What's for Dinner?

Arroz Verde (Green Rice)

2011-05-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've been asked for this recipe A LOT. It's from "The 150 Best American Recipes" a book I would reccomend to anyone, every recipe is worth it, and I wouldn't say that lightly about a cookbook.

Arroz Verde
1 cup tightly Packed stemmed spinach leaves (a big wad)
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro springs (i do half a bunch)
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups broth
1tsp salt
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1/4 cup minced onion ( I do up to one onion)

Place the spinach, cilantro, and broth in a blender and blend until pureed. Add teh milk and salt adn blend till well combined.
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the rice and saute, stirring frequently, until it just begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add teh onion and garlic and cook for 1 min mroe, stirring constantly. Add teh spinach mixture, stir well, increase the heat to low, and cook for 20 min (DON"T STIR). AFTER the 20 min, stir the rice carefully to avoid crushing it, cover and cook 5 min more. Remove from heat, let the rice steam in the covered pot 10 more min, or just start eating it for goodness sakes!

Orange-Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

From "The Cookie Party Cookbook" by Robin L. Olson recieved from a dear friend for my Birthday!
No pictures cause they were so good that they didn't last long enough.

1/2 cup shortening
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated orange zest (I just grated a whole orange peel zest)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray with oil.
Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat on low speed till smooth and creamy. Add teh vanilla and orange zest and beat well. In a small bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the creamed mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfulls onto cookie sheet.
Bake for 12-15 min or until the edges are just beginning to get brown. Remove from oven, cool and EAT!!!

Valentines Chocolate Sugar Explosion Cake

2011-02-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

Food snobs need not read ahead. I used a box, and...dun dun dun...a small amount of canned frosting **gasp!!** Still curious? Read ahead...

Recipe
Make a chocolate box cake mix according to directions. Bake in your heart shaped thingy. When it cools, cut in half and do a layer of filling.

Center Strawberry Marshmallow Filling
Mix equal parts marshmallow fluff with pink strawberry frosting from a can. (FYI for food snobs, you can buy this in the baking asile by the cake mixes;)
Now for the homemade part:

My BFF Toni's "Old Standby Frosting Recipe"
I use this all the time cause it's so good, and I'm kind of a dummy when it comes to frosting, having ruined more than a few batches. So this is dummy proof. Just the right amount of chocolate to sweet. Oh, and PS Toni's not a dummy, that's why this is her "stand by" and my "go to." You would not believe the kinds of amazing things she can make!

My Old Stand-by Frosting Recipe
From Toni Taylor

I have no idea where I got this recipe but have been using it for years

Whisk until smooth

1 stick melted butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Add alternatively, blending for 2 minutes

3 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until light and fluffy

Makes 3 cups or enough for 30 cupcakes or a 2 layer cake

Wonderful Caramels

2010-12-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

These have been a tradition in the Kreider fam since I was little. Mom would make a batch, turn on Christmas music, and we'd all sit around the table wrapping caramels, and eating more than a few! Here's our recipe, with an addition from yours truly to make them Gingerbread caramels. Translation: they taste like Christmas. I know a lot of you have expressed fear about making candy. It isn't that bad. Trust me. This is coming from the girl who can't bake a cake from scratch to save my life. You just have to babysit the caramels while cooking or else disaster will strike. Experience reminds me that it's best if there are no little kids running around your feet. It's molten hot boiling sugar, and really you shouldn't leave it alone. Please read all the way through before you start! This makes a gigantic batch of 12 dozen or more depending on how small you cut them, but believe me, you'll be glad you made so many.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT
Large stock pot
Candy Thermometer (costs like 3 bucks at Walmart! Just get one already...) and no you can't use another kind of thermometer, it doesn't work right, I've already tried that, and it got over cooked.
Cookie sheet

INGREDIENTS
2 Sticks Salt Free butter
1 1/2 Cups Dark Karo Syrup
4 Cups Heavy Cream
4 Cups Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla

SPICES
**it's very helpful to get them measured out and in a small bowl before you start.
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

DIRECTIONS
Get out your big stock pot. Mix Sugar and butter with HALF of the cream. Bring to a boil.
Add the rest of the cream, and the Karo syrup. Bring to a boil again.
Put your Candy thermometer on the side of your pot, and get ready to babysit.
Cook to the Firmball stage which is 248 degrees. ** Stir often. This takes about an hour-ish?
Take off the heat, and stir in the vanilla and spices.
Pour into a greased cookie sheet, and let it set until it cools.
Cut, wrap, share and eat!!! We cut wax paper squares and roll the caramels in the center , then twist the ends. It also works well to use plastic wrap.

