Chef Michele's Adventures

A New Blog

2008-08-08T21:46:00.001-07:00

For some time now I have been feeling led to start a new blog. Not "another blog" per say, but something new, different and one that I would dedicate myself to exclusively. Although I have a passion for blogging and have 4 blogs at this time, my time is no longer allowing me to maintain them all. God really has been leading me to start an "all-in-one" sort of blog relating to my life as a Christian wife, mom, homeschool teacher and all the other things that go on in our home. So, from now on if you would like to visit with me, please stop by my new Blog Ripening On The Vine. It is a work in progress, so please stop by often! That is the only place I will be blogging now. I'll be covering lots of different topics and there will surely be a new recipe now and then as well. Feel free to stay here a while too if you would like, I have plenty of recipes, tips and ideas in the archives that you will enjoy! Thanks for stopping by, and to my long time readers, I hope you will join me on my new blogging adventure!

Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis

2008-03-19T15:09:00.002-07:00

I'll be quite honest, before searching the web for a breakfast bar recipe yesterday I had never heard of a Clafoutis. But after trying it this morning, I can see why such a simple sounding preparation would have such a fancy sounding name. It was absolutely delicious! We ate ours drizzled with pure maple syrup but I think yogurt and honey would be a great topping as well... maybe some fresh sliced strawberries and fresh whipped cream... or even a nice thin layer of peanut butter. However you choose to top it, this is a must try recipe!

Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis

an original Quaker Oatmeal Recipe found on Chocolate and Zucchini and modified by me :0)

2-1/4 c. old fashioned oats, uncooked
1/3 c. brown sugar
2/4 C raisins
1/4 c. dried figs, coarsely chopped
1 apple, peeled and sliced
1/3 c. chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground mace
1/2 tsp salt
3-1/3 c. milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Serves 8

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, raisins, figs, chopped nuts, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add this to the dry ingredients, and mix until well blended.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish, and use a wooden spoon to make sure the solids are more or less evenly spread out. Arrange the apple slices over the surface. They will sink somewhat but that's okay, they'll float right back up when the oatmeal cooks.

Put in the oven to bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the center is set and firm to the touch. Let cool slightly : it should be eaten a bit warm but not scalding hot.

Cut in 8 servings, and serve with yogurt and fruit if desired ; it is also nice with a thin spread of jam or peanut butter. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly covered, or wrap each serving individually and put in the freezer. You can then take a serving out the night before and leave it to thaw until the morning, when a 30-second stay in the microwave will bring it to the perfect temperature.

Peanut Butterscotch Chews

2008-02-27T15:07:00.005-07:00

I finally got a chance to break in my new copy of the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Cookbook today. It took me quite a while to decide which recipe to try first. They all sound so great but a lot of them call for flours I don't keep on hand such as spelt, oat or barley flour. So, while I take my time stocking up on new ingredients I decided to try a recipe that would use things I have on hand. I adapted t his recipe by adding the butterscotch chips but feel free to leave them out. Or substitute chocolate chips. Either way, these are amazing! They are dense yet moist, rich, chewy and oh so peanutty good! I would highly suggest baking two batches because I can tell that they are not going to last long around here!

Peanut Butterscotch Chews

(adapted from King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Cookbook)

1 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar (I used organic evaporated cane juice sugar)
1 large egg
1/4 c. water
2 Tbsp. dark corn syrup or honey (I used raw honey)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, finely ground in the food processor (I used nuts from a small can of "nut topping" meant to top ice cream which I processed in my mini food chopper)
1/2 pkg. (about 6 oz.) butterscotch chips

Cream together first 8 ingredients. If you have a stand mixer, use that because this batter is quite heavy. Add flour and nuts until well combined. Gently mix in chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Press with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes on baking sheets then transfer with a spatula to wire racks to continue cooling. Makes about 28 cookies.

New Cookbooks!

2008-01-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I have been adding slowly to my cookbook collection. I recently purchased Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook after borrowing it from our church library and falling in love with it. I used to always use the "Fix It And Forget It" books quite a bit when I was seeking a great slow cooker recipe but this is now my "go-to" book for all things crock pot. This book is great because it uses a lot of really nutritious ingredients and there are not a lot of processed foods used. I also bought the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Cookbook. This one is awesome if you are trying to incorporate more whole grains into your diet. There are plenty of recipes for things you would normally make like pancakes, oatmeal, breads and pizza crust. The only difference is these recipes use whole grains and they taste great! You can check all the new additions to my collection over on the right sidebar ... just scroll down a bit to see them all.

Chicken With Tomato Rice Pilaf

2008-01-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

I recently got a few new cookbooks that contain some really amazing recipes. I'm hoping to try several over the next few weeks and will post the recipes here.

Tonight I made a dish called Chicken With Tomato Rice Pilaf from Claudia Roden's Arabesque. This cookbook contains recipes from Morocco, Lebanon and Turkey. There are many beautiful photographs throughout the book as well. It would make a beautiful coffee table book because the cover is so pretty. I really enjoyed reading this book because not only is it a cook book, it also contains a wealth of information about the countries from which the recipes hail. This is the first recipe I have tried from this book and it is wonderful! We had it with buttered peas, homemade pitas and hummus.

Chicken With Tomato Rice Pilaf
(Adapted from Arabesque by Cladia Roden)

(for the rice)
1 1/2 c. long grain rice
1 (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 tsp. chicken bullion powder
2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper
1/2 stick butter, diced

(for the chicken)
4 boneless, skinless chicken pieces
1 Tbsp. light olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper
dried parsley

Start by making the rice. Blend tomatoes in blender then add enough water to make 2 2/3 cups. Pour the tomato puree into a pot along with the bullion, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes or until rice is fluffy. Add more water if needed towards the end of cooking and simmer a few more minutes. Stir in butter and set aside. For the chicken, cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat oil and butter in a skillet then add chicken and cook 6 - 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn pieces over once during cooking. Serve chicken over the rice sprinkled with parsley.

Creamy Potato Corn Chowder and Spicy Cheddar Muffins

2008-01-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

Winter is always the time that I begin to crave nice warm bowls of soup. Thick, creamy soups are always a favorite around here. My girls have been sick with colds and my oldest requested chowder yesterday. This recipe really hit the spot for her and helped her sore throat feel much better! This is the recipe I came up with based on several I found on-line and from friends. It came out wonderful and will certainly be a staple for us. To go along with them I made Spicy Cheddar Muffins which were form a recipe I found at King Arthur Flour. I did cut down the cayenne quite, cut the pepper in half and added a little Smoked Paprika for extra flavor. They were wonderful!

Creamy Potato and Corn Chowder

2 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 bag frozen corn
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 Qt. chicken broth
4 Tbsp. butter, divided
1/2 c. whole milk
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 block cream cheese
Season salt and pepper to taste
bacon bits and sliced scallions for serving

In a large stock pot, melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter. Add onions and celery and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until veggies are soft. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Mash a few of the potatoes right in the pot to release the starch as a thickener. Stir the corn starch into the milk then slowly pour into the pot while stirring. Stir in cheddar cheese until it melts. Cut cream cheese in small pieces ans stir in until it melts. Stir in dill. Season with seasoned salt and pepper to your taste. Finish bu stirring in the last two Tbsp. of butter until melted. Serve garnished with bacon bits and sliced scallions.

Spicy Cheddar Muffins
(from King Arthur Flour)

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) extra-sharp grated cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter
1 cup (8 ounces) milk
1 large egg

*To add fiber to your diet in delicious fashion, substitute 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour + 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) King Arthur All Natural White Whole Wheat Flour (or 100% Organic White Whole Wheat Flour All-Purpose Flour) for the 2 cups all-purpose flour.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan, or grease muffin papers and place them in the wells.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, peppers, and 1 cup of the grated cheese. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat together the butter and milk, stirring until the butter melts. Cool to comfortably warm (e.g., it doesn’t burn your finger when you test it), whisk in the egg, and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir just till everything is thoroughly moistened. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them nearly full. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese, then very lightly with paprika, if desired, for added color.

Bake the muffins for 16 to 18 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Remove them from the oven, cool them in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy warm; or transfer from the pan to a rack to cool completely. Store muffins wrapped, at room temperature. They’re best enjoyed warm, so when you’re ready to serve, reheat briefly in the microwave (15 seconds or less), or in a preheated 350°F oven, lightly wrapped in foil, for about 10 minutes.
Yield: 12 muffins.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2007-12-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine how surprised I was last week when the UPS man came to my door to deliver this beautiful Kitchenaid Mixer?

VERY surprised to say the least! My amazingly sweet husband ordered this for me for Christmas. It is such a wonderful machine! I had the chance to use is for the first time yesterday and so far I have made pie crusts, corn bread and THE best buttermilk pancakes, all with terrific results! Not to mention I was able to make double batches of all of these without worrying about overfilling the bowl!

This mixer is a Kitchenaid Professional 5 Plus. If you are considering buying one I would highly suggest this model. It has a 5 quart bowl which can mix up to 12 cups of flour (yes, you read that right, TWELVE cups!) The motor is 450 watts and it comes with the spiral dough hook as opposed to the 'C' hook that most of the Kitchenaids come with. The spiral hook is much better at mixing large quantities of heavy dough such as bread dough.

Here's the recipe for the buttermilk pancakes, they are SO GOOD! I made a double batch so we now have breakfast in that freezer that will last a couple of weeks :0)

Buttermilk Pancakes

(adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

3 c. all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
3 c. buttermilk
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add buttermilk and eggs. Mix well. Slowly add butter and blend in well. Stir in vanilla. Heat griddle or skillet to medium-high and pour pancakes by the 1/3 cup full. Allow to cook until bubbles form and edges look dry. Flip then cook until the center springs back when pressed down. Serve hot with your favorite pancake toppings. Makes about 18 pancakes.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Since I probably won't get a chance to be on-line over the next several days, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry and Blessed Christmas. We are busy getting ready here and don't have any new recipes to share this year. I am using many of my favorite tried and true Christmas favorites. I do have a new recipe I will be sharing soon after Christmas so stay tuned for that. While I was looking up some of my favorite blogs today I found a fun Christmas Meme over at Chef Paz's blog so thought I would post that today. If you would like, post your own answers on your blog and tag some of you blogging friends. Have a safe holiday and let's not forget the reason for Christmas!

1. Wrapping or gift bags? Wrapping paper! It's more fun to open!

2. Real or artificial tree? I prefer real for the wonderful smeel but we usually have artificial.

3. When do you put up the tree? It all depends. This year we still haven't put up the tree yet!

4. When do you take the tree down? By the end of January usually.

5. Do you like eggnog? Love it!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Pretty baby dolls with lots of clothes to change them into.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, that is our main Christmas decor.

8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think kof one, I always appreciate gifts!

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Postal mail.

10. Favorite Christmas movie? The Charlie Brown Christmas Special (Does that count as a movie?)

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually in December.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies!

13. Clear lights or colored? Colored, and lots of them!

14. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night.

15. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? STAY HOME!

16. Can you name all of Santas reindeer? Dancer, Prancer.... Rudolph.... uh... I know there are more but don't know their names!

17. Angel or star on the top of your tree? I'd prefer and angel but right now we have a star.

18. Open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Depends on the year, hubby often works on Christmas.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People who forget Christmas is about Jesus, not Santa and gifts and spending lots of money.

20. What do you leave for Santa? Nothing. We celebrate Jesus not Santa.

21. Least favorite holiday song? Can't think of one.

22. Specific theme or color? Celebrate Jesus! That is always our theme.

23. Favorite ornament? A pretty colorful silk fish my mom bought in California when I was a child, it is so pretty!

Meme Monday

2007-12-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't participated in a meme in a while and I have been tagged a couple times the past week so here are the answers. Thanks for the tags! I love memes, they are a lot of fun!

Mothering From Day To Day tagged me first so here goes...

1. I have been married for 8.5 years.

2. I have an college degree in General Studies.

3. I have no pets!

4. I love to read!

5. I am addicted to cooking and quilting.

6. My favorite dessert is anything with chocolate.

7. I rarely go on summer vacation but I can't wait to take my kids to Disneyland!

The second meme tag comes from Moomettesgram's Musings.

Here are my answers...

1. My favorite foods are anything ethnic. I love bold flavors and brightly colored foods that are fun!

2. The things I miss most are having time ALONE with my dear hubby (as in before our lovely babies were born) and having more spare time to quilt (also B.K. (before kids)). I love my kids but time is something I often long for :)

3. Some places I have never been to are Europe, Africa and Australia. I would love to visit them all some day.

4. Some favorite places I have been to are Cancun Mexico, Canada, California and Vermont.

5. My unluckiest moments... I long believe in luck, but one of my saddest moments was when I moved away from home when I got married because I am very close to my family and I really missed them.

6. My luckiest moments... Well, again, I don't believe in "luck" so I will tell you my most blessed moments. Meeting my husband, the birth of each of my children and the most blessed moment of all was when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.

