What's in {Your} Oven?

Crockpot Hot Chocolate

2011-12-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

For a party last night I made this Crockpot Hot Chocolate, and it was fabulous!! Very rich and creamy. Definitely not for the faint of heart. It is fairly sweet. But, I like sweet! :)

image courtesy of mrshappyhomemaker.com

Polka Dots

2011-11-20T17:01:00.001-08:00

I came across the most awesome chocolate cookie recipe I have ever used. Why is it awesome? Because it is almost too easy to make...AND it's CHOCOLATE! I found it when I was looking up an easy recipe for a kid to make to go with a handsewn apron for a birthday gift. I actually never tried it until after it was given, but I give to two thumbs up for being kid friendly! The other awesome thing about this recipe--you can twist it up with any flavor chips OR try another flavor cake mix (adding extra milk as needed to moisten dough). Are you ready for the recipe? Here it is!

Polka Dot Cookies

Ingredients

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
In large bowl, combine brownie mix, oil and eggs. By hand, stir until well-blended. Stir in chips.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in heated oven for 8-12 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from baking sheets.

And there you have it--the most easy, great tasting recipe you will be making over and over again, in so many different combinations too! Hey I didn't say it was HEALTHY! You can't have it all!

Pinterest Challege: Taco Bowls

2011-08-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

My friend Mari issued a challenge on her blog to do something this week you have pinned on Pinterest and share it with everyone. Are you on Pinterest yet? If so, don't you love it?! If not, you will love it! Let me know if you need an invite. Anywho... I pinned these cute mini taco bowls a while back and thought I'd give them a whirl. I decided to share them with you guys here since this is a food blog, after all.

My inspiration was this picture here, originally from emilybites.com

Source: emilybites.com via Jillian on Pinterest

Mini Taco bowls Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 375. 2. Sprinkle each tortilla lightly with water and stack them on a plate. Cover the top with another plate turned upside down and microwave the tortillas for 1 minute or until warm. Turn two 12 cup muffin pans upside down. Mist each side of a tortilla lightly with cooking spray and center it in the space between 4 muffin cups, creating a bowl. Repeat with the 5 remaining tortillas, forming 3 bowls on each tin (as pictured above). Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

Here we are making them. I always have little helpers in the kitchen...unless something more exciting is on TV. My kids always ask me if they can watch "Netflakes". Flix, kids, flix. Not flakes. Ahem. Moving on.

We filled the bowls with my favorite taco salad recipe. It's different every time I make it, but the dressing is always the same. This time I put in the salad black beans, pinto beans, corn, red bell pepper, romaine lettuce, tomato, cilantro, hamburger cooked with taco seasoning, and mango. The mango was SO delicious in there. It added a little sweetness that was SO good.

The taco bowls were really easy to make and the kids really liked them. They thought the little bowls were so cool. Just wish they'd eaten more of the salad inside. Grr... Someday they will appreciate the goodness that is taco salad. ;)

I forgot to get pics of the bowls before everyone started eating, so imagine it without a bite out of it.

BLT Pasta Salad

2011-08-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

As I've been trying to do more meal-planning, I've been trying out many new recipes. I plan to share some of the winners with you. :)

I've made this pasta salad couple of times. It is so easy and so yummy! And, it's even better the next day! The recipe is from Food.com. It makes a ton, so for my family of 5 (2 adults and 3 6-year-olds) I usually cut the recipe in half. Enjoy!

BLT Pasta Salad

Ingredients

3 2/3 cups cooked whole wheat elbow macaroni ( about 8 ounces uncooked)
4 cups seeded coarsely chopped tomatoes ( about 2 1/2 pounds)
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt, drained
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently.
Combine mayonnaise and next 6 ingredients; stir well.
Add dressing to salad and toss gently. Serve immediately.

For the Love of Cooking: Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos with a Mango and Black Bean Salsa

2011-08-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

For the Love of Cooking: Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos with a Mango and Black Bean Salsa

image courtesy of For the Love of Cooking

I made this for dinner tonight, and it was SO good! The marinade was so easy and yummy. The salsa was great, with just a little bit of heat. The original recipe called for corn tortillas, but we ate it with flour because that's what we prefer. We also made coconut rice to go inside the tortillas. To make coconut rice, just add some cream of coconut to cooked rice until it tastes right. You want to be able to taste the coconut, but don't want it to completely overpower the rice and be too sweet. Oh, and FYI-- You can find cream of coconut in the aisle with the margarita mixes and stuff like that. Sometimes it's in the Mexican food aisle, too.

So, you should definitely try this recipe. 5 stars!

A Substitute for Canned Cream of Whatever Soup

2011-04-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

I have several recipes that call for cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, and I was thinking to myself that there must be an easy way to make it yourself with fresher ingredients. I did a little Google search and stumbled upon THIS thread where someone asked the same question. There is a lot of great info in the thread, including instructions for making a basic roux and Bechamel sauce, as well as a recipe for dry soup mix that you can make a big batch of and store, then just add water to some of the mix and cook it when you need a can of cream-of-whatever soup. Anyway, just thought I'd pass that along to you guys. Happy cooking!

"That's alright. I make lamb."

2011-03-10T00:07:00.000-08:00

The other night I was trying to decide what to make for dinner, and as I was looking through the freezer I found some ground lamb. We hadn't had lamb in a long time, so I thought that sounded like fun to make. Now, I just needed to find a good recipe! Well, I found one on food.com. It was SO good, especially if you like curry powder. Yum! Here's the recipe.

Nordic Moon Ranch's Most Excellent Ground Lamb

"This recipe is great for just about anything you want to fill or top. Use it over rice, serve it in Pita's with Feta Cheese, fill pastry shells, or even have it on toast! It is very flavorful and has an Indian Flair to it."

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground lamb
1 large onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons your favorite curry powder ( I use Rogan Josh) - I think I put in more than this. The more curry the better, right?!
3/4 cup red wine or 3/4 cup beef broth - I used chicken broth, because I was out of beef broth.
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( for you pepper bellies out there) (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

In a large, preheated heavy skillet over medium heat, brown lamb evenly.
Drain of all fat.
In same skillet, saute onion in olive oil until soft.
Using mortar and pestal, grind garlic to a paste with the salt.
Add paste to onions in skillet.
Stir in curry powder and red pepper flakes if used.
Return lamb to skillet and add tomato paste and broth or wine. - I ended up adding quite a bit more chicken broth, because my pan was so hot that it all evaporated/boiled out/whatever really fast.
Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until flavors have blended and liquids are thickened.

* To serve, I put about an ounce of meat into a mini-phyllo shell, then cooked it in the oven for 3-5 minutes like the package said, just until the shells were golden brown.
The kids thought it was fun, and they each ate at least two, even my picky daughter! The flavors were so good, and there was none of the gamey-ness usually associated with lamb. I'd like to try some of the serving ideas given by people who reviewed the recipe on food.com. Some of their ideas of how to use this terrific meat were awesome. .

Squash Apple Soup

2011-02-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

I went to a ladies church activity a while ago about health & fitness. One of the speakers shared a recipe for Squash Apple Soup that she loves, and it only has 97 calories per 1 cup serving! I was telling a couple of friends about it, so I thought I'd post it here for everyone.

Squash Apple Soup
Ingredients:
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 large apple, peeled & chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cans (14-1/2 oz) chicken broth, divided
2 pkg (12 oz) frozen cooked winter squash, thawed

Directions:
1. Saute celery, apple & onion in oil & butter until tender. Stir in garlic, poultry seasoning, salt & pepper; cook 1 minute longer.
2. In a blender, combine 1 c. broth and vegetable mixture; cover & process until smooth. Return to pan; add squash and remaining broth.
3. Heat through. Serve with croutons & grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size- 1 cup
97 calories
4 g fat
1 g saturated fat
7 mg cholesterol

Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread

2011-01-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

A friend brought this bread to my house for dinner one night, and I had to have the recipe. It is so yummy! Too good to keep the recipe to myself. And it is super easy.

Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons rosemary
1 teaspoon salt

Mix first three ingredients and let sit to nice and foamy. Add the rest of the ingredients. Let dough rise in greased bowl til double the size. Roll dough into one large round loaf, or two smaller loaves. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until top is golden brown. When out of the oven, melt butter all over the top and sprinkle with salt.

****Here are my edits. I used SAF yeast, so I didn't let it foam in the sugar water. Just added it to my dry ingredients and it was good to go. I only use half the amount of rosemary. I have made it with the full amount, but I think it is too much. I let my loaves rise again before I cook them. I think it makes them extra fluffy and yummy. The last time I made it I left the extra loaf on the pan to cool (I cooked it on a cookie sheet) and covered it with a towel. Later that night when I went to put it away, the bottom was a little soggy right in the middle. Next time I will leave it on a cooling rack.

This bread is perfect to eat with oil and vinegar, for dipping in chili or soup, or just plain. Enjoy!

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

2011-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

I made this for dinner on New Year's Eve Eve this year. I'd made it once or twice before, but I haven't quite yet gotten my timing down right. The first time, we ended up eating at about 8:15pm. This time it was still about 7:30 when we finally sat down. Methinks I need to start preparing at 3:00 in the afternoon.

I got the recipe first from Michelle at Scribbit, which if you're not familiar with, you totally should be. She is an award-winning mom blogger, without the whole "mommy community" thing going on, which at times, can be quite cloying. The recipe as she found it was called Chicken Caesar Lasagna, but there's absolutely nothing Roman about it. Definitely no anchovies here. Just creamy, cheesy, vegetable-y goodness. I've made a couple of edits in the way of recipe helps.

Original recipe

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles (about 15 noodles)
2 bottles light Alfredo sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup diced onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water; drain again. (Hint: if you don't have a pot large enough to boil lasagna noodles in, and don't want to wait for half to soften enough to bend and fit the other half in the water -- they cook unevenly that way -- use a roasting pan. It's okay to get it out more than just for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.)

In a bowl combine Alfredo sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper. In a skillet saute onion, pepper and carrots in olive oil. Once onions are translucent (about five minutes) stir in spinach and cook one minute more.

Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add a scoop of sauce mixture to the bottom of the pan and smooth around to coat. Stir spinach mixture and chicken into Alfredo sauce. Arrange 4 noodles in bottom of dish. Top with one-third chicken mixture then 1/2 cup grated cheese. Repeat layers twice more. Use the last three noodles on the top of the last cheese layer. They won't overlap, but will provide a good guide for cutting up and serving later. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top layer of noodles.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and browned on top. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

(This second picture was taken of cold leftovers the next day.)

Chocolate Chex Mix

2011-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

My husband's family has a New Year's Eve tradition of making large batches of Chex Mix, and watching movies all afternoon and evening. He looks forward to that Chex Mix and relaxation. Try as I might, I haven't been able to get the Chex Mix recipe. It's not quite the original, which easily can be found online, but my mother-in-law has been making it for so many years that she no longer uses a recipe and doesn't know the measurements. So I've been unable to replicate the tradition. I've tried several substitutes -- Barbecue Chex Mix (FAIL!), Chex Muddy Buddies (too sweet and not munchy enough), and others. This year, a friend gave us some white chocolate Chex Mix as a Christmas treat. It was pretty good. Mind you, Ben does not like white chocolate at all, and since we've been married, I've lost my taste for it because it's so rarely, if ever, in the house. But this snack was really good. We gobbled it up almost entirely in one night.

So I decided to try to make it for New Year's Eve this year. I thought that Chocolate Chex might be a yummy twist on an original, so I bought that.

I also did little pretzel rods, dry roasted peanuts, M&M's, and, at the last minute, I added marshmallows.

I thought I had a bag of white chocolate chips in the cupboard, so I didn't buy any with the rest of the goodies. I'd forgotten that I had used about 2/3 of the bag on a yummy cookie recipe for a church activity at the beginning of the month. I still had a little less than 2/3 cup left. I also had about half a bag of vanilla-flavored white baking chips in the freezer. I'd asked my friend about her white chocolate coating. She said she just heated the white chocolate in the microwave with a little oil.

It didn't work. Not for me. For one thing, the baking chips are most definitely not the same as white chocolate chips (despite the ingredients being just about the same). They cooked differently, and I ended up burning the whole thing.

Crap.

My husband suggested that I just make a chocolate coating instead.

Duh.

I decided not to take anymore chances (read: waste anymore chocolatey goodness), so I Googled "chocolate candy coating recipe." The first hit was a dipping recipe from Hershey. Chocolate chips and shortening. Not oil. Not butter. Not margarine. Shortening. I wasn't sure I had any. The last time I remember buying any was probably two years ago.

Fortunately, that stuff has a shelf life longer than Twinkies. Yay!

So I made the chocolate coating -- in a double boiler, instead of in a less reliable microwave -- and poured it over the dry mix. I spread the whole thing out on parchment paper on two cookie sheets and stuck them in the fridge to solidify quickly, since it was already about 7:00pm on New Year's Eve.

Verdict: It was really good, but a little too sweet. I think my mix would have been fine if I'd been able to go with the white chocolate coating. The chocolate chocolate was good, but I'd have made a few modifications if I'd known I was going that route. First, I wouldn't have used Chocolate Chex. Second, I would have used less M&M's and more peanuts and pretzels. Either way, I should have used more marshmallows. The world can always use more marshmallows. I might also add a little peanut butter to the coating. Mmmmm...

8 cups Chex (though by the time I was done snacking before adding the chocolate coating, this may have been down to 7 cups...ssshhhh!!!)
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
2 cups pretzels (I'm a little anal and didn't want big pieces, so I used mini rods and broke them in half first)
2 cups plain M&M's
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups chocolate chips
2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp shortening

Mix the cereal, peanuts, pretzels, M&M's, and marshmallows in a large bowl or roasting pan. In a double boiler over medium heat, melt the chocolate chips and shortening together. When smooth, pour over dry mix. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the boiler bowl and get every bit of yummy goodness! Mix the wet and dry ingredients together thoroughly, until all the dry goodies are well-coated.

Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spread half of the Chex Mix on each one. Leave out to harden, or put in the fridge to harden more quickly. I think it only took 20 minutes for me in the fridge. Break into pieces and store at room temperature.

(Sorry I didn't get a dry picture -- the coated pictures are still while the chocolate was hot and melty.)

New posts!!

2010-12-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a really long time since we posted anything, but I tried out a few new recipes in the last little while and thought I would like to share them.

What have *you* been making lately?

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

2010-12-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving I wanted to try my hand at making turkey enchiladas with some of the leftovers. But, I didn't have any enchilada sauce and I kept forgetting to buy some at the store. So, I went to my trusty Food.com and looked up enchilada sauce.

This one had the most reviews, all of which were positive, so I thought it was a safe bet. And, it was. It turned out really well, and it was really easy.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced onions
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup salsa
1 (6 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add onion, oregano, chili powder, basil, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, parsley, salsa and tomato sauce.
Mix together and then stir in the water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Use in place of canned enchilada sauce.

**Jillian note: I added more cumin than it called for, just because I know my family loves cumin. And, I used picante sauce because we were out of salsa. Also, I would suggest measuring out all the spices and mixing them together in a bowl before you start to make it easier on yourself. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

2010-12-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

I had a week or two when I was craving chili. It was during our 'cold snap' here in Arizona. It actually got down to 32 degrees!!

