Balsamic Glazed Salmon

This is a great recipe from Allrecipes! Enjoy.

6 (5 ounce) salmon fillets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard --I actually omitted b/c I was out!
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.

Amazing Salad

While staying in NY, one of my sister's friends brought her this amazing salad from Bellini's Italian Eatery they call it the "Prodotto". It consists of green, leafy romaine lettuce tossed with sliced pear, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries (they are infused with raspberry), toasted walnuts (they almost taste candied), sliced red onion, diced tomato, matchstick carrots, and a balsamic vinaigrette. Lori says the closest balsamic vinaigrette that they've been able to find is the kind that is kept refrigerated next to the salad in the glass jar - I can't remember the name of it right now! Anyway, this salad is amazing and addictive!!!

YUM!!

Lighter Vegetable Lasagna

This is a great summer fresh vegetable lasagna. It's so delicious and smells amazing while cooking! Serve with a yummy salad and crusty bread!

Lighter Lasagna Ingredients

2 c Zucchini; cubed
2 c Cottage cheese; lowfat
1 c Cubed bell peppers
1 c Mozzarella cheese; part skim
1 c Chopped tomatoes
4 c Sliced mushrooms
1/4 c Grated parmesan cheese
1/4 ts Salt
1/3 c Dry red wine
3 1/2 c Tomato sauce; prepared
3 tb Chopped fresh basil
1 lb Uncooked lasagne noodles
10 oz Fresh spinach; rinsed


Preheat the oven to 350F.
Combine the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, and wine in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender and juicy. Stir in the basil and set aside.

Cover and cook the spinach on high heat in just the water clinging to the leaves for 3 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. Drain and chop coarsely.

Combine with the cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan and set aside.

Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 3-inch-deep nonreactive 8x12-inch baking dish. Layer with 5 or 6 noodles, 1 generous cup of undrained vegetables, and 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture. Cover with a second layer of noodles, 1 cup of sauce, 1 heaping cup of vegetables, 1 cup of the spinach-cheese mixture, and a third layer of noodles. Finally, add the rest of the vegetables, the remaining spinach-cheese mixture, a fourth layer of noodles, and the rest of the sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, about 60 minutes. Let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Recipe by: Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tonight for dinner is spaghetti and meatballs - Biggest Loser style! The "muscling up" meatballs are really yummy and good for you. Save leftovers for meatball subs! Put 3 meatballs in a hot dog bun, top with your fav spaghetti sauce and top with mozzarella cheese! Super yummy use for leftovers!

Upset Cooper

Cooper hasn't cried very often, but here Dad is about ready to change his diaper and he is NOT happy!!!!

Introducing Cooper!

Here is Cooper chilling with Mama E!

Can't wait to try!

While watching Giada the other day, I am drooling over the Lemon Hazelnut Tiramisu she made! I've never like it because it tastes like coffee, but this one looks delish! I can't wait to try it!!!

BBQ Beef Sammy

Wow, long time and no post! On Monday we had Movie Dinner Theme Night which included the movie Ratatouille and the dish Ratatouille (courtesy of Emeril). I accompanied the dish with brown rice. It was really tasty vegetarian dish! I had never had it before, but it was good!!! Quite a fun movie night!

Tonite, we are having a little Clean Eating fun. I love then new magazine Clean Eating and they have a summer themed issue out now. So the BBQ Beef is on the menu for tonite with a little oven roasted potatoes! Yum! It looks delicious, but I'll have to let you know! If you do make it, just remember to start early, it takes a couple of hours because it has to slowly simmer!!

Here is the recipe:
1T whole-wheat flour
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1 lb top round roast or steak, extra lean, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
olive oil spray
3/4 c low fat, low sodium beef broth
2 T liquid smoke (don't skip this!)
1/3 c bbq sauce
1 c white onion strips
4 whole grain wheat hamburger buns

In a medium plastic bag, combine flour, garlic and onion powders. Add beef and shake bag until beef is evenly coasted. Refrigerate beef for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat a medium, nonstick saucepan over medium high heat. When it's hot, lightly mist pan with spray, then add beef. Brown beef on all sides, about 1 minute per side, then reduce heat to medium. Add broth and liquid smoke. When liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to low (liquid should still be boiling slightly). Cover and cook beef, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours or until it's very tender. (the pieces should easily fall apart when smashed with a fork) Using a slotted spoon, drain any excess liquid to a medium bowl, using a fork, separate pieces so beef is somewhat shredded, them mix in bbq sauce.

during the last 5 minutes of cooking the beef, lightly mist a small nonstick frying pan with spray and place it over medium heat. add onion strips and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

meanwhile, place bun halves, insides down, in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook until just toasted, about 2 to 4 minutes. Place each bun bottom on a plate. pile 1/4 of beef mixture onto each bun. Top with 1/4 of onion strips. add bun tops. serve immediately.

June 2008 Everyday Food Magazine

If you haven't already picked up your copy, I highly recommend you do so ASAP! This is full of fantastic recipes! I only rec'd my copy a few days ago and have already tried 2 menus and loved them!

The first is Grilled Steak Sandwiches with Goat Cheese and Arugula. I cut the recipe down from it feeding 8 ppl to a recipe suitable for 2 ppl. Official taste tester recommends toasting the baguette to make it easy to eat. Seriously one of my new fav steak sandwiches! I think even Grill Master Phil would approve! Serve it with the amazing twice-bake potatoes, and you can't go wrong!

This is a really easy and yummy meal. I did skip the mustard in the recipe because we don't care for it, but don't skip the goat cheese, it' fantastic!

The second amazing recipe out of this issue is the brown-sugar bbq chicket drumettes. It's so good! It's actually funny, b/c as I was reading this recipe, I thought, wow! this is mom's bbq chicken recipe! Mom has always made her bbq sauce with ketchup and brown sugar, so I am glad the rest of the world is catching up. I served with corn on the cob, but not the corn on the cob with cheesy butter that they recommended, that seemed a little intense! Kids would love this meal, of course I did too...

The next thing I can't wait to try:

Pineapple-Stuffed Jerk Chicken

I'll let you know how it is!

Skillet Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie

Another great recipe from Martha Stewart. This one comes from her Good Things for Easy Entertaining cookbook. This is my new FAVORITE chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's so easy to make! You don't have to go through all the measuring for dropping the cookies and rotating cookie sheets and all that; just put it in the skillet and bake! YUM! Click here to link to the MS site for the recipe.

Official Taste-Tester loved these cookies and they barely lived 1 day before being demolished!

I didn't use the caramel sauce or the ice cream, I enjoyed them alone, and they were delicious!

Directions

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (about 9 ounces) mixed milk- and semisweet-chocolate chips
2 pints vanilla ice cream
Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Transfer dough to a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, and press to flatten, covering bottom of pan. Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Don't overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm; top each wedge with a scoop of ice cream and some caramel sauce.