7. Now that I'm older... I am MUCH wiser than in my younger days and I praise God daily for blessing me with His grace!

I don't have any particular person in mind to tag, so if you are reading this consider yourself tagged! Post your replies on your blog and link back to me then leave a comment and let me know that you answered the questions. Tag as many of your blogging pals as your like and let's keep the meme moving! :)

King Ranch Casserole

2007-11-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have posted a new recipe. We've all been sick here over the past couple of months so our Thanksgiving was a quiet and simple one. Praise God we are doing fine now!

As most people do, I tire quickly of turkey after Thanksgiving. So, I recently brought out some of my favorite cookbooks to find some nice warming family meals that do not involve turkey. I found this one in The Joy of Cooking. I have yet to be let down by one of their recipes and this is no exception. Reminiscent of chicken enchiladas, this casserole is warm, soothing and was a quick hit with my whole family.

King Ranch Casserole
(adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

12 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
4 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 large onion, chopped
12 slices American cheese, sliced diagonally in half
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 c. chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can green chilies, drained

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 in. dish with cooking spray. In a bowl, mix together soups, broth, tomatoes and chilies. Layer in the pan as follows: 1/2 tortillas, 1/2 chicken, 1/2 onion, 1/2 cheese, 1/2 soup mixture. Repeat layers. Bake for 50 minutes or until well browned.

Great Frugal Living Site!

2007-10-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

I just found out about a website called Money Saving Mom. Not only are there ideas for saving money on food but many, many other things as well. I'm adding this blog to my Frugal Living Sites page. Check it out!

Banana Bread

2007-10-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

I have always loved banana bread. However I find it very hard to find a banana bread that I like. Moist loaves seem to be too dry, to "burnt" tasting, too browned on the outside, to bland, too sweet or just lacking in banana flavor. I have tried several recipes over the years. I do enjoy my recipe for Easy Banana Bread when time is short, but this recipe here is my absolute favorite. It is so moist, flavorful and so pretty too. The flavor and color of the bananas really shine through. I adapted this from The Joy Of Cooking.

Banana Bread

Makes 1 Loaf

3/4 stick (6 Tbsp.) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/4 c. plain or vanilla yogurt
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

In a large bowl, combine butter, eggs, banana, yogurt and sugar. Mix well. In a small bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined well. Spoon into a well greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan about 20 minutes before removing. Cool completely then slice.

Chicken Curry

2007-10-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

I made the most amazing Chicken Curry tonight. The recipe is on my Crock Pot Blog. Check it out if you get a chance, it was really good!

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

2007-10-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

While blog hopping last night, I read on my buddy Paz's blog that today is World Bread Day. I had no idea such a day existed! :0) I decided right away that I must try a new bread recipe in honor of this special day ;0). This is one I have been wanting to try for some time now. I found the original recipe in Southern Living Magazine and modified it to fit what I had on hand and to work with a bread machine. These turned out fabulous!

Oatmeal Dinner Rolls

2 c. water
2 c. quick cooking oats
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. bread flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. quick rise yeast

Combine all ingredients in your bread maker in the order suggested in the manual. Select the DOUGH cycle. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Put into two greased 9-inch round cake pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes or into double in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Albondigas

2007-10-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite soup recipes comes from my mom. This is a traditional Mexican recipe and found in many Mexican restaurants. When the weather starts to cool off I can't wait to make this satisfying soup for my own family. It is great served with warm tortillas or homemade bread.

Albondigas

For the Broth...

3 qt. water
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. dried oregano (crush in the palms of your hands to maximize flavor)

For the meatballs...

2 lbs. ground beef (use fresh beef, defrosted beef will make the meatballs look uncooked inside)
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt (or more to your taste)
1/2 tsp. pepper (or more to your taste)
4 Tbsp. masa harina (corn masa flour, found in the Mexican food isle - if you can't find this, use regular flour, do not use corn meal!)
3 fresh mint leaves, minced or 2 Tbsp. dried crushed mint
1/2 c. uncooked long grain white rice

In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil. Chop cilantro, onion and tomato. Mix together along with oregano. Add to water. Mix ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic, eggs, mint and masa harina. Make into meatballs the size of walnuts. Add to broth, reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes, skimming scum as needed. Serve with warm tortillas or fresh bread. We like to top ours with cheese and a dollop of sour cream or a spoonful of salsa. Corn chips would be great with this as well!

Fruit Pizza

2007-09-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here is another recipe shared with my by my dear friend at church. We LOVE this dessert! You can decorate with any fresh fruit you would like. I used a 9 x 13 inch pan here but my friend uses a Pampered Chef bar pan and it makes a bit larger pizza with a thinner "crust". Either way, it is yummy!

Fruit Pizza

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons fruit juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan. Bake in pre-heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and fruit juice until light. Spread on cooled crust. Arrange desired fruit on top of filling, and chill.

Baked Oatmeal

2007-08-29T17:24:00.001-07:00

I want to start off by saying that I have been wanting to post this recipe for a few days now but I can't seem to get a picture since my children devour it so fast both times I have made it! So, even without a photo, I hope everyone will want to try this, it is really good! I first tried this type of oatmeal after our youngest daughter was born earlier this year. A dear friend from church gave us this as part of a "welcome baby meal". I promptly began searching my cookbooks for a recipe then never got around to trying it until last week. Since then I have it twice. I got this particular recipe from the Fix It And Enjoy It cookbook which has many great recipes. Slightly modified to suite what I had on hand.

Oh, and I also updated the Soft Fluffy White Bread recipe. I forgot to include yeast when I first typed it up! You'll have to forgive my "mama brain", we are quite busy around here these days :0)

Here's the oatmeal recipe.....

Baked Oatmeal

1/4 c. light olive oil (vegetable oil or canola oil works too)
1/2 stick butter, cut in small pieces
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
3 c. old fashioned rolled oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
chopped nuts, raisins, chopped apples or other dried/diced fruit (optional)

Combine all ingredients and spread into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with milk, hot or cold. Makes enough to feed three hungry children and one hungry mom on a busy school morning :0)

(Note: I mix this up at night, put it in a bowl in the fridge and put it in the pan and bake it in the morning, works great!)

Speaking of Bread

2007-08-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

I just found this awesome new blog just about bread. I can't wait to gain a bit more time so I can thouroughly check it out.

A Year In Bread

Soft Fluffy White Bread

2007-08-09T17:20:00.002-07:00

** See Updated Below Recipe!**

I have been looking for a good recipe for white bread since I got my bread machine back around Christmas time. All the recipes I have found are tasty but don't have that store bought fluffiness that my husband loves. Although I know white bread is not really healthy, my hubby loves it so I have been on a quest to find the perfect recipe. After much trial and error I have finally succeeded. This bread is nice and soft and so much better than store bought. I usually make a second batch of dough while the first is rising so we have enough for about 2 days.

Soft Fluffy White Bread

1 2/3 c. water
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. light olive oil (NOT extra virgin, it is too strong of a flavor for this bread)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. bread flour (don't try to use all-purpose, it won't work... not enough protein in the flour)
1 heaping Tablespoon Vital Wheat Gluten (I buy this at Wal Mart right near the yeast and flour)
2 tsp. quick rise yeast

Put the ingredients into your bread maker in the order suggested in the manual. Select the DOUGH cycle. When the dough is done, punch it down, divide it in half, form it into loaves and put it into buttered loaf pans. Cover it and let it rise about 45 - 60 minutes. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread for 45 minutes. Remove loaves from oven and cover with a kitchen towel for about 10 minutes or until you can easily shake the loaves out of the pans onto a cooling rack. When bread is cool enough to handle, put into plastic bags and tie shut, or you can slice the bread with an electric carving knife at this point and then put it in bags.

* NOTE: For added nutrition, you can substitute 1 c. of whole wheat flour for one cup of the white flour. You will still get a nice soft loaf, but it will not be completely white.

** Update**

Some people seem to have had problems with this recipe. I'm not sure why because it always works great for me. However, to offer all of you readers an alternative recipe. If you purchase a bag of Bob's Red Mill Brand All Purpose Flour there is a GREAT recipe on there for white bread that is just as soft and fluffy as this one, maybe more! I use it all the time and love it. Just a note, it is intended for a bread machine. However, I make it in my Kitchen Aid mixer and use 1 pkg. of yeast per loaf. Works GREAT! I make 4 loaves at time with no problems. Happy Bread Baking!

Safeway.com Coupon Codes

2007-07-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

Safeway.com has come great coupon codes this week. You can find the link to their site on my right sidebar. We love ordering from Safeway, especially in the summer when it is HOT! :0) At check out you will be prompted for the codes, just type them in. Happy Shopping!

EASY7 - Free delivery on your FIRST order of $50 or more
SHELF - FREE delivery on your order of $150 or more (good until 7-17-07)
FREE - buy two Nabisco products and receive a free pack of Capri Sun drink pouches.
SNACKS - buy 4 Nabisco snacks and save $4
SOFT - save $1 on the purchase of 2 Angel Soft bath tissue products
NAPKIN - Save $1 on Vanity Fair napkins
TOWELS - Save $2 on Brawney paper towels
NORTHERN - Save $2 on the purchase of 2 Northern bath tissue products
PANINI - Buy one get one FREE on Stouffers and Lean Cuisine Paninis

Mexican Lasagna

2007-07-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to create a Mexican themed lasagna for some time now. I love any kind of lasagna and of course Mexican food is a favorite around our house too. I apologize for the lack of a photograph, I just realized that my digital camera needs new batteries. Here is the recipe.

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 package taco seasoning (or use a combination of salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, cumin and chili powder to your taste)
1/2 c. water
4 cups refried beans (I used homemade but you can use canned, just make sure to heat them up with a little milk mixed in to loosen them up)
1 bottle taco sauce (or you could use salsa)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
9 no-boil lasagna noodles

Brown ground beef with taco seasoning and water. Mix taco sauce, tomato sauce and tomatoes in a bowl. In a 9 x 13 pan, spread a little of the taco sauce mixture. Next add 3 lasagna noodles, then 1/3 of the refried beans, 1/3 of the meat and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers starting with the taco sauce mixture and ending with the cheese until all the ingredients are used. Cover dish with a double layer of foil. Bake at 425. for 1 hour. I always set a cookie sheet on the bottom oven rack in case of any drips. Serve with diced scallions, chopped cilantro and sour cream.

Coconut and Lime

2007-06-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! One of my favorite blogs, Coconut and Lime is up for an award. Please take a visit and if you like what you see stop by and register at this site then vote. If you do you could win a cool cookbook :0)

Homemade Salsa

2007-06-02T11:37:00.001-07:00

Salsa is one thing I make very often. We love Mexican food and the stuff in the jar just does not compare to fresh homemade salsa. Normally I like to use fresh tomatoes for this salsa, but I have listed here my recipe using canned tomatoes so that you can prepare this any time of year. For fresh tomatoes, just substitute about 2 cups, chopped. When using fresh I prefer to use Romas .

Homemade Salsa

1 (28 oz. can diced tomatoes) preferably organic or fire roasted for maximum flavor
1/2 can of diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic
4 scallions
2 handfuls fresh cilantro (use leaves and stems)
juice of one key lime or half a regular lime
1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste

Put all ingredients in the food processor or blender and process until slightly chunky but mostly smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This is always better the second day as it gives the flavors time to develop as it rests in the refrigerator.

Chicken with Creamy Dill Sauce

2007-06-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

I finally feel like it's time to try some new and exciting recipes again. Our little one is content to sit in her swing as I chop, saute and rush about the kitchen so all is just about back to normal in our house these days. Here is a new recipe I had been wanting to try recently. I changed it up by substituting dill for the chives originally called for and adding some lemon juice to brighten the flavor. I served this over linguini with spinach on top of the linguini. It was a hit!

Chicken with Creamy Dill Sauce

(adapted from Eating Well's Healthy In a Hurry Cookbook)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 shallots, minced (I used 2 tsp. dried shallots from Penzey's)
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth (or use homemade)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 c. sour cream
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. dried dill
salt and pepper

Season chicken with salt and pepper then dredge in 1/4 c. flour. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a heavy skillet and cook chicken about 4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned over medium high heat. Place chicken on a plate and keep warm. Add remaining olive oil and shallots to the skillet and saute until golden. Put remaining flour in skillet and stir until combined. Add broth, wine and lemon juice. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Place chicken back in skillet. Add sour cream and Dijon mustard and stir well. Allow to simmer about 7 more minutes, until heated through and chicken is no longer pink in the center. Sprinkle with dill. Serve.

Garlic Olive Oil Bread Dip

2007-05-23T21:11:00.001-07:00

One of my husband's favorite restaurants is Carabba's. They serve nice warm sourdough bread with this amazing bread dip that keeps you coming back for more. The last time we had spaghetti I tried to duplicate this dip. The attempt was a success and now I make it as often as we have something to dip. Last night I made it to go with Stromboli and it was excellent. For the Strombolli I just used me pizza dough recipe, made two 8 x 12 rectangles, topped it lightly with sauce and toppings, rolled it up, pinched shut and baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Here's the recipe for the bread dip.

Garlic-Olive Oil Bread Dip

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. course grind black pepper (or freshly ground)
3 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients and mix well. the longer this is allowed to set the more intense the flavor. It can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, but let it come to room temperature before serving. Serve with nice crusty bread or any Italian type bread. It is also wonderful drizzled over pizza or spaghetti.