Also, I *love* sweet potatoes. Strange? Maybe, but so what. They are tasty, okay?!

Enter---> Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili. *cue heavenly music*

You may think it sounds really weird, but just try it, okay? You won't be sorry. I got this recipe from Life Blessons.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
via eat me, delicious, adapted from The Clueless Vegetarian

Serves 3-4 as a meal.

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup vegetable broth
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 28-oz (796mL) cans diced tomatoes
2 19-oz (540mL) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp crumbled dried oregano

Heat the oil in a large saucepan* or Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the onions are soft - about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and the cumin and cook for another minute or so. Add the vgetable broth and the cubed sweet potatoes, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the potatoes are almost tender - about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with all the juice from the can, the beans, salt, and oregano. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then let simmer until the potatoes are completely tender - about 20 minutes.

Go for the Dutch oven if you can, unless your saucepan is really very large. (Jillian note: I just made it in a big pot, and it worked out just fine.)

**Jillian note: To make it more of a 'meal', we added some of the leftover smoked turkey from Thanksgiving. Holy scrumptious, Batman! And, because my hubby is a better chef than I am, he had the brilliant idea of putting a couple of the smoked turkey bones in the chili while it was simmering to impart more of that yummy flavor. *drool*

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

2010-12-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

Like many people, I *LOVE* pumpkin. Nothing says Fall like pumpkin, am I right?! So, when I saw this recipe for creamy pumpkin pasta I just *had* to try it. And, it turned out really good. My kids ate it right up!!

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients

1 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups chicken broth, made from bouillon
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup romano cheese, shredded
1 lb penne or 1 lb rotini pasta

Directions

In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in butter, over medium heat, until soft, not brown.
Whisk in the pumpkin, broth, creams and seasonings to taste.
Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente.
Drain pasta and stir into pumpkin, simmering 2-3 minutes more until thick.
Stir in parsley and garnish with romano, more parsley and pumpkin seeds if desired.

Root beer float ice cream cupcakes

2010-05-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Last year for my husband's birthday, I made a really yummy root beer float Bundt cake from Joy the Baker. Her recipe is a chocolate cake with root beer in it. It's really moist, and the longer it sits out, the more the spice and kick of the root beer comes out. This year, I thought I'd be a little adventurous and try making root beer float ice cream cupcakes. I found a recipe for root beer sherbet, which sounded also really yummy, and different than just plain vanilla. My plan was set.

Later in the week after I decided to make this creation for my husband's birthday, I came across a post on Scoopalicious about an ice cream cupcake contest (with -- yes -- a prize!). I thought it was perfect that I already had a plan. The contest is co-hosted by Scoopalicious and Cupcake Project (click links for contest info).

His birthday was on Sunday, so I made the cupcakes on Friday, hoping to let as much of the root beer flavor come out as possible. With the soda in the cake batter, it's really moist, so two days left out (if covered, even with a paper towel) won't dry them out terribly. Having only made the cake once, and never in cupcake form, I wasn't sure how much it would rise. It turned out that I used more batter per cup than I would have liked to, but there still ended up being a good enough balance.

Saturday night, some friends had us over for a barbeque and they gave my husband a lemon meringue pie (his favorite) for his birthday. Into the freezer went the cupcakes. I was hosting a book group discussion at my house on Thursday, so I decided to use them for that.

On Wednesday, I tried to make the sherbet. My ice cream bowl had been in the freezer for two or three days, so it was good and cold. My root beer had been in the refrigerator for two or three days, so it was also good and cold. I'd read the recipe in advance, and it said to leave the bottles (I used cans) open to let them go flat a bit first. Being that I'd originally planned on making the sherbet sooner than I did, I'd opened them and stuck them in the fridge. By the time I used them, they were completely flat. I mixed the root beer with the sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half, and poured it into the mixer. After 30 minutes, there was absolutely no change in consistency. I think that I needed a little bit of fizz. Whoops. I poured the "sherbet" into a bowl and stuck it in the freezer anyway, and stirred it a few times during the day and evening. It ended up freezing, but it was too icy for me to use. (The flavor is really great, though, and I would definitely not be opposed to making it again. With fizz.) To the store I went that night for some plain vanilla ice cream.

Thursday morning, I left the ice cream out on the counter to soften a little. By the time I got back to it, I was glad I didn't wait any longer. The top was really soft, but just under it was just soft enough but still hard enough to allow me the time I needed to work on the cupcakes. I filled them each just to the top of the liner (I used jumbo cupcake liners...normal jumbo, not grotesque jumbo). Then back into the freezer they went.

I made up the frosting (which has root beer, melted chocolate, and cocoa powder in it, among other things) and scooped it into my bag. It was the first time I'd ever used my frosting bag. I've never piped frosting onto a cake or cupcake before. Welcome to the big league.

So, by the time I actually got around to eating one (last night), it just tasted like chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream, with frosting. There was a little more to it, but not enough that I could tell there was root beer involved. I took pictures today, and rather than sticking the starting-to-melt cupcake back in the freezer to re-freeze in a sad and wimpy state, I ate it. :) Today I could taste a little more of the root beer. Maybe it was that the cake part of the cupcake was bigger than last night's. Maybe it was that the frosting had had longer to germinate, so the root beer was coming out in it. Either way, I could definitely taste it today.

This afternoon I looked at the contest post over at Scoopalicious for the rules. I clicked over to the entries from 2008 and 2009 and found that I wasn't nearly as original as I thought. In 2008, Coconut & Lime entered this contest with a root beer float ice cream cupcake entry, albeit a different recipe. Last year, a sponsor of the contest was justJENN recipes (who has made root beer float ice cream cupcakes too -- using the same recipe that Joy the Baker used!), which, ironically was where I found the sherbet recipe, just doing a Google search. If the authors of either of those blogs read this, know that I wasn't trying to steal an idea. I thought I was mostly original, but I guess not.

For friends reading this: while this is a contest, only entrants can vote in the first round. If I make it to the second round, the public can vote, in which case I'll be soliciting your vote. :)

Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

2010-04-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time since we posted anything on here, but I tried a new recipe the other day and had to share it.

I didn't exactly follow the recipe, but the recipe I got my inspiration from was THIS recipe by Ellie Krieger at Food Network.com. Here is a copy of her recipe.

Ingredients
* 3 eggs
* 1 1/4 cups nonfat milk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
* 8 slices of whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed
* 1 (8-ounce) container strawberries, hulled and sliced
* 4 teaspoons bittersweet chocolate chips
* Cooking spray
* 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Set aside.

2. Place 1 tablespoon of ricotta in the center of 4 of the pieces of bread and spread around slightly. Top with about 6 slices of strawberries and a teaspoon of chocolate chips. Cover each with another piece of bread to make a "sandwich".

3. Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and preheat. Carefully dip each of the "sandwiches" into the egg mixture until completely moistened. Then place on the skillet and cook over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the outside is golden brown and the center is warm and chocolate is melted.

4. Transfer to serving places. Top with remaining strawberries and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

***

This is what I did differently:
* instead of chocolate chips I spread Nutella on one slice of bread.
* instead of ricotta cheese I spread strawberry cream cheese spread on the other slice of bread.
* I didn't remove the crusts from the bread, and cut the slices of bread in half. (I figured that would be easier for the kids)

It was pretty dang yummy! It was a little bit too wet inside, but that may have been from an overzealous application of cream cheese and Nutella. I mean, Nutella, come on! Gotta spread it on generously! ;)

Rainbow Cupcakes

2010-03-09T13:44:00.000-08:00

I made these rainbow cupcakes for the Young Women New Beginnings program this past weekend. I cheated and used a boxed cake mix, so this is more tutorial than it is recipe.

I recommend using plain white cupcake liners, instead of colored ones.

Cake mix, eggs, oil, and water as directed. Mix well.

Divide the cake batter equally into six different bowls. Get a separate spoon for each bowl. Add lots of food coloring. I used a lemon-flavored cake mix, so it was yellow to start with. My most difficult colors, the ones that required more drops than others, were the red and blue. I finally got good shades though. Don't be afraid to use a lot of food coloring to get the depth of color you really want.

Once your colors are shaded to your satisfaction, decide if you want to start at the top or bottom of the rainbow. I meant to do purple first, but spaced and did red first. It doesn't really matter much, though. Spoon all of one color into the bottoms of your cup liners. Repeat with the remaining colors. The layers won't really stay in even layers. They'll each squish each other a little farther down and cause a little more spreading to the outside, but all unevenly.

Bake according to package directions. (If you don't have enough batter to fill all the cups in a pan, fill the empty cups about 1/3 full of water, to help heat things more evenly.) When they come out of the oven, turn them out onto a cooling rack.

They'll be pretty, but maybe not exactly what you were expecting. That's okay. Let them cool completely.

I used Joy the Baker's recipe for brown sugar cream cheese frosting. I halved the recipe and still had a lot leftover. I didn't pipe the frosting on, though -- nothing fancy. I just spread it on and then added some colored (and white) sprinkles. The cupcakes look very unassuming.

Even unwrapped, they aren't very exciting yet...

Until you open them up. Then, it's a party on your plate, and in your mouth!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey & Cinnamon

2010-02-05T17:02:00.000-08:00

We made these for Thansgiving and they were a big hit. I've made them several times since then. The kids eat them right up! And the best part...none of those pesky marshmellows. Now, I like marshmellows as much as the next girl, but who needs kids hopped up on sugar right before bed? Not me!!

image courtesy of Food Network

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey & Cinnamon
Ingredients
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.
3. Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

*Note: to speed up the cooking process, we zap 'em in the microwave for 5-10 minutes, then put them in the oven for the last little bit. They taste just as good that way and it's faster.

Oh, and I know it's WAY past Thansgiving, but I just keep having to pull this recipe up on Food Network's website, so I figure storing it here will be way easier.

Chocolate Biscotti

2009-12-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

Got the recipe out of the parade magazine in the paper.

Chocolate Biscotti
2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c dried cranberries
3/4 c mini chocolate chips

Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar together until very smooth, then beat in the eggs. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in cranberries and chips.

Divide dough; put pieces on opposite sides of a parchment lined baking sheet. Shape each into a 12-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick log. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes; cool 20 minutes.

Slice into 1/2 inch thick cookies. Stand them up on the baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Makes 48.

I'd give them 4 stars. Kiddo didn't like them but she doesn't like cranberries, but the husband liked them and they were good enough I gave some away. I haven't heard back yet from the recipients though.

The Winds of Change

2009-12-23T00:42:00.001-08:00

Well, my friends-- Janelle & I have talked it over and believe the time has come...From here on out we will no longer be issuing new challenges. We have had a fun time with the blog and have seen a lot of really great recipes, but participation is low so we have decided, in the words of Tiger Woods, to "take an indefinite break" from the blog.

The blog will still be active, so you are free to post recipes whenever you like & search the database to your heart's content. We have just decided to not worry about posting new challenges and features every week. If you would like to post a challenge or special feature--go for it!! The world is your oyster!

We have had a lot of fun with What's in {Your} Oven? and would like to thank all of you for your participation & readership. We hope that you have had a fun time, too. Have a very happy holiday season and joyous new year!

With Love,
Jillian & Janelle

Decadent Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

2009-12-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure where to start with this pie. When I first saw it and read the recipe, I knew I had to make it. It went on the menu for Thanksgiving. It goes together pretty easily, and can definitely be made the day before, to help cut down on day-of activity. I have a few complaints, though:

It calls itself a mousse, but it's not. Mousse tends to use either no eggs or uses just egg whites (which is how it gets so fluffy). This recipe uses just egg yolks, which makes it more like a custard. I wasn't expecting it to be so heavy.
The crust doesn't stay together very well. However, the last time or two that I made a graham cracker crust (instead of use a pre-made one), it also didn't stay together super well, so I think it may just be me. The chocolate layer in this pie actually helped out a little bit.
It was too rich. It was just way too rich. Like, it hurt my throat. The second time I ate it. I gave myself a piece that was no more than an inch wide at the outside, and that was definitely at the upper limit of what I could handle already (and I'm not a dessert wuss).

Personally, I would probably give this recipe two stars, but my husband loved it and ate at least half of the pie himself.

Decadent Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Pie (original recipe here)

Graham Cracker Crust:
12 to 14 whole graham crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups crumbs)
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Dark Chocolate Layer:
¾ cup heavy cream
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Peanut Butter Mousse Filling:
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups milk
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup creamy or chunky peanut butter

Topping and Decoration:
Sweetened whipped cream
2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter, stir until well blended. Using the palm of your hand, press the moistened crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Bake in the center of the oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the crust turns lightly golden. Set the pie crust on a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the chocolate layer: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted and smooth. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust, smoothing it over the bottom and slightly up the sides. Freeze for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chocolate layer is firm.

Prepare the mousse: In a heavy medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add ½ cup milk and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk and the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk constantly until the custard comes to a boil. Still whisking, boil for 1 minute until very thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanut butter. Pour the mousse into the baked pie crust. Chill for 1 hour, or until firm. Before serving, decorate the pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and mini chocolate chips, if desired.

Challenge Ingredient: Chocolate

2009-12-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

Chocolate. Really, what is there to say? It comes in many forms:

Molded, themed treats

Cupcakes

Cookies

Pies

Bars

Dipping

Brownies (amazing brownies)

If you are a self-proclaimed chocoholic, you need this cookbook:
So, as I'm sure you can tell, the challenge ingredient this week is chocolate. You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, cocoa powder, or any other variation you like.

Next week's challenge is candy, which although technically different and separate from chocolate, can piggyback with it. If you choose to piggyback, please label your post with both.

(all photo credits mine)

Cranberry-turkey enchiladas

2009-12-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

I was intrigued when I first saw this recipe. It sounded weird, but tasty at the same time. I love Mexican food, and you can't have turkey soup forever, so I gave it a try. I'm so glad I did. This will be a leftovers staple from here on out. It can even be made other times of the year, if (like me) you happen to have several pounds of leftover turkey in your freezer. We give four stars without hesitation.

I took some pictures of mine, but they actually make the meal look really gross, so I'll let you look at the photos on the site where I originally found the recipe. Here's a teaser for you:

The original recipe can be found here.

*************************
Cranberry-Turkey Enchiladas

2 to 2½ cups shredded cooked turkey
16 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1½ cups bottled salsa
1 cup shredded colby and Monterey Jack cheese (4oz.) (or more, if desired)
½ cup sour cream
3 whole green onions, sliced
¼ cup snipped fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Eight 7 to 8″ whole-wheat or regular flour tortillas
1 tsp bottle hot pepper sauce
cilantro, green onions and sour cream for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

2. For filling, in a large bowl stir together turkey, half of the cranberry sauce, beans, ½ cup of the salsa, ¾ cup of the cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. Spoon about 2/3 cup filling on each tortilla. Roll up tortillas around filling. Place, seam sides down, in prepared dish; set aside.

3. For sauce, in bowl stir together remaining cranberry sauce, remaining salsa and hot pepper sauce. Spoon over filled tortillas. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is melted.

4. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and green onions.

Yield: 6 to 8 enchiladas
*************************

I didn't have hot sauce, and I didn't want to buy a bottle just to use on this recipe. I can handle Mexican heat, but I don't like the flavor of hot sauce. I did, however, have some green enchilada sauce leftover in a can in the fridge, and it had quite a bit of kick, so I added 1 1/2 tsp to the topping. It was way too hot -- you couldn't taste the rest of the food well enough. We always use medium heat salsa. If you use anything hotter than mild, don't bother putting hot sauce in the topping.

Leftover Turkey Hash (a la Guy Fieri)

2009-11-28T09:46:00.000-08:00

I got the inspiration while watching Food Network. Guy Fieri made the most amazing looking/sounding turkey hash with leftovers, and I decided to give it a shot but change it up a little so my pregnant taste buds could handle it. Here is the original; I left out the jalapeno, used a milder onion and only a green pepper, and no salt or pepper. I also didn't make fried potatoes -- I served it over leftover dressing/stuffing and there was plenty of salt and pepper in that. And I made a lot less than his recipe because the kids are being stinkers and I knew I didn't want a ton of leftover hash.

2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced (you can dice and freeze the other half to use later)
1 to 2 c diced, cooked turkey breast
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 limes, sliced
leftover dressing or stuffing

In medium skillet over medium heat, saute onion and green pepper until desired doneness (I like mine sort of caramelized). Add turkey and heat through, use more or less turkey depending on your tastes. Reheat dressing or stuffing and place individual portions in the center of individual plates. Divide turkey hash evenly over top, then add tomatoes. Juice the limes over each plate and enjoy!

*This probably would serve 3-4 normal grownups, but my husband is a big eater, so he got quite a bit of it, and I couldn't finish my plate because I'm still in the icky phase of pregnancy. It was delish; I'm just limited to how much of anything I can eat. Five stars.

Cranberry Swirl Muffins

2009-11-28T09:37:00.001-08:00

This is a two-part recipe. My mom always made cranberry relish for Thanksgiving. It's a gorgeous ruby color and isn't cooked, so it tastes very fresh, of cranberries and oranges. But we always had some left because the recipe makes about 2 cups, and people usually only used 1-2 Tbs with their turkey. So, one year, I bought relish instead of making it because I was short on time, and there was a recipe for muffins right next to the relish. Ta-da!

I've had to modify the relish a bit because mom used to put the whole orange through her food grinder, and my little food processor can't handle that.

Mom's Cranberry Relish
1 package fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted
1 navel orange
scant 3/4 c sugar

In your food processor or food chopper, grind the cranberries until small-ish (the size should look like pickle relish). Put cranberries in a bowl. Zest the orange, then juice it, right on top of the cranberries. Add the sugar and mix well. Refrigerate and let sit for several hours before the meal.

Cranberry Swirl Muffins
1/2 c cranberry relish
1/4 c shortening, butter, or margarine
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla*
3/4 c milk (I used almond milk)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line 12 muffin cups. Cream shortening and sugar; add egg. Beat until fairly smooth. Add dry ingredients, vanilla, and milk and stir until just mixed. Fold in relish and swirl. Spoon into muffin cups and bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

*I added the vanilla because I love it and it was the challenge ingredient. ha.

Five stars -- kiddo and baby loved them. The husband isn't home from work yet, but he'll eat them, too, and I'm taking a dozen to a family party later on. Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

You get the week off. If you want. Here's the deal this week:

You can take it off altogether if you want.
You can make something using a previous challenge ingredient (maybe you missed a challenge or wanted to try again).
You can make something Thanksgiving-related and post it.

Keep in mind that next week's challenge ingredient is turkey, so think about that when you start using up leftovers this weekend.

If you do post for this week, please tag your post with your name, the challenge ingredient you chose, the type of dish, and the word Thanksgiving. If you're not repeating an old challenge, just leave off the ingredient.

Have a great week, everyone!

Easy Caramel Popcorn

2009-11-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe off of the blog www.ourbestbites.com. They have some really awesome recipes so you should check them out!!! I LOVE this carmel popcorn, so much that I made myself sick by eating a lot. It was just so good that I couldn't stop!!! Sorry no pictures I eat it all.

2 Bags microwave popcorn (I used air pop popcorn about 1/2 cup)
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c white Karo syrup
1/2 t salt
1 cube butter
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

Pop the popcorn and set aside. Place brown sugar, Karo syrup, salt, and butter in a microwave safe dish. Cut up the butter into chucks so it melts better. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir and microwave for 2 more minutes. Add the baking soda and vanilla and stir until combined. Pour over popcorn and mixed well.

Spread it out over a piece of waxed paper to cool faster and so it doesn't get it stuck in one big lump. The longer it sits out the firmer it will get. If you want it crunchy spread Carmel popcorn onto a cook sheet and bake at 200 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

We give this 5 stars!!! It rocks!!! :)

Challenge Ingredient: Vanilla

2009-11-19T16:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, I'm way behind. It's been a busy week and I've been cleaning my house top to bottom because my family is coming into town on Saturday.

Well, this week (what's left of it anyway), our ingredient is vanilla.

My parents went to Cancún, México last year and brought me a big bottle of real vanilla. It smells amazing. I can't honestly say that I've noticed a difference in my baking with it, but it's been a long time since I've used fake stuff, so it's hard to compare. But I could just sit and smell the bottle all day. I probably shouldn't.

Vanilla, as you probably know, comes from beans, or pods. I have chanced to read several recipes that call for a vanilla bean, but I can't bring myself to buy one, because they're about $10 a pop. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice, after saffron, and it's due to the extensive labor required to grow the pods.

There are four basic types of vanilla: Bourbon-Madagascar, Mexican, Tahitian, and West Indian. French vanilla is not an actual variety, but more of a process. Most imitation vanillas contain vanillin, only one of 171 identified aromatic components of the real vanilla beans.

(Source: Wikipedia)

So have at it. Let's do some baking! The vanilla challenge technically ends Monday, but you can still make and/or post all next week.

Dreamy Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

2009-11-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

Tell me how yummy this looks. I'm supposed to bring two pies for Thanksgiving, and I decided on this one and a lemon-sour cream pie. Of course, I'll have to test it this week...just to be sure it's right. ;-)

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Dreamy-Creamy-Peanut-Butter-Pie

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

2009-11-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

I got the recipe here. I chose this one because the first comment cracked me up. She rated them 5 stars.

These Stink! August 17, 2009 By Angela.Emily
"I am so mad that these are delicious! They are unbelievably Amazingly Bad! I got so many complements on these. That is why I'm not rating these five stars."

Reminded me of my sister, whom I'll call DisGrace. haha.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
* 1/2 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
* 1 egg
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light. Add the egg and mix until fluffy.

Blend the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together well. Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°.

*****

Per some of the other comments, I used about 2/3 c peanut butter and added vanilla. I also used an ice cream scoop and made giant cookies. It made 16.

We give this 5 stars -- soft, rich, yummy ... I could only eat one giant one!

Pumpkin Dump Cake

2009-11-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

(sorry about the weird shadow)

1 29 oz can pure pumpkin (Libby's is best...and be careful not to get the pumpkin pie mix, just the plain pumpkin)
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 t. salt
3 t. cinnamon
1 box yellow cake mix
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)
3/4 c. melted margarine

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first SIX ingredients until well-blended, and pour into a greased 13x9" pan. Sprinkle cake mix on top, cover with pecans. Pour melted margarine over top. Bake 50 minutes.

It makes lots and so is good for dinner parties and the like. (friend's comment)

My friend first called this just a Pumpkin Cake, but either way the title is misleading. It's more like an upside down pumpkin pie, with the cake mix forming a top crust. I don't know that I'll make it again. I'm pregnant so everything tastes weird, and it really wasn't what I was expecting. It wasn't bad or anything, but I was hoping for a CAKE, not a custard. *sigh* 3 stars.

(and yes, I know it has milk in it and I'm lactose intolerant, but I'm 8 weeks pregnant and I always crave dairy when I'm pregnant and, fortunately, seem to tolerate it better then.)

EDIT: My husband gave this 5 stars, and it was *much* better today than yesterday. I also apparently didn't "sprinkle" the cake evenly, because there were parts that it had sunk down in and made sort of a marbling effect with the custard, which was cool and more like what I'd wanted. I'd give it 4 stars today.

Challenge Ingredient: Peanut Butter

2009-11-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the delay in posting, guys. Janelle did the last few weeks' challenges, and I forgot that this week was mine. So, let's get to talkin' about PEANUT BUTTER.

Here are a few fun facts about PB:

PB may protect against a high risk of cardiovascular disease due to high levels of monounsaturated fats and resveratrol
PB marketed as Natural, or Organic, may only contain peanuts and salt.
PB produced in the United States is exported to countries all over the world. China is also a leading exporter of peanut butter.
Plumpy'nut is a peanut butter based food used to fight malnutrition in famine stricken countries. A single pack contains 500 calories, can be stored unrefrigerated for 2 years, and requires no cooking or preparation.
A common, simple outdoor bird feeder can be made by coating a pine cone once with peanut butter, then again with birdseed.
Peanut butter is an effective bait for mouse traps.

Thanks, Wikipedia.

Here is an interesting recipe I found while searching for a picture to post.

Peanut Butter Snacks
¼-½ cup honey or corn syrup (to taste)
1 cup dry milk
½ cup peanut butter

Combine all the ingredients and roll into 1-inch balls. These can then be rolled in coconut, sunflower seeds, granola or nuts. Store in an airtight container. Makes 1 dozen.

One of my favorite things to make with peanut butter is peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I know... I'm totally weird. But, if they're good enough for Elvis, they're good enough for me.

Although, I've never grilled mine. Hmmm...maybe I'll have to try that.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

2009-11-05T13:03:00.001-08:00

I've noticed lately that a lot of recipes I'm really liking come from Smitten Kitchen. These too. I saw this recipe last year, made them once, and thought I'd make them again this week. We had some friends over for dinner the other night, so I whipped them up then.

A couple of notes on the recipe first:

If you don't have a 9x9-inch pan, I wouldn't use an 8x8. I've got an 8x8, and they come out too thick. Next time I make them, I think I'll use my 11x7 and see how that works.
Don't split up the base batter the way the recipe instructs. Start with 1 cup in each of two bowls, then add the rest of the ingredients to each bowl. After that, continue to divide the base batter as needed.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 3/4 cups sugar (the original recipe calls for the larger amount; I think it could be dialed down a bit)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Cut a length of parchment that will cover the bottom and two sides (makes it much easier to remove), and line the pan with it. Butter the lining as well. (Deb note: I used an 8-inch square, because it was what I had. It works, too, but the brownies are crazy thick and take much longer to bake, just to give you a heads-up.)

2. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

4. Pour half of batter (about two cups) into a separate bowl and stir chocolate mixture into it. If you find that it is a little thick (as mine was) add a little more batter (a few tablespoons or so) until it is more pourable. This is important because mine was quite thick, and the pumpkin half was quite thin, so I had trouble swirling the two together.

5. In other bowl, stir in the pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don’t set.

6. With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Be sure to get your knife all the way to the bottom of the pan–I didn’t, and ended up with a chocolate base, not that it is such a bad thing. Sprinkle with nuts, if using.

7. Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Challenge Ingredient: Pumpkin or Squash

2009-11-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

Good evening everyone! How was your Halloween? I hope everyone had fun -- there's not much point to Halloween otherwise, is there?

This week we're focusing on pumpkins and squash. I get really excited about baking in the Fall (who doesn't?) and I love baked pumpkin goods. It doesn't even have to be baked. It can be frozen. Here is a list of pumpkin food I love:

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. I don't like pumpkin pie. True story. I like anything and everything else I've ever eaten with pumpkin in it, but not pumpkin pie. I think it's a texture thing.

I've only ever made one thing with squash. I made spaghetti last year using spaghetti squash instead of pasta. I liked it, but my husband said it tasted too much like potatoes, which he doesn't like.

Pumpkin facts:

The word "pumpkin" comes from the Greek pepon, meaning "large melon" (so why isn't it in season in the Summer?)
Botanically speaking, the pumpkin is a fruit.
Antarctica is the only continent incapable of producing pumpkins.
The top pumpkin-producing states in the country are Illinois, Ohio (go me!), Pennsylvania and California
Canned pumpkin is often recommended by veterinarians as a dietary supplement for dogs and cats that are experiencing digestive problems, as the high fiber content helps to aid proper digestion.
Pumpkin flowers are edible

(Sources: Wikipedia: Pumpkin and Pumpkins and More...click here for more factoids from them.)

Squash. Well, I don't really know much about it. There are lots of popular varieties, and tons of ways to eats them -- spaghetti squash, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini, acorn squash, butternut squash. I actually saw a recipe today for butternut squash that I think I'll try out -- maybe this week, maybe not. It can be found here.

Some pumpkin recipes to share:

Pumpkin Apple Spice Muffins from My Kitchen Cafe.
Pumpkin Dip that I love to serve with gingersnaps (you might want to cut the recipe in half, though)
My mom's pumpkin bread (recipe to follow)

Pumpkin Bread

2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice

Preheat oven to 350. Dump all ingredients into bowl of stand mixer, and mix just until blended, scraping down the bowl as needed.

For mini loaves (makes 6), bake 25-30 minutes. For full-size loaves (3), bake for 60-65 minutes.

Mini Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes

2009-11-02T11:24:00.001-08:00

I made these for a friend for her birthday today. The recipe is in the October issue of BonAppetit Magazine. Mine aren't as cute as the picture in the magazine, so I am using their picture (which I found online here). They are very yummy!

Mini Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes
from BonAppetit Magazine, October 2009

Ingredients:
1 cup self rising flour
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
orange and black food coloring
orange, black, white, and yellow candies and sugar crystals

Special Equipment:
mini muffin pans
1 3/4 x 1 in paper liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 mini muffin cups with peper liners. Mix flour, golden brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl. Whisk egg, canned pure pumpkin, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract in medium bowl. Add mixture to dry ingredients; stir to fully combine. Spoon batter into paper liners (batter will almost fill liners). Scatter cryztallized ginger over, if desired.

Bake cupcakes until tester insterted into center comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely on rack.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in powdered sugar.

Divide frosting among 3 bowls. Tint frosting in first bowl with orange coloring (or combine red and yellow coloring to make orange) and frosting in second bowl with black coloring, keeping frosting in third bowl wite. Chill frosting 2 hours or until firm enough to easily spread.

Frost cupcakes; decorate using candy and sugar crystals as desired.

****I didn't have any self-rising flour, so I found this recipe for it online, which was 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Other than that I made the cupcakes pretty much as directed, except that I didn't cook them in liners (I don't have any). I just cooked them straight in the muffin pan. They came right out. I also didn't have any crystallized ginger, so I didn't add that (I have had them both ways and they are good either way). I didn't color the frosting. I just used it as is. I also didn't chill the frosting because I forgot about that part and didn't leave time for it. I thought the frosting was fine unchilled.

I would rate this at 5 stars. These would be perfect for dessert for a fall dinner party.

