It All Started With Mac and Cheese

Time for a Change

2010-04-07T12:05:00.006-04:00

I have officially decided to move my blog to its new home over at wordpress. They have many more features that I like and I just need something new to occupy my time. :)

This site will remain up for you to be able to visit all my past posts, but I may try to move all of them as well to the new site. We'll see how ambitious I really am!

Please change your bookmarks to...

www.itallstartedwithmacandcheese.wordpress.com

My Blog turns 1 (and Chocolate Cake of course)

2010-03-22T14:02:00.003-04:00

Apparently I have been blogging for a year this week! Time flies when you are having fun, baking, and gaining weight. To mark this blogiversary I decided I would try to make my very first tiered cake. I wanted to try to mimic a bakery in Greensboro that I like because on some of their cakes they have a beautiful chocolate ganache finish. Mine didn't turn out as pretty but good enough for a first try!

The cake I used I got from a Today show segment a while back, but can't find the origin of the recipe. It makes a 3 layer 10 inch cake, but I used one batch to make 2 6in and 2 8in layers. It's a good cake but wasn't as moist as I wanted this time...oh well. I will keep searching for that perfect cake recipe!

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 lb butter
1 c Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate
3 c sifted cake flour
2 c sugar
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
4 eggs
2 c buttermilk
1 T vanilla

Directions:
1. Melt butter and then stir in chocolate; cool to room temp
2. Sift together all dry ingredients and stir together in large mixing bowl
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs lightly then stir in buttermilk and vanilla.
4. Combing egg mixture with dry ingredients, slowly, stirring with large whisk or a mixer
5. Add in chocolate mixture and blend well but try not to overbeat
6. Pour batter into greased and floured cake pans (should make 3 layers of a 10 in cake)
7. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. I think my cakes took longer, maybe 40-45 for the 8 in and 30-25 for the 6 in.
8. Allow cakes to cool before removing from pans, torting, frosting. I stuck mine in the freezer for about an hour before removing from pans. It makes it easier to cut the cakes if they are cold!

**I tried using those bake even strips that you wet and put around your cake pans to keep the cakes from doming in the middle. I'm not sure if they really made a difference but am not getting rid of them just yet. I used them on the 8 in pans and was impressed there was no rise in the middle. The strips were too big for my 6 in pans so I baked without, and they actually came out perfect!
I used my Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the frosting and coated with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache (Barefoot Contessa)
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 lb chocolate chips
Heat cream and chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl over simmering water until chocolate melts.

Here are photos of my frosting and stacking process

8in cake layering process:

6 inch cake:

I put the cake on top of the soup can so I could frost and cover the cake board completely. I learned from Rose Levy Beranbaum on YouTube that professionals make sure the frosting covers the cake board. For every tier you see on a stacked cake, there is a cake board under each layer...that is the trick!
**Make sure to refrigerate after frosting so it can set

Ganache process - very messy and not as perfect as I would like...probably would've looked better if I didn't try to make sure the whole thing was covered and instead just have drizzling down the sides, but that wasn't the look I was going for..oh well!
**Refrigerate so the chocolate can set

Stacking process:
Map out where the 6 in cake will rest, and insert straws to act as support. Insert one and then remove it to cut it to size to be flush or just above the cake. Cut all others accordingly.
Carefully place 6 in cake on top and centeredGarnish with fondant or candies to disguise the imperfections along base of cake. I don't like the fondant balls I ended up using, but they were the easiest! I tried to just do a strip but it was too hard to cut in straight lines. :)
Here's a picture of the cake after being cut

One last note - I think it almost took me longer to blog this than it did to make it! :)

Coffee Cake

2010-03-07T20:03:00.003-05:00

One of my friends at the office had a birthday this weekend and I wanted to do something a little different for her bday cake. I figure everyone is always trying to wait to an appropriate time to dive into my treats (but I find nothing wrong with dessert for breakfast) so this time I made a coffee cake so anyone can eat it right away. I really did some experimenting by combining 3 or so different recipes into one. My trusty taste tester Kris approved so hopefully everyone at the office will too.

This turned out to be an extremely moist cake so give it a try sometime!

Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 box cake mix - yellow or white (I used white because that is what I had...maybe yellow would be better)
1 6oz package instant vanilla pudding
1 c sour cream
3/4 c hot water
4 eggs
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla

Cinnamon Swirl:
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
Nuts optional

Streusel:
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/3 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 t ground cinnamon
1 1/3 c all purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Glaze:
Powdered sugar
Milk

Directions:
1. Combine cake mix and pudding. Add in sour cream and hot water, mix well. The batter will be thick.2. Add in eggs, vanilla, oil.Mix well and try to get rid of all lumps. 3. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon and brown sugar.4. In a 13x9 baking pan, spread half of the cake batter. Top with all of the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture. Spread remaining cake batter on top.5. With a knife or skewer, swirl the batter and brown sugar mixture.6. For the streusel topping, combine sugars, cinnamon and flour. Stir in melted butter. Mixture will be very thick.7. With your fingers, crumble the topping over the cake batter.
8. Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes. I think it took me 45 minutes and then I left it in turned off oven for 10 additional minutes. It will be puffed in center when you take it out but will sink down as it cools.
9. Before serving, mix powdered sugar and milk together. I didn't measure, but start with maybe 1 cup of powdered sugar and add milk a tablespoon at a time until you get a thick yet runny consistency that is easy to drizzle over cake with a spoon. It's sugar and milk...you can't ruin it. :)

**My only change to the recipe would be to find a better cinnamon sugar filling. It wasn't a very strong flavor and not very visible either.

Chocolate Pie

2010-02-21T10:45:00.002-05:00

The queen of chocolate pie making in our family is my Aunt Edna. Now for some reason I always seem to miss out on the family meal where she provides this pie, but I hear it is delicious. Aunt Edna makes her pie the old fashioned way with a regular pie crust and topped with meringue. Meringue is not my favorite thing, but it is starting to grow on me.

Since tomorrow is my birthday I decided it was ok to treat myself to a sinful dessert. I searched online for different recipes and didn't find any that looked fabulous so I decided to piece together my own. Using Aunt Edna's pie filling recipe, I paired it with an oreo crust and whipped cream...after all it is MY birthday.

This is a simple recipe and I made it even easier by making the filling in the microwave instead of stovetop. I also used skim milk (insert gasp here) and it thickened up just fine. This justifies eating two pieces today right??

Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:
Oreo cookie crust (crushed oreos and melted butter or you can buy one pre-made)
1/2 stick butter, melted
4 T cocoa powder
1 1/2 c sugar
4 T flour
4 egg yolks
3 c milk
2 t vanilla
Whipped cream or cool whip

Directions:
1. Combine melted butter and cocoa powder.2. Add in sugar and flour - will get really grainy. 3. Mix egg yolks with milk and then add to chocolate mixture. Whisk well.4. Cook in microwave in 2 minute intervals, taking out to whisk each time, until mixture gets thick. Here are pictures of what it looked like at the stages so you know it looks normal when you try. Make sure to whisk well at each interval.5. Stir in vanilla after done cooking.6. I let filling chill a little before adding it to pie crust. I was going to fold in some whipped cream but I didn't feel like waiting for that step. I pressed some wax paper on top of the chocolate filling when it was cooling to prevent a film from forming on top - if one were to form just whisk it good.7. Chill pie and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

I can't wait to dig into this later today - I hope it is yummy!

**If your pie filling comes out a little lumpy, it is likely because a little egg white got into the mix. No big deal just try to pretend they aren't there. :)

Chili

2010-02-11T16:58:00.001-05:00

I should've posted this recipe before the super bowl and big blizzard we just experienced, but better late than never right? Anytime there is a chill in the air coupled with a rainy day I automatically crave chili. I know everyone has their own version of chili and you can debate forever whose is best. I think this is a great starter recipe for you to make your own adjustments to if desired. This recipe comes from my friend Taemi, who also gave me the chicken brining instructions...I told you she was a great cook. I love having a recipe to follow as chili was one of those non-recipe recipes in my house growing up.

Chili

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
8 large garlic cloves, chopped (I used just a couple, not the full 8)
3 pounds ground chuck (we've used both beef and ground turkey and I think the turkey is better)
1 to 2 bell peppers
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1 12-ounce bottle beer (use a dark beer if you have it)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 15- to 16-ounce can prepared chili beans
Cheese, sour cream, scallion, tostitos to garnish

Directions:
1. Saute garlic, pepper, and onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Add beef/turkey and saute until brown, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes.3. Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano and thyme. Stir 2 minutes.
4. Mix in crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes chicken broth, beer and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
5. Mix in beans. Simmer 5 minutes.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like. If it gets to spicy/acidic add a little brown sugar.

Meme's Famous Rolls

2010-02-05T11:01:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to write this post forever and kept putting it off, mainly because I lost the photos and it wouldn't be good without pictures - luckily I found them just this week. I just wish I had done this sooner so my wonderful grandmother could read it herself, but I know she is watching me write it now. :)

My grandmother Meme made the best dinner rolls ever. I can remember my dad videotaping her making the rolls during one of our summer trips to KY. We came home and he tried almost every day to recreate her rolls. They turned out horrible to start and he eventually asked her what he was doing wrong...turns out he forgot to tape the part where she added the sugar! One day he finally got it right and we had delicious rolls, and after that he never made them again.

This past summer I had the opportunity to make the rolls with my grandmother and watch the magic happen. I took care to measure out the flour (since of course she doesn't measure) but I somehow didn't translate that measurement to paper. I tried to make these by myself on Thanksgiving, but they didn't turn out very well. I even had to make two batches because Kris ruined the first ones before they could even rise (he put them on top of the oven vent so the dough started to cook - silly boy). I guess practice will have to make perfect, but I am really trying to stay on a diet so making rolls is not the best idea.

You need to plan ahead if you want these rolls for dinner - they need time to rise and Meme said that they are better the more times you are able to punch them down and let them rise. Just like Nana's macaroni and cheese, maybe one day I will get these rolls right and carry on the tradition.

Meme's Famous Rolls

Ingredients
1 package rapid rise yeast
1 c warm water
1 t salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c oil
1/2 c warm water
1 c cold water
Flour - lots of flour - at least 4 cups but probably more

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in 1 c warm water and let sit for a few minutes
2. In a large bowl combine salt, sugar, oil, warm water, and cold water.3. Add in dissolved yeast 4. Stir in flour until the mixture is thick, but will still be sticky Kris had to lend some elbow grease :)This is what the dough should look like before setting out to rise:5. Put in a warm place and cover with a towel and let it rise until coming out of the bowl (not sure how long this will take - maybe an hour). Punch down and rise again as many times as you can, keeping in mind that after you roll them out and cut them they will need to rise up once more before baking.
6. Turn out the punched down dough on a floured surface. Knead the dough with more flour until it isn't sticky. You will probably use a lot of flour here too - sorry I don't have the exact measurements but I will update it once I make these again someday. My grandmother says the more you work the dough the better so knead away!
7. After done kneading, roll out the dough.Cut the rolls and place in a greased baking dish. Put in a warm place and let rise. We were so busy playing cards and then stuffing our faces that I forgot to take pictures of the final product, but make sure to let those rolls rise until they are at least doubled in size, maybe more before baking.
8. Here is my grandmother's secret - start the rolls out in a cold/warm oven - not a fully preheated oven. Start them out with the oven at say 250 and then gradually increase the oven temperature to 350 or 400 - I just realized I didn't write that down either and don't know the final baking temperature but will find out for you!
9. They will take about 40 minutes to bake, and once they are golden brown remove and enjoy!

