Monday, June 27, 2011
Meet Me On Monday
If you want to join in the Meet Me On Monday fun, you can find the details at Never Growing Old!
1. What is your favorite food?
This is a tough one! Pizza, Pasta, Potatoes. You know all of those foods that aren't really good for you! Although I do love veggies, too!
2. What color scheme is your bedroom?
Lavender!
3. Do you carry a donor card?
Absolutely! If you don't, please think about getting one today!
4. In your opinion, is the glass half empty or half full?
Half full!!! I try to always remember how lucky I am!
5. Vanilla or Chocolate?
CHOCOLATE!!!!!! Actually, that's probably my favorite food. :)
What's your favorite food?
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Cookie Carnival - Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
I am excited to share my first Cookie Carnival recipe, Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies. When I think of Peanut Butter Cookies, I think of those I learned to make as a kid. You know the ones where you criss cross the tines of a fork on the top of the cookie? I love the ingredients in this recipe! Besides the usual ingredients, there's oats and coconut! They add crunch and flavor to the cookies. I made jumbo cookies and they took every bit of 20 minutes to bake. At the end of 20 minutes, they still looked a little wet in the middle but as they were fine after the cooled. Even if you're not a coconut fan, give this recipe a try. You'll keep reaching in the cookie jar for more!!
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe Courtesy of Smucker's
• | 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar |
• | 1/2 cup butter, softened |
• | 3/4 cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter, stirred |
• | 2 large eggs |
• | 2 tablespoons milk |
• | 1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
• | 1 cup All Purpose Flour |
• | 1 teaspoon baking powder |
• | 1 teaspoon baking soda |
• | 1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats |
• | 1 cup flaked coconut |
Directions:
1 | HEAT oven to 350°F. Beat sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter in large mixing bowl on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; stir in rolled oats and coconut. Add to peanut butter mixture and beat on low speed until well blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes. |
2 | Drop by heaping tablespoonful, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown around edges. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely. |
VARIATION: | |
JUMBO CHEWY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES: Prepare dough as directed above. Drop by 1/4-cupfuls, 3 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until light brown around edges. Makes 1 1/2 dozen. |
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Crockpot BBQ Chicken
I found this one over at One Crazy Cookie. Tiffanee, thanks for a great addition to my chicken repertoire.
Crock Pot Barbeque Chicken
chicken pieces (I used 4 chicken thighs)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (I used balsamic vinegar)
1/2 cup pop (I used Root Beer. Tiffanee says Cherry Coke Zero is her favorite to add. )
1 Tablespoon minced onions
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
Place all ingredients in crock pot. Stir to combine and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Update: (Optional) About 30 minutes before you are going to eat mix up 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch in a little bit of water and mix it in the sauce. Replace the lid, keep it on low and cook about 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally. This will allow the sauce to thicken up a bit.
I am linking this to Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesday's at The Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Your Recipe My Kitchen!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Meet Me On Monday
Monday means two things, back to work and Meet Me on Monday! If you'd like to join Meet Me on Monday, you can find the details here!
1. What feature of the opposite sex do you notice first?
Okay I know I am getting older, I don't even know!
2. Do you talk to yourself?
All the time! Sometimes, I even answer myself, too!
3. What is your current relationship status?
Very happily married to the love of my life! Maybe that's why don't have an answer for #1.
4. Do you have a garden?
Yes, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, brussels sprouts, peas and beans. Sounds MUCH bigger than it is. Most of those, it's just one plant!
5. What is your favorite licorice flavor?
I don't like licorice!
How about you, what's growing in your garden this summer?
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Pink Saturday
Happy Pink Saturday !!!!!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
From The Good Life
The really sad part is this could go on for weeks or even months, as the release of water continues from Gavin's Point Dam in South Dakota. Please keep all of the people effected by this in your thoughts!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Father's Day Tee Time Cupcakes - Martha Stewart Cupcake Club
Don't tell Martha but I cheated a bit on these. (Didn't she do that on something, too?) Anyway, with a lot going on preparing for Mike's graduation party in Minnesota, I used a boxed cake mix! Okay and canned frosting, too! At least I am honest and letting you all know, I could have passed them off as homemade and you'd you have never known.
