Thursday, November 18, 2010

Owl cupcakes

It all starts with these:



and you go and buy this:



Then you have a little friend that looks like this:
(lets call him Duddly)


Then 'Duddly' tells his friends how fun our house is and how cute the kids are, and eventually we get this:



And apparently Duddly has cousins, friends and neighbors that want to join in the party...



And here I am talking to the cupcakes that I just made. Maybe I need to get out more! As I was packing them up to take them to Keagan's classroom I could swear I heard little voices saying "please don't eat me" Sorry friends. You have got to go.


Keagan loved them as well. We had a blast making (and carrying on conversations) with our new little fury friends!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Danish Ebleskivers

Ebleskivers are one of my favorite things. They are basically pancakes in a ball. You have to have a special pan (see below). They are just so yummy, drizzle them with some homemade buttermilk syrup and you are good to go!


Danish Ebleskivers
3 egg whites - beat till stiff
2 cups buttermilk
3 egg yolks
1/2 t. salt
2 T. sugar
2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda

Mix buttermilk, egg yolks, salt, and sugar well. Add flour, baking powder, and
baking soda, mix well. Fold in egg whites. Fill cup 1/2 full with batter. Place
1 t. applesauce or jam in center and put a dollup of batter over top. Turn with
fork and cook till center is done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Grease cups
each time.

Recipe from my Mom (and my sister in law Staci) they are the same recipe :)


you can buy this pan from William-Sanoma

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Company cheesecake


This is what it looks like when you chop up snickers bars, Reeces peanut butter cups and drizzle carmel over the top :)


Just plain. But still wonderful!

Crust

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
(whirl together in food processor)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
drizzle in 1/2 cup melted butter/marg
press into 9 inch spring-form pan

Filing
beat until smooth:
3 eggs
2-8oz packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tso vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
blend in 3 cups of sour cream

pour into crust

Bake 375 for 35-40 minutes
(Cheese cake is done when center appears nearly set, but giggles slightly)

cool then chill for 4-5 hours before serving.

Recipe from my Mom

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Stuffed Pizza Rolls


Stuffed Pizza Rolls
by OurBestBites

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough
marinara/pizza sauce
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
mozzerella cheese, diced or grated (diced is the least messy to use when stuffing the rolls)

Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400 degrees. If you make your own dough, 400 is usually a good heat as well.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind. *Don't put marinara in the rolls. Save it for dipping.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.
Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them!

Recipe from 'The girl who ate everything'

Pizza Rolls


Pizza Rolls
by Let's Dish

Pizza Dough (I bought fresh dough from the bakery or make her dough here)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons basil
1 cup sliced pepperoni, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or pepperjack)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide pizza dough in half. Roll each half into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick and 12 inches long. Just think about the size of a piece of paper. Sprinkle each half with equal amounts of garlic salt, basil, cheeses and pepperoni. Starting at a short end, roll dough up tightly to form a log. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Place rolls on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned on top. Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Her recipe for dough makes enough dough for 2 pizzas. So if you just have one batch of dough half the recipe toppings. Makes 12 pizza rolls.



Rcipes from 'The Girl who ate everything'

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Wedding Sugar Cookies

So yes, I may have fallen off the face of the earth... but I am back! I did a wedding last weekend, which took weeks of my time. Crazy, right! But I am glad I did it, just another wedding to put under my belt. (I am getting better at them :) So here are the wedding favors... Wedding cake sugar cookies. I frosted each one with different designs, did I mention I did 150 of these bad boys! So here they are, along with the recipe!


One of the designs... kinda looked like a strand of Christmas lights...but oh well!



Another design. I should have taken the pictures before I bagged them!



Piping the edges.



Fooding them with the royal icing.



All bundled up and ready to go!


Rolled Sugar Cookies-taken from Cookie Craft

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla* or 1 teaspoon vanilla plus zest of 1 lemon
food coloring (if cookie design calls for it)

*Instead of vanilla, you can use other extracts such as almond or peppermint.

1. Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Using your mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla (and lemon zest, if you're using it) or your extract of choice and mix until well blended.

3. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until the two are thoroughly blended.

4. If your cookie design calls for adding food coloring, do so now, and continue blending until desired color is reached and is evenly incorporated.

5. Turn out dough onto work surface and divide into two or three equal portions, Form each one into a rough disk. Click here for step by step and visuals of how to roll out dough and attain cookies of the same thickness.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. After you have rolled and cut the dough and the cookie shapes are on parchment-lined cookie sheets, bake them in the middle rack of the oven for 12-16 minutes or until the cookies start to turn slightly golden around the edges.

8. Cool cookies completely on a rack before icing or decorating.

Yield
2 1/2-inch cookies--about 30
3 1/2-inch cookies--about 16
4 1/2-inch cookies--about 12


Antonia74’s Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients:
6 oz (3/4 cup) of warm water
5 Tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 kilogram (2.25 lbs.) powdered icing sugar

Directions:
In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened…about 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more. Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer. Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy. Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying. Tint with food colourings or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

30 meals in 1 day

ATTENTION WORKING MOMS (this means me, too!) The hardest part I am finding about working nights is that my kids end up eating top ramen, or quesadillas. There are nights that I am at work feeling sad that I didn't have the energy to make something before I left...but NOT any more! There are some pretty cool websites out there that help Mrs. working Mom! Go HERE for recipes and HERE for a fun calender and 'how-to'



So needless to say tomorrow I am going to dig in my two freezers to gather ingredients to start baking for the month, it is actually perfect timing because this week I am working every night except Friday. :)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Cinnamon roll sugar cookies

I wanted to make something different to have for Keagan when she came home from her first day of school, and this was definetively it! The kids loved them, and they were good in a cinnamon roll way :)

**Yes, I fogot to take a picture of them...but go HERE to see Picky Palate's picture.

2 Cups sugar
1 Cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup sour cream
6 Cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons softened butter, (slice 2 Tablespoons 6 times totaling 12 tablespoons)
1 1/2 Cups packed light brown sugar, divided into 1/4 Cups
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, divided
Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk, to thin icing
1. In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.
2. In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.
3. Once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12 inches X 5 inches. Spread each rolled pieces of dough with 2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Start rolling from the long end closest to you, rolling into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough then placing onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
4. To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. Frost cookies then place in refrigerator until ready to serve. These are 100 times better chilled, trust me!!
Makes at least 6 dozen

From Picky Palate

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Crunchy peach cobbler

I went to Bakerella looking for a yummy dessert, she had LOTS to choose from, so I tried the peach cobbler one. It was so sweet and yummy, I recommend eating this with vanilla ice cream.


(this picture is from bakerella.com)


Go HERE for the original post and the 'how to'.

Penne Rustica

Last week I was craving some yummy pasta from Macaroni Grill, so I again...went to the world wide web and searched for "macaroni grill pasta". Let me tell you I was NOT dissapointed! This recipe was amazing. So yummy and creamy, almost better than my chicken scampi, almost.


(this picture, like most of my pictures does not do this justice)

Penne Rustica from Macaroni Grill

Gratinata Sauce:
2 Teaspoon Butter
2 Teaspoon chopped garlic
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown.
Add marsala wine and reduce by one−third. Add remaining ingredients
and reduce by half of original volume. Set aside:|Penne Rustica:
1 Ounce pancetta or bacon
18 each shrimp peeled and devained
12 Ounce grilled chicken breast, sliced
4.5 cups of granita sauce
48 Ounce Penne Pasta, precooked
3 Teaspoon pimentos
6 Ounce butter
1 Teaspoon chopped shallots
1 pinch of salt and pepper
1 cups parmesan cheese
1/2 Teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Saute pancette until begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook
until shrimp are evenly pick but still translucent. Add chicken, salt,
pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add granita sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
and simmer until sauce thickens. In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken
mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes
or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and
sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 for 10−15 minutes. Remove and garnish
with fresh rosemary sprig. Serves six.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Cheddar Herb Biscuits

I wanted to try a homemade biscuit recipe for a dinner I was making for friends. I turned on the good'ol computer, typed in 'Cheddar Herb Biscuits' a BIZILION recipes came up, I looked through a few and found this one. They were WAY yummier hot out of the oven then they were at room temp.


