Cookies & Cream Cupcakes - Martha Stewart Cupcake Club

It's been months since the last time I participated in the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club. I love cupcakes but sometimes there's just too many sweets in the house.

This month's recipe isn't a traditional cupcake. It's a cheesecake in cupcake form. These were easy to put together and delicious. Also, there's so many possibilities for this recipe, different cookies or candy bars. I have a delicious butterfinger cheesecake recipe that could be easily adapted to "cupcake" form.



Thanks to the talented Nina of Nina's Cupcakes for choosing this month's recipe. You can find the links to the other MSC bakers here.

Cheese Tasting 101

Tim gave me a cheese board for my birthday this year. Having grown up eating ColbyJack and Gouda, I want to learn more about cheeses. I decided to check out the cheese selection at Whole Foods. Don't you just love that store? The cheese monger was so helpful. I knew I wanted a soft, hard and goat cheese. A lot of articles say to include a blue cheese but I knew most of my guests didn't like blue cheese. After some discussion and several suggestions, we settled on Appenzeller for the soft, Parrano for the hard and Humbolt Fog as the Goat Cheese.

What should you serve with your cheese? In addition to the baquette, we had grapes, nuts and if you chose a drizzle of honey. What else do you need to know? Be sure to take the cheese out of the refrigerator an hour or two prior to serving to allow it to come to room temperature.

Which cheeses would we would like? Would there be some we didn't like at all? Which one would be the star?

Each of the cheeses had their own unique flavor. My favorite was the Humbolt Fog. I love that it looks like a beautiful piece of layer cake. The flavor is tart, yet mild. The texture is beautifully creamy. I think the rest of the group was partial to the Parrano. The parrano had a buttery texture and a nutty flavor. It reminded us all of gouda. I guess it was our comfort zone cheese. The Appenzeller was our "stinky" cheese. The aroma comes from the washing of the rind.

This was such a fun and interesting experience. I can't wait to do another cheese tasting!

I am linking this to Tuesday's at the Table and Tasty Tuesday's.

Carmelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins - SMS

Don't you just love those days where you have a ton of things you want to accomplish and then...something happens!! That was my day today. Last night before I went to bed, I started the upgrade on my IPhone. Yep, you guessed it. When I picked up my IPhone this morning everything was gone! After a fairly major meltdown, we called Apple. While on the phone with Apple, my IPhone began restoring. As it turns out, it had timed out while updating and didn't finish the process. A couple of stressful hours later, I was able to start my baking.

Today's SMS recipe is actually Pear, Blue Cheese and Walnut Muffins. You can find the recipe over at Andrea's Nummy Kitchen. One of the other versions for these savory muffins is Carmelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar. I must have passed on these when the SMS group made these a year or so ago. As it so happens, I planted a sage plant this year and have been searching for recipes using the beautiful sage.

Quite a few of the bakers commented these muffins were dry and suggested substituting sour cream for the cream and milk, to increase their moistness. As I combined the wet and dry ingredients, my batter was so dry I had trouble getting it to combine. I quickly grabbed some cream and added about 1/4 cup. I think next time I make these, I might just add some sour cream to the milk and cream. Concerned these weren't going to be any good, I tried one pretty much right out of the oven. These are delicious, I love the hint of sage along with the onions. Savory muffins are such a nice change!



Thanks Andrea for hosting this week. You can find all of the other SMS baker's muffin creations here!

911 - Let Us Never Forget!

Seems hard to believe it's been nine years since 911. Everyone remembers where they were that day. I just remember how surreal it all seemed. Let us never forget those who lost their lives that day, the loved ones left behind and the police and firefighters whose lives are changed forever!

I am linking this post to Pink Saturday.

Pasta With Butternut Squash & Walnuts

What vegetables do you think of when you think Fall? After months of summer squash, I am ready for their winter counterparts. I'd never cooked much with winter squash until last year. Now I am a big fan. Butternut Squash is so versatile. Besides roasting or preparing a soup, you can make Butternut Squash Risotto and Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Pomegrante Soup.

I bought my first winter squash at the Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago. One of the things I love about these veggies is how long they keep. They are a bit challenging to cut. I've discovered if you microwave them for about 60 seconds, it softens the skin just slightly and they're much easier to cut. Did you know the skin of butternut squash irrates some people's hands? I didn't until I read this recipe. Apparently it can cause a burning or itching sensation. As I was cutting the squash for this recipe, I felt like my hand was starting to burn. I am sure it was all in my head but I dawned the gloves, just in case.

I planted a sage plant for the first time this year but I haven't used much sage. I know I want to to make a pasta with Sage Brown Butter Sauce. Other than that all I can think of is dressing. Do you have a recipe using sage that you love?