Click HERE for the caramel sauce recipe!

Sunday 4/6/08: Dinner

Tonight we are going to Mom and Dad's for dinner. I actually took the time to prepare everything before we go and put it into these handy containers we got at Ikea. So, I don't have to cart 20 ingredients over there, just take the containers and go. And, I chopped all the veggies, so there is another plus!

Menu:
Sloppy Joes (Everyday Food Cookbook P216)
Glazed Carrots (page 85)
Parmesan Potato Wedges(P83) - I couldn't find the exact recipe on-line and I've returned the book to the library, but this is almost the exact same recipe only with sweet potatoes! Personally, I think I'd prefer the sweet potatoes!

Dessert: Quick fruit (peach) cobbler

Click on the links above for the recipes!

Tuna Cakes

This recipe comes from the most recent issue of Kraft's Food and Family Magazine. If you don't get it, you should sign up for it. It's got great recipes and it's free when you sign up on their website. Anyway, this recipe is fantastic. It's something I would never have thought of, but worked great!

Taste tester declared: I love them. It's something I would pay for in a restaurant.

TUNA CAKES:

2 cans (6 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup KRAFT Mayo Real Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish
3/4 cup water
MIX all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 10 min.

HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. For each tuna cake, shape 1/3 cup lightly packed tuna mixture into patty. Add patties to skillet in batches.

COOK 3 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides, turning over carefully.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Healthy LivingSave 60 calories and 8 grams of fat per serving by preparing as directed with KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese and KRAFT Mayo Light Mayonnaise.SubstituteSubstitute 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, 1/2 cup chopped green onions and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice for the Cheddar cheese, carrots and pickle relish.How to Prevent Fish Cakes from Falling ApartShape patties as directed; cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to help firm them up before cooking.

Make sure to check out the Kraft Foods site! It's great!

Easter Dinner Recipe: Salad Delight Dessert

Salad Delight Dessert

This recipe is my grandmother Trzop's recipe. My mom still makes it best, but I'm trying!!

Gelatin Mixture:
2 pkgs lemon gelatin (I usually use sugar/fat free)
4 c boiling water
1 - 2# can crushed pineapple, drained (save juice) (a 2# can means the larger size can like 16 or 17 oz)
4 bananas, sliced
1 c mini marshmallows (maybe 1 & 1/2 c mini marshmallows)

Topping Mixture 1:
1 c pineapple juice (saved from drained pineapple above. Add water to equal 1 cup
1/2 c sugar (or Splenda)
2 T Flour
2 T butter
2 eggs, beaten
Topping Mixture 2:
1 - 8oz cool whip
1 c chopped nuts (Usually use the chopped misc nut mix or toasted chopped pecans)

1. Dissolve gelatin in the water, add pineapple and cool (don't let cool too long or the gelatin will start to harden).
2. When cool, add bananas and marshmallows.
3. Chill until firm - usually overnight.
After gelatin mixture is firm:
4. Combine pineapple juice, sugar, flour, butter, and eggs. Cook on top of stove until thick, then chill.
While Mixture 1 is done chilling:
5. Add the nuts to the cool whip, saving about 1/2 c of nuts for garnishing

When all is chilled and cooled, spread the cooked mixture on top of the gelatin. Then spread the cool whip and nuts on top of it all. Garnish the top with the remaining nuts.

**My family LOVES the topping and we double the topping mixture.

Easter Dinner Recipe: Vegetable Salad

Vegetable Salad

This recipe comes from a lady from church who makes this for every church potluck. It has become a staple in our family's holiday menu. It's delicious! Just don't add the dressing until you are almost ready to serve!

Chop:
3 carrots
5 green onions
3 celery
1 cauliflower head
1 & 1/2 broccoli head

Mix:
3/4 c sugar (usually we add 1/2 c of sugar or Splenda)
3/4 c Miracle Whip (usually we do 1/2 c of fat free ranch dressing)
1 T vinegar

Add:
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar real bacon bits (usually we cook bacon extra crisp and then top with that)

Add mixture, cheese, and bacon bits to vegetables right before you serve.

Mom's notes:
Mix well and taste. Can always add later, before the cheese.

Menu: March 16-23

Here is my attempt at planning a healthful week of dinner!

SUN: Rich Cooks! BLTs, Roasted Asparagus, and Baked Sweet Potatoes (check out howtobakeapotato.com for the best way to bake a potato)

MON: Pizza - Ultra-Thin-Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms, and Ricotta (everyday food magazine 2/07 page 98) and salad

TUE: Weight Watcher's Shrimp Scampi with thin spaghetti (5 Ingredient 15 minute Cookbook Feb 2007 Pg 49)

WED: Chicken and Rice Casserole

THURS: Ellie Krieger's (Food Network) Chix Fingers, Fries, Sauteed Asparagus

FRI: Leftovers or Rich Cooks!! Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas

SAT: Easter Dinner: Ham (Smithfield makes a "Paula Deen" Ham), Spinach Salad, Broccoli & Cauliflower salad, scalloped potatoes, rolls, salad delight desert, and home made carrot cake

SUN: Leftovers!!!

The Recipes:

Ultra-Thin-Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms, and Ricotta Recipe

Olive oil
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tortillas - I used whole wheat found in the "Mexican" Aisle
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese (about 2 ounces)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
6 mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced - I used baby bellas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small sauté pan on medium hight heat. Add the sliced onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften. Cook for a few more minutes until the onions are thoroughly softened and translucent. Remove from heat.

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Place a tortilla on each baking sheet and brush each with olive oil.

Sprinkle each tortilla with half a cup of shredded Asiago cheese. Add bits of ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup for each tortilla. Sprinkle with mushrooms and with the slightly caramelized onions. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Place the baking sheets in the oven. Bake until the crust is crisp and brown all over (the time varies, depending on the oven and if your cookie sheet has already been heated, start with 10 minutes and check), rotating the sheets to ensure even baking.

A seriously delicious pizza. Not at all traditional, but so yummy!

SHRIMP SCAMPI

1 & 1/2 T olive oil
1 & 1/2 t bottled minced garlic (or about 7 cloves of fresh minced garlic)
1 & 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp (I just used the already cooked bagged variety)
1/4 c finely chopped fresh parsley
1 & 1/2 T lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/8 t ground red pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat; add garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add shrimp, and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring occasionally; remove pan from heat. Stir in parsley and remaining ingredients. Serve over top of cooked angel hair or thin spaghetti.

Chix and Rice Casserole:

1/2 cup light butter or margarine (I didn't use this much!! I only used about 6 tsp)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 c rice (I used brown rice), uncooked
1 can reduced fat cream of chix coup (i substituted cream of mushroom b/c that is what I had)
1 & 3/4 soup cans of water
4 to 5 chix breast

Grease deep casserole dish with margarine and cut remaining margarine in pieces, leaving it in bottom of casserole. Cover this with dry onion soup mix. Add rice.