(This picture was taken BEFORE baking :)


Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups (8 ounces) grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375° F. Mix buttermilk, thyme and rosemary in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add cheese and butter to the flour mix; rub with fingertips until the mixture resembles fine meal. Add buttermilk mixture and stir until soft clumps form. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; press out to thickness of 1/2 inch. Using 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut biscuits. Transfer biscuits to 2 un-greased baking sheets spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes then reverse position of sheets and bake biscuits until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes longer. Transfer biscuits to racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Texas Sheet Cake

I used to make this all the time. I love it, it's my favorite cake by far, but when we moved up to almost 8,000 feet (elevation) I could not make it work, so the first order of business (after unpacking the boxes) was to make this cake. Glad I did, ate almost the WHOLE pan! It's just the right sweet and moist and I really cannot say enough good things about this cake :)



Texas Sheet Cake

Grease pan: 15 1/2 by 10 1/2" by 1"/

Sift into bowl: 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons soda, 2 cups sugar.
Bring to boil: 2 stick butter/marg. and 4 Tablespoons cocoa and 1 cup water.
Pout over dry ingredients and stir. Add: 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

After cake comes out of oven, bring to boil:
1 stick butter and 4 Tablespoons cocoa.
Mix in 6 Tablespoons buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts.
Combine and pour on slightly-cooled cake, spreading to cover evenly.

Recipe from my Mom!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Zucchini Bread (and muffins)

David made this recipe this afternoon, and it was delicious! Very moist, and the cinnamon was so yummy, try it, you won't be disappointed.


Ingredients
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Recipe is from allrecipes.com (or something like that)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Cheddar Chive Muffins


(This photo is from Sugarcrafter's blog. We all know that my pictures are NEVER that good :) Hope she doesn't mind, I can't find my camera.

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 1 Tbsp sugar
* 1 Tbsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp kosher salt
* 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* 3 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 cup milk
* 1/4 stick butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a muffin pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Stir in the shredded cheese and chives.
Stir in the egg, milk, and butter. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Pour the batter into the muffin pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe from Sugarcrafter

Friday, June 4, 2010

Blueberry Triffle

My sister-in-law Cami made this a few years back at a baby blessing and I was thinking about it, so I decided to make it as a triffle, pretty cute if you ask me.



Ingredients:

1 package of golden oreos (store brand works just fine too)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 can blueberry pie filling
1 tub (8oz) cool whip
1 package (8oz) cream cheese

Mash the cookies up and blend with the melted butter, set aside. Mix cool whip and cream cheese. Layer the cookies, cool whip mixture and pie filling into bowl, or just put cookies on the bottom, pie filling then cool whip mixture if making it in a regular 9 x9 inch pan.

Recipe from Cami, who got it from her friend's mom. Thanks!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip cookies

These cookies I must say are delicious. You have to find the Hershey's Cinnamon chips to make them, I found them at fry's. they have such a yummy oatmeal cookie taste with an extra kick of cinnamon from the chips.




Here is the recipe:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (DO NOT USE SHORTENING!)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 10oz package Hershey's cinnamon chips
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Combine flour and soda; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and raisins (batter will be stiff) P.S. I usually add 1/2 cup more flour than what the recipe calls for.

place heaping teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes.

makes about 4 doz.

recipe from back of Hershey's cinnamon chip wrapper

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Creamsicle Cookies

I made these cookies today, and I would love to post a picture but because I am working off a very OLD, super SLOW laptop it would take 10 years I am sure... so I am just going to tell you to go HERE for the recipe and picture. Both are YUMMY! (believe me... you will thank me later :)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Posts coming....PROMISE

Hey ya'll, I have been baking some yummy things, and I have even taken pictures but here is the unfortuniate part... I can't find my camera cord that loads the pics from the camera to the computer. can you say bummer. (Bummer.) Good job!