As this was roasting in the oven, the house was filled with the most wonderful aromas of garlic, onion and sage. I was tempted to eat the squash right out of the oven instead of saving it for this recipe. The recipe called for pine nuts. Is it just me or have pine nuts gotten even more expensive lately? Walnuts seemed like a perfect substitution. I loved this pasta! It's unique because you pan fry the all of the ingredients together. The butternut squash creates a rich creamy sauce without the addition of any cream.



Pasta Pan-Fried with Butternut Squash, Fried Sage, and Walnuts
Adapted from Serious Eats
feeds 4

1 medium butternut squash
1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1 pound farfalle pasta
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Flip the squash halves upside down and peel them. (Note: The raw squash rind can irritate your hands. If they start to itch or tingle, wear gloves.) Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the farfalle until al dente. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

Add half the pasta to the pan, along with half the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in half the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve.

(Repeat the last step with the rest of the ingredients. We split it into two because none of our pans are big enough to accommodate the entire recipe. It's very important that you not crowd the pan too much - you want the pasta to really pan-fry, not just steam up.)

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum . This is my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights.

From The Good Life

A couple of weeks ago, Tim and I went on a weekend camping trip to Prairie Rose State Park about an hour east of Omaha. Of course all of my friends and family had a good chuckle over the fact that I was going camping. Actually, I love to camp...cooking over a campfire, waking up to the sounds of the birds and stargazing. On Saturday to beat the afternoon heat, we took a road trip to the Danish Countryside Winery in Elk Horn, Iowa. No special camping recipes to share this week, just a few pictures of the beautiful scenery.

Balloon Boy Bread

They always say it's good to be able to laugh at yourself. It's okay, I know you're laughing, too. I'd made this bread before and it turned out great. I love the flavor of rosemary in bread. The taste is amazing and the smell in the kichen is heavenly. The second time I made it, I made the mistake of leaving it in the bowl for the second rise. Not sure what I was thinking. As I tried to take it out of the bowl and put it on the baking sheet, it fell and became a blob of dough. Because we liked the flavor so well, I decided to bake in anyway. As it was baking, I looked in the oven and laughed. It was balloon boy bread. The texture was a little more glutenous than it should have been but the flavor was still delicious.

Romano's Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
Courtesy of Hunter at Recipezaar

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly.
Mix in 1 T butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour.
Add one tablespoon of the fresh chopped rosemary.
Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary.
Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel.
Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled.
Sprinkle remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface.
Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
Remove from oven, brush with remaining butter (and salt if desired.).

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesday's at the Table.

Happy Labor Day!!

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our So Long Summer BlogBBQ.

Pancakes - Sweet Melissa Sunday's

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our So Long Summer BlogBBQ.

Do you have houseguests this holiday weekend? If so, this recipe would be an awesome treat for your guests. Years ago there was a restaurant in Kansas City called the Magic Pan. They served crepes. I loved eating there. You could have savory crepes for dinner and sweet crepes for dessert. I was inspired to learn how to make crepes. I found the right pan and used a recipe for blintzes. It's all in the swirl and I had it down!! I haven't made crepes in years and I mean years. I bet it's been 30 years. Do I still have what it takes for the swirl?

I made one fourth of this recipe, figuring I would get 5 pancakes. My skillet must have been larger, I only ended up with enough for two pancakes. Swirling was a breeze...flipping, not so much. One of the pancakes ripped when I removed it from the skillet. I filled my one pancake with homemade chunky applesauce. These pancakes are light and delicious. I can't wait to make them again. There's so many possibilities for fillings, sweet and savory!



This week's recipe was chosen by Jaime of Good Eats and Sweet Treats. You can find the recipe on her blog! Jaime, thanks for choosing one that brought back great memories for me! Check out the creations of the other SMS bakers here!

Cherry Crisp

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our End of Summer BlogBBQ!

I've never baked much with cherries. Last summer I purchased a few cherries from the Farmer's Market and made this. I used an opened up paper clip as my cherry pitter. While it worked okay, I wanted a real cherry pitter. I bought this one. If you have a lot of cherries to pit, get this one, it's awesome!

I was looking forward to making a cold soup with those cherries. When Tim heard that, in a very disappointed voice he said he was hoping I would make a dessert. Since I am challenged, when it comes to pie crusts, I decided to make a crisp.

Cherry Crisp

4 cups pitted sour cherries
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, combine cherries, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, and 4 tablespoons flour. Pour into 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, oats, and brown sugar. Cut in butter and shortening until crumbly. Sprinkle over cherries.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound!