Dilute chix soup with water and pour in casserole. Mix lightly. Mixture will be thin. Arrange chix on top, being sure each pice is coated with the liquid first.

Bake in dish at 400 degrees for 1 hr and 15 min.

Very, very yummy!!!

CHX FINGERS:

1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut across into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
Cooking spray
4 cups whole-grain corn cereal (recommended: Corn Chex or cornflakes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Put the cereal in a sealed plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish. Season the chicken with the salt and a few grinds of pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in the cereal to fully coat and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Leave the chicken on the baking sheet to cool slightly. It will become crispier.

(http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34076,00.html)

Angel Food Cake and "icing"

This recipe I originally tried when a lady at work brought it in for a food day. I recently found it again while flipping through a Kraft Food and Family magazine (Spring 2008). It's such a light and delicious treat that is incredibly easy to make. Enjoy!

1 pkg vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 c thawed cool whip
1 angel food cake

Optional:
fresh fruit

Mix pudding and pineapple in a bowl. Stir in the whipped topping.

"frost" cake. you can either do this traditionally, or, cut the cake into 3 layers. "Frost" in between each layer ending at the top. Refrigerate at least 1 hr and top with strawberries or mixed berries.

YUM!!

The Best Mashed Potatoes Ever!

I have never been successful at making mashed potatoes. This is the beset recipe I have made so far and it turned out great! The next time, I will not add so much garlic, or I will omit to change the recipe a bit. They were light and fluffy, creamy and oh so delicious!!!

Official Taste Tester: Best potatoes you've made!

The recipe:

1 bulb garlic, unpeeled
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 pounds potatoes, rinsed and quartered (use russet, yukon gold, or red creamer)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup half and half (I used half and half)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used margarine)
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 425 F. Slice 1/2 inch top off garlic bulb and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil. Bake until garlic is soft and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, peel garlic cloves, mince and set aside.

In large pot, add potatoes and cover with water and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 15 to 25 minutes.

Drain potatoes and force through a potato ricer or mash potatoes until smooth into a large bowl. Mix in Parmesan and garlic. Cover and keep warm.

Heat half and half, butter, salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter has melted. Pour over potatoes and combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste

I found this recipe HERE on the Whole Foods Market website they have a ton of great recipes! Check it out!!!

Cupcakes

After eating all these great cupcakes in Chicago, I decided to try and make my own.. this recipe makes 4 cupcakes. Just enough for 2 people :)

Pretty good stuff..

2 T butter
1/2 c flour
1/4 c buttermilk
1/8 t baking soda
yolk of 1 large egg, room temp
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 c plus 2 T sugar
1/8 t salt

heat oven to 350 and place muffing cup liners in muffin pan.

combine buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl, and stir to mix. Gently whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and whisk to blend well. Add half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat on a low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat until the mixture is lightened and has slightly increased in volume about 45 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in remaining buttermilk mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended 20 seconds.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20-23 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 min. let cupcakes cool completely. Frost with your favorite frosting or:

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz cold cream cheese
2 T butter
3/4 c confectioners' sugar
1 t grated orange zest
1/2 t vanilla
1 T thawed frozen OJ concentrate (I used normal OJ and it tasted fine)

Mix cream chz and butter until blended. Add sugar, orange zest, and vanilla, beat to mix. Add OJ and beat until fluffy. Use right away or cover and let stand for up to 1 hr before using.

Birthday Boy!

Happy 25th Birthday Rich!

Sadly, he is under the weather for his birthday, but that didn't stop him from eating some cake!! This cake is actually made for only 2 people. They are baked in 14.5 oz cans (soup, fruit, vegetable cans) that are washed out and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Take a piece of parchment paper and cut it to fit the bottom of the can before pouring in the batter. It's a great way to eat cake and make sure there isn't any left over to snack on!!!

1/4 c plus 2 T all purpose flour
3 T buttermilk
yolk of 1 large egg
1/2 t vanilla
3 T butter, melted and cooled
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/3 c sugar

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325.

Grease the insides of the cans and lightly dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Place the cans on a baking sheet.

Combine the buttermilk, egg yolk, & vanilla in a bowl, and whisk to mix. Gradually pour the melted butter into the buttermilk mixture, whisking constantly.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, & salt in a medium bowl. add the sugar and whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk mixture and whisk just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Spoon the batter into the cans, dividing evenly. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.

remove the baking sheet from the oven and cool for 15 minutes. run a thin sharp knife around the inside of the can and invert them to release the cakes. Turn the cakes right side up let cool completely.

To frost, cut each cake in half horizontally. Spread a layer of icing on one side of the cake, then stack the other half on top of it. Frost the sides and top of the cake.

Use your favorite icing recipe or...

Double Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting:

6 oz milk chocolate
3 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1/4 c plus 3 T sour cream (room temp)
1/2 t vanilla


Place chocolate in a medium microwave bowl and microwave on high 2 to 2 & 1/2 m.

Let chocolate mixture cool for 5 min; then add the sour cream, vanilla, salt and whisk to blend well. let frosting cool to room temp, stirring occasionally. spread on cake..

Warning: This is incredibly chocolate-y!

Check out this great book by Debby Maugans Nakos "Small Batch Baking"

Ice Storm!

So we had a crazy ice storm on Thursday. Everything was cancelled including NKU!! The driveway was like a skating ring. I stood at the top of the driveway and just slid right on down. It was really fun! Coming up was a problem, because it really was a sheet of ice and it was near impossible. It was very beautiful at night and here are some pictures.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Version 2

These are a little different from the cookies I posted over the holidays. They have an ingredient that I've never added in cookies before; instant vanilla pudding mix. They are very cake-y cookies, and quite delicious. I added both semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate chips. This recipe yields A LOT of cookies, you may want to half it... otherwise you'll end up with dozens of cookies.

Official Taste Tester Says: "Excellent, the pudding makes it worth the effort" (Amy adds: it's no more effort than regular cookies!!)

The Recipe:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown. (Only bake for 12 minutes - they will be done!!)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Award-Winning-Soft-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Quick and Easy Potato Soup

Update: Okay, this soup is so good that I had to make more today! So, I made a whole new batch and made a couple of changes. First, I added just a bit of basil and then added in some parsley.. yum.. I used red onion instead of white or yellow. Also, I added the potatoes in the soup and let them heat with the broth for a couple of minutes before adding the half and half. So yummy!!!

Official Taste Tester Says: Really good. Some of the best soup I've had in a while.

This is such a great recipe! Rich and I even fought over who would eat the leftovers. My advice - make a double batch!!!

INGREDIENTS
3 bacon strips, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil (** I halved this on the advice of others)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed (** you may want to bake in the oven, I found micro-waving made them a little gummy)
1 cup half-and-half cream (** I used fat-free half and half)
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (**I omitted)
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. I actually used the George Foreman to do the bacon and did not save any drippings. Instead, I used olive oil for the next step.