Pacific Island Chicken

2007-05-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a week here. Our new little one is growing so fast... right before our eyes. It's always amazing to watch a new baby change and grow. The days seem to be passing instantly and before I know it I take a peek at my blog here and realize it's been days since I have posted.

I have been sticking to old stand-bys mostly when it comes to dinner. The other day we had a recipe I haven't made since before I started this blog. I'm not quite sure why because we all loved it and it was really easy too. The recipe is listed below.

I also found a cool new (to me anyhow) food blog that I really enjoyed so it's been added to my list of favorite food blogs. Take a look at Cooking Is Medicine.

Pacific Island Chicken

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (I have made this with boneless-skinless, bone-in or chicken tenders, all work well)
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 can pineapple chunks (including the juice)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 c. cold water
3 Tbsp. corn starch

Place chicken in crock pot and top with soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple chucks, garlic and ginger. Whisk corn starch into cold water then pour over all. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. I serve this with broccoli seasoned with salt, pepper and shallots and Jasmine rice.

Rice Pilaf

2007-05-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

I just made a great rice pilaf in the crock pot. I posted the recipe on my crock pot blog, so check it out if you're looking for an easy and delicious side dish that won't have you standing over a hot stove. Here's the link.

Crock Pot Lasanga

2007-05-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

We are finally getting back into the swing of things here. I didn't do much cooking the first two weeks after Serena's birth because our wonderful and generous church family blessed us with meals for dinner every night. This past week we stuck to some tried and true favorites like posole, spaghetti and lentil stew. Tonight our 7 year old, Kiah took over in the kitchen and with a very small amount of help from me, prepared her first dinner for the family. The meal was wonderful and a very happy mom and dad are much appreciative of her willingness to help in the kitchen! Here's a picture of her culinary masterpiece and the recipe :0) Great work Kiah!!

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 box farfelle ("bow tie") pasta
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
( season beef to taste with salt, pepper, minced onion, garlic powder and Italian seasoning)
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
2 jars spaghetti sauce of your choice
sliced pepperoni

Spread a small amount of pasta sauce in bottom of crock pot. Layer ingredients in crock pot in thirds as follows: pasta, sauce, meat, bell pepper, cheese. Top last layer with pepperoni. Set on low and cook 3 - 5 hours.

New Arrival!

2007-04-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our new little one arrived into the world on Tuesday. Serena Annalise weighed 6 lbs. 7 oz. and was 19 inches long. She is just a doll and such a good, calm, sweet baby. We don't post pics of our kids online but trust me, she is a cutie pie :0)

Thanks everyone for your well wishes and prayers!

New recipes will resume in a couple of weeks (give or take). In the meantime, here's one of my favorite sites for recipe inspiration.

Homemade Graham Crackers

2007-04-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! I am not going to be preparing a big holiday meal this year but I do have some of my favorite Easter recipes listed here.

I recently had the chance to pick up a new very cool looking product to try. Have you seen Philly Cream Cheese's new Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake Filling. Awesome idea for people like myself (my whole family actually) that LOVE cheesecake in any form. The tub of filling costs a little under $5 which is comparable to the amount you would probably spend when buying the ingredients to make your own cheesecake filling. I first planned to just purchase (or make) a graham cracker crust to serve this new found confection, but when I remembered a recipe I had seen on The Baking Sheet for Homemade Graham Crackers, I couldn't resist making them. We made "Cheesecake Sandwiches" with them and the new Philly filling and were they good! If your grocer offers this product I highly suggest you give it a try :0)

Here's the Graham Cracker recipe...

Homemade Graham Crackers
(from The Baking Sheet)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour (I used Organic Graham Flour from Hodgson Mill)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoon molasses
1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 30 seconds or so. Add the honey, molasses, water, and vanilla. Mix until the dough starts to come together in a ball, another 30 seconds. Scrape dough out of the mixer.

Between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper, roll the dough 1/8-inch thick. Chill for at least 1 hour, until firm (I chilled for several hours).

Preheat oven to 350F. Retrieve dough and roll it a bit more if it is not yet 1/8-inch thick. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2-inch squares. Arrange the crackers on parchment lined baking sheets. With a toothpick, prick several holes in each cracker.

Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan.

Yield: 48 crackers

Winding Down For A While...

2007-04-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy past few days for us... our 2 year old had a penicillin reaction and broke out in an awful rash. It was very scary for us but praise God she is doing so much better now!

I went for my 37 week prenatal appointment a few days ago and was told by my doctor that my blood pressure is high. So it looks like I will be winding things down here on the blog for a while. I am scheduled to be induced on Tuesday. Baby girl will be here two weeks earlier than we expected!

This afternoon I baked two quiche for the freezer to add to my "post-baby food stocks" :0) So far I have pancakes, pinto beans, chili, pepper steak, and baked beans all frozen and ready to go. It sure does make a difference if you don't have to cook after arriving home with a new little bundle of joy!

I have a couple of recipes I plan to post over the next couple of days but after that if I seem to disappear for a while you'll know why.

I'm so excited to meet our new baby girl! :0)

Monster Cookies

2007-03-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

My girls were in the mood for homemade cookies today. I took a quick inventory of what we had on hand and went to my cookbook pile to find something new to try. I had seen recipes for "Monster Cookies" for a long time, but whenever I wanted to make them we seemed to be missing one ingredient or another. Today was finally our day to try them. I'll be honest, I still prefer plain old oatmeal raisin cookies, but all in all these were very good and not nearly as rich as you'd think by the ingredient list. I got this recipe from Penzeys "ONE" Magazine. The original recipe makes 4 times as many cookies but we had to cut in fourths to make a manageable sized recipe. If you like M & M's this is a must try recipe!

Monster Cookies
(adapted from Penzeys "ONE" Magazine)

3 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/8 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. baking soda
4 1/2 c. quick oats
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. M&M's

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream together eggs, butter, sugars and vanilla extract. Mix in the other ingredients by hand to form a stiff dough. Make sure the oats are the quick cooking variety, as they make the cookies fluffier than regular oats. Bake tablespoons full of dough on a greased cookie sheet for about 10 - 12 minutes.

Skillet Bread

2007-03-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

With our new baby due so soon I have been really tired and my back has been aching so I haven't felt much like cooking. This morning was no exception. Then I remembered a quick recipe I knew my girls would enjoy. My grandmother used to make this bread for me when I was growing up. These are kind of like fried biscuits. They are really soft inside and go wonderfully with butter and jam or honey. They were such a hit today and I didn't even get an opportunity to take a picture :0)

Skillet Bread

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 c. water

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil or butter in a skillet over medium - medium high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls into the skillet. As soon as bread begins to set enough that you are able, turn them with a spatula and press down on them to flatten a bit. Lower the heat and cover the skillet and allow them to steam to cook the inside. Keep a close eye on these, the outsides will burn easily!

Pina Colada Bread Pudding

2007-03-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

I always save the ends of bread in a freezer bag for bread pudding. The difference this time is that all the bread I have saved lately is from fresh, homemade bread... yum! So in honor of the "special bread ends" I decided to make a special pudding. This recipe is adapted from a few I found on-line. I just tweaked it a bit to fit what I had on hand. It's cooling right now and smells wonderful!

PINA COLADA BREAD PUDDING

12 thick slices day-old bread
1/4 c. softened butter
6 eggs
1 box banana pudding mix
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice
1 c. grated coconut
1 cup coconut milk
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. sliced almonds

Spread butter on bread slices. Place in a 9 x 13 in. dish, overlapping slices. Beat eggs with brown sugar in bowl. Add pineapple, coconut, coconut milk and milk. Blend well. Add vanilla extract and pudding mix. Blend well again. Pour over and in between bread slices. Sprinkle with almonds. Allow to soak 15 minutes. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool before serving. This would be wonderful served with whipped cream or ice cream on top!

Chicken Sour Cream Enchilada Casserole

2007-02-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

My mom always made this dish when I was growing up. It was always the dish we served when company came over... not only by mom's choice but by many requests from guests. It is still one of my favorites as well as my husband and children. We serve this with various side dishes, depending on our mood. Some favorites include refried beans, Spanish rice, Spanish slaw, green salad, marinated tomato slices or calebacitas. My mom always made this in the traditional "enchilada style" with each enchilada rolled separately but I find it quicker and easier to make this like a casserole. Either way, it is delicious!

Chicken Sour Cream Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. chicken breast (boneless/skinless) cooked and diced (I use a food processor)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Progresso brand cream of mushroom soup (If you can't find Progresso, use any brand with 1/2 soup can of milk added)
1/4 c. sour cream
1 can diced green chilis, drained
2 c. grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 onion, minced
18 corn tortillas

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender, combine soups and sour cream plus 1/2 c. of the cheese. Pour soup mixture into a sauce pan and heat through. Ladle a small amount of the soup mixture into a 9 x 13 in. pan. Add a layer of 6 corn tortillas, spread out to cover the bottom of the pan. Next add a layer of 1/3 of the chicken. Then add a layer of 1/3 of the onions. Then add a layer of 1/3 of the cheese. Then add a layer of 1/3 of the soup mixture. Then sprinkle with 1/3 of the green chilis. Repeat layers twice. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Bolillos

2007-02-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

We have been sick for a couple of days now so I thought a nice crock pot full of soup would be just the thing to hit the spot. I made Posole yesterday and found a great recipe for the bolillos to go along with it. They turned out great! Sorry I don't have a photo to share but here is what they look like and here's the recipe.

Bolillos

1 package active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups water
1 tablespoon honey (I use Agave nectar)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/4 - 4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. Sprinkle yeast over the warm water in a large mixing bowl; stir and let stand 5 minutes.
2. When the yeast is working a bit stir the honey, lard and salt into the yeast mixture.
3. Add 2 1/2 cups flour.
4. Mix at low speed and then beat at medium speed until the dough is very elastic, about 5 minutes.
5. Gradually stir in as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough.
6. Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth in texture and very elastic, 15-20 minutes (use a dough hook on your mixer and knead for about 10-15 minutes).
7. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn the dough so all surfaces have a sheen of oil.
8. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour (I turn on the light in the oven and place the dough in there to rise, do NOT heat the oven!).
9. Punch the dough down and knead briefly on a floured surface.
10. Divide dough into 10 pieces and roll into balls.
11. Work with the palms of your hands and start at the center of each ball to roll out into ovals.
12. Each piece should be about 5 1/2" long and 2" in the middle, tapering to each end.
13. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 25 minutes.
14. Meanwhile heat oven to 375F degrees.
15. Mix cornstarch and cold water, heat stirring constantly to boiling, boil until thickened and clear about 2 minutes.
16. Brush each roll with the cornstarch mixture.
17. Slash each roll down the middle stopping about 1/2" from each end and cutting about 1/2" deep.
18. Bake until the rolls are brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks.
19. Serve warm & fresh from the oven.

Our little container garden that I spoke about a couple posts ago has died out on us. The unexpected cold snap did not give the plants a good start at all. We are planning to replant them directly outdoors at the end of this month when the weather is a little warmer. Stop back by and I will continue to post our progress.

My oldest daughter's birthday was last week and she put in a special order for a cheesecake :) She created this cheesecake herself, "Mama" was just the chef. Here's a picture of her special birthday creation.

It is an orange flavored cheesecake with dulce de leche swirled in... chocolate chips and strawberries on top and whipped cream of course! I can hardly believe my baby is 7 years old!

One Of Those Days...

2007-01-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had "one of those days" when it comes to preparing a meal for your family? I woke up this morning excited about the dinner I was planning to prepare for my family tonight. I was planning to prepare a recipe I had found a few years ago and we had really enjoyed when I made it the first time. The recipe is called Turkey Breast Peruvian and I found it in a Weight Watchers cookbook. It is so flavorful and I could just taste it! I proceeded to prepare the marinade this morning, got some dough for dinner rolls going in the bread machine this afternoon and had the turkey in to roast right on time. After a while I could hear a slight sizzle and figured that the pan must have gone a bit dry and a little water was needed as not to create smoke. Forgetting that my pan is made of Pyrex and the water from our water cooler is COLD I proceeded to pour water into the pan. Thankfully I was standing far from the oven door as I poured and the kids were in the other room. The next thing that happened was a very loud POP as the pan exploded in the oven. Needless to say the meal for tonight (and the leftovers I had planned for the next two) are ruined. **Sigh**. The pan is still cooling so now I'm figuring out how I will clean out the stove and what we will eat for dinner. Hoping to buy another turkey breast soon so I can share the recipe and some nice photos to go along with it. Stay tuned....

Container Gardening

2007-01-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

When my oldest daughter was two years old, I decided to endeavour into the world of gardening. I have never been one to take much of an interest in plants, but my deep love for cooking pushed me towards trying to grow our own vegetables. At the time we were living in a small apartment with a tiny patio. Although the space was adaquate for a small container garden, the sun exposure was minimal and our success was minimal. Now that we have moved into a house with nice sunny windows and more yard space, I thought we would try our hand at growing some of our favorite veggies and herbs once again.

This week our homeschool studies have tended towards learning about plants so what better time to get started on our seedlings. In our growins zone (AZ9) it's really important to get the seeds planted in January because the intense summer heat can start as early as April or May.