Frankenstein Brownie Pops

2009-11-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

I'll warn you from the start that I have a bazillion pictures for this (some are good and some are blurry -- the blurry ones are ones when I was in a bit of a hurry). I got to choose my ward's book group book for the month of October, and we read Frankenstein. I ended up not liking it much (I had an issue with the writing style, but I learned a lot from it and we had a really good discussion), but I was still excited for the book group meeting this week. I wanted to go all out with fun treats. And I did.

A month or so ago, I saw this pan at Target, and was already formulating my idea.
The day before book group, I baked a regular batch of brownies in this pan. I wouldn't recommend anything with chunks in it because you're dealing with smaller pieces and a mold. Obviously, I could only do eight pieces at a time, so it took several hours. You have to let the brownies cool all the way in the pan before you pop them out. If you don't you'll flatten or indent one end. One box of brownie mix made three pans plus one small ramekin. I did not stick any lollipop sticks in the brownies while they were still baking. You'll see why later on.

I put them in a container overnight, and the next afternoon (the day of book group), I went to work. My daughter was napping, I'd eaten lunch, and I had some good music on. I started with the candy coating. I had some bright/dark Christmas green that I mixed with white.

I like to melt it in a tall drinking glass, and then keep that warm in a pot of simmering water on the stove. It keeps it melted for as long as I need it. I also like to add a tiny bit (1/4-1/2 oz) of melted paraffin wax to make it a little thinner. I mix wax with chocolate when I dip truffles or peanut butter balls, too. It makes the finish shinier and makes the coating less clumpy. Paraffin wax can usually be found on the baking aisle at the grocery store.

At this point, I started dipping. I took a lollipop stick, got a little candy coating on it, and stuck it halfway (or so) into a brownie pop, and dipped it into the glass.
I dipped them all the way down the sides, but left the flat top completely uncoated. You can't leave the stick in for too long, or the candy coating will solidify.
Now is where it got tricky. I didn't want to smear or fingerprint the candy coating, but I didn't want the sticks coming out that end of the brownies. So I rigged up my cooling rack to work for me. I set out a cookie sheet on the counter, covered it with wax paper, and then in each corner, a stack, two-high, of tin cans. On top of the cans, I placed the cooling rack.

(I like beans, can you tell?)

That way I was able to place the brownie pops undipped side-down, and pull the stick out from underneath, having threaded it through the cooling rack.
Once the pops were all dipped, I started sticking chocolate chips in the narrow ends of the pops (the tops as you look at them now), with the pointed end toward the inside, to act as neck bolts. (You want to leave the water simmering with the candy coating glass in it at this point, because you're going to need to use it as "glue.") After you're done with the bolts, take some mini-chocolate chips, and attach them as eyes. I used the lollipop stick that had been my dipper to put little "glue" dots on the flat side of the mini-chips, then stick them to the brownie pops, closer to the flat ends.
Remember these are still all upside-down right now. Though incomplete, this is what they'll look like when turned right side up. Now you can see why we're leaving the flat top undipped. Frank needs hair. And a flat head.

Now it's time to melt some chocolate chips. If you've got pastry bags, great. If not, just use the snip-a-tiny-corner-off-a-Ziploc-bag method. You want to pipe a mouth on each of these guys, at about the level of the bolts. After each one, use a toothpick to draw the chocolate out at two even intervals, to both the top and bottom of the mouth. You're trying to make it look like stitches.

Once your mouths are all piped, it's time to insert the lollipop sticks (which are available, by the way, in the cake decorating aisles at Michaels, Jo-Ann, or any other store like that). If you have shish-kabob skewers, use one to carefully bore a hole into the rounded (and candy-coated) end of each Frankenstein. Go a little less than halfway or so. If you don't have skewers, just use a toothpick -- it's just not as thick, so the hole won't be as wide. Dip the lollipop sticks again into the candy coating, then carefully insert them into the holes you just made. Your chocolate mouths will probably not be dry yet, so be careful when you're handling the Frankensteins, not to smudge the mouths. Let them set for 15 minutes or so, just to make sure that everything is dried.

I used floral foam to hold the sticks. I covered it with cardstock, after punching holes in the cardstock for the sticks to go through. Here's the finished product:

I lost one. I think I pushed the stick too far through on this one. A lot of the tops had green candy coating hardened on the flat tops from the initial dipping.
It comes off pretty easily, but pulls some of the brownie with it. So I filled in the holes with some of the leftover melted chocolate chips. This one apparently had too big of a hold to fill.

The very first pop that I stuck chocolate chip bolts into, I stuck them in at the wrong end, but I didn't want to leave big holes there, so I left it. I basically did one upside-down. It looks pretty funky, and this Frank is bald.

Well, the concludes my lengthy tutorial. Thanks for reading, if you're still here. :)

(If you're not familiar with Bakerella, check her out here. She was my inspiration for this project.)

Finger Jell-O Blocks

2009-10-31T13:40:00.001-07:00

I have two thing to contribute to Halloween food, but the second one will have its own pot, because it's long.

I didn't take a picture of these because they didn't quite turn out (aesthetically) the way I wanted. I found this recipe way back at 4th of July, and adapted the colors/flavors for the spooky holiday. See the original here.

So I won't type out the whole thing (you can go read it there), but I'll tell you my adaptation. I did a layer of yellow (lemon), then a layer of white (piña colada if you can find it, but there's a recipe in the link if you can't that involves sweetened condensed milk), then black (black cherry with extra food coloring to darken it), then orange (peach with extra coloring...I though I had orange, but I didn't), and then purple (grape). Unfortunately, you could tell the orange apart from the two dark colors on either side of it, so it looked like yellow-white-thick dark layer.

This recipe could easily be adapted for any colorful holiday -- Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July, Christmas, even Easter.

Be sure you read the recipe all the way through before starting, because you don't make the Jell-O the typical way. It's a quick set method.

Goblins and Mummies

2009-10-28T23:53:00.000-07:00

We have made tons of fun Halloween food this month. Here are a few

Goblin Tongues

-mini bagels

-cream cheese

-Bologna

Cut Bologna in to tear shapes, cut and spread cream cheese in the center or the bagel

http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-entrees/halloween-recipes-goblin-tongues-recipe-686977/

Mummy Face Pizza's

-English Muffins

-Pizza sauce

-Olives

-String cheese

http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-entrees/halloween-recipes-goblin-tongues-recipe-686977/

Hot Dog Mummies

This one is our traditional Halloween night dinner

-Refrigerated bread sticks

-Hot dogs

-Mustard

http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-recipes/halloween-entrees/hot-dog-mummies-715031/

Pretzel Spiders

2009-10-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

I had to think of a treat to take to my son's class for his birthday recently. His best friend has the same birthday as him, so they were already going to have cupcakes. I try to make healthy treats for them (this is what I made last year), so I found a recipe for pretzel spiders on the Family Fun Magazine website. They were a big hit with most of the kids (a few of them didn't want one--too funny!).

Pretzel Spiders
from Family Fun Magazine

2 round crackers
2 teaspoons smooth peanut butter
8 small pretzel sticks
2 raisins

Make a sandwich of the crackers filled with peanut butter. Insert eight pretzel "legs" into the filling. With a dab of peanut butter, stick two raisin "eyes" on top. Makes 1 serving.

****My son has a child in his class that has a nut allergy, so I made these with marshmallow fluff instead (like marshmallow creme, but WAY better--I think it is only sold in the east, though). The combo of salty crackers and pretzels and sweet marshmallow fluff was pretty tasty.

I would rate this 5 stars. For a Halloween dinner party, of course.

(Funny story--my sister put a spider in front of the other birthday boy. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then grabbed the raisin eyes. He put his hands under the table for a minute or so, then brought them up with no raisins in them. I laughed and laughed. I saw later that they were stuck to the floor. I love preschool!)

Chili cheese dip

2009-10-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

This is orange, so I think it qualifies as Halloween food (kidding), but it's really the cream cheese challenge. It's super easy.

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 can chili (your favorite; i prefer beanless for this dip)

Put in a glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Continue microwaving and stirring at 1 minute intervals until the cream cheese is completely melted and mixed into the chili. Served best warm with tortilla chips.

Challenge Ingredient: Halloween food

2009-10-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge has a lot of room for variation. We wanted to do something festive. The challenge is Halloween food. Now, this can be interpreted in many different ways. Are you making special Halloween themed-treats for kids at home or school? Do you have a traditional meal you make on Halloween? Are you going to make something after the dreaded sugar night in an effort to use up some of the copious amounts of candy?

My mom always made Frito Boats on Halloween. You just put Fritos in the bottom of a bowl, pour chili on top, and garnish with whatever you want -- diced onions, cheese, sour cream. It was quick, it was easy, and it was warm.

Last year, I made cemetary cupcakes (my own variation on this recipe). They were fun. I'm hosting book group this week, and having read Frankenstein this month (which I don't recommend, by the way), I've got a few tricks up my sleeve.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you all have to share! Here are a few ideas to get you going.

Chicken, Hominy, and Cilantro Chili

2009-10-23T11:41:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite meals ever. Absolutely positively five stars.

The first time I made it, I followed the instructions, and it took around 3 hours (maybe more) to make. So it was another year or so before I made it again. You can use the chicken thighs to make it, like the instructions say, but it's much easier and faster to use boneless skinless chicken breasts. The dark meat will have a better flavor, but this way you don't have to skin and de-bone the pieces, after letting them cool long enough to touch. And it won't make a huge mess. Just let the breasts cool for a few minutes, then shred them with your hands or with forks.

The recipe also calls for a cup of beer. It cooks long enough that the alcohol content wouldn't be anything to worry about (I know most, if not all, of you/us are LDS), but that's still a lot. A couple of tablespoons maybe wouldn't be as big a deal. My husband really didn't want me to use beer. I did some hunting around and found a good substitute on this site: ginger ale. Ginger ale gives good flavor that you wouldn't get if you just substituted water. It give a little carbonation, but it lacks the yeast that beer has. The yeast is what helps the cornmeal really thicken up at the end. It still tastes fantastic, though.

For the chicken stock, I just use bouillon.

I don't normally like to use my food processor for vegetable chopping (I like it for real disintegration, or cheese shredding), but for soups I don't mind it. Just put the peppers and onions (and jalapeños, if you have a mini-bowl) in, and it's a snap.

For the polenta: I had to do a little research on this. I learned that it's a dish made from ground maize. Basically it's grits, which are ground hominy, ironically. So I have a can of grits in my cupboard that I pretty much only ever use for this. I don't make the 2 cups that this recipe calls for -- it's overkill. For my husband and I, I just follow the instructions on the canister for 1 serving, and divide it in half. It adds a nice touch. When we have leftovers, I don't bother making the grits again.

I usually use a 15 oz. can of hominy, because I'm not sure I've ever seen a 19 oz. can.

(I've decided that my pictures of soup pretty much all suck and make the food look very not appetizing, and even kinda nasty, so this is a scan of the photo in the cookbook.)

From the Williams-Sonoma Chicken cookbook, page 55,

Chicken, Hominy, and Cilantro Chili

4 Tbsp olive oil
12 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
Salt and pepper
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 or 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup lager beer
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 can (19 oz) hominy, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups instant polenta, cooked according to package directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons o the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In batches, add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Pour off the fat from the pot. Return the pot to medium heat and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions, bell peppers, and chiles to taste and cook uncovered, stirring oftenm until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the stock, beer, and tomato paste. Return the chick to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken shows no sign of pink when the thickest parts are cut into near the bone, about 30 minutes.

Using kitchen tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and let cool slightly. Discard the skin and cut the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and return them to the pot. In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the broth with the cornmeal; stir into the pot along with the hominy and cilantro. Simmer until the chili thickens, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Spoon the polenta into warmed individual bowls, top with the chili, and serve hot.

Challenge Ingredient: Hominy

2009-10-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a little excited for this challenge, mostly because I'm really excited for what I'm going to make. I really like hominy, but I don't really have many (okay, more than one) to use it in, so I'm hoping you guys really step up to the plate for this challenge, so I can get some more.

Hominy is in the corn family, and is very flavorful. The kernels are bigger than corn, but have the same basic shape, as you can see here:

Cans of hominy can be found in the canned vegetable aisle at the grocery store, or at a Mexican food store.

I first ate hominy while serving on a mission for my church. It is a main ingredient in a delicious traditional Mexican soup, called pozole. A recipe is below (it's not low maintenance by any means, but the result is so yummy). If you're game, here it is (source):

7 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 cups water
4 chicken breast halves on the bone, with skin
1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved
1 small onion, quartered
2 poblano chiles—cored, seeded and quartered
2 jalapeños, seeded and quartered
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 15-ounce cans of hominy, drained
Finely shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced radishes, chopped onion, diced avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges, for serving

In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, skin side down, cover and simmer over very low heat until they’re tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and shred the meat; discard the bones and skin. Skim any fat from the cooking liquid and reserve.

In a blender, combine the halved tomatillos with the quartered onion, poblanos and jalapeños, smashed garlic, chopped cilantro and oregano. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the side. With the machine on, add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth. Season the tomatillo puree with salt and pepper.

In a large deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce turns a deep green, about 12 minutes.

Pour the green sauce into the cooking liquid in the casserole. Add the hominy and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the shredded chicken to the stew, season with salt and pepper and cook just until heated through.

Serve the pozole in deep bowls, passing the lettuce, radishes, onion, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges at the table.

Caramel Apple Bars

2009-10-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

This recipe is just so yummy. I made it for the first time last year, and I had to make it again this year. I tweaked it only slightly this time around, but it's really just to die for.

You may know that I always add more cinnamon than a recipe calls for. My mother taught me that whatever the recipe says is never enough. In my house, we usually double it. So that's what I did with this recipe (and pretty much anything I ever make that calls for cinnamon). Here's the tweak: This recipe has you make your own caramel to drizzle. It makes more than you actually need, so you can just chill the rest to cut up and wrap individually later. The recipe has you drizzle 1 cup over the top of the apples. This time around I did about 1 1/2 cups, just because I didn't distribute it very evenly to begin with, and it actually made a difference. Last year when I made these, I noticed that the crust -- although still delicious -- started to get soggy on the second day. This time, it stayed pretty crunchy/chewy instead of soggy until the third day (and by then there was only one or two bars left anyway!). So use as much of the caramel as you need to cover the whole thing -- don't be stingy!

Caramel Apple Bars

HOMEMADE CARAMEL:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

CRUST:
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon (Double up!)
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup ground pecans
2 cups rolled oats

FILLING:
3½ cups sliced apples (about 24 ounces) (I used Granny Smiths, and it was about 2.5 apples)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon (Double up!) 1 cup homemade caramel

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 9x13-inch pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Prepare caramel: Mix caramel ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until it reaches soft-ball stage (230-234 degrees). Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the brown sugar and the next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) until thoroughly combined. Mix in the flour, ground pecans and oats until crumbly. scoop out 1 cup and set aside. Place the remaining crumbs into your prepared pan and press down firmly to coat the bottom.

Toss apples in a large bowl with the salt and cinnamon. Arrange them over the crust. Drizzle 1 cup of warm caramel over the top and the sprinkle with the remaining crumbs you set aside.