Cucumber Salad

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our So Long Summer BlogBBQ!!

Can you believe it’s September? For many people September means summer is coming to an end and the kids are back in school. I can’t help but be reminded that the Farmer’s Market ends in a few weeks. We’ve so enjoyed the fresh fruits and vegetables from our garden and the Farmer’s Market.

I’ve never done much with cucumbers except slice them or use them in a green salad. When I saw this recipe on Always Order Dessert, I couldn’t wait to give it a try. The only changes I made were to use basil instead of cilantro and to add some leftover quinoa. This is a delicious fresh summer salad. The colors are beautiful and the flavors are so clean, a pefect salad for an end of summer BBQ!

Cucumber Chickpea Salad

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
2 large cucumbers, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, leaves chopped finely
1/2 small red onion, diced
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon Apple Cider or Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the rinsed chickpeas, diced cucumber, cilantro, and red onion. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the chickpea mixture and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (depending on how much juice your lemon had, you may need a bit more vinegar or oil. This can be eaten right away or made up to 24 hours ahead.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Join Us For the So Long Summer BlogBBQ

Today is the first day of Gnee of Singing With Birds and my So Long Summer BlogBBQ. Please join us and share your recipes, tablescapes or invites. What do you have planned for this weekend?

Party Games and Rules:
Link to a post and not your general blog
(so others can find your recipe after the party's over)
It doesn't have to be a new post, just share a favorite from this summer!

Post all you'd like between September 2nd and 6th.

No Party Crashers: Etsy shops, giveaways or linky parties, please!

Please link back to the party on your post!

OK, it's your turn!
What did you bring? Thanks for coming and have fun!

From The Good Life

This summer on Thursday's I've been posting "In My Garden". As we near the end of gardening season in Nebraska, I've decided to change Thursday's feature to "From The Good Life". I will be sharing things happening in and around my life.

Tim's son Michael left two weeks ago to spend his senior year of high school in Osaka, Japan. After two years of high school Japanese, Michael decided he wanted to further pursue his Japanese studies. The school Michael is attending has one of the best soccer teams in the area. A perfect match for Michael, the soccer fanatic. Today is Michael's 18th birthday!

We miss you and wish you a Happy Birthday!!

A Little Late Plum Clafoutis

I am late with my posting for Sweet Melissa Sunday's. We went camping this weekend (more on that later). My intent was to bake this on Sunday after I got home. Seriously, I should know better. I don't know about you but baking when I am tired spells disaster.

Clafoutis...don't you just love the name? It's interesting you find this recipe in the breakfast section of Melissa's cookbook. When I made this clafoutis last year, I remember thinking it would make a wonderful addition to a brunch.

I baked one fourth of the recipe in two ramekins. Other than omitting the almonds (because there were none in the freezer), I prepared the recipe as written. The plums are cooked in a cinnamon sugar syrup. The syrup adds a wonderful sweetness to the egg base of the clafoutis. This recipe is a keeper!! I can see changing the fruits, using different nuts and even making this savory instead of sweet.




You can find the recipe over on Michelle of Flourchild's blog. Thanks Michelle for choosing such a fabulous recipe. If you want to see the other SMS baker's clafouti's, go here!

Since I am posting Sunday's recipe on Monday, I decided I might as well really mix it up and link to Tuesday's at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday's.

Penne with Sausage and Leek Sauce

Is One Perfect Bite one of the blogs you read? If not, you're missing one of the most amazing blogs on the blogsphere. Mary's photographs are beautiful and her recipes are delicious!! This is just one of many I have bookmarked to prepare.

I really enjoy the simple flavor and beautiful colors of leeks. My favorite leek recipe is this creamy risotto.



Bow Ties with Sausage and Leek Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted from Lidias Italian Table

Ingredients:
6 quarts salted water
2 large leeks (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 sweet Italian sausages (about 6 ounces), casing removed
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup young peas, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, or defrosted and drained frozen baby peas
1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigian-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving, if you like

Directions:
1) Bring salted water to a boil. Cover pot to speed up the boiling time.
2) Meanwhile, prepare leeks: Cut off and discard top third of rough green portion and root ends. Remove any brown or wilted outer layers. Slice remaining green and white parts into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Rinse leek slices in several changes of cold water, swishing them around to remove all soil and grit.
3) In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Crumble sausage meat into skillet and cook, breaking up lumps, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add leeks to skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, peas and stock. Heat to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cover skillet, and set aside.
4) While sauce simmers, stir bow ties into boiling water. When water returns to a boil, uncover pot. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente (tender, but firm), about 12 minutes. Drain bow ties well and return them to pot over low heat.
5) Add sausage and leek sauce to the pasta and toss well until pasta is coated. Remove pot from heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and grated cheese. Toss well. Serve immediately, passing additional grated cheese if desired. Yield: 6 servings.