And we are also in the middle of moving. Yes, another bummer. I hate packing and living out of boxes, but this too will come to an end soon.

so check back in the next few days, I am determined to post before we pack the computer. In the meantime, you can check out a few of my new favorite "foodies" they are over there, yes there --------------------->

Have a GREAT day!

barb

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Honey Dusted Cresents

I was at enrichment meeting a few weeks back and they had these babies there. Talk about turning a Ford into a Cadillac. What a simple way to dress up the half stale store bought cresent!



Ingredients:

Melted honey
basting brush.

yup, that's all.

Melt the honey and brush it over the cresents, then stick them under the broiler until browned.


Recipe from Tracy Lake

Monday, March 29, 2010

Cilantro-lime rice


Serves 4
1 cup long-grain white rice
Coarse salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove
Directions
1.In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed and rice is just tender, 16 to 18 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water; blend until smooth. Stir into cooked rice, and fluff with a fork.

Chicken Fajita Tostada

My friend Randi, who actually I met not to long ago seems to have the same desire to cook as I do (tons of fun!) she told me about this recipe and it sounded so easy and so good. It was, easy and good that is. My picture probably would have looked better if it had a fresh pico-de-gallo on top, but because my husband prefers blended salsa it took away from the overall look. I know, I must love him :)


Chicken Fajita Tostada

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
1 cup prepared fresh salsa
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
4 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Cilantro-Lime Rice, for serving (optional)

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. On foil, combine onions, bell peppers, corn, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
2.Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add chicken, stir to combine, and continue to roast until warmed through, 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken and vegetable mixture to a serving bowl, discarding foil (reserve sheet).
3.Arrange tortillas on sheet. Dividing evenly, brush with remaining tablespoon oil; top with cheese. Bake until edges are golden and cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes.
4.Dividing evenly, top tortillas with chicken-vegetable mixture and remaining 3/4 cup salsa. Serve with cilantro-lime rice, if desired.

Recipe from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Carmelitos Bars

I made two batches of these last week, and me thinking they were the best.things.ever i took them around to a few friends. But now I am a little confused, maybe they are not that good because not one of them said that they liked them... they didn't say anything, so maybe they were just being nice? So... if you are asking me I am giving them a two thumbs up!


1 cup flour
1 cup quick oats (sometimes I use regular)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips (I like milk for this)
3/4 cup caramel topping
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (I never add these but good)
3 Tablespoons flour

(for mine, I 1 1/2 the cookie part of the recipe so they had a thicker bottom and more crumb topping for the top!)

Mix flour, oats, sugar, soda, salt and butter. Press half of the mixture into a 11x7 pan and set the other half aside. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and chopped pecans (if using). Blend 3/4 cup caramel with 3 T. flour. Pour (drizzle) over chocolate chips. Sprinkle the balance of the flour oat mixture over the dessert. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Allow to cool and set before slicing.

Recipe from Sisters Cafe.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Tacos al carbon

for those of you who are from Flagstaff know how very yummy Salsa Brava is. They were even on Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives. This is my favorite restaurant and these tacos did not disappoint! They were juicy and flavorful.


Ingredients:

2 pounds skirt steak

marinade:
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp freshly ground cumin seed (lightly toasted)
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped
1 Tbsp kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

1. lay the skirt steak in a large non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak, making sure each piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill to hot or heat a cast iron skillet if cooking indoors. Remove the steak from the marinade, season both sides with salt and pepper, and place on grill. If cooking indoors, remove excess marinade as the garlic may burn and smoke.

3. Grill the steak for a few minutes only on each side, depending on the thickness, until it is cooked to your preference. You may need to work in batches.