Roast Chicken and Stuffing

2010-02-02T18:30:00.002-05:00

I decided this past weekend that I would try to make a traditional roast chicken for our Sunday dinner. I added stuffing to the meal since enjoyed my Thanksgiving version so much that I thought I would try to make it once more. My mom was always whipping up delicious comfort food meals like this so I thought it was about time I do so as well. I can remember the best roast chicken meal she ever made was when I returned home from a weekend camp in high school (camp Wewa for any of your peer counseling classmates out there). I don't know if it was so good because I was sleep deprived and hungry, or if it really was something she did in the actual cooking of the food. Either way, it was one of the best dinners I ever ate.

My friend Taemi forwarded me her instructions for brining poultry, so I planned ahead and let my chicken brine in the fridge overnight. Here are the brine ingredients:
1 quart cold water
1/4 c plus 2 T Morton's kosher salt (if using table salt, just use 1/4 c; if using "Diamond Crystal" kosher salt, use 1/2 c)
1/2 c sugar
For every pound of meat you use, you should use 1 quart of the brine. Before adding the poultry, stir together the water, salt, and sugar until it dissolves. Brine the meat for 8 hours in the refrigerator, then drain water and let chicken (or turkey) drain for a little while and pat dry.

Roast ChickenIngredients:
1 whole chicken (remove giblet packet)
1 lemon, cut in half
1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise (so you are cutting the cloves in half but they remain intact)
Thyme
Bay leaf
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff with lemon, garlic, bay leaf, thyme. Experiment with whatever herbs you like - I actually didn't have any thyme and 1 used about 1/4 of a garlic clove because that is all I had.
3. Rub olive oil on outside of chicken (or you could mix a herb butter) and then top with salt and pepper.
4. Tie legs together with string, although I think that increases the cooking time a little so if you don't have string no worries.
5. Put the chicken breast side down in the roasting pan.
Bake for 45 minutes and then remove and flip the chicken breast side up. Bake another 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.6. Let chicken rest for 20 minutes then slice and serve.

Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 small or medium onion, diced
A few stalks of celery, diced
2 cups of water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 bag Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing
Leftover cornbread, crumbled
Couple slices of white bread, crumbled
Salt
Pepper
Sage
Extra chicken broth if needed

Directions:
1. In a saucepan over stove, combine water, bouillon, onion and celery.
Stir to make sure bouillon breaks up and simmer until the vegetables become soft and bouillon is fully dissolved (approx 20 to 30 min). Chill the mixture in the refrigerator, preferably overnight (not sure why, my mom just told me to chill it).
2. Combine stuffing mix, cornbread, and white bread. Add chilled bouillon mixture.
3. Stir in salt, pepper, and sage to taste (it will take more than you think but add little by little so you don't add too much). Add in extra chicken broth if the mixture is dry, but I didn't need any extra this past time.
4. Spread into baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 (or just in with the chicken) until the outside gets golden brown. Perfect stuffing in my opinion has a little crisp to the outside and is soft and moist on the inside.

I served the chicken and stuffing with a side of macaroni - after all this is a blog that was started because of my love of mac and cheese. :)

White Chicken

2010-01-27T07:24:00.001-05:00

This recipe is another one from my mother-in-law Jerrie. It is one of her favorite dishes and now one of mine as well. After baking for an hour and a half, the chicken is pull apart tender and coupled with a delicious sour cream sauce. With sour cream ranking as my #1 favorite condiment, I typically double the sauce so there is extra to go around.

White Chicken

Ingredients:
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Flour
Salt
Pepper
1 cup sour cream* (works well with light sour cream and that is what I use)
1/2 c dry white wine*
*I double for this recipe

Directions:
1. Mix flour, salt, and pepper and toss with chicken breasts to coat.
2. Brown chicken on each side in oil or butter in a skillet and place in baking dish.
3. Drain fat from pan, and then add sour cream and white wine. Simmer for a few minutes.
4. Pour sauce over chicken and cover dish with foil.
5. Bake at 350 for an hour and a half. Uncover the dish for a few minutes before removing from oven.

As you can see I have way more than 8 chicken breasts, but it is because we usually cut them in half to freeze and I like to make extra for leftovers.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-01-19T19:55:00.000-05:00

I love chocolate chip cookies! My earliest memories of baking are of making chocolate chip cookies with my mom and brother. I can remember making them without a mixer, creaming the butter and sugar by hand with a spatula. Not sure why we did it the old fashioned way, but it was fun! My dad would always sneak up and steal big bite of dough and then take claim over licking the bowl, which he still does to this day. Thomas would always place an order for chocolate chip cookies minus the chocolate chips which I must admit are delicious (and no that doesn't make them sugar cookies). We experimented with every recipe out there, from using crisco to butter to margarine, and tried them chewy, crispy and all textures in between.

Trying to please everyone is always hard, but I think this recipe is close to being a perfect chocolate chip cookie. It is a little more work than your typical Tollhouse cookie recipe as it requires 2 different flours, but well worth the try! It is crispy, chewy, chocolaty, salty goodness! I took this recipe from smittenkitchen.com but have made a few adjustments of my own. Here is the link to that cookie blog post:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/leites-connusmate-chocolate-chip-cookie/

The kicker to this recipe though is that it calls for you to make the dough 24-36 hours in advance so the dough can rest. Therefore it is important for you to learn how to figure out your inner cookie cravings at least one day before it hits! (good luck with that)

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 c light brown sugar
1 c plus 2 T granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
2 c minus 2 T cake flour**
1 2/3 c all purpose flour (she called for bread flour, but I have no use for bread flour)
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t coarse salt (I cut back to about 1 1/4 the second time I made the cookies)
Chocolate chips - the recipe calls for chocolate disks or feves with at least 60% cocoa content, but who has the time to shop for fancy chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salts together in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cream together butter and sugars in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a regular hand mixer).

Cream until very light, about 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each. Add vanilla.

4. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture until just combined.

5. Stir in chocolate chips and then refrigerate the dough.

6. When it comes time for baking, preheat oven to 350.
7. I try to let the dough come back to room temperature or just slightly chilled in order to make scooping easier, but the original recipe did not specify what to do. Use your own judgment here.

8. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, until edges become golden brown. Let cool a few minutes so you get the best of the crispy/chewy texture. Enjoy!!

**If you don't have cake flour, here is how you make it:
1. Measure out 1 cup of flour. Remove 2 T of flour from the cup. Put flour in a sifter set over a bowl. Add 2 T of cornstarch to sifter. Follow this pattern until you have enough flour for your recipe.
2. Sift flour and cornstarch together. Repeat sifting 5 times. Voila..you have cake flour.

Panko Chicken

2010-01-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

I heard about panko on the Food Network (Japanese bread crumbs) and have always wanted to try it. While home in early December I ran to the local Publix and they had a yummy sample of chicken breast using panko. This recipe is as easy as they come and very delicious for a simple meal. It is a perfect weeknight dinner that can be prepped in about 5 minutes! I can't wait to try something new with my remaining panko crumbs.

Panko Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb chicken breast (I used 4 breasts because they fit nicely in my casserole dish)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I prefer the 98% fat free)
1/2 c light mayo
1 1/2 c panko crumbs
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
3T softened butter (I omitted)
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in baking dish.
3. Combine soup with mayo (I actually skipped the mayo but I bet it would make it have a little more flavor). Spread mixture evenly over chicken breasts.
4. Combine panko and cheese and stir with softened butter, mixing until crumbly.
5. Top chicken with panko mixture.
6. Cover dish with foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 10-15 minutes until top is golden brown. Depending on how thick your chicken breasts are you may need more or less time.

Banana Pudding

2009-12-29T20:19:00.001-05:00

I love banana pudding! It is what I survived on my first two years of college when we had to go to the dining hall. Furman didn't have the best food, but they did have a darn good banana pudding (and chicken finger Tuesday). There really isn't much to making banana pudding, and I prefer to go light on the banana (sometimes I eliminate it all together). I'm sure there is a long standing debate on whether it is real banana pudding when you use pudding mix instead of making it from scratch, but the mix is just so easy. Here is my "semi-homemade" version of banana pudding. If you want the "real" stuff, check out the side of the Nilla wafer box.

Banana Pudding

Ingredients:
1 large box of vanilla pudding mix
3 1/2 to 4 cups milk
1 banana, sliced thin
Vanilla wafers (as many or as few as you like)
Vanilla extract
Whipped Cream (fresh or cool whip)

Directions:
1. Prepare pudding mix according to mix, however add some extra milk 1/2 to 1 cup. I find that mixing pudding in a blender usually comes out lump-free, whereas whenever I use a mixer there are always lumps.
2. Stir in 1 to 2 tsp of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor (this makes it taste more homemade!)
3. Fold in some whipped cream - an extra large scoop or so, reserving the rest for layering or on top.
4. In a large bowl (I used my trifle dish and doubled the recipe), put a small amount of pudding on bottom and then place a layer of cookies. Top cookies with bananas.
Cover with a generous amount of pudding and then a layer of whipped cream (optional). Repeat over again with layers of cookies, banana, pudding, whipped cream. I added a layer of whipped cream to my first layer, then realized I wouldn't have enough for each layer so just saved the rest for on top.
5. Refrigerate a few hours in order to allow time for the cookies to soften.

Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 c powdered sugar (more if not sweet enough)

Directions:
1. Chill mixing bowls and beater
2. Pour whipping cream into chilled bowl and begin to whip on medium high speed with electric mixer.
3. As the cream starts to thicken, slowly add in the sugar.
4. Whip until peaks are formed and held. If you over-whip you will be close to having butter. Taste and make sure the sweetness is right.

Custard

2009-12-13T13:28:00.000-05:00

This is probably one of my proudest cooking accomplishments to date! This is not the regular custard you think of that resembles pudding; it is a drink that is similar to egg nog. My grandmother would make this for us every year and when I think of Christmas I think of custard.

Each year my grandmother brought the custard and proclaimed it would be her last year making it as she always burned the milk and the final product was full of lumps. This made me nervous that the recipe would be difficult, however I was determined to try. I never had the opportunity to make this with my grandmother, but luckily she left a handwritten recipe for my mom and her sister. I was very nervous that I would experience the troubles Nana used to have, however I found it very easy (as long as you have a big enough pot). Mine turned out with the exact flavor I remember and completely lump free! I can't wait to take over the tradition of making custard for our family....it will have to start next year though because the Kasiks are heading to Mexico!!