Saute onion and garlic in the drippings (or Olive Oil) until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.

Delicious Salmon in minutes!!

This is a great Biggest Loser recipe. It's so fast, easy, and yummy!!!


Balsamic Orange Salmon

Makes 2 Servings

Remove skin from 1 large or 2 small salmon fillets (total 12-16 ounces), if needed.
Cut large fillet in half. In a small bowl prepare glaze:
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Spoon glaze on top of salmon, spreading it evenly. Tuck any thin parts of fillet underneath for even cooking. Put glazed salmon in Ziploc Brand Zip 'n Steam™ bag, placing thicker portions toward outer edge of bag. Seal bag and place in microwave.

Cook on full power for 3 1/2 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily. If needed, continue microwaving at 30-second intervals until salmon is done. Allow bag to stand 1 minute before handling. Carefully open bag. Use spatula to remove cooked salmon from bag. Serve with dipping sauce and garnish with sliced green onions and orange slices, if desired.

Recipe for Dipping Sauce:
3 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
Pinch of salt (about 1/16 teaspoon)

http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/dietcenter/zip_n_steam/recipes-submit.shtml

Diaper Cake

This is not an edible cake but it is very fun to make anyway! For an upcoming baby shower I made this as an alternative to a traditional gift but incorporated some items they had on their registry (the wrist rattles and seat belt covers). In the center is a bottle of Johnson and Johnson's Baby Wash. Just a fun thing to share with you guys!

It is for a baby girl, so I had to change the green & yellow ribbons for the pink because the diapers turned out to have too much blue and I wanted it to look girl-y and it was a little too boyish, though I loved the green polka dot ribbon.

Shrimp and Orzo

The other day I had been craving shrimp, edamame, and tomatoes. So, I came up with this dish to encompass all of these ingredients!!

Shrimp
1 can stewed whole tomatoes, diced
edamame
orzo (pasta)
italian seasoning

Cook the pasta and drain. Meanwhile, season shrimp with salt and pepper and sear in skillet. Steam edamame in a ziploc steam and fresh bag. When the pasta, shrimp, edamame are done, mix together in a skillet and add tomatoes. Sprinkle with italian seasoning to taste.

This is a off the fly recipe, but it's very tasty!!!

YUM!!

Spinach and Cheese Quiche

This is an interesting take on traditional quiche. It's a lightened up version that you won't feel guilty about eating, even though you won't be able to taste that it's a lightened version!!!

YUM!! This was so good that I had to fight with Rich for the left-overs and I don't like to eat left-overs!!!

1 (12 oz) can evaporated fat-free milk
1/3 c low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese (or extra-sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, aged or sharp provolone, percorino)
2 large eggs
3 egg whites
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1 pie crust, baked and cooled (I just bought the ready-made kind at the store)
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, egg whites, salt, and pepper.

Place the pie plate on a baking pan; spread the spinach over the pie crust, then pour the filling over the spinach. Bake 15 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake until the filling is set, 20 minutes longer. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

**Hint: Make sure your pie crust covers the pie otherwise, the filling will overflow under the crust and the crust will be soggy.

Makes 12 servings

Tried the fries...

We tried the "Arby's" fries and they are very tasty! Boiling them really makes them extra crispy!

To complete the meal...

CHICK-FIL-A : CHICK-N-Strips

1 boneless, skinless chx breast half (5 oz)
2 t unbleached or all purpose flour
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t paprika
1/8 t cayenne
1 egg white
3 T dry bread crumbs
1/8 t black pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder
olive oil spray
1 1/2 t fat - free milk

place chx on a cutting board. cover with a sheet of waxed paper with the smooth side of a meat mallet, point to an even 1/4 " thickness. cut diagonally into 6 equal strips (4"x3/4").

in a small re-sealable plastic bag, combine the flour, sugar, salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. shake to mix well. add the chx. shake to completely coat the chx with the flour mixture. place in the fridge for at least 10 min.

preheat the oven to 450. lightly mist a small nonstick baking sheet with oil spray. set aside.

in a small shallow bowl, combine the egg white and milk. beat with a fork until smooth. place the bread crumbs on a small sheet of waxed paper set next to the egg white mixture.

one at a time, dip the chx strips into the egg white mixture, being sure to coat completely. allow any excess egg white to drip off. dip into the bread crumbs to coat completely. place, not touching, on the reserved baking sheet.

lightly mist bohth side with oil spray.

bake 4-6 min per side, or until the breading is crisp and the chx is no longer pink inside.

Arby's Curly Fries

Another french fry recipe...

I haven't tried these yet, but I plan to!

Arby's Curly Fries

1 3/4 t salt, divided
4 russet potatoes (8 oz each; 2 lbs total), peeled
oil oil spray
2 1/2 T egg substitute
1 1/2 T unbleached or all-purpose flour
2 t paprika
1/4 t cayenne
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 t salt.

Meanwhile, with a twin curl cutter, cut 7 oz of potato curls, about 2 cups. (Cover with water and refrigerate the scraps for another recipe) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly mist a small nonstick baking sheet with oil spray. Set aside.

transfer the potato curls to the boiling water. cook for exactly 3 m but no longer or they will break. drain in a colander. set aside for about 5 m to cool.

meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the egg substitute, flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and the remaining 3/4 t salt. With a fork, mix until well blended. Add the potatoes. Toss them with your fingers until they are coated with the seasoning mixture. Transfer, allowing any excess seasoning mixture to drip off, to the reserved baking sheet. arrange the potatoes, not touching in a single layer. lightly mist with oil spray. bake for 18-24 m, turning them about halfway through, until crisp and cooked through.

"Sonic" Tater Tots

I found this "healthful" version of tater tots.. who doesn't love a good tater tot...

SONIC TATER TOTS:

olive oil spray
1 1/4 c bagged refrigerated pre-shredded potatoes
1 1/2 T egg substitute
1/2 t salt

Preheat the oven to 450. Lightly mist a large nonstick baking sheet with oil spray. Place the potatoes on a cutting board. With a knife, chop them finely. transfer to a mixing bowl. add the egg substitute and salt. stir to mix well.

using a measuring spoon, scoop out a level tablespoon of the mixture. shape into a nugget and place on the reserved baking sheet. continue until all of the mixture is scooped, shaped, and placed, not touching, in a single layer on the baking sheet. there should be about 13 nuggets.

lightly mist with oil spray. bake for about 20 m, flipping the nuggets a quarter turn every 5 m, or until crisp and lightly covered.