4. When cooked, remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal and serve. This recipe can be easily doubled. (for tacos you chop the meat into small pieces)

Recipe from Salsa Brava cookbook.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Beef brisket with homemade bbq sauce

I am not sure if brisket is technically a St. Paddy's food, but I remember eating it growing up on that day. The brisket was delicious, moist and tender. I really surprised myself. I thought it was going to be dry and tough. Towards the end of the 10 hours the liquid was starting to burn, so I had to add a little extra water. I served the brisket with some green mashed potatoes and asparagus. YUM!


(yes I took this picture, not bad eh?)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp instant beed bouillon granules
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 2 1/2 pound fresh brisket or other beef roast
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter or margarine

for cooking liquid, in a bowl combine water, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, bouillon, mustard, chili powder, cayeene pepper and garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup; cover and chill. Trim fat from meat. Place meat in slow cooker. Pour remaining liquid over meat.

Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours. WATCH it towards the end to make sure the liquid doesn't burn out. FOR SAUCE: pour reserved liquid in a small suacepan with ketchup, brown sugar and butter. Heat through, serve with meat.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Lets review... for fun; my husband David HATES Alfredo. I know right! But did you catch the name of this dish... that's right. Alfredo 1, David 0. Not only did he eat this, but he loved it. I think the extra amounts of meat (bacon) really helped win him over. The taste was creamy, and the chicken, mushrooms and bacon were delicious.


Ingredients:

1 pkg (12 oz) fettuccine
8 bacon strips, cut into 1-inch pieces
boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups half and half (I just used whipping cream)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper

Cook fettuccine according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain, reserving 1-2 Tbsp drippings. Saute chicken in drippings until no longer pink. Add the mushrooms, green onions and garlic; saute until mushrooms are tender.

Stir in cream, cheese, paprika and pepper, reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 5-10 minutes. Stir in reserved bacon.

Recipe from Taste of Home magazine

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Olive Garden Breasticks

I made lasagna for dinner on Sunday and while I was at church my hubs found this recipe on line. The bread sticks did taste just like olive garden's. The texture was a bit different, but that didn't stop me from eating....well, I will just keep that to myself :)


Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 1/3 cups water
4 tsp butter
2 tsp butter
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast
garlic powder

1. In a stand mixer mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Heat 4 tsp butter, water until no hotter than 120 degrees. add to dry ingredients.

2. on floured surface roll and cut into 16 equal portions (long ans skinny, like bread sticks..duh :)

3. cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes

4. preheat your oven to 400 Degrees

5. bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder.

I don't know where David got this recipe, but he found them and made them! What a guy!

Homemade Lemonade

Growing up we had lemon trees in our backyard. We always made Lemon cookies, and lemonade. Its so yummy on a hot day!


Ingredients:

(This recipe is coming to you in PARTS, that way you can make as much or as little as you want. When I made it in the pitcher I used 1 cup for the part)

1 part lemon juice *real lemons people, not the already squeezed stuff you can buy at the super-maret*
1 part sugar
1 part hot water

mix those ingredients until sugar is dissolved, then add
3-4 parts ice cold water.

Mix and serve.

Since I used 1 cup this is what my recipe was:

1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
3-4 cups ice water

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Garlic-herb braid

I was in the mood to try a new bread recipe when I stumbled across this one in the "taste of home" magazine. I have NEVER, EVER had a bread recipe that called for dill. It was delicious! The bread has such a good flavor. Don't be distracted by my retarded looking braid, the bread really was yum!


Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 pkg (1/4 oz each) quick-rise yeast
2 tsp dried basil
1 3/4 tsp dillweed
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tbsp butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and seasonings. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and cubed butter to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat just intil moistened. Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until sooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into thirds. Shape each into a 15-inch rope. Place ropes on greased baking sheet and braid. Pinch ends to seal and tuck them under, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 25 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, remove from pan to wire rack to cool.