I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Presto Pasta Nights hosted with week by Thyme For Cooking.

It's a So Long Summer Party!

It's way too early to say, "So Long Summer," but you're invited to one last holiday bash before we "Flutter Into Fall!"

Bring on summer ideas you'd like to re-share and ideas for your Labor Day BBQ.

(No Party Crashers: etsy stores, giveaways, or linky party advertising may be posted, it's a party...you understand!)

The linky will be up Thursday, September 2nd at 12:00 AM and will close Monday, September 6th at 11:59 PM.

Please post our button on your blog and get the word out...
the more the merrier!

Gnee of Singing With Birds and I look forward to partying with you for one last summer blast!

Corn Bread Tarts with Green Zebra Tomatoes

I really wanted to plant some heirloom tomatoes this season. I put off ordering the seeds and then it was too late to plant. I've been happy with the tomatoes I planted, especially my romas. You see so many varieties at the Farmer's Market. These caught my eye. I liked their unique and beautiful colors.

I found this recipe for Corn Bread Tarts on Epicurious. In my never ending quest to use it up, this recipe was perfect. There was leftover ricotta from these Roasted Romas in the fridge. Instead of mini corn muffins, I baked these in a smaller regular size muffin tin.

I liked the tartness of the tomatoes, the smooth richness of the ricotta and the slight sweetness of the corn muffins. These would make a great appetizer for a buffet. Easy to put together and so pretty.



Corn Bread Tarts with Green Zebra Tomatoes
Recipe from Epicurious
1/2 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 Green Zebra or other heirloom tomatoes (10 ounces)—halved, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup ricotta cheese, preferably fresh

1.Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter three 12-cup mini-muffin pans. In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal with the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the milk with the egg. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, add the melted butter and stir to combine; don't overmix. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them halfway. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the pans to a rack and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the muffins out to cool completely.
2.In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the garlic, Parmesan, basil and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, season the ricotta with salt and pepper and mix well.
3.Using a small knife, slice off the domed tops of the muffins. Top the muffins with the ricotta and the tomatoes and serve.

Make Ahead
The cooled corn-bread muffins can be stored in an airtight container overnight.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Blueberry Crunch

Blueberries are my favorite berry. Have you ever picked blueberries? When I lived in Kansas City, we would equate Fourth of July with blueberry season. We would go early on a Saturday morning, before the heat of the summer day, and pick buckets of blueberries. The berries were huge. The berries would be covered with the morning dew and taste amazing. Since I moved to Nebraska, I've been in search of a berry farm. There aren't any close by so I have to settle for the ones in the grocery store.

This recipe from Tomatoes on the Vine reminds me of my sister in law's cobbler recipe. You could substitute any fresh fruit for the blueberries. I decreased the sugar to 1/2 cup and just used a sprinkle in the topping.

Blueberry Crunch
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 can crushed pineapple, 20 ounces, do not drain
3 cups fresh blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup sugar (optional)
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Butter a 9X13-inch baking dish
Layer 1: Put crushed pineapple on the bottom of the pan
Layer 2: Pour blueberries over the pineapple
Layer 3: Pour dry cake mix over blueberries
Layer 4: Sprinkle 1/4 sugar and chopped pecans on top
Layer 5: Pour melted butter over top
Optional: Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar in between each layer ( if you like it really sweet!)

Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes
Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping

Hello Snickers!

No SMS for me this week. This weeks recipe, Sweet Almond Cake, is presented by the talented and creative Katiecakes.

Instead I am sharing a recipe I found on my blogging friend Gnee's site, Singing With Birds. If you haven't been to her site, check it out. She takes amazing photos and shares the best recipes.

What’s your favorite candy bar? Mine is Twix. My husband’s is Snicker’s. He loves to keep the mini ones in the freezer for a cool summer treat. These cookies had Tim's name written all over it.

This recipe is so fun and easy to put together. My only challenge was unwrapping all of the caramels, which took much longer than I anticipated. Tim said his mom used to put them in the freezer. They would unwrap easier when frozen. A concept I plan to try next time. I had a little trouble getting my caramels to melt smoothly. In turn, I had a few spots in the bars with a piece of hard caramel.

These are delicious! Almost too delicious, I had to put the last piece together like a puzzle in order to have a picture to post!!

Hello Snickers!
Recipe courtesy of Singing With Birds

1 stick butter
1 cup chocolate wafers, crushed
1 cup caramel, melted
1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 cups chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened condensed milk

Melt 1 stick of butter in a square 8x8 pan. Layer over this chocolate wafer crumbs, caramel, peanuts, chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, (350 for a glass pan). Cool and cut into 16 squares.