Indian Recipe

This recipe comes from sister Pam who says: "This is a great recipe from "quick-fix vegetarian" that satisfy any Indian craving."

potato "dosadillas"

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon minced scallions or onion
2 cups mashed potatoes*
1/2 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
1 1/2 teaspoon curry paste or powder
4 large whole wheat tortillas

Heat oil in skillet.
Add the scallions until softened. Add the potatoes, peas, and curry and cook until well mixed and hot. (If you like spicy food, add a little more curry to taste)

Divide the mixture evenly over half of each of the tortillas. Fold the tortillas over and place them, two at a time, in a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. Keep them warm while cook the remaining dosadillas. Serve them whole to be cut with a knife and fork, or cut them into wedges to eat out of hand.

**The mashed potatoes can come from a variety of sources. you can plan ahead and make extra baked or mashed potatoes for dinner the night before, putting the extra aside for this recipe.
If you don't have cooked potatoes on hand, you can quickly microwave some and then make this "mashed potatoes"

Chocolate Chip Cookies and cookie baking advice

Cookie making time is here! I have been practicing the art of cookies, and it truly is an art. I have found that the key is consistency in heating and rotation. To accomplish this, I've found that it's a one cookie sheet at a time process. If you put two cookie sheets in the same oven and they are over each other, there isn't even distribution of heat. So, one cookie sheet at a time!

The other key is rotation. If your cookie recipe says bake for 10 min, set another timer for 5 min and rotate the cookie sheet 180 degrees and you'll have a more even baking. That way, the cookies towards the back turn out as perfect and the ones in front and don't get overdone and too crunchy.

Make sure that your oven is the correct temperature (using an oven thermometer). Trusting your recipe is important. If your recipe says 10 m and your oven temp is correct, they should be done in 10 m. You'll get the intended result of the recipe if you follow the minute advice.

And finally, parchment paper. It makes clean-up easy, even cookie baking, and the bottoms are perfectly brown.

So in summary:
use a oven thermomter
rotate your cookie sheet half-way through baking
use parchment paper
only one cookie sheet at a time
trust your recipe

I am by no means a cookie baking expert. In fact, I think I have a lot to learn. So, I'm going to practice, practice, practice. These are just a few things that I've found helps me in baking!

and now for the recipe!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour and chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Countdown to Christmas!

Get Myspace Christmas Countdown



I don't think this includes today or Christmas day...

Christmas Cookie List

Well, the time is almost upon us that Christmas cookies need to be made! So here is what I am thinking. What do you think?

sugar cookies (W/SUGAR COOKIE GLAZE)
-shapes
-pecan rolled
oatmeal cookies
pb cup cookies
spritz cookies


Do you have any favorites not listed that you'd like to see??

Essential Kitchen Gadget

I've noticed that my oven has been acting up lately and I've been having problems baking. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought an Oven Thermomator. Turns out my oven temperature is off by like 25 degrees! So, my recipe for 350 degrees was upped to about 380 to get the oven to the correct the temperature and viola! no baking problems!! And, they are cheap, only $6!! Course, now I am going to clean the oven to see if that helps.. that's no fun... :(

Grecian Goodness

I tried this recipe out of my Real Simple Meals Made Easy cookbook. So yummy. I wanted to eat another, but was too full! I thought I had chicken but when I thawed it, it was pork chops! So, I substitued shrimp and it was great! I love this and will totally make it again!!! I did omit the olives b/c I don't like them, and substituted water for the lemon juice b/c I was out, and substitued white wine vinegar for the red wine, but it turned out yummy even with all the substitutions! I'll have to make it again with all the right ingredients to see how it should really taste!

YUM!


Chicken Souvlaki

4 pieces flat bread or pitas
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup crumbled Feta
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 small cucumber, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Heat oven to 200° F. Wrap the bread in foil and place in oven.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, Feta, and olives.

In a large bowl, combine the oregano, thyme, pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vinegar, and the lemon juice. Slowly add 4 tablespoons of the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until incorporated. Pour 2 1/2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the tomato mixture, toss, and set aside. Add the chicken to the remaining vinaigrette, toss, and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken but not the liquid to the skillet and heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill, and the remaining vinegar. Spread the bread with some of the yogurt sauce and top with the chicken. Add the tomato salad and fold.

Tip: Greek souvlaki traditionally calls for lamb, but you can also make it with chicken breasts, turkey cutlets, or shrimp.

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1107169

Thanksgiving Treats!

I got a new bundt type pan the other day (made by Nordic Ware and bought at Bed Bath and Beyond) and love it! It's so fun and cute! It makes 30 mini tea cakes! I used a pumpkin cake recipe and it turned out well. Next time, I think I'll go with a simple chocolate cake to really show the form of each little cake.

This is the recipe I used. It's pretty good. http://www.joyofbaking.com/PumpkinSpiceCake.html
I also have a chocolate pumpkin cake under october 2005.

So I also made some turkey sugar cookies. I finally found a sugar cookie recipe that I can work with. Usually I have a really hard time making sugar cookies and give up and just make them round, but I think this one will work!!!

SUGAR COOKIES:
Will make cut-out, slice, or spritz cookies
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 t salt
1 lg. egg
1 t vanilla
3 c flour

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar and salt until light and flyffy. Add egg and beat well to combine. Mix in vanilla. With mixer on low speed add flour and mix until incorporated.

Preheat oven to 350. Space cookies 2" apart on parchment paper line cookie sheets. Bake until just barely golden around the edges, 7-12 minutes.

Decorate and let dry at least 2 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

I found the key to these cookies is to chill the dough for AT LEAST 2 hours, I let it chill overnight. Then, only use a small portion of the dough at a time, keeping the rest in the fridge to stay firm. When I was using cookie cutters, the stiffer the dough, the easier it was to cut the shapes!!

A friend gave me this recipe and said it came from Blue Print Magazine.

I just looked it up and here is the link to the magazine:

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/essential-sugar-cookies?lnc=9bd9cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=tocblueprint_magazines_blueprint

Pomegranates!

My new favorite fruit! I started by drinking POM's tea as a "I went to the grocery treat" and then thought one day, I should try the fruit. They are soooo goood! Sadly, they are only available for a short time from November to March, I think, so try one ASAP! I can't stop eating the delicious aril's (the seeds). So you eat the red seeds and discard the white pulp part.

YUM!

For directions on how to open or recipes visit either pomwonderful.com or pomegranates.org

Angel Food Cake Topping

This is from a lady at work. It's a delicious topping for an angel food cake or really any cake!

1 can crushed pineapple; drained
1 box instant vanilla or french vanilla pudding
1 container cool whip (or alternative)

Mix above ingredients together and spread on the cake! Enjoy!

Mushroom Soup

Official Taste Tester said that this soup is good because you get a spoonful of mushrooms with every bite.

It is really good especially on a cold day. Make sure you saute your mushrooms until tender otherwise they'll be tough or chewy!

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (I used baby bellas and the white button ones)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half cream (I used half and half)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add mushrooms and saute until tender. Add mushrooms and saute until tender. Combine flour and broth until smooth; stir into the mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in the cream, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring often.