Custard

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon whole or 2% milk (I used 2% as I couldn't bring myself to go with the full fat version)
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (I think I used closer to 1 c as I added more sugar after everything was added)
1/4 c sugar for egg whites
2 T flour
2 T vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a LARGE pot (make sure there is plenty of extra room) pour the entire 1/2 gallon of milk and bring to a boil. Make sure to constantly stir and watch this to prevent the milk from scorching.
2. While waiting for milk to boil, beat egg whites with a mixer on high until stiff peaks form, adding 1/4 cup of sugar while they whip. This is where a stand mixer comes in handy as you can just turn it on and get back to whisking your milk.
3. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks together and set aside. My grandmother's instructions said to add a little cold milk to this so they don't knot up later on. She also specified that she used a fork to whisk egg yolks. :)
4. In another bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Add some cold milk to this and whisk together so there are no lumps and to dissolve the sugar.
5. Once milk comes to a boil, add some of the warm liquid to the egg yolks to temper them and then add them back to the boiling milk.
6. Also add in the sugar/flour mixture and whisk into the milk and bring the milk back to a boil.
7. Once the milk mixture comes back to a boil, remove 2 cups and slowly add to egg whites as mixer is going (after they are firm). This will make the egg whites liquidy.
8. Add egg whites to the milk and whisk to make sure everything is well incorporated. I let this cook a minute or two, but my grandmother didn't specify what to do in her instructions.
**See how the mixture has doubled in size from the first picture of the milk in the pan alone. That is the importance of having a large pot!! I actually need a bigger one. :)
9. Add vanilla and remove from heat.
10. Taste the mix and see if it needs a little more sugar. It will get sweeter and thicker as it cools. It should end up being similar to the consistency of egg nog, although maybe a little thinner.
11. Once the mixture has cooled down some, transfer to a pitcher or back into the milk jug (that is how Nana always stored it). Put in refrigerator and then drink when cold. Make sure to shake up jug before pouring as when I made it a little film formed on top that may cause lumps.

***If you think your custard is lump, strain it before pouring into pitcher.

I hope you enjoy custard as much as I do!! I apologize the pictures aren't the best, but it is hard to photograph a drink. :)

Hot Browns

2009-12-13T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Brown Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown Louisville, KY and the birthplace of the Hot Brown. According to the hotel's history, it was a hot spot for dinner dances in the 1920s. After the guests retired their dancing shoes for the night, they were always hungry for a late night meal. This led the chef at the hotel to come up with the Hot Brown. It is a delicious open-faced turkey sandwich with a mornay sauce (fancy name for a parmesan cream sauce). I hope you give this a try the next time you have turkey leftovers (or chicken would work too). If you visit the Brown hotel's website they have their recipe posted, yet I made a few adjustments to make it less fattening (i.e. I didn't use heavy cream).

I made this a couple weeks ago so I don't remember my exact measurements, but I am just remaking the bechamel sauce I use for mac and cheese, just slightly thicker.

Hot Brown

Ingredients:
4 to 6 pieces white bread
Turkey breast
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c (or more) grated parmesan cheese, and extra to sprinkle on top
4 to 6 slices crispy bacon
Tomato slices
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter in mixing bowl in microwave
2. Add flour, whisk, and then microwave 30 seconds
3. Add milk, whisk, and microwave at 2 minute intervals until thick (just like macaroni so see that post for pictures)
4. Once thickened, add in cheese to melt and salt and pepper to taste - you now have a mornay sauce
5. Toast bread slices and remove crusts. Place in a baking dish (I used 4 pieces but had lots of extra sauce at the end so you could do 6, possibly 8, pieces)
5. Place generous amount of turkey on top of bread.
6. Top with tomato slice, if desired. I left the tomato out when making it for myself and Kris.
7. Cover with mornay sauce and then top with some extra cheese.
8. Put under broiler until cheese melts.
9. Top with bacon slices and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2009-11-25T19:44:00.000-05:00

Ok...now for a real post, although Mrs. Smith's is still the best pumpkin pie in my opinion. I tried this recipe for a Thanksgiving potluck in law school and made it again last week for a co-worker's birthday. I keep getting good reviews, so I guess that means it's a keeper. Try it and judge for yourself. :)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 14 ounce can pumpkin pulp
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Graham cracker crust

Directions:
1. Prepare graham cracker crust according to box directions (graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar). I added a little bit of cinnamon to the crust or you could try using crushed cinnamon graham crackers. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. In a mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add eggs and yolks all at once, beating on low speed until just combined.
5. Fold in cream, pumpkin pulp, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Pour filling into the crust lined pan. Place on a shallow baking pan in oven. I also put a pan of water on the bottom shelf (just because people say to do that, but mine cracked anyways)
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center appears nearly set when shaken.
8. Cool until room temperature, and then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving (I like to give it overnight).
9. Drizzle with caramel sauce to serve (or any toppings you like)

Cutting tip: use plain dental floss or non-colored thread - makes really clean cuts!!

Post baking thoughts:
Mine came out with a HUGE crack in it (which gradually appeared as it cooled). Some suggestions given to me were: (1) bake it on a lower temperature, (2) bake it in a water bath, not just a pan in the bottom of oven, and (3) leave in oven for 1 hour without opening door after cooking (see my regular cheese cake directions). Hopefully yours will turn out prettier than mine!

Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-25T18:45:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin pie is one of my all time favorite desserts. I can easily eat the whole thing and it is best with a mountain of cool whip on top. I prefer it cold, but go ahead and serve it warm if you must. My mom always made the best pumpkin pies and I think now is the time to share our secret family recipe. If you have been frantically searching for that perfect pumpkin pie recipe for tomorrow, look no further. You will be very amazed on how easy it is!!

Pumpkin Pie

Directions:
1. Go to the grocery store, preferably with coupon in hand.
2. Pick up a Mrs. Smith's pumpkin pie.
3. Bake according to box directions.

I told you it was easy! I remember there used to be a pumpkin custard version, but this year I could only find the original. I was a little disappointed when I took the pie out of the box because they have definitely cut back on the size, but I guess this is Mrs. Smith's way of surviving the economy.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2009-11-15T18:42:00.001-05:00

I recently took a fondant class and afterwards decided it was time to try to make the real buttercream used by bakeries. It always intimidated me a little, but it is really rather easy. I wouldn't suggest attempting this if you don't have a stand mixer, your arm will be tired by the end! I have made two batches so far, one chocolate and the most recent an Andes mint chocolate (I had to know if it would be good and it is delicious in my opinion...can't wait to try it out on others - perhaps at Val's xmas party). It doesn't have a dark color to it, but that could possibly be due to the chocolate I used. Maybe black or brown food coloring would help deepen the color to fake the extra chocolately look, or using dark chocolate.

Chocolate Buttercream (adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe)

Ingredients
5 large egg whites - save the yolks for something else tasty
1 1/4 c granulated sugar
4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate, or Andes mints, melted and cooled

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites and sugar. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler style). Whisk continuously until mixture reaches 160 degrees, about 5 minutes.
The mixture will look white and fuller after the cooking period.
2. Transfer bowl to the stand mixer and beat egg whites on high until they become thick and fluffy and cooled (the bowl will no longer be warm to the touch). This will take about 10 minutes (I time it out) hence the importance of the stand mixer. :)
This is what it looks like after:
3. Reduce speed to medium and add in butter one tablespoon at a time.
4. Reduce speed to low and add in melted chocolate.
Here's a look at the melting of the Andes mints...I used the larger sized ones so there was less to unwrap. If not using mints, just use one bag of semisweet chocolate chips.
5. Up the speed to medium-high and mix until all incorporated, making sure to scrape sides of bowl.
6. Frost your favorite cake, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. After refrigeration, let frosting come to room temperature and re-whip with mixer before using.

I made a witch's hat cake for Halloween with my first batch of chocolate buttercream. Not the most perfect hat but it was fun to try! The Andes mint version is waiting in my fridge to be used on a birthday cake for friends this week. :)

Beef Stew

2009-11-15T18:25:00.000-05:00

I attempted and successfully made my first beef stew recently. After calling my dad and getting his full instructions on how to make it stove-top, I found Jerrie's crockpot recipe and opted to use it instead. I hope you have a crockpot because you can make cooking easier and this is a delicious meal. Perfect for the yucky rainy and cold weather we have had lately.

Ingredients:

2lb beef chuck roast (cubed)
1/4 c flour
1 t salt (we all know I put way more than this)
1/2 t pepper
2 beef bouillon cubes - dissolved into 2 c water
1 t worcestershire sauce
garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 t paprika
Carrots (baby carrots work well, if using regular carrots chop into big pieces)
Onion, chopped
3 potatoes skinned and cubed

Directions:
1. Place meat in crockpot.
2. Mix flour, salt, pepper together and stir with meat.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.
4. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours, high for 4-6 hours.
5. I had to thicken the stew up a little and used cornstarch dissolved into water to do so...use your best judgement.

Ranch potatoes

2009-11-15T18:15:00.001-05:00

These twice baked potatoes are courtesy of my M-I-L Jerrie. I adapted it by cutting out the actual refill of the potato skin and just putting the filling into a baking dish. She thinks this is horrible as the potato skin is her favorite part, but Kris and I would rather not eat the skin (I know it is packed with nutrients). This is a great way to add some extra flavor to your potatoes, and I typically eliminate the butter the recipe calls for to try to make it healthier.

Ingredients:
6-8 Russet Potatoes
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dip
¾ can evaporated milk (I use the fat free)
1 stick butter (I eliminate this - maybe add a little extra sour cream or milk in exchange)
Small sour cream container
Grated cheddar cheese
Salt/Pepper

Directions:
1. Bake the potatoes, cool, scoop out
2. Mix all ingredients (except cheese) with potatoes and stuff into skin, or a baking dish if you want a shortcut
3. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese
4 Bake at 350 until hot

Apple Pie

2009-11-15T17:47:00.001-05:00

I have neglected the blog lately and hope I still have readers! With Thanksgiving on the horizon I figure I should post about my favorite apple pie.

Kris' hands down favorite dessert is apple pie. To be honest, I had never really given apple pie a fair shot (aka decided I didn't like it) until I went home with Kris for the first time in college. Kris' mom baked an apple pie and my mom taught me to eat whatever your hosts put in front of you so I ate the pie. I'm not sure if that was a good or bad decision in this case, because now I like apple pie, although I can easily resist it unlike other desserts. Kris on the other hand could eat the whole pie if you let him.

Here is my go-to apple pie recipe. Since Kris is not a crust fan, I use a crumb topping instead of a double crust, but you could do either. As for the apples, I typically use a mixture of golden delicious, fuji, and gala. I really dislike granny smith apples because I am not a tart fan, but use whatever you like making sure to adjust the sugar if needed.

Apple pies are also made easy due to the handy apple pie peeler/cutter that we received as a wedding gift (along with a great pie dish that makes your crust look perfect). I highly recommend this tool and can't imagine having to actually peel and cut the apples by hand!
The apples look like this after using the peeler/cutter...how fabulous!

Apple Pie

Ingredients:
8 cups of thinly sliced apples
1/3 to 2/3 c sugar (depending on your apples...I often opt for the full amount of sugar)
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
Pie crust (make your own or go with the easy Pillsbury crusts in the refrigerator section)

Crumb topping:
1 stick butter (firm, not room temp)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 c all purpose flour

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425
2. Combine apples with sugar, flour, and spices.
3. Line pie plate with crust. Fill with apple mixture trying to fill in any holes.