Bake 35- 40 minutes until bubbly and the apples are just tender. Remove and let cool until they are just warm to the touch. Cut into squares. Try and let the bars rest until the caramel has set before serving.

(Original recipe here.)

Easy Oreo Truffles

2009-10-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

My sister introduced this recipe to me. We needed a dessert for a Witches party that we went to while she was here visiting, so she suggested it. These were a huge hit! (I am sitting here eating some as I type.)

Easy Oreo Truffles
from Kraftfoods.com

1 pkg. (1 lb 2 oz) Oreo cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 pkg. (8 oz each) Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Mix 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1 inch) balls.

Dip balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

****I used my food processor to crush the oreos. It worked great. I made the center as directed, then instead of dipping in semi-sweet chocolate I used white almond bark. I wanted to use white chocolate (I was coloring them grey), but I couldn't get the white chocolate to melt enough for dipping. I didn't need the crumbled cookies for the top, so I just figured out how much there was and added the right proportion of cream cheese to make more filling. They turned out yummy. I think they would have been better with chocolate covering instead of almond bark. Maybe next time. Like I said, I colored them grey and we called them "ghost droppings".

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

2009-10-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

I love Fall for so many reasons, one of them being that it's time to make soup again. This soup is pretty easy to make (it requires a lot of chopping, but it's nothing difficult), and it's so good. There can be hardly a better comfort food.

I found it on The Sisters' Cafe about a year ago, and knew it would be good. I have an eye for good recipes, but this one surpassed my expectations. The original recipe can be found here, but I've tweaked it just a little.

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

1 lb chicken (breasts or combination)
1-2 Tb butter
1 onion, diced
2 handfuls baby carrots (about 2 cups sliced small)
2-3 stalks celery, sliced
4-5 potatoes, diced small
1 c milk
1/4 c flour
8 oz package cream cheese, softened and cubed

Put chicken in pot and cover with water, add seasonings (I use salt pepper, sage, basil, poultry seasoning, and onion); boil until cooked. Take chicken out of water but keep the broth. When chicken is cool, shred.

Saute onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add carrots and potatoes. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Add bouillon cubes or soup base for flavor (I add 4 bouillon cubes). Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender.

Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Add chicken. Add cream cheese to soup and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

I don't care what my husband would rate this (though I suspect it's at the very least a 4.5), this is a five-star meal.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

2009-10-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

I know that I have been a total slacker the last couple of months. We have been so busy that I really haven't been cooking. Things are calming done now and we are getting back to normal.

This is a recipe I got from a lady in my mom's ward right after I got married. It has become a staple at our house.

4-6 chicken breasts (frozen are great)
1 package Italian seasoning
1 cube butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Put chicken, Italian seasoning, and butter (cut into chunks) into crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add this point I like to shred the chicken (this is because sometime I only put in 2 chicken breasts and it makes it go farther). Add the cream cheese and soup. Let sit for 10 minutes and then stir in. Cook on high for one more hour. Serve over rice.

I have seen this same recipe where you use powdered ranch dressing mix instead of Italian seasoning. We tried it and don't like it as well.

We love this!!! We give it a 5. I have served it for company before and they loved it. This is also something I can't to my friends and neighbors that have just had a baby.

Challenge Ingredient: Cream Cheese

2009-10-13T00:31:00.001-07:00

This week our challenge ingredient is cream cheese.

What is cream cheese? On About.com we learn:

Cream cheese is an American invention developed in 1872 in New York state. A cheese distributor soon commissioned the enterprising dairyman to produce the cream cheese in volume under the trade name "Philadelphia Brand®." The company was eventually bought out by Kraft Foods in 1928, and still remains the most widely-recognized brand of cream cheese in the United States.

Cream cheese is similar to French Neufchatel in that it is made from cow's milk, but differs in that it is unripened and often contains emulsifiers to lend firmness and lengthen shelf-life.

For cream cheese tips, hints and solutions, click HERE.

To introduce this challenge I was planning on posting my husband's family's super easy no-bake cheesecake recipe, but I'm not sure if it is top secret or not, and I don't want to wake him up to ask, so I'll find out tomorrow and possibly add it to this post. *fingers crossed*

Let's see what interesting things we can do with cream cheese. Please post by Sunday night, and don't forget--there is still time to post your APPLE recipes!

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

2009-10-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
3/4 cup water
1 apple, grated (minus the core, of course)
8 dashes of cinnamon

Directions:
1) Blend mix and cold water together with a wire whip. Batter will be slightly lumpy. (Do not overmix.)
2) Fold in grated apple and cinnamon.
3) Pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto lightly greased and preheated 375°F griddle (medium heat).
4)Cook pancakes 1-1 1/4 minutes per side, or until golden brown, turning only once.

***
My kids wanted pancakes for breakfast. As I was making them I saw the bowlful of apples sitting on the counter and decided to turn them into apple cinnamon pancakes. I thought they turned out pretty good. They could use a little more apple taste, though. I'm not sure if the solution to that problem is adding more apple or just dicing the apple, rather than grating it. But, it was a nice way to 'spice' up our pancakes and get another serving of fruit in.

3-4 stars. I will probably make them again, but I don't think they were quite fancy enough for a party or something like that.

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Apples

2009-10-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

Gives a slightly sweet hint to the pork. I've done something similar before, but had to do it this week because of the challenge!

I used two medium sized roasts with bone in that I got on sale. The husband loves pork, and this way I'll have leftovers for a couple of other dinners this week.

Place roast(s) in bottom of crock pot. Pour about 1/2 c apple juice over the top and sprinkle liberally with sea salt (and pepper if desired, but I'm out and didn't). Cook on low heat 8 hours. The longer you cook pork roast, the more tender it gets, so you could even start it the night before and cook for 20 hours. Soooo good. About 1/2 hour before serving, slice two cooking apples (granny smith, jonathan, etc., NOT red delicious or gala) and place on top and around the roast. If the slices get in the juices, they turn into more of a fried apple consistency.

We served with baked potatoes and green beans.

Free Cookbooks

2009-10-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

We received an e-mail containing the links to several FREE cookbooks that you can download onto your computer. Thought I'd pass them along to you.

Eversave has a whole free cookbook collection, with cookbooks on almost any topic or theme you can imagine. HERE is the link to their list of 32 cookbooks.

E-cookbooks.net has a plan where you can buy a huge library of e-cookbooks for $24.97, but they have a couple you can download for free: Crockpot Recipe Sampler and Copycat Recipe Sampler. The copycat one has recipes from popular restaurant chains, as well as well-known cookies & candies, like Girl Scout Samoas. Can we say "Yum"?

So, just thought I'd pass that information along. Have a happy day!

Challenge Ingredient: Apples

2009-10-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

This week we are featuring apples. Apple season is in full swing. They seem to herald in the Autumn season. In fact, just the other day I was feeling the autumn spirit and bought a jug of apple cider to celebrate this beautiful time of year. (granted, everything looks the same in Arizona, but let's just pretend, shall we?)

Apples are so versatile. To give you a little inspiration, here is a Blisstree.com post Janelle found called
"12 Fabulous Apple Recipes" that we can use as a kind of jumping off point in our apple adventures.

And, for those of us inspired by music, here is a clip from Disney's Johnny Appleseed.

I'm excited to see all the recipes you use with apples. Let's try to get a lot of participation this week. You can post a recipe you've made before, as long as you make it this week. And don't forget...it's not too late to post your cumin recipes. Happy cooking!

Very Veggie Lentil Chili

2009-10-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my new cookbook for something to make for dinner tonight and came across this recipe. I'm not a huge chili fan (due to lack of good chili growing up--my mom's recipe is really gross, and I'm not especially fond of beans), but I have developed a liking for lentils lately (especially since they cook up faster than dry beans). As I was reading through the ingredients, cumin jumped out at me. Perfect! So I thought I would get past my chiliphobia and try it out.

Very Veggie Lentil Chili
from Cheap. Fast. Good!

2 cans (about 14 oz each) vegetable broth
1 lb (about 2 1/3 cups) brown lentils
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
1 large onion (for about 1 cup chopped)
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced, or 4 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra virgin
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
sour cream, for serving

1. Combine the broth and 1 1/2 cups water (see Note below) in a 4 1/2 quart dutch oven or soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, pick through the lentils, checking for stones or debris. Rinse the lentils and drain them. When the broth comes to a boil, add the lentils and bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook at a very slow boil for 20 minutes. (Partially uncover the pot if the contents threaten to boil over.)

2. Add the tomatoes with their juice. Peel and coarsely chop the onion and add it to the pot. Add the garlic to the pot. Add the tomato paste, ketchup, chili powder, cumin, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Stir to mix well. Simmer, covered, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Add a little more water or vegetable stock if all of the moisture evaporates.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the oil and vinegar. Add hot pepper sauce to taste, if desired. Serve at once, topped with cheese and sour cream

NOTE: The water can be replaced with 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (canned or homemade) if you have enough on hand.

****I pretty much followed the recipe. I used a carton of vegetable broth that was just over 28 oz (which is what it calls for if using two cans of broth), so I added the other few ounces and reduced the amount of water. I forgot to cover the lentils while they were cooking, so all of my liquid cooked out and I ended up adding a few more cups of water. I didn't realize the tomato paste I grabbed was one with garlic and herbs, but as I had opened it before I noticed I used it anyway. I don't think it changed the taste drastically (although I could be wrong since I haven't made this before). I only used half of the amount of black pepper and didn't add the pepper sauce because my kids won't eat spicy foods.

I would rate this at 4 stars. I would definitely take this to a pot luck or as a meal to someone. (I am not rating it 5 stars only because I don't think it is dinner party worthy. It really is delicious, though.) It is super budget friendly and really easy to make. My family, even my picky boys, loved it. This will for sure be something we will eat again and again.

Challenge Ingredient: Cumin

2009-09-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

It's my turn to post this week, and as has been about par the last month or so, I'm running late again. I'm visiting my in-laws and was on the road on Monday and Tuesday. I thought about pre-posting this, but didn't get around to it. So pretty much, I'm just lazy. :)

This week, we're cooking with cumin. Cumin is one of my favorite spices. I love Mexican food, and it is a primary spice in Mexican cooking. It can also be found in many other cuisines, though.

Cumin is native to Egypt. Its seed have been found in the Old Kingdom Pyramids. Today, it can be found in Indian, Eastern, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Portuguese, Spanish, and Morrocan cuisine.

(Source: The epicentre)

Besides all of my Mexican food, another dish I enjoy with cumin is hummus, which is surprisingly easy to make at home. Here's the recipe I use, from the Whole Foods website (source).

Simply Delicious Homemade Hummus

Serves 6

This homemade hummus makes an absolutely delicious dip, perfect for entertaining or a snack. Pair with lightly toasted pita bread, crisp veggies, feta cheese, stuffed grape leaves and a selection of olives. Cannellini or Great Northern beans can be substituted for the garbanzo beans.
Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Ingredient Options: Add minced chipotle peppers (canned), sliced pimentos and cilantro. Add toasted pine nuts. Instead of garbanzo beans, use cannellini beans and season with thyme.
Method

Put garlic in a food processor and pulse to roughly chop. Add garbanzos, tahini, water, lemon juice, salt, cumin, coriander and a pinch of cayenne (you may add more later to increase the heat), and process until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

Before serving, let hummus come to room temperature. Mix in the parsley and serve.

Good For You Taco Salad

2009-09-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe on Recipezaar. Do I find recipes anywhere else?!

Good for You Taco Salad (Recipe #251415)

Ingredient amounts are approximate. There are lots of optional ingredients, depending on what you like. Feel free to substitute an equal amount of bottled vinaigrette for the oil and vinegar.

by Maito

Dressing

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice (or more)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or any other kind vinegar
1 pinch garlic powder
1 pinch ground cumin
2 tablespoons salsa
2 tablespoons nonfat yogurt (optional) or nonfat sour cream (optional)

Salad

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (you can also use black or any other type of beans)
1/2-1 avocados, diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
5 ounces romaine lettuce or butter lettuce
2 carrots, sliced
baked corn tortilla chips

Optional toppings

very lean ground turkey, cooked with (optional)
taco seasoning (optional)
basil (optional)
green onion (optional) or chives, chopped (optional)
toasted pepitas (optional)
black olives (optional)
low-fat cheese, shredded (optional)
jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
1 can corn, drained and rinsed

Directions:

Mix dressing ingredients.
Put all desired salad ingredients in a large glass bowl. Toss with dressing (you may not need all of it) and top with baked chips. Serve additional chips on the side.

***

This salad was really good and really easy. I will definitely be making it again!

When making this recipe I added 1/2 lb. ground hamburger cooked with taco seasoning, a can of black beans, 2 green onions, 1 can of corn, about 1/2-3/4 of a can of olives. I also omitted the carrots in the salad recipe, and used Roma tomatoes, rather than cherry tomatoes. I also added more cilantro than it called for. Only 1/2 a cup of cilantro?! That's barely enough to nasty your mouth! We like our cilantro! In the dressing recipe I doubled the amount of fresh lime juice. We felt that it could have used even more, so if you like lime don't be shy with the juice.

While I was working on the salad, my husband thought it would be fun to try and make taco bowls out of tortillas by molding them in a glass bowl with an empty can in the middle and dunking them in the deep fryer. They didn't turn out too bad! Not perfect, but they looked kinda festive.

So, for the record, this taco salad was really, really yummy and easy! 5 stars!

Southwest Rice and Bean Salad

2009-09-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

I had something specific in mind for dinner last night, but I came across this recipe mid-afternoon and decided I had to try it.

It went together really easily. I would probably use less rice in the future, though. Five cups is a lot, even when you're mixing lots of other stuff in. I wanted to use brown rice, but we were out of it. It would probably be even yummier with brown vs. white rice.

I made a few modifications from the original recipe, based on what I had at home already. Overall, it was really yummy, did well as leftovers, and got about 4.5 stars. I really really liked it, but my husband said only 4 stars -- it would be 5 if it didn't have the rice, he said (he doesn't like rice).

A couple of quick notes: the salad comes out tasting surprisingly sweet, due to the brown sugar in the dressing. It's really different, and yummy. Also, the chicken breasts I had in the freezer were the flat single-serving cutlet-style breasts, not full sized ones. Two wasn't enough. If that's the kind you have, go with three or four.

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5 cups cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 can corn, drained
4 green onions, chopped (I didn't have green onions, so I used about 1/4 cup chopped red onion)

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2/3 cup canola oil (I used vegetable oil)
4 pickled jalepeño pepper rounds (I used about 2/3 of a can of diced green chilies instead)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in blender until peppers are finely minced. Toss with salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Challenge Ingredient: Kidney Beans

2009-09-23T14:49:00.001-07:00

Now that Fall is upon us, the time for making stews, soups and chilis has come! So, what better ingredient to feature than our high-fiber, protein-packed, heart-healthy friend-- the KIDNEY BEAN?

To get your creative juices flowin', here is a list of quick serving ideas from WHFoods.com:

Combine cooked kidney beans with black beans and white beans to make a colorful three bean salad. Mix with tomatos and scallions and dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.