Fall Muffins

These muffins are so great! They are made of apples and bananas! A couple changes to the recipe I made was substituing applesauce (unsweetened) for the shortening and I added walnuts. I recommend baking them for 23-24 min; I found that less than that made them a lil gooey (from the bananas) in the middle.

ENJOY!!!

Apple Banana Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup shortening (I used applesauce instead)
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
2 apples - peeled, cored and shredded (to save time, chopping is also a good approach- I like the chunks of apples and walnuts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 24 muffin cups, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and buttermilk. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in the mashed bananas and shredded apples. Fill each muffin cup half full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Lori's Baked Ziti

This recipe comes from my sister, Lori, in NY! It's so easy and soooo yummy! Enjoy!!

Saute in olive oil until crisp-tender: 1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped; 3-4 full-size (or more if using baby carrots) carrots, chopped; 1 green pepper, chopped; 1 red pepper, chopped; 3-4 cloves crushed garlic and 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning ( I usually add mushrooms if I am making a vegetarian version of this). To this, add a BIG jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I usually add the tomato & basil version) and warm. I usually add A LOT of sauce b/c I find that ziti has a tendency to dry out, so don't skimp on this step!! If I was adding hamburger, I would fry it separately and add it with the sauce.

Meanwhile, cook and drain a box of Ziti and pour into a large casserole dish. Pour the sauce mixture on the ziti and mix together. Using a large bag of shredded mozarella cheese, mix it with the sauce and sprinkle the rest on top. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese to the top and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until bubbly and the cheese is melted and slightly browned (approximately 30 -45 minutes).

Beef Wellington

Perhaps one of Rich's favorite dishes.. Beef wellington is pretty good. I like steak, but this is like no steak I've had before! It's pretty easy to make.. just do the prep work ahead and it'll be smooth and yummy sailing!! I posted pictures of this the first time I made it. You can check the archives for the photo.

Beef wellington fast fact (from Wikipedia):

Beef Wellington is named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Some have suggested this was due to his love of a dish of beef, truffles, mushrooms, Madeira wine, and pâté cooked in pastry, but there is no evidence to say for sure. Other accounts simply credit the name to a patriotic chef wanting to give an English name to a variation on the French filet de boeuf en croûte during a period when England was often at odds with France.
Beef Wellington is one of a few dishes often featured on the television program Hell's Kitchen.

BEEF WELLINGTON:

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley
6 (8 ounce) fillets beef tenderloin
1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the mushrooms, onion, sherry, butter or margarine and parsley and saute until all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture resembles a paste. Cover the top of each steak with the mixture.

Partially thaw the puff pastry sheets and roll out pieces thin enough to cover the top, sides and bottom of each steak. Place the steaks on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until serving time.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Bake steaks uncovered in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. (Note: They will be rare but will continue cooking while dish is sitting)

Pecan Pie

It's anniversary time again! Our first anniversary showcased stuffed porkchops, the second we dined apart (Rich was in Iraq), so the third will feature Beef Wellington, Rosemary potatoes, spinach and PECAN PIE!! YUMMERS!


Pecan Pie
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add the milk, vanilla and nuts.

Pour into an unbaked 9-in pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until done.

Rich and Amy in Chicago!

This photo was taken in Chicago at Millenium Park's giant "kidney" sculpture.

Yummy Cheesecake!

This is a great cheesecake, it's a little time consuming, but the result is well worth it! It's something I'd only make once or twice a year b/c it's really really not at all good for you! I made it for my sister's graduation from college party!!

1 & 1/2 c walnut pieces
1 & 3/4 c sugar
4 T butter, melted
2 c sour cream
1 T vanilla extract
2 POUNDS cream cheese, softened
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
4 large eggs (room temp)
1/4 t almond extract
1/2 c heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10-inch springform pan

In a food processor, pulse the walnuts w/ 1/4c of the sugar until finely ground. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles moist sand. Press the crumbs into the bottomof the pan. Bake for 12 min, or until browned around the edges

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream w/ 1/4 c sugar and 1 t of vanilla. Place in fridge until ready to use later in recipe.

Reduce oven temp to 300. Beat the cream chz at low speed with the remaining 1 & 1/4 c sugar and the vanilla seeds until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl b/w additions. Add the remaining 2 t of vanilla and the almond extract. Slowly beat in the cream until smooth. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and bake for 65 to 70 min, until lightly golden and slightly jiggly in the center.

remove the sour cream topping from the fridge andimmediately pour it over the cheesecake and smooth the surface. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for 5 min longer. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temp. Run a sharp, thin bladed knife around the cake and remove the ring. Refrigerate the cake for 3 hours then cover loosely w/plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Makes 1 10-inch cheesecake - 12-16 servings.

Sorry!!

Well, I've been neglecting posting new and fun recipes for some reason! So, I'll post a few today to hopefully make up for that brief hiatus!

SLOPPY JOES:

3/4 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green bell pepper
3/4 pound ground beef (also works well with boca crumbles)
2 c no-salt added tomato sauce
2 T tomato paste
1 T mustard (I use less b/c I don't like mustard!)
1 t chili powder
2 t worcestershire sauce
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t dried oregano
1/8 t black pepper
12 rolls

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add first 2 ingredients; cook until beef is browned and crumbled. Stir in tomator sauce and next 8 ingredients (tom sauce through black pepper); reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 15 min, stirring occasionally. Spoon 1/4 c of sloppy joe over each bun! YUM!!!

Cal: 202
Fat 6.2
Fiber: 2.5

Recipe from Cooking Light Jan 04

Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts - 6 pts

This recipe is from my sister, and is a great and satisfying dinner! It's a little spicy (though not much by my standards) but if you want to kick it up, just add more chili-garlic sauce! Yum!

Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts

1 lbs skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2tbsp cornstarch
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2tbsp sugar
2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 med. carrots, thinly sliced on a diagonal
1/4 cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts

1. Combine the chicken, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, and 1 tbsp of the cornstarch in a med bowl, toss well to coat and set aside. Combine the remaining 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp cornstarch, the broth, vinegar, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat a nonstick wok or a large, deep skillet over med-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in the oil, and then add the chicken. Stir-fry until almost cooked through, 2-3 mins. Add the ginger and garlic; stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 secs. Add the bell pepper, carrots and peanuts. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 mins. add the hoisin sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, and the chicken is cooked through, about 1 min.

per serving (1 cup)
302 cal
11 g fat
3 fiber
6 points
4 servings
(a little spicy!!!)

Stroganoff - 4 points

MMM!! One of my favorite meals on a cold day. It really warms you up with some creamy comfort food! Add a great side salad and you've got a complete meal. Next time I make this, I'll omit the mustard.. I don't like mustard but threw it in to try the first time.