**I usually hover between medium and high for the first while, but stay right by the stove cause once it really gets going it can boil over easily in the beginning. I mean it. Like, it will quadruple in size and go everywhere! If it looks like it's going to blow...take it off the heat for a min, an stir it. Then when you get it to a good steady boil, stick around between med and low, adjusting as needed to keep it going. I feel like the last 25 degrees takes forever, so I stay close and crank up the heat as needed, then let it boil at 248 for 3 min or so.
If you like your caramels on the firmer chewier side, let it cook a few min longer.

So I know it sounds a little complicated, but seriously, how long does it take to make dozens of cookies etc and arrange them in precious little Christmas boxes? Good things come in small packages. Just give out a dozen or so caramels, they are worth their weight in gold.

Macaroni and Cheese (and SQUASH!!)

2010-12-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

Is it wrong to get such a thrill out of sneaking my kids veggies? This is my fav sneaky lunch for the kids.

Ingredients
1 box Macaroni and Cheese (I like the Annies brand, cause it has no chemicals etc which would probably defeat the purpose of adding veggies...)
1 T. butter
1/3 cup milk
1/4-1/2 cup pureed butternut squash***

Make the mac like it says on the box...while the noodles are draining, melt the butter in the pot, add the milk and cheese and squash, salt to taste, extra cheese if you want till every thing is smooth, and dump in the noodles. TA DA! It's still orange, extra creamy, and slightly sweeter than regular Mac but that's usually ok with kids. Mwa ha ha ha.

***Note on the puree thingy...After reading and trying a few recipes from "Deceptively Delicious" and realizing that the concept was great, but the recipes needed a LOT of tweaking...I've gotten in the habit of buying squash, sweet potatos and other veggies once a month or so and baking them on one day, then pureeing and freezing in 1/2 cup segments. It sounds like a lot of work but really it's not, and a couple hours yeilds a month's of "supplements" for food. By a couple hours, I mean a few min of work cause all you do is put stuff in the oven and ignore it, then when it cools you puree it and freeze it.

Apple Pie

2010-12-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is our fav Apple Pie recipe. I've posted about it before...but it's becoming a tradition for Thanksgiving!

Happy (but Soapy) Breakfast

2010-10-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Kinda funny...We made this Happy Breakfast of Maple Toast Cups and Bacon, and all was well, till this weird soapy aftertaste kicked in. Turns out my little silicone ramekins retained a delightful residue of dishwasher soap.
Oops.

Edible flower Salad

2010-10-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

Oh isn't this pretty? I grew Nasturtium in my garden this year, and it has proven to be an easy to grow plant, beautiful and tasty! You can eat the entire plant, leaves and flowers. Here are some tips on growing Nasturtiums.

15 years later...

2010-09-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

LONG AGO in the days of my teenage hood in Vermont, my mom started this quilt, which I loved. It was originally for her bed, but it never got finished because like someone who took after her, she never finished anything for herself! Well, 15 years later I inherited the unfinished blocks, and one day whipped up this little lap quilt. Yay! It feels so good to give it life after years and years in a box:) Also it's comfy! I took a risk and used polar fleece on the back. Call me lazy or cheap, but it's nice and warm, and didn't need batting.
Why is this on my cooking blog you say? Cause I'm slowly taking over with quilts. Just watch.

You wish you had these SPRING ROLLS and STIR FRY

2010-08-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yes that says "squid brand" on the fish sauce bottle. But don't worry, it's not really squid. It's anchovy water. These are way too complicated and you won't want to make them (or I'm too lazy to type the recipe), I just had to brag on Josh. If you come visit ask for these. Worth the HUGE MESS it makes. Seriously.

BEFORE

AFTER

Night of the Living Tomato Plants

2010-07-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

Holy Tomato Plants!!!! I didn't expect this, and am already chastising myself for not caging these beasts early in spring. Those huge bushy things in the front are Basil. Things in the pots are various herbs.

Here are a few flowers that a friend gave me. Wasn't sure if they would live cause they were close to dead when I transplanted. But...ta da! Rebechia, Echinacia, and Nasturtium. Pardon the weeds...Tomato Recipes to follow.

Garlic Basil Toast with Robots

2010-07-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

It's not that we never cook...it's just that I let my friends do the hard work of discovering new recipes, and then make what they made;) But, a week or so ago, we made this:

Slice French or Italian bread, arrange on a cookie sheet.

In a small bowl, mix:

1 stick of butter softened

a bunch of garlic to taste (2-4 cloves?)

Parmesan cheese (a handful?)

salt and pepper

a large handful of chopped herbs from your garden (probably like...3 Tablespoons when chopped)

this time I used: Thyme, Basil, Oregano and Rosemary. Less of the others, more of Basil.

Spread a ridiculous amount of the butter mixture on each piece of toast, then bake at 350 center rack for 10 min. Since we're not doing rocket science or experiments for the government, you can just put in a pinch of this, a handful of that, I love this kind of thing.

My Garden

2010-06-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

It hasn't died yet! Cross your fingers!

If I can't BE Rainbow Brite...