Recipe from Taste of home test kitchen

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Sushi




Ingredients:

8 x 8 seaweed sheets
2 cups botan rice (japanese rice... very important!)
3 cups water
1 rice cooker
rice wine vineager
immitation crab
avacado

Wash and rinse rice SEVERAL TIMES then place in a rice cooker. If you don't have a rice cooker, don't even try. Rice is the key ingredient. Once rice is cooked transfer to a wooden bowl, add rice vineager to taste. (Mika added a powder which was WAY yummier, you can get it at Japnese food stores)

Once rice is finished, spread over seaweed sheet. then add crab and avacado, roll up with a bamboo mat.

Top with pickled ginger and dip in soy sauce. YUM!

THANKS MIKA!!! You are the best!

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

A perfect Sunday dessert. I saw this in a magazine and gave it a try. It was super creamy and rich and delicious, just like every other cheesecake I have had an encounter with. I never met a cheesecake I didn't love. :)


(I know, I know... not the best picture. I might have to pull the left overs out and redeem myself :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup of crushed oreos
2 Tbsp butter, melted

4 pkg (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, slightly beaten

9 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Topping:
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup whipping cream

Place a greased 9-in. spring form pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Securely wrap foil around pan. Combine cookie crumbs and butter and press onto the bottom of prepared pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs, beat on low speed jut until combined. Set aside 1 1/2 cups (for topping) pour remaining batter over crust.

In a microwave melt chocolate; stir in preserves until blended. Stir in reserved batter jut until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls over the plain batter (DO NOT SWIRL). Place spring form pan in a large baking pan; add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan.

Bake at 325F for 65-75 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove spring form pan from water bath. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

For topping, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a saucepan, bring cream just to a boil, pour over chocolate, whisk until smooth. Cool slightly. Spread over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Recipe is from Mickey Turner (taste of home mag.)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Where have I been?

I would like to tell you I was sipping something delicious on some exotic Island, but we all know better :) I just took a break. Sometimes Mom's need breaks, sometimes we need more than breaks, but I just took some time to figure out some things. I am back now. Promise.

Here is what I am cooking this week:

Indian Fry bread tacos (recipes under bread)
Roast with buttermilk potatoes
Sun dried tomato and bacon scones *this sounds delicious*
Breakfast for dinner
Sushi (yes folks, I have crossed over to the dark side. I liked it so much I had my friend Mika teach me how to make it)

So thanks for letting me have a break without having to read any hate mail.

Barb

Saturday, February 6, 2010

my NEW favorite book

This just may be my NEW favortie book, expect recipes out of this baby soon!




and on a side note:

I have been cooking, lots. So you are asking "where are the posts?" well, I have already made these items a time of two.. so here they are again!

Herbed Cheese Pizza
Indian fry bread and chili
Enchaladas

Want these recipes? Look on my side bar... you will find them there!

Happy eating!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Peanut Butter-cup cookies

The ONLY Problem with living at 7,300 ft above sea level is baking. It has always been an issue for me, so usually I add extra flour and pray before I stick cookies in the oven. This recipe was NO exception. I had to barely bake these puppies. I mean like when they would barley brown on top I would pull them out, 'cause if I didn't not even a minute later they were flatter than pancakes. AHH! So frustrating. So all of my 'living at sea level friends' can one of you darlings make this recipe and tell me how it turns out? THANKS a bunch! The cookies still came out really good, it was just a pain to have to " babysit" them while they were in the oven :)



(This picture was taken BEFORE I baked them. I will post one after...when I actually get around to taking it)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 12 oz package small peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped (I used 1/2 of the bag and it was PLENTY!)

1. Heat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to comine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorproated. Flod in the peanut butter cups. (I used my hands for that last part)

3. Drop Tablespoon-size mounds of dough 2inches apart onto the preared baking sheets. Bake until light brown on top. 8-10 minutes. Transfer to baking rack to cool. DO NOT OVER BAKE!