These cupcakes were so fun to put together. After searching everywhere for something to use for the golf ball, I settled on a white gumball. Since the gumball was kind of large, I made giant cupcakes. The balance of the ingredients were easy to find! I used construction paper for the pin flags. If you're looking for something fun to make for Father's Day, give these a try.
Father's Day Tee Time Cupcakes
24 Cupcakes (Your choice of flavor)
White Icing of your choice
1 to 2 cups green sanding sugar
18 round white candies
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (3 -4 sheets finely ground in food processor)
1. Using an offset spatula, spread each cupcake with a smooth layer of icing. Pour green sanding sugar into a small bowl. Dip tops of frosted cupcakes in the sugar, then sprinkle more on top to coat completely.
2. To create putting greens, make flags (you will need 18). Cut out lengths (3 to 4 inches) from white grosgrain ribbon. Fold each length around one end of a wooden skewer, and adhere folded sides together with hot glue or double sided tape. Cut ribbon into a triangle shape and plant the skewer into a cupcake. Place a small white candy "ball" near the flag.
3. To create sand traps, spoon about 1 teaspoon graham cracker crumbs in the center of each of 6 cupcakes. With your thumb, make an indentation in the middle of each pile of crumbs, shifting to one side to form a steeper side or an irregularly shaped trap.
Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set.
You can find the other MSC member's cupcakes here!
I am linking this to Sweet Tooth Friday and Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday !!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Quick Crescent Taco Pie
This month's Celebrity Cook Along is Pillsbury! To make it even better, Jo at LazyonLoblolly is giving away a Dough Boy and a cookbook! Gotta love that Dough Boy...and Pillsbury!
When I think of Pillsbury, I often think of desserts. Since I am always looking for new dinner ideas, I chose a main dish. If you like tacos, give this one a try! It was DELICIOUS, one I will be making again soon. It's quick and easy to put together and make's a great weeknight dinner.
Superspeedway Taco Pie
Recipe Courtesy of Pillsbury
Ingredients:
I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday's at the Table, and Tuesday Night Supper Club.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Secret Recipe Club
This month I was assigned the blog, Haggis and the Herring! Haggis and the Herring is a husband and wife blog team who feature "tasty recipes tested in our kitchen – drawing from flavours around the world including our English, European, Mediterranean and South-Asian food experiences." There were so many recipes to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down to just one.
We love roasted potatoes, so after much deliberation, I chose Crunchy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots. In this recipe you boil the potatoes and carrots before roasting. I've seen lots of recipes where you boil potatoes before deep frying them. I cut my potatoes into large chunks instead of a dice. I used 1/2 regular paprika and 1/2 smoky paprika. Mine didn't get very crunchy but maybe that's because I made them on a silpat instead of parchment? We really enjoyed these, they were just a little spicy with a lot of flavor.
Crunchy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
by Daniel Saraga November 3, 2010
Courtesy of The Haggis and The Herring
Serve it as a side or eat it alone for the pure comfort-food value.
Ingredients
5 or 6 potatoes, diced, (peeled, optional)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 3/4" rounds
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
to taste salt
Instructions
1. Boil potatoes and carrots in salted water until soft (15-20 minutes).2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.3. Drain and run potatoes and carrots under cold water for 2-4 minutes, drain again and let dry for 2-3 minutes.4. In a small bowl, mix oil, paprika, cayenne and a pinch of salt.5. Toss potatoes and carrots in oil mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.6. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until outside is golden and crispy.
Details
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Yield: 6 servings
Friday, June 10, 2011
Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
Ingredients
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
Directions
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon; mix well. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously spray a 9-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray, being careful to cover all the nooks and cranies, as well as the center tube. Gently dust the entire inside of the pan with about 1/3 cup of the cinnamon and sugar mixture, set the rest aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Beat just the butter on medium speed for one minute. Add the white sugar and mix for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and blade and add the brown sugar. Mix for 2 minutes until the mixture is light brown and uniform in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream; beat well. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture Spread the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
I am linking this to Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday !!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
From The Good Life
As a kid in Minnesota, I learned seeing a fish jump and catching a fish are two different things. We were lucky enough to catch a nice 15 pound Yellow Fin. After reeling him in, our deck hand filleted the fish out at 40 MPH on the back of the boat. If you have ever cleaned fish it’s hard enough doing this standing still. We ended up with 4 nice fillets that would sure taste good on the grill this summer.