Serve cooked kidney beans over a piece of cornbread and top with grated cheese for a twist on the traditional tamale pie.

In a food processor or blender, combine cooked kidney beans with garlic, cumin and chili peppers for a delicious spread that can be used as a crudité dip or sandwich filling.

Make a pot of chili, the hearty Mexican soup that traditionally features kidney beans.

Make tacos with a vegetarian twist by using kidney beans in place of ground meat.

Have fun with this week's ingredient, and get your recipes posted by next Sunday. Have a great week!

Note: Sorry for the delay in posting the new challenge. In the words of Andie Anderson, "Do you think I'm some kind of mental person?!" I think so! I've been such a space case lately! Hopefully I can get my act together sooner than later.

"trizzas"

2009-09-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

Trizzas, like pizzas only not. That's what DD called this. A fake lunchable, if you will. I made her this for lunch a couple of days last week and the other kids were jealous. haha. I don't think it would go over so well for a husband, but maybe.

I got some Grands biscuits on sale (the layered kind), so these were super cheap for me to do. Split the biscuits so each makes two, flatten a bit, top with cheese, and bake (just a couple minutes less than the package directions). When cool, put in a ziploc baggie. In separate small containers, put spaghetti or pizza sauce, cheese, and any other toppings. She just had cheese. Put in the lunchbox with a drink (she had capri suns), fruit (she likes grapes), and dessert (cookies).

We did other fake lunchables with crackers, lunch meat, and cheese. The kids didn't want those so much, but she enjoyed them.

For my husband's brown bags, I bought some "man sized" containers with lids and usually just stuff them full of leftovers. We eat a lot of rice and meat and veggies because that's what he likes. I'll put the rice (or ramen noodles -- they are his favorite food group) in the bottom, then the meat and veggies with whatever sauce on top and put the lid on. I usually do this just before serving dinner so I know there's enough for him at work because otherwise we will just eat everything I made for dinner -- and I make extra, so we really don't need to be eating all of it! He'll grab an apple or something to round it out.

Challenge Ingredient: Brown Bag

2009-09-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, this is Jenn. I'm not as cool at blogging as some other folks on here. But, being that this was my idea for an ingredient, Jillian asked that I post the Challenge for this week. I know, this is boring - I have no cute pictures or awesome formatting - but hey . . . at least I didn't forget.

(Thanks to Jillian for the reminder tonight)!!

This Weeks Challenge . . .

The Brown Paper Bag!!!!

I know - kind of a weird ingredient, isn't it?!?! But, think about it. With all our hubbies in school or working, and with all our kids either in school or going to countless play-dates, there is bound to be a need for a Sack Lunch. Thus, my lovely idea of the brown paper bag!

I end up packing my poor hubby the same triple-decker PBJ sandwiches day after day. I am quite certain he gets sick and tired of these, but he never complains. But, I am going crazy staring at my cupboards and shopping the aisles at the grocery store trying to come up with new ideas for sack lunches. So, I figure we can all help each other out, and hopefully get some fun ideas for the ever-boring Brown Paper Bag Lunches!!!!

I can't wait to hear everyone's ideas . . . and I will definently be trying out this weeks recipes!

BBQ sauce marinade

2009-09-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

My post for this challenge isn't very exciting. We barbecued some chicken on Labor Day last week, and I marinated with a little BBQ sauce. I thawed the chicken breasts, poked them with forks, and then put them in a giant Ziploc bag. I poured in some Pepsi and some BBQ sauce, in about equal portions. Squeezed most of the air out, zipped it up, squished it around, and stuck it in the fridge. I let it marinate for about 30 minutes, turning and squishing it once or twice during that time.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2009-09-12T16:16:00.001-07:00

This week I have opted to share a recipe that I have made before. These sandwiches are SO easy, and SO yummy!!

BBQ Chicken Sanwiches
Ingredients:
cooked chicken- grilled, baked, rotisserie, whatever.
BBQ Sauce of your choice - we actually mix several BBQ sauces when we make it, 'cause we're just crazy like that.
Liquid Smoke - this is the key ingredient right here. You can make it without it, but it makes a big difference!
Rolls, hoagies, hamburger buns, etc. - just put it on whatever kind of bread you like.

Directions:
1) De-bone the chicken and shred it. You don't want it to be in teeny tiny pieces, but they need to be bite sized chunks. This can even be done a day in advance if you know you're going to be busy the next day.
2) Add BBQ sauce to the chicken and stir until coated nicely.
3) Add a dash or so (I know, very precise here) of liquid smoke. Stir.
4) Heat in the microwave till hot.
5) Place on bread to form a sandwich and enjoy!

***
This is a great meal that is fast and easy. When I made these the other day I grilled the chicken. No fancy spices on the chicken, just garlic and pepper. Usually we make it using left over chicken. You can also make it using those rotisserie chickens from the grocery store.

The leftovers are fab! And, they are great for packing in lunches 'cause they don't get soggy, especially if you are using a harder bread, like a bolillo roll or ciabatta bread.

Challenge Ingredient: BBQ Sauce

2009-09-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am completely insane and totally spaced that it was my turn to post the challenge this week. I would like to apologize profusely! I don't know if it was the holiday on Monday that threw me or what.

image may be found at www.megabbq.com/page/3

Anyway, this week (next few days) our challenge ingredient is BBQ sauce. When I told my husband the challenge, he thought we were challenging everyone to make BBQ sauce. I laughed at him. Now, if you are feeling really adventurous, go ahead and make a BBQ sauce. The rest of us will just make a recipe that incorporates BBQ sauce.

There is much debate about the definitions of "barbecue" and "grilling", and what is truly considered "barbecue". There are so-called 'experts' who write treatises on the subject. Basically, here in the good 'ole US of A, there are many different styles of barbecue, and the definition varies by region. There is so much information out there on the subject, I swear you could get a Master's in "Barbecue Ethnology". People are crazy-serious about their barbecue!!

For information on Regional BBQ Sauce Variations, go HERE. It's pretty interesting.

To see a nice little article about it on Food Network's site, go HERE. Not as many regions represented, but a good article nonetheless.

For the secret to making your own barbecue sauce, for you adventurous types, go HERE.

If you want to see a video of Bobby Flay making a barbecue sauce, go HERE. Why, you ask? Uhm...Bobby.Flay. 'Nough said. What can I say? The hubs likes watching him for his grilling tips, and I like watching him for...his grilling tips! What were you thinking?! Ha!

Again, I apologize for getting the challenge up so late. Demonstrate your forgiveness of me by posting your recipes by Sunday (or the Sunday after that, as per our new rules). Happy Cooking/Grilling/Barbecuing!

Tomato and Corn Pie

2009-09-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

A friend gave me some fresh zucchini and tomatoes from her garden a couple of weeks ago. The zucchini was promptly made into bread, but the last tomato stayed in my refrigerator for a week. I finally had an opportunity to use it last night, with the addition of two more large beefsteak tomatoes. I found this recipe and thought it looked and sounded really yummy, and I've gotta tell you -- it just begged me to make it.

I read the whole recipe a few times, and I had no idea how long it was going to take to prepare it. I started at 3:30 on Saturday afternoon, and at 5:40 I stuck the pie in the oven. During that time, I had to run to the store to buy mayonnaise, since my lovely husband had neglected to tell me we'd been out of it for several weeks (I don't eat it). I just really hoped that after two hours of prep time that it would be worth it. Well, it wasn't absolutely fabulous, but neither was it a disappointment.

A few notes:

The tomatoes take the longest. Peeling them is important -- it will affect the end texture. Also, if you don't want massive gooiness and sogginess, you'll need to take the time to scrape out the seed and the liquidy sections of the tomatoes.
Two cups of flower for the crust is not enough. I added close to another half cup more to get it dry enough to not stick to everything in sight. It says to stick the second half in the fridge to keep it cold while you do everything else, but I found that the dough was not as malleable as I wanted when I pulled it out again. It needed a little bit of warmth to keep it soft.
I'm not sure what the point of chopping the corn was -- I forgot to do it. I used canned corn, which I drained and rinsed and drained again. One can was enough.
The leftovers are good, but not great. If you can make this for a bigger crowd, I would.
My husband and I ate this for a meal itself, but it's probably more of a side dish.

All in all, it was good, and I'll make it again. Not frequently, as it takes two hours (plus bake time), but we gave it four stars.

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Tomato and Corn Pie

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons or 3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 teaspoons melted
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 pounds beefsteak tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn (from about 3 ears), coarsely chopped by hand (my preference) or lightly puréed in a food processor, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil, divided (skipped this, no harm was done)
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
7 ounces coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (1 3/4 cups), divided

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl, then blend in cold butter (3/4 stick) with your fingertips or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball.

Divide dough in half and roll out one piece on a well-floured counter (my choice) or between two sheets of plastic wrap (the recipe’s suggestion, but I imagined it would annoyingly stick to the plastic) into a 12-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Either fold the round gently in quarters, lift it into a 9-inch pie plate and gently unfold and center it or, if you’re using the plastic warp method, remove top sheet of plastic wrap, then lift dough using bottom sheet of plastic wrap and invert into pie plate. Pat the dough in with your fingers trim any overhang.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. If your kitchen is excessively warm, as ours is, go ahead and put the second half of the dough in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice.

Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in a large pot of boiling water 10 seconds. Immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to cool. Peel tomatoes, then slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick and, if desired , gently remove seeds and extra juices. Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, one tablespoon basil, 1/2 tablespoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and one cup of grated cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, chives, salt, and pepper. Pour lemon mayonnaise over filling and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Roll out remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round in same manner, then fit over filling, folding overhang under edge of bottom crust and pinching edge to seal. Cut 4 steam vents in top crust and brush crust with melted butter (2 teaspoons). Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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I'll be honest. I was intimidated by this recipe. I've never made a pie crust before (graham cracker doesn't count). I had to improvise, because like I said, the recipe doesn't call for enough flour. The crust turned out really well though, and I was quite pleased with myself. It would be great to use to make buttermilk biscuits. I've also not really ever done anything more with tomatoes than chop them up and put them in things, so to have to blanch them and peel them and scrape them seemed like a lot to me. The pie looked too good to let be be too intimidated, though, and I'm glad I won the battle. You should really go read the original post about it, not just my re-posting of the recipe here.

(Sorry for the lack of pictures...my camera is broken.)

Shaking things up!

2009-09-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

Ladies, I'm afraid we've been thinking. (A dangerous pastime, I know.) Participation is slow, and Jillian and I both find ourselves a little bogged down at the idea that we have to make something new for each challenge we do. I know I've cheated a few times and made repeats. So we thought "maybe we shouldn't require that all the recipes be new-to-us." But then we also remembered that one purpose of this blog was to help us get new things to work into our dinner rotations, so that we don't get tired of the same ol' same ol' all the time.

So we compromised!

There are four (sometimes five) challenges each month. Of those, we ask that at least one recipe be a brand-new-to-you recipe. You're never made it before. The rest of the weeks can be recipes that you've made maybe once or twice, but you're trying again; or they can be favorite staples that you just can't wait to share. Either way, you don't have to do something new each week. Just be sure that what you do make includes the challenge ingredient somehow.

Another dilemma: sometimes we have really busy weeks, and there's no time to prepare something new or otherwise time-consuming. Sometimes we don't get around to posting until after the end of the week, even if we had time to cook during the challenge week.

So we compromised again!

As always, we have a running list of challenge ingredients on the sidebar. Jillian and I pledge to keep that updated at least four weeks out at any given time (until the end of this year), so that you can forecast and plan ahead. Knowing what's coming up, you can make your challenge dish during the week prior to the challenge, the week of the challenge, or the week after the challenge. One caveat: if you make it during the week prior to the challenge, please don't post it until after the challenge has gone up on the blog. If you want to pre-post it, that's fine. Just be sure to set the date/time to sometime after Monday night. See here to learn how to do this, if you're not familiar with it (it's super-easy...don't worry).

We do have challenge ingredients planned out through the end of this year, and we've got some good ones. Jillian and I are excited to see some good recipes. If you have any ideas for challenge ingredients, let us know, and we can incorporate them in at the beginning of the year (unless they're seasonal, in which case we can try to work them in and shuffle some things around in the the next few months).

We also thought we'd start a new "thing" here on the blog. We've already spotlighted pretty much everyone who participates, so we're done with that feature until we get new people (hint, hint...recruit!!). We didn't have great responses to the Question of the Week (anybody got questions they want to ask?), so for now we decided to spotlight some of our favorite foodies. We're going to call it the Friday Favorite Foodie Feature. Jillian and I will start with some of our favorites, but if you've got any you want to highlight, by all means drop us a line and we'll give you a FFFF week!

So, to review:

Only one of your recipes each month has to be brand-new-to-you. The rest can be ones that you just want to share with us, as long as they use the challenge ingredient.
You now have a three week window in which to make your dish: up to one week prior to the challenge, the week of the challenge, or the week after the challenge. We only ask that you post it on the blog during the challenge week or the week after. Please don't post early.
Keep an eye out for our Friday Favorite Foodie Features (FFFF).

Questions? Thoughts? Complaints? Leave 'em in the comments!

Challenge Ingredient: Tomatoes

2009-08-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge ingredient is TOMATOES. If you have a garden, you are probably up to your ears in tomatoes right about now. This will give you a chance to try out something new using your bounteous harvest.

picture from blogs.phillyburbs.com

So, whether you call them a fruit or a vegetable, let's see what recipes you can find using tomatoes. We look forward to seeing your TOMATO recipes!

I'll leave you with a lovely video clip. Enjoy! "I say tomato, you say tomaaato..."

Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

2009-08-31T06:40:00.000-07:00

EDIT: I uploaded a couple of photos of the ice cream while I was making it. The colors are beautiful (as you will read below).

Last week, I saw a link to this old post on one of my favorite food blogs. I'm not generally a fan of blueberries, but my husband -- having grown up in Maine -- loves them. The pictures were beautiful (I love colorful food!), so I thought I'd give it a try for this week.

The ice cream is pretty easy to prepare -- and the coloring really is gorgeous. I think my husband has the camera right now, but I took some pictures of the dark blue berries, the bright white sugar, and the bold green lime zest in the pan together. Then, while it was all cooking, the berries bled and the juice turned purplish. Absolutely gorgeous.

Okay, enough gushing about the colors. The prep is easy; then you just stick the blender in the refrigerator to cool the mix down, and when you're ready, just turn your ice cream mixer on and let it churn for about 25 minutes.

A couple of notes on this:

It didn't make very much. If you're making it for the whole family (or a group), you might want to double it. I made it for company, and ended up baking a pan of brownies to supplement. It went really great with the brownies.
I had to soften it in the microwave to scoop it (it had been in the freezer for about 22 hours)
Like I said, I'm not generally a fan of blueberries, but I did enjoy this. It was a little too tart, though. I prefer my ice cream sweeter.
My husband said it could use a touch less sour cream (he recommended 2/3 of a cup, instead of the 3/4 of a cup that the recipe called for). That said, he loved it and gave it 5 stars.
Serving it with brownies already, I didn't do any chocolate or fudge sauce on top. It was fine without it, though.