This year we have seeds started for tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, Anahiem chilis, okra, mini bell peppers, cilantro, basil, dill, chives, garlic chives and flat leaf parsley. We planted all of these about a week ago and so far the cucumbers, basil and squash are peeking out of the soil. In a few weeks I will be transplanting them into 5 gallon buckets and setting them out on tht patio. We are also planning to start (directly from seed) some oregano, rosemary and a couple different kinds of flowers.

If all goes well I should have some more pictures to share in a week or two when all the seeds have sprouted :)

Potato Rolls and Classic Country Bread

2007-01-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

I have been spending a lot of time this past week baking bread since I got the new bread machine. So far I have been very happy with the results. I've only baked one loaf in the machine. I prefer to use the "dough" setting and bake the loaves in the oven to get a more authentic shape and crust. So far, aside from the Whole Wheat Flax Seed Bread, pizza crust and a sourdough loaf. I have also made a couple of Classic Country Bread loaves from a recipe found on a package of Red Star Yeast.

All the recipes have turned out very well expect I think I will reduce the olive oil for the pizza dough next time when I make it in the bread machine. The dough was very sticky and hard to work with. The recipe I used (I doubled it for the machine) would have made 4 pizzas but we ended up with three because I botched the first one due to the extra sticky dough. I'm not quite sure why it works fine when done by hand but not in the machine. I'm sure I will figure it out sooner or later :)

Today I found a couple lonely baked potatoes in the fridge, just begging to be used for something. So of course, I had to try a recipe I saw in one of my cookbooks for Potato Rolls. They turned out great!

Here are the recipes for the Classic Country Bread and Potato Rolls. Sorry for the lack of a photo for the Country Bread, but the kids ate it too quickly!

Potato Buns
(Originally from Old World Breads - modified for ingredients I had on hand)

1 c. milk
2 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 small potatoes, baked then mashed (boiled would work well too I'm sure)
3/4 tsp. salt
2 c. bread flour
1 c. whole wheat flour

Add ingredients to bread machine in the order suggested by manufacturer. Set on "dough" cycle. When dough is ready, remove from machine and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place balls into a greased muffin pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. For a golden crust, brush with butter or margarine before baking. Makes one dozen rolls.

Classic Country Bread

1 1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/3 c. molasses
2 1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c. oatmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Cereal)
1 1/3 c. whole wheat flour
2 1/2 c. bread flour
2 tsp. quick rise or bread machine yeast

Put all ingredients in bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Set on "dough" cycle. When dough is ready, split into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Please each loaf into a greased bread pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks and allow to cool before slicing. Makes 2 loaves.

Whole Wheat Flax Seed Bread

2007-01-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

Although I have a multitude of small appliances, one I have been wanting for a long time is a bread machine. My wish finally came true this Christmas. I was able to order a breadmaker on-line a couple days after Christmas and it finally arrived yesterday.

I did a lot of research before I chose this breadmaker. I needed to find one in my price range but that had good ratings among consumers so I wouldn't have to replace it after a few months like some of the appliances I have had in the past. I finally settled on the Sunbeam Bread Maker. It makes 1.5 and 2 lb loaves and had 12 different settings. It can dely baking up to 13 hours. It can even be used to make jam! A word of caution... if you ever purchase this model, the manual has many recipes but from all I have read on-line the proportions are incorrect and the loaves turn out awful. So be sure to find a good bread machine cookbook or find recipes on-line from reputable websites if you buy this model.

I made my first loaf today and I must say I am in love with this machine. It is so easy to use, easy to clean and quiet. I found this recipe on-line and tweaked it a bit to fit what I had on hand. Here's the recipe. I'm sure it would turn out very well made by hand as well. It is moist and delicious.

Whole Wheat Flax Seed Bread

1 1/3 c. warm water (I microwave room temp. water for 20 seconds)
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 1/2 c. bread flour
1 1/3 c. whole wheat flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)
1/2 c. ground flax seed
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. bread machine yeast (fast acting or quick rise yeast will work fine as well)

Add ingredients to bread machine in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic setting and light crust. Makes one 1.5 lb. loaf.

Crock Pot Potato Soup

2007-01-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

The weather has been dreary and a bit cold lately... perfect weather for warm comfort food. Today I decided to make potato soup. This is a recipe I adapted from several I found in different cookbooks... taking what I know my family loves best to make a nice satisfying dinner. We're having Garlic and Herb Sesame Rolls to go along with it.

Crock Pot Potato Soup

8 potatos, peeled and diced
2 carrots, diced
2 leeks or 4 scallions, sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 onions, diced
1 c. diced ham or crumbled cooked bacon
5 c. water
4 tsp. chicken boullion
1 Tbsp., dried parsley
1 Tbsp. chives
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
1/2 c. shreded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c. sour cream

Add all ingredients except milk, cheese and sour cream to crock pot. Cook 6-8 hours on high or 10 - 12 hours on low. During the last hour add the milk, cheese and sour cream, stir well then cover again and allow to cook until cooking time is done.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! We were quite busy with out of town guests and then my huband and all three kids got sick so I haven't been on-line much lately. We were truly blessed this Christmas and as always enjoyed celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior.

I got a new cook book yesterday and wanted to share a review with you.

Years ago I had picked up an old copy of The Joy of Cooking at a second hand bookstore. It was (and still is) my very favorite cookbook. Dispite the lack of color photographs that all the new cookbooks seem to have in abundance, the wealth of knowledge contained in this book is beyond measure. If I could choose only one cookbook to own it would be this one. In it you will find recipes for everything from simple things like boiled eggs to very elaborate dishes, menues, cooking techniques and ingredient and nutrition information.

My original copy was ruined when a storage closet in our old apartment was flooded by the hot water heater. So I was very excited to see this new 75th Anniversary Edition available. It is just as good as my old copy... in fact better! It contains over 4500 recipes and is an invaluable tool for anyone who enjoys cooking.

Crock Pot Blog Update

2006-12-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't updated my Crockpot Adventures blog since ther summer! I finally added a new recipe today. If you're a crock pot lover like me, hop over and take a look. If you try it leave me a comment, my family loved it!

Safeway.com Coupon Codes

2006-12-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

Here are the newest Safeway.com promo codes. Enter the coupon code (in bold) at checkout, you can use them all at once! The link to Safeway.com is to your right under "Great Deals" , the $20 off offer is for new customers only. I think all of these are good until the end of December 2006.

Buy Lucene brand sour cream and a package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing or dip mix and save $1- HIDDEN1

Buy a 6 double roll package of Quilted Northern bath tissue and get a FREE package of Vanity Fair napkins. - FREE

FREE delivery on your order of $150 or more - HOLIDAYS

$10 off of every order of $200 or more (for email subscribers only) - ENJOY

Celebrity Chef Cookbook Reviews

2006-12-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

I am one of those people who could spend an entire day watching celebrity chefs at work on tv. A lot of the meals they prepare are a little too complex or not practical for my tastes, but I have learned so much from just watching and of course all the great ideas for new meals I receive from watching them can't be beat! So when I received two celebrity chef cookbooks in the mail the other day I was pretty excited to see what new ideas lay in store.

The first book is Dave's Dinners from David Lieberman.

Although I have never seen Dave's television program, I have heard lots of good things about him before and was excited to take a look at his newest cookbook. One thing I really enjoy about this book is the photographs. They are so colorful and almost every recipe has a photo. I also like that the recipes are geared towards home cooks. They are all fairly simple and include ingredients that are easy to find and not too pricey. A definite plus! I also really enjoy the intros to each recipe that either give added information or a history of the recipe. I have not tried any of the recipes yet but do have one down on my list for the next couple weeks (check back for a review!) . A couple of the recipes that really caught my eye are Roasted Red Peppers and Ricotta Crostini (only 6 ingredients and they look so good!) and Pan Grilled Skirt Steak with Smoky Cowboy Beans and Minted Chimichuri Sauce (all the flavors my family loves and it sounds very simple too).

The second book is jamie's italy by Jamie Oliver.

I have only seen Jamie a couple of times on TV and really love his easy-going approach to cooking. That along with Italian food... this HAS to be a great book was my very first thought :) This book is like a story and cookbook combines. It tells the tale of Jamie's trek around Italy... all the people he met, food he ate and sights he saw. It was a very interesting read. The recipes are amazing. They are all totally authentic Italian recipes gathered on his trip around the country. One drawback to this book, for me at least, is that a lot of the ingredients are not available to me where I live. Also, some of the things served are not things my family would eat (like squid and wild boar... as if I could buy that here anyhow...). The photography is gorgeous as well. A word of caution though... if you are squeamish, skip the meat chapter. In his efforts to show the "real Italy" there are a few pretty gruesome photos of butchered animals. However, all in all it is a great book. If you want to prepare REAL Italian food I would highly recommend it. A couple of recipes that caught my eye were pizza fritta (fried pizza) and pasta al forno con pomodori e mozzarella (baked pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella).

If you're looking for a new addition to your cookbook shelf or a great Christmas gift, I'd suggest you try either of these books. They would be a great addition to any cookbook collection.

The BEST Smoked Turkey

2006-12-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

Our whole family was really sick over Thanksgiving so our "feast"( as my kids like to call it), had to be postponed. We finally had our turkey dinner this weekend and it was wonderful! My mother-in-law told me how to make the BEST smoked turkey! This recipe is a variation of hers and I don't think she would mind me sharing it with all of you. It is delicious!

The BEST Smoked Turkey

(I always use a Butterball turkey and cook it according to the directions that come with it.)

After thawing your turkey, remove all the gizzards, giblets, etc. and rub it with butter or margarine on the outside. Season it well inside and out. I used Penzey's English Prime Rib Rub to season mine. (Even though this seasoning is intended for beef, it is GREAT on turkey). Place your turkey in a large bowl, roasting pan or stock pot. Submerge it half way in a mixture of 1/2 water, 1/2 milk and about 1/2 a bottle of liquid smoke. Allow it to set in this mixture in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove the container from your fridge and then turn your turkey over. Allow it to soak for 24 more hours. Remove the turkey from the soaking liquid and make sure to pour all the liquid out from the cavity. Season the turkey again inside and out. I used Seasoned salt this time and a little sage. Stuff the cavity with a couple carrots, a couple stalks of celery and an onion (cut them all into large chunks). Roast the turkey according to the directions that came along in the packaging. Allow the turkey to rest about 15 - 20 minutes before slicing. It is delicious!

Five Spice Cookies

2006-12-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

We're participating in a cookie swap with our homeschool group on Friday so today was cookie dough day :) Each family brings 5 dozen of the same cookie and leaves with five dozen different kinds. I wanted to do something full of nice warm spices like cinnamon and ginger... but gingerbread men seemed too "boring". I came up with this recipe based on some ingredients we had on had. One word for these - YUM!

Five Spice Cookies

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. Chinese Five Spice Powder (I used Penzey's)
2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c. raisins

Combine flour, baking soda and salt and five spice powder in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange extract and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Lasanga Bianca

2006-12-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I created tonight to use up some things in the fridge and pantry. It turned out great and best of all the kids LOVED it :)

Lasanga Bianca

12 uncooked lasanga noodles
1 lb. ground beef
2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 carton ricotta cheese
1/2 lb. frozen spinach, drained well
1 jar alfredo sauce
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
Parsley

Boil lasanga noodles for 10 minutes, drain well.

Brown ground beef along with seasoned salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

Spread a couple spoonfuls of the alfredo sauce into a 9 x 13 in. pan. Layer ingredients in the pan as follows:

Layer 1 - 3 lasanga noodles, spinach, ground beef, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese;
Layer 2 - repeat layer 1
Layer 3 - repeat layer 1
Layer 4 - 3 lasanga noodles, alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese

Cover dish with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Creole Chicken

2006-12-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in a cookbook I have had for many years. It's called The Southern Living Five Star Recipe Collection... one of those cookbooks that is in a three ring binder and you buy the recipe cards to fill it up over a period of time. I love this cookbook so much! Tons of great recipes. This one is so good, if you love southern food, give it a try. It takes a bit of time but it's fairly easy and delicious!

Creole Chicken

1/2 c. plus 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 c. plus 3 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can chicken broth
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Creole Seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

Combine 1/2 c. flour and 1/2 c. canola oil in a Dutch oven. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes (or until roux is caramel colored). Add onions, bell pepper an garlic. Saute 4 minutes. Add broth, tomato sause and bay leaves. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Combine remaining flour, garlic powder, Creole Seasoning, oregano, pepper and thyme in a large Ziploc bag, seal and shake well. Add chicken then seal and shake well once again.

Add remaining oil to a large skillet and heat to medium. Brown chicken in oil in batches then add to Dutch oven. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve over rice or grits.

I'm Still Here!

2006-11-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

If there are any of you loyal readers still out there waiting for my next blog post, I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive (LOL!)

It's been such a long time since I posted, I didn't realize quite how long until now. I hope you can forgive me :)

I don't have a recipe to share today but I do have some news to share. I think those of you have been reading here for a while know that we moved a few months ago. Soon after that, I realized that I had lost my digital camera cord AND we had our internet service shut off for a time, so therefor no posts or new pictures from my kitchen.