2010-06-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

At least we can make her cupcakes....
These were kind of a pain initially, but they are so darn cute, and what a surprise when you bite into them!!!
I think next time I might do a whole cake, so that it won't take as long. But really, they are so cute it's work a little effort. At least the batter is super easy. From my friend Toni's blog, who got it from this blog...
http://thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/2010/03/because-life-isnt-always-rainbows-and.html
Rainbow Cupcakes
I think they need to be called "Rainbow Sprinkle-Sparkle Treats" or something like that.

Shell Casserole from Aunt Mable

2010-05-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

From "Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery" book, here's one of our new family Sunday dinners.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cups hot water
2 tsp beef bullion granules
2 Tablespoons red wine
6 oz large shell shaped pasta
1 two ounce can sliced mushrooms (i always leave out)
1 cup sour cream

In a skillet, cook ground beef and onion until red color dissapears. Drain beef; place in slow cooker. Stir in sald, garlic powder, worchestershire sauce and flour. Add water, bullion and wine, mix well. Cover and cook on LOW 2-3 hours. Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Add cooked pasta , mushrooms and sour cream to slow cooker, stir to mix ingredients. Turn to HIGH for 10-15 min. EAT!

Easy Healthy Breakfeast

2010-05-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, it' won't be "healthy" once I'm done with it, but it could be a lot worse remember...this started as a low cal full flavor breakfast recipe from a magazine. Then we came along...

Lightly toast English muffins
Spread on leftover refrigerated hollandaise sauce ( it's like spreadable butter the next day!) OR a little mayo or mayo/grey poupon mix
Place Canadian bacon on top
then cheese, whatever you like, but the good SHARP Cabot from VT is my fav for this application
then sliced tomato, fresh herb of your choice, salt pepper (The kids don't like this, and it's actually quite good anyway)

Broil for 5 min.
EAT

Sometimes we put a poached egg, or change up the cheese.
Like my herb pot? I'm very excited about it.

Lemony Mothers Day

2010-05-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day

Lemon Posset

Another one that is ridiculously simple, but a knock out. From 150 Best. A cross between pudding and mousse. Heavy cream is quickly becoming my favorite ingredient.

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

Juice of two lemons

Raspberries and confectioners sugar for garnish.

Bring the cream and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir vigorously 2-3 min more until thickened. Off the heat, whisk in the lemon juice. Pour into small cups or glasses, let cool slightly, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours. DON'T stir it. It will sort of goop back together, but just let it set in the fridge.

Here it is all finished next to the beautiful flower box that G and Daddy built at Lowes for Mothers Day:)

Cream Scones

2010-05-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

I love Scones. SO MUCH. After looking at lots of recipes, I always come back to this one, because it's ridiculously simple. No fussing with eggs, cutting in butter, and it's a one bowl deal. Can be thrown together in 10-15 min and they take less time to cook. From the JOY OF COOKING. My friend from England who was incredibly homesick gobbled these up.

Position a rack in the center of the oven, preheat to 425. Have ready a large ungreased baking sheet (a pizza stone works really well).

Whisk together in a large bowl:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

At this phase add in any of the following you like, although they are great plain too.
1/2 cup dried fruit, chocolate chips, cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus zest...

Pour over dry ingredients, and stir until just barely moistened:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream.

Gather the dough into a ball, and gently knead it against the bowl a few times till it sticks together in a rough ball. Transfer to a lightly floured surface, and pat into an 8 in disc about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 or 12 wedges, place on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with cream or milk. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake 12-15 min, till golden brown. Let cool or serve warm.

Today I added nutmeg, orange zest, apricots and chocolate chips.
Here's the baby squealing as the oven timer went off.

Baked Eggs in Maple Toast Cups

2010-04-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Yet another from the "150 Best American Recipes" that has made it to my frequently cooked category. As in, I make it a couple times a month. So easy, and it looks really fancy, but I don't even need the recipe anymore. So instead of typing it word for word...

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter melted
1 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup (the real stuff please!!!)
6 slices of bread with crusts cut off (regular store bread works great)
3 slices bacon cooked till crisp and crumbled
6 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400, butter 6 muffin cups, or 6 ramekins, or use silicone cupcake cups

Combine maple syrup and melted butter

cut off crusts from the bread slices, and flatten with a rolling pin. brush both sides with the butter/maple mixture, and stuff down inside the muffin cup.

sprinkle some bacon on top of the toast (i never seem to have the bacon on hand, and it's just wonderful even without it) then crack an egg into each cup.

Bake until eggs are set, start checking after about 5 min, but if using individual ramekins it's more like 15 min.

Serve in the ramekins, or tip them out and they hold their shape. So fun! We love them!