I ripped this recipe out of a REAL SIMPLE magazine while waiting for my Dr's appt. Don't worry, I have already asked for forgiveness :0

Ruth's Chris' sweet potato casserole



Ruth's Chris' is a famous Steak house down in New Orleans, and just judging from this recipe they have AMAZING food. My sister-in-law made this for our family over Christmas and we LOVED it. Which is saying a lot because I am NOT a fan of anything sweet potato. Before this recipe I had only seen sweet potatoes plopped out of a can into a dish smeared with marshmallows *NASTY* and brown sugar. I wouldn't touch them with a 10-ft poll, but now... that has all changed!

They say at the restaurant people order this a la carte with a side of ice cream. It is so sweet you could pass it off as a desert. HERE is the recipe and you even get a short video on how to make this delicious dish! Enjoy!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Chipotle Bean Burritos

I found this recipe and thought I would keep in on hand for a crazy busy night. The flavor of the burritos was so good! I have never used Chipotle powder, but let me tell you... I am now a fan. Really a very yummy dinner in no time flat. It's made my top ten this year.


(You can;t really see the meat at all, sorry. I piled mine high with lettuce and avacado, you know.. being on a raw food diet and all)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder (use 1/4 if making it for kids)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup water
1 (15 oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can organic kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp refrigerated salsa
6 (10 inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas

for toppings:
shredded cheese
tomatoes
lettuce
sour cream
avacado
sliced green onions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Sir in chile powder and salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/3 cup water and beans; bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with fork.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with desired toppings.

YUM!

Recipe from Cooking Light. Jan/Feb issue

Dark Chocolate and Mint cookies

There were a lot of people using these "limited edition" mint and dark chocolate chips, so I too decided to give them a try. I was going to make some fancy shmancy cookie but my Hubby asked for the regular chocolate chip recipe, so being the GREAT wife that I am, I did. and they were yummy. The Mint chips almost had a crispy texture, and the flavor wasn't overpowering like I first would have thought. So out the window went the diet (but it was worth it :) Don't mind the flatness of the cookies, we are at 7,000 ft. It's a little hard to get anything to looks as yummy this high.



Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter of stick margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
2 cups flour
1 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (ya, not in this house :)
1 bag limited edition Dark Chocolate and mint chips

1. heat oven to 375

2. Beat sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts (optional) and chocolate chips

3. Drop dough by rounded tbsp about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet/

4. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned (centers will be soft) Remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack.

EAT!

***You can use this same recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies, just use the regular chocolate chips***

Monday, January 25, 2010

Potato Casserole

I really can't "offically" be called a Mormon unless I had one of these kind of recipes tucked into my book, and of course, I do! If you have been reading this blog at all you will know that I dispise the "canned cream chicken and mushrooms" I use them for ONLY two occasions. 1. Enchaladas, and 2. Potato casserole. I love the taste of the green onions and sauce. It goes great with any recipe, but in this case, we had it with Steak and Salad, LOTS of salad :)

(I know... it looks like my meat may still be alive on my plate, but really it was just the camera. I like my steak like I like my men. Medium well :)

Ingredients:

7-8 medium potatoes
1/4 cup melted butter
shredded cheese (use as much as you like)
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz sour cream
green onions, chopped (again, use as much as you like)

Do not peel potatoes, just throw them in a boiling pot and boil until they are tender. Do not overcook, they will get mushy. Peel and chop or grate, whatever you prefer. In a large bowl mix hot potatoes with butter, stir in green onions and shredded cheese. Mix 1 can of soup with sour cream seperately then combine with potatoes. Put in 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Yum!

To die for Blueberry Muffins by Staci Lyman

My sister-in-law Staci is THE.BEST.BAKER I know! We used to live by them and every family gathering we would lick our lips in anticipation of what Staci was bringing to eat. She is nothing short than amazing in the kitchen, we miss them, a lot! So this recipe I knew would be delicious, and friends, it is. The muffins had a crunch candy topping and the fresh blueberries were tasty.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.
Makes 12 muffins

Recipe from my Sister-in-law Staci. Thanks Staci!