Sour Cherry Soup

Do you like cold soups? My first experience with cold soup was at a tea room in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I loved the creamy texture. A bowl of cold soup is almost too much to serve with a meal. A small amount, however, is a refreshing treat on a hot summer day!

I had a few leftover cherries. When I told Tim I was making a cold soup, he gave me one of those looks. In the end, he liked it and said he would eat it again. If you're looking to try a cold summer soup, give this one a try. It has a nice, not too sweet flavor with a hint of cinnamon.



Sour Cherry Soup

4 cups sour cherries, with pits
1/4 honey
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 cups water
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
Blueberries or peach slices for garnish (optional)

Place cherries, sugar, cinnamon and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cherries have softened and relinquished their juices, about 20 minutes.

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound and Souper Sunday's.

Overnight Baked Oatmeal

Did you like oatmeal as a kid? I didn't but my mother made me eat it. The worst thing was I had to sit there till I ate it. As much as I didn't like it hot, it was really bad when it got cold. Now as a grown up, I like oatmeal. My morning schedule doesn't give me time to make anything but instant oatmeal. When I saw this recipe for Baked Oatmeal over at Finding Joy in My Kitchen, I couldn't wait to give it a try. The best thing is you make it the night before, put it in the fridge and bake in the morning!

Tim and I both loved this oatmeal. I made it on a Monday morning and we enjoyed it for breakfast several days during the week. It kept well in the refrigerator and can also be cut into squares and frozen. If you're a mom on the run or just a two person working family, this recipe is for you. This would also be great made with peaches, raisins or even dried cranberries.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal - Adapted from the Benhase Home
Courtesy of SnoWhite of Finding Joy in My Kitchen

3 C Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 C honey
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C milk
1 egg
1/2 C applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla
2 apples, chopped

Start by mixing together the dry ingredients. Then, add in the wet ones.
Lastly, fold in the apples {I used up some frozen apples for this}.
Spread into a 9 x 9 glass baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, uncover the baking dish. Then, place the cold dish into the oven. After the dish is in the oven, turn the oven on to 350 and bake for 40ish minutes, until the baked oatmeal is no longer runny and it is set and lightly browned.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

In My Garden

Roasted Roma Tomatoes

Did you plant tomatoes this summer? We planted a chocolate cherry, a roma and a slicing tomato. All three plants have done well but the roma produced like crazy.

Roma’s make wonderful tomato sauce but aren’t the best slicing tomato. I plan to make sauce and sun dried tomatoes . How could I use them for a side dish? I found this recipe on the ever popular Pioneer Woman Cooks. I may have cooked mine a little long, a couple of them kind of exploded on the baking sheet. Although we love Caprese Salad, these were a nice change.


I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

New Addition - Mosaic Monday

Today I am sharing the newest addition to our family! My son Justin and his girlfriend Lily, just got a new puppy. Meet Ducky!



I am submitting this to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House.

No Cream Creamy Broccoli Soup

Summertime isn't really soup time but I had some broccoli that needed to be used before it went bad. Cream based soups are the best but they're also not the best for you. How about a recipe for a creamy broccoli soup that doesn't use cream? This recipe is courtesy of our friends at Kraft. The only change I made to this recipe was to use brown rice instead of white.

I loved this soup. It has a wonderful texture just like a cream based soup. The flavors are delicious and would make a great base for other soups.





No Cream Creamy Broccoli Soup
Adapted from Kraft
1 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium)
1 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
3/4 cup chopped onions (about 1 medium)
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
3 Tbsp. Oil
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. Pepper
4-1/2 cups Broccoli florets (about 2 small bunches)
1/2 cup Instant brown rice, uncooked
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook and stir carrots, celery and onions in hot oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat 5 min. Add broth and pepper; stir. Bring to boil.

STIR in broccoli and rice. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 to 15 min. or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.

ADD soup, in batches, to blender or food processor; cover. Blend until pureed. Return soup puree to saucepan. Add milk and cheese; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.

This is my entry for today's Souper Sunday's at Kahakai Kitchen!

Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday! I am so proud of this plant. You see before, I met Tim I never had much of a green thumb. This is a bougainvillea we bought about four years ago. We kept it outside the first summer and it thrived. Since we live in the cold, snowy midwest and bougainvilleas don't like temperatures below 50, we brought it inside. My living room has a wonderful west facing window. My plant survived the winter and continued to grow. I am not sure why when Spring came around we didn't move the plant outside but we didn't. The rest is history, this became a beautiful houseplant.

