Steph's Kitchen

Did some planting!!

2010-05-21T08:41:00.002-04:00

Well yes, it has been a LONG time since I posted. I will have some more time to blog about food in the up coming months since I will be a partial Stay at Home Mom.
I planted Basil, Rosemary, Cilantro, Beets, Romaine Lettuce, Green Beans, Butternut squash, yellow squash, and cucumber. It will be a long time before we get anything off of these, but I am excited to see how they go. We will be getting plants, like tomato, as well. Hopefully we get some great fresh veggies this year.

Now what to do with the Turkey Leftovers?

2008-09-03T19:49:00.006-04:00

Turkey Barley Soup
I made a base of soup from the carcass of the turkey. I left a good portion of meat on the bones so I could get a meaty base. After straining the "bad" stuff out and picking through the remains I was left with some stock and a pile of meat. I just made a basic turkey soup starting with onion, celery, carrots and garlic. I added the meat back in and then the broth and a bit of water and simmered away. The taste was great but it was missing something. Instead of noodles or rice I thought barley sounded great. It sure tasted great.

Turkey Chili

Well I rarely follow a recipe with chili. But this is the basics.
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced (sweet)
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp Southwest Seasoning
(I like to season the first ingredients to start)
Add the turkey meat back in and season to taste:
Cumin, Chili powder, salt, black pepper, Coriander, Franks Red Hot Sauce, red pepper flakes
2 Cans Diced Tomato
1 Can Tomato Paste
2 Cans Black Beans
1 Can Kidney Beans
1 Can Garbonzo Beans
1 Can White Beans

Simmer for a couple hours and enjoy!

Turkey 101

2008-09-03T19:40:00.003-04:00

We get turkeys from work for Thanksgiving every year. It is hard to use it up right away because of balancing family and everything. So I tend to keep it stored away for another day. Since I doubt cooking a turkey will be on my my "fun list" for too much longer I decided to tackle it this weekend. The turkey I cooked for Thanksgiving last year was the first I brined. I was amazed how much more flavor there was in the bird. So this is a must with turkey. After brining for 24 hours I placed the bird in a cooking bag. Using a cooking bag is a great idea. It cooks faster and helps keep in tons of the juice. I used a generous amount of Montreal Chicken Spice Mix all over the bird and drizzled with a bit of honey. It cooked at 350 for about 3 hours.

Pork Loin on the Grill

2008-09-03T19:36:00.003-04:00

I created a rub a few months back but this was the first time grilling the pork. It was just as good as oven roasting. I am a huge fan of pork.

Rub

Salmon Burgers with Citrus Basil Mayo, Sweet Potato Fries

2008-09-03T19:28:00.005-04:00

We had some salmon burgers in the freezer. I decided to grill them up. I for some reason thought that lime and basil sounded good together. So I decided to try it.

1 Cup fresh Basil
1/2 Cup Mayo (Cottage cheese would work too)
1 Tbs Lime Juice
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 tsp Sugar

Mix all together in the food processor.

This really tasted great. I was impressed with myself. I served the burgers along side some sweet potato fries that I grilled with a bit of Olive Oil , S&P.

Garden Fresh Pasta

2008-09-03T19:24:00.002-04:00

Well the pasta isn't garden fresh.. but the rest is. I just through together a pasta dish with garden tomato and basil, red onion, garlic and some Olive Oil. Simple and delish!

Black Bean, Corn & Tomato Salad

2008-08-25T20:27:00.004-04:00

Such a simple side dish comes of these simple ingredients.

1 Can of Black Beans
1 Can of Corn (or equivilant frozen)
Diced Fresh Tomato (not sure how much I used, just all of what I could pull off the plants today)
We have yellow grape, cherry, and yellow/green stripped tomatoes in our garden

1 TBS Lime Juice
1 tsp Emeril's Soutwest Seasoning

Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos

2008-08-25T20:19:00.004-04:00

I pulled some shrimp out of the freezer last night. I wasn't sure what would come of it. But shrimp tacos are something we haven't had in a long time. I decided to go with a tequila lime marinade, skewer the shrimp and grill.

Tequila Lime Marinde

3 TBS Tequila

2 TBS Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Coriander

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

Juice of 2 limes

Mix all together and marinde for about an hour for shrimp. If used on Meat can be marinated overnight or longer.

I served on whole wheat tortillas with fresh avocado, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese and sour cream. So good! So good! So good!

Don't Cry over the Guacamole!!

2008-08-25T20:06:00.006-04:00

So last week was a rough week. I ended up in the hospital for a night. It was totally unexpected, the Doctors were being extra cautious. I hadn't realized how much this experience stressed me out until I made the guacamole. I sliced an avocado in half and attempted to remove the pit the professional way (slapping the knife into the pit to pop it out). Well it slipped and slapped into my thumb. I looked at the cut which was pretty deep and instantly thought "NO WAY am I going to another doctor". And I had a major breakdown. I needed the cry. Luckily the cut was right on the crease and closed up nicely. No stitches or doctors needed!!!

I love guacamole so much!!!

My recipe is simple

2 Ripe Avocados

1 clove of garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lime

Smash together until the avocado is as chunky or smooth as you like

Stir in Diced tomatoes (a heafty amount)

We have been growing tomatoes in our backyard. So this was cherry tomato and yellow grape tomato in this batch

S&P to taste

Chow down! :) And serve with the BEST tortilla chips around. This is a Michigan company that is branching out. If you see these in your store you MUST try them.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

2008-08-25T19:59:00.005-04:00

I couldn't really find a specific recipe so I improvised. I decided to use chorizo in the peppers. I know from experience that chorizo is spicy and greasy, so I wanted to balance it out with something else, I chose ground beef.

There isn't much of a recipe, but these are the ingredients

1lb Chorizo
1lb lean Ground Beef
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
1/2 Red Pepper, diced
Brown all the above ingredients together
(Must drain well, chorizo is very greasy)

1 Cup Corn
1 Can Black Beans
Shredded Cheddar
Mix in with the meat.

8-10 peppers (1/2's if very large)
Stuff the ingredients into the peppers and bake for 30 minutes on 350.

Fresh from my Garden

2008-08-17T18:56:00.004-04:00

The first garden items we have had was the fresh basil. We planted classic basil which took off like a tree. We also planted some sweet basil which has much smaller leaves. Our tomatoes have just started to take off. We planted a few varieties. Classic red, cherry, yellow grape and a medium size that is yellow and green striped. We have been munching on the small ones for a couple weeks, just a few handfuls total. Today we have the first yellow and green one and I picked my first zucchini. In the next few weeks we will be overun with tomatoes and zucchini. I will be busy making sauces! I sliced up some of the tomato and sprinkled with some of the sweet basil and a little salt. These yellow and green ones are so sweet and juicy. I just love them!

My Favorite Breakfast Sandwich

2008-08-17T18:48:00.004-04:00

I have been making this sandwich for years. It isn't the healthiest but it sure is tasty. I cook two eggs overhard and then make a classic grilled cheese with them to make a Fried Egg Sandwich. After the egg is cooked assemble like a classic grilled chees with the egg in the middle. Cook until the bread is slightly browned and the cheese is melted.

2 Eggs (fry in pan overhard)

2 Slices of bread

Butter (or substitute) to spread on the bread

2 slices of cheese of your choice (if they are thicker slices use just 1)

Since I used whole wheat bread and reduced fat swiss I felt a tiny bit less guilty. This can be made with cooking spray instead of butter, egg whites, on a low carb wrap (I often use the flatout wraps). But the classic is my favorite.

Sundried Tomato Basil Risotto

2008-08-16T18:23:00.006-04:00

I have made risotto a few times and just love it. It is time consuming, but well worth it. And I have learned you can walk away here and there and the risotto will still turn our wonderfully. I have followed Giada's recipe for Basic Risotto from her "Every Day Italian" Cookbook all the times I have made it. So I followed that and made a few additions.

4 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth (Heat to a simmer and set aside)
3 TBS Butter (1 TBS mixed in at the end)
3/4 Cup finely diced Onion (I used a red onion)
1 1/2 Cups Arborio Rice
1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
3/4 Cup Chopped Sundried Tomato
1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Basil

Melt 2 TBS butter in a pan. Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the rice and mix with the butter and onions. Add the wine and simmer until the wine is almost absorbed. Gradually add chicken broth about 1/2 Cup at a time. Stir constantly until the broth is almost absorbed before adding the next. When all the broth is almost absorbed add the sundried tomato and basil and continue to cook for about a minute or two. Remove from the heat and add the parmesan cheese and the butter. Stir all together and serve immediately.

I served this on top of new york strip steak pieces that we had leftover.

This was so so good. I am so glad to have leftovers (without the steak). I may have to have some more later since we ate such an early dinner.