Hamburger Stroganoff:

9 oz extra lean ground beef
1 c chopped onion
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 & 1/4 t dried thyme leaves
2 c reduced sodium beef broth
1 sweet red pepper
1 t dijon mustard **** IF YOU DON"T LIKE MUSTARD: either omit or only put in 1/8 t
2 t prepared horseradish
1/4 t pepper1/4 salt
1 c nonfat sour cream
3 c hot cooked rice

Coat a large frying pan w/ no-stick spray. Crumble the beef into pan. Cook over medium high heat, breaking up the meat w/ a wooden spoon, fro 5 min or until lightly browned.

Line a platter w/ paper towels. Transfer the beef to the platter and drain well.

Wipe out the pan w/ a paper towel. Add the onions, mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, for 5 min, or until the onions soften.

Add the broth, red peppers, mustard, horseradish, pepper, and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 min or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Reduce the heat and add the sour cream & beef. Heat for 2 min. Serve over rice.

WW Points: 4 pts

Makes 4 servings: approx 1 c rice each & 1 c stroganoff

Weight Watchers

Well, like so many others I have made some New Year Resolutions, one of which is to lose weight! I find this a stressful venture for many reasons, one of which is that I love to cook and when you are trying to lose weight, cooking can be a source of the added padding. Welll, I joined weight watchers with my sisters and mom and am happy to report that it's working! AND! I haven't had to sacrifice cooking! In fact, it's pretty much the same, only serious portion control and of course, point counting!

So, from now on (other than a few occasional slips) I will post healthful recipes with point values for all you who may need such information. Good luck and happy cooking!

Great Idea!

Kudos to the minds over at Glad. They've come up with a great idea for affordable, easy to use bakeware that you aren't afraid you'll never see again when you go to a potluck or a food day! I used this with the breakfast casserole (recipe below) and I am so impressed. I was honestly worried b/c it is plastic, but it didn't melt and held up perfectly in my 400 degree oven! So, I highly recommend this product to anyone who may be in the market!!!

Easy (and Yummy) Breakfast Casserole

This is such an easy recipe to make. I often make it for work and it's so easy to put together the morning of, or prepare and bake the night before and simply reheat. Either way, it's delicious! I believe I'll be serving this for my Christmas morning brunch! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 packages (12 oz each) bulk pork sausage
1 medium bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1 cup Bisquick (or store brand baking mix) mix
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 eggs

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease rectangular baking dish. Cook sausage, bell pepper and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir together sausage mixture, potatoes and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese in baking dish.
2. Stir Bisquick mix, milk, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour into baking dish.
3. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or just until cheese is melted

Best Oatmeal Cookies

I think oatmeal are by far my favorite cookies (well, right behind pumpkin walnut). This recipe is fantastic. I can't stop eating them! This is another refrigerate overnight recipe, so plan ahead! It's great b/c by chilling overnight, it allows the oats to soaks up the delicious flavors of the other ingredients. Make sure you cook directly on the pan, not on parchment paper, though it is tempting b/c of the easy cleanup!

Ingredients:
1 c plus 2 T all-purpose flour
2c rolled oats
1 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
16 T butter
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t salt (omit if you are using salted butter)
2 lg eggs
1 c chopped walnuts
1 c raisins

Directions:

Mix the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Set aside.

Cut the butter into chunks and melt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the flour mixture just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the walnuts and raisins. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 Degrees. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

For large cookies: scoop about 2 level tablespoons of dough and place the cookies about 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

For small cookies: scoop 1 level tablespoon of dough.

Bake for 15-17 min for large cookies or 13-15 min for small cookies, or until the cookies are deep golden brown. Rotate sheets from top to bottom and front to back (it really makes a difference) about halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Use a metal pancake turner to transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely before storing or stacking.

Can be store in an air tight container for several days.

Cookie Menu

Being the dork that I am, I also made a Cookie Menu. I took a picture of each cookie I made and made a menu out of them. Inspired by the food network and the guide in the box of chocolates, I created this little gem. Plus I also included a personal note to each of the people I gave cookies to.

This picture of the Cookie Menu took me a while to do. It's not great, but you get the idea!

Christmas Cookies!

Well, I went a little nuts. I got a KitchenAid Stand Mixer, and I went a little nuts. I made so many cookies. I don't know if I can ever look at another cookie, let alone bake one. But, I have to say that I love the stand mixer. It is one of the best things I've ever bought. I made some Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies with the mixer and they were pretty tasty. Usually, I don't like sugar cookies and I have discovered I dislike making them into shapes (circles I can handle) but I enjoyed this recipe and I especially enjoyed the glossy sheen the icing gave to the cookies. It looked almost professional! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Just remember to start early, the dough has to chill for 8 hrs before you can work with it!

Merry Christmas.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour until well blended. Chill the dough for 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness, refrigerating remaining dough until ready to use. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain for frosting, or brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or colored sugar.
4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.


Yummy Icing:


INGREDIENTS
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
assorted food coloring
DIRECTIONS
-In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
-Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush (or, I just used the back of a spoon.


A great cookie resource for all your holiday (and otherwise baking) is Allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Roll

I made a rolled cake for the first time for a food day at work. I never made one b/c I thought they were super hard to make.. a rolled cake? That is against nature! But, much to my shock, it was incredibly easy, and of course delicious! I didn't have a "jelly roll pan" so I just used a cookie sheet and that worked just fine. Just remember to refrigerate and don't let the cream cheese get to soft before you cream it with the butter!

Get that spatula dirty!!

Pumpkin Roll:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

To make Pumpkin Pie Spice (makes 1 teaspoon):
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger, ground
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground


Preheat oven to 375 F . Grease and flour a 9x13 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in pumpkin puree, eggs, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread the mixture evenly.

Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.

Lay a damp linen towel on the counter, sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar, and turn the cake onto the towel. Carefully roll the towel up (lengthwise) with the cake in it. Place the cake-in-towel on a cooling rack and let it cool for 20 minutes.
Make the icing: In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
When the cake has cooled 20 minutes, unroll it spread icing onto it. Immediately re-roll (not in the towel this time), and wrap it with plastic wrap. Keep the cake refrigerated or freeze it for up to 2 weeks in aluminum foil. Cut the cake in slices just before serving.

The Best Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls Ever!

I actually made these for Thanksgiving last year, but never posted the recipe. So, in time for Thanksgiving this year.. the recipe!

** Get started early on this recipe b/c it has to rise for a while all-total about 2 hrs and 15 m for the rising only.

If you want, you can make them up to a week ahead of time storing the baked rolls in a Ziploc plastic bag and freezing them. Defrost the rolls for 1 hour at room temperature before reheating. To reheat, wrap the rolls in aluminum foil, 6 rolls to a package. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until heated through 10-15 min.

1 - 1/4 oz package active dry yeast
1 & 1/2 c buttermilk
6 T unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for brushing the rolls
2 lg eggs
2 T sugar
5 c bread or unbleached flour
3/4 t baking soda
1 & 1/2 t salt
Approx. 2 & 1/2 t poppy seeds for sprinkling

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup warm (100 - 110 F) water and let stand until creamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve the yeast.

