost cause and so wet it was a waste of time and the socks finally dried after 3 hours but were so caked with dirt and mud they were stiff as a board and were great for a laugh but little else.

Camping for the Weekend

2011-07-22T22:50:00.000-05:00


My view earlier today

I'm cooking over a campfire this weekend.

Back on Monday!

My actual

camping grill

camping coffee pot

Shrimp Taco's with Bacon

2011-07-20T07:26:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I was on a shrimp taco kick. Craving them, I set off to browse through 5 or 6 versions and decide how I wanted to 'play with the recipes' to make them my own version. This one caught my eye simply because it had... bacon? Now, I'm a huge proponent of pairing bacon with seafood - it's a delicious combination; I just never thought about bacon on my shrimp tacos. This recipe also uses corn tortillas, although my family prefers flour tortillas. There are a few things to 'play with' in this recipe based on your own likes and dislikes and what you have on hand, but I wanted to get it saved into my recipe collection so I can pull it out when I make shrimp tacos again... hopefully soon!

Shrimp Taco's with Bacon

1 (12 ounce) package bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 onion, diced
2 pounds large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined, and cut in half
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
12 corn tortillas
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt to taste

In a large, deep skillet fry the bacon over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain the bacon fat. Add the onions to the pan with the bacon and cook 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Stir in the shrimp and chipotle chiles; cook 4 minutes or until heated through.

Heat tortillas on an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 seconds. Turn and heat for another 5 to 10 seconds. Fill the heated tortillas with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

Incredibly Easy Grilled Vegetables in Olive Oil

2011-07-11T19:04:00.001-05:00

This weekend was hot, lazy and wonderful. The temperature was up and the sun was out; what a great weekend to grill. So, we did. Both nights. The first night my husband manned the grill and made cheeseburgers. The second night, I took over and we had spicy grilled shrimp with an array of incredible vegetables that were so delicious I wish I could offer you a bite from your computer monitor.

The marinade they were in was so simple it almost too easy.

Red onions, quartered
Whole mushrooms
Zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Dried Italian seasoning or Oregano

In a glass container or a ZipLoc mix your vegetables with enough oil to coat depending on how many vegetables you choose to use. Season with a heavy dose of fresh black pepper and sea salt. Add a liberal sprinkle of dried Italian Seasoning mix. Let marinate a few hours if you have the time although even 1 hour is ok if it's all you have. Grill over medium high heat or coals, turning often to grill all sides. I like to use a grill pan (or a round pizza pan with holes all over it) for small items like mushrooms and onions so they don't fall through the grates. Serve nice and hot.

Marinating in olive oil and spices

Long Island Iced Tea

2011-07-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

It's probably not a surprise to my readers that 'know' me by now, that I've never had a Long Island Iced Tea. I don't care for the taste of alcohol so it's rare that I would choose the alcohol version of anything when I have a virgin alternative. When we used to live in Minnesota, a friend of mine happily professed her love of "Long Island Iced Tea" in the summer and silly me, I always assumed it had tea in it. This week I found myself thinking about a Long Island Iced Tea and how good it sounded on a hot day, so I looked up various recipes for them online. What a surprise, no tea needed.

For those HOT summer days; Long Island Ice Tea

1 part vodka
1 part tequila
1 part rum
1 part gin
1 part triple sec
1 ½ parts sweet and sour mix
Splash of cola

Mix ingredients together over ice in a glass. Pour into shaker and give one brisk shake. Pour back into glass and make sure there is a touch of fizz at the top. Garnish with lemon.