It has been too long since I made Cookies

2008-08-16T17:50:00.005-04:00

I used to make cookies every couple of months and freeze them. I would make multiple batches in one day. I would be in the kitchen for hours and when I was finally done I wouldn't even want a cookie. The last time I made cookies I decided to freeze the dough instead of baked cookies. It made for a much less timely adventure that way. Since I have been pregnant I have not had the desire to bake. Which is not like me. I even bought store bought cookies one day to take to a friend's cabin. I just didn't want to do it. But I decided that for my first Baby Shower coming up in September that I would thank the guests with homemade cookies. So today I didn't have much going on so I made 3 types of cookies and froze most of the dough. I had to bake some for my husband though, he has a major sweet tooth and that would have been mean. I chose three types of cookies.

I have a convection oven and have found that baking all my cookies at 325 on the convection setting leads to perfect cookies. I follow the time suggestions of the recipes, but just keep an eye on them.

I used my cookie scoop from pampered chef to make balls. I stored all the cookie balls in gallon ziplocks and put in the freezer. They are ready and waiting to be baked whenever I decide to do so.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

(this recipe is adapted from Coconut Toffee Chews from Bakingblonde)

I made two batches today.

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

(Sift or wisk dry ingredients together and set aside)

1 Cup Brown Sugar (Firmly Packed)

1 Cup Butter (Softened)

1 Cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1/2 TBS Vanilla

2 1/4 Cups Flaked Coconut

1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until mixed. Add the dry ingredients and blend until just mixed. Stir in the Coconut and Chocolate Chips.

Bake 350 for 8-12 minutes (until tops are lightly toasted) try not to overbake.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe has been mentioned numerous times on "What's Cooking" message board on the nest.com. I wanted to find the original recipe instead of back tracking through various blogs. This is a "Cook's Illustrated" Recipe.

I made 2 batches today.

2 1/8 Cup Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 Stick of Butter (melted and cooled)

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Large Egg

1 Large Egg Yolk

2 tsp Vanilla

1-2 Cups Chocolate Chips (or Chunks)

Bake 325 for 15-18 minutes (Check at 13 minutes)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This is a recipe from Ina Garten. I found it on a random website. I should have read the directions more clearly because I didn't press the cookies down before baking as suggested. So I ended up with more of a round cookie. Oh well they still tasted great! I also made two batches of these too.

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1-1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 extra-large eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup good smooth peanut butter

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound good semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and peanut butter, and mix. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the batter, mixing only until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using either a 1-3/4-inch ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands, flatten the dough lightly, then press the tines of a wet fork in both directions. Bake for exactly 17 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Turkey Marsala

2008-08-15T19:47:00.008-04:00

I haven't cooked turkey unless it was the whole bird, or ground. So when I saw that Costco had Turkey Breasts in the freezer section like chicken breasts I thought I would get some. I have been craving Marsala so what better combination.
I was in search of recipes today and nothing was working for me. The mother of one of my closest friends used to make chicken marsala with drakes crispy fry mix instead of flour. Drakes is actually a Michigan product, added bonus. The mix is of wheat flour, corn meal and some spices. It is pretty flavorful on it's own, so I didn't think I needed much else in the way of spices. I decided to use that and then glanced at a couple other recipes for ratio of marsala to broth. This is what I came up with.

2 1/2 skinless boneless turkey breasts (equivilent to 5 chicken breasts)

Drakes Crispy Fry Mix

Olive Oil and Butter

3 Cups Mushrooms (I used baby bellas)

3/4 Cup Marsala Wine

3/4 Cup Chicken Broth

1. Heat the pan with olive oil and butter, about 2 TBS of each.

2. Dredge the turkey through the drakes to coat.

3. Cook the turkey in batches on both sides and remove from the pan. Place in an oven safe dish and transfer to a warm oven.

4. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. I added some S&P and garlic salt to the mushrooms for some added flavor.

5. Add the Marsala wine and scrape at the pan to deglaze. Cook for about 2 minutes.

6. Add the chicken broth and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

7. Add the turkey back into the pan for a minute to get some of the sauce on the meat.

Serve and enjoy.

I was so impressed with how moist the turkey was.

Sloppy Joes Eat the Beat/Tasty Tools

2008-08-14T20:03:00.011-04:00

When I sat down to do this entry I started singing to myself. The song I was singing was "Lunch Lady" by Adam Sandler. There is a part that he sings "sloppy joe, slop, sloppy joe". So I got the brillant idea to do a blogging event a little early. Eat to the Beat has become a quarterly event now. So who cares if I am a month early. Elly says it is okay.

And while we are at it.. why not participate in another blogging event? Joelen has been hosting tasty tools events on her blog. So since this includes the use of the this months tool the whisk I will submit it for that. Yay! :) What a great way to kill a bunch of birds with 1 stone.

For two summers during college I worked in a church camp kitchen. Besides a ton of great memories with some dear friends, I learned a lot of cooking/baking tricks/tips too. One of the meals we made weekly was sloppy joes. Since our menu didn't change through out the summer (new campers every week) you got pretty sick of the same meals. But after all the years have gone by I find myself enjoying some of the classics. I have no idea what the exact recipe is for the sloppy joes. But I remembered the key ingredients. I made them before over a year ago, but this time I decided to add a bunch to the recipe.

1/2 yellow onion
(Sautee in dutch oven with olive oil until softened)
1 lb of lean ground beef
(Add to the onions and cook through)

2 Cups Ketchup
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard
2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Corriander

Wisk all ingredients together and add to the dutch oven when the meat is browned. Simmer for 2 hours (or more). I was making this in advance for leftovers, so no pictures of the sandwiches yet. I feel pretty excited that I made this up for the most part.

NY Strip Steak and Veggies

2008-08-14T19:54:00.004-04:00

I was really looking forward to a good steak tonight. I used some good old Spice House seasoning again and grilled along side some mixed veggies, and some corn on the cob (Michigan's finest of course). My favorite way to do veggies these days is straight on the grill. My medium baking sheet fits right on the rack. Some S&P and some Olive Oil = the best veggies ever. :)

Citrus Salmon

2008-08-12T19:29:00.003-04:00

I wasn't sure how I was going to do my salmon tonight. But it hit me to try and marinade it in orange juice concentrate. So I did just that. I was watching Giada's weekend get aways a while back and she ordered salmon from a place. They pan fried it in butter at a super high temp to get a bit of a crust. I thought this sounded so good and tried it one other times and was impressed. So I decided to try the method again.

I served it with Sugar Snap Peas that I sauteed with some sundried tomatoes and Trader Joe's Gorgonzola Gnocchi (one of my favorite TJ's items).

Visit to South Haven Michigan

2008-08-12T19:15:00.005-04:00

Dale and I took a weekend trip to the west coast of Michigan. South Haven is on Lake Michigan. A good friend suggested the location and many places to visit while there.
These are the places we went
Lodging- Sand Castle Inn
Such a nice little place. The service was great. Fresh baked cookies before bed was the best treat!

Dinner- Thirsty Perch
Dale had a filet and I enjoyed a bucket of perch. The perch was so good, I wonder where they got the name for their place. ;)

Dinner- Tellos

Dale had
Penne con porcini
Porcini mushrooms, beef tenderloin, roasted tomato
caramelized onions, crumbled gorgonzola.

I had
Tartufi del porco
Pork tenderloin seared with black truffles,
butter and fresh parsley

I have never had truffles before. I was amazed how much flavor were in those things!

Breakfast- Phoenix Street Cafe
This place had the fanciest menu for a breakfast place I have ever seen.
Dale had a breakfast burrito that was topped with fresh guacamole. I had an omlette with havarti, tomato and fresh avocado. So tasty. I don't think I have had avocado for breakfast before.

We had a very nice visit. I love Michigan, we get a bad rap, but there is so much beauty in our state it is nice to get out at see it every now and again.

French Toast and Bacon

2008-08-12T19:06:00.006-04:00

I can't tell you enough how much I love breakfast foods. There are so many options for breakfast. One of my favorites is French Toast.

4 Eggs

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Tbs of Vanilla (yes tablespoon)

2 tsp Cinnamon

Beat all together and dredge whole wheat bread through to the desired soak. I like to have a little crisp on my french toast so I don't soak the bread very long. This amount was perfect for 6 pieces of bread. I served it with some extra crispy bacon. It is funny to think about 5 years ago I went through this phase where I thought I hated bacon. Seriously must have been smoking something! We ate more of this bacon than we should have! It was so good!

Braised Chicken & Veggies

2008-08-12T19:00:00.004-04:00

I found a way of doing chicken thighs a while back that I have come to love. I braise the thighs in the dutch oven and then cook with red onion, multi-colored bell peppers and then throw in some chicken broth and brown rice. I decided to do a little take on that with this dish. My husband brought home a yellow squash and a zucchini from a coworker and I needed to use up some bell peppers and tomatoes before we went out of town. So this consists of chicken breasts, veggies, chicken broth, white beans, and brown rice. The results were very very good.

Pork Chops, Green Beans, Crusty Bread

2008-07-28T19:46:00.003-04:00

I love pork, I may like it more than beef, and do like it more than chicken. One of my favorite cuts to use is the boneless loin pieces. These were marinated in McCormick "Zesty Herb" marinade. I then used Spice House "Bavarian Style" dry rub. They were cooked on a hot grill.

Green Beans

The fresh green beans were cooked on the grill on a baking sheet. I drizzled with some olive oil, S&P, and some garlic.

