Bear Canyon Good Eats

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

2011-10-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

I have also made these with slices of tomato. It just depends on what you have around. Baby BLTs

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza

2011-10-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

This was very good. I am totally into avocado lately and mmmm.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/grilled-chicken-taco-pizzas-recipe/index.html

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2011-09-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe is so easy and delicious:

1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
20 oz cooked chicken breast (You can use a 20oz bag of Kroger's grilled chicken from Smith's or about 3 breasts should do it)
4 1/2 oz deli sliced ham, cut into pieces
1 pkg. (6oz) swiss cheese, cut into pieces
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
1 cup Corn flakes, crushed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. melted butter

Preheat oven to 400

Wisk together sour cream, chicken broth, dijon mustard and black pepper in a large bown until smooth, Add rice, chicken, ham, cheese and frozen peas; stir to combine.

Pour mixture into a 13x9 inch baking dish and spread evenly

Mix together crushed corn flakes, parmesan cheese and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over top of casserole.

Bake uncovered on center oven rack for 25 minutes until heated through and topping is golden brown.

Just a note, I served my peas on the side and I also added more corn flakes to the top because 1 cup didn't seem like it was enough. Very good.

Pasta Salad with Spinach

2011-02-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Fancy name huh? Well, you can come up with your own if you like this recipe. I got the recipe from a friend a long time ago and she didn't have a name for it either.

Here's the recipe, this is for you Marjorie!

1 16 oz. box tri color noodles (cook and cool)

1 bunch baby spinach

2 cups shredded chicken

1/2 cup sliced green onions

Sauce:

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup white vinegar

3 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Cook sunflower seeds in oil just until brown (this doesn't take very long, don't burn them!). Take off the heat and add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Mix with pasta, chicken and onions. Add spinach just before serving and toss.

Junior Mint Cupcakes

2011-02-26T19:07:00.000-08:00

It's about time for a new post eh?!

Here is a link to the recipe for these cupcakes I took to book group...

http://picky-palate.com/2009/08/10/chocolate-fudge-jr-mint-centered-cupcakes/

And here is a link to this cake...

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/meringue-frosted-cake-with-raspberry-filling

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2010-11-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hi All! This is just a copy of a post that I did for my sisers' food blog but I thought you all would like it too!

We had some freaking huge pumpkins to carve this year, plus I made a dinner-in-a-pumpkin so we had a TON of seeds to roast. I did half salty and half sweet. The sweet are SO yummy. I got the recipe from a friend of mine. Here's a LINK to the recipe but I'll put it here too.

Sugar and Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dry and toasted. Larger seeds may take longer.
In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of white sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle the remaining sugar over them. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts, about 45 seconds. Pour seeds into the bowl with the spiced sugar and stir until coated. Allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Savory Pumpkin Seeds

Happy Halloween!

Black Bean Burritos

2010-10-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

4 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 25 min.
Ingredients

* 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 3 teaspoons chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* Salsa and sour cream

Directions

* Place beans in a large microwave-safe bowl; mash lightly (I just did it on the stove and heated it up as I added the ingredients). Stir in the chilies, onion, peppers, oil, chili powder, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through, stirring once. Spread about 1/4 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons cheese; roll up. Place seam side down in an ungreased 11-in. x 7-in. microwave-safe dish.
* Cover with a damp microwave-safe paper towel. Microwave on high for 25-40 seconds or until heated through. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
(I used those tortillas that you get from Costco that aren't precooked and we cooked them and then just assembled everything at the table and didn't heat them up again because tortilla and beans were warm already. The boys all really liked them. I also doubled recipe to feed our family).
Yield: 4 servings.