Variations I found on the traditional Long Island Iced Tea

Peach Long Island: tequila is substituted with peach schnapps
Jersey Tea: cola is substituted with a shot of Jaegermeister
Pittsburgh Tea: tequila is substituted with Wild Turkey
Long Beach Iced Tea: cola is substituted with cranberry juice
California Iced Tea: cola is substituted with orange juice
Tokyo Iced Tea: tequila is substituted with Midori liqueur and cola with lemonade
Alaskan Iced Tea: cola is substituted with Blue Curaçao
Blue Motherfucker or Electric Iced Tea: triple sec is substituted with Blue Curaçao and cola with Sprite
Tennessee Iced Tea tequila is substituted with Jack Daniel's
Beverly Hills Iced Tea cola is substituted with Champagne
Harvard Iced Tea cola is substituted with Champagne , tequila is substituted with Gin

Low Carb Red Velvet Cake

2011-07-07T08:47:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure whether this recipe is going to be posted as a thumbs up or a fail. I took a recipe that sounded half way promising but there were two ingredients I didn't have on hand; erythritol and coconut flour . What I DID have on hand was Splenda and Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix so I decided to play with the recipe. The original plain yogurt was substituted with sour cream as well. Everything else, I had on hand or used as noted.

The reason I would call it a 'fail' on my part is because I'm not currently doing low-carb. If I want a 'regular' cake I could have it. I wasn't craving this, didn't want this and really, wasn't even in the mood to bake the night I made this. Since I love original, real, traditional Red Velvet Cake, I was of course, comparing it to the real thing. BUT! Read on...

The reason it could be a 'thumbs up' is because my daughter - who WAS doing no sugar, low carb - loved it and it cured her intense craving for something 'sweet'.

My oldest daughter has been doing low carb, no sugar and came home from work one afternoon begging me to make something 'sweet', gooey, chocolately or rich. I pulled out my binders of low-carb recipes and she started to flip through them. She settled on some chocolately gooey brownies, or the Red Velvet Cake. Judging each recipe by the number of ingredients we DID have on hand to use; Red Velvet Cake won out.

She was so thankful to have a 'dessert' and something that was sweet yet low carb, she declared it a hit and thanked me. I, on the other hand, thought it was fairly "eggy" with the 9 eggs it took and compared it to a Red Velvet Cream Puff.

I'll post it here... but I can't completely endorse it unless you have been doing low carb for awhile and are craving something sweet - even if it does resemble a Red Velvet Cream Puff.

Low Carb Red Velvet Cake

1/2 c butter
1/2 c sour cream
9 large eggs
1 c Splenda
1 individual packet stevia
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 c low carb bake mix
1 t xanthun gum powder (probably not needed)
2 T cocoa powder
1 T red food coloring
3/4 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 round 8 or 9 inch cake pans with shortening and dust with cocoa. Whisk together eggs in a bowl until a bit foamy, and add vanilla extract to eggs. In another bowl, sift baking mix and stir in salt and cocoa powder.

Mix together sour cream and red food coloring in a third bowl. In the largest bowl, cream butter for about 30 seconds to make it fluffy. Add erythritol in a steady stream and cream together for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Slowly stream in beaten eggs, beating continuously. Add dry and wet ingredients alternately until everything has been added but the baking soda. Mix in baking soda last and scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes in the center of the middle oven rack, or until batter is completely set and springs back. Remove cake and let cool.

Transfer bottom cake layer to a serving dish lined with strips of wax paper hanging off the edges. Frost cake, laying over a thin crumb coat first. Then pile on the frosting spread outward from the center of the layer. Add top layer to cake and cover completely with frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2-8 oz packages cream chees
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup erythritol, powdered (I used Splenda)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract
1 stick unsalted butter

Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Beat until smooth and creamy, then add powdered erythritol and beat for about 2 minutes, or until erythritol is dissolved and the mixture does not feel gritty to the touch. Beat in butter just until smooth and incorporated.

So Easy Grilled Balsamic Chicken

2011-07-05T08:23:00.000-05:00

This week we had grilled chicken that was just oh-so-difficult to make. So hard that no one can make it. (Can you hear the sarcasm?).

Grilled Chicken Breasts

Chicken Breasts
Balsamic Vinaigrette (for salads)
ZipLock Baggy

Place the chicken in the baggy. Pour in some dressing to coat. Seal. Let marinate in the refrigerator overnight or at least 12 hours. Grill until done. Serve. (Great with a green salad.)

Iced Island Coconut Coffee

2011-07-03T13:07:00.000-05:00

I am sitting here reading the news while sipping iced coffee. It's so yummy, I thought I would share!