Lots has happened in our family in that time. We are expecting our fourth child in April. That being said, I haven't felt much like eating (or cooking!) for a while now. That phase of pregnancy is wearing off now and my desire to create in the kitchen is slowly returning so hopefully I'll have lots of new holiday creations to post very soon. After a long search I finally found a source for that camera cable too, so it should be arriving to our house in a couple of weeks. I can't wait to get back to sharing new ideas and recipes with you!

Safeway.com Promo Code - Free Delivery!

2006-09-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Here's a new code for Safeway. Enter the code AUTUMN at checkout. $150 minimum. Not sure when this exptires, I just got it today.

Free Chocolate!

2006-08-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

I thought my last post would be the last for a while, until I found this offer for FREE CHOCOLATE online today. It is only good through the end of September so sign up now! :)

Temporary Break

2006-08-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I will be taking a temporary break from blogging due to no internet connection for the next couple of months. I will be back ASAP and hopefully while I am on hiatus my pesky camera cable will show up too!

Stick around and enjoy the archived posts, links and all the other goodies around here... there's lots to read! :)

Homemade Buttermilk and Sour Cream

2006-08-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was just surfing around on one of my favorite websites, Laine's Letters, that features lots of tried and true home-style recipes. I found one today that I hadn't seen before and can't wait to try it.

Homemade Buttermilk

1/4 cup of buttermilk
4 cups of milk

Pour into a mason jar. Cover and shake a little, then put on the counter. In about 24 hours, you have buttermilk. Remember to save a little buttermilk from each batch for the next batch.

Homemade Sour Cream

Make the same as buttermilk, only you use heavy cream in place of the milk.

Chicken Adobo

2006-08-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

With all the chaos that comes with unpacking after a move, I misplaced the cable that goes to my digital camera... so please bare with me as I search. The recipes won't stop but the pictures might be some time in coming. Today is my youngest daughter's 2nd birthday so when I get a pic for this recipe I'll be sure to post one of her cute cake as well :) I've got to find that cable, my camera's memory is about full.

Chicken Adobo has been one of those life saving recipes for us this past week. It's so easy and takes only a few minutes on the good 'ol George Foreman Grill (or you can grill them outdoors on your barbecue, bake them or broil them). You can use any kind of chicken for this... bone-in, boneless/skinless, even a whole chicken would work... just be sure to use enough lime juice to coat all the meat.

Chicken Adobo

Chicken (I used 2 lb. boneless/skinless chicken tenderloins)
3 key limes (adjust the amount according to the amount of chicken you are using)
Adobo Seasoning (make your own or if you don't have time Goya makes a nice ready made version)

Early in the day, sprinkle chicken generously with Adobo seasoning. Arrange pieces so that you can evenly squeeze lime juice over them. I used one of those metal lime juicers. Cover the chicken and place it in the refrigerator until ready to cook. Cook as desired. This chicken is so moist and delicious yet so simple. You can marinate it as little as 1/2 an hour up to 6 hours. Overnight would be too long because the citrus juice will begin to cook the meat. I served this with pinto beans and homemade rice-a roni and homemade tortillas but it would be great with just about any side dishes you would like. Enjoy!

Safeway.com Coupon Code

2006-08-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone! We are all moved into the hosue now and if I can ever find the cable to my camera I will post some more pics. We have been busy unpacking so not much cooking going on here but I did get a coupon code for Safeway.com in my email today and wanted to share. This one expires Friday but it's a good deal.

Use the code JUST4U at checkout to get $5 off your order of $150 or more. Expires August 11, 2006 (hey, that's my baby's birthday).

Blog Me Meme

2006-07-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

My buddy Shannon over at I Need To Vent (her VERY funny blog) tagged me for the Blog Me meme hosted by BlogHer. I always love a good meme, so here we go...

1. What can I learn about you in under 5 minutes?

I can't sit still at home for 5 minutes without getting up to throw in a load of laundry, I snack all day long, I'm great at multi-tasking.

2. How do you use blogging to build friendships?

I haven't spent much time on Blogher lately but love the concept and hopefully will find time to visit more in the future.

3. Who do you read every day, rain or shine?

My Bible... and I have all my favorite blog feeds sent to my Google Reader and try to read them daily.

4. How would you describe your writing style?

It depends on my mood. Usually a bit too formal and too short.

5. If you could spend time with one person who would it be?

Jesus. There's never been anyone I wanted to meet more.

6. What don't you write about? Anything considered a no-no in your book?

Anything too intimate or personal.

7. What is your favorite thing that you wrote?

No particular favorite.

8. Are you and your blogging persona the same person?

Yep! I'm a what you see is what you get kind of person. No fake blogger here :)

9. Have you ever anonymously posted on a site to flame them?

No. If I don't like something I will either be honest or just keep my opinion to myself.

10. If you had a super power, what would it be?

To be able to read people's minds. It always bugs me when I wonder what someone is thinking then ask them and can just tell they aren't being quite honest with me.

11. Why did you choose to share that piece of yourself in a photograph?

My camera is packed away so no pics today.

12. Where do you live?

Arizona. And let me tell you, it's HOT here.

13. What do you do for a living?

Homeschool my girls and take great care of them, my husband and our home.

14. What are some things you can't live without?

God, my family, a computer, my crock pot, lots of pillows, cheese.

Who do I tag next....

1. Biker Momma
2. My Mother's Fault
3. Cookin' With Cyndi
4. Messy Cucina
5. Nika's Culinaria

Enjoy!

Moving!

2006-07-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of posts last week but it was for a good reason! :) We are going to be moving! I'm very excited and haven't been cooking much since we have been busy sorting and starting to pack. Our moving date will be on August 7th. This is a huge blessing for us because we have been wanting to have more space for the kids and a yard for them to play and now that is exactly what we will have. I probably won't be posting very much until after the move but I promise it will be as soon as possible. Here's a pic of our new dwelling place. :)

Sourdough Bread

2006-07-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well my starter was finally ready for use a couple days ago so I decided to make a simple sourdough bread recipe I found in The Complete Tightwad Gazette. I have made this bread in the past and was always happy with the results. This recipe is very easy although it does take quite a long time. It's well worth the wait though.

A note: Homemade sourdough bread does not taste quite as sour as store bought. If you want that extremely tangy taste you can add 1 Tb of vinegar or 1 tsp. of citric acid (sour salt) to the water for added "tang".

Sourdough Bread
(from The Complete Tightwad Gazette)

5 1/2 c. bread flour
2 c. sourdough starter
1 Tbsp. salt
1 c. water

Dissolve the salt in the water. Add the starter then stir in the flour. Knead until the dough is smooth and form into a ball. Put in an oiled bowl and cover and let rise overnight (it should be doubled in bulk when done). (Note: I let mine rise 4 hours and it was way past doubled in bulk so it will depend on the temp. in your house as to how long it will need to rise. I started my dough in the morning). Punch dough down and divide into two pieces. Form into balls and cut an "X" shape on top if desired. Place on a greased baking sheet and allow to rise about 4 hours or until double in bulk. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of your oven and heat to 400 degrees. Bake loaves for 35 minutes. If they begin to brown too quickly then cover with a sheet of foil . If you like a soft crust, open the oven a couple times during cooking and spritz the oven walls with water, then cover the loaves when they cool. Allow them to cool completely on a rack before cutting.

Vegetable Beef Lasanga

2006-07-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make lasanga for a while now but just hadn't gotten around to it. The recipe I normally use, Lasanga Maria, is not the most health conscious so I kept putting it off. I'm REALLY trying to stick to my diet. I finally figured that I should develop a new recipe so that we can enjoy lasanga more often without all the guilt. This is a recipe I created today pretty much off the top of my head to use up what we have on hand and to get some much needed veggies into my kids diet. They helped me make it so I know they will enjoy eating it as well. ;)

Vegetable Beef Lasanga

1 10 oz. package lasanga noodles (9 noodles)
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used a large can of Hunt's Onion and Garlic that we had on hand)
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
8 oz. low fat ricotta cheese (1/2 of the average size container)
1/2 c. fat free cottage cheese
1 egg (you can use 2 egg whites instead for a healthier version)
1/4 c. plain yogurt (fat free sour cream would work as well)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 onion, sliced thin
2 zucchini, peeled and sliced thin
2 carrots, peeled, sliced then and blanched for 5 minutes
1/2 bag frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted and peeled
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pkg. fresh grated parmesan cheese (ziploc type package, not the stuff in the green can)
a few slices of pepperoni
salt
pepper

Cook lasanga noodles for 10 minutes, drain and lay on an baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside. Brown ground beef in a skillet with the Italian seasoning and a little salt and pepper. Drain and set aside. Combine the ricotta, egg, cottage cheese, yogurt, garlic powder, parsley, red pepper flakes and a little salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9 x 13 in pan spread about 3 Tbsp. of the sauce. On top of the sauce, layer the ingredients as follows: 3 noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (spread over noodles with a spoon), 1/3 of the onions, 1/3 of the zucchini, 1/3 of the broccoli, 1/3 of the carrots, 1/3 of the ground beef, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the parmesan, 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. For the last round, after adding the ground beef, layer the sauce before the cheese and place the pepperoni and red bell peppers on top. (You might need to press the entire thing with the back of a spatula to get it to fit into the dish so that the cheese won't stick to the foil when you cover it.)

Bake, covered with foil, for 45 minutes then uncover and bake another 20 minutes. Allow to set about 15 minutes before cutting.... if you can wait that long ;)

The Six O'Clock Scramble

2006-07-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

I receive a lot of emails about new food related websites and resources on-line. There are many out there but it is not often that you find one that is not only new and fresh but also totally useful and makes your life easier! That was my first impression when I visited The Six O'Clock Scramble. This website is dedicated to helping families get dinner on the table on weeknights in a quick, hassle free manner. The originator of this website, Aviva Goldfarb, is a busy mom of two that obviously realizes the importance of healthy meals that don't take all day to prepare. Here's how the website works...

You purchase a subscription to The Six O'clock Scramble newsletter and once a week you receive 5 quick and easy dinner menus (main dishes with suggestions for simple side dishes) as well as a grocery list. Once you shop for all the items on your list, you have everything you need to prepare a week's worth of healthy and tasty dishes for your family. Most recipes take about 30 minutes or less to prepare. I love this concept! The subscription to the newsletter is $4.95/month, $26.50 for months or $47.50 for one year. You can view a sample newsletter on the site or purchase back issues for $1.50 each.

There is also a Six O'Clock Scramble cookbook available for purchase. I received my copy a couple of days ago and it's already made it to my stack of favorite cookbooks. The first recipe I tried from the book is called Three Cheese, Spinach Orzo Bake. It was simple to put together and delicious. I really like this cookbook because it includes lots of option for meals. There are meat dishes, seafood dishes and meatless meals. Most of the meat dishes offer vegetarian options as well. This is a great book for out family because the recipes include plenty of vegetables and grains and things that are healthy while still maintaining a kid friendly approach too preparing them. There are also lots of great tips throughout the book such as how to choose safer produce for our children and ideas for feeding babies and toddlers.

If you want to save money eating out when you are in a hurry, give this site and cookbook a try! I think you'll be glad you did. :)

Sourdough Starter

2006-06-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

I have been in love with sourdough bread ever since I was a little girl. My dad used to work next door to a bakery called "La Boulangerie" (French for "The Baker") and he would bring home fresh bread almost every day. I could (and still can) easily eat an entire loaf by myself!

When my husband and I got married I found a recipe for sourdough starter and sourdough bread in The Complete Tightwad Gazette and then began my journey as a sourdough bread baker. Making sourdough starter is not only frugal but it is very easy. And by putting in a few minutes you will yield a delicious base for bread, waffles, pancakes, pizza crust and so much more.

My last starter was thrown out when we moved to our current residence. I thought it was about time for me to begin a new batch. This recipe was modified from the Tightwad version with a slight variation from the King Arthur Flour website.

Sourdough Starter

2 c. all-purpose flour (I used bread flour)
2 c. water
1 pkg. yeast
1 Tbsp. honey or sugar (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large (6 or more cup capacity) glass or stoneware jar or crock. Stir well with a non-metal spoon. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to sit on the counter top for about 5 days. The mixture will begin to bubble right away but for it to properly ferment and get the nice sour taste you need to allow the 5 days. Stir well and store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.

When you use some of this mixture for a recipe you will then need to "feed it" so you will always have some on hand. Do this by adding 1 1/2 c. water and 1 1/2 c. flour to the container and stirring well. Then return it to the refrigerator. You should use your starter at least once or twice a week or it may not work as well after at time. If it gets a layer or clearish-yellowish liquid on top that is ok, just stir it well and proceed with your baking. If it turns a funny color, like pink, black or orange, throw it out!

One Year Old!

2006-06-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

I was just looking back at some of my old blog posts and couldn't believe today is the one year anniversary of my very first blog post! Wow, time sure does fly! I'm hoping to fill the next 12 months with just as many fun and tasty recipes and lots more great advice for keeping your food budget under control. Thanks to all my loyal readers! :)

Orange-Coriander Muffins

2006-06-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

Over the past year I have really stocked up on lots of herbs and spices that are new to us. One of my absolute favorites is coriander. When I first opened the jar I was overtaken with the bright, lemony scent. I knew that although I had purchased it for a couple of savory dishes I had in mind, it would also be perfect for sweet baked goods as well. This morning I decided to give it a try in muffins. They turned out really good! Nice and light and fluffy on the inside, golden and crisp on top. absoutely delicious!