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Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, if frozen, thaw and drain)
1/3 cup sugar, or more to taste
pinch of salt
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lime, or more juice to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream

Put the blueberries, sugar, salt, lime zest and juice in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils and the berries pop and soften, about 3 minutes.

Turn the berries into a bender and whirl until you have a fairly homogenous puree, about 1 minute. (It will never be completely smooth, and that’s fine!) Add the heavy cream and sour cream and pulse just to blend. Taste and, if you’d like, and a squirt more lime juice or a tiny bit more sugar.

Pour the custard into a bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled before churning it into ice cream.
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Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemonade Pie

2009-08-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

I had some vanilla ice cream in the freezer and our local grocery store had raspberries for $0.50 a carton yesterday, so I thought this would be a fun creation. I got the crust recipe from the Honey Made graham cracker/Nabisco website, but the rest of the recipe is my invention.

Raspberry Lemonade Pie

Crust:
8 whole graham crackers, finely crushed (about 1 1/4 cup crumbs)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. (I used a 9.5 inch and it worked fine)

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Filling:
1 2 quart carton vanilla ice cream, softened
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (this is what I used, don't use it. Use powdered lemonade instead) See edit below
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

Mix softened ice cream and most of the can of thawed lemonade concentrate, to taste. Gently stir in raspberries.

Place filling in pie crust and put in freezer. Allow enough time for filling to harden back up. Top with fresh whipped cream and freeze again until cream is frozen.

****I have a few modifications to my recipe. Don't use frozen lemonade concentrate. Although it tastes oh so good, it doesn't freeze back solid. Use powdered lemonade. I'm sure it works lots better. The pie was so soft that we had to serve it with a spoon. When I tried to spread the cream on the pie (which I think I whipped too thick), it just mushed the filling all around. So don't use the liquid lemonade stuff.

Edit: I had some filling left over, so I put it back in the carton in the freezer. I got it out the next day and it was actually frozen. So I would say if you need it to freeze in a few hours to use powdered lemonade, but if you have the brain and time to make it the day before, I would go with the liquid concentrate. I think it tastes better for something like this.

We ate this with friends and everyone agreed that it should be rated five stars. It was really, really good. We ate the whole thing and I'm surprised that the pie plate didn't get licked clean. It was definitely a hit.

Challenge Ingredient: ICE CREAM

2009-08-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

As we enter the final week of August, I thought ice cream would be a particularly appropriate challenge ingredient. I suppose we should have done it sometime in July, being that July is National Ice Cream Month. I'm sure we'll get over it.

I had fun reading about our ingredient this week. Did you know that ice cream was known to exist as early as the second century B.C.? And that the ice cream sundae really has something to do with Sundays? Want Thomas Jefferson's personal ice cream recipe? You got it!

Read up on the history of ice cream here, and let's have some good entries this week!

You can make a recipe that uses ice cream as an ingredient, or you can make ice cream itself. Sorbet, sherbet, gelato, and frozen yogurt are also all acceptable. Have fun!!

And enjoy this ice cream maze while you indulge yourself.

Mint Julep

2009-08-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Mint Julep
from epicurean.com

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon rind
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh mint leaves, washed & chopped fine
Ginger Ale

Boil water, sugar, and lemon rind for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in juice. Bruise mint leaves and add to mixture, stirring. Let stand for a few hours; then strain into a jar with a lid. Refrigerate until serving (may store 2 to 3 weeks).

When making the julep, pour ginger ale into glasses and add syrup to taste, (2 to 4 tablespoons per serving). Garnish with mint leaves or fresh raspberries.

Serves 10 to 15

****I made this exactly as the recipe says. I forgot to refrigerate the ginger ale. I tried to drink the julep warm, but it didn't really taste like I thought it should, so I cooled it off with some ice. Doing that improved the flavor a lot. I think the ice might have watered it down a little, though. We had it again for dinner tonight. This time the ginger ale had been in the fridge, so it was nice and cold. It tasted much better.

I would rate this at 5 stars. I think it would be a fun and different drink for a dinner party.

Challenge Ingredient: Mint

2009-08-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

For this week's challenge I chose an herb that is in season right now. I don't know about you, but I don't cook with mint very often, so I thought it would be fun to work with. What's in {Your} Oven? is all about stepping outside the box, right?!

Did you know that there are four different types of mint? Yeah, me neither. There is peppermint, spearmint, apple mint and pineapple mint. Hmmm. Very interesting...

It sounds like mint is a really easy plant to grow. In fact, it grows so easily that you have to be careful that it doesn't take over your whole garden! It is suggested that you plant mint in a garden by itself, or in above ground containers. It can grow in full sun to partial shade. (info from University of Illinois Extension)

Mint can be used in many different applications, so let's see what recipes you are able to find! Post by Sunday night, por favor.

Grilled Zucchini

2009-08-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe at Kalyn's Kitchen. Here it goes.

Grilled Zucchini - Perfect Every Time!
(2 servings)

zucchini 12-14 inches long, sliced in slices 1/2 to 5/8 inch thick.
1/2 cup your favorite Italian salad dressing
(for South Beach choose dressing with less than 2 carbs per serving, I like Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing)
1 tsp. garlic powder or garlic puree (optional)
1 -2 tsp. dried oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, or a combination (optional)

Cut zucchini into slices, making sure the slices are the same thickness. Combine salad dressing with garlic powder and dried herbs of your choice, if using. (I like this both with and without the extra flavorings. This is one place where fresh herbs are not better.) Put zucchini slices into ziploc bag, pour in marinade and let zucchini marinate 4 hours or longer, even as long as all day if desired.

To cook zucchini, preheat grill to medium-high. (You can only hold your hand there for 3-4 seconds.) You can spray the grill with non-stick spray if desired, but you don't really need it.

Place zucchini on grill, having a spray bottle handy for taming any flames that shoot up from the oil in the marinade. After about 4 minute, check for grill marks, and rotate zucchini a quarter turn. Cook 3-4 more minutes on first side.

Turn zucchini to second side and cook about 4 minutes more, or until zucchini is starting to soften quite a bit, with the outside slightly charred and browned. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.

***
I liked this recipe. It was really easy. I kind of doubled the recipe. I doubled the amount of zucchini & dressing, but only added 1 Tablespoon each of Oregano & Garlic. The kind of dressing I used was Kraft Zesty Italian.

When I made it, I felt like the flavor was a little strong. But, I blame myself for that, because I let it marinade over 24 hours due to a change of dinner plans.

Oh, and be sure to slice the zucchini thick. The thicker ones were definitely the best! :D

I'd give it 4 stars.

Veggie Risotto

2009-08-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Risotto is kind-of a funny dish for me. The first time I'd ever heard of it was when I was going through a pile of recipes my grandmother had sent me. I read it and thought, "that sounds good, and it looks pretty easy." And I was right. It's a little time-consuming, but not all that difficult. Since then, I've read on other food blogs, and seen in movies, that risotto is like this big thing -- it's a rare dish, or a delicacy, or a really complicated something-or-other. I don't get it. It's really not.

I really like risotto (especially this version) because it's pretty adaptable. I'll give you the basic recipe, and then what I did with it.

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2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup white rice
1/3 cup white wine
3 cups water, divided
2 cups chicken stock/broth, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large non-stick saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice, and cook for 1-2 minutes, coating all grains with the leftover buttery film. Add wine (it will be a little splattery), cook until rice absorbs all liquid. Add 1 cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed. Add 1 cup broth. Continue alternating after each cup is completely absorbed. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir.
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So that's the basic idea. If you want to do it up Mexican style, mix in some chopped cilantro with the cheese, and serve it with sautéed chicken and jalapeños. If you want to mix veggies in (like I did), cook up some green and red bell peppers, zucchini, corn, and green beans in olive oil in another pan while the rice is cooking. Add them with the Parmesan cheese at the end, along with whatever herbs you want. I use parsley, basil, savory, and thyme with the veggies. It could be a one-dish meal if you mixed some sausage or chicken in also, though it's primarily a side dish.

One other side note: at my grocery store, I can usually find cooking wine in the aisle with fancy cooking oils and vinegars.

My Big Greek Pasta

2009-08-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe out of my Dream Dinners cookbook. Sorry about the picture it was taken just before I was getting ready to heat up the leftovers the day after. It looked so much better then this right out of the oven!!!

1 pound rigatoni pasta

1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (I used 2 instead of 1)

15 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 red onion, diced (I left this out since the kids and I don't like it)

1 1/2 pounds cooked diced chicken breast

1 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (I didn't have a lemon on hand so I used lemon juice)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and place in the prepared baking dish. In a bowl combine all ingredients expect Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese. Spoon mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

We loved this and give it 5 stars!!! It is awesome fresh. Not the great as left overs. My kids ate it all and asked for more.

Skillet Chicken Italiano

2009-08-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

3 chicken breasts, cubed
1 can mushrooms, drained
1/2 c. Italian dressing
2 T. butter
1/2 c. minced onion
2 small zucchini, sliced
2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
shredded cheddar cheese to taste

Place chicken and mushrooms in dressing and allow to marinade 20 minutes. In a large skillet melt butter. Add onions and saute until tender. Add chicken mixture, cook until no longer pink. Add zucchini, cook until desired tenderness. Add tomatoes. Heat through. Sprinkle with desired amount of cheese, allow to melt. Serve hot with french bread.

This is actually a staple recipe, but we love it, so I thought I'd share! I grew up on it. It's really fast, really easy. Everyone we feed it to loves it (except my weird brother-in-law who doesn't like squash. What gives?). You can easily scale it down or make it bigger for different sized families. Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2009-08-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. oil
1/2 t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour milk or buttermilk
2 c. grated zucchini
2 1/2 c. flour
4 T. cocoa
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. brown sugar

Cream shortening, oil, vanilla, sugar, and eggs. Alternate adding dry ingredients with milk. Add zucchini last. Mix together. Pour into greased and floured 9x13" pan. Combine chocolate chips and brown sugar and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Notes:
I tasted this almost a year ago at a church dessert thing. I loved it then and have wanted to try it for a long time. Now that zucchini is in season and it piling up on my counter, I thought it was the perfect time. My kids were getting tired of eating it on the side with dinner. The problem is, my oven has been broken for months! So...... (anyone living in a hot climate is going to LOVE this tip) I did it in the CROCK-POT! This was not originally a crock-pot recipe, but I thought, "what the heck?" I looked up a few slow cooker bread recipes for some tips and voila! It came out delicious! Moist, dense, a little chewy, oh so chocolaty, no funny aftertaste like some zucchini breads have. Mmmmmm... On another note I was out of oil and substituted an equal amount of unsweetened apple sauce, and being a chocolate lover, I used the 4 T. of cocoa direction loosely. Definitely 5 stars!

Slow cooker directions: grease your crock-pot well, turn on to high heat. Pour in batter, top with chocolate chips. Cover with lid (some recipes suggested skewing the lid to allow steam to escape. In our dry climate I figure we can use all the moisture we can get) cook for 2 hours (some recipes I looked at suggested low heat for 6 hours). Take lid off and allow to cool most of the way (until you can handle the crock pot) in the crock. Slide knife around the edge of cake to loosen, dump onto cooling rack. Enjoy!!!

Challenge Ingredient: ZUCCHINI

2009-08-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that I am excited for this challenge. But also not. See, I love to make zucchini bread, and I get excited when it's zucchini season this time of year every year. My zucchini bread recipes is my great-grandmother's recipe. Here's the "also not" part -- I don't share this recipe. It's the one thing I've chosen to keep to myself, as "the secret family recipe." So I'll make zucchini bread for you if you want, but I won't ever give you the recipe. Sorry. So I'm excited for this challenge (because I know it's the perfect time of year to make my zucchini bread -- her best I've ever tasted, by the way), but I'm also not excited because I have to figure out something else to make for the challenge. :)

Quick facts:

Zucchini plants have big beautiful yellow flowers.
Like the tomato, the zucchini is actually a fruit. Botanically speaking. According to Wiki, it's the "swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower."
Zucchini are low in calories and contain good amounts of folate, potassium, vitamin A, and manganese.
When choosing your zucchini, longer is not always better. Immature zucchini have better flavor, and longer may be a sign of fuller maturity.
Choose zucchini that have firm, dark green skin. Old zucchini are soft and wrinkly.

(Sources: Wikipedia: Zucchini and How to Pick Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.

For more information on how to choose zucchini (specific to what you're making with it), click here.

Get your recipes posted by Sunday night, and happy cooking or baking!

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On posting:

When you tag your posts, please tag them with only these three tags: your name, the current challenge ingredient, and what type of dish it is (dessert, salad, side dish, bread, etc.). Please don't tag with previous challenge ingredients or preparation methods. Sometimes a dish can fall into two categories; when that's the case, go ahead and post two.

Melon with Lime Syrup

2009-08-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's Recipe Finder.

Melon with Lime Syrup
Serves 4.

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup water (I ended up using a little more water, because the syrup got too thick when I wasn't able to cool it down fast enough in the ice bath)
* Juice of 1 lime (my limes were really, ridiculously small, so I used 2)
* 1/2 cantaloupe, peeled and seeded
* 1 pound piece of watermelon, without the rind
* 1 tablespoon small fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Directions
1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/2 cup water; place over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until syrup has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, and chill in an ice-water bath.
2. Meanwhile, cut the melons into attractive 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with the cooled syrup, garnish with mint leaves, and serve immediately.

***
This recipe got rave reviews from my family. My husband said that out of all the dishes I've made for this blog, this was his favorite one. It's really light and fresh. The syrup is subtle, but gives just enough pop to really kick the natural fantastic flavor of the melons up a notch.

Delightfully delicious! 5 stars!

Melon & Grape Salad For A Crowd

2009-08-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

I have developed an allergy to cantaloupe over the last year or so, so this was kind of a hard challenge for me. I love cantaloupe, so I miss eating it. I thought about skipping out, but I had a BBQ to go to, so decided to kill two birds with one stone and do it anyway. My recipe really isn't very original when it comes to melon, but oh well.

Melon & Grape Salad For A Crowd
from cdkitchen

1 medium-large watermelon, cut into cubes or balls
3 honeydew melons, cut into cubes or balls
3 cantaloupe melons, cut into cubes or balls
1 1/2 lbs seedless green grapes
1 1/2 lbs red grapes
3 cups sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1/3 lime juice
1/3 orange juice

Combine melons and grapes. Combine sugar and juices, pour over fruit and toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serve with a slotted spoon. Serving size: 1 cup. Serves 50.

****I bought all of the stuff to make the whole recipe, but I started cutting it up and realized how much it was really going to make. So I ended up doing only about 1/3 of the recipe. And it still made a huge bowl (the biggest bowl that I have). I wasn't sure what it meant by "1/3 lime/orange juice", so I figured it meant 1/3 cup. By the time I ate it it had been sitting out for a long time, so it was really watery and I couldn't even tell that the fruit had had anything poured over it. I am hoping it was better for everyone else.

I didn't really eat much of it, so I'm not too sure what it tasted like. I am going to give it 3 starts just because melon salads are always a hit at a summertime gathering.