Holy Guacamole

2010-09-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

Having lived here for 20% of my life, I feel shamed that I have yet to start liking chiles and ordering them on things like hamburgers and fries. However, I am a huge fan of guacamole. I have studied the excellent table-side guacamole makers at both the restaurant at La Fonda in SF and Gabriel's, north of there, and came up with this recipe, which I really love. I am a believer in putting the avocados (once they are ripe) in the fridge, since colder ones taste better. Also I am not a huge fan of hot or spicy items, so you can add extra jalapenos, garlic or onion, depending on what you like. Anyhow, here is my guacamole recipe that sort of makes me feel like a native:

1 small tomato or half a large tomato, diced
1/4 an onion, or one small shallot onion, diced
1/2 a jalapeno, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, roasted on the stove
salt and pepper
juice from half a lime
2 small- to medium-sized avocados
tortilla chips

Put the first five ingredients in a bowl together.
Mash the avocados in a different bowl with the lime (in order to have at its freshest!). Mix the ingredients together and enjoy!

Pork Tortillas

2010-09-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

I had a request to put these recipes on here...

Pork Tortillas

3 pounds pork roast or pork loin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 small can green chiles, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound dried pinto beans
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano

Brown pork roast in a pan on the stove. Put in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients and fill crockpot with water. Cook on low for 8 hours. When it is done, spoon out the beans. Shred the roast. Serve in flour tortillas.

Sweet Pork Tortillas

3-4 lb beef/pork roast

1 bottle red taco sauce

1 can of Coke soda (12 oz)

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tbls cumin

Place roast in a crock-pot or roasting pan. Fill with water until ½ of the roast is covered. Cook until the roast shreds easily (about 3 hours). Take roast out and shred meat. Discard water from pan. Put listed ingredients into pan, stir, then added shredded meat and cook for another 2-3 hours on low settings. Can use meat for tacos, salads, burritos, chimichangas etc.

Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Basil and Tomato

2010-09-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

I tried this recipe for dinner tonight and LOVED it so I wanted to share it. I added some fresh mozzarella cheese to the basil and tomato.

http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-stuffed-with-basil-and-tomato?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/grilled-chicken-recipes#slide_9

BYU Mint Brownies

2010-08-31T21:17:00.001-07:00

Here's the brownies that Brittany Anderson brought to last week's RS activity.

BYU MINT BROWNIES

Sugar-n-Spice, Cougareat Food Court
MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.
1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)
MINT ICING
5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring
1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.
2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.
3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Olive Cheese Bread

2010-08-29T18:51:00.001-07:00

Here is Marjorie Rhodes' recipe from the My Favorite Things activity.

Olive Cheese Bread

14.5 oz can black olives, drained
6 oz jar pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained
2 green onions
1/4 lb butter, softened
1/2 c mayo (real mayo, no substitutions)
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 loaf crusty French bread

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the black olives on a cutting board. Chop them roughly until most of the large pieces are broken up.
Place the green olives on the cutting board. And give 'em a rough chop.
Slice the green onions, then chop them up roughly.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, mayo, cheese, olives, and green onions.
Stir until thoroughly combined. At this point, grabe the nearest cracker and take a taste. Repeat as needed.
Slice the French bread loaf in half lengthwise. Spread the olive-cheese mixture in an even layer on each half.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese mixture is thoroughly melted and beginning to turn light brown and bubly. Cut into diagonal slices and serve immediately.

Prepare the olive/cheese mixture up to two days ahead of time. Store tightly covered in the fridge.
Or, spread the olive/cheese mixture on the bread and freeze, tightly wrapped, up to six months. Thaw before baking.

The cheese topping also makes a delicious spread for crackers.

Substitute drained, chopped artichoke hearts and grated Parmesan cheese for the black olives and Monterey Jack cheese.

Refrigerated Salad

2010-08-29T18:50:00.001-07:00

Hey ladies! Here's Rae Mortensen's recipe from last week's activity!

Refrigerated Salad

#2 can choepeg corn

#2 can baby peas

#2 can french cut green beans

#2 can red kindey beans

1 small onion, minced

1 bell pepper, minced

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c vinegar

1/3 c oil

salt & pepper

Mix sugar, oil & vinegar in saucepan. Heat to boiling. Pour over drained vegetables. Refrigerate overnight. Keeps 3-4 weeks in fridge.

I'd love to see some more recipes from the My Favorite Things activity posted! :)

New Contributors

2010-08-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hi All!

There are many of you that are new in the ward/ABQ area. If you would like to contribute to this food blog please make a comment and we'll figure out how to get you on. Or you could let Claire know and she can email me your address. Claire, (or anyone that has it) you could also give out my email address. I love new contributors! Everyone does!