Chocolate Ice Cream Taste Test

2010-04-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Two expert Ice cream eaters were put to the test. Which chocolate ice cream is indeed the best? Haagen Dazs, Ben and Jerry's, or Breyers? The subjects were blindfolded, provided with pallet cleansing water in between brands, and the result? Haagen Dazs was the favorite, mostly for the texture, with Breyers as a close second for flavor.
Now you know. Thanks Josh and Joel.

If Cake and Fudge Had a Baby...

2010-04-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

it would look like (and taste like) this. "Isn't that just a brownie?" you might ask. No, in fact, it is not a brownie, but a strange yet delicious cake-flavored-fudge-textured hybrid. Another winner from the "150 Best American Recipes" book my friends and I are cooking through. The best part: FOOL PROOF, cause when it comes to cake, I'm definitely a fool. So easy. Read and find out. I love that the recipe suggests you cut the leftovers into cubes, and freeze to be used with ice cream at a later date. I think it might look prettier baked in a round form, but it would lend itself well to all sorts of shapes I imagine. Also, it looks small, but trust me, all you need is a tiny piece, so don't fret about making enough for a large group of company.

Grandmother's Creamy Chocolate Cake
from "The 150 Best American Recipes" cookbook

16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into pieces
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature (oops, didn't do that, but it still turned out)
1/4 cup flour
Whipped cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream for serving

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and set a rack in the middle level. butter an 8 inch square baking pan and line it with foil.

Melt the butter, chocolate, and sugar in a medium heavy saucepan over medium low heat, stirring almost constantly until well blended. Remove the pan from heat and let stand 3 min.

One by one, whisk in the eggs. Sift the flour over the mixture and stir in. Rap the sauce pan on the counter to deflate any air bubbles and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Put the baking pan inside a larger pan and fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan.

Bake for 35-40 min (was more like 50-60!) or until the cake tester is set on top and a knife inserted int eh center comes out streaky but not wet. Lift the pan out of the water bath and place on a cooling rack. Let come to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least one hour before un molding.

When the cake is cold, gently turn it over onto a serving platter. lift off the pan and carefully remove the foil. Serve cold or at room temperature with whipped cream, cream fraiche, or ice cream.

Santa Rosa Plum Galette

2010-03-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

Again from the 150 Best...it was not very difficult to make, the pastry was easy and very very good, and I will most definitely make that again. Some notes: LINE THE OVEN WITH FOIL. So glad I did. Juice leaks out. It was VERY tart, maybe it was just my plums, but the full dose of sugar was not enough. Overall it was a success, however I would not make it with plums again, but will try maybe fresh peaches, or pears.
Another note: when all said and done, it looks like a small animal was slaughtered on my counter, at least that's what it looked like out of the corner of my eye...eww.

Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Avocado

2010-03-12T05:01:00.000-08:00

This was "life changing" soup, and will always remain in my most favorite of favorites. A lot of people underestimate chicken thighs, but they have so much flavor, and they really add a lot to this recipe. For me just the right amount of spice. It burns without being painful, but you can adjust the chili powder to your liking. Josh loved this, even with the avocado, which he normally doesn't like. Better the second day. Seemed complicated the first time, but the second time we made this, I could almost do it without looking at the book.

NOTES: I found that adding the corn and beans and tomatoes to the bowls first made the soup cold too fast. I put it in the pot so they could be hot as well. Keep cilantro and lime and avocado out as a garnish as the recipe suggests.

Bayless's Black Pepper French Toast

2010-03-12T04:27:00.000-08:00

After we realized so many of our all time favorite recipes were all from the same book (via TONI sharing!) my friends and I decided to cook our way through our favorite cookbook "The 150 Best American Recipes" By Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens. Lets just get started! We're only posting reviews of recipes so that it's not a problem with copyright (right girls? or not? let me know, maybe it doesn't matter...) Maybe we will convince you to buy it too. Last night Josh made Bayless's Black Pepper French Toast, which is actually from the editors forward! So technically it's not from the 150. D'oh. Anyway, it was really yummy. He used Challah bread, which was perfect for it. If your worrying about the pepper making it spicy, don't. It was a slight after taste, and not spicy. A nice compliment to the honey. Big thick slices, just the right amount of crusty and soft.

Raspberry Almond Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2009-11-06T11:59:00.001-08:00

Best. Ever. Yum! From my GraME's Highschool friend Joyce.

INGREDIENTS

Crumb Mix, cut in butter
2 ½ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup butter

Reserve 1 cup crumb mix, then add:
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup Sour Cream
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract

Cream Cheese Mixture:
8oz cream cheese softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg

Carefully spoon over:
½ cup Raspberry Preserves

Add Almonds to crumb mix and top:
½ cup sliced almonds

Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Combine Flour, ¾ cup sugar, and cut in the butter. Reserve 1 cup crumb mix. To remaining crumb mix, add baking powder, soda, salt, sour cream, 1 egg and almond extract. Blend well. Spread batter over bottom and 2 inches up the sides of prepared pan. Batter should be about ¼ in thick on sides. Combine cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar and 1 egg. Blend well. Pour over batter in pan. Carefully spoon preserves evenly over cheese filling. Combine 1 Cup reserved crumb mix and sliced almonds. Sprinkle over top. Bake 350 45-50 min till filling is set and crust is golden. Cool 15 min. Removes sides of pan. Serve warm.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-10-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

I make these AT LEAST weekly. "Healthy" (whole wheat, and fruit) and tasty (chocolate chips). Garner asks for these EVERY DAY. So go ahead, make some. I know you probably have two banana's turning brown on your counter. I know I do.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/banana-chocolate-chip-muffins-recipe

Just going to link it rather than type it from my book. Thank you KA website!