This week, We fired up the grill to enjoy our catch. We lightly covered the 1 1/2 inch thick filets with olive oil and seasoning. Having never grilled this type of fish, our wisdom and Google said to cook 2 minutes each side. The joy of cooking is to experiment and learn. Looks like we needed to sear on one side and flip over after 1 minute, or less as they were a little bit over done. Still tasty, it brought back great memories of a great vacation.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake
If you have rhubarb in your garden, give this recipe a try. This cake has great flavor and the coconut gives the topping a nice crunch.
Grandma's Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake
Recipe courtesy of Finding Joy in My Kitchen
4 C rhubarb
1 C sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 box (4 servings) Strawberry Jello
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 box dry yellow cake mix
1/2 C butter
1/2 C coconut
Combine rhubarb, sugar and cornstarch in a pan and heat until warm; stirring frequently as rhubarb cooks and becomes thick. When thicken, pour rhubarb into a 9x13 glass pan. Sprinkle with strawberry jello and 1 can of crushed pineapple (do not drain, use the juice!).
Meanwhile, mix together cake mix and butter until crumbly. Stir in coconut. Sprinkle over the rhubarb mixture.
Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes.
*If you wish to make a bottom crust, place 1/2 of the cake mixture over the bottom of the cake pan and press to form. Bake crust for 10 minutes at 350. Then pour cooked rhubarb over the top and follow the directions above.
I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesday's at the Table.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Meet Me On Monday
Meet Me on Monday is fun way to get to know more about your fellow bloggers. If you'd like to participate, you can find the details at Never Growing Old!!
1. What is was the last piece of candy that you ate?
A Reeses Peanut Butter Cup! I made Graduation Cap Candy Pops today! (Look for a post on those sometime in the next couple of weeks.)
2. Do you "read" in the bathroom?
NO!! Isn't that a guy thing?
3. I can't stand when someone _________?
Wow, this one was hard. Just ask my husband, I am sure he would tell you there's tons of things I can't stand but I had trouble coming up with one.
How about when someone brings their young child to a nice restaurant? To me there's nothing worse than sitting there trying to enjoy a nice dinner and at the next table is a two year old banging their spoon.
4. Do you do daily, weekly or monthly grocery shopping?
Weekly! I try to plan the week's menu, scour the grocery ads and then do my grocery shopping on Sundays.
Do you plan your menu's in advance or are you a spur of the moment cook?
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Salt and Pepper Chicken
Grilled Salt and Pepper Chicken
Source: original recipe can be found at Martha Stewart online
Courtesy of There's Always Thyme to Cook
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), quartered, rinsed, and patted dry ( I used thighs, and removed the skin!)
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Combine salt and pepper. Rub chicken with mixture, covering all sides and shaking off excess. (You may not need all of the mixture.) Or put the mixture in a ziploc with the chicken and shake it all up. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Place chicken on grill, skin side down. Close cover, and grill 8 minutes. Flip chicken, and close cover. Grill until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes more.
Transfer chicken to a plate, and let rest 15 minutes.
I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
From The Good Life
Tim's son Michael graduated from high school! Congratulations, Mike! We're so proud of you!!!
Mike will be attending The University of Nebraska Omaha this Fall. We are looking forward to watching you grow in this next chapter in your life!!!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Yogurt Parfaits with Chocolate Granola - CWF
Chocolate granola seems a bit counter intuitive since I think of granola as somewhat healthy. I see this recipe for dessert rather than breakfast. The granola is easy to put together, uses ingredients most of us have in our kitchens and is delicious!
To make the parfaits you layer brown sugar glazed bananas, yogurt with orange zest and the chocolate granola. I love brown sugar glazed bananas but didn't care for them in this recipe. As well, I thought the orange zest overpowered the simple flavor of the vanilla yogurt. I think this would be best served with just the vanilla yogurt and the chocolate granola. There's too many flavors going on to really enjoy the yummy chocolate granola.
If you're curious what the other CWF members thought of this recipe and I know I am, you can find the links to their blogs here!