Orange-Coriander Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1/3 vegetable oil
1 tsp. orange extract or orange zest
1/2 tsp. coriander

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder coriander and salt. Add egg, milk, yogurt and oil to dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened. Do not over mix. Grease or line muffin tins with paper baking cups. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F about 20-25 minutes. Makes 10-12 muffins.

New Pics!

2006-06-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

I've been preparing a lot of our old favorites lately so therefore the lack of new posts. However, I did add a better pic of the Cuban Bread and a new pic to the Cuban Cravings (Cuban Black Beans and Ropa Vieja) post last night. These are some of my absolute favorite recipes, if you haven't tried them already please do and let me know what you think!

Also, just a quick note, if you're a Safeway.com shopper, the newest coupon code is for free delivery, use the code JUICY at checkout. ($50 minimum purchase expires 8-15-06)

Enjoy your day!

Indian Food Adventure

2006-06-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make a "real" Indian meal ever since I ventured out of my culinary comfort zone and tried making a simple Chicken Curry some time ago. I fell in love with the flavor of curry and wanted to prepare something else that was new and exotic to us. I decided to seek out a main dish, a side dish and a veggie dish for this endeavor. It took me a while because there are so many great recipes out there and they all sound delicious. I had never really eaten Indian food before but just the sound of the recipes with all the fragrant spices got my mouth watering so I had to give it a try.

I found the main dish recipe at My Dhaba. I had seen recipes for Tandoori Chicken before but this one sounded so good and it was very easy. I was glad it was able to be prepared on my George Foreman Grill (you all know how much I LOVE my grill!!) :) Here's the recipe...

My Dhaba's Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
Chicken 2 full leg pieces, skinned (I used boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins)
Ginger 1 inch size, finely chopped (I used powdered ginger... in all the recipes)
Garlic 3 cloves, finely chopped
Onion 1, medium size, finely chopped
Cloves 2
Cinnamon ¼- inch stick
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Salt 1 teaspoon
Yogurt/curd 2 tablespoons, low-fat, non-salted; alternatively you may use 2 teaspoon soy sauce, teriyaki, or oriental sauce for getting totally different flavors
Vinegar 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon or as needed to make it more hot
Cummin powder 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder ½ teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder ¼ teaspoon
Nutmeg powder ¼ teaspoon (optional)
Paprika powder 1 teaspoon (optional)

Method: Blend ginger, garlic, onions, cinnamon, salt, and cloves to a smooth wet paste and keep aside. Mix all the spice powders - red chilli, cummin, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, nutmeg, and paprika. Heat a pan, pour in the spice mix and roast for a minute on high heat. Combine the wet and roasted spice mixtures and spread all over the chicken pieces. Spinkle the vinegar and pour over the yogurt. Marinate the chicken pieces in this marinade covered for a minimum of 2 hours in a refrigerator, the more the better for a delicious flavor (if possible marinate it covered overnight). If marinating overnight, take the chicken pieces from the refrigerator an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F, place the chicken on the low rack, and cook for 20-25 minutes. Then, turn over and cook for 10 more minutes or till the chicken pieces are completely roasted and get a golden brown color. Adjust the timings accordingly as needed. If chicken pieces are getting dry, you may baste it with a little butter or ghee. Alternatively you may also broil the marinated chicken pieces over an electric or charcoal grill.

Garnish the tandoori chicken with sliced onion rings, tomatoes, lemon wedges, and/or finely chopped coriander leaves and serve it immediately hot-hot. Enjoy!

The second recipe is for Indian Rice and Potatos and I found it on 28 Cooks. This recipe is delicious! Even if you are not a fan of highly spiced foods, give this one a try. The flavor is bright and buttery and so good. Here's that recipe.

Indian Rice and Potatoes
From 28 Cooks

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks
3 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c dried coconut*
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp oil
1 cup rice
3/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lime juice
2 cups water
1/2 c frozen peas
1 tbsp butter

Combine yogurt, cilantro, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and coconut. Add potatoes, stir well, and allow to marinate for a few minutes. Heat oil in large pan, and add cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and cumin seeds. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until cumin turns brown. Add potato and yogurt mixture, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once potatoes are nicely browned, add rice, and cook for another minute or two. Add turmeric, brown sugar, salt, lime juice, and water. Bring to a boil, cover with lid, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Add peas to pot, and do not stir in. Cover with lid and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove lid, and fluff with fork. Remove from heat, and stir in butter. Serve and enjoy!

Finally, I made Curried Vegetables based on a recipe for Curried Cauliflower I found over at Delicious Living. This one had a bit too much citrus for my taste but it was still good and went well with the other two recipes. This is the recipe.

Curried Cauliflower
From Delicious Living
(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 cups cauliflower florets, washed and dried
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
Sea salt, to taste (optional)

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and saute onion, garlic, and ginger for about 3 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin, and mustard seeds and saute for an additional 3 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add cauliflower and lime juice and stir-fry on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat, add coconut milk and broth or water, cover partially, and simmer on low heat for about 5 more minutes, until cauliflower is crisp-tender. Add sea salt to taste, if desired.

If you're new to Indian food or used to eating it often, give these recipes a try they are wonderful!

My 6 year old gave the Tandoori Chicken a thumbs up. In her words "Next time just add a little more salt, a little less pepper and it will be off the hook." I will take that as the highest praise :)

Confessions in Groups of 5 Meme

2006-06-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite food bloggers, Deetsa, tagged me for a meme. Since there hasn't been much new cooking in the kitchen here lately, I thought this would be fun to share today :)

5 items in the freezer

1. boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs (easy to prepare and so much you can do with them)
2. popcicles (gotta keep the kids happy right?)
3. peeled bananas (smoothies, bread, muffins, pancakes...)
4. lots of veggies!
5. bread crumbs

5 items in my closet

1. shoes
2. dresses
3. confiscated toys
4. Christmas decorations
5. winter coats

5 items in my (our) car (van)

1. car seats (3)
2. *lost* toys
3. jumper cables
4. CD's
5. a bag of pink styrofoam peanuts

5 items in my purse

1. an extra diaper
2. lip gloss
3. a couple pens
4. hand cream
5. wallet

5 Bloggers I tag for this meme

1. Fiber from 28 Cooks
2. Erin from Erin Eats
3. Heather from Eating For One
4. Erika from Tummy Treasure
5. Paz from The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz

Thanks Deetsa, that was fun :)

Oatmeal Raisin Scones

2006-06-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from The Complete Tightwad Gazette. These scones are very heavy and dense and are great for breakfast with honey on top.

Oatmeal Raisin Scones

1 1/2 c flour
1 c uncooked oatmeal
1/4 c. flax seed meal (optional)
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c softened margarine
1/2 c rasins
3/4 c sour milk (milk with 2 tsp vinegar)
1 egg, beaten

Instructions

1. Preaheat oven to 400. Mix dry ingredients; cut in margarine and rasins.
2. Stir in enough sour milk just to moisten. Divide dough in half.
3. Flour hands and pat dough into 2 circles on a greased cookie sheet about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Cut into quarters . Bake for 10 minutes. Brush on egg and then bake until golden brown.
5. Serve with honey, margarine, or jam.

Safeway.com New coupon code

2006-06-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know about where you are but it's HOT here and going out to grocery shop is not fun when it's hot. I got a couple of emails from Safeway.com this week and thought I'd share... they have some great deals right now for the summer. If you have a Safeway in your local area take advantage of having your groceries delivered, you'll be glad you did :)

Use the code SUMMER to get your order delivered for free. If you are a new customer you can still take advantage of the $20 off $100 order offer as well.

Shopping Tips:

SHOP FASTER:

Express List - Use this feature if you like shopping from a list. Type your list into our virtual notepad and find all of your items with just a few quick clicks.

Shopping History - Shop directly from a list of your regularly purchased items. View your history by department, and be one click away from filling your cart.

CLUB CARD SAVINGS

Same prices and Club Card savings as your local store.

SCHEDULE YOUR DELIVERY:

Delivery 7 days a week, from 10:00AM - 9:00PM (varies by store, see web site for details).

Delivery Fees - As low as $4.95!

Drivers do not accept tips, but a smile is always appreciated.

Save $5.00 when you spend $150 or more, OR, save $2.00 by choosing a 4 hour delivery window.

Tres Leches Cake

2006-06-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

I had been wanting to make Tres Leches Cake for some time now and back when I found that Tres Leches Cake Mix, I've been waiting for a special occasion to try it... (I figured a mix would make it easier the first time trying to make it). Yesterday we had our monthly church luncheon so I figured I would give it a try. Well.... it was quite an experience!

I was a bit skeptical when I read on the package that the cake is a single layer baked in a 9 inch pan and is supposed to soak up over 3 cups of liquid. The directions said to bake the cake, cool it then take it out of the pan. At the point you are to prepare the milk syrup, poke holes in the cake and pour the syrup over the cake.

Well, let's just say we went through a lot of paper towels with this project. My cake keeper does not have any type of edge around it which would catch any spilling liquid so all the excess liquid spilled everywhere! I only ended up using 3/4 of the liquid on the cake so hopefully it will be moist enough. I *think* the best way to approach a cake like this would be to bake it in a square pan and then leave it in the pan to cool then pour the liquid on it right in the pan. But, back to the story...

So once I got the cake cleaned up I took some canned crushed pineapple along with the liquid an and whisked in 2 Tbsp.. water mixed with 1 Tbsp. corn starch. I cooked that until thick and then spread it on the cake. The cake then went into the fridge to set. After a couple of hours I whipped 1/4 pint of heavy cream mixed with 1 Tbsp. Confectioners sugar and spread that over the entire cake. Finally I garnished with some coconut I had toasted and sliced strawberries. Sorry for not having a picture to share but we were running late and I didn't have time to find my camera!

Spring Cleaning

2006-06-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Actually by the feel of the weather outside I should say Summer Cleaning :)

Actually, I was feeling a bit bogged down by all the things on my main blog page so I catagorized things and created a Blog Catagories list at the top left for easier navigation. I feel so much more organized now :) Hope it's easier for you all to read as well!

Great Food Day!

2006-05-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday is what I like to call a "great food day". Now because we ate at a great restaurant or anything like that but because we got a lot of great deals! :)

First we made the trek (I say "trek" because it's a 45+ minute drive) out to Trader Joe's. I try to make it over there every month or so if I can to stock up on some things that we really like, such as Jasmine Rice, Thompson's raisins and organic tomato sauce. These items may sound like simple things you can find at any store but TJ's just taste better. While we were there I realized I had nothing planned for dinner that wouldn't take a long time to prepare so we needed something quick to prepare once we got back home. Usually to me quick food = expensive food so I took my time looking to see what we could get for a good price (considering we'd probably eat out if I didn't grab something). I finally settled on an item I had heard people raving about - Mandarin Orange Chicken. This chicken is frozen little breaded chicken pieces with a sauce you microwave and pour over it when it's finished cooking. From the looks of it, it reminded me of the Orange Chicken we love to eat at Panda Express so I figured it would be a hit. I also grabbed some frozen Pot Stickers to go with it. Upon arriving home I put the chicken in the oven to bake while starting a pot of Jasmine rice and the pot stickers. I also prepared some broccoli that we had in the freezer.

The meal was wonderful! My husband was shocked that frozen food could taste so much like the takeout we love. I paid $8 for everything we needed for that meal and if we had bought the same food at Panda I think the price would have been around $20 for the 5 of us. Not bad for "psudo-takeout" :)

Once dinner was done, kitchen cleaned and kids in bed, I realized I needed to complete an order I had started on Safeway.com for the rest of our grocery items. I still have two free deliveries left from a coupon I had last month so onto the computer I went to finish my order. Before I began I noticed I had an email from Safeway saying that they have two new coupon offers:

Use the code LASAGNA to get a free family size frozen lasagna with your order ($150 or more)
Use the code ORGANICS to get a free box of organic frozen blackberry/chocolate ice cream bars with your order. ($125 or more)

As you can imagine, I used both of those codes as well! So tomorrow, when I could be taking my kiddos out to fight the 100+ degree weather to shop for food, we will be here at home awaiting the "grocery man" as my girls like to call him :) I even ordered all my paper products and bottled water as well. Can you tell I don't enjoy shopping in heat? :)

Cucumber Salad

2006-05-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a message board buddy and wow is it good! I added a few ingredients to suite my family's tastes. I think I could make a meal of this salad by itself!

Cucumber Salad

4 large cucumbers, peeled, quartered and sliced
2 scallions, diced
1/2 pint heavy cream (you may only need to use 1/2 of it)
white vinegar (or cider vinegar... whatever you have on hand)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
dill

In a bowl layer as follows:
1 cucumber, a sprinkle of scallions, a drizzle of cream, a drizzle of vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and dill to taste. Repeat with remaining cucumbers. Refrigerate at least one hour to allow flavors to develop.