Vermont Oatmeal Maple Honey Bread

2009-10-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

Very lightly sweet and moist. EASY. Smells INCREDIBLE when baking.
From "King Arthur Flour, Bakers Companion."

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 Cups Boiling Water
1 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Maple sugar or brown sugar
1/2 tsp maple flavor (optional)
1 Tablespoon Honey (or Maple Syrup)
4 Tablespoon's Butter melted
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon instant yeast (or one packet)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups all purpouse flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, oats, maple sugar, maple flavor, honey, butter, salt and cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm.

Add the yeast and flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (about 10 min by hand, 5-7 my machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer to lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour it should be double in bulk.

Divide in half and shape each into a loaf. Place the loaves in two greased bread pans. cover and allow to rise till they've crowned about 1 in over the rim, about one hour.

Preheat oven to 350, bake 35-40 min. Remove from the oven when golden brown, Can check with thermometer, internal temp should be about 190.
ENJOY

Nutty Bar Cheesecake

2009-09-01T11:32:00.001-07:00

This is to die for. Literally...cause there's cream, butter, cream cheese and candybars in it. Made this for Josh's birthday, it was a big hit. The filling was nice and smooth, not too sweet. Presentation was very cool!

Ingredients:

24 Nutty Bars (little debbie cakes, 2 boxes)

2 8oz packages cream cheese

1 4oz package Instant Vanilla Pudding

2 cups chunky peanut butter

2 cups milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

Unwrap 12 nutty bars, chop in blender until finely crushed, pour into bowl. Add butter and mix well. Press into bottom of a 12in spring form pan, set aside.

Unwrap remaining bars, and cut in half. Line the rim of the pan with the bars, standing up on end, creating the rest of the crust.

In a seperate bowl, whip cream cheese, milk, peanut butter and sugar together till fluffy.

Add whipping cream, pudding mix, vanilla to cream cheese mix and mix two min.

Pour filling into crust, Chill overnight.

Lemon Pancakes

2009-04-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

EASY and delicious. Reminds me of the Lemon Pie in my previous post.
From Joy of Cooking (Keep reading Toni! It's worth it!)

LEMON PANCAKES
Prepare and preheat your griddle
Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together in another bowl:
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and gently whisk them together, mixing until just combined. Fold in:
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
The batter weill be thick and bubly simialr to cake batter. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake nudging the batter into rounds. Cook until the top is spekled with bubles and some have popped, then turn and cook until underside is lightly browned. Serve immedieately or keep warm in a 200 oven.
Serve with
Honey or
Sweetened sour cream (with honey or sugar)

Chicken and Vegetable Rice-One skillet, and use up leftover chicken

2009-04-13T17:14:00.001-07:00

This is one of Josh's creations, and a staple at our house. It basically chicken and rice soup, without the soup part. He was trying to re-create something he saw on a travel show about Thailand. A basic rice chicken and veggie dish that you can put any kind of sauce on. We like Hoisin, or Sweet Chili Thai sauce. Plain is great too.

Saute in a skillet in some olive oil:
1 onion
3 carrots
1-2 stalks of celery
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopping them small with a chopper makes the veggies cook quicker, also Garner will eat carrots etc if they are small enough.
When veggies are tender, put in 1 cup rice uncooked, and let it toast with the veggies on med high for a min or so.
Add 2.5 cups of whatever you prefer of a water/broth/stock combination.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and turn all the way to low. Let it cook about 15 min, or until all the water is gone. DON'T Stir it during cooking. That's the secret to great rice. Dig into a corner to check the water level if you simply must.
Stir in leftover cut up chicken or turkey, enough to warm it up.
Serve plain, or with any number of sauces!

The BEST Lemon pie EVER. Yes...ever.

2009-04-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, it really is the best lemon pie ever. Maybe the best pie ever. Anyway...it's a recipe from my dear friend Toni who provides me with most of my totally awesome deserts. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Lemon Pie
From a Canadian Jr League Cookbook

Filling
1 cup sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1 T. flour
1 T. lemon rind/zest grated
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup light cream

Bring all this slowly to a boil, and stir constantly.
Add 4 T. Butter and cook until thick and smooth. Let cool. then add
1 cup sour cream.
Pour into baked pie shell. (traditional or graham cracker)

Whipped Cream Topping
Whip 1 cup heavy cream and 2 T. confectioners sugar

Fold in 1/2 cup sour cream. Spoon over filled pie. Sprinkle top with
Grated lemon rind.