What do you use for fertilizer for your house plants? I've been using Epsom Salt. You mix 2 tablespoons with a gallon of water. My plants seem to love it. Especially my bougainvillea, it has more blooms than ever!



I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound!

Corn and Basil Pesto

What's your favorite way to enjoy fresh corn? I grew up only eating corn ON the cob. As a child, I can't ever remember a dish where the fresh corn was taken off the cob. With corn so plentiful right now, I wanted to try at least a couple of dishes using corn off the cob.

This pasta with corn pesto recipe from Epicurious seemed like a perfect choice. It’s a homemade pasta sauce recipe using fresh corn and basil . The recipe called for bacon, I didn’t have any so I omitted it. Don’t tell Tim!!! The original recipe used tagliatelle, I used penne. In an effort to eat more healthy, I used whole wheat pasta.

I think I liked this better than Tim did. He thought it had too much basil. Now that may have been because he ate the dish we photographed, so it had extra sprinkled on the top.
I also think the whole wheat pasta takes some getting used to and it may not have cooked quite long enough. I loved the sweet flavor of the fresh corn and the creamy consistency it adds to the sauce. If you didn’t know better you would think cream was used in the dish.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday . This is also my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Siri of Siri's Corner.

One Year Ago...Rosemary Scones.

In My Garden

Caesar Salad

If Caesar Salad is one of the salad offerings at a restaurant, Tim orders one. Me, I've never been a big fan. A few months ago when I compiled my Top 50, I included Caesar Salad. Since it's Tim's favorite salad, I wanted to know how to make one. Trying to make use of my huge library of cookbooks, I searched them for a recipe. I just didn't find one that seemed like THE one. I found this recipe on Simply Recipes. If you're familiar with Elise's site, you know her recipes are awesome. This is the ONE!! I think maybe the reason I've never been a big fan of Caesar Salad's is because I haven't tried a really good one! If you like Caesar Salad, give this recipe a try, you won't be dissapointed.




Caesar Salad Recipe
Courtesy of Simply Recipes

If you have a concern about the raw eggs called for in this recipe, you can use pasteurized eggs, or you can coddle the eggs first by immersing them in boiling water for 1 minute, before cracking them open. If you don't have anchovies available, add a teaspoon of worcestershire sauce to the dressing.

Ingredients
1/2 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, smashed, then minced
1 baguette, preferably a day old, sliced thin
1/4 cup freshly juiced lemon juice (plus more to taste)
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon anchovy paste, or 1-2 anchovies, smashed and minced
2 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper (1/4 teaspoon or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-6 small heads of romaine lettuce, rinsed, patted dry, wilted outer leaves discarded

1 In a very large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and garlic. Let sit for half an hour.
2 While the oil is sitting, make the croutons. Spread the baguette slices out over a baking sheet (may need to do in batches), lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Brush or spray with olive oil (or melted butter, or if you want garlicky croutons, dip pastry brush in the garlic infused oil you have sitting in step 1). Broil for a couple of minutes until the tops are lightly browned. (Note: do not walk away, these can easily go from browned to burnt.) Remove and let cool.
The steps up until this point can be made ahead.
3 Add anchovies and eggs to the oil garlic mixture. Whisk until creamy. Add salt and pepper and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Whisk in half of the Parmesan cheese. Taste, add more lemon juice to taste. The lemon should give an edge to the dressing, but not overwhelm it.
4 Using your hands, tear off chunks of lettuce from the heads of lettuce (do not use a knife to cut). Add to the oil mixture and toss until coated. Add the rest of the Parmesan cheese, toss.
5 Coarsely chop the toasted bread and add (with the crumbs from the chopping) to the salad. Toss. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6 for a main course or up to 8-12 for a side.

Bacon, Onion Cheese Stuffed Burgers

Okay because I consider you guys close friends, I will admit it. I don't normally make my own burgers. We buy the frozen already made ground chuck patties at Costco. They're easy and they're delicious. Nothing says summertime like hamburgers on grill, corn on the cob and baked beans. On this particular night, I did make my own burgers. These were delicious. The only thing I will do differently next time is add more stuffing.


Bacon, Onion and Cheese Stuffed Burgers
Adapted from Food Network


1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 piece of canadian bacon, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
4 burger buns
Lettuce, tomato, pickles for garnish
Directions
Preheat grill to medium.

In a bowl combine beef, garlic, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste, being careful not to over mix. Form 8 even thin patties, about 1/2-inch thick and set aside. Saute onions in olive oil in skillet until tender, 5 minutes. Place onions and bacon in a bowl with cheese. Form a spoonful of bacon-cheese mixture into a ball, then place in the center of 4 patties. Top each with another patty and seal the edges. Grill burgers over medium-high heat, flipping once until desired doneness is reached, approximately 4 minutes each side for medium. Serve in buns with garnishes. Alternative: In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, sear the burgers 4 minutes on each side.