A new poll, finally!

2006-05-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

I was having problems logging in to create a new poll last week but now I have one ready for you :) Here are the results from our last poll:

What kitchen appliance do you use most? 45% said coffee or tea maker... we have a lot of coffee drinkers here! ;) I personally would have to say I use my sandwich maker or crock pot the most. I may have said my food processor but I killed it trying to make bread dough... yikes! So that is at the top of my list of things to buy right now.

Vote in the new poll and tell me about your kitchen :)

Mini Quiche

2006-05-26T13:44:00.002-07:00

Once or twice a month we take treats to church with us to share. Usually I bake some kind of bread or muffins but this time I wanted to do something different. I just bought a couple of mini muffin pans so I figured this would be a great time to try them out. I did make some muffins and little brownie bites in the pans to take but I also wanted a savory item so I make these mini quiche. They look and smell great, can't wait to get a bite :) Here's the recipe, it makes 48 bite size quiche:

Mini Quiche

1 package Pillsbury ready made pie crusts (or you can make your own pastry, make enough for a two crust pie)
4 eggs
1 and 1/2 c. milk or heavy creme
1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, swiss or similar type)
1/2 lb. diced ham
1/4 c. diced scallions
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash nutmeg

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Use a 2 inch circle as a guide (I used a plastic kids size snack cup) and cut out 48 circles from the pie crust (roll it extra thin but not transparent). Re-roll scraps to make enough so you have 48 circles total. Fit each circle into a well of a mini muffin pan, lightly crimp edges with your fingers. Into well put a pinch each of cheese, meat and onions. Pour in enough egg mixture to reach the top edge of each well. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden and center is set. (You can test the center by using a toothpick).

Cute Kitchen Goodies

2006-05-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

Normally I just chat about recipes and kitchen tips here but I have something really cute I wanted to share today. My friend Patty has some really adorable kitchen stationary sets available for sale! I don't know about you but I am addicted to cute recipe cards and little note pads to write down my grocery lists and other things as I move about the kitchen. Here's what some of her products look like.

She has an apple set, a strawberry set (my fave!) and a watermelon set. Each kit includes (4x6) recipe cards, (4x6) recipe card dividers, grocery list sheets, weekly menu planner, 5 recipe page-keepers for your cookbooks and cooking magazines, 30 freezer labels. Pieces are ready to print. cool thing is when you purchase these you print them right from your computer (no waiting for the UPS guy to arrive!). They start at only $9.99. You can find more info here.

Grillin!

2006-05-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

If you're a regular reader here you know that I am a kitchen gadget fanatic. I don't remember if I mentioned it or not but my hubby got me a George Foreman grill for Mother's Day! I was so excited to receive it because I had been wanting one for a long time. It was ordered from Amazon.com and just arrived yesterday. This is the model I received, it's a 10th Anniversary Limited Edition.
This thing is amazingly cool! So far we've only tried roasting bell peppers and steaks and I'm very impressed! Easy to use, easy to clean and best of all grilled food without standing over a hot BBQ grill! I brushed the grill surface with liquid smoke for a more authentic taste and it worked well. Tomorrow we're going to try some turkey burgers. This model is large enough to fit 8 burgers. I'm going to try some roasted potatoes along with the burgers as well. :)

Crock Pot Doughnut Pudding

2006-05-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

I found a bag of doughnuts in the freezer... the little doughnut hole type. Since I haven't made bread pudding in a while I thought it would be a fun way to use them up for the kids. They loved it!

Crock Pot Doughnut Pudding

15 doughnut holes, cut in half
1 c. milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
dash nutmeg

Put the doughnuts into a heat safe bowl (such as pyrex) and place the bowl in the crock pot. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over doughnuts. Cover crock pot and crock pot and cook on low for 3 - 4 hours.

Chicken With Artichokes, Zucchini and Tomatoes

2006-05-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

A lonely can of artichokes has been staring at me from the back of my cabinet for some time now. I figured tonight I would improvise a recipe to make use of it. This is what I came up with and it turned out really good!

Chicken With Artichokes, Zucchini and Tomatoes

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15 oz.) can artichokes, drained and chopped
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 zucchini, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 strips roasted red bell peppers (you can roast them yourself or buy the kind in the jar)
1 c. chicken broth
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
oregano
basil
red pepper flakes
parsley

In a 10 inch skillet, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender, remove from pan and keep warm. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes to your taste. Brown chicken on both sides in skillet them remove to a plate to keep warm. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and a splash of red wine vinegar for a couple of minutes. Add the zucchini, artichokes, tomatoes and red bell peppers. Allow to simmer until zucchini is tender. Add the chicken, onions and garlic back to the pan. Garnish with parsley. Allow to simmer 5 more minutes. Serve over linguini.

Spicing It Up

2006-05-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

I took an inventory of my spice cabinet the other day, as I do every so often. I am quite pleased with the wide array of spices I have acquired. However, I found a recipe recently on 28 cooks that I really wanted to try but was missing one ingredient.... turmeric. So I finally bought some today and can't wait to make the Indian Rice and potatoes that has had me drooling since I saw it. :)

I also love collecting recipes for "mixes", especially spice mixes. I already make my own adobo seasoning and cream soup mix. I have several recipes for other mixes that I have been waiting to try. I am planning to try a couple this week. Here a link to the most recent additions to my collection of spice mix recipes that I found on A Momma and The Boys Living On A Budget.

Today I found my new favorite store, AJ's Fine Foods. If cost weren't an issue I'd shop there on a regular basis, but like most specialty shops it's a place to go once in a while and also a place that if you shop strategically you can find some really great items at a reasonable price. The only items I purchased today were turmeric and Calrose rice but I plan on a return visit to do some price comparisons and to purchase a few specialty items I have been looking for. If you live in Arizona and have an AJ's in your area I would highly suggest a visit!

New Poll

2006-05-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late with the poll this week. Here are last week's stats for the question "How often do you eat dessert?":

Answers		Votes	Percent
1.	Every day	4	15%
2.	A couple of times a week	16	59%
3.	A couple of times a month	6	22%
4.	A few times a year	1	4%
5.	Never, I don't like sweets	0	0%

I am like the majority of you, I usually eat dessert a couple of times a week. On the days that I don't I usually have some sort of late night snack. I really need to cut back on those snacks, LOL!

The new poll is up, please take a moment to vote! :)

Mother's Day Goodies

2006-05-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

How is it possible to create 3 dozen sweet rolls of 3 different varieties without spending all day in the kitchen? Use frozen bread dough! That's exactly what I did to make up some Mother's Day goodies to take with us to church tomorrow. If you look in the freezer section on your supermarket you will find bread dough sold in three loaf packages. The one I like it by Rhodes. Let the dough thaw in your refrigerator and then one loaf at a time roll the dough out into rectangles. About 6 x 14 inches works well. Spread the dough with butter then top as you like. Here's what I did today:

Cinnamon Raisin Rolls - I spread the dough with melted butter then topped with cinnamon and raisins. These are frosted with a traditional confectioners sugar icing.

Caramel Walnut Rolls - I spread these with melted butter then topped with chopped walnuts and cinnamon. These are frosted with Betty Crocker Caramel icing.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Rolls - I spread these with melted butter topped with a puree of frozen strawberries (thawed) with a little sugar added. These are frosted with a cream cheese icing.

Once you top the rolls, roll the dough up jelly roll fashion, starting at one of the long ends. Cut the roll into 12 equal slices and put the rolls (with space between them) into 9 x 13 in. pans sprayed with non-stick spray. Let them rise 3 hours then bake according to the directions on the dough package (check them after 30 minutes to make sure they are not browning too quickly). Remove them from the oven when done and ice them while still hot.

For the icings this is what I did:

confectioners sugar icing - confectioners sugar (about 1 c.) thinned with just enough milk to make is spreadable.

Caramel icing - store bought by Betty Crocker

Cream Cheese Icing - confectioners sugar (about 1 c.), 2 Tbsp. cream cheese and 2 Tb. butter creamed with enough milk to make it spreadable.

Bean Soup

2006-05-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

With Mother's Day just a couple of days away, I've been seeing a lot of interesting and delicious sounding recipes on-line lately. One website that really caught my attention is a post on the Beyond Blossoms blog about cooking with flowers. Not only can you send flowers from their website, you can also find some really unique recipes as well. One that sounds really good is Carrot Cake With Thyme flowers. I love carrot cake and will be giving this one a try very soon!

I'm expecting an order from Safeway.com in the morning so dinner tonight is a sort of "clean out the pantry and fridge" sort of meal. It's simmering away on the stove right now and smells really good!

Bean Soup

2 c. dried pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
1 link smoked sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
3 strips turkey bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 small can no salt added tomato sauce
1/3 c. pearl barley
1 Tbsp. soul food seasoned salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. dried parsley

Add all ingredients except seasoned salt to a large soup pot. Cover with water to about 4 inches above the ingredients. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cover. Allow to simmer 3 - 4 hours or until beans are tender. Add salt and allow to simmer an additional 30 minutes. Serve with rice or biscuits.

AWESOME Safeway.com Deal!

2006-05-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a brand new (limited time) promo code from Safeway.com. Buy $100 or more worth of groceries and receive $20 off! Good for new and existing customers. Click the banner for more info.

Other Current Safeway.com promo codes:

Use code MAMA to get a free box of chocolates for Mother's Day - good until May 14th, must spend minimum $125 in groceries.

Your next deliver FREE - enter code EFREE2 at checkout. Minimum ourchase $50... not sure when this one expires.

Use code

Small Appliance Cooking

2006-05-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post I wanted to talk more about ways to cut costs in the kitchen. The main focus of my blog has been how you can save and still eat a wide variety of foods. But with the summer coming (a.k.a. higher electric bills) I've been thinking a lot more about cutting costs.
The temperature here hit 100 degrees one time already last week and it looks like the heat is here to stay. We don't own a BBQ grill yet (nor do we have a space to set one up at this time) so it's all indoor cooking for us in the summer. I always hate heating up the kitchen in the and try to do any stove top cooking one day a week. The rest of the week I make use of the microwave and all the other small appliances I have to minimize heat in the kitchen. Not only do small appliances keep things cooler but it sure does help out cooling bill as well! Even though it's not officially summer yet, it looks like it time to challenge myself to keep the heat out of the kitchen. Anyone care to join me? :) Here are the small appliances I own and what they can be used for.

Crock Pot - the usual soups and stews, meats, greens, scalloped potatoes, baked potatoes, desserts, bread pudding, breads and rice can all be prepared in the crock pot. There are LOTS more things that can be made in the crock pot, I have some recipes on my other blog and you can do a search online and find many many more.

Steamer - fresh and frozen vegetables, baked potatoes, boneless/skinless chicken, rice, steamed desserts. This steamer is great because you can cook two things at one time so it saves a lot of time. The old one I had only had one steaming tier.

Sandwich Maker - pocket sandwiches, pancakes, biscuits, omelets, brownies.

Waffle Iron - as far as I know this can only be used for waffles and waffle sticks. I'd love some other ideas though.

George Foreman Contact Roaster- anything you can make in a 350 degree oven can be made in this roaster. Meats cook well right on the grilling surface, anything else I use the roasting pan that it came with (equivalent to an 8 x 8 inch square pan but it is oval shaped).

I am hoping to also buy an electric griddle, electric skillet and a George Foreman Grill before the summer is over. :)

Saturday Ramblings

2006-05-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

There were 10 votes for the poll I had up this past week, here are the results to the questions "What prompts your grocery buying decisions?"

Answers		Votes	Percent
1.	Price of the food	4	40%
2.	Brand name of the food	0	0%
3.	Health value of the food	1	10%
4.	Sales or special offers	1	10%
5.	Other (Please specify in a comment)	4	40%

It looks like most of you are concerned about price (as am I!). I am having to watch our health a lot more closely since I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and hubby has reflux problems but really, all in all, we do have to keep our eye on our costs overall. I'm planning to get some more articles about cost cutting in the days to come so stay tuned! The new poll is up now so please vote.

We were having some fun with the new sandwich maker this morning and came up with a new invention we call "Pouf Cakes". Aren't these cute? This is what you get when you bake pancake batter in the sandwich maker. The girls loved these.

I have been making a lot of pancakes and waffles since I found that new Heart Healthy Bisquick k but we got down to the bottom of the box a couple of days ago. I read the ingredient list and thought there must be a copy cat recipe on-line somewhere. I found a recipe on a message board that I modified and I LOVE it! It made about twice as much as the box of Bisquick and it much healthier! Here's the recipe. You can also make a mix like this using shortening, here's that recipe.

This afternoon we're going to make chocolate chip cookies.

Homemade Bisquick (Heart Healthy)

8 c. all-purpose flour (or 4 c. all-purpose flour and 4 c. whole wheat pastry flour)
5 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 c. dry non-fat milk powder
1 c. canola oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or a large bowl. If using a food processor pulse the ingredients until well combined. If using a bowl, use a fork or pastry blender to mash the ingredients into crumbs then mix well with fingers to break up any lumps. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use in any recipe calling for Bisquick. Here are some recipe ideas.