I brewed a k-cup of Island Coconut at the 6 oz. size. I added that to a glass full of crushed ice along with about 1/2 cup almond milk and 3 T sugar free french vanilla syrup. Mmmm. Island Coconut Almond Iced Coffee.

Caramelized Zucchini with Garlic

2011-07-02T09:14:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I arrived home from work hungry and craving vegetables. All my kids had other plans for the evening so I was free to make my own dinner. Vegetables it was! I had steamed asparagus with butter, salt and pepper along with baby carrots and a huge plate of zucchini; which I had sauteed a little longer than normal and caramelized them. Oh it was so good! Smelled up the house, but oh so worth it!

Caramelized Zucchini

yellow zucchini
green zucchini
olive oil
butter
garlic
salt and pepper

Slice and quarter your zucchini while you heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a fry pan along with about 2 tablespoons of butter. This is an approximate amount. Judge accordingly to how much zucchini you use. When the pan is medium/high hot, add the zucchini, salt and pepper to taste and cook, letting the vegetables cook without stirring too much so they have sufficient time to come into contact with the heat, and the butter will start to caramelize. Stir and flip the vegetables over so they brown evenly without burning. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add about 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic to the zucchini. Stir and flip to mingle the garlic with the vegetables but don't cook the garlic too long as it gets bitter when burnt. Turn out to a serving platter.

Zucchini cooking in the pan before it starts to caramelize

Make a lot of toast all at once! Great for a crowd

2011-07-01T08:22:00.000-05:00

Got a houseful this weekend for the holidays? Making breakfast for a group and only have 1 toaster? Even for our family of five with a 4 slot toaster we often make our toast in the oven when we are all having a big breakfast together.

The temperature isn't too picky; use anything between 350 - 400 degrees. Place your bread on a baking sheet, pan or stoneware and simply bake! When it's to the golden brown that your family prefers, flip them over, toast the second side and then butter and serve. Toast for everyone at the same time.

Brownie Bites Baking Pan and Perfect "edge" Brownie Baking Pan

2011-06-30T17:06:00.001-05:00

Perfect Brownie Pan Set
Place this pan's insert in the bottom, fill with batter, add divider, and bake; then cool, remove divider and outer pan. Perfect brownies for those who like the 'outside' of the pan because with the insert in place, every brownie is an 'edge' brownie! Non-stick carbon steel. Hand wash. Includes 10 decorative stencils. $19.99

The hottest thing to hit the brownie baking scene; the Brownie Bite Silicone Pan
Bake itty-bitty brownies and cakes in this easy-clean silicone pan from Wilton. It makes 24 bite-sized treats for perfect portion control or events. Resists odors, stains, and heat to 500 F. It's oven, microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe. $14.99

Receive 15% off orders over $50 at The Home Marketplace with code 50619101002! Or receive FREE shipping on Orders Over $50 with offer code 50619101001 now through July 31, 2011!

Red Velvet Cheesecake - Add some blueberries for a "Red, White & Blue" dessert

2011-06-30T06:04:00.000-05:00

This morning I was thinking about 'red, white and blue' desserts in honor of the upcoming Fourth of July holiday in the USA. I think jello desserts are overdone, simply because they are so easy to work into a patriotic theme. I took a sip of coffee, asked myself; "What dessert could be red, white and blue that doesn't include blue jello?" and immediately I thought of my favorite cake; Red Velvet.

I remembered I had a Red Velvet Cheesecake dessert tucked away in my collection of files and it only took me a second to find it. Bingo! By removing the green garnish on top and adding washed and dried blueberries, you can incorporate the 'blue' into this red and white dessert. Viola! A 4th of July dessert.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

1 1/2 c chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c butter, melted
1 T granulated sugar
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3T unsweetened cocoa
1 c sour cream
1/2 c whole buttermilk
2 t vanilla extract
1 t distilled white vinegar
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of spring form pan. Garnish, if desired with washed and dried blueberries for a 'red white and blue' presentation.