I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tuesday's at the Table and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's.

One Year Ago...Basil Mojitos.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte - SMS

Our friends Karen and Larry are visiting this weekend. When I read this week's SMS recipe, I knew it would be the perfect dessert for Saturday night's dinner. Chocolate and Raspberries...YUM!!

This recipe is fairly simple to prepare. It doesn't have a lot of ingredients or a long preparation time. I had a hard time deciding when my eggs had reached soft peaks. I think I stopped before they had reached that point. As I folded in the first half, they seemed really runny. At that point, I decided to continue. As I combined the eggs with the chocolate mixture, the texture was strange. Almost lumpy but not actually lumps. Did some of my eggs cook when combining with the chocolate? I had one of those "Oh No" momemts where I thought this was going to be a flop. I used a 9" pan, which was too big. My torte was thin with raspberries poking throught. As well I think I should have cooked it for a shorter time. The texture was almost crumbly. Despite the texture and how thin it was, the dessert was delicious. I would have liked it with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Thanks to Jennifer of The Rookie Baker for choosing this week's recipe. You can find the links to take a look at all of the other SMS baker's torte's here.

Happy Pink Saturday!

Weird Spaghetti

Have you ever had Cincinnati style chili? I first experienced it years ago at Skyline Chili. I loved the flavor. It's a combination of chili and spaghetti with a unique, cinnamon flavor. I've made Cincinnati chili before but it's been years. Recently, while browsing The Food Network site, I found Guy Fieri's recipe for Weird Spaghetti! Weird Spaghetti is Cincinnati style chili.

I am always looking for ways to adapt a recipe for the crock pot. Since I am lucky enough to work close to my house, most days I come home for lunch. I made this sauce at lunch and cooked it on low in the crock pot for the rest of the afternoon. Then all we had to do when we got home was boil the noodles. The night we had this I had yoga class after work and Tim and Michael were going to the baseball game . They boiled the noodles and ate before I got home. I forgot to ask how they liked it until the next morning. They both really liked it but couldn't figure out the spices. If you're looking for a fun and easy meal, give this one a try. Stop back and let me know if your family liked it as much as mine did.





I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Presto Pasta Nights.

In My Garden

Rhubarb Cake

I am not a rhubarb fan, so my recipe files don’t contain rhubarb recipes. Tim loves rhubarb, especially rhubarb desserts. On an envelope in his scribbles is his mother’s rhubarb dessert recipe.

I didn’t have cream so I substituted evaporated milk. I remember Tim’s daughter making this a few years ago and thinking it was a little runny, so I didn’t put in two full cups of milk.

Tim says this dessert is a yummy combination of cake and rhubarb. Even with the decreased amount of milk, it was still a little runny. Maybe it’s just supposed to be that way? Since this recipe was scribbled on an envelope, it didn’t have any instructions for storage. I think it keeps longer if you store it in the fridge.

Rhubarb Cake

Yellow Cake Mix
4 cups rhubarb, sliced
1 cup sugar
1 pint of cream or half and half

Mix cake mix as directed on the box. Pour in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Put rhubarb on top of cake mix. Sprinkle sugar over rhubarb. Pour cream over the top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

And The Winner Is!

As chosen by random.org, the winner of the CSN stores gift certificate is the talented blogger, Chaya of Sweet and Savory!

Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Pink Saturday & Chocolate With Francois

It's not often that I have two blogging events on the same day! Today's one of those days. Both of these events deserve their own post. However, this blogger saved Chocolate With Francois until the last minute and after a long week at work didn't have the energy for two posts.

First we have Pink Saturday! Today I am featuring a beautiful pink flower from my garden. I have seen these called "Dinner Plate Hibiscus". This description is so fitting, these flowers are the size of dinner plates.

Now we're switching from beautiful pink flowers to delicious chocolate treats. This month's Chocolate With Francois creation is Chocolate Beignets. I love beignets but I have never made them. They're actually on my Top 50.

Since these need to be eaten right away, I decided to make 1/4 of the recipe. I had a little trouble with my math skills and ended up making the yeast mixture three times before I got it right. I know my division was accurate but the batter was way too thick. There was no way you could dip anything into the mixture. I added more beer until it was the consistency of a batter to be used for frying. I didn't feel like my ganache set up like it should but that could have been because of the heat and humidity. Once the ganache is set you roll the balls in egg, dip them in bread crumbs and then in the batter. This seemed more like something you would do for a main dish than a dessert but I assume it's to help keep the chocolate together while frying in the oil. The recipe called for a creme anglaise as a dipping sauce. It was already getting late so I skipped the creme anglaise.