SO SO SO Good!

Carrot Cake

2009-03-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sarah’s Carrot Cake
Ok, so I’m calling this mine because it’s a combination of three recipes with a little of my own ideas combined, we voted it my best carrot cake ever.

Preheat oven to 325

In a large bowl whisk to combine well:
2 cups Flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg
½ tsp allspice

Add to dry ingredients:
4 eggs beaten
1 cup cooking oil (or applesauce)
2 cups shredded carrots
½ can of pineapple pulsed in food processor
1 cup (aprox) shredded coconut

Beat at med speed of your mixer for aprox 2 min.

Pour into greased pans
Bake at 325 for 50-60 min in a 13x9 pan, or 30 min in 2 9 inch cake rounds

Cream Cheese Frosting
(Joy of Cooking with a few additions)

In your mixer, beat until just blended:
8 ounces cream cheese: COLD
5 tablespoons butter: ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 to 21/2 cups powdered sugar

Optional additions: fresh grated lemon or orange zest, cinnamon or fresh grated nutmeg (highly recommended!) I love the orange zest and nutmeg combo. I also added a little coconut to the frosting.
Keeps refrigerated for 1 week, frozen for 3 months

Birthday Artichoke

2009-02-26T18:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to ME! In our family you get to have WHATEVER you want to eat on your birthday (within reason...like I'll never get a "lobster gram" from Maine, which is an overnighted lobster in special packaging...cost over 100.00) no matter how annoyed everyone else gets by the smell etc... Pretty much every year I get an artichoke. Mmmmmm. I think it's an acquired taste, but if you've acquired it you know what I mean. So to make the perfect Artichoke...

Get out your steamer or steamer basket, and get the water boiling.
Cut off stem, and with a sharp knife (serraded bread knife works well) slice off the top inch or so, to make a flat spot. If you want to, clip off the remaining thorny tips with kitchen sissors.
Place upside down in the steamer, cover and steam for 45-50 min.
I like to drizzle it with olive oil and lemon.
Serve with melted salted butter.

Pork Tacos with Cafe Rio Tomatillo Dressing

2009-02-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

Oh, wow. My Aunt Teresa made this when we were all in Raleigh for Harry's wedding, and we got the recipe and just made it this week. Wow this is so delicious! It makes A LOT, and it's pretty easy. Tomatillo's are kind of a weird mix between peppers and a green tomato. They have a husk on the outside you peel off, and it looks like an unripe tomato. We found them at walmart so they can't be THAT exotic. Oh, and it's pronounced tom-ah-tee-yo as I found out. If you say tom-a-tillo (rhymes with pillow) you may get slapped by any native spanish speaker within hearing distance.

Pork Taco's

MEAT: A big cheap cut of pork, like a shoulder, bone in or out. As long as it fits in your crock pot it will work.

In a blender or food processor puree:

1 Jalapeno w/out seeds

1 onion

3 stalks celery

1 cup water

1 tsp Chili powder

1tsp cumin

3 cloves garlic

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Pour it over the meat and cook in crockpot low for 8 hours or more. When it's done shred it, and leave it in the juices, or drain it out.

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

This makes A LOT too, but that's ok b/c you will want to put it on everything.

1 cup buttermilk ( you can make buttermilk by putting 1 Tablespoon of vinegar in 1 cup regular milk and let it sit for 10 min)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 package buttermilk ranch dressing mix

1/2 bunch cilantro

2 cloves garlic

2 Jalapeno's

2-3 Tomatillos

Peel husk from tomatillos, wash cut in quarters. Cut Jalapenos in half and take out seeds. Roast them on a tray at 400 for 20 min. (I totally did this in the toaster oven.)

Puree all ingredients in a food processor/blender. Chill for one hour or longer.

Assembling the Taco's

Heat corn tortilla's in a pan with some oil, or as desired.

put on shreded cabbage and shreded pork, and squeeze fresh limes juice over it.

Top with dressing.

We made simple spanish rice as a side dish.

Simple Spanish Rice

Saute a chopped onion in a sauce pan till soft, add 1/2 can of diced tomato's, or fresh and cook 2 min. Add rice and toast with veggies for a min. Add water (2 cups water to one cup rice) and 1/2 packets of seasoning like "Sazon Goya" if you have it. ( they have it at Kroger).

When rice is done, squeeze a little fresh lime on it, and stir in some chopped cilanrto.

Garlicky Chicken Chowder

2009-01-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

That's right folks, I'm posting a recipe! This was an experiment gone RIGHT. My cooking experiments don't usually end that way.....it's a combo of a recipe from a magazine, a Rachel Rae and my friend Amber's. Try it out, it was way good, and a little twist on the normal chicken soup, but not so different that picky eaters would scoff.

