Everyone loves a giveaway but this is one of the BEST giveaways I've ever seen. It's not a food giveaway but a fashion and beauty giveaway. What more could a girl ask for!!!
The giveaway can be found here!!! Don't miss out, it's worth it to enter!!! When enter, please mention you read about this on my site and both of us get an extra entry. Also, you don't have to be a blogger to enter, so share the site with your friends!!!
Good luck!! It would be awesome if one of my readers would win!!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A Great Giveaway
No, not my great giveaway! Erin Cooks great giveaway. She's giving away a copy of the movie Julie and Julia. Every food bloggers favorite flick! You can find her blog here! You can enter once on her blog, then a second time by creating a post on your blog about the giveaway and posting a link to the blog.
How great is that? Good luck everyone!
How great is that? Good luck everyone!
Glazed Carrots with Sage
The sage in my AeroGarden is growing like crazy. What do you think of when you think of sage? Thanksgiving dressing!! I remember as a child helping my mom with dinner and putting the sage in the pumpkin pie instead of the pie spice. Not sure what we did but I always laugh when I think of sage.
I have a big bag of carrots in the frig. Big bags of veggies at Costco are almost the same price as the smaller bags at the regular grocery store. I always make glazed carrots with brown sugar and honey. I need some different carrot recipes. I found this one on line and made a few modifications.
Glazed Carrots with Sage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
1/2 of a small onion, thinly sliced
10 to 12 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and sage and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown (about 8 minutes). Season with a touch of salt and pepper, add the wine and the chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover the skillet and cook for about 12 minutes or until the carrots are tender (if necessary, add more stock or water as they cook to prevent scorching).
Uncover the skillet and simmer off enough remaining liquid so that the carrots are coated in a nice, moist glaze. Check for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed, and serve.
My notes on this recipe: These were so flavorful. The sage adds a nice woodsy flavor to the carrots. This recipe will be one I will make again and again!
I have a big bag of carrots in the frig. Big bags of veggies at Costco are almost the same price as the smaller bags at the regular grocery store. I always make glazed carrots with brown sugar and honey. I need some different carrot recipes. I found this one on line and made a few modifications.
Glazed Carrots with Sage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
1/2 of a small onion, thinly sliced
10 to 12 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and sage and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown (about 8 minutes). Season with a touch of salt and pepper, add the wine and the chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover the skillet and cook for about 12 minutes or until the carrots are tender (if necessary, add more stock or water as they cook to prevent scorching).
Uncover the skillet and simmer off enough remaining liquid so that the carrots are coated in a nice, moist glaze. Check for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed, and serve.
My notes on this recipe: These were so flavorful. The sage adds a nice woodsy flavor to the carrots. This recipe will be one I will make again and again!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
SCORE!! - Snow Flecked Brownies - Sweet and Simple Bakes
No I haven't taken up hockey or football. I finally feel like I've scored with a Sweet and Simple Bakes recipe. If you've been following my Sweet and Simple Bakes posts you know I have had less than baking perfection with my recipes. The main reason for my flops has been because I didn't own a scale. I knew I needed to be the proud owner of a scale in time for this month's Sweet and Simple Bakes because these flops were getting frustrating.
Since we've had a lot of sweets lately, I decided to cut this decadent recipe in half and use a 9" square pan. Measuring by weight is so much easier than measuring in cups. Also, everything I read indicates how much more accurate it is as well.
I always have trouble knowing when brownies are done. This recipe said when these were done the tops would take on a slightly paler speckle color. Mine didn't seem to do that, so I baked them the required time and just hoped they weren't overdone.
These brownies are so delicious! I used a combination of milk chocolate and semi sweet chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate. I will be making these brownies again. I want to try different types of chips next time I make these. Maybe even some toffee chips.
Thanks to Rosie and for hosting Sweet and Simple Bakes. There's lots of creative and talented bakers in Sweet and Simple Bakes, you'll be able to check out their brownies here on 12/2.