4. For crumb topping, mix together flour and sugar. Cut in butter so that it remains crumbly.
5. Put pie plate on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper (the juices will bubble out so this will help with cleaning). Top the apples with the crumb topping trying to cover the entire pie.

6. Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, cover pie with foil and continue to bake for 20 minutes.
7. Let cool to room temp or until it is still slightly warm so the pie can set up a bit. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

French Onion Chicken and Rice

2009-10-15T19:11:00.000-04:00

My mom made this recipe often when we were growing up and now I understand why....it is delicious and easy on the working woman! It is as simple as putting all the ingredients in a baking dish and sticking it in the oven. I don't really have any good stories for this dish except that has a great flavor and pretty healthy. Give it a try soon!

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast (can be frozen)
1 1/2 c rice
1 packet dry onion soup
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup (I use the 98% fat free)
1 can chicken broth
Water
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1. Put rice into a large baking dish. Sprinkle the dry soup mix over the rice.
2. Mix in cream soup and chicken broth. Fill can of chicken broth with water and add as well. (You want to make sure you have at least a 2:1 water to rice ratio, but I usually add more too make sure it isn't too dry).
3. Place chicken breast in pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken.
4. Cover and bake at 375 for 50-60 min or until rice is done. I typically check it once or twice during baking and stir it around so that it is well mixed. This is also your chance to add more liquid if it is absorbed and rice isn't done yet.

Ode to Dad and Chicken Fajitas

2009-10-11T19:53:00.000-04:00

My dad is an amazing cook. Instead of going home to eat mom's cooking, I always find myself requesting the meals my father makes (no offense Mom). I realized lately that I don't post many of my dad's recipes, mainly because he NEVER uses a recipe and often forgets how he makes his foods.

I'm not sure if my dad was much of a cook when he was younger, but after he retired he started experimenting with recipes. I can remember him going through a phase of trying to perfect my grandmother's dinner rolls. He was so focused on getting them just right that he videotaped her making them one summer but his rolls were not edible. He eventually discovered that he somehow didn't tape the part where she adds sugar to the dough, and after that he finally baked a perfect batch. His latest cooking mishap was when he thought it would be a good idea to add vanilla extract to his spaghetti sauce - he swears he watched Paula Deen do it on tv but it was horrible!! His experiments with foods were not all bad, but instead have led to some delicious meals that I can't get enough of. The list includes pancakes, blackened chicken, cornbread, steaks, "good" potatoes (our version of twice baked), chinese stirfry, and list goes on and on...

My hands down favorite meal he makes is chicken fajitas. If I had to pick my last meal, it would definitely be his fajitas followed up by Publix mint chocolate chip ice cream. He makes the fajitas on a cast iron griddle on top of the grill (I can already see my brothers and I fighting over that griddle - I call dibs!). We serve them with yellow rice, sauteed onion and pepper, beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and tortilla shells. I prefer to make more of a rice bowl and just put rice, onion/pepper, chicken, cheese and sour cream and sort of stir it all together. This is perfection on a plate to me and the beauty of fajita night is that you get to make yours anyway you want.

I talked to my dad earlier today and got instructions on how to make a beef stew, but instead I found myself making chicken fajitas tonight. I was very uncertain on how these would turn out since (1) I don't have a grill or a cast iron skillet/griddle, and (2) I could not find the seasoning he uses - Chef Paul's Fajita Magic. I improvised and sprinkled some Old El Paso taco seasoning sauce on top of my chicken and it tasted pretty darn close. If you find yourself craving chicken fajitas, give this recipe a try soon!

Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless, chicken breast
Fajita seasoning, preferably Fajita Magic but use taco seasoning or other fajita spices
Yellow rice - I always use Vigo brand in the yellow bag
Onion
Bell peppers - red, yellow, and green (although my father won't use green because he does not like them)
Beans - black or refried
Cheese
Sour Cream
Salsa
Tortilla shells
Anything else you want!

Directions:

1. Prepare rice according to package directions

2. Saute onion and pepper over medium heat - my dad adds butter to make them better, but you can use cooking spray or however you like; Cook them until they are soft and caramelized
3. Sprinkle fajita seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts - be generous but not too generous (I forgot to take a picture). I would put a little on and rub it all over and just use your best judgment...remember some will rub off in the pan.

4. Heat a skillet to high heat on your stovetop (unless you have a grill and a cast iron griddle you can use on the grill). I let the skillet get hot for a minute or two, and then turned it to med-high heat. Melt 1T or so of butter on the skillet then place the chicken breast on top of butter.

5. Sear the chicken breast on one side for a couple minutes, then flip to get the other side browned as well. Continue cooking and flipping until the chicken is cooked throughout.
6. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest a few minutes before cutting. Slice into pieces and serve.

Monster Cookies

2009-09-28T12:06:00.001-04:00

Don't let the name fool you - these cookies are not scary and very easy to make. The name must come from the fact that once you try one, you are transformed into a cookie monster and have to keep eating them. (Lame line I know, but couldn't really come up with anything witty.) This recipe is another one passed on to me by my MIL (although if you looked at her you would swear she has never eaten a gram of fat in her life, but trust me she indulges). They are Kris' favorite cookie (I think...that boy likes everything) and a go-to recipe if needing cookies for a large crowd. Jerrie makes these for every holiday since M&Ms makes their candies for every holiday too.

I made these this weekend for bride-to-be Valerie to put in her welcome bags for wedding guests (only 5 days to go!!). I also threw in some decorated cookies with VB for Valerie and Brian, and a state of FL if you couldn't figure out what that is. Funny thing is, the decorated cookies turned out to be FSU colors but Valerie is a Gator...oops! That's what you get when you have burgundy and gold for your wedding colors. :) Can't wait to head to FL this weekend for the big day and to have a nice long weekend at home.

Ok - back to the monster cookies - this recipe makes WAY too many cookies, but go ahead and make the full batch as the dough freezes well (and you will eat too many as you bake them anyways). You need the biggest bowl you can find, and if using the Kitchen Aid stand mixer be prepared, it will be filled to the brim.

Monster Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks); room temp
1 lb light brown sugar (one of the boxes or 2 cups packed)
2 cups white sugar
6 eggs
4 tsp baking soda
2T corn syrup (light not dark colored)
2 T vanilla
1 1/2 lb creamy peanut butter
9 c oatmeal
1/2 lb chocolate chips
1/2 lb M&Ms

Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and mix.
2. Add in corn syrup, vanilla, and baking soda. Next add the peanut butter.3. Slowly add in the oatmeal (cup by cup) to prevent a big mess (unless you have a super large bowl - I was using stand mixer). Mix until everything is incorporated.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and M&Ms
5. Bake at 350 until cookies start to turn dark (about 10 minutes) - try hard not to overbake. :)
6. Store cookies in airtight container (if you can keep them that long). You can freeze the made cookies too or just freeze any leftover dough. If freezing dough - wrap in plastic wrap then store in freezer ziploc.

Happy Baking!

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

2009-09-17T21:37:00.000-04:00

I saw this recipe and had to give it a try. I have always wanted to try a brownie from scratch recipe so I started with this one. I figure it has been a while since I brought treats into work, so hopefully they will get some good reviews. The brownie batter tasted a little bitter, so I am skeptical on how the final product will taste.

This recipe came from the blog Smitten Kitchen. The batch she made look much prettier than mine, but I am just not skilled in the swirling part yet. :)

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar plus 1/3 cup (keep separate)
2 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk (keep separate)
1/2 t vanilla; 1/4 t vanilla
2/3 c all purpose flour
8 0z cream cheese, softened
chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Melt butter and chocolate (I did it in microwave but do it stovetop if you must).
2. Whisk in 1 c sugar, 2 eggs, flour, and 1/2 t vanilla
3. Spread batter into a greased 8 in baking dish4. In separate mixing bowl, whisk together cream cheese, egg yolk, 1/3 c sugar, and 1/4 t vanilla until smooth. Dollop over brownie batter (this may have been my problem - I just put it on in a layer) and swirl with knife.5. Top with chocolate chips.
6. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min
Smitten Kitchen tip - get brownies really cold before cutting

For you fellow weight watchers folks - these are 6 points a piece (16 servings). Guess I won't be trying them after all!

***Updated recipe 3/5/2010
I made these at the request of a friend and I accidentally bought 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate instead of unsweetened. So, this time I used 1 oz unsweetened chocolate (leftover from the first time) and 2 oz of the 60% chocolate. I didn't change anything else and I must say, this version is better! It has less of a kick to the chocolate so give them both a try sometime and be your own judge. :)

Risotto

2009-08-25T13:06:00.000-04:00

I first made risotto when I was living at home after law school, during my period of unemployment (or as I prefer to say I was "job shadowing" my dad). All the recipes said it would only take 20 min, but it ended up taking longer. I encourage you to make it, just give yourself enough time in case yours takes longer like mine. I like to add broccoli and chicken to mine, but you could spruce it up with just about anything.

Basic Risotto

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c arborio rice
1/2 onion, finely chopped (use as much or as little as you want)
1/2 c white wine
5-6 c chicken broth
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Saute onion in pan (you can omit the butter and oil that recipes tell you to use during this step)
2. Add in the rice and let it toast in the pan for a couple minutes (don't burn)
3. Add white wine and let it evaporate (you can skip the white wine as well...I did last night since I didn't have any but it does add a nice flavor)
4. Add the chicken broth, or whatever liquid you choose, about one cup at a time, constantly stirring and letting the rice completely absorb it. I do this on medium or medium-high heat so that it is bubbling while cooking.
5. Continue to add the broth until rice is creamy and thick (take a bite to make sure rice is done). Give it at least 30 min, but I think it took me more like 40-45. Also, I used the full 6 cups of chicken broth last night.
6. Take off heat and add in parmesan cheese to your liking. Plate and top with desired toppings, or serve as a side dish.

Top with veggies (see broccoli below) and protein - we used rotisserie chicken to save time. You could also serve the risotto as a side dish. I will post a rice pudding recipe soon that you can use with your left over arborio rice!

Sauteed Broccoli

Ingredients:
Broccoli (duh) - cut into pieces or just buy it pre-cut
Garlic
Olive oil

Directions:
1. Add a small amount of olive oil to pan (or you could use cooking spray, but I think it helps to actually use the oil). Add a teaspoon or so of garlic to the olive oil.
2. Add broccoli to the pan and stir it around with garlic. Saute on medium heat until it starts to shrink and soften up a little bit (20-30 min maybe but you may like it less cooked than I do)
3. Top with salt and parmesan cheese.
Serve with risotto or pasta, or it is great by itself

Mexican Lasagna

2009-07-24T16:05:00.000-04:00

My Aunt Sally makes a delicious dish that she calls Wet Tacos. This consists of making a big pot of ground beef, refried beans, and enchilada sauce (the mixture is soupy, not super thick like chili). Then you take corn tortillas and put them down in the sauce one or two at a time and let them get warm. Place the warmed tortilla on a plate and top with a little extra sauce...layer as many tortillas as you like. Top with desired toppings such as lettuce, cheese, tomato, peppers, etc. When you serve this up, especially for a bigger crowd, it takes a while as you have to do each plate individually in order to get the tortillas warm and holding their shape. I got the idea to adapt this into a mexican lasagna, not knowing how it would turn out. I made the wet taco mixture, except I added less enchilada sauce in order to make it thicker like a spaghetti sauce. I kept the dish pretty mild and provided toppings for everyone to put on their own plate. This is a dish you can easily adjust to your liking.