Thanks!

Lunch Boxes

2010-08-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

So, here I am again sharing what I think is a great idea. It isn't mine to share, but since Cecy suggested I look at these lunch totes and snapware at Costco, I thought you might like to take a look as well. I bought two for my elementary aged kids. They are machine washable, the snapware fits together nicely and snaps completely shut, and it can go right in the dishwasher. Thanks Cecy for doing all the research, and then letting me in on the great deal They are on sale for $18.97, which is a fantastic price considering that just the tote alone is usually somewhere around $15. Now, we just have to make sure they don't get lost. (but that is a whole other story)

Also, I'm always looking for good lunches to send to school with my children. I have a few rules:
1. It has to be fast to make.
2. It should be a little healthy (a little treat never hurt anyone).
3. And, of course, affordable.

So, please tell me what you make for school lunch. I would love some fresh, fun things to try this year.

Frosted Banana Cookies

2010-08-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Vanilla Frosting (recipe follows)

VANILLA FROSTING
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk (2 to 3 tablespoons)

Heat oven to 350º. Grease cookie sheet. Beat sugar, bananas, butter and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except Vanilla Frosting.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown and almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Frosting.

VANILLA FROSTING:

Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable.

*Sorry that I don't have a picture but there are no cookies left to photograph!

**For the frosting I just mixed powdered sugar with a little milk so it was more like a glaze. I thought that would be better than a heavy frosting

***I used 1/2 cup wheat flour and 3/4 cup white flour

Sunday Sundae's

2010-08-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies...so I'm using this food blog to share an idea that a good friend of mine came up with. No worries, it has food as a reward! I called mine "Give me a Sunday Five", my friend is calling her's "Special Sunday Seven" (she is having her kids do seven, and I'm having my kids do five). I have a list of things that my kids can do on Sundays to earn an ice cream sundae. It's to help us do "Sunday worthy" activities while doing things that I also want to see happen, like, journaling, article of faith memorizing, etc. We have done it for one Sunday, and I think this program will become a staple in our family--talk to me in 3 months and see if we are still doing it. Isn't that how long it takes to form a habit???

Here is the poster I made to hang on our fridge:

I love getting good ideas from good people...which I believe you all to be. Perhaps you could share your ideas about mothering, family, life, etc with me through this blog. Is that even allowed Kathy B.?? Can I open our blog up to good ideas (we could call it Bear Canyon Good Ideas!)

Recipe Lunch

2010-07-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some recipes from a lunch we had at the park. If anyone was there and has anything to add, let me know or you can add it yourself if you know how. Thanks for sharing!

Paht Thai Noodles (Elise Hadley)

¼ lb dried rice noodles, linguine or fettuccine width

3 T vegetable oil

1 T coarsely chopped garlic

8-10 med. Shrimp (1/4 lb.), peeled and deveined

¼ lb. boneless chicken or pork, cut in bite-sized pieces

3 T fish sauce

2 T soy sauce

2 T sugar

½ t dried red chili flakes or chili powder (I used less for those who don’t like spicy food)

Water to prevent noodles from sticking

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 green onions, coarsely chopped (1/3 cup)

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

¼ cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts

2 T freshly squeezed lime juice

2 lime wedges

1. To prepare the dried noodles, bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil, add the noodles, and remove from heat. Let the noodles steep 5 min, and then drain and rinse well in cold water. Transfer the drained rice noodles to a medium bowl and place it by the stove, along with a serving platter, a pair of long-handled tongs or a spatula, and a slotted spoon for tossing the noodles. Have all the remaining ingredients ready and handy.

2. In a large, deep skillet or wok, heat 2 T of the oil over medium heat until a bit of garlic sizzles at once. Add the garlic, toss well, and then add the shrimp and chicken or pork. Cook about 2 minutes, tossing now and then, until shrimp and meat are cooked through.

Add the noodles and toss as they begin to soften, whiten, and curl in the hot pan. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and chili flakes and cook 1-2 minutes, tossing now and then. Add a splash or tow of water to prevent sticking.