Sandwich Maker

2006-05-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to buy some sort of sandwich grill for some time now. I heat up the kitchen with the stove top almost daily making grilled cheese sandwiches so I thought it would be worth the savings in electricity to purchase one. Originally I wanted a panini press but thinking of the kids and what they like to eat, I realized that that probably should wait a couple years and a simple sandwich press would suffice. I browsed amazon.com for a while and finally came across one that looked like it would do the job for a great price. The one I chose is the Proctor Silex Meal Maker Sandwich Toaster

I like this little gadget a lot, we just received it yesterday and have already used it three times. I learned quickly that you have to be very careful using cheese with this. American cheese is NOT the best type to use because no matter how little you use, it tends to ooze out. The cheese is not impossible to clean up but it's messy It works better when you place the fillings towards the center of the bread or whatever you are stuffing. I first made grilled cheese sandwiches for my girls (big mess!). Then this morning I tried something different. I used white bread for the girls and made a few different types of sandwiches... peanut butter and honey, grape jelly and cream cheese with honey and cinnamon. They loved them all but the cream cheese and cinnamon got the highest vote. I also tried using tortillas which I stuffed with refried beans and those actually worked the best, the edges sealed very well and they were nice and toasted without being dried out.

I think one of those sandwich makers on the TV infomercial (I forget the name) would probably work better because the wells are deeper and you can do more with it, but for $14.97 this was worth the money. You can use it for pancakes, omelets, stuffed biscuits and lots more. I'm sure we will come up with lots of neat ideas in the days to come :)

Grocery Deal Day

2006-05-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

A great website was brought to my attention today, Hillbilly Housewife. If you've never heard of this site, take a look! It is wonderful for those of us trying to keep our food costs down... lots of ideas, recipes and even menus and shopping lists!

Tonight for dinner we had tacos, homemade refried beans and calebacitas. I finally got a picture of the Calebacitas up, so take a peek! I have been making things to freeze or store in the fridge over the past couple of days. I made a batch of Sweet Potato Muffins, Homemade Baked Beans, Salsa (using my Pico De Gallo recipe and a blender) and Hummus... as well as the Egg Muffins leftover from yesterday so the next few day I will not have much to do in the kitchen. :)

I found a few good deals while out shopping today.

Roma tomatoes for 59 cents/lb. (I'm going to make roasted tomato sauce with these... my version of the recipe to come).

White bread (day old) 50 cents each.

Flatout flatbread 99 cents (also day old).

Tyson "Heat and Eat" chicken breasts $1 for a package of 2.

Hilshire Farm Lite Smoked Sausage for $1.

and a new product I have never seen before...

Duncan Hines Tres Leches Cake for $1.

Not a bad shopping day!

Egg Muffins

2006-05-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on Cookin' With Cyndi and knew I had to try it! I made these tonight for dinner since my girls are not fond of spaghetti and that is what I had planned for tonight. The recipe originated at Kalyn's Kitchen and it was so easy to make! The girls loved it and there are leftovers to freeze which is an added bonus. You'll have to visit Cyndi for pics because my little ones attacked these before I could grab my camera.

Egg Muffins
(adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen - makes one dozen)

12 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2- 2 cups diced meat Canadian bacon, ham, sausage, etc.)
1 1/2- 2 cups grated cheese
1 Tbsp. dried diced shallots
1 tbsp. dried diced chives
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin pan with nonstick spray. If using regular muffin pan, put two paper liners into each slot, then spray liner with nonstick spray. In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat and shallots. You want the muffin cups to be 3/4 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients. Beat eggs well with milk, spices and chives. Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is full to the brim, nearly overflowing. Bake 25-30 minutes until muffins have risen above the rim of the muffin cups and are slightly browned and set. These freezer well. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before microwaving. I like to wrap them in a paper towel when reheating in microwave to soak up some of the liquid that is sometimes released.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

2006-04-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I've been giving my thoughts on my "Weekly Polls" but not sharing the stats with you so here they are for this past week:

The question was "What is your favorite kind of food?" The answers were as follows:

Answers		Votes	Percent
1.	American	2	10%
2.	Italian	5	24%
3.	Chinese	2	10%
4.	Thai	1	5%
5.	French	0	0%
6.	Indian	2	10%
7.	Mexican	5	24%
8.	Greek	1	5%
9.	German	0	0%
10.	Other (post a comment and let me know!)	3	14%

I'm a little disappointed that no one posted a comment to let me know what their favorite food is (those that chose option #10). I'm very curious to know! I'm not surprised that Mexican and Italian top the list, those seem to be favorites of many people. As for me, it's very hard to pick just one! I grew up eating a lot of Mexican food and although I do love it, I love most every other type on the list here as well plus other not listed like Soul food, Japanese food, Filipino food, Jamaican food and Hawaiian food... I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting!

The new poll is up so please vote! :)

On to the recipe......

I've been making this recipe for some time now for family at church with new babies. It's a great recipe because you can make up a double batch and because my kids love it :) This last time I snuck in some chopped broccoli and it was wonderful. An easy "heat and eat" meal!

Creamy Chicken-and-Rice Casserole

1 package chicken-flavored Rice-A-Roni (I use my Homemade Rice-A-Roni Mix)
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 1/4 c. water
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 c. veggies of your choice (optional) - I like to use broccoli but you can use mixed veggies, spinach, mushrooms, etc.
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 c. nonfat sour cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup, condensed
1/2 c. crushed multigrain crackers - or any kind of crumbs like bread crumbs, crushed corn flakes or even crushed Rice Krispies
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

Cook rice mix in a large nonstick skillet according to package directions, using 1 Tbsp. margarine and 2-1/4 cups hot water. Remove mixture from skillet; set aside. Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Coat the skillet with cooking spray, and place over high heat until hot. Add chicken, veggies, and garlic powder; saute for 6 minutes or until chicken loses its pink color. Combine rice mixture, chicken mixture, sour cream, pepper, and soup in a bowl; stir well. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine crumbs, margarine, and poppy seeds; stir well, and sprinkle over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Bread Crumb Cookies

2006-04-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

I posted this recipe in one of my past newsletters and wanted to share it again. I know, it sounds wierd... cookies made with bread crumbs. I thought so too when I found this recipe several years ago. It was one of the many recipes I have found through The Complete Tightwad Gazette. These cookies remind me of chocolate "lace" cookies... kind of thin, delicate (they break very easily) and very delicious. In my opinion they taste best the second day. If I ever make a batch that lasts longer than two days I'll let you know how they are on the third ;)

Bread Crumb Cookies

1 1/4 c flour
1 1/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 c cocoa
1/2 c milk
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c melted shortening
2 c bread crumbs

Sift together dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients and add to dry mixture. Add melted shortening and bread crumbs. Drop by spoonfuls onto an a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until done.

Watkins!

2006-04-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love the UPS guy? :) I sure do! I had been waiting for a package and was so happy when he knocked at my door this morning!

I absolutely LOVE Watkins products. I used to sell them years ago and then became a customer after that. I didn't order often because the shipping was a bit high... my mom, sister and I would combine our orders to save on the shipping. So you can imagine I was very excited a couple of weeks ago when my "Lovely Watkins Lady" Bianca told me that there are new lower shipping rates. How often does that happen? I was very excited to receive my order!

I ordered their Menthol Camphor Ointment for hubby (his favorite Watkins item), a tin of delicious smelling baking cocoa that I can wait to use, a bottle of Powdered Ginger which smells divine and an item I have never tried... Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Mix - yum! Of course they also always include a catalog with specials for the following month so I am looking through that right now to see what goodies I might purchase next. :)

If you're interested in Watkins products, you can contact Bianca at bianca5454 @ neo.rr . com (remove the spaces), or stop by the Watkins website to shop and use her ID# 358211 to make a purchase. They have excellent products, reasonable prices (for a specialty food line) and wonderful customer service!

Another Leftover Makeover

2006-04-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Last night I was trying to clean out the fridge since we will be getting groceries in a few days. In the back of the freezer I found a large Ziploc bag with leftover Arroz Con Pollo, a container of frozen cooked rice, a bag of shredded carrots, a chicken breast from a creamy baked chicken creation I had created and a single Sofrito cube. I decided to combine all of these and make soup.

I put all of these ingredients into the crockpot along with 8 c. of chicken broth and let it simmer all day. When it was done I removed the larger pieces of chicken and shredded them. The verdict? It was very flavorful but the rice was a little mushy (I happen to like it that way but hubby didn't). I served it topped with crispy tortilla strips, shredded cheese, a dolop of sour cream and a spoonful of salsa. It tasted great! There's plenty left for lunch today and I'm looking forward to another bowl :)

Safeway.com Promo Codes

2006-04-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

I received these promo codes recently for Safeway.com. If you're interested here's the link to their website. It's already getting hot here in AZ, I don't plan on setting foot outdoors to shop this summer if I don't have to! :) The prices are a tad bit higher than our local market but with three kids and temps over 100 degrees all summer we find it worth it to shop with Safeway. With these promos it looks like we may be starting off a bit early this year. Here are the codes.

Your next deliver FREE - enter code EFREE2 at checkout
Your next three deliveries for FREE - Enter code DNEXT3 at checkout
But Two Stouffer's Skillet Sensations and get FREE Artisan bread - enter code SENSATION at checkout

Belated Christmas Gift

2006-04-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Back around Chritmas time, my mom told me that she and my dad had a gift for me. She said they would bring it to me when they had a chance to come visit or send it along with my sister. So today my sister and her husband came up to visit and presented me with this

How totally cool! This set is by Cuisinart and I cannot wait to try it out! Thanks Mom and Dad! :)

Thanks to all of you who took my weekly poll. I was a little surprised at how many of you eat beef most often. I've read lately that the majority of people are chicken eaters on a regualr basis. (Personally I prefer beef too!)

Take a vote for the new poll this week (to your left). Thanks!

Cuban Bread

2006-04-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe from The Tightwad Gazette for a while now and I finally made it today. I made two loaves (for my mom and sister) but I'm going to make more tomorrow for us... it smelled so good coming out of the oven! I can't wait to try it!

Cuban Bread

5-6 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. dry yeast
2 T. sugar
1 T. salt
2 c. hot water (not boiling)
1 T. sesame or poppy seeds or oats

Mix 4 cups of the flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt. Pour in hot water and beat 100 strokes, or 3 minutes with a mixer. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead 8 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Let rise 15 minutes. Punch down. Divide into 2 pieces, shape into 2 round loaves and place on baking sheet. Cut an X 1/2 inch deep on top with sharp knife. Brush with water and sprinkle with seeds or oats. Place on the middle shelf of a cold oven. Place a cake pan of hot water on the lowest shelf. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake 40-50 minutes until deep golden brown.

Ribs In The Crock Pot

2006-04-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

I made ribs in the crock pot today and they were amazing! I personally prefer boneless ribs but this would work with bone-in ribs as well... beef or pork.

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

3 lbs. pork ribs
Hickory Smoked Salt (or salt, pepper and liquid smoke) to taste
1 onion, sliced
1 (16 oz.) bottle barbeque sauce

Sprinkle ribs with Hickory Smoked Salt. Place ribs in broiler pan under broiler for 15 minutes to brown and remove excess fat. Put sliced onion in crock pot. Slice ribs into serving pieces and put in crock pot. Pour in barbeque sauce. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

No Cooking Here

2006-04-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately there's been no cooking going on around here the past few days. After a long bout with sinus problems I now have tonsillitis. Not the best thing to promote a good appetite and desire to be creative in the kitchen. But I'm on the mend and am planning to bake some bread tomorrow. Stay tuned...

Baking Mix - A Nice Surprise!

2006-04-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

I don't normally care for packaged mixes for baking but when I saw this new Healthy Heart Bisquick I thought I'd give it a try. I could actually read the ingredients list and recognize every one of them... how rare is that? So this morning we used it to make waffles and I was pleasantly surprised. They were light, fluffy, slightly crisp on the outside and VERY good! In the tradition of Siskel and Ebert I would give this mix "two thumbs up".

Happy Easter!

2006-04-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's about to be a busy weekend so I thought I would post early and wish you all a Happy and Blessed Easter! I was just looking at the stats from the poll this past week and it looks like most of you have a traditional meal you prepare for Easter, namely ham, which is not surprising to me. Seems like ham is a mainstay for Easter. I would be interested to know... those of you that voted for "another traditional family meal"... what is your family's traditional Easter meal. I was surprised that no one is preparing turkey for Easter. Growing up it seems that about half of the folks we knew prepared a ham and the other half, a turkey. Personally I could go for either since both are delicious! :) This year, after much debate, we decided to go non-traditional so I will be preparing spaghetti, broccoli with shallots, garlic bread and brownies for dessert. Hubby and the kids are REALLY looking forward to the meal so who knows, it may just become our new family tradition. I've got a new poll up this week (to your left) so take a minute and vote.

Easter is a very special time for us. If you've been visiting me for any amount of time now you know that I am a Christian so to me Easter is much more than bunnies, eggs and jelly beans. It's a time to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Some of you voted last week that you don't celebrate Easter. If you're not familiar with the meaning of Easter (the true meaning that is), take a look here for more info.

I'll be back next week with more from my kitchen. Enjoy your weekend everyone!