In a medium saucepan, heat the buttermilk, stirring constantly, just until warm (100-110F). or, place the buttermilk in a 1-quart glass measuring cup and microwave on high for 1 minute, or until warm. Transfer the buttermilk to a 1-quart measuring cup, if necessary, and stir in the dissolved yeast mixture, the melted butter, eggs, and sugar.

Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the liquid ingredients and mix to form shaggy dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.

Place the dough in a large buttered bowl. Turn the dough to coat with the butter, and turn the dough smooth side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume (if you poke the dough with your finger, an impression will remain) about 1 & 1/4 hours.

Lightly butter 2 9-in round cake pans. Punch down the dough and knead briefly on an unfloured work surface. Cut the dough into 18 equal pieces. (Easiest way: cut the dough into thirds, then cut each third in half and each half into 3 pieces) Place a piece of dough on the work surface. Using the sides of your hands, tuck the dough underneath itself, turning the dough as you tuck, stretching the top surface, and eventually forming a taunt ball. Repeat with the remaining dough, transferring the rolls to the prepared pans as you form them, allowing nine balls per pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F

Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm.

Sweet Potato Casserole

As I am sure I have stated many times, I love fall! One veggie in particular I really love (any time of the year) is the sweet potato. They are heart healty and of course deliciously sweet! This recipe is Weight Watchers and was so yummy I felt like I had dessert!

My stand-in taste-tester (Dad) had this to say:

"Rachael Ray would have been envious"

Makes 4 Servings

2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 t finely chopped crystallized ginger (I just used regular ground ginger)
1/2 t salt
1/4 c thawed frozed apple juice concentrate
2 T packed brown sugar
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t ground cloves
2 t margarine, diced

Preheat oven to 375 F; spray 8" square baking dish w/ non-stick cookig spray. Arrange half of the apples in the baking dish; top w/half of the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle w/ half the ginger and half the salt. Repeat the layers.

In a small bowl, combine the juice concentrate, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves and 1/4 c wter. Pour over the potatoes. Cover with foil and bake 45 min; dot w/margarine. Bake, uncovered until tender, bubbling and lightly browned, about 15 min longer

Cal: 220/serving
Fat: 2 g

Butternut Squash Soup and "Sammies"

Well, the recipe for the Butternut squash soup is below, under "First Day of Autumn". I made it tonite and to accompany the soup, I made Rachael Ray's Deviled Ham Sammies or Mug Toppers. Pics of both are above.

I love the soup! So flavorful and low in calories and fat. I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and fat free no/low sodium chickn broth. Plus, you have to love the golden color! It's beautiful!

The Sammies were good, but next time I make them I will only put in maybe 1 & 1/2 T mustard and 1/2 T paprika. It was a little intense. The butcher didn't have white cheddar so I went with the regular kind!

A great "getting cold" treat! YUM!

2 sandwich size English muffins, split
3/4 pound boiled deli ham, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3 to 4 tablespoons yellow mustard, squirt top bottle -- eyeball it
A handful parsley, curly or flat
8 deli slices, about 8 to 10 ounces, white sharp Cheddar

Heat toaster oven or broiler then toast split English muffins. While muffins toast, grind ham with paprika, hot sauce, mustard, and parsley in a food processor. Spread ham on toasted muffins. Top each muffin half with 2 slices Cheddar and melt cheese in toaster oven or under broiler.

Polish Pierogi

As part of my dad's birthday, we made a favorite of his, Pierogi. Though my dad's family is Polish, I have never made Pierogi. In fact, I didn't even know if I like it until I made it last night! It was pretty easy to make (once I got the dough right) and was delicious. You can have all types of fillings though cheese and potato is what I used.

The good thing about pierogi is that you boil it in water, so you don't add a lot of oil/grease to recipe. I did throw them in a skillet with some sauted onions and sourkraut just to brown them up and give them a beautiful golden color.

I love this recipe and know that anyone can make it, it is really easy and homeade, which makes it even better!

Dough:
1 c flour
1 egg
1/4 c water (or more I used 1/4c then an additional 1/8c)

Filling:
3 medium potatoes
1/2 c cheddar chz
salt & pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until soft, drain water from pan. Mash potatoes and add cheese and salt & pepper. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, place the flour and egg. Add 1/4 cup of water and stir all ingredients with a fork. The dough should be the consistency of pizza dough. Add more water (if necessary) until this consistency is attained.

Assemble the pierogies:
On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of dough to 1/8th of an inch thickness, making sure that there are no holes.
Cut dough into 3 inch squares and place approximately 1-2 Tablespoons of the filling mixture slightly off center.
Flip half of the dough over filling creating a triangle. Crimp all edges securely.
This is the important part. If you do not crimp the edges securely, they will break apart when boiled.

Gently submerge them into a large pot of boiling water. They will sink to the bottom. Once they rise to the surface of the water, they are done. Takes about 3-5 minutes.

Sauté some chopped or sliced onions in butter. When onions are soft and lightly browned, add the pierogies, stir and serve.

Serve pierogi with sourkraut and onion! Yum!

Breakfast!

I love breakfast, it is by far my favorite meal of the day. I even like to eat it as dinner! Fall is upon us and since pumpkins are in season, the more I can cook with pumpkin, the happier I am! So, on the menu: Pumpkin Pancakes, Breakfast Potatoes and Sausage (just plain ole patties, nothing special)!

This recipe came from who else other than Martha Stewart (October 2004)
Pumpkin Pancakes:

1 & 1/4 c flour
2 T Sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
pinch of cloves

Wisk above ingredients together

In a separate bowl, stir together:

1 c milk
6 T canned pumpkin puree
2 T melted butter
1 egg

Fold mixture into dry into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet (or use a griddle) over medium heat; pour in 1/4 c batter for each panake. Cook pancake about 3 minutes per side. Serve w/ butter and syrup.


Breakfast Potatoes:

3-4 potatoes (you could use "regular" or red)
1 onion
Cajun Seasoning (or another all-purpose seasoning)
Olive oil

-Microwave potatoes about 8 minutes until a fork pierces through potato. Cut into cubes.
-Chop onion.

Heat a skillet with olive oil (ok, a total Rachael Ray comment here) I just did a couple swirls around the skillet and added more as needed throughout cooking. Add onion to warmed skillet/oil. Saute onions for about 2 mintues. Add potatoes and cajun seasoning, I just did about 2 tsp or a little less of the seasoning. Season to your liking! Saute potatoes & onion together until potatoes are a nice brown color it takes about 8-10 minutes. Make sure you watch them so they don't burn. I added a little more oil about half way through so they would brown better. Serve immediately (they can lose heat fast)!

Sausage:

Not much explanation needed here. Buy sausage, either already in patty form, or form into patties. Cook until finished. I like to use the George Foreman to get rid of a lot of grease!

Enjoy this hearty, comfort food breakfast!