Crusty Bread

The Bread was cooked on the top rack of the grill. Drizzled with some olive oil and some garlic.

Blueberry Pancakes

2008-07-28T19:38:00.002-04:00

Costco had the huge packages of blueberries the other day. I couldn't resist. So Sunday morning breakfast had to be blueberry pancakes. I served with turkey bacon this time.

2 Cups Flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup of Sugar

2 Eggs (lightly beaten)

2 Cups Milk

1/4 Cup melted butter

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1. Mix dry ingredients.

2. Add the liquid ingredients and stir until blended, don't overmix.

3. Pour onto hot griddle.

4. When they start bubbling sprinkle with blueberries and press down with the spatula.

5. Flip.

6. Remove from the griddle.

Chicken Tenders, Biscuits and Roasted Summer Squash

2008-07-25T09:57:00.005-04:00

I have to admit I have a problem with breading. For some reason I can never get it to fully adhere. So I avoid making breaded items because they turn out so ugly. Surely not because of the health factor of breaded foods, ;) .
1. Marinate the chicken in buttermilk
2. Mix 2 cups of flour with 3 tsp of Cinnamon Chipotle Seasoning.
3. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.
4. Coat with panko bread crumbs and place on baking sheet.
5. Drizzle with olive oil before baking.
6. Bake on 450 for 15-20 minutes.

The taste of these was great, the breading stood up better than most tries, but not perfect. My husband thought it was very tasty though.

Roasted Summer Squash

My husband brought home two yellow squashes from a coworker. So I had to think of a way to use them up.

1. Slice the squash into spears.
2. Place on baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle with S&P and some parmesan cheese.
4. Drizzle with Olive Oil.
5. Roast in oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

These were very good. My husband who doesn't like veggies much ate them up and enjoyed them.

My new BFF = BISCUITS

2008-07-25T09:44:00.003-04:00

So I spend a lot of time "nesting" on thenest.com. While most of the time is probably not "productive" I do find a great deal of meal planning help. So yesterday I wondered what to do with chicken breasts. I was guided towards chicken and biscuits and given this fabulous recipe from Elly. I do have to say the first bite was an amazing experience. Such buttery goodness. WOW what a recipe.

Banana Peach Muffins

2008-07-25T09:28:00.004-04:00

I came across a recipe for "lighter" muffins on All recipes. It didn't include any fat besides the eggs. I have been making muffins a lot of the past year or so. I found this basic fact on wikipedia about baking powder. I was wanting to make high protein muffins a while back when I was trying to follow a higher protein diet. So I made up a pumpkin muffin recipe with protein powder and followed this principle.
1 tsp of Baking Powder is used to make 1 cup of Flour, 1 cup of Liquid and 1 Egg rise. If you use something more acidic like buttermilk use 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. I found you could do so much with this principle. I tried many different ways and calculated all the weight watchers points and everything.
So this recipe I came across had that basic principle, but didn't add any fat other than the eggs. The reviews said they came out dry and they would have added more moisture the next time.
I had 2 ripe bananas and two ripe peaches (one peach was ginormous). So this is the recipe I used.

2 Eggs
2 mashed bananas & 2 pureed peaches (this made about 2 cups)
2 Cups of Flour
3/4 Cup of White Sugar
1 tsp of Baking Soda ( I notice as I am typing this up that I should have used 2 tsp if following the principle, I bet 1 1/2 tsp would be perfect, I would have preferred a bit more rise)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Makes 12 muffins (or 6 jumbo muffins)

Shrimp Scampi

2008-07-25T09:01:00.007-04:00

I was given a gift certificate for a place called "entrees made easy". It is a local place where you can prep the meals in their facility or just pick something from the fridge or freezer. We did the freezer route and this Shrimp Scampi was the last item we had left and had gotten lost in our freezer for a few months. This place does a good job with their recipe instructions and they prepare all the ingredients (like mincing the garlic) and place it all in ziplock bags. We have been pretty happy with the other selections. I would prefer to cook myself, but it was a nice treat on busy evenings.

My Exchange buddy strikes again!!

2008-07-24T11:16:00.006-04:00

So today what do we have in the UPS? Two boxes were handed to me from "Cheryl & Co." I just couldn't open fast enough. I recieved a bunch of individually packaged cookies and some other treats.

I tried a butter cream sandwich cookie first. It was like brownie pieces with a slab of icing in the middle. Yummy. Thanks so much "Buddy".

Taco Salad

2008-07-21T17:51:00.005-04:00

So the other night I made some chicken tenderloins on the grill with the intention of making nachos. But taco salad sounded way better tonight.

These are the ingredients. No real recipe.

Chopped Romaine Lettuce
Diced orange bell peppers

Black Beans

Corn

Diced Chicken pieces (this was marinated with fajitas seasoning and grilled)

Diced Tomato (tossed with a bit of southwest seasoning)

Mexican shredded cheese blend

Sour Cream

Tortilla Chips

Dressing

1/4 Cup Ranch dressing

1 Tbs Southwest Seasoning

Dash of lemon juice
(this was just done to taste)

Popcorn

2008-07-21T17:43:00.003-04:00

Blogging about Popcorn may seem odd. It is such a simple treat. But I have such vivid memories of having popcorn as a family. This was well before the simple microwave versions were invented. Homemade popcorn on the stove is a must.

1. In a very heavy pot heat some peanut oil

2. Add the popcorn kernals

3. Pop until the top comes off.

4. Toss into a big bowl

5. Add some butter back into the hot pan, melt, pour over the popcorn

6. Salt to your liking

7. Must have a glass of milk along side

So this is our family "recipe". No microwave version tastes quite the same.

Flank Steak and Portabellas on the Grill

2008-07-21T17:37:00.004-04:00

Flank Steak has become one of my favorite items to grill. Costco sells a two pack for a resonable price. I use this for company often. Most recently I used if for fajitas for company. This meal was just a simple one for dinner with plenty of leftovers for the week. I marinated it in some fajita seasoning mixed with bbq sauce. Before putting on the grill I drizzled with some Olive Oil and some Montreal Seasoning.

The mushrooms were simply drizzled with Olive Oil and S&P.

I also cooked up some chicken tenderloins on the grill for meals later in the week. Those were marinated in fajita seasoning.

Tonight's Dinner!

2008-07-17T10:06:00.003-04:00

I am meeting a friend for dinner at one of my favorite places. Dale isn't much for stir-fry. So I like to go here for "girl's nights". I will likely do a beef or pork bowl and a seafood bowl. They serve with brown rice and tortillas. Can't wait!!

Mongolian BBQ

From their website

Centuries ago in the province of Mongolia, the Mighty Khan's hunting parties would camp on the banks of the great river Khan-Balik. After days devoted entirely to hunting, they would gather in droves to celebrate their successes. Communing in banquet style pavilions, the Mongols would prepare slivers of meat and vegetables by slicing them with their razor sharp swords. They would then cook their food by searing it on their overturned shields that were heated by a blazing fire. The Kublai Khan and his fiercest warriors would sit high above the hordes, and enjoy the same food prepared for him on a large, roaring hot griddle.
It is with these ancient traditions in mind that we bring you one of the world's most original eating experiences, bd's mongolian barbeque©.
bd's mongolian barbeque© is the world's number one Create Your Own Stir-Fry restaurant concept where the guests choose their own ingredients from a great variety of meats, seafood, vegetables, salads, sauces and spices. The food is then prepared by master grillers on a 600° 7-foot grill.
Since 1992, bd's mongolian barbeque© has been delivering a unique, interactive dining experience that sets us apart from the competition.
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Chicken Thighs and Corn on the Cob

2008-07-16T19:13:00.006-04:00

I decided to marinate the chicken thighs all day in OJ concentrate. I then pan "poached" them with some of the marinade until almost cooked. I dumped out the OJ and slatthered the thighs with some BBQ Sauce and cooked until done. The marinade made for a very moist chicken and the mild orange flavor was great with the BBQ Sauce. I love the flavor of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce. I use it all the time.

This is my first corn of the season. It was so very tasty. Michigan has some of the best corn. Trust Me!!

I served both with a side of the tomato salad I talked about below. :)

My First Basil of the Summer!!

2008-07-16T19:05:00.006-04:00

So I picked my first batch of basil from my garden. What better than a simple tomato salad with basil and mozzarella?

My Dad and Step-Mom traveled to Europe a while back. They brought us a bottle of French Wine and Fancy Olive Oil from Italy. I was impressed with the wine but Dad quickly alerted me to the fact that "actually the olive oil was a lot more money than the wine". So this is probably some pretty fancy stuff. Why not celebrate the fresh basil? I took part of my huge tomato I got at the road side place and chunked it with some basil, mozzarella cheese (yes I cheated, it is actually some string cheese cut up), drizzled with olive oil and a dash of salt.

$4.75

2008-07-16T18:54:00.005-04:00

So I just love summer when in Michigan you can get fresh produce that is grown locally. It is always so tasty and the price is great.

This is what I got for less the $5.