Snow-Flecked Brownies
Ingredients
375g best quality dark chocolate
375g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
6 eggs (large)
350g caster sugar (superfine)
1 teaspoon salt
225g plain flour
250g white chocolate buttons or chips, or white chocolate chopped into chunks (or your own choice of chocolate)
2 tsp icing sugar, for dusting
Tin measuring approx 33cm x 23cm x 5.5cm
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/350F.
Line the sides and base of a 33 x 23 x 5.5com baking tin with foil or baking parchment.
Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a large heavy based pan.
In a bowl or wide mouthed large measuring jug, beat the eggs together with the caster sugar and vanilla extract.
Allow the chocolate mixture to cool a little, then add the egg and sugar mixture and beat well. Fold in the flour and salt. Then stir in the white chocolate buttons or choped white chocolate. Beat to combine then scrape and pour the brownie mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake for 25 minutes, You can see when the brownies are ready because the top dries to a slightly paler brown speckle, while the middle remains dark, dense and gooey. Even with such a big batch you do need to keep checking on it: the difference between gungey brownies and dry ones is only a few minutes. Remember, too, that they will continue to cook as they cool.
To serve, cut into squares while still warm and pile up on a large plate, sprinkling with icing sugar pushed with a teaspoon through a small sieve.
Since we've had a lot of sweets lately, I decided to cut this decadent recipe in half and use a 9" square pan. Measuring by weight is so much easier than measuring in cups. Also, everything I read indicates how much more accurate it is as well.
I always have trouble knowing when brownies are done. This recipe said when these were done the tops would take on a slightly paler speckle color. Mine didn't seem to do that, so I baked them the required time and just hoped they weren't overdone.
These brownies are so delicious! I used a combination of milk chocolate and semi sweet chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate. I will be making these brownies again. I want to try different types of chips next time I make these. Maybe even some toffee chips.
Thanks to Rosie and for hosting Sweet and Simple Bakes. There's lots of creative and talented bakers in Sweet and Simple Bakes, you'll be able to check out their brownies here on 12/2.
Snow-Flecked Brownies
Ingredients
375g best quality dark chocolate
375g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
6 eggs (large)
350g caster sugar (superfine)
1 teaspoon salt
225g plain flour
250g white chocolate buttons or chips, or white chocolate chopped into chunks (or your own choice of chocolate)
2 tsp icing sugar, for dusting
Tin measuring approx 33cm x 23cm x 5.5cm
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/350F.
Line the sides and base of a 33 x 23 x 5.5com baking tin with foil or baking parchment.
Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a large heavy based pan.
In a bowl or wide mouthed large measuring jug, beat the eggs together with the caster sugar and vanilla extract.
Allow the chocolate mixture to cool a little, then add the egg and sugar mixture and beat well. Fold in the flour and salt. Then stir in the white chocolate buttons or choped white chocolate. Beat to combine then scrape and pour the brownie mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake for 25 minutes, You can see when the brownies are ready because the top dries to a slightly paler brown speckle, while the middle remains dark, dense and gooey. Even with such a big batch you do need to keep checking on it: the difference between gungey brownies and dry ones is only a few minutes. Remember, too, that they will continue to cook as they cool.
To serve, cut into squares while still warm and pile up on a large plate, sprinkling with icing sugar pushed with a teaspoon through a small sieve.
Old World Rye Bread - Recipes To Rival (RTR)
Homemade bread...there isn't anything better than Homemade Bread!!! I've never baked much bread. One of my reasons for blogging was to be challenged to make recipes I normally wouldn't make. I was thrilled to see this month's Recipes to Rival was Rye Bread.
Since I am now the proud owner of a scale, I used the scale to measure my flour. So much easier than the standard cup measurement method. Also, for bread making so much more accurate! I did not make any changes to this recipe. Not being an experienced bread baker I wanted to follow it exactly. Of course, rye flour wasn't a staple in my kitchen. When I looked at my supermarket a couple of weeks ago, a 5 pound bag was a little pricey. Especially when you know you are buying it to make on specific recipe. I love the bulk section at Whole Foods, perfect when you only need a little of something.