Mexican Lasagna/Wet Tacos

Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lb ground beef
2 cans refried beans (I use fat free)
1 28oz can enchilada sauce (I use mild, but use the hot if you like it)
**If making wet tacos you will want to add more enchilada sauce - maybe one 14oz can or even a second 28 oz can
Cheese
Taco fixings - lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream, peppers, etc

Directions:
1. Brown the ground beef, draining the fat
2. Stir in the refried beans and add enchilada sauce. Once it is warm it is pretty much done, but I guess it could simmer a while to let the flavors soak in
3. Using a casserole dish, put some of the wet taco mixture in the bottom of the dish.
4. Place a layer of corn tortillas, topping with sauce and cheese. Keep repeating the layers, ending with sauce and a topping of cheese.
5. I left all the taco fixings out for everyone to top their own plate since I was feeding friends and I didn't know what they liked. Feel free to spice it up as you like with adding different ingredients to the layers.
6. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and it is bubbly.

Reese Peanut Butter Cake

2009-07-22T09:23:00.001-04:00

I was reading a baking blog I found online yesterday and came across this amazing cake!! It combines my favorite thing in the world with cake - Reese peanut butter cups!!!! Thank goodness for Valerie wanting me to make her a cake so I could try out the recipe. It took a lot of willpower, but I didn't eat ANY of the cake. I made one 2-layer 6in cake for a birthday cake, and then the remaining batter made about a dozen cupcakes. The only problem with the cupcakes was that they didn't have as many Reese cups in them, and it is probably just the scoop I used didn't pick them up as much. I also changed the frosting and used the frosting on the Hershey's cocoa can instead of a dark chocolate ganache like the recipe called for. As I was making this, I thought about a future frosting and trying to make a ganache out of melted Reese cups...that will be another day another time. :)

Reese Peanut Butter Cake
Recipe came from www.bakerella.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
1 devils food cake mix (or any chocolate cake would probably do)
3 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c oil
Reese cups (I bought 2 bags)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2.Mix cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and oil together
3. Chop up Reese cups and then add in about 2 cups (or as many or as little as you want - I think I used 1/2 of a bag for the cake batter and kept the rest for garnishing).

4. Pour batter into cake pans or cupcake pans. Use the box as a guidelines for baking, but I think my 6in cakes took about 30-35 min and the cupcakes needed 15 min.

5. Let cakes cool before frosting.

6. Frost with desired frosting (I even tried a couple with some leftover cream cheese frosting but Val said that was too rich, so maybe stick with chocolate or come up with your own creation)

Hershey's Cocoa Frosting

Ingredients:
1 stick butter or margarine
2/3 c cocoa
1/3 c milk
3 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Directions:
1. Melt butter and stir in cocoa
2. Mix in powdered sugar, alternating with milk. I didn't measure the powdered sugar or the milk - just kept adding until it became a consistency I liked.
3. Stir in vanilla - then frost away!

Cheesecake

2009-07-15T15:31:00.000-04:00

While we were in San Diego my Aunt Sally made this delicious cheesecake. The recipe comes from my new aunt Mary Jane and her sister. I used to hate cheesecake, but my tastes changed on my last trip to San Diego in 2003. I went to the Cheesecake Factory with my Aunt Sally and ended up ordering their Godiva chocolate cheesecake and that was when it went all downhill from there. Maybe that is one reason I have had a weight problem since then...

I ended up making this recipe last night to take as a housewarming dessert to our friends Mike and Taemi. Now my aunt told me this is a foolproof recipe and hers doesn't crack (and hers was gorgeous). However when I took mine out of the oven it had a crack the size of the Grand Canyon. Oh well - it should taste just as great! One of the problems could be that she used a 10in pan, whereas I only have a 9in pan. This recipe was also way too much for a 9in pan, but luckily for me I have a set of mini 4in pans so I was able to make an additional 3 mini cheesecakes with the batter. I brought 2 to work and left one at home for Kris. :)

Let me know your cheesecake secrets if you have any! I have a chocolate recipe to try but need a destination for it first because it can't sit around my house.

Ingredients:
4 8oz packages cream cheese
2 c. sugar
16oz sour cream
6 eggs
2 t vanilla
***All ingredients should be at room temperature***

Graham cracker crust:
2 c crumbs
2 T sugar
1 stick butter (can use less - just need to get crumbs wet so they stick together)

Directions:
1. Prepare graham cracker crust and press into springform pan (could do oreo crust if you prefer)
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Cream together the sugar and cream cheese.
4. Add in sour cream
5. Mix in eggs, one at a time
6. Add vanilla
7. Be careful not to overbeat (but who knows how much that means)
8. Pour into graham cracker crust
9. Put a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven
10. Bake cheesecake for 45 min. After 45 minutes, turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven 1 hour longer and don't open the door during cooking. For the mini cheesecakes, I baked them 30 minutes and still left them in oven for an hour.
11. Remove cheesecake from oven and put directly into refrigerator UNCOVERED for 24 hours

Serve with whatever toppings you like and enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Roll

2009-07-11T21:30:00.000-04:00

Growing up we didn't get to see our paternal grandparents as often as we (and they) would like since they lived in California, but that didn't mean we couldn't enjoy my grandmother Meme's cooking from afar! It was guaranteed that every Christmas we would receive a package in the mail containing her specialty treats....peanut butter roll and date roll. I don't think any of the kids ever ate the date roll, but we went straight for the peanut butter roll.

Peanut butter roll is a very very sweet and rich "candy" that may need an acquired taste to fully appreciate. In fact, most people that eat it for the first time as adults don't like it that much, but Kris is always the exception to the rule and he just finished up a whole roll by himself. I have memories of making peanut butter roll with Meme one summer when I was young (and an old picture capturing the moment I will try to get scanned) and I just had the opportunity over the 4th of July weekend to learn from her once again. Kris and I went for a long weekend to San Diego to visit family, see the sights, and cook with my grandmother of course. I was able to learn how to make peanut butter roll and her famous dinner rolls, which I can't wait to post as well. Give this recipe a try if you want to give your sweet tooth a run for the money!

Peanut Butter Roll

Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 stick butter (softened)
1/2 t vanilla
5 to 6 c powdered sugar
Creamy peanut butter

Directions:
1. Cream together butter and cream cheese
2. Mix in vanilla
3. Gradually add powdered sugar until the mixture becomes thick and close to the consistency of playdoh. Try not to add too much powdered sugar (vague direction I know) because the more you add the more you risk the pb roll drying out. However if you plan to eat it all rather quickly like Kris, then don't worry!
4. For easiest handling, divide the dough into 2 parts. Roll out on top of wax paper to approximately 1/4 inch thick, using powdered sugar to prevent from sticking. (Try to do your best to keep it in a rectangle shape so there isn't too much excess edges to trim later)
5. Spread peanut butter in a thin layer over the whole layer of rolled out dough
6. Using the wax paper to help, start at one of the long sides of the dough and roll up tightly
7. Trim edges, then for easiest storage cut the roll in half and wrap in the already used wax paper, and again into foil.
8. The roll is ready to eat right away, but we usually refrigerate it and keep it cold. Enjoy!

There are more pictures to come of my grandmother and I making this - I just don't have them in my possession yet! :)

Sugar Cookies Part 2

2009-06-26T15:38:00.001-04:00

Ok...I am finally getting around to posting the recipes I used for the sugar cookies. The actual cookies are courtesy of Laurie Van Schaik. I swapped out her frosting recipe though for a royal icing recipe I got from Martha Stewart. Let me know if you find yourself making decorated cookies - could come in handy for a 4th of July party!

White Velvet Cut Outs

Ingredients:
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 lb unsalted butter, softened (Laurie said she used margarine but I had a hard time with the dough I made with margarine so I am sticking with butter)
2 egg yolks
2 c. sugar
1 t vanilla
4 1/2 c flour

Directions:
1. Beat together cream cheese and butter/marg
2. Add sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla
3. Add flour and mix thoroughly
4. Chill at least one hour, but overnight is best
5. Roll dough on well-floured surface and cut in desired shapes. You will need LOTS of flour - flour the counter, your hand, rolling pin, cookie cutters, etc. Make sure dough stays cold so re-refrigerate if it gets soft and sticky. It should be somewhat tough when you are rolling it out.
6. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 or until edges start to brown
7. Cool cookies prior to decorating (note: cookies aren't that tasty out of the oven, so hold off until you frost them)

Frosting (this is not the one I used but it is much yummier than royal icing, but not sure if it hardens like royal icing so feel free to experiment)
2 c. powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond extract
2 T hot water
Food coloring
**Adjust water amount as needed to make frosting thin enough to "paint" on cookies. Let cookies drip dry on cooling racks

Royal Icing
2 egg whites (or 5T meringue powder)
1 box confectioners sugar
1/2 c water

Directions:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder. If using egg whites, beat the egg whites a little first until bubbly then add powdered sugar.
2. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details.
3. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.
*Check out www.marthastewart.com for royal icing decorating tips and other ideas

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

2009-06-25T10:10:00.001-04:00

(Peanut butter cup cookies on the left)

I remember eating these cookies for the first time my sophomore year of college when my friend Laney lived across the hall. Luckily for me, she was one of my roommates fall term of junior year and she shared the recipe with me. You will be amazed at how easy these cookies are, and what rave reviews you will receive. Don't reveal how easy they are to make or you will ruin the secret. :)

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients:
Chocolate chip cookie dough (Store bought break and bake is the easiest, but you can make your own too)
Mini peanut butter cups (Reeses are the best)
Mini cupcake liners

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line the mini-cupcake pans with the paper liners
3. If using the break and bake dough, cut all the squares in half to total 48 cookies (I've determined this makes the perfect amount of cookie; I think Nestle makes a mini sized break and bake, and if you are using that then don't cut in half)
4. Roll the dough squares into a small ball and place one into each liner; make a thumbprint on the cookie dough, slightly pressing down into the liner
5. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes...try not to overbake
6. While the cookies bake, unwrap the mini peanut butter cups
7. Once the cookies come out of the oven, press a peanut butter cup down into the middle of each cookie
8. Cool and enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

2009-06-15T16:32:00.000-04:00

My latest challenge to myself has been to create cute sugar cookies. Why you ask? Here is the back story:

Bride-to-be Valerie (the cupcake lover referred to in the red velvet cake post) and I have been trying to come up with some cute party favor ideas for her friend's bachelorette party, and maybe something I could make for her wedding. Valerie is always lighting a fire under me to boost my confidence and helping me come up with baking ideas. Well, we somehow got on board with the idea of sugar cookies with her monogram.