Red Snapper Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

2008-07-15T20:34:00.005-04:00

I had a large red snapper filet that I pulled out of the freezer this morning. I wasn't sure what dinner was going to be. But since we had some leftover hamburger buns I thought making a sandwich would be good. I marinated the snapper in salt & pepper, a little olive oil and some cinnamon chipolte dry rub. Then I cooked it up on the grill. Added a slice of colby jack cheese, placed on a bun with honey spread. (I threw together cottage cheese, honey and dijon mustard in the mini food processor to get a mayo like consistancy.)

My favorite way to make veggies now is to cook them on the grill on a cookie sheet. My medium and small size both fit perfectly. So I basically roast them on the grill. I cut the sweet potatoe into small pieces, drizzled with a bit of olive oil and salt & pepper. They turn out crispy, but be careful to just drizzle with oil. Too much oil prevents the crisp.

Running

2008-07-15T09:31:00.004-04:00

I decided to write this post so it would be archived. I can't run now because I am pregnant. But I can't wait to get back to running and will do another 1/2 marathon at some point.
I have always had an itch to be a runner. I do much better running than walking. But I have always been a heavy person and didn't have the courage to run before. My husband is a bit of a runner. But he doesn't like mileage above 5Ks. He just does it for exercise and really doesn't enjoy it much. But since he participated in a 5K yearly I decided I would do it too.
So I ran my first 5K race in June 2005, Race for the Cure, Downtown Detroit
It was a great experience. I am a slow runner and will probably always be. But I finished and ran the whole time. So it was quite a milestone for me. I kept the running up but felt I needed some other motivation, like a race, to keep me going. We got married in August 2005. A few months after the wedding I was looking for something to occupy my time like the wedding planning did. I found a flyer for Team in Training at a coffee shop. And I sat and read it and realized I wanted to do a 1/2 marathon. A 1/2 marathon is quite a jump from a 5K. But I had plenty of time to get ready for it. So I took the plunge and went to the information session and signed up. So starting in November 2005 I was training for a 1/2 marathon. WOW. In December 2005 I signed up for my first 10K race, Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis, Birmingham, MI. This was quite the experience. This was a 5K and a 10K. Since it was quite chilly in December most of the runners opted for the 5K distance. I was the last finisher of the 10K. I ran the entire time and was followed by the ambulance back to the finish. It was a humbling experience. But I finished I ran 6.2 miles. Wow.
So the next few months were full of lots of running and preparing physically and mentally for the 1/2 marathon.
My husband and I planned a trip to Texas to visit my Brother and Sister In-Law. Since my Sister In-Law used to be a runner she decided to get into shape and do a 10K with us when we visited. So we all signed up for the Fiesta 10K in San Antonio Texas, April 2006. This was a huge test for me. I was not in shape for the previous 10K, but this one I was very prepared for. My time was good, in my eyes, and I felt so prepared for the race.
On May 7th 2006 I ran the Vancouver 1/2 Marathon with Team In Training. It was an amazing experience. I was slow, but I finished and I didn't finish last. I had met a goal. What a great thing! I also raised a ton of money for Team in Training in the process.
I slacked after this race, which I wish I hadn't done. I wish I would have signed up for another 1/2 marathon right away. I tried to get back into running officially in the spring of 2007. I was training for another 10K. Unfortunately I sustained an injury to my hip that got worse and worse as I trained more and more. I did the race Fireman's 5K/10K in Farmington Hills, MI in June 2007. But I could only run a little over 4 1/2 miles before realizing I was really hurt. So that led to a doctor's appointment and to months of phyical therapy. So this ended my running for the time. The process of getting pregnant was difficult for us, so running wasn't a priority in the Fall/Winter of 2007. But it will be again. I believe I have the running mentality and will get back there again. I just hope my injured hip doesn't stop me.

Waffles

2008-07-12T09:28:00.005-04:00

I used to be one of the people that always used boxed mixes for pankcakes and waffles. But I have come to realize that the ingredients are some I always have on hand and much cheaper. So this recipe from The Joy of Baking website has become a go to. I love making a simple berry syrup for waffles and pancakes. The recipe is nothing special but I included it anyways. I went to a breakfast buffet with Dale and my Grandmother Evelyn a few months ago. I decided to get some waffles. It became a silly adventure. The waffles were served right next to the beef carving station. So I poured on what looked to be syrup, nope it was Au Jus. YUCK. Attempt two... They had whipped cream. I honestly couldn't remember ever having whipped cream on my waffles. Boy was it good. So I splurge sometimes and make some whipped cream to serve with the waffles. Today I noticed a frozen vanilla cool whip in the freezer that someone had brought over once, I figured that would work, but obviously to real thing is better.

Waffles

1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (240 ml) milk
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted

I added these in too

2 tsp of vanilla

1 tsp of cinnamon

Berry Syrup

2 cups of frozen mixed berries (cooked in the microwave for about 3 minutes, they cook down to a bit over a cup)

1/2 Cup of Pure Maple Syrup

Mix together

Our Baby Girl!!

2008-07-11T20:20:00.005-04:00

I am very blessed to be 20 weeks pregnant. Our journey into parenthood has been long and difficult. We are so very thankful for scientific/medical advances. We needed assistance to get pregnant. So the last year, and 20 weeks especially, have been difficult and a journey that someone (up above) wanted us to take. So while this wasn't MY PLAN. I have accepted that this is something to cherish deeply, not take for granted, and appreciate every day. So I try my best to balance those emotions with the normal uncomforts of pregnancy and enjoy the days we are given. We found out Monday that our baby is a girl. So we are going to start getting into the pink state of mind, Although I prefer purple. Here is her most recent picture.

My new addiction DECORATING!!!

2008-07-11T20:08:00.005-04:00

So my new love of HGTV has been inspiring me. :) I have been collecting some accessories for the house. And we just recently had some painting done. We bought a new home in August and were stuck with construction white walls. So I have been dying for some color. Here are some of my finds and some of my favorite wall colors. Sorry for the furniture mess. We need big strong men to come back and help us, since I can't move things.

I've Been Tagged (A long time ago)

2008-07-11T19:32:00.005-04:00

So very sorry Kayte! I haven't been blogging much lately. But I am honored to be tagged by you.

So here are the Tagging Rules

The rules:
Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What was I doing ten years ago?
I had just graduated from High School. I think I was working my first summer at a church camp in the kitchen. Which ended up being great experience and started my passion for being in the kitchen.

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?
Since it is 7:30 PM there isn't much. :)

1. Update my blog
2. Clean up the kitchen
3. Put my feet up. Pregnancy swelling is getting to me.
4. Probably watch some TV.
5. Eat some ice cream :-)

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Twizzlers
2. Chips & Guac
3. Dark Chocolate
4. Homemade Popcorn
5. Ice Cream

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Become a huge philanthropist
2. Start a business helping others start their dreams
3. Become a woman of leisure
4. Make sure my family and friends were well taken care of
5. Travel all over the world

Places I’ve lived:
1. Southeast Michigan (Highland, Birmingham, Westland, Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Wixom, Brighton, South Lyon)
2. Northern Michigan, Boyne Falls
3. Albion, MI (College)
I haven't ventured far from home!

Jobs I’ve had:
1. My Dad has a business so I started doing many things for him as a teenager (mow the grass, clean, data entry, package parts.... )
2. Church camp kitchen for 2 summers
3. Catering Company for a summer (Corporate lunches and graduation parties mostly)
4. Babysat a ton in high school
5. Overnight stock and backroom at Target
6. Athletic Trainer in College, High Schools and Physical Therapy Clinics (this is what my college degree is in)
7. Scheduling Manager/Operations Manager for a Defense Contracting Business (My Dad's company presently... far cry from cutting the grass)
8. Hungry Howies Pizza
9. Grocery Store Deli
10. Patient Transporter in a hospital physical therapy clinic

They are in no particular order. I think I got them all.

I will be tagging:

Karen
Melissa
Jessy
Angie
Brooke

Friday Night Dinner

2008-07-11T19:17:00.010-04:00

I was inspired today by the box of spices I received. I pulled out some burgers from the freezer a little late. I wasn't interested in microwaving them. So I thought a wet marinade may work well. So I pulled out my box of spices and chose the Mesquite Spice Packet Marinade. I wouldn't typically use a wet marinade on burgers because it could make it too messy. But since they were still frozen I thought it would be okay. The burgers were 1/2 Ground Beef an 1/2 Ground Turkey. I mixed up the marinade and poured it over the top.

Black Bean Salad

1 Can of Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 Can diced tomatoes (drained) Fresh would have been better here
1 Orange Pepper, diced
1 Small red onion, diced
1/2 TBS of Southwest Seasoning
Serve Cold

My Exchange Buddy!

2008-07-11T18:35:00.006-04:00

I have had the privilege of becoming friend's with Joelen over the last year. We decided a while back we would start exchanging gifts to mail to each other monthly. I have been delighted with some of the great gifts I have received. Most recently I received a box of McCormick Spices and rubs and a beautiful glass bowl from Crate & Barrel. (Who doesn't love getting that black and white box?). Well I had to figure out what to display in the bowl. I ended up finding the perfect decorative balls to go inside.