When the noodles are tender, push them to one side and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the egg, and once it is almost set, scramble it and push it aside. Add the green onions and 1 cup of the bean sprouts and cook 1 minute, tossing once or twice, until shiny and beginning to wilt.

Sprinkle lime juice over the top and toss. Serve with fresh bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chopped peanuts.

From Quick and Easy Thai By Nanci McDermott

Salmon (Lindsey Bangerter)

4 salmon fillets
McMormick Lemon and Herb Seasonings
Milk

Salsa:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 shallot, dices
2 Tbsp capers
4 basil leaves, minced
2 roma tomatoes
Saute Shallot, capers, and basil in oil. Add tomatoes

Put fish in 9x13 pan. Pour enough milk in pan for it to be 1/2 " high. Sprinkle lemon and herb seasoning on fish and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Serve with salsa on top.

Cool couscous with Fruit and Nuts (Cecy Wheeler)

1 cup uncooked couscous
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup dried mixed fruit
2 tablespoons dry-roasted cashews, chopped

Combine couscous and salt in a medium bowl; add 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Cover and let stand 8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Combine juice and oil; stir into couscous. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Stir in fruit and cashews. Yield: 6 servings

Summertime Orzo and Chicken (Cecy Wheeler)

3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink.

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, parsley and chicken. Drain pasta; stir into chicken mixture. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, slat and pepper. Pour over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Serve warm or cold. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese.

Cowboy Caviar (Nicole Anderson)

1 can corn
1 can black beans, drained
3 large tomatoes, chopped
3 large avocados, chopped
2 Tbs chopped green onions
1 package dry Italian dressing
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs water

In a large bowl mix corn, peas, tomatoes, avocados and onions. In another bowl mix the dry Italian dressing, olive oil, vinegar and water. Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss until evenly coated. Serve with tortilla chips.

Grilled Pineapple

2010-05-16T19:22:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe I looked up after going to Tucanos and thoroughly enjoying the grilled pineapple there. You don't actually have to have a rotisserie to make it. I got the recipe from this website:

http://kierasrecipes.blogspot.com

Tucanos Pineapple

What a great way to cook pineapple and in such a simple recipe, too. Good desserts do not have to be complex cakes cookies or candies. Some are just simple fruit with a sweet glaze. The particular pineapple was peeled and cored right in front of us in the grocery store, so we knew it would have the ultimate in fresh flavor. The addition of lemon juice to the glaze adds a bright flavor.

Ingredients:

One half pineapple, cut into long spears
1 TBPS butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tsp. cinnamon, in all
lemon juice

Fire up the grill to medium heat. Before putting the pinapple down, sprinkle the spears with half of the cinnamon and a little bit of brown sugar. This will facilitate a sweetness and instant carmelization when they hit the grill.

In a small saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar and the rest of the cinnamon. Heat until bubbly and the sugar is properly melted.

Grill the pineapple spears over direct heat about 2-3 minutes per side, turning occaisionally. Each time it turns, baste with a brush of glaze. When finished, plate up and drizzle a final amount of glaze on top.

Tomato Alphabet Soup

2010-02-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

I got the basic recipe for Tomato Alphabet Soup at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/50-easy-soups-1--10/index.html, but I found it a little bland so I doctored it up and we really like it. Here is what I do:

Brown 1/2 pound hamburger with some onion and minced garlic, drain off the fat if needed.
Add three cups chicken broth and two cups tomato juice and bring to a boil.
Add as much oregano as you would like.
Adjust taste to your liking with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, more oregano, basil--or whatever sounds good to you!
Add 1/2 cup alphabet pasta and cook until tender. (I couldn't find alphabet pasta so I just found a small pasta and used it).
I also like to throw in some fresh or frozen spinach when the pasta is just about finished.
Serve with grated parmesan if desired.

The above website is a link to 50 easy soups. I like a lot of the others too and recommend taking a look through them. This recipe is number #31 on the list.

South of the Border Sandwiches

2010-01-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

8 sandwich rolls, split open or 1 loaf french bread

1/2 cup olives, chopped

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

3/4 to 1 pound turkey, thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 ripe avocados, sliced

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 cup pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In a bowl, combine olives, chili powder, cumin and salt; set aside 2 T of this mixture. Add the mayo, sour cream, and green onions to the remaining olive mixture.

Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet and spread 1 T of the mayo mixture on each slice or roll. Top with slices of turkey and tomatoes. Spread with another tablespoon of the mayo mixture. Top with sliced avocados and cheeses. Sprinkle with the reserved 2 T of olive mixture.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until heated through. Makes 8-10 servings

Maria's Clam Chowder

2010-01-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Hi All!

Tonight I went to a Soup-n-Swap for our Enrichment Night. Very fun! I brought a clam chowder. A recipe Maria gave to me in 2005! It is very delicious and I noticed that it wasn't here so I'll copy her recipe so you clam chowder lovers can try it. YUM! Thanks, Maria! I have so many of your recipes that I now use on a regular basis. You are very talented!

I miss ya'll!...Except for those of you I don't know...cuz...I don't know you.:) Anyway, enjoy!

Bratten's Boston Clam Chowder

2-6 1/2 oz. minced clams

1 c. onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

2 c. potatoes, diced

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. flour

1 quart half and half

1 1/2 t. salt

a few grains of pepper

1/2 t. sugar

Drain juice from clams and pour over vegetables in med. saucepan. Add enough water to barely cover and simmer, covered, over med heat until potatoes are tender. In the meantime, melt butter, add flour and blend and cook a minute or two. Add cream and cook and stir until smooth and thick, using a whisk to blend. Add undrained vegetables and clams and heat through. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.

Apple Cheesecake

2009-12-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

CRUST:
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
3 T. sugar
½ t. ground cinnamon
¼ c. butter, melted
2 T. finely chopped pecans
FILLING:
3 (8oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
¾ c. sugar
3 eggs
¾ t. vanilla extract
TOPPING:
2-1/2 c. chopped peeled apples

1 T. lemon juice
¼ c. sugar
½ t. ground cinnamon
6 T. caramel ice cream topping, divided
whipped topping
2 T. chopped pecans

Combine the crust ingredients; press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9" springform pan. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes; cool.
In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust.
Toss apples with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon; spoon over filling.
Bake @ 350 for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons caramel topping. Cool for 1 hour. Chill overnight. Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream. Drizzle with remaining caramel; sprinkle with pecans. Store in refrigerator.
Yield: 12 servings.

Cranberry Orange Softies

2009-12-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

½ cup sour cream (could substitute plain/natural yogurt)

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup walnuts, finely chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

2 tbsp freshly grated orange peel

Orange icing ingredients:

3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp fresh orange juice

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar

1. Heat oven to 375'

2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy. On medium speed mix next 7 ingredients. Stir in flour, then nuts, then cranberries

and grated peel. Drop heaped teaspoons on ungreased baking tray.

3. Bake about 11 mins until just pale golden (Do not over bake). Cool on sheet for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Icing Beat butter and salt in medium bowl until creamy. Beat in juice, vanilla and sugar, adding more sugar if needed for spreading consistency.

5. Spread over top of cookies, decorate if desired.

White Chicken Chili

2009-09-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

1-2 lbs chicken cooked and shredded
1 T. Olive oil
2 -4oz. Cans green chiles
2 med. Onions chopped
3 c. shredded Montery Jack cheese
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. ground cumin 3 cans (16 oz.) Great Northern beans*
1 ½ t. oregano
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
3 cans chicken broth (or 4c. Water with 4 bouillon cubes)
s&p to taste

Heat oil. Add onions. Saute. Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano, pepper, & green chiles. Stir in undrained beans. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and add chicken and cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Serves 10 people.

*Can use 1 lb. Dry beans. Soak overnight. In morning rinse and then simmer in broth and garlic for 3 hours (or until tender) before adding to soup.

New People?

2009-09-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I love reading your new recipes! Thanks so much!

I think there are a lot of changes in the Bear Canyon area. I don't know all those newbies but if they would like to join our blog they are welcome to. Those who have my email address can email me and let me know who wants to be a participator then I'll send that person an invitation. Did that make sense? I hope so!