Patriotic Potatoes! Red, White and Blue for a Fourth of July BBQ

2011-06-29T07:13:00.000-05:00

Last night I planned to grill steaks for dinner, served with a side salad and my favorite way to grill potatoes; lots of olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. It was another busy week night however and It ended up being just 2 of us home for dinner. I still followed my planned menu, but it explains why there are so few potatoes in my photo!

Idea for this Fourth of July holiday; red, white and blue potatoes! You can find these potatoes at most larger (and some small) groceries. While the blue are more difficult to find, the red and white are readily available and I've found blue to be more popular now than ever before.

At my local Super Walmart they made it easy for me; Tasteful Selections has bagged all three for me and sells them in a 40 oz. package called "Sunrise Medley". They were about $3.50 for the entire bag, which serves about 6 people. Having a backyard get-together this 4th of July? Surprise your guests with patriotic potatoes!

The Cherry Bundt Cake that Didn't Get Chosen To Be Made This Week

2011-06-26T15:05:00.000-05:00

(How is that for a mouth full!?)

The Cherry Nut Bread I made a couple days ago almost didn't get made; only because I was debating between it and this one - Cherry Bundt Cake. It sounds incredible and I'm craving it now that I chose to make the bread instead. The funny thing is that I chose to make either of them this week to use up the cherries leftover from the 50's cupcakes. However, if I choose to make this Cherry Bundt Cake, now I'll have to go back to the store and buy more cherries!

Cherry Bundt Cake

1 cup maraschino cherries drained and dried on paper towels for 4-6 hrs.
2/3 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c butter
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1 c cake flour
1 baking powder
1/3 c milk

1 c powdered sugar
1 T butter
2 T water
red food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8 inch bundt pan. Cut cherries in half and toss them in the 2/3 c flour. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add eggs, then vanilla. Add dry ingredients that have been previously sifted and fold by hand alternating with milk.

Stir in cherries. Pour into tin and smooth surface. Bake for 35 min or until toothpick comes out clean of the center. Let cool in pan for 10 min before unmolding. For the glaze, stir all ingredients over a hot water bath or double boiler until smooth. Pour over cake.

Guest Post: Recreating Guy's sweet potato fries

2011-06-26T09:45:00.002-05:00

Guest post written by Ashliegh Bridges

I was watching the Food Network about a week or so ago and Guy was on TV making stuff. I like to watch his show where he goes around to all of these diners and restaurants like that. But the other day I was watching the show where he actually cooks and I saw him make some sweet potato fries. They looked so good that I looked up the recipe and decided to fix them for dinner that night.

I had already had sweet potatoes, so I planned on just cutting those up for the fries. I went online with my http://www.satellitestarinternet.com/ to find the recipe, which wasn't all that hard to do since I was looking for a very specific one.

I had just enough sweet potatoes that the recipe called for and set to work on them. Now, in comparison to just fixing plain old French fries, these sweet potato fries were a bit more involved in the preparation. But they really were fantastic tasting and I think I'm going to have to fix them again.

Cherry Nut Bread

2011-06-23T08:14:00.001-05:00

Ooops! I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!!!

This week I wanted to use up an extra jar of cherries I had bought and used when I made the 1950's cupcakes. Since I love old fashioned 'grandma' recipes, this is one I used. Some readers will chuckle when they see the measurements; "butter size of an egg" and "fill on up with milk". I LOVE recipes like this!!! The "fill on up with milk" part of the recipe? I assumed was a 1 cup measurement, and I was right. The bread turned out delicious. Unfortunately I didn't remember to take a picture and it's now gone.

Cherry Nut Bread

1 c. brown sugar
Butter size of an egg
1 egg
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 small bottle of cherries
(Drain cherries and cut in half. Pour juice into a cup and fill on up with milk)
2 c flour
1/2 c walnuts

Mix altogether; put in 9x5 greased pan. Let stand 20 minutes. Bake 45 minutes at 350.

*NOTE: I found this bread needed to bake almost twice as long as called for. I baked mine 1 hour and 15 minutes. TEST YOURS. When the center test comes out clean you'll know it's done. If you remove it too early the center will be soupy.