Since I love the flavors so much...

2008-07-11T18:22:00.011-04:00

Well I like to think I am creative. But it appears that my love of tomato, basil and mozzarella shows me as not being creative. But I will highlight this pasta anyways. :)

I prefer whole wheat pasta over the traditional. We don't eat a whole lot of pasta. But I prefer the nuttier taste. This pasta actually is "super powered" with some extra flax seed too.

The ingredients

Whole Wheat Pasta (pre-cooked)
Cut up chicken pieces (pre-cooked)
Chopped Fresh Mozzarella
Chopped Fresh Basil
Diced Yellow Tomatoes

The chicken I coated with this "Butcher's Rub" from the Spice House. (Sorry for the poor picture). I was given a batch of spices from an "exchange buddy" a while back. It has been a nice treat and I have enjoyed using all the spices.

No real recipe involved. Mix all ingredients and serve cold.
Very good!

My Sincere Apologies

2008-07-11T18:20:00.003-04:00

I have been AWOL from blogging. I am 20 weeks pregnant. The kitchen has honestly not been a place I have spent much time. But I have more energy now and feel better. So back to work!! Since I was tagged over a month ago I must show some new work before responding. :)

Caprese Pizza

2008-03-13T18:18:00.006-04:00

Using Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough as a base I chose the ingredients of fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and roma tomatoes. I was given a gift of a pizza stone/oven from a "secret pal" her blog is blonde ambition in the kitchen . You can use this on the grill or the oven. For this pizza I used the oven.

Comments: I have had trouble with this dough in the past and will not be buying it again. It is picky dough and can be "damaged" too easily. Pizza dough is better homemade and pretty easy. So I will stick with homemade. But the ingredients can't be beat

Cumin-Coriander Roasted Potatoes

2008-03-13T18:16:00.006-04:00

One of my best side dishes by far is oven roasted potatoes. This is my go-to side dish with company often. It is simple to prepare and goes over great. As mentioned before I am still learning the intricacies of herbs and spices. I am starting to understand the flavors of cumin and coriander more and decided to try them on my roasted potatoes.
I made these a week or more ago so the amounts are a little from memory.

3 medium yellow potatoes, diced small
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
2Tbs Olive Oil (drizzled over top and then stirred all together)

Roast in a 425 degree oven for 60 minutes or longer to get desired crispness. Make sure you stir a few times through out the cooking process.

Stuffed Tilapia

2008-03-13T18:03:00.004-04:00

I was inspired by the author of the blog Elly Says Opa.
She was discussing doing a flank steak stuffed with goat cheese and tomato. So in my search for "what to do with my tilapia"? I decided to put my take on the idea. I personally can't stand goat cheese. But did have fresh mozzarella and fresh basil in the fridge. So this is what I came up with.
I did a tapenade/pesto type stuffing with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes by running the ingredients through the food processor. I had butterfly tilapia filets, which made for easy stuffing (just fold it over). I sprinkled the tilapia with dry bread crumbs and baked for about 15 minutes at 350.

Comments: This turned out so good. I haven't been digging tilapia much lately, so this really brought me back to "team tilapia".

Peanut Butter Double Chocolate Brownies

2008-03-13T17:43:00.006-04:00

So what makes basic brownies better?? How about more chocolate and peanut butter!!

Baker's One Bowl Brownies With a Twist
This is the recipe I used, modified slightly. Since I was adding sweetened peanut butter I reduced the sugar by 1/2 cup and did not add any nuts.

4 Squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup of Semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 Cup Peanut Butter (warmed slightly in the microwave)

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease a 13" x 9" with cooking spray.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and chocolate chips and mix well. Pour into baking pan. Drizzle the peanut butter over the brownie mix and take a knife and spread side to side to swirl the peanut butter.

BAKE 30 to 35 min.

Enjoy!

Comments: The next time I make these I will mix the peanut butter in completely. I think they will stand up better. But the results with these are still VERY good.

Beef Barley Meets Wedding Soup

2008-03-13T07:47:00.005-04:00

So I had some ground beef out thawing. I wasn't sure of the way I would go. I wasn't interested in a pasta and meatloaf just wasn't cutting it for me. So I starting thinking of beef barley combos. Most of the beef barley soups use stewing beef and not ground beef. I didn't want a chili type dish either. So I thought that making a barley soup and using the idea of wedding soup, with mini-meatballs would be the best way to go.

Meatballs
1.5 lbs of Ground Beef (I only get super lean)
Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 egg (beaten)

Mix all together and form into mini-meatballs and set aside

Soup
All soups I make (and most people make) start this way

1Tbs Butter, 1 Tbs Olive Oil
Add the butter and oil to a heated dutch oven (medium-high heat)

1 1/2 Cups of Diced Onion (I used a red onion)
1 Cup Diced Celery
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Cup Diced Carrot

Add the onion and simmer for a minute or so and then add the celery. Let these cook for about 5 minutes. Add the S&P, Garlic and Carrots and sautee everything for about 10-15 minutes.

6 Cups of Chicken Broth
1 Cup of Water
1 Cup of Pearl Barley

Add the above ingredients and let the soup come to a little boil and simmer for about 45 minutes.

I am still learning how to use spices. So I added the following in various amounts until it achieved the right flavor.

Dried Basil, Salt and Pepper, Penzey's Italian Herb mix

Heat a large skillet with 1 Tbs Canola Oil
Cook the meatballs until lightly browned.
Add the meatballs to the soup and cook another 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Master Baker Challenge: Cinnamon

2008-03-02T18:26:00.006-05:00

The "What's Cooking" Board on the Nest provides a ton of inspiration for cooking/baking. Many of the ladies on the board have amazing food blogs. There seems to be many blog challenges being posted lately. I found out about this one on the board as well as the other two I participated in this week.
Master Baker Chall enge: Cinnamon

So the ingredient is cinnamon and the challenge is to make something with cinnamon. I was baking cookies this weekend and decided to do one of my favorites. There aren't many recipes that beat this classic. I doubled the recipe and added extra vanilla and cinnamon because I love the flavors of both.

Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups Quaker Oats

1 cup raisins (I always use golden raisins)

I baked on Convection Setting 350 for 15 minutes

Caprese Quiche with Mashed Potato Crust

2008-03-02T18:13:00.005-05:00

What to do with leftover mashed potatoes? I was thinking something along the lines of hashbrowns. I decided to make a pie crust out of the mashed potatoes and then make a quiche. I had some small campari tomatoes so I thought those would be good.

1. Spread the leftover mashed potatoes into a 9" greased pie plate. Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes until it forms slightly brown edges.

Reduce heat to 350

2. Place sliced tomatoes on the potato crust.
3. Pour egg mixture over the tomatoes.
4. Sprinkle with dried basil.
5. Lay sliced mozzarella slices over the top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until set.

Enjoy

Would you like a Cookie?

2008-02-28T20:43:00.008-05:00

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These used to be the only cookies I made. But I have recently found 2 other recipes that I love too. So it has been a long time since I made some of these. The recipe comes from the Better Homes and Garden Cook Book. I can't rave enough about the convection setting on my oven. This setting allows for the perfect cookies! Yum these are some good melt in your mouth cookies, and extra perfect with some milk.

Eat to the Beat!! Part 2 Coconut Lime Cupcakes

2008-02-27T20:03:00.006-05:00

Since this was thrown together, I would recommend a couple changes to the recipe I used. I will note those in blue.
Preheat Oven to 350 (I have convection so I did 325)

1 1/4 Cups Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup Butter
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk (use 1 Cup)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 lime (juice and zest) (I used a small one use medium sized lime)
1 Cup Coconut (use 3/4 cup)

Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside. Beat the butter until soft and add the sugar and mix until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the milk and lime juice. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in the coconut at the end.
Pour into muffin cups in muffin pan.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy.

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Eat to the Beat!! Part 1

2008-02-27T19:42:00.008-05:00

So I decided to participate in the blogging event "Eat to the Beat".
The song that came to mind was "Put the Lime in the Coconut" By Harry Nilsson. To listen to this song check out YouTube. This song has a lot of memories for me. I will age myself by saying this, but whatever. In college my roommate had a mix tape (yes tape) called the "100 Proof Mix". This was one of the songs on the tape, which was full of great, classic "drinking songs". Too funny. (I am not THAT old, 1998 graduate).

So what to make with Lime and Coconut??
I thought of two ideas and decided to try them both.
1. Coconut Shrimp with Tequila Lime Marinade
2. Coconut Lime Cupcakes

I couldn't find any recipes for either that I wanted to try. So I had to improvise a bit. I have done a tequila lime marinade and made coconut cake previously so I had a good idea of what I was looking for.

Coconut Shrimp
18-20 Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined, tales on

Marinade
1 Lemon (juice and zest)
1 Lime (juice and zest)
1/3 Cup Tequila
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbs Olive Oil
(Marinade for 30 minutes- 1 hour)

Preheat Oven to 425
1/2 Cup Flour
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Beer
1 Cup Coconut

Beat the egg and mix with the beer. Prepare a dish with flour, one with the egg mixture, and one with the coconut. Roll in the flour, then the egg, then the coconut and place on greased cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes. Serve with the dip. Enjoy.