Anyway, thanks!
Kathy

Toffee Triangles

2009-09-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

I made these for Val's birthday last week. They are fun change from the usual birthday cake.

3/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can (1 1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup almond brickle pieces, toasted chopped pecans, or toffee bits

1. Grease a 13X9X2-inch baking pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat the 3/4 cup butter or margarine and the brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add the egg yolk; beat well. Using a spoon, stir in the flour and salt until well mixed (I just used the mixer). Using floured hands, press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 20 minutes or until light brown. Set aside on wire rack while preparing filling.
3. For filling, in a heavy medium saucepan heat and stir the sweetened condensed milk and the 2 tablespoons butter or margarine over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir for 5 minutes more--I had to cook mine longer to get it to thicken. (Mixture will thicken and become smooth.) Stir in the vanilla. Spread filling over the baked layer. Bake 12 - 15 minutes more or until top layer is golden brown.
4. Sprinkle the baked layers evenly with semisweet chocolate pieces. Bake for 1 to 2 minutes more or until chocolate pieces are shiny and melted (I found that I could skip that step because the chocolate melted enough for me to spread). Remove from oven; set on wire rack. Using a flexible spatula, immediately spread the chocolate evenly over baked layers Sprinkle with brickle pieces or pecans. Cool completely on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until chocolate is set.
5. Cut into triangles and serve. Keep in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes about 36 triangles. Or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

2009-09-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from Martha Stewart that I tore out of a magazine a long time ago and I am still using. It is great for summertime, when the tomatoes are best.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Fudgy Banana Oat Cake

2009-09-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

Topping:
1 cup oats uncooked
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup margarine or butter

Filling:
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate pieces (I used chocolate chips)
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Cake:
1 (18.25 oz) package devil’s food cake mix (I like to use yellow cake mix because the banana flavor comes through better, but the chocolate is good too)
1 ¼ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Garnish (optional):
Banana slices
Whipped cream

Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease bottom only of 13X9 inch baking pan.

For topping, combine oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

For the filling, in a small saucepan, heat chocolate pieces, sweetened condensed milk, and margarine or butter over low heat until chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.

For the cake, in a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, bananas, oil, and eggs. Blend at low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Beat at medium speed two minutes. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Drop chocolate mixture by 1/2 teaspoonfuls, or so, over batter.
Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until cake pulls away from the sides of pan (mine didn’t pull away) and topping is golden brown. Cool cake in pan on wire rack. Garnish with banana slices and whipped cream, if desired.

Yummy Pineapple Bars

2009-08-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

1 C packed brown sugar
1 C flour
1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c coconut
3/4 c sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 C pineapple
1 T butter
3 T cornstarch

Combine brown sugar, flour, butter, coconut, and sugar until crumbly. Spread about tow-thirds of the mixture in a 9-inch square pan. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, pineapple, butter, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil while stirring over medium heat. Cool slightly. Spread over bottom layer. Cover with remaining crumbs, pressing down with your hand. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut while warm.

*I was skeptical as to the yumminess of these bars last night when I was mixing them up - but they really are yummy! I don't know what they taste like warm but I tried one at lunch today after storing them in the fridge, you know, just to make sure they are edible, and they are really good cold! Hooray for dessert for lunch!

Orange Julius

2009-07-16T19:53:00.001-07:00

I made this tonight, and just had to share!

Orange Julius

1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar (powdered or regular--both work fine--my husband prefers regular sugar)
7-8 ice cubes

FUN VARIATION--add frozen or fresh strawberries--super yummy!

Throw everything in the blender and mix until smooth! I like to tweak it a little, but this is the original recipe. I sometimes add more ice to make it thicker, or add a little more of everything to make a bigger batch etc, or add extra orange juice concentrate.

Strawberry Orange Muffins

2009-07-15T19:53:00.001-07:00

I told Heather I would share this recipe with her so I thought I could share it with all of you too! The recipe is from my Cooking Light cookbook and I make these a lot when strawberries are in season.
Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups halved strawberries
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
cooking spray
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup strawberry jam or preserves (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400
Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender or food processor, and process just until mixture is blended. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until mixture is moist. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle batter evenly with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately. Serve muffins with jam, if desired.