KoolAid Balls? What can't you do with KoolAid? I Know Some Things You Shouldn't

2011-06-21T07:19:00.000-05:00

Last night I was reading the news and one of the biggest stories yesterday all over the media were actually a 'fair' food; deep fried KoolAid Balls.

Somewhat of a donut, flavored with kool aid, (the powdery drink mix) it's a fad of the moment but one that isn't too far away from something a lot of us have been making for years; KoolAid Cookies.

As I sit here sipping my morning coffee, I think about all the ways I've used KoolAid drink mix. Wow, there are a lot!

Over the years I've used KoolAid for many things; not only to drink (obviously) but I use it in our favorite Popsicle recipe, the kids homemade play dough, flavoring frosting, coloring and flavoring cake mixes, mixed in milk, added to homemade jelly, homemade snow cone syrup, dye for t-shirts, and popcorn balls!

I will even admit something completely stupid I once did with KoolAid.

In the Fall of 9th grade I went to the opening high school football season game, which was called the "Soap Bowl" because admission was a bar of soap, which the school then used to stock the locker rooms the rest of the year. Being a creative kid, I did two things I now deem cringe-worthy.

1. I opened the bar of soap and painstakingly carved out little words of support into the bar of soap. "WIN" "YOU CAN DO IT!" "GO FIGHT WIN!" "FOOTBALL". I then packaged the soap back up and dotted it with glue to close it. Once I learned the soaps were then used in the high school locker room the rest of the year, I lived in dread thinking I would walk into the showers and find my own goofy, support carved soap in the showers and hear everyone making fun of it. (I never did. Thank You God.).

But number two? Oh my.

2. At that same game I decided to show my team support by coloring my hair our school colors. Only we lived in a tiny farming town and spray on hair color wasn't available except perhaps for 1 week prior to Halloween and only at the local Ben Franklin Store. And our school colors? Green and white. Having too much enthusiasm and little brains; I did what any other stupid but creative 14 year old girl would do. I used KoolAid.

I can guarantee you that a package of KoolAid mixed with a half a cup of boiling water, cooled to warm and used on your hair, does indeed permanently color it.

I still get a little nauseous reminiscing about this memory. I think I'll push it back to the cobwebbed corners of my mind again now, thanks.

SO! Let's talk KoolAid Cookies. There are many recipes for them, here is just one. Personally, as an adult I like the Lemonade flavor the best. I think I've moved on from cherry and orange flavors but as a teenager? Any flavor was a 'good' flavor for these.

1 small pkg regular dry kool-aid (not the kind with sugar already in it)
1 2/3 c sugar
1 1/4 c butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
3 c flour
1/2 c additional sugar for dipping

Mix the KoolAid, 1 2/3 c sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in salt and baking soda. Add flour in 1/2 cup increments and mixing well after each addition. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and dip in the 1/2 c sugar. Place them on a parchment lined or a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 10-11 minutes. Do not over bake. Let set for 1-2 minutes, remove from the cookie sheet to cool completely.

Mussels Review

2011-06-18T11:13:00.001-05:00

Mussels! One of my husbands favorite seafood's; he's been out of town on business and they were staring at me from the freezer every time I opened the door so I finally relented and made them without him here.

This just a heads up that these particular mussels were quite affordable; bought from Walmart's frozen food department!

Mussels are closely related to oysters and scallops. The shells of freshwater mussels are used in button making while the mussels themselves secrete many pearls of low quality that are used in inexpensive jewelry. Walmart's mussels have been cleaned, cooked and vacuum-sealed already so they are ready to simply reheat and eat. Their 2 lb. package is actually two 1-pound pouches that you immerse in simmering water for 4-6 minutes until they are reheated and then serve. According to the packaging they are farm raised.

We like our mussels with a simple garlic butter sauce. After immersing the bag in boiling/simmering water for a few minutes I opened the bag, placed it in a pan and added butter and garlic to taste.

Walmarts mussels are a bit salty and smaller than some of the mussels you may be used to, but if you live in the heartland of America and you don't want to buy fresh at the deli counter because you don't want to pay the price or you don't know when you will make them for sure, it's an easy and cheap purchase for mussels in a pinch.