Growing up we would always bake cookies at Christmas for Santa, but I wouldn't say any of them were ever worthy of giving to anyone who doesn't come down a chimney in the dark. Therefore, I was starting this venture with no recipe and just the archive of Martha Stewart shows in my brain where she made gorgeous cookies. Valerie and I decided we would have a girls night and attempt to make these cookies. It was fun, but we definitely didn't produce any cookies I would want to put my name on (taste or appearance). This led me to try to find other recipes, and I remembered my mom had a friend, Laurie Van Schaick, who used to always provide decorated cookies for school events. I got her recipe and set out on my own one weekend to try to make pretty cookies. This time around I had some success, and have to admit I made a pretty darn good looking cookie with Valerie's future monogram. I sent her a picture, along with anyone else who I thought might want to see it, and got the feedback that it wasn't only me who thought it was cute.

In the meantime of this cookie baking experimentation, I was gearing up to go to NC for a party to celebrate the upcoming wedding of friends Parker and Brandi. The successful monogram cookie was made the weekend before their party, so I thought I would be brave and offer to make cookies as party favors. This turns into what I call "Project Cookie." I offered up this idea 5 or 6 days before the party, after only producing ONE pretty cookie the prior weekend. I'm not sure if I was crazy, but I know I was close to it. I got home from work on Monday and starting rolling out cookies and baking them. The idiot that I am thought I would have enough leftover dough from my weekend experimentation. Turns out I only got about 15 cookies from that, and needed 60. This lead to me making the dough again, only this time I tried margarine instead of butter like Ms. Van Schaick said she did. I whipped up the dough Monday night and let it chill until Tuesday after work. I go to roll out the cookies and this dough is just plain mush - there is no way I am going to be able to cut out cookies from it so I panic and stick it in the freezer to harden up. In my panicked state, I quickly whip up another batch of dough using butter as I originally had, and throw that in the freezer as well so it can chill to be baked that night.

That night my kitchen never saw so much mess in its life. I started rolling out the dough and by the time I got the cookies cut out it was soft again so would have to stick it back in the freezer, grab another batch and repeat the process. Thank goodness I had Kris to help as this was not an easy task. I eventually got enough cookies to call it a night, so the decorating process could start on Wednesday. The decorating was fun yet stressful at the same time. I am not the most artistic person so I was nervous that all these cookies would turn out horrible. I went with the colors white, blue, and yellow, and wasn't so pleased with the way my blue and yellow worked, but that is just the perfectionist in me. I ended up getting the base layer of royal icing done on Wednesday night in 6 hours. This then had to dry a full day so I did the letters (A for Ariail, BP for Brandi and Parker) and other piping on Thursday night. The cookies then traveled with me to NC, where we tied them with bows and took them to the party Saturday night. Needless to say I was nervous that they wouldn't like them, but everyone said they were pretty (but who would say "oh what an ugly cookie"). As for the taste, most people said they were good, but I did watch one man take a bite and put it back!!!

That is the story of "Project Cookie" in a nutshell and hopefully I will have more adventures like this to share in the future. :)

*** For some reason when I upload pictures to this blog it will rotate them and I don't like that. I have lots of other pictures to post but they are all rotating themselves so this is all you get for now. If anyone knows how to fix that problem please let me know!

** Cookie recipe to come later

Tomato Pie

2009-05-28T19:26:00.000-04:00

With summer approaching I figured I better post this recipe quick. I am not a tomato eater and I love this pie! It is sort like a chunky pizza. This is another recipe from Jerrie, my M-I-L. We love to serve it with burgers, but it is really a meal in itself. Add it to your must try recipes for the summer!

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
4 0r 5 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 t garlic
1 c loosely packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c grated parmesean

Directions:
1. Place pie crust in a 9 in pie plate. Bake according to package directions
2. Remove pie crust from oven and sprinkle with 1/2 c mozzarella then cool
3. Meanwhile, drain tomato wedges on paper towels
4. When crust is cool, arrange tomato on top of melted mozzarella
5. Sprinkle with garlic and basil
6. Combine 1 c mozzarella, mayonnaise, and parmesan
7. Spread on top
8. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min

**I tried to post a picture but the program is automatically rotating it. The picture really does the recipe justice so I will keep trying.

Cheesy Chicken Pasta

2009-05-20T17:54:00.000-04:00

This recipe is a keeper! Kris' mom starting making this dish a few years ago, and it is basically the go to family meal in their house. The chopping of all the veggies does take a little while, but that is the only labor this dish really requires. Note to those who always try to make things healthier: I tried making this pasta once by eliminating the butter and maybe using half of the cheese called for, and it wasn't fit to eat. I did make this most recent batch with the 2% Velveeta though and you definitely can't tell a difference. It is a huge casserole so try not to think about what all goes into it because it makes at least 10 servings I would say.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
8 oz capellini (very thin spaghetti)
6T butter
1/4 c flour
2 c chicken broth
1 14 oz can diced or stewed tomatoes (don't drain)
16 oz Velveeta (one small package or half of a big; 2% works great)
1 onion diced
1 bell pepper diced (we usually use red or green)
4 ribs of celery diced
1 jalapeno minced (remove seeds unless you like a lot of spice)
1 c parmesan cheese
Pinch of red pepper flakes (if you like the spice, I usually leave it out)
Salt and Pepper

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to instructions (the thin spaghetti cooks fast so I would save it to last)
2. Dice up the onion, peppers, celery and have ready
3. Melt butter then add in the diced veggies...saute until tender
4. Add in flour and let it cook a couple minutes
5. Add in chicken broth and bring to boil and keep stirring until it thickens up (approx 2 min)
6. Pour in can of tomatoes and juices
7. Add in velveeta (helps to cut it up a little in order to stir around), salt, pepper, and red pepper flake
8. Stir until the cheese is all melted
9. In large pot, mix the pasta with the chicken and the sauce
10. Pour into large casserole dish (13x9 pan works, but if you have bigger that's great)
11. Bake at 350 for 30 min or until it is bubble and starts to brown a little
12. Once you remove the casserole from the oven, top with parmesan cheese, or save it to sprinkle on individual servings

We typically have green beans as a side vegetable for this meal. You could easily make this casserole in advance and just not bake it until you are ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Google Stinks

2009-05-20T17:49:00.000-04:00

Well friends, family, unknown readers...because of your vigilant reading of my blog and visiting the advertiser links, Google is punishing me by not allowing ads on my blog anymore. Just as I was about to post a new delicious recipe they ruined my day. Guess I will have to find a new blog host that appreciates people actually visiting their advertisers.

Google = Ebeneezer Scrooge

Strawberry Pie

2009-05-13T12:05:00.000-04:00

Strawberries were on sale at the grocery store this past week so I went crazy and bought 3 containers. Since I am such a nice person, I decided this time I could share with Kris (I think I ate every single strawberry when I bought them a week before). He mentioned that he would like the pie his mom always makes, so I got the recipe and whipped it up. This is a super easy pie and I guess it could be adapted to any fruit you like.

Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:
80z cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/2 T almond extract
1 c cream, whipped
Strawberries - washed and hulled
Chocolate chips - handful
1 crust - oreo, graham cracker, etc

Directions:
1. Whip cream cheese, sugar, and almond extract together
2. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form (aka whipped cream)
3. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture
4. Spoon mixture into crust - we always use oreo
5. Top with strawberries
6. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle on top
7. Keep refrigerated

Variations:
I used vanilla extract because I didn't have almond
I used cool whip instead of whipping cream

Kris' review - didn't taste exactly like his mom's but close enough. :) It must have been good because he dived right in before I could take a picture.

Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage

2009-05-07T11:21:00.000-04:00

I have this recipe that I love that is for an Italian sausage and cream sauce for pasta (I even submitted it to the Chi Omega cookbook we did in college). For some reason I think this is such a great meal, but I don't think my family agreed when I made it for them years ago. Due to the unhealthiness of the dish, I had only made it once or twice. However, a couple years ago I decided to make this dish and try it out with turkey sausage and the fat free half and half my mom started buying. I think this low-fat version is a winner and Kris seems to enjoy it, so maybe you will too. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb turkey sausage (Even though my recipe calls for 1lb, I only cook 1/2lb and freeze the other 1/2)
1 can diced tomatoes (I love the ones flavored with basil/garlic/oregano but plain are good too)
1 small onion
1 c fat free half and half
2/3 c white wine
Parmesan cheese (shredded is better than the grated/fine version for this dish)
Penne pasta (or the shape of your choice)

Directions:
1. Brown turkey sausage with onion and drain fat2. Add white wine and boil until it almost evaporates 3. Add can of diced tomatoes, including juices, and let simmer for a few minutes4. Add half and half and then simmer on low. The sauce won't get very thick and will remain somewhat runny since we eliminated the heavy cream.5. Boil pasta and then toss with sauce and parmesan cheese

Tips - I usually make the batch of sauce and then refrigerate half since I am only cooking for 2. That way I can make fresh pasta the next night and it tastes like new again.
If I think about it when cooking I will add some garlic to the sausage while browning.

Kentucky Derby

2009-05-03T18:19:00.000-04:00

Growing up in a family where both sides are from Kentucky, you would think the first Saturday in May was a national holiday. We would often have derby parties, and I can remember when we were younger we would draw a horse's name from a bowl and that was your horse to cheer for (and hopefully it would win you the pot of money). My grandmother would always get us a derby glass, and this tradition has been carried on through my mom and my aunt. My mom says I have a collection stashed away, but I bet my brother has hoarded all of them.

On to the food portion of this post, Derby day isn't Derby day without Derby Pie! This sparks many memories, and really was my favorite part of the whole day. Derby pie is a delicious dessert that basically tastes like a chocolate chip cookie (with nuts) in a pie crust. Now if you know me, you will know that I am not a big nut fan, and of course I managed to find myself a husband who is allergic so I just use that as my excuse now. I can remember begging my mom to make the pie without nuts, and after a few rounds of her saying no, she usually caved. Some years she would have tart shells and make us individual pies, but mostly it was just one pie. Well now I can make things to my own liking, so my pies are definitely nut free. I tried to make my own mini derby pies (I am liking mini versions of things these days) and we shall see how they taste. I couldn't find the pre-made tart shells, so I bought the Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough and cut it into circles to fit into a muffin pan and made mine that way. I will have to wait until Kris tries it to see if they are any good.

Derby Pie
(My mom swears our recipe is the "real" derby pie recipe, so if this post disappears you know somebody hunted me down and I committed some sort of infringement)

Ingredients:
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c flour
3 eggs
1 stick butter (melted)
2 T bourbon (I use vanilla instead)
6 oz chocolate chips
1 c broken pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Beat eggs. Add in sugars and mix.
3. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well.
4. Divide between 2 pie shells
5. Bake for 1 hour - cover with foil if the pies start to brown, because a top layer will develop before the whole pie is set
6. If you want to make mini pies, bake for 30 min.

Oops - as I am typing up this recipe I realized I forgot to put the vanilla in my batch. Hope the pies are still yummy!

Fiesta!

2009-05-03T17:27:00.000-04:00

After months and months of debating what I wanted our everyday dishware to be, I finally made the big purchase today! Due to the friends and family sale at Macy's, I finally committed to buying Fiestaware. I got 12 place settings in 3 colors - ivory, cobalt blue, and peacock. I know you probably could care less what dishes I have, but I am very excited so thought I would post it.