Summer Delight Salad

2009-07-13T13:43:00.001-07:00

I JUST named it that-- not sure if there is a real name or not. (Sorry about the picture--I guess I should have transferred the salad into a bowl that I hadn't stirred it in, if I was going to publish it! :) ) I had it at someone's 4th of July BBQ and asked for the recipe and it's just something they make a lot, and didn't have a "recipe". It's not anything super unusual, but just tastes really yummy and fresh. So here is the recipe!!
* Cucumber
* Tomatoes (grape or small on the vine ones with more flavor work best)
* Avacado
* Red onion
* feta cheese
* dash of olive oil
* dash of red wine vinegar

Cut the veggies into large chunks, add cheese and oil, and vinegar and stir!! When I made it yesterday I used one cucumber, one avacado, 6 or seven small tomoatoes, and 1/3 of a large red onion.
Give it a try!!

Star Wars Themed Dinner

2009-07-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

With four boys, it isn't hard to make a meal interesting if you add Star Wars to it. This was our meal last Monday. I put our Star Wars Cookbook to good use and made the boys help.

Dark-Side Salsa

The secret to this salsa isn't actually what you use to make the salsa, it is serving it with the blue corn chips. However, their recipe for salsa turned out pretty good. And, it looks like Star War Colors, which I loved.

Chopped Tomatoes

Frozen Corn thawed

Chopped Avacado

1/2 Onion finely chopped

Lime Juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

We could have added a little spice like green chiles or a hot pepper.

Greedo Burritos

The recipe was just a taco recipe, but you added black beans to the meat.

Yoda Soda

Lime Sherbet with lime juice and sparkling water. Although, next time, we will just use 7-up or sprite, or melon soda.

R2D2 Treats

Split a banana in thirds, dipped in melted white chocolate, dipped head in crushed peanuts and used halve a kit-kat for each leg. These were so delicious.

Trifle Goodness

2009-07-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is a really bad picture. I was too lazy to get my trifle dish out of my cupboard - I have to move like 6 things to get to it - lazy. Also, I wasn't so careful in the layering. But you can see the goodness right? Strawberries, vanilla pudding, whip cream, and angel food cake all piled in the same bowl? So good. I love trifles because you can use any kind of cake, any kind of fruit, and any kind of pudding, add whipped cream and you have a great dessert. (Well except for in this case, it is USUALLY nice to look at) Here is my favorite trifle recipe....(some of you might already have it?)

Strawberry Lemon Trifle

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 T water
1 cup non-fat lemon yogurt
2 cups skim milk
3.4 oz. instant lemon pudding mix
2 tsp grated lemon peel
10" angel food cake
2 1/2 cupse sliced fresh strawberries, divided

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt. Add milk, pudding mix and lemon peel; beat until smooth. In a blender process 1/2 cup strawberries and water until smooth. Tear cake into 1 inch cubes; place 1/3 in a trifle bowl or 3 qt serving bowl. Top with 1/3 pudding mixture and 1/2 of the remaining strawberries. Drizzle with 1/2 of the strawberry sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining cake and pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Disappearing Marshmallows

2009-06-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

Last night the kids made our dessert. It was a recipe from the Friend magazine Kitchen Krafts section. Very simple, but tasty and easy for kids to do. Sorry, I didn't take a picture!

April 2003
Disappearing-Marshmallow Rolls

16 large marshmallows
2 tubes (8oz) each) refrigerator crescent roll dough
Cube of margarine
½ c sugar
½ t cinnamon

Mix sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter. Coat the marshmallows with the melted butter, then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Enclose each marshmallow in a section of dough, pinching the dough to completely seal the marshmallow in. Bake the rolls as directed on the tube.

Mint Brownies the Easy Way!

2009-06-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

I haven't been cooking or baking anything new and exciting to share, but I want to recommend these brownies. Yep, they are from a box! If you love brownies and ice cream, you have to try them! Plus, they are mint so it's an extra bonus! We put vanilla ice cream on our brownie and then drizzle the mint chocolate sauce that comes in the box over the top, SO good! And, SO easy!