Yogurt Parfaits with Chocolate Granola
Serves 8
Chocolate Granola
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
Yogurt
One 32 ounce container vanilla yogurt
Grated zest of 1/2 orange
Bananas
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 ripe bananas, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Make the granola. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, walnuts, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Stir with your hands or a spatula to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the honey over the mixture, and mix with a silicone spatula until it is well incorporated. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking sheet, anthd bake for 15 minutes, without stirring. Remove from the oven and let cool.
In a large bowl, mix together the chocolate chips, raisins and the remaining tablespoon of honey. Add the cooled granola and toss the mixture together, slightly breaking up the granola. The granola can be stored in an airtight contained in a cool, dry environment for up to 1 week.
Make the yogurt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest and yogurt until combined. Keep the yogurt cold until ready to use, up to 2 days.
Make the bananas. Put the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat, and let it melt until it just begins to brown. Add the brown sugar, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the sugar is melted. Add the bananas, and cook them until they pick up a little bit of color, about 1 minute.
Assemble the parfait. Place a spoonful of warm bananas (the equivalent of 1/2 banana per glass) at the bottom of a tall glass. Place 1/2 cup yogurt over the bananas, and top with the granola, just before serving. Repeat for the remaining 7 glasses.
I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tuesday's at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesday Night Supper Club.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Pink Saturday
I love all things pink! A big THANK YOU to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting each week!!
It's a little hard to tell from this picture but everything about this house is pink. I found this house on our trip to Brownville, Nebraska a few weeks ago.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Rosemary Scones
Rosemary Scones
Adapted from Giada De Laurentis
Scones:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup jam
Glaze:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silpat).
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, sea salt and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a medium bow. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, rool out the dough into 1/2 inch thick, 10 inch circle. Using a heart shaped cookie cuter, cut out heart shaped pieces of dough and place on the cookie sheet. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and cut into heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using a small round measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of ham into the indentation. Bake for 18 to 2o minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
To make the glaze, mix together lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add the water until the mixture is thin enough to spread. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the scones. Let the scones set for approximately 30 minutes. Can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days.
My notes on this recipe:
One of the keys a good dough is making sure the butter is very cold. In the summer I keep my flour in the refrigerator, to keep away those pesky summer bugs. If you keep your flour in the refrigerator, allow it to warm to room temperature before using (approximately an hour).
The glaze recipe made way too much glaze for the amount of scones, next time I will cut the recipe in half.
I followed Giada's recipe exactly with one exception. Her recipe called for Strawberry jam. I used my mother in law's homemade, Strawberry Rhubarb jam instead.
I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.
From The Good Life
If you live in the midwest, you're "used" to tornadoes. I've lived in the midwest all of my life. I've seen my share of them and certainly spent many an hour huddled in the basement.
What we've all seen this week in Joplin, Missouri isn't one of those tornadoes those of us from the midwest are "used" to, it's an unbelievable scene of devastation. I've been mesmerized by the coverage, so much so I've forced myself to turn off the TV! Last night, as I walked in my house from work, the sun was shining, my house was comfortable and warm. I felt guilty and lucky all at the same time. I paused in my hallway for a moment to be so thankful to have a house and family. It's ironic the subtitle of my blog and the title of my Thursday posts is From The Good Life! So true, this is The Good Life!
Remember what's important! Tell your family how much you love and appreciate them!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Beer Marinated Pork Chops
Pork Chops in Beer Teriyaki Marinade
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (syrupy rice wine)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
2/3 cup of your favorite beer (no dark)
4 1" thick rib or loin pork chops
In a saucepan combine the soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, sugar, gingerroot and the beer. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to about 1 1/3 cups. Let the marinade cool until it is room temperature. In a shallow baking dish or plastic bag, cover the chops thoroughly with the marinade. Marinate overnight, turning them several times.
Pour the marinade in a saucepan and boil it for five minutes. Grill the pork chops on a oiled rack set about 4 inches over glowing coals, basting them with the marinade while cooking, Cook 8 - 10 minutes of each side.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Meet Me On Monday
1. What is your favorite bagel flavor?
I don't eat bagels very often but when I do my choice would be Cinnamon Crunch at Panera!
2. If you had an extra $100 right now, what would you spend it on?
I would put it in the vacation fund! I love vacations!!!