Oh the smell of bread baking!!! This bread smelled especially wonderful, almost smelled more like a cake than bread.
Since I am now the proud owner of a scale, I used the scale to measure my flour. So much easier than the standard cup measurement method. Also, for bread making so much more accurate! I did not make any changes to this recipe. Not being an experienced bread baker I wanted to follow it exactly. Of course, rye flour wasn't a staple in my kitchen. When I looked at my supermarket a couple of weeks ago, a 5 pound bag was a little pricey. Especially when you know you are buying it to make on specific recipe. I love the bulk section at Whole Foods, perfect when you only need a little of something.
Oh the smell of bread baking!!! This bread smelled especially wonderful, almost smelled more like a cake than bread.
I am so excited!! My bread turned out beautifully!!! The flavor and texture were wonderful! I am not a big fan of rye bread but this bread is a milder rye bread. I really enjoyed this bread. I will make this again. Thanks Recipes to Rival for helping me conquer my bread baking fears!
Old World Rye
A World of Breads by Dolores Casella, 1966
2 cups rye flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 T yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp salt
2 T caraway seeds
2 T butter
2 1/2 cups white flour or whole wheat flour
Combine the rye flour and cocoa. do not sift.
Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
Mix molasses, 1 cup warm water, salt, and caraway seed in large mixing bowl.
Add the rye/cocoa mix, the proofed yeast, the butter and 1 cup white flour or whole wheat flour.
Beat until the dough is smooth.
Spread the remaining flour on a breadboard and kneed it into the dough
Add more flour if necessary to make a firm dough that is smooth and elastic.
Place in buttered bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double (about 2 hours).
Punch dough down, shape into a round loaf and place on a buttered cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
Let rise about 50 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes.
My notes for this recipe: I used my kitchen aid. For the intial mixing, I used the paddle attachment. Once the ingredients were mixed together, I switched to the door hook. I kneaded this about 10 minutes.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
As I was making these cookies, I was thinking we've had two easy recipes back to back, when might this end? This recipe is so easy. One bowl and a few ingredients and you have cookie batter.
Unfortunately, mine didn't come together as easily as the recipe described. The recipe says after mixing for 3 minutes, the batter will thicken slightly. Mine didn't thicken. I kept wanting to add flour to make it thicker but flourless means no flour, right? My cookies were so thin I was worried about the batter running off the cookie sheet and into the oven. Fortunately, that did not happen but as you can see they did not turn out. Looks aren't everything though, right? So I thought the taste of these might make up for the appearance. Nope not so much, I didn't like the flavor either.
This month's recipe was chosen by Karen of Karen's Cookies, Cakes and More. You can also find the links to the other Chocolate With Francois bakers here. Hopefully their cookies were scrumptious and beautiful, as the recipe describes.
Unfortunately, mine didn't come together as easily as the recipe described. The recipe says after mixing for 3 minutes, the batter will thicken slightly. Mine didn't thicken. I kept wanting to add flour to make it thicker but flourless means no flour, right? My cookies were so thin I was worried about the batter running off the cookie sheet and into the oven. Fortunately, that did not happen but as you can see they did not turn out. Looks aren't everything though, right? So I thought the taste of these might make up for the appearance. Nope not so much, I didn't like the flavor either.
This month's recipe was chosen by Karen of Karen's Cookies, Cakes and More. You can also find the links to the other Chocolate With Francois bakers here. Hopefully their cookies were scrumptious and beautiful, as the recipe describes.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
No Sweet Melissa Sunday's
No Sweet Melissa Sunday's for me today. The main reason, we're in LA with my son Justin. Also, I am not a Fruitcake person, not sure I would have baked if I had been home.
This weeks recipe was chosen by Karin of Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice. You can find the recipe at her site. Also, stop by the Sweet Melissa Sunday's site and check out the blogs of the bakers who did make this fruitcake.
This weeks recipe was chosen by Karin of Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice. You can find the recipe at her site. Also, stop by the Sweet Melissa Sunday's site and check out the blogs of the bakers who did make this fruitcake.
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