Lebanese Watermelon Salad

2009-08-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

My sis-in-law Sara sent me this recipe to post on the blog. It sounds delicious!

Lebanese Watermelon Salad

Ingredients
Watermelon, sliced into circles, and then into 1/2 rounds or triangles if needed (depends on size of melon)
Feta cheese, crumbles
Fresh chopped basil
Olive Oil

Directions
Place the chilled watermelon flat on a salad plate. Put crumbled feta and chopped basil on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

It makes a really pretty salad on the plate, and the sweetness of the melon, saltiness of the cheese and spice of the basil is delightful. It can also be made by cubing the melon and tossing it all together in a bowl. This is faster, but the other way is much prettier. And pretty matters.

Thanks, Sara!!

Agua Fresca Review

2009-08-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

So, I finally made the agua fresca. The recipe is posted (See "Watermelon Agua Fresca"), but I opted to use cantaloupe and mango instead of watermelon, which was pretty good. I recommend letting the drink sit in your fridge for 24 hours; the flavors have a chance to blend. Two out of three Mather-Greenwoods voted thumbs up on this one. My son was the only hold out: "I don't yike it." I'd make this one again for sure. And it would be super fun for a party.

Watermelon, Lime, Red Onion & Avocado Salad with Cilantro

2009-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

My mom introduced me to this salad a few weeks ago when I was visiting her. She'd had it at a church activity. I made it again this week while she was visiting me. I was sure to take pictures. It sounds really weird, but it's actually good. The textures and flavors combine really well. I loved it and would give it five stars, but my husband didn't really like it much at all.

One word of preparation advice: make sure you cut the onions really thinly.
*************************
2 avocados, pitted and peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 limes, juiced
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 lbs watermelon, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 bunch cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, add cut avocado. Cover with lime juice and add red onion and watermelon. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with fresh cilantro, salt and pepper.
*************************

Challenge Ingredient: Melon

2009-08-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

What is summer without a good melon? Now that summer is winding to a close, I thought we should take the opportunity to feature melons before it's too late!

Choose any kind of melon you want, and have fun! We had a lot of posts for the last challenge, so let's keep it up this week. YEA!!!

Watermelon Agua Fresca

2009-08-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

I found this amazing recipe and can't try it until after I go to the grocery store this afternoon. However, I'm posting it now (because I'm really excited about this one) and will reply with my review when I use my guinea pigs--ahem, family--this evening. Note that you can use pretty much any kind of melon or fruit combinations.

Watermelon Agua Fresca
2 cups cold water
2 cups watermelon, rind removed, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons sugar (base how much or how little you use on your personal preference)
1 tablespoon lime juice
ice

Cut the watermelon into roughly 1-inch cubes. If using other fruits, prepare them accordingly, removing seeds or skins. In a blender or food processor, combine water, watermelon, sugar, and lime juice until smooth. Pour mixture through a strainer into a pitcher, forcing through most of the pulp. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with or without ice cubes. As a decorative touch, add slices or chunks of matching fruit just before serving.
Makes 2 servings.

Variations
• Agua de Melón: Use cantaloupe or any other melon.
• Agua de Fresa: Use strawberries.
• Agua de Papaya: Use papaya.
• Agua Fresca de Pepino: Use peeled, seeded cucumbers and lime juice. Cut down on the sugar.

sorry

2009-08-03T03:50:00.000-07:00

i hate bell peppers. so i'm not participating this week. looking forward to a new challenge! (feel free to delete this if my monday-morning snarkiness is too outre)

2009-08-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Bell Peppers - Honey Lime Chicken

This is a recipe made by improvisation....I tend to do that a lot. We were fortunate to have a large crop of green bell peppers in our garden this summer, so looky what I did with them! I got the idea of honey lime flavor from an enchilada recipe a while back. Sorry to say, there is no EXACT recipe, but I will tell you how I made it to the best of my ability.
First, I put 5 chicken breast in the crockpot, seasoned with salt, chili powder, and garlic powder on high heat for 2 hours, then stirred and added 2-14 oz. cans of chicken broth and about 2 cups of rice. When the rice was cooked it needed a lot more salt than I had previously used. I separated the chicken from the rice and shredded it, and added it back to the rice in a large bowl. Then I added the juice of 2 limes and about a half cup of honey, along with a lot more chili powder with another dash of garlic powder, and mixed it up. I then chopped off the tops of the peppers and pulled out the seeds, and continued to stuff them with the rice/chicken mixture. Topping with grated cheese, I baked in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. BTW, there was WAY too much rice for the small 10 peppers I had, so this can make at least 10 regular sized stuffed bell peppers, maybe more! ...And they were Deelish!

Before baking:

After baking:

Bell Pepper Salad

2009-08-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

We had some friends over for a barbecue, at which we grilled up some really yummy chicken and corn, chopped up some watermelon, and had this salad I invented (though I'm sure I'm not the only one to have ever thought of it). It's so easy and so yummy.

*************************
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 purple onion
1/4 - 1/3 cup Italian salad dressing, to taste

Chop all peppers into 1-square-inch pieces. Chop onion into large pieces, around the same size or so. Put a sheet of foil over a hot barbecue grill. Put the onions and green pepper only on the foil. Grill until softened and fragrant. Remove from grill; let cool. Add to other peppers in a large serving bowl, toss with salad dressing. Chill until ready to serve.
*************************

I really liked this salad. For one thing, I love colorful food, and you really don't get much colorful than this. I liked the combination of textures (grilled vs. raw) and flavors (slight charring vs. fresh crisp). The dressing adds a little extra subtle flavor, not too strong and not too greasy. Four stars.

Brazilian Beans and Rice

2009-08-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

My husband served his mission in Brazil, so he loves Brazilian beans and rice. I have been trying to find a good recipe since we got married 7 years ago, but to no avail. At Thanksgiving we visited my sister-in-law and met her friend that is from Brazil and she told us about how she makes it and promised to get us the recipe. We finally got it yesterday. And lucky enough for me, it included peppers! Here is the recipe:

Brazilian Beans and Rice
from Luciane

For a traditional lunch, serve rice and beans with a green salad with tomatoes and Italian vinaigrette dressing (not ranch) and meat, as below.

The beans (crockpot style):
1 lb bag dry beans, pinto or black (or canned--but watch the salt--none my be needed)
2 bay leaves
copious amounts of water
2-3 T olive oil
smoked sausage or 1/2 package bacon (optional)
1/2 of an onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 beef bullion cubes
Mrs Dash, to taste (optional, no pepper needed if using Mrs Dash)
Seasoning salt (optional, without lemon)
Whatever you like to season with as long as it has no lemon
bell pepper, 1 1/2 inch wide strip chopped finely (optional)
a little cilantro, to taste (optional)

Look through your beans before rinsing them to make sure to remove small pebbles or other debris. Rinse well. Soak for 1/2 hour in plenty of water. Rinse again and pour the beans into a crockpot. Add the bay leaves. Cover with about 5 inches of water (at least double the amount of beans) and cook on high, overnight.

Remove the bay leaves. If using meat, saute until cooked and use 2-3 T of its oil (instead of olive oil) to saute the onion, until clear. Add pressed garlic and stir until fragrant. Pour some of the beans/water into the saute pan to dislodge all the yummy bits and pour it all back into the crockpot with the meat. Add bouillon cubes and salt and pepper to taste (or other seasonings, as mentioned above).

Cook until the beans are done, checking every once in a while. When cooked, you can stir in the bell pepper and/or cilantro, if using. Experiment and taste, adjusting the recipe to your liking.

The rice:
2 cups jasmine rice (old crop, not new crop--from Asian store if possible and definitely not storehouse rice)
4 cups water
2 shallow teaspoons salt
1 T olive oil
1/4 of a small onion
1 clove garlic, pressed

Cook the onion and garlic the same way as above, adding to the rice. Put the rice, salt, and water into a pan and heat to boiling, then simmer, uncovered, until almost all the water is soaked up. Then cover with a lid and finish cooking.

The salad:
You can make your own vinaigrette with 1 part lemon juice, 3 parts olive oil, cilantro, tomato, green bell pepper (if desired, all cut finely), salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.

The meat:
At a Mexican store, purchase thinly sliced beef. Pound it out more thinly still. Marinate for an our in olive oil, pressed garlic, and a little salt. Sear meat quickly on each side in a pan on high heat, using a little olive oil in the pan (if using nonstick, no oil needed). Remove meat. Add a few onion ring slices and a little more oil to the hot pan. Saute them quickly, then return the meat to the pan with the onion rings and cook until meat is finished cooking. This can be done with chicken or fish, too.

****I pretty much followed the recipe. I added the bell peppers, but not the cilantro. I didn't have any Mrs Dash, so I used Tony Chachere's spices n' herbs seasoning, but not very much. I used bacon, and after I cooked it I crumbled it into the beans in the crockpot, then used some of the bacon grease to cook the onions. According to my husband the Brazilians never put bell peppers in their beans, so I don't know if I will next time I make it. I think it would be good either way. I got some salad, but we didn't end up eating it. And I didn't get any meat, so we just had the beans and rice. Next time I will probably make 1 1/2 times the rice recipe because we had lots more beans left over than rice. I will have to make more rice to finish the beans.

I would rate this at 5 stars. We actually had friends over for dinner (the husband also served a mission in Brazil) and our friend and my husband both thought this was the most authentic tasting beans and rice they have had since their missions. We all loved it.

Southwest Pasta with Chicken

2009-08-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, The Pioneer Woman's new site where people can submit recipes.

Southwest Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients

1 box(es) Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne
Olive Oil Spray
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thinly
1 cup Onion (finely Chopped)
1 can Corn
2 cups Chicken Breast Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces
1 teaspoon Salt
1-½ teaspoon Cumin
1-½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1-½ teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ cups Reduced Fat Mexican Shredded Cheese
1 cup Fat Free Sour Cream

Preparation Instructions

1) Prepare pasta as directed on the box.
2) Meanwhile, spray a large pan with cooking spray and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the bell pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes more. (You are just cooking until tender-crisp)
3) Put pepper and onion aside and add chicken to the pan. Stir around.
4) Mix all seasonings and sprinkle half over the chicken. Cook until cooked through.
5) Add half of the remaining seasonings and the sour cream to the chicken pan and turn heat to low. Toss to coat evenly.
6) Add the corn, peppers and onion to the chicken mixture. Toss to coat. Add the pasta, toss again.

You may add the rest of the seasoning (mix well) to taste if you like, add a few dashes of hot sauce if you enjoy your food with a kick, or sprinkle a bit of shredded cheese on top before serving.

***

My family loved this recipe. They ate it right up! My kids even asked if they could eat the leftovers a day or two later!! The recipe calls for red peppers, but I used green. I think the red is probably for color. But, it was still way tasty. And, this makes a LOT of food. The recipe says it makes 8 servings! So, you could make it and freeze half of it for later use if you have a small family.

I will definitely have to make it again. 4-5 stars.

Tri-Tip with Jambalaya Rice

2009-07-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. finely chopped onion
2 T. sugar
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. vinegar

1 1/2 - 2 lb. sirloin steak cut 1 1/2 to 2" thick

1/4 lb. Italian sausage
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1/3 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. rice
1/4 t. paprika
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 c. water
chili powder to taste

Stir together soy sauce, 2 T onion, sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, vinegar and chili powder. Heat grill to medium heat. Place meat on grill. Cover, grill 36- 40 min. Brush meat often with soy mixture during last 10 minutes. Cover meat and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

While meat is grilling heat a large frying pan, brown sausage and drain. Add onions, pepper, celery. Saute until veggies are tender. Add garlic, rice, paprika and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Add cream of chicken soup. Heat through.

Mound jambalaya onto a platter or bowl. Place sliced steak on top. Pour any juices that have collected on top. Enjoy!

Notes:

Admittedly I've made this before. Lots of times, but it's too good to not share! I've made a few alterations to this recipe. I double the sauce and use half to marinate the steak. The longer the marinade time, the better the flavor. I like to use red wine vinegar instead of the regular stuff. A little red wine a day is good for the heart :) I also prefer to use chicken or vegetable broth in place of the water. The more stuff the better when you're talking jambalaya. I've even added shrimp when I've had some laying around before. London broils and tri-tips (like the recipe is named for) work just as well with this recipe. I don't know about the timing this recipe suggests for the steak. I just let my hubby work his magic on the grill. We like our steak to a medium doneness. Mmmmm...

I love this dish! I haven't made it in a while and that makes me sad. I'd give it 5 stars. My family likes it. My husband wishes it were spicy. For that I put the Tabasco on the table and let him have at it. I've fed it to people for dinner, and taken it to pot lucks. It always gets rave reviews, and I don't have leftovers to take home (which is sad because it's just as delicious the next day).

Try it. You'll LOOOOOOOVE it!

Challenge Ingredient: Bell Pepper

2009-07-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

photo: Oxmoor House

I originally chose just green bell pepper as the ingredient this week, then said to myself, "Why not open it up to all varieties of bell peppers?! Why limit ourselves to only the green ones?" So, there you go. (kimono, kimona--there you go.)

Peppers originated in South America and were carried all over the world by explorers. Their popularity grew quickly and they were adapted into the cuisine of many cultures, being a very adaptable plant that can easily grow in many different climates.

How to select the perfect pepper:

Choose peppers that have deep vivid colors, taut skin, and that are free of soft spots, blemishes and darkened areas. Their stems should be green and fresh looking. Peppers should be heavy for their size and firm enough so that they will gently yield to slight pressure. Avoid those that have signs of decay including injuries to the skin or water-soaked areas. The shape of the pepper does not generally affect the quality, although it may result in excessive waste or not be suitable to certain recipe preparations. Peppers are available throughout the year but are usually in greater abundance during the summer months. (from whfoods.com)

Our favorite thing to make with peppers is fajitas, but there are a lot of great uses for bell peppers. Let's see what great recipes you guys find! Please post by Sunday night

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2009-07-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is late. I changed the time so it would show up in the right category. I got this recipe from a neighbor who found it on foodnetwork.com. Its a Barefoot Contessa recipe (click here for the original)

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

For the dressing:
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.

Notes:
Don't skimp on the ingredients. They're a little more expensive, but they really make the salad. For example, I made this once with just plain old mozzarella, not good. Get the good stuff. I'm not a big pasta fan, but when I tried this I loved it! I had to have the recipe. My husband loves this (probably because I finally made something with pasta). I don't make it often because of the price tag, but when I've taken it places, it gets eaten up. You will like it!

Lemon Basil Pasta Salad

2009-07-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

I needed to bring a side dish to a party, so I thought I'd see if I could find a pasta salad recipe containing basil, killing two birds with one stone. I found one on Food Network's website. Here it is.

Lemon Basil Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound farfalle pasta
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1 inch dice -aka Roma tomatoes. Yeah, I didn't know that, either.
8 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons salt
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Directions

Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and place over high heat. Add plenty of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool down.

Put the pasta in a large serving bowl and add the tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Toss well and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

***

This turned out really good. The combination of lemon and basil was surprisingly refreshing. My only suggestion would be to maybe add some parmesean cheese. Other than that, it was great.

4-5 stars