3. What is the last thing that you felt guilt about doing?
I bought a mini bundt pan at Costco. It was so cute the molds were shaped like lady bug's, butterfly's and other insects. After I got it home I decided I would only use it once or twice, so I took it back. Not sure if this was really guilt or not. It's the only thing I can come up with!
4. Soft serve ice cream or hand dipped?
Either one. I love ice cream!!!
5. Are you allergic to anything?
Penicillin!!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Pink Saturday! - Zumba
Happy Pink Saturday!!!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Butterfinger Cheescake
This recipe comes from a restaurant that used to be at Oak Park Mall in Kansas City, Paradise Diner. It's a rich and creamy cheesecake. Over the years, I've made lots of changes to this recipe. I've used an oreo cookie crust instead of the graham cracker crust, substituted a variety of candy bars, oreo cookies or thin mint cookies for the Butterfingers. The possibilities are endless!! To help a little with the tremendous number of calories and fat in this recipe, you can use the low fat sour cream and cream cheese. Do not use the no fat!!
If you like cheesecake, give this one a try! You won't be sorry!!!!
Butterfinger Cheesecake
- from the Paradise Diner
Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 ounces butter, melted
Mix together. Pat into the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan.
Filling
2 pounds cream cheese
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 Butterfinger candy bars, chopped
Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Scrape bowl after each addition. Mix until smooth. Fold in candy, reserving some for the top of the cheesecake. Pour into crust and bake at 300 degrees 45 minutes to one hour. To test for doneness, shake pan lightly. Cheesecake is done when filling is firm.
Topping
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
Spread on hot cheesecake. Chill overnight. Garnish with remaining chopped Butterfingers.
I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Hamburger Casserole - Revisited
My Dad is very much a meat and potatoes man and those two better not be mixed together. Except for this dish! This is the only casserole I can ever remember my Dad eating.
Hamburger Casserole
Into a well buttered casserole dish, place layers in order . Season each layer with salt and pepper.
2 -3 medium potatoes, sliced
2 -3 carrots, sliced
Can of peas (drained, saving liquid)
1 onion, sliced
1 stalk of celery, sliced
Over top of vegetables, placed 1 pound of ground beef, browned and drained.
Combine liquid from peas with can of tomato soup and pour over the top of ground beef.
Cover. Bake at 325 for 2 hours.
I am linking this to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday's, Tuesday's at the Table, Tuesday Night Supper Club.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Meet Me On Monday!
1. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
Smooth all the way!!!
2. What is your favorite color Rose?
All of them! I just love roses!!
3. Do you remove your shoes when you walk into your home?
I try but sometimes I forget!
4. What is your favorite season?
For me it has to be seasons, I love Spring and Fall. In the midwest we can have some really cold winters and terribly hot summers. We're always ready for warmer weather and the blooming flowers of Spring and cooler weather and the changing leaves of Fall!
5. Approximately how many hours a day do you spend blogging?
Depends...what are we calling "blogging"? If we're including time spent reading blogs, I spend 2 - 4 hours a day. If I don't have something going on, my evening is spent in my favorite chair with my laptop reading all of your wonderful blog posts! If we're just taking into consideration the time actually putting together a blog post, an hour is more like it.
How about you? How many hours do you spend blogging?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Caramel Glazed Scallops - Celebrity Cook Along
It's good to be back and I am thrilled to join this month's celebrity cook along over at Happier Than A Pig in Mud features Paula Deen's recipes. I love Paula, she's so entertaining to watch. I've made quite a few of Paula's recipes. My intent was to try a new recipe for this month's event but time just wasn't on my side.
I've made Paula's recipe for Caramel Glazed Sea Scallops several times. I love the way the scallops caramelize with this recipe. This easy preparation makes a beautiful presentation. You can find the original post here!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
CrockPot - Breakfast Casserole
This recipe is easy, versatile and delicious. Since this only takes a couple of hours, we were able to enjoy a late Saturday morning breakfast.
Crockpot Breakfast Casserole - Adapted from Finding Joy in My Kitchen
1-2 thick slices of "older" bread
1 C fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 C fresh green veggies (I used banana peppers)
1 C diced ham, sliced kielbasa sausage (I used Canadian Bacon)
4 eggs
1/4-1/2 C milk
1/2 C colby jack cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, as needed
Begin by spraying the crockpot with olive oil or a cooking spray.
Then, break apart the bread into small chunks. Sprinkle these in the bottom of the crockpot.
Over the top, layer the mushrooms, green veggies and meat. Lightly beat the eggs and milk together, then pour this mixture over the top! Sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper, as desired.
Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 -2 hours.
I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday's at the Table and Tuesday Night Supper Club.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Rhubarb Dessert - Revisited
The past couple of weeks I have featured recipes from some of the "Mom's" who have touched my life. There was Nana's Chocolate Cake and Mrs. Flint's Banana Bread. Today, I am featuring my Mother In Law, Bernie's Rhubarb Dessert.
You can find the original post and recipe here!
I am linking this to Foodie Friday!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Mrs. Flint's Banana Bread - Revisited
Mrs. Flint's Banana Bread
Cream together 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Add two eggs, 3 mashed RIPE bananas, pinch of sale, 1 teaspoon of soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 3/4 cup flour.
Bake in greased and floured loaf pans at 350 for 45 - 60 minutes. Makes two medium size loaves.
Glaze while still warm with a glaze of powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk.
I am linking this to Tuesday's at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday's and Tuesday Night Supper Club.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Meet Me On Monday
If you're interested in participating in Meet Me On Monday, you can find the questions and the link at Never Growing Old. Thanks, Jade for hosting such a fun Monday party!
1. What is your favorite kind of muffin?
Blueberry! Especially when they're made with freshly picked blueberries!
2. What was the first car you ever owned?
Not even sure what year it was but a Toyota. My father paid $50.00 for it. Yes, $50.00. Granted this was quite a few years ago. I think everything worked okay except the radio. I used to carry around my little transistor radio that looked like a ball.
3. Which TV Show were you sad to see end?
Ally McBeal! I love Calista Flockhart and was thrilled to see her show up again on Brother's and Sister's!
4. What is your lucky number?
I don't think I have one? 7's but only in Vegas!
5. Pretzels or Potato Chips?I don't eat either one of them very often. I try to choose pretzels but love potato chips, too!
How about you?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Chocolate Tiramisu - Chocolate With Francois
Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts. It's one of the ways I judge an Italian restaurant, great Tiramisu is a sign of a good Italian restaurant. Now I am not sure I've ever had Chocolate Tiramisu, so I guess I would consider myself a Tiramisu purist. Traditional Tiramisu is made with lady fingers and doesn't have any chocolate. I was curious if chocolate could make one of my favorite desserts even better.
Knowing it was very rich and having read some of the other CWF baker's comments about how delicious it was, I made a fourth of the recipe. The cake requires both egg whites and egg yolks. My egg whites never quite reached the stiff peak stage. I even tossed in a pinch of cream of tartar but still no stiff peaks. I decided to go for it and luckily my cake turned out fine. The ganache called for chopped chocolate. I think it should have said finely chopped chocolate. My chocolate wasn't melting when I combined it with the cream. I put it in the microwave for about 20 seconds and the chocolate melted perfectly. Once you have the cake, ganache and marscapone mixtures made, it's a relatively easy dessert to assemble.
Payard says the dessert gets better after sitting overnight, which makes sense as this gives the flavors a chance to meld. I tried it the night I made it. I thought it was good, not great. Of course the ganache was amazing but isn't it always!!! Thanks to Sandy of Seattle Pastry Girl for choosing this month's recipe. You can find the recipe on her blog! You can check out the other CWF baker's Tiramisu here!!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Nana's Chocolate Cake - Revisited
As we approach Mother's Day, I am going to feature a couple of recipes from some of the great Mom's who have touched my life. Today's recipe, Nana's Chocolate Cake, is from my best friend's mother and my son's grandmother.
You can find the recipe and the original post here!
I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
I cooked this on low for about four hours. I removed the lid and placed a towel underneath to help remove the moisture and increase the "crispness". The addition of the butterscotch pudding gives this a wonderful caramel flavor. While this doesn't have quite the same crunch and as one baked in the oven, it makes a delicious dessert and you can't beat the smell of the apples cooking in the kitchen.
Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
Recipe courtesy of CD Kitchen
5 large sliced peeled tart apples
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 package (3-1/2-ounce size) cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
Vanilla ice cream or Whipping Cream -- optional
PREPARATION:
Place apples in a 3-qt. slow cooker.
In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, pudding mix and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples.
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until apples are tender. Serve with ice cream or whipping cream, if desired.
I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday's at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesday Night Supper Club.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Versatile Blogger Award
As a winner of this award you're to pass this award on to 15 bloggers. I'd like to award this to all of you!! You're all such fabulous bloggers and I so appreciate your comments on my blog. In addition, the winners of this award are to share 10 things about themselves. Since there's no Meet Me on Monday today, I thought this would be a great day for this post.
- Until 5 years ago, I'd lived all of my life in Kansas City. On the Kansas side, primarily in Overland Park.
- I am afraid of heights. Not sure where this fear came from. I am one of those annoying people who take a big pause before stepping on an escalator.
- I love purses and shoes. Although, the older I get the more I am about comfort in stead of style in those shoes.
- I'd like to own a Bed and Breakfast or a small cafe/bakery that only serves breakfast and lunch.
- I DVR the fourth hour of The Today Show every day. I love the banter between Kathie Lee and Hoda.
- I am a NASCAR fan. Jimmie Johnson is my guy! (And yes, I was a Jimmie fan before he won the chase five seasons in a row.)
- My favorite cocktail is a glass of white wine.
- I am hooked on Angry Birds and Words With Friends. Although I am much better at Angry Birds than Words With Friends, less thought required for Angry Birds!!!
- Tops on my bucket list is a trip to Italy.
- My natural hair color is a medium brown or at least it I think it was. My hair hasn't been it's natural color since I was a teenager. Unfortunately, now I think the natural color would be grey?
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Pink Saturday - Signs of Spring
Friday, April 22, 2011
Nacho Cheese Chicken Chowder
I only had one can of Rotel tomatoes on hand, so I used regular diced tomatoes for the second can. Am I glad I made this change! I can't handle really spicy recipes. If I had used two cans of Rotel, this would have been too spicy for me. The cheese thickens the soup and adds a delicious flavor dimension. This one's a keeper, we'll be having it again soon!
I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
In My Garden
Tim built a raised bed last year and for the first time I planted oregano and sage. After the first frost, we covered the sage and oregano with straw. Our winter this year was pretty darn cold and I was concerned, especially in a raised bed, my herbs wouldn't come back this Spring. Just a week or so ago, Tim uncovered them and said to take a look because they were starting to show signs of life. Excited they survived, I googled to see when or if I should cut them back. Yes, you should trim them but only after they start to show a lot of new growth. This past Sunday, I went out to trim them back and as it turns out there wasn't much old growth to get rid of. If you've ever wanted to grow sage or oregano and wondered if they would come back, give them a try. I bet they will come back for you!!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Root Beer Pulled Pork
This is a delicious recipe for pulled pork. The root beer adds a nice sweetness that blends well with any tangy BBQ sauce. Being from Kansas City, I'd like to think I know my BBQ sauces. My favorites are from two of Kansas City's best barbeque restaurant's, Jack's Stack and Gates. I used the Gates in this recipe, it's a little more tangy and a little less sweet than Jack's Stack. This makes a lot, perfect for a crowd or to freeze for a quick weeknight dinner.
Crock Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork
adapted from Gooseberry Patch
Courtesy of One Crazy Cookie
2 cups onions sliced and divided
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
4 pound pork roast (loin is best)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)
3 cups Root Beer divided
16 oz bottle BBQ sauce ( or two cups)
Place 1 cup onions and the garlic it the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper, place in crock pot. Add 1 1/2 cups root beer and liquid smoke. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10 hours or on high setting for 5 hours. Remove roast and set aside to cool. Discard onion and liquid in crock pot. In a saucepan, bring the BBQ sauce and 1 1/2 cups root beer to a boil and then simmer for 15-25 minutes. When roast is cool enough to handle, shred with a fork. Discard fat. Return shredded meat to the crock pot. Stir in sauce mixture and remaining onion. Cover and cook on high for 1-3 hours, until the onion is soft.
* I didn't add onions to the sauce. I added the sauce and cooked another hour. We were hungry!
* Be careful with the liquid smoke. Too much can be overpowering!!!
I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday's at the Table and Tuesday Night Supper Club.