Finally after an hour in the freezer, time to fry them. A couple of mine, exploded in the oil, maybe I didn't get enough bread crumbs around the chocolate? I had quite a bit of leftover batter. I put it in the fridge and am hoping to thin it down just a bit and make onion rings tomorrow night.

The verdict...I liked them but I didn't love them. They didn't really taste like a traditional beignet.This recipe is the pick of Julie from Always Leave Room for Dessert. If you want to give these a try, you'll find the recipe on her blog. Stop by Chocolate With Francois and see what the other members had to say!

Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup

Time is running out to enter my giveaway. The winner will be chosen on Sunday. Good luck!!!

Have you cooked with fennel? Except for a slaw we made in the cooking classes I took earlier this year, I've never cooked with fennel. I am fascinated by the anise flavor and the fronds. Did you know the tops were called fronds? I didn't until I did some research on fennel. I couldn't pass up the beautiful fennel and leeks at the farmer's market. One of things I love most about cooking is finding recipes for ingredients I haven't used before. Of course, I turned to the internet and found this recipe on Epicurious for Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup.

If you like potato soup, you'll love this soup. It's a kicked up version of potato soup. The fennel gives it a great flavor. It doesn't have a strong anise flavor, just enough to enhance the taste. I used russet potatoes, added garlic and shallots. Besides the flavor, I love that this soup is creamy without any cream!

Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup
Adapted from Epicurious

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
2 cups sliced fennel bulb, fronds reserved for garnish
2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1/2 shallot, minced
4 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
2 pounds potatoes peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks, fennel, garlic, shallots and sauté until leeks are translucent, about 7 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer soup until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes. Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return to same pot. Rewarm soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with reserved fennel fronds and serve.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum. Also, this is my entry for Souper Sunday's, hosted by Deb at Kahaki Kitchen.

In My Garden

Doggie Treats for Copper

I am having a giveaway, go here to enter! Good luck!

Tim and Michael went kayaking on the Niobrara River a couple of weekends ago. Copper always misses Tim when he's gone. To help him feel a little better, I decided to make doggie treats. Despite the 95 degree heat and humidity of 60 plus percent, I baked these. Copper thanked me by beeing a good dog for the rest of the weekend.





Copper loves peanut butter. It's what we use when we give him his heartworm medicine, so I knew he'd love these treats. My first inclination was to roll this dough out much thinner than it should be. These are different than cookies, there's nothing in them to make them rise. They pretty much bake in the same shape as when you put them in the oven.






Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

½ cups water
½ cup oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup oats

Blend wet ingredients together. Whisk dry ingredients together and mix into wet mixture to form a ball of dough. Roll out and shape. Put onto a non-stick cookie tray or lightly greased one. Cook 20 minutes at 400 F. Turn off oven and allow the biscuits to cool in oven until crisp and hard. Store in airtight container.

I am linking this to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday's at the Table and Tasty Tuesday's.

Toasted Almond Lemon Bars - Sweet Melissa Sunday's

I am having a giveaway, you can enter here!!

Although I don't make them often, Lemon Bars are one of my favorite desserts. I love anything made with lemon.

The crust for this recipe goes together easily. I did feel like the crust was pretty sticky and soft. Maybe that was because it was hot and humid? Concerned about the crust being so soft it would spread, I put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking. It turned out perfectly. This crust is delicious. As I scraped out the inside of the food processor, I tasted the batter. I could have eaten this by the spoonful. I made a 1/2 recipe. It worked beautifully in a 9" square pan. The filling is really runny but it sets up nicely.

I try to share the sweet treats I make. My taste tester, Tim ate one, make that two bars. I said "How about taking these to work tomorrow?" "Can't we keep them here? Michael and I will eat them this weekend." My guess if you make these you won't want to share them either. These are delicious! The almond crust gives them a nice hint of nutty flavor, a great contrast with the lemon.

You can find the recipe on Rebecca of the Indecisive Baker's blog. Rebecca, thanks for choosing a fabulous recipe! The links to all of the other SMS baker's are here!

Pink Saturday & A Giveaway!!!

I love pink glassware. My husband's mother gave me these beautiful pink candlesticks. I found the Depression Glass Pink Sunflower plate at a flea market last Fall. I love that pattern and am in search of more pieces!

For the details on my giveaway, go here!!! The winner will be chosen on August 1st. Good luck and thanks for entering!!!

Happy Pink Saturday!! I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound!