tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64321939482474455212024-02-07T09:20:56.436-07:00Give Me Something Good to EatJackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-49461367610510359302012-10-28T21:43:00.001-06:002012-10-29T07:43:37.552-06:00I'm not fat, I'm FLUFFY!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here we are again on cranberry
lane! <em>(Is that a space on the Candyland game? It should be.)</em> Have you
tried cranberry chicken yet? Are you anxious for favorite cranberry recipe #2? I
am! I haven't stopped thinking about it since I posted the first recipe a couple
of days ago. I should clarify that just because this recipe is the second one I
am posting does not mean it is any less a favorite than the first. It is equally
as delicious and dear to my heart.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Many years ago
I was part of a great group of friends that continually frequented plays and
concerts in the Salt Lake City area. We saw and heard some fantastic
performances! Before attending any event, we always went out to dinner. We even
had a rotation for who had to choose where we'd be eating <a href="http://templesquarehospitality.com/restaurants/roof.php"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Roof</span></a>
restaurant at Temple Square became a favorite of the group. While it was too
expensive to eat at on any kind of monthly basis, we did make sure we at there
every Christmas season and usually for Valentine's Day. Now, if you've been to
The Roof buffet before you know the high price is well worth it. The bite size
sampler foods, soups, vegetables, peel-and-eat shrimp, rotating main dishes,
prime rib and heavenly desserts combine to create a culinary masterpiece. I
could make a list of 20 foods there that I adore. And guess what? One of those
is a cranberry recipe--CRANBERRY FLUFF SALAD!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PgkxXBliYL2eLRSljbyPkc32GZ5vJ_GO7feD56P6_ECPUlgtJJVnFhZGOGLgBQzmQyg0mzitqirIZgI-EW3yyD2IYNJb28WwfMuRyK7vFc3BbH013s6LNp2IAaJ8wlRdCvXNoej4fsH2/s1600/cranberry+fluff-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_j4fbng="2" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PgkxXBliYL2eLRSljbyPkc32GZ5vJ_GO7feD56P6_ECPUlgtJJVnFhZGOGLgBQzmQyg0mzitqirIZgI-EW3yyD2IYNJb28WwfMuRyK7vFc3BbH013s6LNp2IAaJ8wlRdCvXNoej4fsH2/s320/cranberry+fluff-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(picture
from The Albert Lea Tribune via Google)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">While the
majority of the buffet items at The Roof rotate, a few of the salads remain the
same visit after visit. Luckily for me, the cranberry fluff salad is one of
those. Rarely did I <strike>roll out the door</strike> leave after dinner there
without saying to myself, "I have got to figure out how to make that salad." It
is a perfect blend of tart and sweet, creamy and crunchy. After a couple of
years it finally occurred to me that I actually owned a copy of the now
out-of-print original Lion House recipes. Since the salad never rotated off the
buffet, it must be a classic for the restaurant and might be in the very book
I'd owned all along. Guess what? IT WAS! Imagine my joy! Now that I have it, and
am still as in love with it as I ever was, I want to share it with
you!</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u><strong>Lion
House Cranberry Fluff Salad</strong></u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 c raw
cranberries, ground</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 c
sugar</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 c diced
apples</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 c chopped
walnuts or pecans</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3 c miniature
marshmallows</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/4 t
salt</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 c heavy
cream, whipped</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Combine
cranberries and sugar; cover and chill overnight. Add apples, nuts,
marshmallows, and salt. Fold in whipped cream. Chill. Makes about 12
servings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This dish is a
great alternative to a fruit or a jello salad. It would be a great addition to
any Thanksgiving dinner! <em>(I may need to put it on my menu this year.)</em>
Since I know you are all anxious to make this delightful dish, let me pass along
a couple of things to be aware of. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">First, the
sugar will bring out the natural juices in your cranberries as they sit
overnight. <em>(Ever heard of the term "maceration"?)</em> The juice is what
gives your salad it's lovely pink hue. To get your cranberries nice and fine,
give them a spin in a food processor. Second<span style="font-family: Arial;">, I
never peel my apples. You can peel yours if you'd like, but I don't mind the
skin <em>(think off all those vitamins!)</em> so I don't take the time. Third,
the original recipe calls for walnuts, but I listed pecans as an alternative. My
dear hubby is allergic to walnuts, so I always substitute pecans. And finally,
make sure you don't sweeten up your whipped cream out of habit. Your berry and
sugar mixture will do that for you.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Oh yeah, one
more thing. There are several versions of this salad that use crushed
pineapple. I've never tried it that way. While I'm sure it's tasty, I am going
to cling to my original version for now.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So there it
is, cranberry recipe #2. Does anyone else want a bowl right now as much as
I do?</span></div>
Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-10537459962459676812012-10-25T01:55:00.000-06:002012-10-25T12:14:13.038-06:00It's THAT time of year!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doesn't that title just make you want to start singing the Christmas Waltz, "It's that time of year when the world falls in love, Ev'ry song you hear seems to say..."? While THAT time of year is rapidly approaching, I'm actually referring to something completely different. Ladies and gentlemen, it's <em>(drum roll please)</em>...CRANBERRY SEASON!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, I know. It's October and everyone is pumpkin happy. Don't get me wrong. I like pumpkin foods, especially pie <em>(I would happily eat a whole one)</em>, but cranberry season is one of my favorites of the year. A few years ago I was not aware of the fact that there is, indeed, a season when these delightful little flavor balls could be purchased. Ever tried to buy a bag of cranberries in your grocer's produce section mid-June? I have! It's impossible. While there are whole and jellied options available in cans year round, their unprocessed counterparts are only available to purchase from about October through Christmas. <em>(I actually saw the first bags of the season at Costco last week.)</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You may wonder how I cope with the berry shortage the other 9 months of the year. It's easy. When cranberries are available for sale in the fall, I stock up and keep them in my freezer. Unlike other berries that can get mushy after being frozen, these little gems don't change at all when they go from fresh, to frozen, back to fresh. The nice part is that you don't have to repackage them in any way. Just toss the bags in the freezer and pull them out as you need them. I do transfer the cranberries to a gallon size resealable bag only after I've opened the large bag size from Costco and not used them all. This makes it easier to get out the amount I need without having to deal with the original unsealable bag. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One note about freezer-life. I've heard it said that a bag of cranberries will last one year in the freezer. To that I say PE SHAW! I've had my current supply for two years now <em>(I bought about 12 pounds back in Nov of 2010)</em> and it's still perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, in anticipation of all the cranberries I know you are all going to rush out and buy--and since all the other food blogs are loaded with pumpkin recipes--I'm going to post my four favorite cranberry recipes over the next week! Let's start with my favorite...Cranberry Chicken.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Three years ago when I was visiting my dad in Florida <em>(just before boarding a glorious 7-day cruise)</em>, his sweet wife shared some of her favorite recipes with me. One of those recipes was Cranberry Chicken. A couple of months later I made the dish for a Sunday dinner when we had guests over. And then I made it for people again...and again...and again...all throughout the year. It got to the point where we'd invite people for dinner and they'd be overjoyed to find out Cranberry Chicken was on the menu. In fact, I started having to double the recipe each time I made it because we and our guests loved it so much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This dish is super easy to throw together. It has a slightly long cooking time at 45 minutes, but you can prep it in minutes. I've only made one small change to the recipe as it was given to me. Let's take a look at the recipe and then I'll tell you about my change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><u>Cranberry Chicken</u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">6 boneless skinless chicken breasts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 c chopped onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 c ketchup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 c brown sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/4 c maple syrup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">zest of a large orange</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 1/2 c fresh cranberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish large enough to allow a bit of room around each one. Bake for 20 minutes. While chicken is baking, mix remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken and bake 25 additional minutes. Serve over rice. (Spoon some of the sauce over the rice too!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">See, how simple is that! Remember I told you I've made one change? It's with the chopped onion. The original recipe said to saute the onions before adding to the sauce. I have found this to be completely unnecessary. I did it the first time I made it and never done it again. The dish bakes long enough that the onions get nice and tender in the oven. I don't see any need for the extra work and dirty dish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Would you like a couple of hints? Oh good. First, the cranberries. You can use them thawed or straight out of your freezer. I never defrost them first. Either way they will get nice and soft while cooking and lots of them will pop. YUMMY! And don't worry, the brown sugar will help tame the natural tartness of the berries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Second, the sauce. I don't always have an orange on hand for the zest. I try to, but for those times when I don't I use a teaspoon of orange extract instead. I like the zest best, but the extract an o.k. alternative. If you don't have either, no problem. Just move forward without it. Also, I never measure out the syrup. I just eyeball it. I figure if add a bit of extra, OH WELL!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally, make sure you give your chicken some room in the pan. I've found that if I put the breasts too close together, they can come out undercooked. Plus, if you don't give them a touch of room, the sauce can't fully coat the meat. I'm not talking about a lot of space, but don't let the breasts touch. You can see from the picture above that I have about a cranberry width--give or take a bit--between each one. If your particular chicken breasts are very large, which mine tend to be, don't hesitate to cut them in to smaller pieces. I find the dish easier for people to manage if they can serve themselves smaller pieces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Want a money saving hint? You will save money on cranberries if you can buy them in a large (48 oz) bag at a warehouse store rather than buying four individual (12 oz) bags at the grocery store. I'm all for saving pennies where I can!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">That's it folks...my favorite cranberry recipe #1. I absolutely adore it and I've never served it to a single person that didn't love it. With cranberries starting to pop up on your grocery store shelves, this is definitely a recipe worth trying. Stay tuned for favorite recipe #2!</span></div>
Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-48990406069570742672012-04-23T16:01:00.004-06:002012-06-29T12:41:25.029-06:00Faux-ly Cheese Steak Sandwiches<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of my most favorite foods is a delicious sandwich. And one of my most favorite sandwiches is the philly cheese steak. There's a restaurant by my husband's office that is only philly cheese steaks (a variety of kinds) and I love it! The Our Best Bites girls have a fabulous recipe for philly cheese steaks <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/07/cheesesteak-sandwiches/">here</a>. And Pioneer Woman's sandwich called "<a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/marlboro_mans_f/">Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich</a>" is an excellent taste-a-like. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, early on in our marriage my husband made me something he called philly cheese steaks. But he warned me: "It's not really like a REAL philly cheese steak sandwich. It's like a cheap knock-off. But tasty." Boy, was he right. And many times since then when I haven't felt like making dinner or had a really strong craving for a philly cheese steak I have convinced the husband to whip these up for me. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk8dH2RBPsKQ2_7FJKinERPocN_HZaOlWt7hi1__jt08-uRTuL2R5khGRyEiSV8CZ_BLTPfNXbH4bP41rKpgCrg0373cy8cTSEB2ZU2R30d-I1pvKCWzEJbQkuT-OPKH13rHMywjUnLE/s1600/DSC09194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk8dH2RBPsKQ2_7FJKinERPocN_HZaOlWt7hi1__jt08-uRTuL2R5khGRyEiSV8CZ_BLTPfNXbH4bP41rKpgCrg0373cy8cTSEB2ZU2R30d-I1pvKCWzEJbQkuT-OPKH13rHMywjUnLE/s320/DSC09194.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The real trick to them is that you don't use actual steak. It's grilled up deli meat. Sometimes, if the husband is feeling really good we will go get really good deli meat from the counter at the grocery store but often times when we whip this up last minute we just use packaged lunch meat. We pick out 2-3 kinds of lunch meat we like (usually ending up with roast beef, turkey, and ham) and go for it. Hence the name, FAUX-ly Cheese Steak Sandwiches.</span> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj-xmpY_XZanT-Wytm2e7ljsX_AClwY1Id9PrXBVL_eDimxnFOzlDfO41BbA0WiPqmcfkOhHfZJDFW3QbD-3pv1lkKQNQw_GWMU3QqY9X7Dn8dFCdEZl3WkBXZBU7NjMDA7yx1FZKdxM/s1600/DSC09195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj-xmpY_XZanT-Wytm2e7ljsX_AClwY1Id9PrXBVL_eDimxnFOzlDfO41BbA0WiPqmcfkOhHfZJDFW3QbD-3pv1lkKQNQw_GWMU3QqY9X7Dn8dFCdEZl3WkBXZBU7NjMDA7yx1FZKdxM/s320/DSC09195.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also, I apologize that the recipe isn't a bit more exact but you should just make them with as much of everything as you want. This really is more of a guideline. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Faux-ly Cheese Steak Sandwiches</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2-3 kinds of deli meat, whatever kind you want</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Provolone Cheese, or whichever kind of cheese is your favorite</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Really good deli rolls (we like kaiser or club rolls)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mayonnaise </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We like to use a our flat-top electric griddle. But, you could use a fry pan if you don't have one.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Spray your griddle with non-stick spray, or butter it if you are feeling lucky. Cut up enough of the deli meat for however many people you are feeding. We usually cut up the amount one of us would have on a sandwich, plus 1-2 more slices. How much meat you fry up will depend on how many people you are feeding, how much meat they really want and how big your rolls are. The bigger the people/desire for meat/rolls, the more meat you will need. Then toss them on the griddle and fry them up until they are nice and hot and a little brown-er around the edges. Don't burn them. That does not taste good. You just want them hot and flavorful. Once your meat is done, turn the griddle down to low and put two slices of provolone on top. Let it melt until creamy and delicious and your mouth won't stop watering. While the cheese is melting, put some mayo on your rolls. If you are my husband, you will coat them. If you are me, you will put about 1/2 the amount. Load your rolls up with the meat/cheese mixture and then run to the table to hurry and enjoy. Best when fresh and warm! </span></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-18468473767787370272012-04-23T15:44:00.006-06:002012-04-23T15:45:18.646-06:00Banana Muffins<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You know how sad you get when you find a piece of fruit that has seen better days? It's got a nasty, brown spot or perhaps even (and this <i>never </i>happens in my house, I assure you...OK, maybe not) a little furry spot. And you see that little spot, and you get so sad. Your mind starts to race with thoughts of what a waste of money it was, how you should have eaten that delicious apple instead of the three (OK...five) chocolate chip cookies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why is it that you never feel that way when you come upon a darkening banana? I'm thrilled when my bananas finally cross the threshold into baking territory. Sometimes, I even throw them in the freezer to speed up that process. Come to think of it, there's a couple bananas browning away in my freezer right at this moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well, I came upon some browned bananas last week and decided it was time for some banana muffins. I love this recipe. It is the perfect blend of banana flavor. Oh, by the way, I'm not a huge banana lover but I love banana bread, but not when it's TOO banana-y. This is perfect. If you wanted a little crunch, toss in some walnuts or pecans. Or if you want a little extra sweetness, toss in some chocolate chips. As for me, I think the next time I whip them up, I might put a little cream cheese frosting on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Banana Muffins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Makes about 12 muffins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 c. butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 c. sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2-3 large, ripe bananas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 c. water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 t. vanilla </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 t. soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 t. baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/8 t. salt </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 1/2 c. flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat slightly. Add other ingredients. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if you are adding some. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. ENJOY!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By the way, a lot of banana bread recipes call for mashing the banana before tossing it into your mixing bowl. I NEVER do this. If the bananas is browning already, I just toss the banana into my mixing bowl and call it good. Also, I've been known to toss a little banana baby food (AKA: banana puree) in when I didn't have enough or any bananas. It works fantastic! </span></div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-65184640694977087462012-04-13T15:09:00.004-06:002012-10-28T16:31:48.254-06:00Most Delicious Homemade Bread Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Quite some time ago, I went to the grocery store in search of a healthier bread. Now, I live in what I feel is the middle of nowhere, actually referred to as the California High Desert, and there isn't a health food store within driving distance. So, I went in search of said bread at my local Super Target. I just wanted bread that had the basics. Did you know that's pretty much impossible? Everything had enriched wheat flour, preservatives, caramel coloring, etc. I thought to myself, "Shouldn't bread just be flour, water, maybe sugar, and some salt?" So, I left discouraged and decided I needed a breadmaker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Flash forward to a few months ago, I finally had enough money to purchase my own breadmaker. I scoured Amazon and google attempting to find the best, reasonably priced breadmaker. I wasn't really interested in anything too expensive but I knew I wanted something that would be a good price and still church out the best bread possible. I ended up going with a Sunbeam model found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-5891-2-Pound-Programmable-Breadmaker/dp/B00067REBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334350255&sr=8-1">here</a>. Let me tell you, I love this breadmaker! It's cheap, only about $55, but it works great! Never once have I had a problem with it (knock on wood) and it makes delicious bread. I've heard a lot of people complain that bread from a breadmaker comes out with a "machine/factory" taste. I've never had that problem with mine. I highly recommend this breadmaker and, apparently, so do the 499 people who have given it 5 stars on Amazon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then I went in search of the perfect recipe. I checked out a bunch of books from my library and tested as many different recipes as I could. That being said, if you get a breadmaker, get <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crockers-Bread-Machine-Cookbook/dp/0028630238/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1334350505&sr=1-1-catcorr">this book</a>. It has fantastic recipes for sandwich loaves, fancy loaves, rolls, sweet doughs. I love this book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After finding the perfect recipe, I went searching for some good bread flour to buy in bulk. Let me here, do a small, but not discreet, plug for my husband's company. Buy from<a href="http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/"> Honeyville Grain.</a> Their bread flour has produced the most delicious bread ever. I use the <a href="http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/calbestbreadflour50lb.aspx">Cal Best Bread Flour</a> because it has a dough conditioner already mixed in the flour. Dough conditioner is a product you can add to your dough to help preserve it for a little bit longer--bear in mind, homemade bread doesn't last anywhere as long as store bread. But I've found that the dough conditioner in this bread flour adds at least 2-3 days. (It's a personal decision if you want to use bread flour. Bread flour is best because it has a higher gluten content than your basic all purpose. However, if you prefer to not use bread flour, you may need to add a little bit more yeast. I've always used bread flour and they really turn out great.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That being said, on to the recipe!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Most Delicious Homemade Bread Ever </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>For a breadmaker</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Recipe is for a 1 1/2 pound loaf</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1 egg plus enough water to equal 1c. and 2 T. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>3 c. bread flour</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1 T. plus 1 t. sugar</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1 t. salt</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>6 T. butter, softened, cut and diced</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1 t. bread machine yeast (or active dry)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Pour egg and water mix into breadmaker pan. Sprinkle the 3 c. flour evenly over the top. Put sugar, salt, and butter in opposite corners of pan. (Also, I am completely guilty of not leaving 6 T. of butter out to soften before I make my bread. Sometimes, I just chop it up and throw it in cold, other times I plop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so. Sue me. It works.) Make a well in the middle of the flour (not deep enough to hit the water) and sprinkle in the yeast. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Turn breadmaker to the color setting you like, I do light, and the size of loaf (1 1/2 pound.) This will go on your basic bread making setting. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">If you would prefer to do your kneading and rising in the breadmaker and the baking in the oven, put it on the dough cycle. If you prefer to do your kneading and rising by yourself, I applaud you, however, I'm not 100% sure how to tell you to use this recipe in that way. I imagine you could just follow the procedure you would for any homemade bread. Knead, rise, knead, rise, bake until done. But, don't quote me on that. </span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-33658598088093053492012-04-07T19:25:00.000-06:002012-10-25T02:08:38.030-06:00What Did I Do Wrong?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a result of our recent move <em>(Mr. C and I relocated two months ago),</em> I have found it overwhelmingly necessary to clean out many of my old cooking magazines and cookbooks. As I unpacked what seemed like endless boxes of personal possessions, I realized I had six...YES SIX...boxes of cookbooks. As if that wasn't bad enough, I had two boxes of cooking magazines and several manila envelopes filled with "recipes to try" that I've been collecting over the past 10 years. It is just too much, so I have decided it is time to pass a few things along to our local thrift store. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I have a whole year of Cooking Light magazines waiting for me that have never been read <em>(a gift from a former boss),</em> I decided to put them in my bathroom and glance through them as...well...as time allowed. <em>(Is that TMI?)</em> As I was "glancing" this week, I came across a very interesting article that I think will be helpful to pass along to all the cooks, or wanna-be cooks, or struggling cooks, out there in blogland. The article is from the March 2010 issue and is titled "OOPS! The 25 Most Common Cooking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them for Success Every Time." As I read the article, I noticed that I've made nearly every one of the 25 mistakes. I appreciated the helpful hints on how to avoid the problems. I hope you do too! (<em>You'll see the information from the magazine first and then my comments in italics after...as if you'd really think I am smart enough to write the magazine stuff!)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. You don't taste as you go. Result: The flavors or textures of an otherwise excellent dish are out of balance or unappealing. Recipes don't always call for the "right" amount of seasoning, cooking times are estimates, and results vary depending on your ingredients, stove, altitude, and a million other factors. Your palate is in control. Tasting tells you if more seasoning is needed, if beans or vegetables are tough, or if a fruit needs a little sugar. Taste early and often. <em>(This is one of my worst offenses...especially when I'm teaching. I am becoming a firm believer in taking a tiny taste of a sauce, a veggie, or a pasta noodle to make sure things are how I want them.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. You don't read the entire recipe before you start cooking. Result: Should-be-tender meat turns out tough, flavors are dull, entire steps or ingredients get left out. Follow the pros' habit of having your ingredients gathered, prepped, and ready to go before you turn on the heat. If you don't, you may leave out an ingredient or compromise the recipe by shortchanging a crucial step, and that's a tragic thing. <em>(Me again! In fact, just last weekend I got part way in to mixing up <a href="http://www.givemesomethinggoodtoeat.blogspot.com/2011/09/for-hostess-who-wants-to-be-most-ess.html">ham and cheese muffins</a> when I realized I had no sour cream. I was able to find a substitute by turning to Google for help, but that isn't always the case. This is one I need to work on FOR SURE!)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. You make unwise substitutions in baking. Result: You wreck the underlying chemistry of the dish. When it comes to baking, this is as much science as art, and it requires a lot of trial and error. For best practice, follow the recipe. If you want to experiment, as we all do from time to time, regard it as and experiment and expect a few failures along the way. <em>(I once heard some advice that you should always make a recipe just as it is written the first time you make it. This way you know how it should look, taste, and cook. After that first attempt you can start experimenting since you have a point of reference for how the finished dish should look and taste. Do you agree?)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. You boil when you should simmer. Result: A hurried-up dish that's cloudy, tough, or dry. This is one of the most common and perhaps least recognized kitchen errors. For clarification: simmering is when a bubble breaks the surface of the liquid every second or two. More vigorous bubbling than that means you've got a boil going. The difference between the two can ruin a dish. <em>(Despite watching a segment of Emeril on this very topic, I continue to make this mistake again and again. I like the clarification the article provides.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. You overheat chocolate. Result: Instead of having a smooth, creamy, luxurious consistency, your chocolate is grainy, separated, or scorched. The best way to melt chocolate is to go slowly, heat gently, remove from the heat before it's fully melted, and stir until smooth. If using the microwave, proceed cautiously, stopping every 20-30 seconds to stir. If using a double boiler, make sure the water is simmering, not boiling. It is very easy to ruin chocolate and there is no way back. <em>(Isn't that the truth! If I had a dollar for every batch of chocolate I had ruined by doing this very thing...I could buy a whole lot more chocolate! I find that I most often have problems when I am using the microwave, although I've ruined plenty on the stove top by not taking the time to use a double boiler and trying to melt the chocolate directly over the heat.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. You over-soften butter. Result: Cookies spread too much or cakes are too dense. We've all done it: forgotten to soften the butter and zapped it in the microwave. But it's a baking error to excessively soften, let alone melt, the butter. Better to let it stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. You can speed the softening process significantly by cutting butter into tablespoon-sized portions and letting it stand at room temperature. <em>(Guilty! Enough said. Although, I am happy to report that the microwave in our new home actually has a "soften" feature and you can choose from butter, cream cheese, and other foods in the menu. Still, I should just plan ahead--as suggested by mistake #2--and let it sit on the counter.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. You overheat low-fat milk products. Result: The milk curdles or "breaks," yielding grainy mac and cheese, ice cream, or pudding. Cook lower-fat dairy products to a temperature of only 180 degrees or less. One alternative: stabilize milk with starch, like cornstarch or flour, if you want to bring it to a boil; the starch will prevent curdling and will thicken the milk too. <em>(This one I am not sure about. I only use fat-free milk in my cooking, even when the recipe says otherwise, and I have not noticed any real issues other than it taking longer to thicken on a couple of occasions. Obviously the starch alternative is a good resolution for that, but I haven't noticed any curdling or breaking in my baking. I'm not sure if it's not happening or if I am just not noticing.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. You don't know your oven's quirks and idiosyncrasies. Result: Food cooks too fast, too slow, or unevenly. Ideally an oven set to 350 degrees would actually be 350 degrees, but many ovens aren't and some change their behavior as they age. Always use an oven thermometer. Next, be aware of hot spots. To test for spots: arrange bread slices on a baking sheet large enough to cover your middle oven rack. Bake at 350 degrees for a few minutes and see which slices get singed. If you know you have a hot spot, avoid it or rotate accordingly. <em>(I am living this nightmare right now since I have a new oven that cooks much differently from my last one. I haven't yet taken the time to sit down and read the manual for it, but that is a MUST for this week. When I took a pan of peanut butter cookies out of the oven this week, however, I did notice that the cookies nearest the oven door were significantly browner than those in the back. Guess I don't need to do a bread test!)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. You're too casual about measuring ingredients. Result: Dry, tough cakes, rubbery brownies, and a host of other textural mishaps. If you add as little as two extra tablespoons of flour to a cake recipe, for example, you may end up with a dry, tough texture. This can happen if you scoop your flour out of a canister or tap the cup on the counter. Both yield too much flour. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, then level with a knife. If you are measuring the flour by weight, it doesn't matter how you get it out of the canister. <em>(I confess to being a scooper, yet I do level my scoop with a knife. Does that mean I'm only making 50% of a mistake? I don't think I've ever tapped, so I'm finally clear on something!)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. You overcrowd the pan. Result: Soggy food that doesn't brown. All food will release moisture as it is cooked, so you need to leave room for the steam to escape. Trapped moisture turns browning in to steaming. <em>(I heard this on "The Chew" the other day in reference to hash browns.)</em> It's easy to overcrowd, particularly when you are in a hurry. Leave breathing room in the pan and you'll get a much better result. If you need to speed things up, use two pans. <em>(I have done this so often without realizing what I was doing. When I heard this "steaming" issue being discussed on tv the other day, my first thought was "that's me!" I need to remember that taking a little more time and spacing out the food in my pan will yield a much better dish...not to mention Mr. C will finally get crunchy hash browns!)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. You mishandle egg whites. Result: The whites won't whip up. Or, overbeaten or roughly handled, they produce flat cake layers or souffles with no lift. Egg whites require care. Separate whites from yolks carefully; a speck of yolk can prevent the whites from whipping fully. The best tool for separating is your hands because cracked shells can have jagged edges that will puncture the yolk. Also, separate eggs in to an individual bowl before transferring it to your mixing bowl to avoid contaminating the entire batch if some yolk slips through. Whites will whip up better if they sit at room temperature for a few minutes. <em>(Been there, done them all--overbeaten, broken a yolk on a shell, and contaminated a dozen egg whites that were waiting to be made in to angel food cake when some yolk ended up in my bowl! I also learned the hard way not to try and whip egg whites in a plastic bowl. What a disaster.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12. You turn the food too often. Result: You interfere with the sear, food sticks, or you lose breading. Learning to leave food alone is one of the hardest lessons in cooking. Food won't develop a nice crust unless you allow it to cook, undisturbed. One sign that it's too early to turn: you can't slide a spatula cleanly under the crust. It will release when it's ready. <em>(I will admit to doing this on some occasions, however, my dear Mr. C is a worse offender...especially when grilling. It seems like the more he flips and flips and flips, the longer things take to cook. Whenever he says, "I'm going to go check the grill," I know he means he's going to go flip stuff again. It makes me crazy at times.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13. You don't get the pan hot enough before you add the food. Result: Food that sticks, has no sear, pale meats. The inexperienced cook, or hurried cook, will barely heat the pan before adding oil and tossing in food to saute. Next comes...nothing. Silence. No sizzle. A hot pan is essential for sauteing veggies or creating a great crust on meat, fish, and poultry. It also helps prevent food from sticking. Some professional chefs say, "If you think your pan is hot enough, step back and heat it a couple more minutes." Only add the oil when the pan is hot, just before adding the ingredients. Otherwise, it will smoke and that's bad for the oil. <em>(This is actually something I have tried to work on lately, even before I read this article. Looking back on our meals this week, however, I can still see that I am not getting the pan where it should be. I guess I'll have to try the "if you think it's hot enough, step back" idea and see how that works.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14. You slice meat with--instead of against--the grain. Result: Chewy meat that could have been tender. Look at the meat to determine the direction of the grain (the muscle fibers) and cut across the grain, not with it. This is particularly important with tougher cuts such as flank steak or skirt steak. <em>(I am absolutely horrible about this. My problem is that I can't ever seem to figure out the grain. My solution? Ask Mr. C to cut the meat.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15. You underbake cakes and breads. Result: Cakes, brownies, and breads turn out pallid and gummy. <em> (What the heck does pallid mean?)</em> Overcooked baked goods disappoint. Less experienced bakers are more likely to undercook--that is a travesty. Really look at the food. Even if the wooden pick comes out clean, if the cake is pale, it's not finished. Let it go another couple of minutes. It's better to err on the side of slightly overcooking than producing gummy, wet, unappealing food. Once you've done it a few times, you'll know exactly what you're looking for. <em>(I hate this one because I have ruined a few quick breads this way. It's not an issue I generally have with cakes, although I did do it once with a pan of cornbread, but quick breads can be a killer. Perhaps I should be using my eyes as much as my tester like the article suggests.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">16. You don't use a meat thermometer. Result: Your roast chicken, leg of lamb, or beef tenderloin turns out over- or undercooked. The meat thermometer is one of the most valuable kitchen tools you can own. Using one is a surefire way to achieve a good dish because temperatures don't lie and appearances can deceive. Try a digital thermometer that allows you to set the device to a desired temperature. <em>(Mr. C and I purchased a meat thermometer a few years ago after Alton Brown said it's the best way to ensure a perfectly cooked turkey. While Mr. C uses it all the time on the grill, I never used it with daily cooking until a couple weeks ago when my co-blogger, Mrs. E, suggested I use it for meatloaf. The result was spectacular! I found that I cooked my mini meatloaves way shorter than I thought I would have to. They were perfectly cooked, moist, and delectable.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17. Meat gets no chance to rest after cooking. Result: Delicious juices vacate the meat and run all over the cutting board, leaving steak or roast dry. Plan your meals so that your meat has time to rest at room temperature after it's pulled from the heat. The resting rule applies equally to an inexpensive steak or a premium one. With small cuts like a steak or a boneless, skinless chicken breast, five minutes is adequate. A whole bird or standing rib roast requires 20-30 minutes. Tent the meat loosely with foil to keep it warm. <em>(Finally, a mistake I don't generally make! Well, one that I don't make anymore. After years and years of watching Food Network, this is one practice I started years ago. Mr. C is especially careful to make sure all his grilled items--whether from the outside BBQ or the indoor Foreman--sit as well.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">18. You try to rush the cooking of caramelized onions. Result: You end up with sauteed onions, which are nice but a far cry from the melt-in-your-mouth caramelized ideal. If you want real, true, sweet, creamy caramelized onions, you need to cook them over med-low to low heat for a long time, maybe up to an hour. Know that caramelized onions take time, and plan to cook them when you can give them the time they need. <em>(I think I have only attempted caramelized onions once, but I can't really remember. If I did, I am positive that I did not cook them for an hour, so I likely ended up with sauteed onions instead. Good point to remember for the future. French onion soup anyone?)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">19. You overwork lower-fat dough. Result: Cookies, scones, piecrusts, and biscuits turn out tough. Recipes with lots of butter are more likely to stay moist and tender even if the dough is overmixed or overkneaded. Without all the fat <em>(remember, this article is coming from Cooking Light)</em>, you absolutely must use a light hand. Knead dough gently or pat it out instead of rolling. Mix just until flour is incorporated. Stop machine mixing early and finish by hand. <em>(Since I don't tend to bake things with lower fat dough, this one isn't really an issue for me. Hooray! A second one I can claim to be free of! In my daily cooking I cook very low fat, but in baking, I don't. I try to compensate by eating a smaller portion. Notice I said "try," not succeed!)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">20. You neglect the nuts you are roasting. Result: Bitter nuts, with a sharp, bitter flavor. The nut is a mighty delicate thing--in an oven it can go from perfectly toasty to charred in seconds. Arrange nuts in a single layer on a heavy baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for as little as two minutes for flaked coconut to five or more minutes depending on the type of nut; shake the pan or stir frequently so the nuts toast evenly. They tend to brown on the bottom more quickly. They're done when they've darkened slightly and smell fragrant and toasty. If you burn the nuts, toss them and start over. It is not recommended to toast nuts in a pan on the stove top; it's almost impossible not to burn them that way. <em>(Hmmm...rather than tell you whether or not I've done this, I simply present this photo that was taken just seven short days ago:</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those <strike>are</strike> were pecans. I attribute this frustrating and annoying disaster--especially because pecans are so dang expensive right now--in part to mistake #8 above.)</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">21. You don't shock vegetables when they've reached the desired texture. Result: Mush. If you don't shock vegetables when they've reached a vibrant color and crisp-tender texture, the cooking process will carryover and continue to cook them to a bad color and texture. This is not a concern if you intend to serve the vegetables immediately. This is also a convenient method for pre-cooking vegetables for a complex meal. You can refrigerate them overnight and warm them quickly the next day. <em>(Once again, been there, done it, will probably continue to do it. I am usually WAY too impatient to do this...although I do it when I'm preparing to freeze extra veggies from my garden.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">22. You put all the salt in the marinade or breading. Result: Fish, poultry, or meat that's underseasoned. Things that are marinating will actually only absorb a tiny amount. When you toss out the marinade, you also toss out most of the salt and its seasoning effect. It's better to use a little salt in the marinade, then directly sprinkle the majority of the salt after it comes out. The same goes for breaded items. <em>(Not really an issue for me. I don't do a lot of marinating, or breading, so I manage to avoid this one. Plus, I salt things TOO much, so I likely err more in that direction than this. It's a good rule to remember though.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">23. You pop meat straight from the fridge into the oven or onto the grill. Result: Food cooks unevenly; the outside is overdone, the inside rare or raw. Meats will cook much more evenly if you allow them to stand at room temperature for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the cut, to take the chill off. Smaller cuts like chicken breasts benefit from resting 5-10 minutes. <em>(Since I don't do a lot of meat roasting, I can usually avoid this mishap. Although, I'd be lying if I said I had never done it.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">24. You don't know when to abandon ship and start over. Result: You serve a disappointing meal--and you know it's disappointing! It's human nature to try to cover up a seemingly minor error and proceed, hoping against evidence that the dish will turn out OK. There is no shame in making a mistake; we all do. While it may feel a bit wasteful to throw food in the trash, it's the right thing to do. Start again fresh if you can. <em>(Oh, the stories I could tell you about knowing something was bad, yet I didn't take the time to start again. There are the raw meatballs that I let sit overnight in a cream soup and turned it pink. Did I take the time to put my meatballs in a fresh can of soup? Nope. I baked and served meatballs that looked like they were sitting in vomit. Or, there was the tapioca based gelatin salad that I knew was overcooked. Did I start again, even thought I had 24 hours to do so? Nope again. I served what has now become my legendary "after-birth" salad. No one ate it, including me! I could go on, but I won't. If I do, people might stop wanting to eat at my house! I am getting better though because I did choose to ditch the charred pecans pictured earlier and started again with a new batch. It was a hard thing to do because I hate wasting food, and money, but the decision made for much tastier pecan rolls the next morning.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">25. You use inferior ingredients. Result: Sigh. We save this point for last because it's the linchpin of great cooking. Good food begins and ends with the ingredients. The dishes you cook will only be as mediocre, good, or superb as the ingredients you put in them. Out-of-season fruits and vegetables also disappoint, even when it looks good. Canned products may be a better option. Always shop for the best ingredients. Your cooking will invariably turn out better. <em>(Ok, this one is a tough one. I agree that great ingredients make great food, but my budget is what it is. I do the best I can. At times I have asked for help. When I wanted to make a recipe that called for a piece of meat that was 15.00 a pound, I asked the butcher for an alternative that was similar in cooking style and texture but much less expensive. He helped me find a great substitute that was only 2.99 a pound. I am wholly supportive of not buying fruits and vegetables that are not in season. Not only do they not taste as good, they are just too darn costly. I take the magazine's advice and go for canned or frozen...or choose something else to make. The one ingredient I am willing to splurge on? Chocolate. I truly believe you get what you pay for when it comes to chocolate. When I'm using a basic chips for a cookie, I find a bargain chip to be just fine. But, for anything else, I am willing to save up and buy as high quality chocolate as I can afford.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you have them, the 25 most common mistakes according to Cooking Light. I think I only had three that I could not claim to have done. How about you? Oh well, at least we're in good company, right?! Happy cooking!</span>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-58041950238675669482012-03-02T10:27:00.001-07:002012-04-07T19:31:40.646-06:00BALT Melts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lately, Mr. E and I have been on a slight BLT kick as of late. We found a DELICIOUS butcher shop near our house that has perfect thick cut bacon and we've been putting it in just about anything. Just an FYI: thick cut bacon on homemade bread is HEAVEN. So, I was scanning through my e-mails that I get from Pillsbury and I found a recipe for these. I thought it sounded perfect for the husband and me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I did modify the recipe a little so I'm staking my claim and saying I made this recipe up. :) The major changes I made from the Pillsbury recipe were to use provolone instead of cheddar and to make guacamole (my family's special guacamole to be exact) instead of the basic (and possibly boring) mashed avocado. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I made these my husband took one bite and said "Wow! These are great! These are really great!" Now, for some of you, that may be nothing but my husband never responds like that to food. Unless, his Mom makes it, or my Mom makes it, or we are at a fancy restaurant. He just kept going on and on and on about it. "These are a 10! Make these again!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They would make the most excellent appetizers! I wish I had had the recipe on Superbowl Sunday. Enjoy everyone! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>BALT Melts</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>1 can Refrigerated Biscuits</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(you can use the ones from the freezer aisle also, or homemade ones!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Caesar Dressing</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Cheese of your Choice </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>(</b>the recipe I based this on used cheddar but I didn't have much cheddar left and frankly, I think cheddar is too strong a flavor for these so I used my favorite cheese--Provolone)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Avocados</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(the original recipe called for just mashed up avocado but I recommend mixing in a small amount of mayo to make it nice and creamy and a few shakes of garlic powder and onion powder for flavor)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Tomatoes</b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (cut into relatively thin slices, it will make it easier to eat)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Bacon </b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(cooked, and crumbled up...I won't judge if you take a few bites for yourself, or a few pieces...)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Instructions: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Arrange the biscuits on a cookie sheet and cook to the directions on the package. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When the biscuits are done, remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Carefully cut the biscuits in half and spread about 1/2-1 Tablespoon of caesar dressing on the cut side of the biscuit. Then arrange a little bit of cheese over the caesar. Put under the broil until the cheese has melted--this will be FAST so watch carefully.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spread the mashed avocados (or made up guacamole) on top of the cheese and then put one slice of tomato on top. Then sprinkle a little bit of bacon on top of the tomato. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My husband said he wouldn't mind having these as a sandwich so I think it might be great to sandwich everything between two pieces of biscuit with dressing and cheese on both slices. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Enjoy!!!</span></div>
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-60085199928247885482012-01-30T15:44:00.001-07:002012-01-31T10:22:31.757-07:00Salsa Dancin'<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't you just love harvest time...cooler temperatures, college football, pumpkin flavored baked goods, and tomatoes. Oh, the tomatoes! When harvest time heads in to full swing, tomatoes are everywhere. They seem to be available at every roadside stand and are abundant in local gardens. In fact, I spent some quality time in the VERY warm fall sun last year picking my tomatoes that FINALLY decided to turn red. (I was for convinced for two months that my tomato plants were really just shrubs!) Look at this one I picked at the end of the season. I swear to you it was the size of a newborn baby's head! My palm is open as wide as it will go.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFFzwDc5msnrD13BBK4q-t6g1Upa3R7SJG0NEuWRYmSKNE_K2diwUNAA51k_j4mp3XnF8XQy-iNrLCv6W402PZseG__G6IBlIj8qeW3I8ExXvGmY_cJR-rVpC6etSjXRc9CEJVjo5fvSE/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFFzwDc5msnrD13BBK4q-t6g1Upa3R7SJG0NEuWRYmSKNE_K2diwUNAA51k_j4mp3XnF8XQy-iNrLCv6W402PZseG__G6IBlIj8qeW3I8ExXvGmY_cJR-rVpC6etSjXRc9CEJVjo5fvSE/s320/072.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The nice thing about the abundance of tomatoes is that people are often trying to find somewhere to unload their extras. Enter the "garbage disposal lady." (That's me, in case you are wondering.) I am always telling people, "If you have extras items from your gardens and fruit trees that need a home, CALL ME!" I figure if fruits and veggies are going to go to waste, they might as well go to use at my house. (Hence the 40 cups of shredded zucchini and the 19 frozen bananas in my freezer.) I have nicknamed myself the "garbage disposal lady" since I'm willing to be a dump for extra food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year I planted three roma tomato plants--the only type of tomatoes Mr. C will eat raw--and three regular tomato plants. Between the six plants, I got a fair amount of tomatoes, but not enough to do all the canned salsa and tomatoes that I was hoping for. Thank goodness for generous neighbors. I got a call one afternoon from a neighbor whose mother has rows and rows of plants that had produced more tomatoes than she or her daughter could use. Much to my delight there were boxes and boxes (literally) waiting for me to come and gobble up!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09WuvDd064vHpd10O__SgLzur2hOMnTpPQcErLoaAFhrlHaIOZ0Bc86W7wa4WYJ5xTKj9aO6KpFAk1OFWTqeoyaps-Whc7GwNtKAdLGwD0OKvAmQfjhsrOwHcqHIAJf-RyRi-pcvfp_sD/s1600/010+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09WuvDd064vHpd10O__SgLzur2hOMnTpPQcErLoaAFhrlHaIOZ0Bc86W7wa4WYJ5xTKj9aO6KpFAk1OFWTqeoyaps-Whc7GwNtKAdLGwD0OKvAmQfjhsrOwHcqHIAJf-RyRi-pcvfp_sD/s320/010+(8).JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPlliCVP3balzdYsK0TfdKl1FA1M49EJjDIRwKwrYdJYrNxvYY2HD7Ubp9Roxz1RW0HrfMM2dL4lryNYaZtczehKO4LbxTeeOAc0hPK8PvTAXPbpE6RpLBMx8xUdz4Ybbp00Rq8cNrZhG/s1600/008+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPlliCVP3balzdYsK0TfdKl1FA1M49EJjDIRwKwrYdJYrNxvYY2HD7Ubp9Roxz1RW0HrfMM2dL4lryNYaZtczehKO4LbxTeeOAc0hPK8PvTAXPbpE6RpLBMx8xUdz4Ybbp00Rq8cNrZhG/s320/008+(7).JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's just a small sampling of what you could see around the kitchen. Believe it or not, I used tomatoes out of my cold window sills in to December!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With a good supply of tomatoes on hand, it was time to pull out my favorite salsa recipe and go to town!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me interject here the process I used to choose my salsa recipe. Last year when was also gifted with lots of extra tomatoes, I knew I wanted to make and can salsa. I researched a lot of recipes, read reviews, and asked around for recommendations. I narrowed my options down to three--one that won a salsa contest in a major Salt Lake newspaper, one from the Ball canning book, and one that was emailed out by a local food storage merchant that originated from a vegetable farmer she buys from. One afternoon I made a small sampling of each. Mr. C came home to a bag of chips and three unmarked bowls of salsa sitting on our table. I subjected him to a good ol' fashioned blind taste test. He diligently tasted each one while I worked around the kitchen doing other things. I knew we'd found a winning recipe when I turned around and saw this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B8h9_Bb5M6iwSmacJ5xmjWcALh6e4DIMVKljsvjANbn-gQGjmlqs-YHF91jaNEI-VMgLe8v_PHuWN6djNaAOQtvH8Wxv-wFiSUpF27Zuj5KXcwLVIC0p9kl3i7jybfLyfP27eCafDW3H/s1600/9.21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B8h9_Bb5M6iwSmacJ5xmjWcALh6e4DIMVKljsvjANbn-gQGjmlqs-YHF91jaNEI-VMgLe8v_PHuWN6djNaAOQtvH8Wxv-wFiSUpF27Zuj5KXcwLVIC0p9kl3i7jybfLyfP27eCafDW3H/s320/9.21.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes indeed, you are looking at an empty bowl and an empty 10 oz. bag of tortilla chips. Polishing off the entire bowl of one recipe, not to mention the newly opened bag of chips while doing so, proved to me that I had a winner. And which recipe proved to be the grand champion you ask? Drumroll please...the farmer salsa!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the recipe, along with a couple of changes that I make:</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Farmer Salsa</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped and peeled (It's about 6 pounds
and I never peel them)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 - 6 jalapenos (I take the veins and seeds out of most of them, but not all. The more you leave, the more heat you'll have.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 onions chopped (I always do
at least 3 VERY LARGE ones. I like onion heavy salsa.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 <span class="yiv1433162725yshortcuts" id="yiv1433162725lw_1286230134_0" style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: medium;">bell peppers</span> chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cloves garlic,
minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 T salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 T dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 bunch cilantro, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 <span class="yiv1433162725yshortcuts" id="yiv1433162725lw_1286230134_1">c apple
cider</span> vinegar or lemon juice (I use lemon juice)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 6-oz can tomato
paste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 4-oz can diced green chilies (I sometimes use a generous 1/4 c of
fresh chopped and deseeded <span class="yiv1433162725yshortcuts" id="yiv1433162725lw_1318707828_1">Anaheim</span> <span class="yiv1433162725yshortcuts" id="yiv1433162725lw_1318707828_2">Chile</span>
Peppers instead)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 banana wax peppers, chopped and the seeds removed (I pour
in some of the juice too! This is the best part of the recipe to me.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix everything in a large pot.
Bring to a boil and them simmer for about 1 hour. Process pints in boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes. The recipe says it makes 6 - 8
pints, but I ususally get 9 or 10...probably from the extra onions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first year I made this salsa, I chopped everything by hand. This year, no way! (I was still on burnout mode from </span><a href="http://www.givemesomethinggoodtoeat.blogspot.com/2011/09/doing-can-can.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">all my jam</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.) I pulled out my handy dandy food processor and put it to work. I highly recommend this method. Don't overly process things, just give them a few good pulses. For example, here are my tomatoes when I put them in the processor and then after three quick pulses:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of pulses are just enough for most things:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One side note about the yellow banana wax peppers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The flavor they give this salsa is heavenly. DO NOT LEAVE THEM OUT! In fact, I even recommend putting in a bit of the juice. With the seeds and veins removed, they provide tons of flavor instead of heat. You can find a jar near the pickles and olives in any grocery store. They are very inexpensive. I have been buying mine at Wal-Mart for under 2.00.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the salsa is first in the pot, it will look like a really chunky pico type garnish, but it will darken as it cooks down and reduces a bit. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbp21Qc5i3dAFq4EHEgM1ct-8neBxwg4HVwgh7JI03vwrr48JUH_qeN8FdPep1-CJiMIQhrO3FpjTUVZowssdUj-yWQng3QyLB-zH7dPvQ5HlFdWYFCjNlLzirfwv-HTARdCf4AzlMIyg/s1600/001+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbp21Qc5i3dAFq4EHEgM1ct-8neBxwg4HVwgh7JI03vwrr48JUH_qeN8FdPep1-CJiMIQhrO3FpjTUVZowssdUj-yWQng3QyLB-zH7dPvQ5HlFdWYFCjNlLzirfwv-HTARdCf4AzlMIyg/s320/001+(4).JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0cTLjgVrSsSO7oVv6lJ0C64ZwTLIdmsMplYPfYbYFvyNiliwO-JVkQAYa-J6wWaCasDyyn5EYUivlylrBCIimgpR4_O1DxFDujatmyZjzYvffrXZ6x8jNNh5e_rjy3ahPyI4QiJ1AZFo/s1600/052+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0cTLjgVrSsSO7oVv6lJ0C64ZwTLIdmsMplYPfYbYFvyNiliwO-JVkQAYa-J6wWaCasDyyn5EYUivlylrBCIimgpR4_O1DxFDujatmyZjzYvffrXZ6x8jNNh5e_rjy3ahPyI4QiJ1AZFo/s320/052+(2).JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One side note about the processing time. The recipe says to process your jars for 20 minutes. I am not sure what altitude that is intended for. I process mine for 30 minutes based on the altitude guidelines for my city in the Ball canning book. Look how pretty they are!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXlrFHFR08YgjWvRXVC42QPXScOEv1K67j0Mp1UvbIQCZyxRZkdU0DPZvrG55TVt-ZzekExEftHjFAZ9Ba7EiCNmE1kh71SUkmcHaXr4hX4ciP-qx4G-6UjwUqv18xdLKh0aZqV7GVVKC/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXlrFHFR08YgjWvRXVC42QPXScOEv1K67j0Mp1UvbIQCZyxRZkdU0DPZvrG55TVt-ZzekExEftHjFAZ9Ba7EiCNmE1kh71SUkmcHaXr4hX4ciP-qx4G-6UjwUqv18xdLKh0aZqV7GVVKC/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you wondering what I did with the rest of my tomatoes? Well, after making 24 pints of salsa (12 for me and 12 for my blog partner Mrs. E), I had plenty left over for canning. I gave a case or so to each of my neighbors who canned quarts of their own. As for me...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-2ZWXG9x_k3X_dgcYKHtpstNikIlw5l1oXvCMVvq_G3v7_tXGEaSGfWlGShZEeLkn6Ov8ONHA88ffuKl-yRdL2zD_P0Mcyve4Cd19BF_rBtjGpsx00LPtdx91Z3HmnmofAekYEyeJ0aT/s1600/031+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-2ZWXG9x_k3X_dgcYKHtpstNikIlw5l1oXvCMVvq_G3v7_tXGEaSGfWlGShZEeLkn6Ov8ONHA88ffuKl-yRdL2zD_P0Mcyve4Cd19BF_rBtjGpsx00LPtdx91Z3HmnmofAekYEyeJ0aT/s320/031+(2).JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...I have have a new supply of quart jars that are anxiously awaiting the chance to be made in to homemade spaghetti sauce some time soon. YUMMY!</span></div>
</div>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-65266891717062007142011-09-15T14:12:00.002-06:002012-01-04T10:42:41.028-07:00Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've stated before that Peanut Butter and Chocolate are my very favorite food combinations. I would eat anything that came with those two things. So, last night when Mr. E was expressing his extreme need for a cookie (OK, he wanted the dough), he suggested making some cookies that appeared on <a href="http://simplyradiant.blogspot.com/">his cousin's blog</a>. THEY WERE INCREDIBLE! I loved them. They immediately went into my permanent collection of recipes. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is so great about them is the peanut butter flavor is subtle yet perfect. It's just the right amount. I don't usually like PB cookies for that reason. The peanut butter flavor is so strong, it's almost artificial. But, in these it was just the right amount. I'm drooling just thinking about it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh, and by the way, I added much more chocolate chips than called for. I always do!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup creamy peanut butter</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup sugar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup packed light brown sugar </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 1/2 tsp baking soda</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="il"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">chocolate</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> </span>chips </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. Makes 5 dozen cookies.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;">The only changes I made was that I halved the recipe--we certainly do not need 5 dozen cookies around here. And I added a dash of vanilla. Every chocolate chip cookie recipe needs it. Oh! And when you measure out your peanut butter, whether you do 1 cup or 1/2 cup, make sure it's a HEAPING cup!</span> </span></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-72767842375369471962011-09-15T13:10:00.002-06:002011-09-21T07:20:58.715-06:00Doing the Can Can<div style="text-align: center;">
Over the past two or three years, I've tried to learn about canning. I've read books, searched the Internet, and tapped the experience of friends and neighbors. My family can't quite understand why I like it. My mom and sister <em>(yes, my blog partner Mrs. E)</em> tease me about it calling me a "pioneer." Despite their teasing, they are more than happy to gobble up jars of goodies that I bring them when I visit. Not to mention Grandpa C <em>(my mom's Mr.)</em> LOVES it when I make him homemade peach jam.</div>
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I love the look of canned items. I've even taken some pictures to blow up and hang in my kitchen someday. When I go to the state fair each year, the canned items are some of the things I look most forward to seeing. I love the colors and the varieties of foods--although the canned meats usually looks disgusting. This year, the grand champion of canning entered 39 different items and won 26 blue ribbons. Look at all her hard work:</div>
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I find all those jars mesmerizing and beautiful. I'm sure others would find it crazy!</div>
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Since my family has been requesting strawberry jam for a while, I unpacked all my canning supplies a couple months ago when I finally found some strawberries on sale.</div>
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<em>(Did anyone else notice that strawberries never really went down in price this summer? UG!)</em></div>
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For my strawberry jam I use the non-pectin recipe from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Book-Guide-Preserving/dp/0972753702/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1316105068&sr=8-4">Ball canning book</a>. It's a great overall canning recipe/guide book that you can pick up for 5.00-6.00 at almost any store that sells canning supplies. The drawback to non-pectin jam is that you have to cook it for a while and you get less jam from the batch because your mixture boils down. I started with 12 pounds of strawberries and only ended up with 9 pints of jam. It's not a lot to pass out to the family, but it will do. I like the texture of boiled down jam better than pectin jam because it's not so "coagulated." With boiled down strawberry jam, the texture is just perfect to use the jam as ice cream topping too.</div>
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Let me just interject here that freezer jam appears to be a lot like boiled jam in texture to me, but I never make it. I simply do not have the fridge or freezer space to store a lot of jam, so I have to go for preserved jars. </div>
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A couple of weeks passed by and I got an urge to try a new jam...PLUM! I watched local sales and found plums on sale for 50 cents a pound. When I told my mom I was going to make plum jam, she told me my grandma used to can whole plums. I consulted my canning book and decided to give them a try as well. Mr. C can't get enough plums during the summer so whole fruits seemed like the perfect item to attempt. Between calculating what we'd need for jam and whole fruit, Mr. C and I decided to buy 40 <strong>(yes 40!!!)</strong> pounds of plums.</div>
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Our kitchen was OVERFLOWING!</div>
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<em>(Don't you just LOVE my new gigantic colander?! THANK YOU IKEA!)</em></div>
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One Friday afternoon, with Mr. C's help, I decided to do 10 quarts of plums. Can you spell D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R? It was a horrible experience. We could hardly get any in the jars, I couldn't get the air bubbles out, the syrup half boiled out of the jars, and worst of all, the finished product looked disgusting. The whole adventure was, well, disastrous. After staring at the jars for a day, I decided they were horrible and there was no way I was wasting precious food storage space on them. So, I opened every jar and recycled the plums. Instead of turning 20 pounds of plums in to jam, I was now back at my original 40. 40 pounds of plums for jam! Can you even imagine? Needless to say, I made jam for DAYS!</div>
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It was a ton of work, but I must say the final result was more delicious than I anticipated it would be. Mr. C was so enthralled by it, he ate a piece of bread with plum jam every day for two weeks. Not only that, he put some on barbecued ribs and it was FANTASTIC. I ended up with 28 half-pints and 16 pints of this newly discovered treasure. This gives me plenty to hand out to the family, keep for us, and give away <em>(can you say "hello Christmas gifts!")</em>.</div>
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<em>(If you're wondering what the orange jars are, it's peach jam that I made at the same time as the plum to restock Grandpa C's cupboard. He just loves it!)</em></div>
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In case you want to try this delightful treat, I am putting the recipe at the end of this post. Plums are still a great price right now, so I encourage you to give this one a try.</div>
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At the end of the plum overload, my neighbor called saying the house next to her had an apricot tree <em>(just typing that makes me smile thinking of singing "popcorn popping" with my niece!)</em> FULL of fruit that the owners did not want. We spent two days picking and I ended up with three overflowing laundry baskets.</div>
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It took me a few days to get them all canned in to halves and jam. By the end of about the fourth day, I was so sick of apricots that I will not cry if I don't see a fresh one for a while. Even after canning 17 quarts of halves and 20+ jars of jam, <em>(and eating a few along the way each day)</em> I still had apricots to give away. GOOD RIDDANCE!</div>
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Remember my whole "I love boiled down jam the best" comments from earlier? That went out the window with the apricots. I did my first batch of apricot jam by boiling it down, but after an hour I still couldn't get it to the thickness I wanted. I was too burned out from 40 pounds of plums and probably double that in apricots to deal with boiling anymore. I went to the store for some pectin and didn't look back.</div>
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22 pints and 4 or 5 half-pints later I was finally done! My kitchen windows were full of jars for days.</div>
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In total I think I made roughly 60+ jars of jam <em>(along with the 10 canned and then un-canned quarts of plums and the 17 quarts of apricots) </em>and went through almost 50 pounds of sugar. Want to hear the funniest part of it all? Mr. C and I really do not eat a lot of jam! Oh well. It's been great for learning, I have all my neighbor/work gifts done for Christmas, and I have 2 1/2 cases of jam and fruit to take to my family next month! Plus, who knows...maybe some year I will be taking a picture of my own canning blue ribbon at the fair!<br />
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As promised, here is the plum jam recipe from the Ball canning book:</div>
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<u>Plum Preserves</u></div>
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5 c pitted tart plums (about 2 1/2 pounds)</div>
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4 c sugar</div>
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1 c water</div>
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Combine all the ingredients in a large sauce pot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly almost to a gelling point. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes (or 25 if you're in a high elevation like me) in a boiling-water canner. Note: I cut my plums in fourths. Yield: about 5 half-pints</div>
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Side note: I have FANTASTIC recipes for canned spaghetti sauce and salsa that I will be posting as soon as my tomatoes finally ripen so I can use them! I'm hoping that happens in the next couple weeks!</div>
Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-19903267458334308832011-09-11T19:53:00.000-06:002011-09-27T22:42:28.967-06:00In case you are wondering...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...what happens when you accidentally hit the side of your oven door "just right" with a glass measuring cup, this is it:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you think you are looking at one million pieces of shattered saftey glass, you're not. You're looking at 10 million! And the circular space on the front left corner area is where my naked foot was during the rainshower of glass. Delightful!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As a side note, the glass measuring cup didn't have so much as a chip out of it. Go figure!</span></div>
Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-45703896814626117992011-09-11T19:43:00.001-06:002012-04-07T19:30:04.158-06:00For the Hostess Who Wants To Be The Most-ess<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me start this post by saying that I certainly do not consider myself to be "The Hostess with the Most-ess." In fact, quite the opposite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About four months ago my mom and three of her sisters came to stay with me and Mr. C for a night before we all headed to </span><a href="http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a conference</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. I was SO excited to have them all come stay! I always have grand ideas of being the perfect hostess offering the most comfortable beds, delicious warm cookies for snacks, and a breakfast that makes my guests feel as if they are on vacation at a resort. Then reality clubs me on the head--HARD! The reality of my accommodations is that I can't offer overly comfortable beds. In fact, my mom and one of her sisters had to sleep on air mattresses in my craft room. I didn't serve warm cookies as a snack either since we'd eaten ourselves silly at a family party that day. Breakfast, however, I had a little more control over. I don't really have the funds, nor did we all have the time, for a resort style breakfast, but I did get up early to make fresh muffins to serve alongside some fresh fruit. That, my friends, is where this post takes us...to muffinland. But first, a little flashback.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eight or so years ago my good friend Cheryl bought a muffin cookbook with cover art that matched her kitchen decor perfectly. Year after year I looked at that book sitting happily on it's little kitchen display shelf hoping someday I'd find a copy to add to my <em>(ever growing)</em> collection. It must have been meant to be! About a year ago I was wandering around </span><a href="http://providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,2022-1,00.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a local thrift store</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> perusing the cookbook shelves of the book area--my most favorite thing to do there. As my eyes went back and forth along the shelves looking at all the titles <em>(wondering how so many copies of Cooking the Costco Way could possibly be donated to one store)</em>, there it was in all it's glory! The muffin book I had been wanting for YEARS was just waiting for someone to take it home. It was in perfect condition. In fact, I could have sworn it was a brand new book that had never even been cracked open. Want to know what the best part was? The 2.00 price tag on the front! You can bet that book went home with me that day and is living happily ever after on one of my cookbook shelves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, back to the present...or the recent past. You know what I mean.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I knew that I wanted to make my visiting family members a nice breakfast to help them start their day off right <em>(shoppers need good nourishment in the mornings!)</em>, I turned to my muffin book. I wanted something hearty...breakfast in a muffin. I also wanted flavors that were different than something my guests could have found at a local bakery or convenience store. As I flipped through the pages of my thrift store treasure, I decided "Ham and Cheese" muffins fit the bill perfectly. Just to make sure the recipe was going to suit my guests, I made a test pan a few days before their arrival and subjected Mr. C to a taste test.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Want to know how good they were? Let me just say that the one dozen muffins I made were gone by the end of the day. <em>(I'd like to say Mr. C ate most of them, but I'd be lying. I'd be thinner, but I'd be lying.)</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, just in case you haven't come across </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mad-About-Muffins-Cookbook-Muffin/dp/0836269942/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315789249&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this book</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> at your local thrift store, here is the recipe to tide you over until you do. <em>(Incidentally, as I type this blog, Amazon currently has used copies as cheap as 3 cents. GO BUY IT! It has chapters like "For Chocolate Lovers," "Variations on a Cake," and "Garden Variety." There is even a recipe for Peanut Butter Bacon Muffins!)</em> As usual, on the flip side I'll tell you about two changes I've made to the recipe and something I have discovered after making this recipe a few times. <em></em><em> </em></span></div>
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<u><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ham and Cheese Muffins (makes 12)</span></strong></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 T sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 c sour cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 T oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 t prepared mustard (see my note below)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/3 c flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 t baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 t baking soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 t salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 c diced cooked ham</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese (see my note below)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the sugar, sour cream, oil, and mustard. Mix well. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in the ham and cheese. Fill greased muffin tins. Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins are brown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, now for my changes. They aren't big ones, but they've made a big difference in the taste of the muffins at our house. First, the mustard. One teaspoon just isn't enough in my opinion. The first time I made the recipe for Mr. C to taste test, we couldn't even tell the mustard was in there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not so in love with mustard that I need to feel like I'm eating a hot dog or a pretzel, but the flavor is a nice compliment to the ham and cheese so I like having a hint of it. To remedy that, I put in a full tablespoon (and sometimes even a bit more) rather than a teaspoon. If you do that, I don't think you'll be disappointed...or even be assaulted my mustard flavor. My second change is the cheese. I don't use Swiss and I don't use half a cup. For me, Swiss does not have a strong enough flavor to use in this recipe. I <strong>ALWAYS</strong> use cheddar cheese <em>(mild, not sharp, but use sharp of you like it)</em>. Also, half a cup isn't enough to taste either. I <strong>ALWAYS</strong> use a full cup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember when I said I have discovered something after making these muffins a few times? Well, this is it: these muffins do not stay fresh for a super long time. In fact, not even for a little bit of a long time. Mr. C and I have found that we prefer these muffins when they are still warm out of the oven. If you can't have them that way (which we sometimes cannot), I would suggest not making them more than a day in advance of when you are going to eat them. By day two, they are on the fast track to stale-ville. If you have to make them more than a day, pop them in your freezer and keep them fresh that way. That's what I do when I make them for Mr. C to take to work for breakfast.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When all was said and done I didn't end up feeling like the "Hostess with the Most-ess." Although, one of my aunts asked for the muffin recipe and another said, "I'm coming back to this hotel!" I hope that means they enjoyed themselves. I was delighted to have them here and it gave me a great excuse to try out a new recipe. We'll see if they want to check back in to Hotel C again next year!</span></div>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-60128552255555583172011-07-27T11:01:00.002-06:002011-07-27T11:09:38.871-06:00Cheesy Tuna and Rice Muffinlettes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwpGThnwXYefcnN6r3IObhLlI2aGXFyzKX2_IZCU1SHSxQaVbTngp8bNwltRRvGENeRhVGFEc1SkGADX4KLJJxqyw5H78TvJdGt3_3IOhYh04AsBB_oCYJDDBXwm6D59Jt50pzN7gJEk/s1600/DSC05903.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwpGThnwXYefcnN6r3IObhLlI2aGXFyzKX2_IZCU1SHSxQaVbTngp8bNwltRRvGENeRhVGFEc1SkGADX4KLJJxqyw5H78TvJdGt3_3IOhYh04AsBB_oCYJDDBXwm6D59Jt50pzN7gJEk/s400/DSC05903.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634078580752087026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Last week I was flipping through our family cookbook trying to find something new and delicious to cook this week. When I search through the family cookbook it is a secret, to everyone but my husband...and now all of you, that I search for recipes made by my dear Aunt Judy. Judy is an exceptional cook. She has a plethora of recipes and they are all, and I mean every single one of them, delicious. My husband loves everything she makes so when I stumbled upon this recipe and realized that I had every single thing necessary to make it stockpiled (P.S., I'm a couponer), I decided to try it out. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was a little worried about the tuna in the recipe. Don't get me wrong, I love tuna. But sometime recipes that have tuna in them tend to be a little too "fishy" for my taste. Then everything smells like tuna, and many people know I do NOT like to smell my dinner after I'm done eating. It makes me nauseous. So, I was a little skeptical about the tuna. But the tuna was GREAT! It didn't add a tuna flavor just more of a meaty texture. I think you could probably exchange out shredded chicken in place of tuna, but it might get a little dry when you bake these. Really, the tuna was exceptional. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I loved these! DELICIOUS! The spices in them were perfect, and the rice was such a great little addition. It was like a meal, right there in one little cup. And you know what else? It's a little cheap meal! Leftover rice? Got it. Cheese? Got it. Tuna? Got it. Spices? Got it. I HIGHLY recommend these. I might be munching on the leftovers for lunch today.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, and Little E, my 21 month old...LOVED THEM! Kid friendly!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8H1h2fSL4-14tdTLWIbddj5F_IY54tdqtJlnAkwboXaAT8EEcr4iD70-KUC3zCEpXzG0JXlU25S6nVqtfc-htnAozP_S4YHZjCeAUqpKIL0fyVsYzTvk3R0qoEY6Am6De59BYVShN08/s1600/DSC05904.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8H1h2fSL4-14tdTLWIbddj5F_IY54tdqtJlnAkwboXaAT8EEcr4iD70-KUC3zCEpXzG0JXlU25S6nVqtfc-htnAozP_S4YHZjCeAUqpKIL0fyVsYzTvk3R0qoEY6Am6De59BYVShN08/s400/DSC05904.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634078576062789458" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-amswDqhAccsvlCBE34QQTWyyCBepiqepqG55B0cG6M9V9naKv6wrhDDwswahWs2xmTOxeonazsuJ_t234z8SAv26JFLJx6eSpYIlHWeDNFjIkDfOQOaw0TcAK01uU78DnpIQ4RiAY-s/s1600/DSC05905.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-amswDqhAccsvlCBE34QQTWyyCBepiqepqG55B0cG6M9V9naKv6wrhDDwswahWs2xmTOxeonazsuJ_t234z8SAv26JFLJx6eSpYIlHWeDNFjIkDfOQOaw0TcAK01uU78DnpIQ4RiAY-s/s400/DSC05905.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634078573011236178" /></a>Cheesy Tuna and Rice Muffinlettes</div><div><br /></div><div>2 c. cooked rice</div><div>1 c. shredded cheddar cheese </div><div>1 small can tuna, drained and flaked</div><div>3/4 c. olives, sliced (optional, I didn't have any last night so I didn't add them but I think it would be great!)</div><div>1 T. dried onion</div><div>1 T. parsley flakes</div><div>1 t. seasoned salt</div><div>2 eggs, beaten</div><div>2 T. milk</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mix beated eggs and milk; stir in rest of ingredients and mix together thoroughly. Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray. Divide mixture among cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve with lemon juice. (I didn't have any lemon juice, so I didn't do this, but I think it would be great!)</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-35873588122051135772011-07-20T10:49:00.002-06:002011-07-20T11:01:45.135-06:00Strawberry Sauce<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPDHN78GI9KXDPhvt9DKFMAOmF4q8WpkemJoV6q7c2JOke196kGzH-gp-CO49pa1G_TKtKP7UO3YX1o2L_bM9ySWMrA36iqjcHyQeSgCXvGetnQ11qBE4t5EHETwTuSYVvJkYu48pcUE/s1600/DSC05887.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPDHN78GI9KXDPhvt9DKFMAOmF4q8WpkemJoV6q7c2JOke196kGzH-gp-CO49pa1G_TKtKP7UO3YX1o2L_bM9ySWMrA36iqjcHyQeSgCXvGetnQ11qBE4t5EHETwTuSYVvJkYu48pcUE/s400/DSC05887.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631480564461860130" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Little R is a strange eater. One day she loves something, the next day she won't go near it. One of those foods she is most fickle with is strawberries. One day she will eat two or three whole ones the next day she won't even touch them.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And so came the dilemma of having a huge pound of strawberries that were not getting eaten. I was really worried they were going to go bad so I started scouring every cookbook I owned attempting to find a recipe I could throw them in. I found a great one in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Our-Best-Bites-Mormon-Kitchen/dp/1606419315/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311180706&sr=8-1">Our Best Bites cookbook</a>, which is based off the <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/">Our Best Bites website</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My dear sister, Jackie, bought me this cookbook earlier this year as a "Welcome to Utah!" gift when I came to visit her. I was so excited when I went upstairs and saw it sitting on my bed. I have followed the Our Best Bites website for a long time and I love all of their recipes. This is one of the greatest cookbooks I own. This cookbook, the Pioneer Woman cookbook, and our family's cookbook is the most used cookbooks in my tiny, but not so tiny, collection of cookbooks. I recommend this cookbook to EVERYONE. It will be one of the greatest investments you make in your kitchen. The recipes are so simple and easy, but delicious! I have made so many things in it and everyone of them has turned out PERFECT. I HIGHLY recommend everyone going out and getting this book. (P.S. I'm not getting paid for saying that!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So, Our Best Bites had a great recipe for Strawberry Sauce that looked perfect. I decided to pair it with Double Chocolate Waffles from the same cookbook, a recipe Jackie will be posting later. They write in the cookbook that this sauce is great drizzled over ice cream, waffles, pancakes, cheesecake or blended with ice cream to make milkshakes. I love this sauce. It is lick-the-spoon delicious.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Strawberry Sauce</div><div style="text-align: center;">From: Our Best Bites</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 Pint strawberries, washed, hulled and roughly chopped</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/3 c. granulated sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 t. almond or vanilla extract</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Combine strawberries, sugar, and vanilla in medium saucepan and bring to a simmer of over medium heat. Cook for five minutes. The cookbook says to stir constantly and break the strawberries up but I really didn't do that. I stirred occasionally and just tried to push on the strawberries. After five minutes, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before pouring into a blender or food processor. Pulse until the consistency you want is reached.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sauce can be refrigerated for one month and frozen for up to three months.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgVNVQZ4dgfB_OXJbV7gkGk9amAQCsei_SVgJrFv7OvZ4S_RtktDMrkqaCyER5MpQX6fbdUagCQecdpawGPeGa7CE187D951OnxyyFxQSRohQ028WZruNbJuSvOHhgqJfObPfflD-wqo/s1600/DSC05890.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgVNVQZ4dgfB_OXJbV7gkGk9amAQCsei_SVgJrFv7OvZ4S_RtktDMrkqaCyER5MpQX6fbdUagCQecdpawGPeGa7CE187D951OnxyyFxQSRohQ028WZruNbJuSvOHhgqJfObPfflD-wqo/s400/DSC05890.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631480557950666898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7SxQvU-d2ewqehriFPM2NLY1A-TAwO7M0bngXgwBllS4SHnruwvs3cdmq7bMgftu_0SNFy89aBNJApXKObHzuiELVWl0Ce8S1sQ60aBuQyB3S0IJIbFbbWQPbXNYao-MjW1f8d06ipY/s1600/DSC05891.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7SxQvU-d2ewqehriFPM2NLY1A-TAwO7M0bngXgwBllS4SHnruwvs3cdmq7bMgftu_0SNFy89aBNJApXKObHzuiELVWl0Ce8S1sQ60aBuQyB3S0IJIbFbbWQPbXNYao-MjW1f8d06ipY/s400/DSC05891.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631480556887399522" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I put it on Little R's waffles this morning...P.S. she didn't touch them. I'm so shocked. </div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-43317130875867801662011-07-07T13:39:00.003-06:002011-07-07T13:51:41.425-06:00Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins<div><div style="text-align: center;">My sister has informed me that it has been nine months since my last post... I could have birthed a baby since my last post. Unfortunately, I did not but I'm going to try really hard to get more up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today I have DELICIOUS blueberry muffins! I found the recipe in the July/August 2011 issue of Cooking with Paula. There is a whole section in the magazine that use blueberries and this is only the first of many that I plan on making!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4PUJ2r_G06f9cExaXAMyJFSU_-zCye7XI6Oh4lV4-G_Yun_U53edWcu7Ks1LrP25wwBtN9l73en1b2zRpE-t361gNTkgoiBp8Hw8B6b5x3F8V0D_P9kH6-99E9zI22qjhdLKTczS_JA/s1600/7+july+2011+047.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4PUJ2r_G06f9cExaXAMyJFSU_-zCye7XI6Oh4lV4-G_Yun_U53edWcu7Ks1LrP25wwBtN9l73en1b2zRpE-t361gNTkgoiBp8Hw8B6b5x3F8V0D_P9kH6-99E9zI22qjhdLKTczS_JA/s400/7+july+2011+047.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626697890122506850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc5mQHRU4jbnmq91MUp_Rqhk3s32ZGvduckMXelZYqDd3pGxzo9T2mhoKdspvIzTPIjynsGEB4RTShHlhNMULidtokO4xWI75SqloSpdQH7VVggdIkxZVmYfPdB7nfTKnjFSIOmDRi-s/s1600/7+july+2011+049.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc5mQHRU4jbnmq91MUp_Rqhk3s32ZGvduckMXelZYqDd3pGxzo9T2mhoKdspvIzTPIjynsGEB4RTShHlhNMULidtokO4xWI75SqloSpdQH7VVggdIkxZVmYfPdB7nfTKnjFSIOmDRi-s/s400/7+july+2011+049.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626697887894370898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pEluQsLCdbAds4UAaPjScNfXH8X5S62AtpO08FSpHTzVGmOIw_llK-dazJYZYeTK_pb7vQvkC60ip8h_I5uWG-5M9mTyg1r-bWKPmkie5J4kqky_v4jAm303l3H1dCs6IWoha4RcmHA/s1600/7+july+2011+050.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pEluQsLCdbAds4UAaPjScNfXH8X5S62AtpO08FSpHTzVGmOIw_llK-dazJYZYeTK_pb7vQvkC60ip8h_I5uWG-5M9mTyg1r-bWKPmkie5J4kqky_v4jAm303l3H1dCs6IWoha4RcmHA/s400/7+july+2011+050.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626697873813435570" /></a><br /><div>I love blueberry muffins. Especially when they have a crumble top but when I saw the recipe for these I got really excited, even if they lacked the crumble top. What really got me excited was the orange zest in it. I love how blueberries and citrus taste together. </div><div><br /></div><div>What REALLY made these muffins incredible was the oatmeal. I'm not an "oatmeal-in-my-baked-goods" kinda girl. I don't care for oatmeal in my cookies or muffins so I was a little skeptical. But this recipe has you soak one cup of oatmeal in one cup of 2% milk for ten minutes which I think was the best thing that I could have ever done. The muffins were so moist and I really attribute it to the oatmeal soak.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope you enjoy these more than my husband. This was our exchange:</div><div><br /></div><div>Husband: (takes bite) Hmm..</div><div>Me: Yes?</div><div>Husband: Does this have orange in it?</div><div>Me: Just some orange zest, only a tablespoon.</div><div>Husband: Hmm..</div><div>Me: ...Do...you..not like it?</div><div>Husband: They don't taste like how I would expect them to taste.</div><div>Me: What did you expect?</div><div>Husband: Costco blueberry muffins.</div><div>Me: Dear, those aren't muffins. They are little blueberry cakes. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, to wrap up...if you only like your muffins to taste like the giant muffins/little cakes at Costco, you won't like these. But I LOVE THEM!</div><div><br /></div><div>Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins</div><div>From: Cooking with Paula July/August 2011</div><div><br /></div><div>1 c. old-fashioned oatmeal (I used quick oats and it was fine)</div><div>1 c. 2% reduced-fat milk (I actually used whole since I have it for the baby who won't drink it)</div><div>1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar</div><div>1/3 c. vegetable oil</div><div>1 T. orange zest</div><div>1 egg</div><div>1 c. AP flour</div><div>1 1/2 t. baking powder</div><div>1/4 t. baking soda</div><div>1/4 t. cinnamon (who measures cinnamon? i sure don't.)</div><div>1/2 c. chopped pecans (DELICIOUS! They add an incredible crunch!)</div><div>1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries (I think you could easily use fresh or thawed blueberries, but I would recommend tossing them in flour before adding them to the mix so they don't bleed too much in your batter)</div><div><br /></div><div>Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a large bowl, stir together oats and milk, let stand for 10 minutes. Add sugar, oil, orange zest, and egg, and stir well.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a medium bowl, stir together flour, powder, soda and cinnamon. Add pecans, tossing well. Add flour mixture into oatmeal mixture, stirring just until combined. Gently, but quickly, fold in ONLY 1 cup of the blueberries.</div><div><br /></div><div>Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with remaining 1/2 c. blueberries.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy!<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><br /></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-32253516281797582702011-04-18T06:03:00.023-06:002011-04-18T15:57:17.108-06:00Finally, something that workedLast weekend...and the weekend before...I had grand plans to cook something new and exciting every day and put up lots and lots of blog posts.<br /><br />Didn't happen<br /><br />So then I scrapped the idea of lots and lots of blog posts and just stuck with cooking something new and exciting every weekend day.<br /><br />That DID happen.<br /><br />What didn't happen was having all those new and exciting things turn out so fabulous and delicious they were worthy of blog posts. <br /><br />I'm not sure what has happened, but I have been in a downward cooking spiral lately. It seems like everything I've been attempting to make turns out to be disasterous in the process or less than thrilling in taste...assuming I actually got it to work. Not only that, poor Mr. C fell victim to my disasterous cooking spree when I accidentally hit a measuring cup full of boiling water as I was pulling it out of the microwave. The mini flood landed in a pan of oil he was using to fry up some tortillas. <br /><br />Oil burn. NICE! <br /><br />That was it...the final straw. I said right then and there, "I am not going to cook anymore. Nothing is working for me lately." Good thing I have a few recipes in my "to be posted" computer file. Since strawberries are starting to fill the grocery store shelves, and prices are finally coming down <em>(unlike everything else at the grocery store)</em>, how about if we stroll down strawberry lane with "Strawberries and Cream on a Cloud." <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVLKtxFF9UqTqkDgyO4PH8gH7m4twgzTax5fN8kxJpo2u7YhOSfBrgXWtZAqsmD4TbSzrIZdoY9TlnRXrYOyOs6vu2fgyG9SCp3KZPXaVwGcoHEbFK4n4fTGpaQNMMuGKBEFKWtswnTB5/s1600/012+%25285%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597031257010301570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVLKtxFF9UqTqkDgyO4PH8gH7m4twgzTax5fN8kxJpo2u7YhOSfBrgXWtZAqsmD4TbSzrIZdoY9TlnRXrYOyOs6vu2fgyG9SCp3KZPXaVwGcoHEbFK4n4fTGpaQNMMuGKBEFKWtswnTB5/s400/012+%25285%2529.JPG" /></a> <br />Mr. C chose this recipe for our Sunday dessert a couple weeks ago. It's one I got at a class I attended a long time ago at Thanksgiving Point <em>(long before I became Mrs. C)</em>--back when the classes there weren't almost 50.00 each. I wish I could remember the teacher's name, but I can't. <em>(I think it might have been Lori Bennett.)</em> <br /><br />Without question, the best part of this recipe is the "Creme Anglaise" that is drizzled <em>(or in my case, POURED)</em> over the top. It's absolute edible ecstacy. Take a look at the recipe and then we'll chat about some of the changes I made to the recipe. <br /><br /><strong>Strawberries and Cream on a Cloud</strong> <br />Strawberries: <br />8 c sliced strawberries <br />2 T sugar <br />2 T orange juice <br />1 t grated orange rind <br />Cake: <br />3/4 c slivered almonds <br />2 T sugar <br />1 c cake flour <br />1/2 c powdered sugar <br />1/2 t salt <br />10 large egg whites (save 8 of the yolks for later) <br />1 1/4 t cream of tartar <br />3/4 c sugar <br />1 1/2 t almond extract <br />Creme Anglaise: <br />2/3 c sugar <br />8 large egg yolks <br />3 1/2 c 1% milk <br />1 T vanilla <br />Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To prepare strawberries, combine ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill 3 hours. To prepare cake, place almonds and 2 T sugar in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Sift together cake flour, powdered sugar, and salt in to a bowl. Combine the almond mixture with flour mixture, set aside. In the large bowl of a mixer, beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle flour mixture over egg white mixture, folding it in 1/4 c at a time. Fold in almond extract. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch fluted/bundt pan and spread evenly. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. While the cake is baking, prepare the creme anglaise. Combine the sugar and egg yolks in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk until blended. Gradually add milk to the pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until mixture coats the back of a spoon (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly. Immediately pour mixture into a bowl; stir in vanilla. Cover and chill. (The mixture will thicken as it cools.) When cake is done baking, turn the pan upside down and cool 40 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert cake onto plate. Serve with strawberries and creme anglaise. <br /><br />Are you salivating yet? You should be. If nothing else, the creme anglaise is worth drooling over. <br /><br />Let's talk about a couple changes I made. First, I used orange juice concentrate instead of regular orange juice for my berries. I don't recommend doing that. It was too strong. Because I love the almond and vanilla flavors in the other elements of the recipe so much, the super strong orange taste was just a bit too overpowering. Next time, I'll use plain juice. <br /><br />Second, I didn't have any slivered almonds for the cake so I used sliced. The substitution worked just fine. The cake is nothing more that homemade angel food cake with finely chopped nuts added. If you don't want to go to the effort of making homemade angel food cake, just buy one. However, after trying my friend Cindy's homemade version a couple years ago, I'll never buy a store bought one again. The freshness of homemade just can't be beat. If you're never tried homemade, try it just once...for me. The cake is relatively easy to make. It takes a little patience to go from this... <span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597016181374174434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tQ3EcVj1HtvxdNQzck1HuXX9ANhKWz-h1KF07ED5l1Ty2RqEJvhz6F82lV7GvtC0vH4YzrQejVJSkxIpICrZJ3Riae65WyYLQPOHG47vbbnypuk9XvEDtA25sHpnOHmMxYB0mFVawTsq/s400/003+%25283%2529.JPG" /></span> ...to this... <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597016412755277698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvW7tpEJvHQdZFqzhNRbcO2ckyaWd6lub5GRR06pGBaqdOHDkZyJVdkiW9gLR2Hq4AIRa4gjAkZ9mypBowKDhZ4SlGY-mEnx5oB1ppfv19dg5u4O-v0Dwntp6G2GYEhRqKkEpqZMXrXHLo/s400/004+%25285%2529.JPG" />...but it is OH SO WORTH IT! The cake needs to be inverted while it cools. Since an angel food cake/fluted pan has a hole in the middle, I prop mine on top of one of my vinegar bottles. <p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_za3a32kdOX125WMdjx0UI8I4xDetQsGPRvbdPkqwfRg9iDCB9xbzPBydak_eCy6cqchdlUhUTaYufTCzpzSUjnmbrcpkrk9XSRbc0wCsVXTWpnae9-ju3kOUTUKAi5cVuCHDyv0oYMe0/s1600/009+%25286%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597041169140601714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_za3a32kdOX125WMdjx0UI8I4xDetQsGPRvbdPkqwfRg9iDCB9xbzPBydak_eCy6cqchdlUhUTaYufTCzpzSUjnmbrcpkrk9XSRbc0wCsVXTWpnae9-ju3kOUTUKAi5cVuCHDyv0oYMe0/s400/009+%25286%2529.JPG" /></a>It'a a great little set up.<br /><br />The last changes I made were in the creme. The recipe calls for 1% milk. I never have that on hand since all we drink is skim. I used skim and didn't really have any issues other than timing. The original recipe says it takes about 8 minutes for the creme to become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but mine too MUCH longer--probably twice that. Whether or not that was caused by the lack of fat content in the milk, I don't know. Either way, everything tasted just fine in the end. Also, I added a teaspoon of almond extract to the creme in addition to the tablespoon of the vanilla. As I mentioned in my last post, Mr. C is so enthralled with almond extract, I knew he'd go crazy for it. And he did! <em>(To be honest, so did I!)</em> It's a great addition to the creme, so I'll make it a permanent part of the recipe from now on. <br /><br />As you can see, we didn't exactly drizzle the creme on. With something that delectible, more is definately better!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjQOFfTyZj5kCMvWWTZG7P5IvPI2Q-U8EJMZ6q8JDy53J1PHWbr714aECZRNo-8ZvEovougyilkUH-hj2IsFMNBWoOhMhdP5YCNPskLLIyZEhV_TWqDtkI6KTVQX1-gf81S3D6lxaau52/s1600/013+%25284%2529.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597019534947563074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjQOFfTyZj5kCMvWWTZG7P5IvPI2Q-U8EJMZ6q8JDy53J1PHWbr714aECZRNo-8ZvEovougyilkUH-hj2IsFMNBWoOhMhdP5YCNPskLLIyZEhV_TWqDtkI6KTVQX1-gf81S3D6lxaau52/s400/013+%25284%2529.JPG" /></span></a></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"> One of the nice things about this dessert is that all the components save for several days so it is one you can enjoy over and over. We ran out of berries before anything else. In fact, I still have creme in the fridge and half the cake is chillin' in the freezer for now.</span></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><br /><br />I think I see a trifle coming!</span> </span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-56096499177213061832011-03-11T16:48:00.012-07:002011-03-11T18:38:58.582-07:00If I add almond, he will come<div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Mr. C loves a lot things. . .popcorn, the Military channel, fried chicken, a good book, movies, and black licorice--to name just a few. Right up near the top of his list of favorite things is almond extract. He loves it. I mean <strong>LOVES</strong> it. <em>(I swear I could boil a pot of water, drop in some almond extract, and he'd gobble it up.)</em> So, when it came time to choose our Sunday evening dessert a couple months ago <em>(from the giant bag of untried dessert recipes)</em>, you can imagine my lack of surprise when he chose "Almond Poppy Seed Bars" from a past issue of Paula Deen's magazine.<br /><br />Sometimes I get a little burned out on poppy seed recipes since they became so trendy years ago with muffins, breads, and salad dressings. It's not that they don't taste good--don't get me wrong. It's just that I often find them unoriginal. Nevertheless, Mr. C saw the word almond in the title during his dessert search and that was all it took.<br /><br /></span></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Pzybig7rjkB6tWMeUB46pAHxPtrHIoT_hXKguUrOJ1UV8GJL-1yuH7On9DoKxIcjZMIsF42Hd-jY1IK52jqRuhQu6XF7tQWYWUDL9C8kxR6saoAkJUGT-bfPboHvix1NDQT3_lcdFvsT/s1600/002+%25285%2529.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582978446275003618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Pzybig7rjkB6tWMeUB46pAHxPtrHIoT_hXKguUrOJ1UV8GJL-1yuH7On9DoKxIcjZMIsF42Hd-jY1IK52jqRuhQu6XF7tQWYWUDL9C8kxR6saoAkJUGT-bfPboHvix1NDQT3_lcdFvsT/s400/002+%25285%2529.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><br />The recipe is very easy to follow and put together. Take a look at it and then I'll add a couple personal notes on the flip side.<br /><br /><strong>Almond Poppy Seed Bars</strong><br /><em>Bars:</em><br />2 1/4 c sugar<br />1 1/2 c milk<br />1 c oil<br />3 large eggs<br />1 T vanilla extract<br />1 1/2 t almond extract<br />3 c flour<br />4 1/2 t poppy seeds<br />1 1/2 t baking powder<br />1/2 t salt<br /><em>Frosting:</em><br />3 c powdered sugar<br />1/3 c butter, melted<br />3 T milk<br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 12 X 17 X 1 baking pan. In a large bowl, beat sugar, milk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until combined; spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool until slightly warm. For frosting, combine all ingredients and beat at low speed with an electric mixture until smooth. Spread frosting over warm cake. Cut in to squares and serve. </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">In making my bars, I changed two things from the original recipe. First, the original recipe says to use a 10 X 15 pan. I tried that, but it was way too small. The pan was not big enough to hold all the batter. I bumped up to a 12 X 17 <em>(make sure your pan has an edge!)</em> and that was large enough. The other change I had to make was the cooking time. The original recipe says 20-25 min. I had to go 28 minutes. My convection oven can sometimes have issues with cakes, so that's why I listed a bake time of 25 minutes above. You might be able to go as short as 20 minutes, but I'd guess you'll need at least 25. </span></p><p align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"></span><a></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582994696871162882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwh7PWybYKmbax-8Bz9d4kZfNXD3FzJEPFbyUTHz-9xemudX_S7SkuhXrnREL2LhFIKCecZyNa7Ic_jFJwVDJIxr_O64vMiusn4KZEvNQHy2lkGCznMQRmn17H1jmiBJUW4daozrfCy6u/s400/001+%25285%2529.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><br />Just a word about the frosting. There was PLENTY. In fact, there was almost too much for me because the bars are not very thick. But, I will be the first to admit that I am not a powdered sugar glaze/frosting girl. <em>(I feel like no matter what you do, it always tastes like powdered sugar.)</em> I did add a bit of almond extract to my frosting for both my and Mr. C's benefit. Had the cake been in the 10 X 15 pan, there would have been too much frosting for me for sure.<br /><br />One side note about poppy seeds. I highly recommend that you do <strong>NOT</strong> buy a small bottle from the spice section of your grocery store. Poppy seeds are <strong>WAY WAY WAY </strong>too expensive when you buy them in that packaging. If you can buy them in bulk, it's the best way to go. My brother-in-law works for Honeyville Grain, so I buy mine there. Honeyville offers a great price for a good quantity of seeds. If you don't have access to a bulk buying option, swing by the bakery counter of your local grocery store. Bakeries will sell you items like seeds (poppy or sesame) or sprinkles <em>(yes, they are cheaper than the bottles too!)</em> used in making their own baked products. You'll save a lot by purchasing your seeds (and sprinkles) this way.<br /><br />Overall, we really liked this recipe. <em>(It's being given a permanent home in my recipe binder.) </em>After baking up the bars are more like a cake, but they are flavorful and moist no matter how you classify them. If you need a quick and easy dessert, or want to try something new and different, you won't go wrong with this one!</span></p></span>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-38542256285454466622011-02-12T18:29:00.005-07:002011-02-12T18:41:57.666-07:00Does it really work?<div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">I hate to throw away food. I hate, hate, hate it. I feel like I might as well drop cash in the garbage.<br /><br />I recently opened my veggie crisper to find that I had let a stalk of celery age past it's prime. DARN IT! I get so annoyed with myself when I let that happen. Then I remembered reading online somewhere that you can soak stalks of celery in water for 24 hours to rehydrate and revitalize them.<br /><br />I decided to give it a try:<br /></span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkiwkAYgBhasfeIRO192NLTEgvyJ-Wc-PM4hlrEcRq3sggm7Af4gD5717hbc-gHIgjz3znHW3IfD9t_H3BXz6BZLq7kjiWDX_M5lEmnbhPaHcwnbNrfj9TPO6UrPQCAo-ptgPIcF4FFjl/s1600/015+%25282%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572980862982409138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkiwkAYgBhasfeIRO192NLTEgvyJ-Wc-PM4hlrEcRq3sggm7Af4gD5717hbc-gHIgjz3znHW3IfD9t_H3BXz6BZLq7kjiWDX_M5lEmnbhPaHcwnbNrfj9TPO6UrPQCAo-ptgPIcF4FFjl/s400/015+%25282%2529.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>So...does it really work?</strong><br /><br />For me, yes and no. Ultimately my stalks were returned to a fair amount of firmness, but I had to let them soak in the water for three days, not one. The stalks weren't super crispy as if they were fresh from the grocery store, but they were firm enough I was able to use them in a couple recipes.<br /><br />Would I do it again? Probably not. I think I'll just try harder not to let the celery get soft! </span></p>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-11884447860667124472011-02-10T07:41:00.015-07:002011-02-10T23:01:29.914-07:00Valentine's Day is coming...bring on the chocolate!<div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">I know it's stereotypical to think that all women love chocolate, but they don't. I have two neighbors that despise it and WILL NOT eat it in any form or recipe. May I say, however, that I am NOT one of those people. I love chocolate. I mean I love, love, love chocolate...especially dark chocolate. I will eat it in cake, brownies, candy, fondue, and dip. Simply put, I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></div></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 350px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572101827576064306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDFzceDG2sHR4ZR-NspLbTdSKKHCV1smRSR29wU3kLemNnkg3HA0G-rDDPU1cW2AuYBGu3hiCR8cVDrxhBnWQUHKecviX4IFfZAjDzTdmubahiec8paFKfEF4bxYTDlaGDHIima1jyvO6/s400/chocolate.gif" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">Ever since I was young <em>(yes, that means for a LONG time), </em>I have had a love affair with chocolate mousse. I don't know why. I don't know how it started. But, whenever I'm asked what my favorite dessert is, it's not uncommon to answer "chocolate mousse." <em>(I actually have a lot of favorites. I can never narrow my favorites down to one.)</em> I can remember going to Sunday brunches and always going straight to the always dainty pedestal glasses of chocolate mousse before anything else. MMMMM! Just thinking about a dish of that smooth, creamy, rich, decadent dessert is making my mouth water!<br /><br />Several years ago during a routine trip to the grocery store, I noticed some recipe cards available for the taking on a service counter. <em>(How could I not grab a couple???)</em> One of the recipes was for....cue the angelic chorus now...CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. Since I'd never attempted to make this delicacy myself, I grabbed a card and told myself that I would, indeed, someday, make a big ol' bowl of long time favorite dessert. I tucked the card away awaiting the perfect moment to pull it out.<br /><br />And then it arrived...VALENTINE'S DAY! The holiday of love, delicious dinners, and chocolate! Mr. C and I talked it over and decided this was the perfect opportunity to pull out the chocolate mousse recipe and GO FOR IT!<br /><br />On a personal note, let me just say how bizarre it was when Mr. C and I were dating to discover that his favorite dessert is also chocolate mousse. I'd never met anyone else who loves as much as I do. Not only does he love chocolate mousse, he loves Idaho Spud candy bars like I do. I didn't even know anyone else knew they existed. OK, enough of the goofy personal stuff. Time to get back to the pressing matter at hand...mousse!<br /><br />The mousse came together so quick and easy. I was shocked at how simple it was to make. Then again, how could it not be when it only has 4 ingredients? Let's take a look at the recipe and we'll talk about it on the flip side:<br /><br /></p></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8F5Bji6k8QKTQgozFmKGzUiJ8uCrRIJjxgxj3mn5AJKg-VYhx7p1Kq8-5U25a2mSHT9bHNPLcoofl41lqHM71_PXODaYcpp9SjCCnddDAn-1izCWuYYfToeWJdsC7t0qNUNPWd8PvD-L/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572101310141532786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8F5Bji6k8QKTQgozFmKGzUiJ8uCrRIJjxgxj3mn5AJKg-VYhx7p1Kq8-5U25a2mSHT9bHNPLcoofl41lqHM71_PXODaYcpp9SjCCnddDAn-1izCWuYYfToeWJdsC7t0qNUNPWd8PvD-L/s400/009.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><u><strong>Chocolate Mousse</strong></u><br />8.8 oz fine Belgian dark chocolate<br />6 egg whites<br />1/2 c sugar<br />1 2/3 c cream<br />Melt chocolate. Slightly beat egg whites; add sugar then beat mixture until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites in to the melted chocolate. Fold in the cream. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 10-12. The mousse can be served with whipped topping, berries, and/or chocolate shavings on top.<br /><br />How simple is that!<br /><br />Now a couple personal notes. First, for the chocolate in the recipe we used the Hageland chocolate that I refer to </span><a href="http://givemesomethinggoodtoeat.blogspot.com/2010/05/delicious-start-to-new-tradition.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. It is inexpensive and delicious. In my cooking classes I always say, "You get what you pay for when it comes to chocolate, so don't scrimp." I don't think you have to break the bank, but buy some good chocolate. Don't just pull out the bag of chocolate chips. Second, if you are saying, "But Jackie, I HATE dark chocolate," don't worry. Mr. C despises it with a passion I cannot describe to you here. This recipe has enough sugar and cream in it to ease what some consider bitterness in dark chocolate. The dark chocolate makes the mousse rich, but not bitter. Finally, unless you're feeding a crowd, you may want to cut the recipe in half. When it says "serves 10-12," it's not kidding. The recipe made A LOT. We ate it bit by bit for about a week.<br /><br />Since Valentine's Day will be here in just a few short days, why not whip up a bowl for you and your sweetheart--or, just for you if you prefer. I'm not opposed to a bowl of my own, a spoon, and a comfy couch!</span></p>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-14924165495650290312010-10-03T11:50:00.003-06:002010-10-03T12:08:32.569-06:00banana stuffed french toast with blueberry compote<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkY7ckQu55kjEpDfoBUfWMYI65yJnyXHX4BSgPNu0kjRjNGSvJtmNaYijym069UdFs7tqFCyqxe-T7r3dqawxXok3tQAelbA-NHrSrridF7YLrZ3QWOT4QYotjXQEOIb4RcxMqeElCpE/s1600/remi+10+03+2010+007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkY7ckQu55kjEpDfoBUfWMYI65yJnyXHX4BSgPNu0kjRjNGSvJtmNaYijym069UdFs7tqFCyqxe-T7r3dqawxXok3tQAelbA-NHrSrridF7YLrZ3QWOT4QYotjXQEOIb4RcxMqeElCpE/s400/remi+10+03+2010+007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523881026499454946" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">every april and october, our church has a general conference where we have the opportunity to hear from our church leaders. i love it for many reasons, one of them being it's a perfect opportunity to watch church in your pajamas. ever since being married, i've always tried to make it a tradition to make two new, fun breakfast items for saturday and sunday. this year, sunday was banana stuffed french toast with blueberry compote.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">we first saw this made on diners, drive ins, and dives on food network. it was from a restaurant in florida and when mr. e saw it he began to drool and said to me..."let's make that.....pul-eeze?" however, when i printed the recipe it came with the disclaimer that the recipe had been reduced down from a bulk recipe and had not been tested by the food network kitchens so...good luck, basically. as i read through the recipe i decided to make a few changes. one, the original recipe calls for bananas cooked in butter and brown sugar but i'm not really a fan of cooked bananas, so i decided to just cut them up and put the in between the bread slices. also, the original recipe called for challah bread. well, if you can find challah bread--be my guest. i ended up using some soft french bread. also, i skipped mixing the cooked bananas in with the cream cheese--but that was only because i didn't have any. darn, that would have tasted good.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">also, the original recipe called for 1 gallon of eggs. um, did you know that is 128 ounces? well, i was cutting the recipe in half anyway, but still! that is 64 ounces of eggs! you know, 5 eggs worked JUST FINE. sheesh food network, do you think i have all the money in the world to go buy 6 dozen eggs...WELL, I DON'T!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">my modifications were few but this recipe was incredible. <i>especially</i> the blueberry compote. it makes a TON of compote, and i mean a TON. we will probably have it for weeks to come. i don't care. i plan to put it on oatmeal, ice cream, hamburgers, tuna sandwiches. anything. it's delicious.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">without further ado, here's the recipe.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIn7bl0EMSARJJD6ExQ2Elnuix1nlwOrwlzey8zCiFtTGv26SouCeMcwTCcBVoU9jNtzKEO3CnZzXZLoA0WOGsPQWFrpgxM1Gi9p7s7imB9yRUS0bgZ9LDvxtU9gA5r-xfvK0YxrR36ds/s1600/remi+10+03+2010+004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIn7bl0EMSARJJD6ExQ2Elnuix1nlwOrwlzey8zCiFtTGv26SouCeMcwTCcBVoU9jNtzKEO3CnZzXZLoA0WOGsPQWFrpgxM1Gi9p7s7imB9yRUS0bgZ9LDvxtU9gA5r-xfvK0YxrR36ds/s400/remi+10+03+2010+004.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523881016848549378" /></a><div>banana stuffed french toast with blueberry compote</div><div>based on<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/yo-halla-on-the-square-recipe/index.html"> this recipe</a></div><div><br /></div><div>2 bananas, cut into 1/2 in. slices</div><div>fresh challah bread, or soft french bread, cut into 1 inch slices</div><div>5 eggs (or 1 gallon if you are crazy)</div><div>1/2 c. half and half</div><div>about 1 t. of nutmeg</div><div>about 1 t. of cinnamon</div><div>1/2 c. sugar</div><div>16 oz. frozen blueberries</div><div>1/2 c. water</div><div>1 c. brown sugar (now you know it's good)</div><div>1/2 c. water + 1/4 c. cornstarch</div><div>16 oz. frozen strawberries</div><div><br /></div><div>put a couple slices of banana onto a piece of bread and then sandwich with another piece of bread. push it down a little bit to get the banana to kind of soak into the bread. mix the eggs, half and half, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl. heat a large skillet, sprayed with nonstick spray or use butter, over medium heat. squish the sandwiches one more time and then dunk in the batter. pan fry on all sides. keep warm. </div><div><br /></div><div>(i really recommend having everything for the compote ready to go before you start cooking your french toast. since the blueberries have been frozen they are going to take a long time to get to a boil. so, start your compote at the same time as you start frying your french toast.)</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8riy8zUa54nEdFb3LHqYKya1-vTfhjAII-xWreqLWO7uFM239cD0nnCz3CwwIo4MbxhmauHsm0EmxeAD_nJm4lzHJzkpz6cynBEkLw570QbODWiMxcZIIYZGD85iRRbDhcQXg2Mo-Z9o/s1600/remi+10+03+2010+005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8riy8zUa54nEdFb3LHqYKya1-vTfhjAII-xWreqLWO7uFM239cD0nnCz3CwwIo4MbxhmauHsm0EmxeAD_nJm4lzHJzkpz6cynBEkLw570QbODWiMxcZIIYZGD85iRRbDhcQXg2Mo-Z9o/s400/remi+10+03+2010+005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523881008099002786" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>blueberry strawberry compote</div><div>put the blueberries, water and brown sugar in a saute pan (i used a sauce pan) over medium heat. bring to a boil and add the cornstarch/water slurry mix. cook until the sauce becomes thick and coats the back of a spoon (fyi, that won't take long. once it is super thick, you are going to want to swim in it. refrain. it will be REALLY hot.) add the strawberries and cook for 1 minute. </div><div><br /></div><div>once your french toast is cooked, put on a plate and spoon compote over the top of your bread. then sprinkle some powdered sugar. enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-55143645883613014902010-09-29T09:03:00.019-06:002010-11-14T20:17:49.959-07:00A new twist on zucchini breadTime for a true story. Ready? Three years ago at a family reunion, several of my aunts and uncles were sitting around telling old family tales when the subject of zucchini came up. <em>(Don't ask me how!)</em> One of my uncles burst in to laughter saying, "Do you guys remember that mom always had zucchini frozen in the freezer? Who on earth freezes zucchini?" Laughter erupted again. Imagine my uncle's surprise when I raised my hand and said with a slight touch of embarrassment, "I have a bunch of zucchini in my freezer right now." He was shocked. He could not understand why someone would freeze something that is so easy to find at the store...not to mention its abundance once neighbors start to farm out their extra garden bounty.<br /><br />Fast forward 3 years to this past May. As some of you know, I have a neighbor who graciously offered to share her large garden area with me this summer and teach me the art of gardening. There was no question that zucchini would one of the adventures I'd undertake. With great excitement...and visions of bread, muffins, and cakes...I planted 2 mounds of zucchini with 6 seeds in each mound. I told the seeds that if they'd grow nice and big, I promised to turn their hard work in to lots of yummy things.<br /><br />Fast forward, again, to about a two months ago. The seeds did their part in producing nice big plants...<em>thank you peat moss!</em> However, because the garden is not right outside my back door, I don't check it as often as I should. What happens, you may ask, to nice large zucchini plants that do not get checked on a regular basis? I give you exhibit A:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWNzkhyen0OYlH37l5628dnQJsC043IpOscO1cFlNrpzwZgSyNzZgyveLEeySXJFmmooOrOf-qWYTi0340HPc-GtN9MrS2i7HpVbKfhqJySTFhy4sawtFwlMvdmL1SmVUZrJLMputymAo/s1600/019+(3).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535720474121894130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWNzkhyen0OYlH37l5628dnQJsC043IpOscO1cFlNrpzwZgSyNzZgyveLEeySXJFmmooOrOf-qWYTi0340HPc-GtN9MrS2i7HpVbKfhqJySTFhy4sawtFwlMvdmL1SmVUZrJLMputymAo/s400/019+(3).JPG" /></a><br />Exhibit B:<br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyadZPwOI-QwRQpGCt2OS-qSYW-IXCtCHdy4lOE4Yxvaq-OWn54aGU6d6hNBrt4lgLvWgTsNK0kHzCSVkLX5dSIOyoYKAKBbP8WkRCWGtA2o3fJCANpv7m8tj5N8GiQV8BiFTKH3E2HEa-/s1600/026+(4).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522366513931295714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyadZPwOI-QwRQpGCt2OS-qSYW-IXCtCHdy4lOE4Yxvaq-OWn54aGU6d6hNBrt4lgLvWgTsNK0kHzCSVkLX5dSIOyoYKAKBbP8WkRCWGtA2o3fJCANpv7m8tj5N8GiQV8BiFTKH3E2HEa-/s400/026+(4).JPG" /></a><br />And exhibit C:<br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNawwBxXe2krHIy7TM641yk_M8tGHa5uarl-zZ_JNy0MYbzhgG9RMsO69kLBx4C3nJAJ5LWPRrlPjUDT3Qv9rW_b0qZg99Bc1UdwdxvYFgKv4TRSwcvac97oFS-pCmfvFVh2XpE8S_X65/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535674361044227122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNawwBxXe2krHIy7TM641yk_M8tGHa5uarl-zZ_JNy0MYbzhgG9RMsO69kLBx4C3nJAJ5LWPRrlPjUDT3Qv9rW_b0qZg99Bc1UdwdxvYFgKv4TRSwcvac97oFS-pCmfvFVh2XpE8S_X65/s400/006.JPG" /></a><br /><p>Yes, yes, I know. Someone needs to pick the zucchini more often! Most of those zucchinis are close to 2 feet long and between 5 and 6 inches in diameter.<br /><p>I realize that for most people who grow zucchini consider those baseball bat size squashes to be complete failures. NOT ME! When I see those monsters, I know it's time to pull out my food processor and freezer bags. WOO HOO! I spent a couple hours a couple months ago shredding up all the giant squashes I had and ended up with 40...<em>YES 40!</em>...cups of shredded zucchini.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAfKmZBNPj9P8Bh03xuDv7-esYyo7I8sGGn524NF4jNJicih9gVnNkCS4IUXYqxW0IqoHZGJg3hGdBX9PAaWCtJWqDMZnS0Zct_O_WMeIezUXumxeAyRW3f5wEjrvDlTHlrb-VACjiHk_/s1600/027+(3).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535686161062625122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAfKmZBNPj9P8Bh03xuDv7-esYyo7I8sGGn524NF4jNJicih9gVnNkCS4IUXYqxW0IqoHZGJg3hGdBX9PAaWCtJWqDMZnS0Zct_O_WMeIezUXumxeAyRW3f5wEjrvDlTHlrb-VACjiHk_/s400/027+(3).JPG" /></a></p><p>And you know where most of it went?</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfq1y9i3CdIjzknpjOqqnR-b2WJ53ty84JJEdZ3H56KywAHLMhHciP792qKJgJqPj5r-emjnICCVG8Qlo0m-JS5qMRRTXb07cXRn974zXOc5dv5FCvqaXsUjuVU-ASeFep8GaNRDBy5XO/s1600/030+(3).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522365902105039266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfq1y9i3CdIjzknpjOqqnR-b2WJ53ty84JJEdZ3H56KywAHLMhHciP792qKJgJqPj5r-emjnICCVG8Qlo0m-JS5qMRRTXb07cXRn974zXOc5dv5FCvqaXsUjuVU-ASeFep8GaNRDBy5XO/s400/030+(3).JPG" /></a><br />Yes indeed, right in to my freezer! <em>(My uncle would be so proud!) </em></p><p>Even though most of the shredded goodness ended up in my freezer, I did take advantage of my abundant supply by trying a recipe I've had kicking around in my "try this" recipe pile for about two years. Instead of a basic zucchini bread, this recipe is made with a box of butterscotch pudding. I'm not sure where the recipe came from <em>(or I'd reference it for you)</em>, but whoever created it deserves two thumbs up!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEAsklq0TYR3D9LS6wt2EYsAPMMpqrLJIMB79jAm0HvJjz1_SycXzcH_7PnDOApMqhIRFJOKYmiv7BZnGpojovWw7K1BfUuPX6O7-cTtDjwqlRxCpjGYz0khA_oLaH_xQeyAoqxqUfBZ3/s1600/035+(4).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535681904798897730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipEAsklq0TYR3D9LS6wt2EYsAPMMpqrLJIMB79jAm0HvJjz1_SycXzcH_7PnDOApMqhIRFJOKYmiv7BZnGpojovWw7K1BfUuPX6O7-cTtDjwqlRxCpjGYz0khA_oLaH_xQeyAoqxqUfBZ3/s400/035+(4).JPG" /></a><u></u></p><p><u>Butterscotch Zucchini Bread</u><br />3 eggs<br />1 c oil<br />2 t vanilla<br />2 c sugar<br />2 c grated zucchini<br />2 c flour<br />1 t baking soda<br />1 t salt<br />1 t cinnamon<br />1/2 t ginger<br />1/2 t nutmeg<br />1/4 t baking powder<br />1/2 rolled oats<br />1 sm pkg butterscotch pudding<br />1 c nuts, raisins, or dates (optional)<br />Mix bread ingredients. Pour in 2 large greased, floured, wax paper lined loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.<br /><br />As far as the pudding goes, I've used regular once or twice, but I typically have sugar-free on hand and use it most often. The sugar-free does not seem to impact the bread in any way, so I say use it if that's what you have. I find that butterscotch can often be an overwhelming flavor. However, you don't have to worry about that here. The pudding simply adds a great deal of moisture to the bread without overpowering it with butterscotch flavor. Also, the first time or two I made the recipe I included the nuts. I've stopped doing that. I'm convinced that 99% of the time when a recipe says "nuts optional" they should be used, but not in this instance. The bread is so moist, the nuts get lost in it. With pecans nearing $5.50 a pound these days, they are wasted here.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBq0NUDLSxyaCWS4NRLh31o8cve86S9FCixDQP6gTjvSSPo7l22Voj0vEdG5IVq9wvqLSb5h0SZfx3V0ylGp91n0xb5Z5ylGMHZIPPNgTVyeh6Fhst8C6V7YiG67FBRbdaOBTPeUMXOaK/s1600/033+(3).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535682782382756370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBq0NUDLSxyaCWS4NRLh31o8cve86S9FCixDQP6gTjvSSPo7l22Voj0vEdG5IVq9wvqLSb5h0SZfx3V0ylGp91n0xb5Z5ylGMHZIPPNgTVyeh6Fhst8C6V7YiG67FBRbdaOBTPeUMXOaK/s400/033+(3).JPG" /></a>I've made this recipe as a treat for my neighbors <em>(hence the small plates of slices)</em> and as a refreshment for a class I went to. It's been a huge hit each and every time! If you are fortunate to have a bounty of zucchini from your own garden, if you have to buy some at your local grocery store, or if you need to come raid my freezer, try this recipe. You won't be disappointed!<br /><br /><em>SIDE NOTE: I gave this recipe out at a class I went to. If you picked up the recipe at that class, I sadly forgot the cinnamon when wrote it down. The recipe really needs the cinnamon, so please add it to the recipe you have!<br /><br />SIDE NOTE #2: I took 3 huge zucchinis to my family in California last week. My sister, and blog partner, now has 26 cups of shredded zucchini in her freezer! How hilarious is that! </em></p><p><em>SIDE NOTE #3: With the rest of the 40 cups that I did not freeze, I made mini loaves of pumpkin zucchini bread for Mr. C to take as Christmas gifts to families in the neighborhood he visits. My freezer currently runneth over!</p></em><p><br /></p>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-81848352644522061972010-08-04T06:39:00.023-06:002010-11-04T13:03:50.337-06:00What's in this cookie?<div align="left">I don't know if you're like me or not, but I love to take fun treats to take with me when I go places--like to a dentist appointment or a church meeting. It's always nice to surprise a group of people with an unexpected goodie! And nothing brings a smile to some one's face quicker than a plate of cookies. Brownies? Sometimes. Chocolate? Oh baby! But still, there is something about a plate of cookies that warms the heart, fills the belly, and feeds the soul.<br /><br />Several years ago a friend of mine shared some cookies with me that I had never enjoyed the likes of before. I loved them, but couldn't pinpoint the flavor. I finally had to ask, "What is in this cookie?" When she told me the special ingredient, I recognized it right away and kicked myself for not realizing it sooner. Since that day, I've made this cookie recipe countless times. (It was one of the first things I taught in a cooking class!) When I wanted to take a couple containers of treats to a church meeting a couple weeks ago, this cookies seemed a perfect choice. As I watched those at the meeting munch and smile and munch and smile, I was a happy gal. But, as it always happens with this recipe, I didn't leave that night without someone saying to me, "What's in this cookie?"<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxr4zfsHvm-MGT7pOWDErRFoQcwtNx9Gm0Kpe0a_F0KMuBmVcN3RDcL46E994EYWp0VpRRAAXGGhAhPjdZy1wHknTkOeMd-byQycdmAfoPQiUCTCJ8y59x2tX4P05l29EUDnSffUR7ikb/s1600/018.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502160762361461042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxr4zfsHvm-MGT7pOWDErRFoQcwtNx9Gm0Kpe0a_F0KMuBmVcN3RDcL46E994EYWp0VpRRAAXGGhAhPjdZy1wHknTkOeMd-byQycdmAfoPQiUCTCJ8y59x2tX4P05l29EUDnSffUR7ikb/s400/018.JPG" /> <p align="left"></a>(Once again, please pardon the odd blue tint that comes from the so called "natural sunlight" bulbs in my kitchen.) </p><p align="left">This recipe came from my friend Cheryl who got it directly from the cafeteria at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.lds.org">Jordan River Temple</a>. She and her husband always enjoyed the cookie there, so she asked for the recipe. What is the secret ingredient in this ever-popular goodie you may be asking? The secret, my friends, is ROOT BEER!<br /><br />No...no...no...we're not talking a can of soda here. We are talking extract or concentrate. You know, the stuff that's on sale at your local grocery store during the summer because everyone is making homemade root beer! </p><div align="left"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdpyVVPu_FGuls5k3DnKtu5sYZlfQsDlCPRbHbiiTGqv2PGu5WTFvJ5uxe4kGZw4caQqQ1rVoG1TJ23ZULMP8duz1t6mUUN-pc4JAPzs0MLpNljMw5dPxWVSGl0gCkmkM8VzY2DtPPhCZ/s1600/008+(4).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502161738778372178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdpyVVPu_FGuls5k3DnKtu5sYZlfQsDlCPRbHbiiTGqv2PGu5WTFvJ5uxe4kGZw4caQqQ1rVoG1TJ23ZULMP8duz1t6mUUN-pc4JAPzs0MLpNljMw5dPxWVSGl0gCkmkM8VzY2DtPPhCZ/s400/008+(4).JPG" /> <p align="left"></a>In all the times I've made this recipe, I've always used root beer concentrate from the grocery store. I'd heard of root beer extract, but I'd never seen it. Never, that is, until I entered <a href="http://www.gygi.com/">kitchen heaven</a> a few months ago. (If you live in the Salt Lake area, or anywhere within driving distance, I suggest you get in your car and drive there immediately.) I decided to buy the extract and give it a try. The cost was more than the concentrate, but I bought it hoping the flavor would be stronger than the concentrate and worth the extra dollars.<br /><br />It wasn't...on either account. The flavor level was exactly the same. Want my advice? Don't pay the extra for the extract. Just stock up on the concentrate during the summer when it's on sale and you'll be fine. (As a side note, contrary to popular belief there is no cocoa in this recipe. The color comes from the concentrate.)<br /><br />Let's take a look at the recipe and we'll chat about it on the flip side.<br /><br /><u>Root Beer Cookies</u> (makes 6 dozen)<br />1 c butter<br />2 c brown sugar<br />1 c buttermilk (I always use powdered)<br />2 1/2 (3) t root beer extract or concentrate<br />2 eggs<br />1 t salt<br />1 t baking soda<br />4 c flour (you may need more)<br />Frosting:<br />1/3-1/2 c butter<br />3 c powdered sugar<br />3 T water<br />2 1/2 (4) t root beer extract or concentrate<br />Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the buttermilk, extract, and eggs. Mix. Add the salt, baking soda, and flour. Mix well. If the dough is sticky, add more flour. Drop by rounded tablespoons on to a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. For frosting, mix all ingredients together until you get the consistency you want. Frost cookies when they are cool.<br /><br />OK, now that you know what's in the recipe, let's talk about a few things.</p><p align="left">First, the flour. You will, most likely, have to add extra. I've added up to 3/4 c. extra before. The dough should not be overly sticky. If you find your in the sticky zone, add extra bit by bit until you get a texture that is a lot like what you'd get with a basic drop/chocolate chip type dough.</p><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBE0HRy3hBLpd1Z6-7HcUeqV__YORfyHoB0HJfICeFuOGN3e5Te0-SCdSuD9DS7yxSXEwv0-20kNq0fuFiuZavjkFuyYxZ0h2WiZYbvJTmJM3939J3mAK7jhLqHyCVeNhvIdhDuTkp8Ouo/s1600/012+(4).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502170944655222914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBE0HRy3hBLpd1Z6-7HcUeqV__YORfyHoB0HJfICeFuOGN3e5Te0-SCdSuD9DS7yxSXEwv0-20kNq0fuFiuZavjkFuyYxZ0h2WiZYbvJTmJM3939J3mAK7jhLqHyCVeNhvIdhDuTkp8Ouo/s400/012+(4).JPG" /></a><br />The cookies should bake up puffy and soft. Try baking one or two alone. If they don't puff up, consider adding a bit more flour.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZhce1QXMvMeLSuOqCnzICGB3Kjw9xTCUhVMQk-GFdglP0sPENyHl8IFrCL8WS9l2npluQ-aXwqEbSHHzLJg2l6AcmuX84mq5tYRdsKYCtPDbBXKwxJiAZ1BYbDZ-C5BOKB3OOsRVibwo/s1600/011+(2).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502169539258948898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZhce1QXMvMeLSuOqCnzICGB3Kjw9xTCUhVMQk-GFdglP0sPENyHl8IFrCL8WS9l2npluQ-aXwqEbSHHzLJg2l6AcmuX84mq5tYRdsKYCtPDbBXKwxJiAZ1BYbDZ-C5BOKB3OOsRVibwo/s400/011+(2).JPG" /></a><br />Second, the buttermilk. Basically, DO NOT leave it out and DO NOT try to substitute regular milk. I have accidentally done the former and the cookies were flat as pancakes. My sister tried the latter and the cookies were a miserable failure. I always cook with powdered buttermilk simply from a money-saving consumer aspect. It works great in this recipe. Whether you use fresh or powdered, it doesn't matter. Just use it!<br /><br />Third, the concentrate. I've given you the amount called for in the original recipe and my own personal preference in parenthesis. I find that the lesser amounts of concentrate are just not enough. I want to be able to taste the root beer. I don't need to feel like I'm guzzling a cold frosty mug of it, but I want to taste the flavor of it. I suggest tasting the frosting before you top the cookies and making sure you're comfortable with the flavor level. Start small so you can add more if you're not happy. But, I'd be surprised if you didn't end up at the higher amount. I don't ever taste the dough. I'd just add the extra to the batter.<br /><br />Speaking of batter, that leads us to number four. The actual cookie in and of itself is surprisingly low on flavor. (This is why I do not hesitate to add the extra concentrate to the batter.) The frosting really makes this cookie so DO NOT LEAVE IT OFF. My sister tried that too and won't do it again. </p><p align="left">How about one more glance at this tasty treat!</p><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2tvIXRi8KOxbPkLvvQQFy3t5TP_LvJSxiufh2cP3xnePQhpYKDLFV08ghaghJH5Yk4JWqQXrLII3SH0dybvuW2PsOJecu_GGhxOEXd1SV5NPhd8xOcAjPYkfZ9KB7pVmqE6Zf68ze0aZ/s1600/021+(3).JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513878226246620114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2tvIXRi8KOxbPkLvvQQFy3t5TP_LvJSxiufh2cP3xnePQhpYKDLFV08ghaghJH5Yk4JWqQXrLII3SH0dybvuW2PsOJecu_GGhxOEXd1SV5NPhd8xOcAjPYkfZ9KB7pVmqE6Zf68ze0aZ/s400/021+(3).JPG" /> <p align="left"></a>Isn't it pretty! This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so it's great for sharing at work, church, or just brightening the day of your friends and neighbors. Make a batch. Eat some and then pass some around. And don't worry, it won't be long until you'll be hearing that ever popular inquiry, "What's in this cookie?"!</p><p align="left">P.S. Is it just me or did you also not reazlize "root beer" is two words not one? Thank you spell check!</p>Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-59838473170352914382010-07-13T09:48:00.003-06:002012-04-07T19:30:54.411-06:00Lemon Cookies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBrUY6PiwuKoxTTBBJ4E-m7SXVvMMEJaRRyTo48ZGZIgVBUQaI88QEjsGvCH8m4KF2-z98vBAz6L1MmsdIkcJanRc9_7p1HNERK7oC0MW_5ORJc-F0BBFsVyJlHIKmYTWZMSflDw3HFg/s1600/Remi+July+2010+090.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493425621466374258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBrUY6PiwuKoxTTBBJ4E-m7SXVvMMEJaRRyTo48ZGZIgVBUQaI88QEjsGvCH8m4KF2-z98vBAz6L1MmsdIkcJanRc9_7p1HNERK7oC0MW_5ORJc-F0BBFsVyJlHIKmYTWZMSflDw3HFg/s400/Remi+July+2010+090.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Not so long ago, I was but a single maiden living in Provo, Utah living with five other single maidens. (Let me tell you, living with five single maidens is not fun. TOO. MUCH. DRAMA.) Down the street from our single maiden apartment was a cookie shop where they would make bouquets of baked goods and deliver. However, you could also go in and buy cookies. I had one roommate who was a big fan of their lemon cookies. They only had them close to the summer but when they had them she went sometimes once a day. (Let me interject here to say this particular roommate was a RAIL. I mean stick thin. She only ate dessert once a day, which to mean sounds inhuman, so you know that the dessert she ate had to be good.) She always wanted to find a recipe for lemon cookies that was just as good as the ones from the cookie shop.</div>
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Fast forward to my dear sister, Jackie's, Christmas cookie party. At these cookie party , the winning cookie was none other than a delicious lemon cookie. I took the recipe home to my roommate and we decided to make them. My roommate loved these cookies, in fact I made them for a bridal shower I hosted for her a few months after. Once I was a married maiden I made them for a party with my husband's family and for all the parties after that it was requested that I bring these cookies, with the recipe attached.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-lxRXdB5Z9iQXHz2eQKeOPs_kcoDFTQFJYRaEJDNX96yUFqh7WF6nh5pxmaTw2cVxVO4QUugu2lS068GYtkzxQCCCRIDvL5XKgjS5QDbURETRWnBUm-34Oc4FaX3BwfVEbbASba05Y4/s1600/Remi+July+2010+091.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493425612777407138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-lxRXdB5Z9iQXHz2eQKeOPs_kcoDFTQFJYRaEJDNX96yUFqh7WF6nh5pxmaTw2cVxVO4QUugu2lS068GYtkzxQCCCRIDvL5XKgjS5QDbURETRWnBUm-34Oc4FaX3BwfVEbbASba05Y4/s400/Remi+July+2010+091.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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These cookies are amazing. They taste just like summer. They are heaven and what makes them so great is how easy they are to make. The recipe suggests putting the glaze on once the cookies have cooled but I like putting it on while they are still warm because it melts into the cookie a little bit adding another layer of flavor. Also, the recipe for the glaze calls for a little lemon zest to act as a little decoration on the top which is completely optional. In fact, I can say with 100% honesty, I've never done it.</div>
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These are the PERFECT addition to your summer parties!!!!</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWrY41ms2WpRELehxzt4jjV0DBAo9JXQoXClEdLN1HPL_RI49vN1QuQqmdQXX9KDYZAqqyzx0uwk5-w76b28xjUDj_KeNml27PW82WqBcAdT_Bo9OAuwf-J2m4NkJFvCedSpMweFiZxc/s1600/Remi+July+2010+093.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493425598724420386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWrY41ms2WpRELehxzt4jjV0DBAo9JXQoXClEdLN1HPL_RI49vN1QuQqmdQXX9KDYZAqqyzx0uwk5-w76b28xjUDj_KeNml27PW82WqBcAdT_Bo9OAuwf-J2m4NkJFvCedSpMweFiZxc/s400/Remi+July+2010+093.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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Lemon Cookies</div>
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Makes A LOT depending upon the size of your dough balls</div>
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Cookies:</div>
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3/4 c. shortening (not butter shortening)</div>
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1 c. sugar</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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2 pkgs. (9 oz.) instant lemon pudding</div>
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2 c. flour</div>
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1/4 t. salt</div>
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3/4 t. soda</div>
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Glaze:</div>
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1 1/2 T. milk</div>
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1 T. butter</div>
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1 1/4 c. powdered sugar</div>
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1 T. lemon juice</div>
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1/2 t. grated lemon</div>
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Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs and beat. Add pudding (dry mix) and dry ingredients. Mix well, roll into balls. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. </div>
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For glaze: melt butter with milk in a pan. Take off heat and stir in powdered sugar--wisk until smooth. Add lemon juice and rind--wisk. Spoon over the tops of warm or cooled cookies. (***Note: this is NOT a lot of glaze so make sure you don't go crazy with the glaze on the first batch. You only need a small amount per glaze as the glaze spreads a ton! Also, make sure you taste your glaze so you know how much powdered sugar and lemon you like best. I like to test and add either lemon or sugar depending on the flavor I like.)</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-1988923657724528122010-07-12T18:38:00.003-06:002010-07-12T18:56:25.407-06:00Peanut Butter Krispie Bars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQC1spt6FtObqvWcmJ2dODcjpMLsJLYtIF8_iwdftEKXeKtXiAQjAJzjaeGKVJPqWR0x4WhkrwbpeU8y_d_kKrgiNcgPu6NxsM7xRjKK2k9ep2AoG1cNxdUdnhJCYAmFDpWs1W-ovqO9Q/s1600/Remi+July+2010+030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQC1spt6FtObqvWcmJ2dODcjpMLsJLYtIF8_iwdftEKXeKtXiAQjAJzjaeGKVJPqWR0x4WhkrwbpeU8y_d_kKrgiNcgPu6NxsM7xRjKK2k9ep2AoG1cNxdUdnhJCYAmFDpWs1W-ovqO9Q/s400/Remi+July+2010+030.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493188041398220674" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">There are a few combinations that I am sure were just MFEO (made for each other). Some of these would be french fries and ranch dressing, lobster and butter, and Mr. E and me. But, the combination that I am so sure was destined for greatness is peanut butter and chocolate. I will eat anything that has peanut butter and chocolate. In fact, I'd probably eat it on chicken, in soup, in a box, with a fox, and wearing socks. It's heaven. Heaven.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Did I mention that chocolate and peanut butter are heaven? Because, they are.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was excited to find this new recipe in the newest issue of Everyday Food. It was the final recipe and in my mind, they saved the very best for last. I decided to make some to give to my husband as he attended to his ecclesiastical duties in visiting some families.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">These are really delicious but there is only one thing I would change...MORE CHOCOLATE. The recipe originally called for one bag which you put between the layers of the rice krispies and then a thin layer on top but this recipe needs a TON more. A TON. In fact, add three bags if you really need it and please, while the recipe called for semi-sweet chocolates, use milk chocolates. Semi-sweet chocolate just seems unnatural.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRzl9az9yGb1EjB6fVFWSEnfap7fquwNDyVYD6pBrmTl1sHMoAosuvmvf2PE2Zq46C1PXrXuKkIS5YNG0orCBmL2H_CcARBtHXrKgpxwJNNtNnDhWpxsPSZOkq3_YBplauzQEs5I1Bzg/s1600/Remi+July+2010+032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRzl9az9yGb1EjB6fVFWSEnfap7fquwNDyVYD6pBrmTl1sHMoAosuvmvf2PE2Zq46C1PXrXuKkIS5YNG0orCBmL2H_CcARBtHXrKgpxwJNNtNnDhWpxsPSZOkq3_YBplauzQEs5I1Bzg/s400/Remi+July+2010+032.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493188035277653074" /></a><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;">If you are curious what I really added to this recipe it would be the use of the foil (or you could use parchment paper) in he dish. I put the foil in so that there was a could couple of inches hanging over the sides. This way, when I went to pull the dish and cut it in to the bars I was didn't have to try to work around the sides of the pan. Instead I just pulled the sides of the foil out and then could cut really easily...plus I didn't have to clean a dish!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjVpHLWjgoFUkiFoajtU9VlfC4m-yVqrtDo6uHhqvJcUmhLF0NBO7wkVOMFsIWbCOqfpyIifZ8jYbKQtOTtyF4W3xreVinAE9LB-Pqeugc39dV21iCY3phbARGvGjFlNMiNz9dWYSgWU/s1600/Remi+July+2010+033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjVpHLWjgoFUkiFoajtU9VlfC4m-yVqrtDo6uHhqvJcUmhLF0NBO7wkVOMFsIWbCOqfpyIifZ8jYbKQtOTtyF4W3xreVinAE9LB-Pqeugc39dV21iCY3phbARGvGjFlNMiNz9dWYSgWU/s400/Remi+July+2010+033.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493188024579587186" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div>If you are curious what I really added to this recipe it would be the use of the foil (or you could use parchment paper) in he dish. I put the foil in so that there was a could couple of inches hanging over the sides. This way, when I went to pull the dish and cut it in to the bars I was didn't have to try to work around the sides of the pan. Instead I just pulled the sides of the foil out and then could cut really easily...plus I didn't have to clean a dish!</div><div><br /></div><div>Peanut Butter Krispie Bars</div><div>makes one 8x8 pan</div><div><br /></div><div>3 T. unsalted butter</div><div>4 c. miniature marshmallows (plus an extra cup to snack on whilst you bake)</div><div>1/3 c. creamy peanut butter</div><div>1/2 t. coarse salt</div><div>6 c. puffed rice cereal</div><div>nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil</div><div>2 packages (24 oz.) milk chocolate chips (I think it might even be delicious to try dark)</div><div>1/4 c. chopped, roasted salted peanuts</div><div>aluminum foil or parchment paper</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Put a layer of aluminum foil or parchment paper in the 8x8 pan with some of the foil/paper overlapping of the sides. This will make the bars easier to remove and keep the pieces together. Spray the foil/paper with nonstick spray or butter. In a large pot, combine marshmallows, peanut butter, butter, and salt. Cook over medium, stirring CONSTANTLY, until melted, about four minutes or so. Add cereal and stir. With a wooded spoon greased with cooking spray or oil, press half the cereal mixture into dish. Spread half of the melted chocolate on top. Repeat with remaining cereal mixture and chocolate. Sprinkle top with peanuts. </div><div><br /></div><div>(Store in an airtight container for up to three days.)</div></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833850702354997796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6432193948247445521.post-6179391596408417202010-07-10T22:35:00.011-06:002011-10-06T17:50:44.596-06:00Caramel HeavenI love homemade caramel. Then again, who doesn't? I learned to love homemade caramel candy after feasting on a batch made by my friend Cheryl. The delightful little candies were creamy and smooth. I could have eaten a hundred of them. <em>(I probably have since first trying them.)</em> Cheryl also showed me the joy of licorice caramels when she added anise extract to a batch of her fabulous creations. Since I love black licorice, there was no question about whether or not I'd love the caramels. When Mr. C and I were dating, I took licorice caramels to some of his family members as I met them. <em>(The C family is a black licorice loving bunch!)</em><br />
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Imagine my joy back in May when some homemade caramels were given to me as a favor at a Mother's Day tea party I went to. It had been a while since I had nibbled on some homemade goodness, so I dove in and had a piece. HELP ME RHONDA, my caramel world stopped. These caramels were, far and away, THE BEST homemade caramels I'd ever had. They were so soft, chewy, and bursting with that unmistakable caramel flavor. PLUS, they had a layer of nuts on the bottom. In all my years of caramel munching, I'd never had homemade caramels with nuts. Having tried this new version of my old classic, I knew I'd never go back to where I'd been. There was one good/bad thing about my gifted treasures. They had been made with walnuts. This was bad for Mr. C who is deathly allergic to walnuts. But, this was good for me because it meant I got to eat them all myself! <em>(I did tell Mr. C I was sorry he couldn't have any as I repeatedly stuffed them in my mouth!)</em><br />
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<em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKe35to26aRDlrFHj8CxV7_l7jK7IbQ9mnnjR-ytSZXesh1geJ8JpVGFc8ivti74Yj9KLkcgemIB38ACeNa6zq131eURSNQ01-r7FAnDKEIwcxWjV57lMdl8uENSX7NMO85VpnF42fs-nL/s1600/007.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492514443025566898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKe35to26aRDlrFHj8CxV7_l7jK7IbQ9mnnjR-ytSZXesh1geJ8JpVGFc8ivti74Yj9KLkcgemIB38ACeNa6zq131eURSNQ01-r7FAnDKEIwcxWjV57lMdl8uENSX7NMO85VpnF42fs-nL/s400/007.JPG" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
After arriving home from the tea party, I immediately emailed the hostess BEGGING for the recipe. She kindly obliged. <em>(Thanks Kristi!)</em> When I needed a treats to put with a church message this week, these caramels seemed the perfect option. Plus, the recipe gave me a chance to finally use the new digital thermometer my dad's wife had given me for Christmas. <em>(I've been on a year long hunt for a reliable digital candy thermometer and Donna surprised me with one from Williams-Sonoma!)</em><br />
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<strong><u>Homemade Caramels with Nuts</u></strong><br />
1 c butter<br />
1 16-oz pkg. brown sugar (2 1/4 c)<br />
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk<br />
1 c light corn syrup<br />
1 t vanilla<br />
1 c chopped nuts (I use pecans)<br />
Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with foil extending edges over the pan. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle prepared pan with nuts. In a heavy 3 qt. saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar, condensed milk, and corn syrup. Mix well. Cook and stir over med-high heat to boiling. Cook and stir over med heat to 238 degrees. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla. Immediately pour caramel mixture in to the prepared pan. Let cool. When caramel is firm, use foil to lift it out of the pan and lift the caramel piece off the foil. <em>(I cut mine directly on my countertop.)</em> Use a buttered knife to cut in to 1" squares. Wrap squares in wax paper squares. Makes 2 lbs.<br />
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This recipe was very similar to the version I had been using with a couple of exceptions (besides the nuts). My old recipe calls for 1 1/2 c of light corn syrup. This one only uses 1 c. And, my old recipe called for 2 c of white sugar while this one uses 2 1/4 c of brown. <em>(I'm convinced the brown sugar is one of they keys to this version being as fabulous as it is.)</em> If you don't like nuts, you can easily not use them. If you like nuts, USE THEM. It takes your candy to a whole new level!<br />
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Oh yeah, and the <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/digital-oil-and-candy-thermometer/?pkey=x%7C4%7C1%7C%7C4%7Cdigital%20thermometer%7C%7C0&cm_src=SCH">digital thermometer </a>worked like a dream. I'll never go back to the dial kind.<br />
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Two quick side notes. First, make sure you have your caramel off the heat when you pour in your vanilla (or other extract you are using to flavor your candy). Even off the heat, the extract will react a bit with your hot caramel. On the heat, it's just plain dangerous. I always stand back just a bit when pouring my extract in so I'm free of splatters and the inevitable vapors that result. Second, the recipe says you can use 2 c of light cream in place of the condensed milk if you want, but it will double the time it takes to get to 238 degrees. You'll be stirring for 45+ minutes rather than 15-20.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsG9RzuvsQIANyYEwoEF9ax29QFNoGbkArFkEE6ylVC7Sh0S0JjIen-NYSPzCPjpf2cBflGZtSMf-EljGbstxt6A3q7ACsY43dG0M05-I84JgIUmGmtNRaUlHtmTVaQe4J4hR79faWkzLX/s1600/009+(5).JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492514050553268818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsG9RzuvsQIANyYEwoEF9ax29QFNoGbkArFkEE6ylVC7Sh0S0JjIen-NYSPzCPjpf2cBflGZtSMf-EljGbstxt6A3q7ACsY43dG0M05-I84JgIUmGmtNRaUlHtmTVaQe4J4hR79faWkzLX/s400/009+(5).JPG" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Mr. C was so kind to wrap all my little beauties as I tried to cut them. <em>(The recipe isn't kidding when it suggests a buttered knife. I had to spray my knife with Pam after cutting each row.)</em> He ran in to a bit of trouble when some of the wax paper squares I'd cut were too small for square caramels so he started rolling and wrapping them in an oblong shape. I will confess a couple got gobbled up before being wrapped. I still had quite a few left after what I needed for my church stuff and also filling a container for Mr. C to hand out at work. After having 2 of them for breakfast the next morning, I started farming them out to friends. They're a great way to add a little to happiness to some one's day. Plus, I knew I was doomed to eat them all if they continued to live in my kitchen. Double bonus!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJuf7PCHo3jv7XFXB_swnjymlwWJ5VTaAru-RFqdCSchyEpwIYdTE1112xHIIzUH0buyy3QSsbT614eWvd2Z5ZnuQjfEMAY0_JRcrWOCsNWCh6_nFrO6lmiWK9k9B41MFDfocia4hR7dL/s1600/005+(3).JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492515296526828466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJuf7PCHo3jv7XFXB_swnjymlwWJ5VTaAru-RFqdCSchyEpwIYdTE1112xHIIzUH0buyy3QSsbT614eWvd2Z5ZnuQjfEMAY0_JRcrWOCsNWCh6_nFrO6lmiWK9k9B41MFDfocia4hR7dL/s400/005+(3).JPG" style="display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Go make a batch of these...right now...go make them. And just so you won't get too sick from eating them all, share them with your friends and neighbors. I will confess to still having a couple here in the house. Just thinking about them is making my mouth water. OK, that's it. I'm going to find one.<br />
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P.S. If you want licorice flavored caramels, or any other flavor for that matter, add a dram or two (depending on how strong you want your flavor) to the caramel mixture when you add the vanilla. But, stand back. The oil will react like the vanilla and cause some vapors for a few seconds. It's nothing major, but I thought you should know. Consider yourself warned!<br />
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P.P.S. on 10/6/11...So, I've done a little revamping of this post. After making my caramels again, I'm back to my original 238 degree stopping point. I have updated that in this post. Also, the bigger your pan, the thinner your caramels will be, so choose your pan size accordingly. <em>(I typically use a 7 X 11 pan because I like my pieces about the size of a caramel square you'd get at a candy shop.)</em> I've also found an easier way to cut my pieces, rather than getting my knife all gummed up, is to roll a pizza cutter back and forth really quickly. The thicker the caramels the gummier your cutter will get, but it can be better than a knife at times.Jackiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15514469137127288056noreply@blogger.com0