Dip
1/4 Cup of Mayo
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lime and 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbs Honey
1 Tbs Tequila

Platinum Chef Challenge Part 2

2008-02-25T20:35:00.012-05:00

Hummus

Two ingredients remained in the challenge, chick peas and cumin. So what on earth to make with chick peas? Well Hummus of course!!

1 Can of Chick Peas (rinsed and drained)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbs Lemon Juice

Place all ingredients in a food processor or a blender. Add a little bit of water if needed to get the consistency. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy.

Platinum Chef Challenge Part 1

2008-02-25T20:21:00.014-05:00

Platinum Chef Challenge

So another challenge presented itself. I decided to take another stab at the challenge. The ingredients chosen were intriguing. This was a good tasting dish and pretty healthy. To think risotto without any cheese or butter, you are doing pretty good. I was surprised how long the barley took to cook though. This dish probably took close to an hour to complete. But I am excited to try other risottos substituting barley for the rice.

These are the ingredients this time:

*Butternut Squash
*Barley
*Chickpeas
*Cumin
*Vanilla

The first recipe I chose was for a Butternut Squash & Barley Risotto
I found this by googling the ingredients of Butternut Squash and Barley. This recipe comes from Parade.Com. (In red are the changes that were made. )

Butternut Barley Risotto

1 butternut squash (about 11⁄2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 11⁄2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cup diced (1/4 inch) plum tomatoes

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long) (This was omitted)

2 Tbs Vanilla (this was added)

1 cup pearl barley, rinsed

4 tablespoons chopped parsley (This was omitted)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Blanch the squash in boiling, salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and reserve. (this actually took more like 15 minutes)

2. Place the oil in a pot over low heat; add the onion and cook until tender, stirring, 10 to 15 minutes. (Add the vanilla and stir for a minute) Add the tomatoes; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, simmer the broth.

4. Stir the barley into the onions and tomatoes, coating well with the oil. Raise the heat to medium.

5. Stir 1/2 cup of the br oth into the barley mixture; cook, stirring frequently, until it has been absorbed into the barley. Repeat, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup, until the barley is tender and most of the broth has been used, about 45 minutes.

6. Carefully fold in the reserved butternut squash. Cook until the barley reaches the desired consistency, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. (Add one more Tbs of Vanilla and stir) Serve immediately.

7. While eating it was apparent something was missing. So cinnamon was sprinkled on top and stirred in.

Cinnamon Rolls

2008-02-01T10:10:00.002-05:00

I had the wonderful experience to work in a Church Camp Kitchen during the summers in College. I learned a great deal and often use techniques I learned there in my kitchen. The camp has an outstanding roll recipe and used that roll recipe to make cinnamon rolls also. So the technique of this recipe was learned long ago. The recipe I used the Honey Whole Wheat Bread dough recipe again from All recipes.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey (I use 2/3 Cup)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
5 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Spread
1 Cup Melted Butter
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/8 Cup Cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together

DIRECTIONS

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, and stir well. Mix in whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Work all-purpose flour in gradually. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes. (I cheat and use the Kitchen Aid to knead the dough) When dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a well oiled bowl. Turn it several times in the bowl to coat the surface of the dough, and cover with a damp cloth. (This is where I change it up)
Split the dough into two equal portions. Take the first and roll out flat on a floured counter top. The size should be around the size of a large cookie sheet (maybe a cookie sheet and a 1/2). Spread with the cinnamon mixture.
Roll the dough to create a log. Slice into 1 1/2 inch slices and place on a greased jelly roll pan.
Bake on 375 for about 12-15 minutes or until slightly browned.
Serve warm with a fork.
Enjoy.

The Perfect Pork Loin

2008-02-01T09:51:00.001-05:00

After having an amazing pork loin at Mesa Grill in Las Vegas I thought that I should experiment with a rub. So I googled pork loin rubs to get some ideas of ingredients.
This is what I decided to try

RUB
3T Brown Sugar
3 T White Sugar
1T each garlic salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon

Rub the loin with a hefty amount and allow the meat to come to room temperature. Heat a dutch oven to medium high and add a little Olive Oil. Sear all the sides of the pork loin for a few minutes on each side. Place a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the loin and Cover the dutch oven. Place the whole pan into a preheated 350 degree oven. Set the temperature on the probe to 135 degrees. Once it reaches temp remove from the oven and rest for about 5 minutes. Serve on a plate and slice into individual servings. ENJOY.
These are two of my kitchen products. These products have allowed me to acheive near perfection in my roasting of meat.

Dutch Oven
Probe Thermometer

Butternut White Bean Soup

2008-01-05T12:38:00.001-05:00

I got the idea to make some butternut squash soup earlier in the week from chatting with some "what's cooking" nesties What's Cooking on the Nest Cara and Joelen. Joelen (Joelen's blog) mentioned having a fantastic butternut soup at a restaurant and Cara mentioned making a butternut soup with black beans (Cara's Blog)
I wanted to use white beans and thought that red peppers would be good too. Trader Joes sells prechopped butternut squash. So when I was there the other day I bought 2 packages. This morning I wasn't sure how I wanted to make the soup.

I googled butternut soups and couldn't find one to try, but did confirm that it should be made similar to potato soup, and I learned how to roast red peppers. So I kind of just threw something together.

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs Olive oil
1 1/2 Cups of diced yellow onion
1 1/2 Cups of diced celery
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Cups of diced carrots
4 Cups chopped butternut squash
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Water
2 Roasted Bell Peppers (followed the recipe steps 1-5) http://www.recipezaar.com/131936
3 (4 would be better) cans of white beans

Heat the butter and oil in a large dutch oven on medium heat. Add the celery and onions and cook down for a few minutes. Add the spices and combine well. Add the carrots and cook for a few more minutes until the celery and onions are soft. Add the squash and heat for about 5 minutes. Add the Chicken broth and water and cook until the squash falls apart. Add the roasted peppers and cook for another ten minutes.
Puree with a food processor. Add back into the pan with rinsed and drained beans. I could only find 3 cans of white beans in the pantry. I think that 4 would have been better.
Enjoy!

Weekend Baking

2007-11-25T20:23:00.002-05:00

Blondies and Brownies

I had some helper's in the kitchen and we decided to make so blondies and brownies. These turned out to rave reviews. When deciding what to add to the blondies I asked "chocolate chips or M&M's" my 3 1/2 year old niece looked at me puzzled and then said "BOTH". So that is what we did. Dark Chocolate M&M's and Nestle Chocolate Chips. I used the basic blodie recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. Below is the recipe I used for the brownies. I didn't use nuts in this batch.

Baker's One Bowl Brownies

4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
3/4 cup (1-1/2 stick s) butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. va nilla
1 cup flour
1 cup coarsely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and pecans; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Soup Soup

2007-11-25T20:00:00.001-05:00

I again wanted to spend some time in the kitchen making some soup. I saw this tomato soup recipe and thought it sounded amazing. I had some red skins left from Thanksgiving so I did a little altering to my regular potato soup.

Roasted Tomato Soup

(From the "What's Cooking" Nest Website)

3 lbs ripe tomatoes cut in half
1/4 c. plus 2 T. olive oil
1 T. kosher salt
1.5 t. pepper
2 c. chopped onion
6 garlic cloves
2 T. butter
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
3 c. chopped (canned) tomatoes, with their juices
1 28 oz. can of peeled Plum Tomatoes with basil (I added this not on original recipe)
2 c. fresh basil leaves
1 t. fresh thyme leaves (I omitted and added some pasta seasoning in it's place)
4 c. chicken stock

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Toss tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread tomatoes in 1 layer baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
3) In an 8 quart stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with 2 T. olive oil, butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes until the onions start to brown
4) Add the canned tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock.
5) Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 min.
6) Pass through food processor.

Red Skin Potato Cheddar Soup

8 slices of Bacon diced

1 C Onion diced

1 C Carrot diced

1 C Celery diced

5 Garlic Cloves

8 C Red Skin Potato (cut into chunks)

4 C Chicken Broth

2 C 2% Milk

¼ lb Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook the diced bacon in large pot until crispy. Add onions, garlic and celery and cook until onions are slightly browned add carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and mix well. Add chicken broth and cook until potatoes are tender. Place mixture into food processor in batches. Add milk and cheese and heat until cheese is melted in.

Salt and Pepper to taste (will need quite a bit). Serve with shredded cheddar sprinkled on top.

Leftovers= Frittata

2007-11-23T10:53:00.001-05:00

Turkey &Brie Frittata with Red Skin Hash Browns
All leftovers
1/2 Cup Finely diced red onion
1 Cup Finely diced leftover turkey
Sautee in Oven safe frying pan
Scramble 4 eggs with a little milk. Pour into the pan and allow to cook for a few minutes. When just about set add sliced brie to the top. Allow to set a little more. Place pan under the broiler for about 5 minutes until nicely browned.

In another frying pan add leftover mashed potatoes and flatten out and cook until crisp for hash browns.

Thanksgiving Dishes Part 3 THE TURKEY!

2007-11-23T09:33:00.000-05:00

The Main Dish

So I started with a 19lbs butterball turkey. I decided to attempt a brine since I had brined a chicken a few weeks ago and the results were fabulous. I purchased Williams Sonoma Apple and Spices Turkey Brine and prepared per directions. Brining a 19lb bird is quite and undertaking. But I was up for the challenge. The turkey brined for about 20 hours overnight in the fridge. After brining rinse the turkey really well. I was cooking my turkey in a bag.
1. Pour some flour into the bag.
2. Place the turkey in the bag and fill both cavities with quartered oranges, onions and whole garlic cloves.
3. Rub the turkey with Mediterranean Medley Dry Rub (I received this in a gift package with some other ingredients, I have used on chicken before, it is outstanding. This is the link I found on google.
4. Drizzle honey all over the turkey.
5. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 2 hours and 45 minutes. The temp needs to be checked regularly to make sure it isn't overcooked.

The reviews of the turkey were outstanding. I actually forgot to take any pictures of the turkey but I have one of my uncle slicing it so we will see if this shows the final product well enough.

The Gravy

2007-11-23T09:28:00.002-05:00

Well I will not say that my gravy turned out great. But it was pretty impressive for the first attempt. Gravy is something that will need some more practice. I did learn some lessons in the process. They gravy is pretty good, but too thick because of too much flour. This is the basic process I started with.
1. Add 1 small jar of store bought turkey gravy.
2. Add 3 cups of chicken stock.
3. Gradually add flour to increase the consistency.
4. Add a slurry (corn starch and cold water) to thicken.
5. Add in some fresh turkey drippings.
6. Continue to heat stirring frequently.

My mistake was that I didn't realize how quickly the gravy would thicken as it cooled. The taste is good but it definitely needs some more liquid. I may try to "fix" the leftovers today just as a challenge. So I will give my self a B grade on my first gravy attempt.

Thanksgiving Dishes Part 2

2007-11-23T09:06:00.001-05:00

Sweet Potato Side Dish
This was by far my favorite dish I made this year. I made it up as I went along and I am very impressed at how yummy this turned out.

6-7 Medium Sweet Potatoes

Poke each potato 4-5 times with a fork or knife bake in oven at 425 for about 1 hour (stick a fork in to make sure they are soft on the inside).

Once slightly cooled remove all the skins and place into large bowl.

¼ Cup Butter
1/3 Cup Honey
¼ Cup Maple Syrup
Mash all ingredients together.

Place into casserole dish. (I made this a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator)

1 Cup Crushed Pecans
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

Fork together the pecans and brown sugar and pour over the top of the sweet potatoes. Place in the oven to reheat and form a slight crust on the top. For me in was about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Stuffing

1 1/2 Cups chopped Celery

1 Cup diced onion

2 tsp dried sage

In a Dutch oven with preheated Olive Oil saute the above ingredients for a few minutes. Add in the following:

3 diced apples (golden delicious, small sized apples)

1 package of Pepperidge Farms Herb Stuffing Mix

Stir the above ingredients together. Then add

3 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Cups Apple juice

Keep stirring the mixture until you get your preferred consistency.

Add in the following

1 cup of toasted chopped almonds.

1/2 cup of raisins

Place the mixture in a baking dish and heat in the oven until slightly crispy on top. For me it was about 30 minutes in a 35o degree oven.

Garlic Mashed Redskins

Nothing too fancy here. Mashed potatoes are one of the easiest dishes to make. They are also pretty hard to screw up. For my Thanksgiving Mashed I boiled red skins with skin on until tender. I mashed with the typical butter, milk, salt and pepper. I also added in some fresh minced garlic.

Corn with a twist

To spice up frozen corn add finely diced red onion and red pepper. Salt & Pepper to taste. Place in baking dish add a little chunked butter and microwave for 5 minutes.

Cranberry Dressing with a Pop

1 can whole cranberry sauce

3 sliced and diced clementines

Allow to sit overnight to allow flavors to blend.

My Thanksgiving Dishes Part 1

2007-11-23T08:34:00.002-05:00

Dale and I hosted Thanksgiving this year. I have made turkey's a couple times before, but never done the whole Thanksgiving meal myself. My Mom brought some green bean casserole and a pumpkin pie. But I handled the rest. I will go in order of preparation.

Apple Pie
I was going to make a Dutch Apple Pie, but half way through I decided to just to traditional. I used Pillsbury roll out pie crust for both pies.
5 1/2 cups of Golden Delicious Apples (peeled, sliced and diced)
3 TBS of Flour
1 Cup Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Mix all ingredients together and pour into 9" Pie shell.
2 TBS butter (in little chunks)
Dot with butter. Place second pie crust over the top and flute the edges. Cut in X in the top to allow for venting. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the apple mixture is bubbly inside.

Mixed Berry Pie
Costco sells a frozen mixed bag of berries. It has Raspberries, Blueberries and Marionberries.

4 Cups of berries
3 TBS Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 TBS Lemon Juice
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix all the ingredients together and allow to thaw for about 45 minutes.
Place 1 crust in a 9" pie plate. Pour the berry mixture in the pan dot the mixture with chunks of butter (1 TBS). Place the second crust over the top and flute the edges. Cut an X in the top to allow venting. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes in 450 degree oven. Reduce the temperature after 15 minutes to 350 and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned and the contents are bubbling. (This recipe was adapted slightly from "Applegate River Blackberry Pie" from "Retro Pies" Cookbook)

Dinner Rolls
This recipe was adapted from 2 recipes. It was from the Honey Whole Wheat Bread recipe I mentioned in a previous post and a classic roll recipe from a church camp I used to work at during the summers in college.

1 oz yeast
2 ½ Cups Warm Water (110 degrees)
1 Cup honey
2 tsp. salt
½ Cup melted butter
3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
5 Cups AP Flour (may need a little less or little more depending on how it feels while kneading)

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add honey, salt and melted butter and mix well. Add whole wheat flour and blend until mixed well. Add in flour 1 cup at a time. Leave 1 cup aside for the kneading (dough should be sticky). Allow dough to rise (double in size). Knead the dough, adding flour as you go. The dough should not be sticky at this point. Form dough into balls to make rolls. Place on greased baking sheet less than an inch apart. Allow the rolls to rise for at least 1 hour. Can be left over night in the refrigerator.

Bake 350 for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned

Rub melted butter on the tops of the rolls with a pastry brush just after removing from the oven.

Makes about 40 rolls.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2007-11-15T19:27:00.001-05:00

This recipe is originally from www.allrecipes.com. The original calls for 1/3 cup of honey. From suggestions given the honey should be increased so I use 2/3 cup. I have made this a few times and decided to again this past weekend. This is a really good and easy bread recipe. I have altered before into rolls and those turn out great too.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup honey

1/3 cup vegetable oil

5 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, and stir well. Mix in whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Work all-purpose flour in gradually. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes. When dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a well oiled bowl. Turn it several times in the bowl to coat the surface of the dough, and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough. Shape into two loaves, and place into two well greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise until dough is 1 to 1 1/2 inches above pans.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Potato Soup

2007-11-15T19:26:00.002-05:00

Potato Soup

8 slices of Bacon diced

1 medium Onion diced

1 C Carrot diced

1 C Celery diced

5 Garlic cloves minced

8 C Potato cut into small pieces (5-6 medium)

4 C Chicken Broth

2 C 2% Milk

1 ½ C Flour

Cook the diced bacon in large pot until crispy. Add Onions and allow to cook for a 2-3 minutes. Add Celery, Carrots and garlic. Sautee for 5 minutes. Add the Potato and Chicken broth. Cook until potatoes are tender (about an hour). Add Milk and Flour and blend with immersion blender (or hand mixer). Allow to cook for about 10 more minutes.

Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve with shredded cheddar sprinkled on top.

Chicken 5 Bean Chili

2007-11-15T19:14:00.001-05:00

I have made this before with rotisserie chicken but never recorded the recipe. I used chicken breasts this time.

Chicken Chili
4 Chicken Breasts cut into bite sized pieces
(I sprinkled with 2 tsp of Emeril's Southwest seasoning to marinate)
Saute the chicken in some olive oil
After chicken is cooked add the following
1 can each chili beans in sauce & diced tomato "chili ready"
1 can each chili beans & Garbanzo beans
2 cans each diced tomato, tomato paste, black beans, red kidney beans & white beans
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp green pepper sauce
Simmer for 2 hours.

Squash &Zucchini Cakes

2007-11-15T19:03:00.001-05:00

I bought yellow squash and zucchini and wasn't sure what I should do. I got some suggestions to do a fritter and then found this recipe. They were tasty, but I made them too large. I also cooked on a griddle with canola oil instead of butter. This recipe is from Paula Deen on the Food Network.

Paula Deen's Squash & Zucchini Cakes

Cream of Broccoli & Asparagus Soup

2007-11-15T18:57:00.001-05:00

So I had some fresh broccoli and asparagus that I didn't think I would use before it went bad. So I got to thinking and thought that the combination would be good. This is the recipe.

Cream of Broccoli & Asparagus Soup

¾ cup diced red onion

1 cup diced celery

(sauté for a few minutes in butter and olive oil and salt & pepper)

Add

4 cup broccoli pieces

2 ½ cup asparagus pieces

Cook for about 5-10 minutes

Add

5 cups chicken broth

Simmer for about 30 minutes until the veggies are tender

Place all ingredients in blender (in batches)

Add

2 cups milk

1/3 cup flour

Simmer for 10 minutes

Add some pepper to taste

Add ½ package of cream cheese

Mail/Internet Order Places

2007-10-15T09:58:00.002-04:00

Hi I thought I would post some Raves of some of the places I have tried. Sometimes you wish to send something and can't think of ideas. Here are some. Enjoy!

Dale and Thomas Popcorn
I first saw this in Reader's Digest. I also found out that it was one of Oprah's favorite things. They have many flavors and are very tasty.
http://www.daleandthomaspopcorn.com/

Dancing Deer Baking Company
I was sent brownies from here before and they were delicious. They came in the coolest wooden box.
http://www.dancingdeer.com/

1800 Bakery
I purchased a birthday cake that I sent to someone. It came with the cake, utensils, candles. It got rave reviews.
http://www.1-800-bakery.com/

Pro Flowers
I have purchases flowers online for my Mom and Mother in Law often. I have found these to be the freshest flowers you can get. The prices are inline with the others.
http://www.proflowers.com/

PB Loco Peanut Butter
They have all sorts of different flavors. This also got rave reviews.
http://www.pbloco.com/

Serendipity 3 in NYC
I received a yummy frozen hot chocolate mix from here. It came in such a cute package.
http://www.serendipity3.com/main.htm

Garden Fresh Salsa Company
This is a Michigan company. Their products are in the mid-west. I don't know how far they go. But these are the ultimate tortilla chips.
http://www.gardenfreshsalsa.com/products.asp

1154 Lill Studio
Design your own handbags and wallets. These are awesome gifts. I was given one of these as a bridesmaid gift. I also have sent these out to others. So fun to design!
http://www.1154lill.com/home/

Shredded Carrots Galore

2007-09-05T10:49:00.001-04:00

I needed to "practice" grating with my food processor. I bought the 11 Cup Processor earlier in the summer, but with moving haven't had much time to use it. So what should I shred?? How about some baby carrots. So I ended up with 6 Cups and couldn't think of anything else to do with them but make a carrot cake. But because I had 6 and the recipe only calls for 3 I decided to make 2 batches of cake. The second batch I made 1/2 into 12 cupcakes and 1/2 into a loaf of bread. Here is the basic recipe from Betty Crocker's Cookbook: Bridal Edition

Cake
1 1/2	cups granulated sugar
1	cup vegetable oil
3	eggs
2	cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon vanilla
1/2	teaspoon salt
3	cups shredded carrots (5 medium)
1	cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
1	package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4	cup butter or margarine, softened
2	to 3 teaspoons milk
1	teaspoon vanilla
4	cups powdered sugar

1.	(I combined this frosting recipe with another and omitted the milk and used 1/2 cup of softened butter) Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of one 13x9-inch pan or two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the salt; beat on low speed 1 minute. Stir in carrots and nuts. Pour into pan(s).
2.	Bake 13x9-inch pan 40 to 45 minutes, round pans 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rectangle in pan on cooling rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3.	In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Frost 13x9-inch cake or fill and frost round layers with frosting. Store in refrigerator.

House Pics!!

2007-09-04T10:13:00.002-04:00

Pardon the "non-staged" pictures. But I thought since I had taken some pictures I would post some.

Thank you to my coworker's garden!!!!

2007-08-27T09:09:00.001-04:00

A slew of cherry tomato and a couple zucchinis made this recipe. I was so happy with this dish I made it twice in 3 days.
Sauté the following in Olive Oil
1/2 red onion diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
Add
1 diced/sliced zucchini (small pieces so they cook quick)
Couple hand fulls of Diced cherry tomatoes
I had about 1 1/2 Cups of leftover rice that I added.
Then I added Chicken broth and parmesan cheese to make a creamy risotto type dish.

WC Platinum Chef Challenge

2007-08-27T08:30:00.002-04:00

This was my first Challenge. The ingredients were *Grapes*Basil*Rice*Avocado*Black Beans.
I was excited for these ingredients. I had two dishes that are in my regular rotation that include these.
#1 Avocado Tomato Side Salad (I guess I should get a clever name for this). I have made this a few times and needed to tweak it a bit to include the grapes.
Makes 2 servings
1 avocado sliced
1 medium tomato sliced (I have used yellow tomato in the past)
dried basil sprinkled on top (We dry our own)
splash of balsamic (so how do I incorporate the grapes you ask?) So I just used the food processor to make a grape balsamic dressing. It was really tasty!

#2
Black Bean Burritos (Again this is something in the regular rotation)
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 can of corn
1 packaged of frozen Trader Joe's Brown Rice
2 TBS of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
World Harbors Fajitas Seasoning
Put all ingredients into a sauce pan and heat until the cheese melts and the rice is rehydrated.
Scoop ingredients into Whole Wheat tortilla shells. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Cookie Cookies Cookies

2007-08-23T08:46:00.001-04:00

Here are the cookies I made
1. Bakingblondes wonderful coconut toffee cookies (with chocolate chips instead of toffee)
2. BBFCCC!
3. Snickerdoodles
4. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Rounds with Chocolate Chips
5. Chocolate Crinkles

This was the first time baking in my new oven. I used the convection setting. 1 and 2 turned out perfect. The BBFCC cookies are excellent! Bakingblondes cookies are fast becoming my favorite (even though I adjusted the recipe I will still give her the props).
Problems came with 3 and 4. Some how the oven turned off. I guess I need to figure out the buttons a little better. But what resulted was a very flat snickerdoodle and some slightly over cooked peanut butter oatmeal rounds. But I figured out the oven issue and the chocolate crinkles turned out pretty well.
LESSON LEARNED BUTTER CANNOT BE SUBSTITUTED FOR SHORTENING!!! (fine I get it!! ) This assisted the snickerdoodle spread.

My new Kitchen sink!!

2007-08-07T09:14:00.002-04:00

This is a look at my new sink. :)

About the new house

2007-08-07T08:57:00.002-04:00

We decided to buy a house that is new construction. The house was built up to the point of drywall and then the original buyers backed out. So the design of the house was set, but all the interior options were ours to make. The builder made it easier for us by having limited choices. I liked it better this way. I couldn't imagine making every decision from scratch.
We decided to buy a new bedroom set and a dining room table. Any other needed furniture will be down the road. The bedroom set is pictured below.
We close on 8/15. I am getting super excited. Most of the major things are complete (plumbing, counters, cabinets, floors). We are getting carpet tomorrow. Tonight we do the walk through with the builder.
Now it is time to get some landscaping done. I am getting some quotes this week.

Tonight's Dinner

2007-07-24T18:35:00.002-04:00

We had Ahi Tuna, Hawaiian rice, and brown sugar/honey glazed carrots. I marinated the Tuna in teriyaki sauce that was blended with some pineapple juice and then grilled to rare. The rice was the brown frozen rice from Trader Joes (plain). I chopped up some red onion and pineapple and sauteed with the rice. I tossed in some toasted almonds. The carrots were baby carrots that have been quartered, placed in foil pouches and sprinkled with a bit of brown sugar and honey, closed up and then grilled.

Sunday Night Dinner

2007-07-22T17:43:00.001-04:00

We had shrimp tacos for dinner with a black bean and corn salad.
For dessert we had grilled peaches with a mixed berry sauce topped with a dollop of Cool Whip Light.

For the tacos:
Guacamole
2 Avocados
1/2 yellow tomato
1/2 red tomato
1 lime
tsp of chopped garlic
salt and pepper
Shrimp
Marinated in Tequila Lime and Grilled
Whole Wheat Tortilla Shells

Black Bean Salad
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can corn (rinsed and drained) [I used frozen but the equivalent of 1 can]
1/2 yellow tomato diced
1/2 red tomato diced
1 small green pepper (home grown so very small) diced
1 small spicy pepper (very finely diced)
1/4-1/2 cup store bought fajita seasoning
Few splashes of hot sauce

Friday's Dinner

2007-07-22T17:19:00.001-04:00

I made BBQ Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts. These were marinated in lemonade concentrate and then coated in Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce and Grilled to perfection.
On the side were grilled onions marinated in a bit of red wine and some Montreal Steak Seasoning (One of my favorite Secret ingredients).
I sliced zucchini into long thin strips covered in Olive Oil, garlic, and Salt and Pepper.
I grilled both the onions and the zucchini along side the chicken.
I sliced whole wheat bread in half and topped with a little tomato tapenade that was given to me as a gift.

Let's Talk about my new kitchen

2007-07-20T13:18:00.001-04:00

This is the granite sample we are going to have in our new kitchen. It is called VERDE BUTTERFLY!

My First Entry

2007-07-20T13:08:00.001-04:00

Let's see how easy this is to use! Well this is my favorite bottle of wine.