I know my Aunt Sally is a big fan of fiestaware, and I think I first learned about it while visiting her in Cali. My mom always talks about how her aunt had these dishes as well. I look forward to a lifetime of collecting fiesta and the different colors they release in the future.

Now back to food - I currently am baking some derby pies so I will post about those later (I
know I am a day late but hopefully they will still be good).

This is a picture of the aftermath of opening 12 place setting boxes. I'm still waiting for the clean-up fairy to come.

Strawberry Cake

2009-05-01T15:30:00.000-04:00

Last night I came to the rescue for Valerie and made some emergency cupcakes for her fiance's birthday. She is my cupcake loving friend who was the lucky recipient of the red velvet cupcakes for her bridal shower (see red velvet cake post). I love to bake and not have the remnants sitting around our place, and I also jump at any chance to try to create a new recipe and decorating technique. I thought I did a pretty good job since I didn't have much time, but then I discovered they weren't as pretty upon delivery. I never even considered putting a fresh strawberry slice on top would "ruin" the frosting, but it definitely left its mark. The icing started to run a little due to the moisture of the strawberry slice, and being the perfectionist that I am, this did not make me happy. At least I learned a valuable lesson....juicy strawberries don't mix with frosting! Guess I will have to figure something else out for the future. If you have any tips let me know!!

This was the first strawberry cake I have ever attempted, other than a boxed strawberry cake (which ended up being the Easter floor cake I mentioned before). I found the recipe on the Food Network's website, and when I saw it was done by Paula Deen I figured it had to be good (I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this!!). Since I am trying to stick to my diet, I did not eat the cake but have been assured they were yummy, but you can judge for yourself. FYI - don't expect these to be a normal cake texture...I would classify them as "squishy." Obviously that is not a proper cake term, but it will do for now. :)

Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:
1 boxed white cake mix
1 3oz box strawberry gelatin
1 15oz package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed (I couldn't find ones in "syrup" but found them labeled "sweetened")
4 large eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Combine cake mix and strawberry gelatin.
Add in the pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water and mix until combined and smooth
Divide evenly between 2 cake pans, or I made 24 cupcakes and 36 mini cupcakes.
If making a cake, the directions say to bake for 20 min.
If making cupcakes - bake 15 min for regular sized, and 12 for mini.
Frost with your favorite icing - I used the classic cream cheese frosting, but the recipe provided a yummy strawberry cream cheese frosting. I think that may be a little too much to serve along with the strawberry cake, but I will try it with a different cake sometime in the future.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1 8oz package cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 box powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Directions:
Cream butter and cream cheese together
Slowly mix in powdered sugar (otherwise you will have a cloud of powdered sugar dust floating up)
Add in vanilla and mix until smooth (confession - I never measure vanilla and usually always add more than a recipe calls for because I think it makes everything better)
**Variation - I looked for strawberry extract at the store thinking it may be better than vanilla for this recipe, but couldn't find any - try it if you have it and let me know how it tastes

Congo Bars

2009-04-22T10:07:00.000-04:00

Today is Administrative Professionals day so I thought I would bring in a treat to the office. I quizzed everyone yesterday on what they would like. I decided to make congo bars/blondies mainly because I had all the ingredients.

Every time I make these I forget how good they are. My mom would often send me back to college with a batch and they would be gone before the drive was over! This is one of those recipes that you may add different ingredients to tweak it for your particular cravings. I typically stick to just chocolate chips, but I'm sure there are some nut lovers out there.

Congo Bars

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine
1 box light brown sugar (2 cups packed)
3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 t baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 t vanilla
Chocolate chips (or whatever else you may like)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325
1. In a large mixing bowl, melt butter and brown sugar together in microwave
2. Add eggs, mixing well
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt; add vanilla last
4. Pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top (you can mix them into the batter, but we like it best on top)
6. Bake for 25 min - be careful not to overbake so that you don't mess up the gooeyness. If you like them firmer though, bake a little longer

Green Beans

2009-04-13T16:33:00.000-04:00

Do you ever crave old fashioned green beans that have cooked for hours to the point of perfection? I absolutely love green beans but who has the time to let them cook all day long (plus I never have the bacon or ham to include that make the beans extra good). Well I have come up with a shortcut to making great tasting canned green beans without all the time and effort. Kris even suggested I post this because he loves these green beans and pointed out there are many people clueless on how to make green beans, other than serving the can straight up. Well here is my secret...add a little bit of sugar to your green beans and voila!

Ingredients
2 cans cut green beans
Spoonful of sugar
Water

Directions
Put green beans (plus liquid) into saucepan
Add about a can and a half of water (up to 2 cans of water) and spoon of sugar
Boil green beans until liquid is gone (give it at least 20 min, but I guess you could try microwaving it for a while...some things I think are just plain better made on the stove)

**Make as many cans as you like...just make sure to add about 3/4 of a can of water for each can of beans. I have found that 2 cans are the perfect amount for Kris and I (that way I can eat lots of green beans and avoid getting seconds on other non-healthy items like macaroni and cheese).

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T07:46:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter to everyone! The Easter Bunny has not made an appearance at our place yet, but that's because he likes to get a bargain and buy the candy half off. :)

A few years ago my mom gave me my first pastry bag and tip set for Easter. I believe it was my first year of law school, but my memory may be slightly off. This then sparked my idea to make an Easter egg cake. I spent lots of time trying to get it perfectly egg shaped, and then proceeded to decorate it like a pretty colorful egg (it wasn't very pretty, but it was my first time). My oldest brother came over and this is when the fate of the cake set in. He was dead set on ruining my decorations by putting his finger in the frosting, so I pulled the cake away and acted like I was going to throw it on him. He then bet me $5 that I wouldn't do it, so of course the next thing I knew I was throwing my cake on him. Too bad I missed and the whole thing ended up on the floor! This cake is forever known as "floor cake" in our house, and don't worry, we did salvage some of the pieces that didn't touch the floor.

This year I am going to make a cake, but it certainly won't be a floor cake this year. Today I am going to make one of my favorite cakes...Chocolate Wet Cake. This is my go to cake for family dinners since everyone seems to enjoy it. I hope you try it sometime and love it too!

Chocolate Wet Cake

Ingredients
2 c sugar
2 c flour
2 sticks butter or margarine
4T Cocoa
1 c water
½ c buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13x9 baking dish
2. Combine flour and sugar in mixing bowl
3. Melt butter in the microwave
4. Stir in cocoa and water into the butter and microwave until it boils
5. Pour cocoa mixture over the flour/sugar mix and combine
6. Add eggs, buttermilk, soda, and vanilla and mix well
7. Bake for about 25 min (try not to over bake)
8. Before putting frosting on, poke the cake all over with a fork so the frosting will soak in

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients
1 stick butter
3 T cocoa
6 T milk
1 t vanilla
1 16oz box powdered sugar

Directions
1. Melt butter in microwave
2. Stir in cocoa and milk and microwave until boils
3. Put the powdered sugar in mixing bowl, and then pour in the cocoa mixture and mix well
4. Add vanilla
5. The frosting should be slightly runny so that it will just pour over the cake, so if it is too thick add a little more milk
6. Pour on hot cake

Crockpot Turkey

2009-04-10T13:28:00.001-04:00

If anyone is looking for a quick and easy turkey recipe for their Easter dinner, search no further. When Kris and I were in college, he mentioned he was going to cook a turkey one day and I was very impressed. I certainly didn't know the ins and outs of roasting a turkey and thought I had won the jackpot with a boyfriend who could cook. Then he mentioned it would be cooked in a crockpot and my skepticism kicked in. We did not use a crockpot in our family very much, and I only remember a gross green colored bean soup being made via crockpot. Therefore, I figured this turkey was bound to end up with a similar fate. Turns out Kris wasn't crazy and his mom passed down one tasty and easy recipe! To this day, this is a meal Kris usually makes without any help from me, so I need to give him full credit.

Crockpot Turkey

Ingredients
1 frozen turkey breast (or a full turkey if your crockpot is large enough)
1 can jellied cranberry
1 package of dried onion soup

Directions
1. Place turkey in crockpot (we usually move it to the fridge for overnight in order to remove from packaging and to cook a little faster, but it can be completely frozen). In full disclosure, I have never done this step so I have no clue if there are parts of the turkey to remove, but I assume there are.
2. Add in can of cranberry and onion soup
3. Turn on crockpot to low and let cook for 8 hours or until turkey is done; if it is completely frozen when you start to cook, maybe put it on high a couple hours to get it going faster.
4. When turkey is finished don't throw away the liquid in the crockpot. This is the cranberry and makes delicious gravy, with no extra steps necessary except for laddling it on. (it does have some of the fat from the turkey, but once you chill the gravy the fat will solidfy on the top and you can scrape it off - do beforehand if you are concerned about the fat and then reheat for gravy)

** If you are making a really large turkey, you may want to consider adding 2 cans of cranberry and 2 packages of onion soup

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

2009-04-09T15:16:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before that Kris (the hubby) LOVES cheese. He will eat just about anything with cheese on top, or cheese as a meal in itself. A few years back I decided that I should make scalloped potatoes for a dinner, and they were a big hit with Kris and the rest of my family. These are a traditional southern food, but I only remember eating them a few times. Now that I started making them, Kris often requests them (as he did last night) and there are never leftovers. I soon learned to double the recipe when feeding the whole family (tip: place a tray underneath when doubling in case the dish bubbles over).

With Easter just around the corner, this would be a great side dish to add to your meal. This recipe is simple to make and the steps are pretty much the same as making the macaroni and cheese sauce.

Ingredients
3 russet potatoes
2T butter
2T flour
1 1/4 c milk
2 cups cheddar cheese (substitute another if you like)
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Melt butter in mixing bowl in microwave
2. Add flour, whisk, and then microwave 30 seconds
3. Add milk, whisk, and microwave at 2 minute intervals until thick (just like macaroni so see that post for pictures) - resulting in a bechamel sauce
4. Mix in salt and pepper and half of the cheese to the sauce until melted
5.. After the sauce is ready, peel and thinly slice your potatoes. The thinner they are the faster it will cook. Kris and I bought a cheap mandoline at crate and barrel that makes this job very easy, although a knife will work just fine. It is important to wait to peel/slice the potatoes so they don't turn brown.
6. Put half of the potatoes in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle some cheese on top of the layer, then add remaining potatoes. Top with the rest of the cheese.
7. Bake at 350, covered, for 1 hour. Prick with fork after 1 hour to see if potatoes are tender; if not, cook longer until they are tender and do not have a "crunch"

2009-04-09T11:34:00.000-04:00

I think I made the appropriate changes to my blog so anyone can comment now. Try it out and we'll see if it works. You may also now subscribe to my blog so you will receive an email when I enter a new post. New posting on its way later today!