Garlicky Chicken Corn Chowder

2 T. Olive Oil
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Potato
Shreded Chicken
1-2 Large Garlic Cloves crushed
Broth or Stock 1-2 quarts depending on how much soup you want
4 T. Butter
4T. Flour
1 can evaporated milk (or use regular milk)
1 can corn
Chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large soup pot chop and sautee the Onions, Garlic (crush this) , Carrots, Celery, and Potato adding to the pot as you chop. Season with salt and pepper, and any other dried herb. Sautee until onions are translucent, and other veggies are getting soft.

Add broth (homemade, or canned, or whatever) and simmer on low until vegetables are desired consistency.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small sauce pan, add the flour and whisk together cooking on med high a couple min to get rid of the “floury” taste. Whisk in the can of milk until it begins to bubble and thicken. Add it to the soup.

Stir in the shredded cooked chicken, and can of corn till warmed. Stir in fresh parsley if you have it.

*Veggie amounts depend on how big a pot you want to make. I used 1 large celery stalk, 2 large carrots, 2 med potatoes and one med onion.

Shredded Beef Taco's

2008-11-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

Ok since really good crock pot recipes are few and far between, I just have to share this one.
We made this for Josh's fam, and everyone loved it. We had it for dinner, and lunch the next day! The Bridges made it for us once and it's so awesome.

2 lbs london broil (or other cheap cut of meat)
1 whole onion chopped
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 package taco seasoning, mild or hot
2 T white or red wine vinegar
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp minced garlic

Spray inside of crock pot with Pam
Rub Taco seasoning all over the meat
Add everything else on top of meat

Cook on Low 6-8 hours
High 4-6 hours
When it's got about an hour or so left, check the meat and shred if it's tender.
Serve in soft taco burrito things with whatever toppings you like.

Festive Halloween Meal: Pumpkin Penne Pasta with Green "goblin" Garlic Bread

2008-11-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

I've made this three years in a row now, and I love it, but Josh finally confessed he doesn't like it very much. WELL!!! To each his own I guess:) Anyway, it's a Rachel Ray 30 min meal from before she was super famous, so yeah, it's better than a lot of her recent stuff.
It's basically a savory pumpkin sauce that goes over Penne pasta. The green garlic bread is made with spinach, but what a great way to disguise some vegetables for picky kids! Hey, you gotta sneak those veggies in when you can.
Pumpkin Penne Pasta
Green Goblin Garlic Bread

Use up Leftover Chicken: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

2008-10-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

Here's our pretty close, maybe even better knock off of Papa John's creation...Josh couldn't think of anything to improve it, and that's saying a lot.

1. Make your favorite pizza dough
2. Brush with Olive Oil (keeps toppings from making crust mushy)
3. Use a jar of Alfredo for the Sauce
4. Top with leftover choped up chicken, bacon in small pieces, onion, cheese, salt and pepper, sprinkle a little dried herbs on too.
5. Bake at 475 till it looks done, depends on your crust recipe. 10-15 min.

Yay! Delicious and we'll pretend nutritious (if you follow the general rule that it's aways better to make it at home from scratch then to buy it processed...)

Use up leftover Chicken: Thai Chicken Salad

2008-10-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

You can make this low fat by using low fat penut butter, and mayo and reduced sodium soy sauce. I didn't have any of that stuff....so it was extra good;)

Whisk together:
1-3 cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Add:
2 chicken breast's shreded or chopped ( or equivalent of leftover chicken)
Fold in:
1 cup diced celery
1 medium yellow or red pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Serve over lettuce, or on bread, in a tortilla, on noodles...
Can be made three days ahead (add veggies just before serving)

Apple Pancakes with Boiled Cider Syrup

2008-10-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

Another one from the King Arthur Flour website. These were quite tasty, and they puff up pretty fat, although you couldn't really taste the apple very much! We didn't have any "boiled cider" which I've just learned isn't something you can make by just boiling your own cider. It's somehting you buy, and it's made kind of like maple syrup. They boil down the cider a long time until it's syrupy. That would probably have given it the apple kick I was hoping for. So, it was a good basic apple pancake recipe, not my favorite but I'll let you know how it is with the cider syrup (if I ever find it!).

Apple Pancakes with Boiled Cider Syrup

I'm going to try another apple pancake recipe next week and see if it's what I'm looking for!

