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Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Abbreviations

I thought it might be helpful if I give the abbreviations I use throughout this blog.

c = cup
t = teaspoon
T = Tablespoon
EVOO = extra virgin olive oil
chx = chicken

can't think of anything else right now .. i'll add more later if I think of it.

Key West Ribs - Slow Cooker Style

So I decided to try this new recipe in the slow cooker. Since I work a split shift it's hard for me to get home at 7pm and do anything let alone make dinner. Enter the slow cooker. I swear besides the griddle it is the best invention ever.. even better than the printing press... well perhaps not that great, but still.. very great.

So as of this moment it's still simmering in its' yumminess and we haven't tried it. We'll be eating it in about 40 minutes. Of course I'll give the official taste testers opinion when we have eaten it.

So, the recipe:

Pork ribs ( I used boneless) about 1.86 lbs
1/2c bbq sauce (I used Stubbs)
1/2c orange juice
2 T Lime Juice
1/4 c chopped onion

Put the ribs in the crock pot. Mix the last 4 ingredients together and pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

I'm serving with a side salad and pineapple chunks.

Saturday, August 06, 2005

BBQ Chx

Anniversary cooking expedition #3! Man, what a weekend. Lots of cooking going on in Chef Amy's kitchen. It's a good thing our new apartment has a big kitchen lots of room to get that spatula dirty!

So this chx is perhaps a favorite of the husband/taste-tester. It's not a traditional bbq sauce, it's sweet and tangy and ooh soo good! It's actually passed down from my mom who always made it. Here's the low down:

Chx - has to have the skin on, other wise it gets dry
ketchup
brown sugar
worchesters... sauce (who knows how to spell that?!)

mix last 3 ingredients. I don't know the measurements, but prolly about 1/2c brown sugar, 2 t worch..., and a cup of ketchup. Basically taste it and see if you like it. You want it sweet and tangy. spread some in the bottom of a baking dish and then spread/rub over tops of chx. bake until done.

serve with mashed potatoes.

Yum!

For dessert we had our wedding cake! We were nervous to eat it after hearing the horror stories of how bad other people's were. Ours was great! Tasted like the day we were married...awww.. it was wrapped up super well.. layers of plastic wrap and stored in a tupperware container. then frozen in a huge freezer for a year. French Vanilla with raspberry filling.. to die for.. thanks Marilyn's Cakes in Ludlow, KY for the amazing job!!

Blueberry Pancakes! Yum.

Today, 8/6/05 is Rich and my one year wedding anniversary. I thought to celebrate by making a breakfast. Actually, it turned into a brunch deal because I had to pay some bills and play on the internet a bit first. But, when I got down to business, it was all good.

I love pancakes. French toast was my favorite breakfast treat, but there is so much more you can do with a pancake, in my opinion. Blueberry pancakes are a fantastic example. Of course, the most important ingredient, blueberries, should be fresh. Make sure you pick thru them and discard any that are smooshed or icky.. yes, icky.. technical cooking terms here. Next, if you don't have one, buy an electric griddle. I swear it is the best thing ever!! I love it! You can make most of your pancakes at once so you, the cook, can actually eat with your family/taste-testers/whomever rather than flipping flap jacks while they eat! Anyway.. here is my recipe for....

BLUEBERRY PANCAKES:
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teasooon salt
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup fresh (or frozen thawed blueberries) rinsed

In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; set aside.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Beat egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl; add milk and melted butter. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients; mix until batter is smooth and stir in blueberries.
Fold in beaten egg whites. Bake on hot lightly greased griddle.


~It's a lot of steps, but well worth the effort~

From taste-tester Rich:
"um, some of the best homeade blueberry pancakes I've had, but could have been sweeter, and maybe with some blueberry syrup, you know.. to enhance the blueberryness"

I'm not sure blueberryness is a word, but I'll go with it.. sweeter..we can do that.

From Amy's Kitchen

Hello everyone. Not that I think many people will happen across this website, but if they do, Hello and Welcome! My name is Amy and I love to cook. I'm not a professional or anything just a girl who likes to get her spatula dirty every now and again. I think that is a good thing and my husband and taste-tester, Rich, thinks it's a great thing. So, this blog is about my journey through the world of cooking. The good dishes, the bad dishes and everything in between.

I am not sure what I'll post, but I intend to post recipes that I've tried and like or disliked and a commentary on them. If you have a recipe you love or want me to try, post it! I love to try fun recipes.

Other than that, this is my blog. Welcome, Enjoy, and I do hope you find some amusement from my ridiculous venture.

Now, get that spatula out and start cooking!

Chef Amy

Friday, August 05, 2005

August 5

So, Rich and I have been married for one year already! How crazy. Time has simply flown by. Since we're both off work on Friday's, I decided to make a big anniversary meal for us. Kroger was having a great sale on Mussels! (yum) So for a starter we had steamed mussels in a white wine sauce and a salad with garden fresh veggies. For the main course we had stuffed porkchops, Emeril style, stuffed with apples and walnuts, rice, and baked butternut squash (from Mom's garden). After an un-Godly filling meal, we had a dessert of sorbet.

After a meal like that what is more appropriate than to kick some ass playing Warcraft 3?! Since the apartment is now a wireless "domain", we were able to play against each other. And I totally sacked his community! Go elves! We'll have to have a rematch soon.

Recipes from this meal follow:
Apple Walnut Stuffed Pork Chops with St. Andre Cheese

*the recipe calls for St. Andre Cheese, but I didn't have any so I omitted it. Still turned out great!*

Since the recipe is copywritten, if you want it go to:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26458,00.html

~Butternut Squash~
My own recipe:
Butternut Squash
Butter (I like to use Fleishmann's Olive Oil Butter)
Nutmeg

Oven: 400 degrees
Cut squash in half lengthwise. Dab squash with butter. Put on baking sheet cut side down. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Ready with fork is inserted easily. Remove from oven. Dab with butter (lightly) sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Serve (don't eat the "skin")