Broccoli, Chicken, and Rice Casserole

2009-04-07T13:06:00.000-04:00

Since my last few posts have been very unhealthy foods, everyone must be wondering what I eat on a regular basis (obviously too much or I would have lost some weight by now!). Tonight I am going to make one of my favorite casseroles, which evolved from one my mom used to make. She would often make this dish with chicken, broccoli, and cheddar cheese and I can remember one day asking for rice to be added. I would be willing to say I probably requested this for dinner at least once a week, and it would always be waiting for me when I came home on school breaks (just like the pimento cheese at my grandmother's house). We now have a version that has stuck around, and I can even get my anti-broccoli eating husband to admit this casserole is a keeper.

Ingredients
1 cup rice (I use white but try others if you want)
1 package of frozen chopped broccoli (the block size, not the bag)
Approx. 1 chicken breast shredded or cubed (I have come to use leftover rotisserie chicken, but will also boil a breast or omit if I don't want to make it)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% fat free)
1 spoon of light mayo
Milk
Dash of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Cook rice according to instructions - it is best if you use chicken stock instead of water or a mixture of both
2. Dethaw broccoli and strain good (the microwave works just fine)
3. Mix together soup, mayo, milk, lemon juice (if you have it on hand), salt, and pepper. The mayo can be omitted, but I think it helps make it creamy. As for the milk, I usually pour it directly into the soup can and about halfway full and scrape out all the extra soup left behind. If you have some of the fat free half and half I would use that instead of the milk
4. Combine rice, broccoli, and chicken in casserole dish
5. Stir in soup mixture until well blended. I often add some parmesan to the entire mixture
6. Top with parmesan cheese
7. Bake at 350 until bubbly (20 min or so)

I hope you enjoy this just as much as I do! This is a basic recipe that you can easily alter to become your favorite.

Pimento Cheese

2009-04-06T11:14:00.000-04:00

Pimento cheese is one of those foods that immediately sparks the memory of summer trips to Kentucky. You can't go to a church dinner, luncheon, or funeral in Kentucky without there being a tray of little triangle sandwiches made with pimento cheese and benedictine (the benedictine is a whole other story for a later time). My greatest memories of pimento cheese is eating it upon arrival to my grandparents' house. It was a guaranteed bet my grandmother would have some ready to eat once we arrived, always stored in an old mayo jar.

There are competing versions in my family....my dad thinks it is best soupy with pickles, but my favorite is of course my grandmother's version that is a thick spread and pickle free. I never did make pimento cheese with my grandmother to know her secrets, but I discovered a couple years ago that my Aunt Edna and Uncle Harold's version is pretty much the same. Thank goodness I have them around to ask for recipes!!

You may make pimento cheese with any cheese you like, but the most common is cheddar cheese and maybe some American for texture. My Aunt Edna says they normally use scraps of cheese they have leftover, but my husband is a cheese freak so we don't normally have any leftovers. Since I am a more mild person, I decided to combine sharp and mild cheddar for mine, but you do as you wish! I also took advantage of using the pre-shredded cheese packages, but I'm sure my grandmother would never have adapted to such an invention. :)

If you are a golf fan, here is my recommendation for the perfect golf watching meal: Make a pimento cheese sandwich and wrap it in green wax paper. Take a seat on the couch and enjoy your sandwich along with an Arnold Palmer, and you will feel like you are at Augusta National on Master's Sunday.

Pimento Cheese

Ingredients
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups mild cheddar cheese, grated
Small jar of diced pimentos
Mayonnaise (it is best with the real mayo, but you can use light or fat free if you want)
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Combine the two cheeses in a mixing bowl
2. Add the pimentos along with some of the juice (depending on my pepper mood, I may just use half of the jar and freeze the rest)
3. Mix in some mayo, start with a spoonful or two at a time, and mix until the the cheeses become spreadable
4. Add a little salt and pepper to taste, and then refrigerate

This is best if it has time to refrigerate so the flavors will combine, so may a day ahead if time permits. Serve as cold sandwiches (or it makes a fabulous grilled cheese), on saltine crackers (my favorite), celery, or whatever your favorite dipping item may be.

FYI - if you don't have the desire to make your own but still want to try it...go to the Fresh Market if there is one nearby and taste theirs. It is creamier than mine but I really like it.

Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy

2009-04-05T10:18:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning with the urge to make something yummy today. At first I was brainstorming what to make for Sunday dinner, however my mind soon shifted to breakfast. I quickly found myself with my hands covered in sticky dough, making a batch of buttermilk biscuits and gravy.

Gravy is another one of those non-recipe recipes I learned how to make from my mom. Growing up she often made it for breakfast or to accompany certain southern dinners. I wish I didn’t know how to make it, because then I wouldn’t be regretting my choice to eat such a sinfully fat breakfast. Of course my bad decision made me feel even worse because right after I finished breakfast, I saw the first picture of my brother post-weight loss. Oh well….at least I made it with skim milk right??

As for the biscuits, I would normally go buy a bag of Pillsbury’s frozen buttermilk biscuits (why do the work when they are soooo good). Today I decided to make use of what I had on hand and made my first batch of biscuits from scratch. I have to admit, they turned out pretty good for a first-timer!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
2 T sugar
2 ½ t baking powder
½ t salt
½ t baking soda
½ c butter
1 cup buttermilk (maybe a little more if needed)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients
3. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender, until it is crumbly and well mixed
4. Add buttermilk a little at a time, stirring until well mixed. This is where experience will tell you how much you need, which I certainly had no clue at the time. I added enough buttermilk to make all of the flour stick and hold together into a ball. The end product was very sticky.
5. Lightly flour a surface (countertop or cutting board) and knead the dough a few times (my goal was trying to make it less sticky, but who knows if that is right).
6. Roll the dough out to about ½ inch thick, and then use a biscuit cutter or glass.
7. Place in a greased cake pan or other baking dish and let the sides of the biscuits touch each other.
8. If you desire, brush the tops with a little bit of melted butter
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Gravy

This is another one of those dishes I make without a recipe, so hopefully these measurements will work well for you. The best way to know what you are doing is trial and error! In order for this to turn out well, you really need some bacon grease or to have just made sausage, fried chicken, fried pork, etc.

Ingredients
1/3 cup bacon grease (the next time you fry bacon, just pour the grease into an old jar and save in the fridge for future use)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2-3 cups milk (I use skim, but use what you have)
Lots of salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Heat grease in pan on medium heat
2. Add in flour and whisk until smooth

3. Let it cook for a few minutes, continuing to whisk, until it turns a caramel color
4. Add in milk (start with 1½ to 2 cups and you can always add more later) and whisk to combine
5. Keep whisking on medium heat; once it starts to bubble the milk will start to thicken – may take 5 to 10 minutes (you don’t have to continuously whisk, but you want to stay close so that it doesn’t burn)
6. If the mixture is extra thick, add some more milk to thin it out; it will re-thicken as it cooks, you just want to be careful to not add too much milk to start
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste (it will need lots).
8. Spoon on top of biscuits or whatever else you may want gravy on.

Red Velvet Cake

2009-03-25T20:29:00.000-04:00

By now everyone has heard of red velvet cake, especially if you have seen the movie Steel Magnolias. Who could forget the bleeding armadillo cake? Well crazy Aunt Fern is not the only person who can make a delicious red velvet cake...mine's just not in the shape of an animal.

Red velvet cake was a staple dessert in our household growing up. It is my oldest brother's favorite cake therefore my mom and I would make it each year for his birthday. I don't have any crazy memories regarding this cake; just that it was always darn good. The debate now comes on whether you prefer a cream cheese frosting, or the true red velvet cake frosting. I am partial to the "special" frosting (I don't know the name for it) but will admit it does take more time and effort. You can be the judge for yourself.

My most recent use of this recipe was for a batch of cupcakes I made for a friend's wedding shower (above picture). For these, I took the effort to make them look like Georgetown Cupcake's version with cream cheese frosting, as those are her favorite. Only in DC would people pay $3 for a cupcake!

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 ½ c sugar
2 eggs
2 T heaping cocoa
2 oz red food coloring
1 c buttermilk
2 ½ c flour (sift before measuring, then sift again with salt into cake)
½ t salt
1 t vanilla
1 t soda
1 T white vinegar

Directions:
1. Cream butter with sugar until fluffy; add eggs and mix
2. Make a past of the food coloring and cocoa; add to batter in mixing bowl and mix
3. Add buttermilk alternately with sifted flour and salt
4. Add vanilla
5. Add soda to vinegar in a cup to make a foam; blend into batter
6. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes in 2 round cake pans (or cupcakes)
7. Cool well before frosting

Frosting
Ingredients:
2 T flour
1 c milk
1 c sugar
2 sticks butter
1 t vanilla

Directions:
1. Cook flour and milk together in microwave until very thick, stirring frequently – will be like a gummy paste
2. Cool the flour and milk – must be cold before adding to remaining ingredients
3. Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla together until really fluffy
4. Add in the flour/milk and mix until it is the texture of whipped cream

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
½ stick butter (room temperature)
1 t vanilla
1 box powdered sugar

Directions:
Beat cream cheese and butter well
Add sugar in stages and continue to mix

Add vanilla

Macaroni and Cheese!

2009-03-24T19:54:00.000-04:00

To say I was a picky eater growing up would be an understatement, and I will not lie that some of those habits are still present today. However, if you were to join my father for a meal out you will see the apple does not fall far from the tree. The pivotal moment in my life was the first time I ate my grandmother’s macaroni and cheese. Up until then I maintained the only macaroni I liked was the blue box type with powdered cheese. My stubbornness prevented me from trying the “real” stuff; therefore I am eternally grateful to my grandmother for making me take a bite.

From that day on, it became common knowledge that I expected her to make macaroni for every family or holiday meal, and I certainly did not like to share with others. Once she became ill I knew the task was upon me to grow up and make macaroni and cheese on my own. This was a great plan until I realized my grandmother never used recipes. I believe this to be the start of my love of cooking, even though time in the kitchen with my mom from a young age had already provided me with a passion for baking. 15 years and many variations later, I am still comparing my macaroni and cheese to the memory of my beloved grandmothers.

Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
(I too don’t follow a recipe, but I have done my best to provide measurements as a starting point)

Ingredients:
16 oz elbox macaroni noodles
3T butter
3T flour
3 cups milk
1 t salt
2 cups cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Cook macaroni noodles according to package (I often make things difficult and only cook 3/4 of the box, but might as well go ahead and make it all).
2. In microwaveable bowl, melt butter. Add flour and salt then whisk together. Microwave for about 20 seconds

3. Pour in 3 c. milk, whisk, then microwave for 2 minutes. Remove and whisk, continuing to cook at 2 minute intervals until mixture thickens. (You know it is thickening up when you take it out of microwave and see bubble in middle like picture below) The final result is called a "bechamel" sauce.

4. Using a large casserole dish, combine macaroni noodles with cheese (reserving some to sprinkle on top).
5. Pour béchamel sauce over noodles and stir to combine. If you like a thick macaroni and cheese leave as is. If you like a creamy end result, add in a little extra milk (I always pour it into the microwave bowl to mix it with the remnants of the béchamel). If you think you added too much milk, just bake it a little longer as it will magically absorb.

6. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top.

7. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and dish is bubbly (at least 20 min, probably no more than 30).

Welcome!

2009-03-24T19:08:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my first blog! I look forward to using this space to share my favorite recipes and the stories behind them.