Inside out Pumpkin Muffins

2008-10-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

Holy cow these were AWESOME. Especially hot out of the oven when the cream cheese fillilng was warm. Also really easy. Mix and dump, and the filling is done in the microwave. The white whole wheat added some nice texture, and also it makes me feel less guilty if there is whole wheat or any kind of vegetable;) You can get the white whole wheat at Kroger, and it's not that much more expensive, it has a lighter texture and taste than regular wheat. I expect you could also substitute all purpose.
Here's the link to the King Arthur Flour recipe site. We have all three of the cook books and have never made anything yucky out of it, but the website comes out with new seasonal stuff all the time. Take a look, and I'll give reviews whenever we make something!
Inside out Pumpkin Muffins

White Chicken Chili

2008-09-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, this was so so so good! We just made a half batch, and it really made a ton. It's very thick and filling! We had it as a burrito fililng the next night with spanish rice. We thought it could use a little more spice, but the second day it had soaked in nicely.

INGREDIENTS:
2 16 oz cans white beans
2 large onions, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c chicken broth
2 cups half and half
1 tsp Tabasco
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
two 4-oz cans whole mild green chilies, drained and chopped
2 lbs boneless, skinless chiken breasts
some extra butter and oil to cook them in
1 1/2 c grated Monterey Jack
1/2 c sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat a large skillet (I like cast-iron) over moderately high heat and put in some butter and oil. Meanwhile coat your chicken with salt and pepper and maybe some chili powder. Throw them in the skillet and resist the urge to turn them over. Leave them for five minutes, or until nicely browned, then flip them. Leave it there until browned and then flip them every few minutes until they are done (which you can tell by poking a knife into the thickest part and seeing if it's white instead of pink).
2. Remove the chicken from the pan. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers and set aside.
3. While waiting for chicken to cool, cook the onion in the same pan with 2 Tbs of butter until softened.
4. In a heavy pot, large enough to hold all the ingredients, melt remaining 6 Tbs of butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, for three minutes. Stir in the oinoin and gradually add the broth and half and half, whisking the whole time. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thickened. (It will be nicely and obviously thick.) Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add beans, chilies, chicken and cheese, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Add sour cream. May be served immediately -- though like all chilis this tastes awesome the next day.
5. Serve with the usual chili garnishes--cilantro, cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, etc.

Don't Bake When Your Tired... A cautionary tale about Granola

2008-09-10T10:07:00.001-07:00

Yes...you probably already know as well as I that you should not bake things when you are tired. I chose to ignore that rule last night, hence...the burnt batch of homemade Orange Sesame Granola sitting on my kitchen counter. Actually I've made this before and it's fairly simple and not as expensive as many recipes. You do have to watch it closely since it tends to burn quickly. Also, there's no refined sugar. Yay! This is from a book called "101 Best American Recipes" Thanks Toni for passing this along to us! It's a new fav.

ORANGE SESAME GRANOLA

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (PLEASE don't use Aunt Jemimah...I have lots of teh real stuff to spare, so ask me)
Grated zest of 2 oranges (can use extract, but better with zest!)
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup coarsley chopped unsalted cashews (I've never used...too pricey, just leave it out)
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (fresh is SO SO SO much better)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup chopped dried fruit such as apples, dates, apricots, cranberries, or a combination

Makes about 8 cups, keeps in airtight container in pantry for 1 month

Preheat oven to 375, and set racks in the middle.
Spread the coconut on a baking sheet, bake on middle rack stirring until lightly toasted about 8 min. ***Stir every 2 min! once it's close, it will burn quickly

In a medium sauce pan, combine oil, maple syrup and orange zest and bring to a boil over medium heat. Don't overcook, or the zest will burn. After it boils, turn off heat and add honey.

Put everything else but the dried fruit and coconut in a large bowl, and stir to combine well.
Add he syrup mixture and mix well to coat everything evenly. Spread over 2 large baking sheets for a crisper granola, or over one sheed for a chewier version.
Bake stirring often (***every 4 min or so, especially near the end) about 15 min (***more like 12 min, just watch it carefully after the 10 min mark)
Once it's cool, combine with dried fruit and coconut and enjoy! Keeps for a month or so in an airtight container.

Fresh Pesto

2008-09-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is from Joy of Cooking and it turned out pretty well. We only used half a pound of pasta (Linguine is best) so it had lots of sauce.

Process to a rough paste in a food processor:
2 cups loosley packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 med cloves garlic
1/2 cup parmesean cheese (please...don't use the kraft kind from the pasta aisle...it will be yucky)

With the machine running , slowly pour through the feed tube:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
If it seems dry, add more oil, it should be a thick paste.

Season with salt and ground pepper to taste, serve immediately over Linguine.

Note: the stuff you buy in the store must be treated with a perservative, because the fresh home made stuff turns brown pretty fast. Still taste's great though. Can be stored in the fridge in a glass container for 1 week, you can freeze it before adding nuts and cheese.

The Dreaded Question

2008-09-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Funny story: My mother in law told me that her teenage kids would call her from home while she was at work and ask HER "Mom, what's for dinner?"
Here's my own attempt to answer the dreaded question... I'll try to post our successful experiments and recipes (and yes...the failures too because frankly sometimes it's just funny).
Happy cooking!