More Fondant!

2009-06-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

So I consider my two older sisters fabulous and creative cooks/bakers. One of Stephanie's daughters just had a birthday and was baptized. She made a few cakes and cupcakes using that marshmallow fondant that Heather put on a while ago. Steph's cakes (like Heather's) are SO CUTE! You all must see them!

Here's a link to my family food blog: LINK
Here's Heather's beautiful cake: LINK
And here's a link to that recipe again just in case you want to make it right now like I do!: LINK

Thanks again, Heather, for getting us that recipe. My sister said she really enjoyed using it, that is wasn't hard (she is a sculptor, though.) and the amount you make is plenty. She did all that you see on that post with one batch and even had some extra. She said using paste coloring, you don't have to use a ton to get nice bright colors.

Okay, who else is gonna use this recipe? If you do, you must post photos!

Bobby Flay's Mac and Cheese Carbonara

2009-05-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

I LOVE homemade macaroni and cheese. I'm always on the lookout for improving mine. I think Bobby Flay's recipe is great. I personally like it a little milder so I use regular cheddar instead of the Asiago and White Cheddar. Any of the cheese can be substituted for regular cheddar, or try substituting Monterary Jack. I really like the egg yolk addition. It adds a lot to the creaminess to the sauce. The actual recipe can be found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/mac-and-cheese-carbonara-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
1 - inch thick piece pancetta, diced small (I prefer mine without the pancetta)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (As much as I LOVE garlic, I prefer my mac/cheese without it)
3 T. all purpose flour
5 cups whole milk, heated
4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked
2 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups freshly grated Asiago cheese
1 1/2 cups Irish White Cheddar
1 1/2 cups cheddar
1 cup grated fontina
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (I used Parmesan)
Salt/pepper
1 pound macaroni (I like using corkscrew or shells), cooked just UNDER al dente
1/2 cup parsley, if you want

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of a 3 qt baking dish and set aside.

So, I just skip this step, but here it is: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Add garlic to the pan and cook until slightly golden, whisk in the flour and cook for one to two minutes.

Whisk in 5 cups of the HOT milk, increase the heat to high and cook, (Since I skip the above step, I whisk the flour into COLD milk, then heat it up...) whisking constantly until thickened. Whisk a little of the hot milk into your egg yolks. The slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture into the thickened milk mixture until incorporated and let cook 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in thyme,cayenne, and all of the cheese until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If mixture appears too thick, add a milk 1/4 cup at a time.

Place cooked noodles into a large bowl, add the cheese sauce, reserved pancetta--if using, and parsley. Stir until combined. Transfer mixture into prepared pan. Top with grated cheeses of choice. Bake in oven until heated through and top is golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Hot Dog! We have a Wiener!

2009-05-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

Man! Who's the slacker around here?!!

And the winner is.....................

Cecy!!!!!

Yay! For you Cecy! You'll be getting your itunes gift card very soon!!
She posted a lot and made lots of comments on others' posts!

Apple topped french toast

2009-05-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

I woke up to the wonderful smell of these yummy french toast this morning. SOOOO good.

4 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
8 thick slices of bread
2 TBS butter, divided
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Apple Topping
3 TBS butter
4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together. Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Topping: melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add apples and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add brown sugar and cinnamon; cook for 2 minutes, or until apples are slightly soft. Heat 1 TBS. butter in large skillet over medium heat. Press each bread slice into chopped nuts to coat. Cook until golden brown on each side. Top with apple topping.

About the Giveaway

2009-05-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I really love that you guys are posting a lot and commenting! I've been out of town and haven't done anything with our giveaway. But I'm just going to push the final day to comment/post (and therefore entering the giveaway each time) till midnight Thursday May 7th.

Make sure you read the rules about the giveaway! Check here.

The winner will be posted Friday morning. See you there! Good luck!

Menu Planner Template

2009-04-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Jon just added a cool meal planner to his site. I know that some of you use a menu calendar and some of you like Excel, so I thought I would pass it along. Here is the link: http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/meal-planner.html

Chicken Soup with Dumplings

2009-04-14T09:31:00.001-07:00

Last night I decided to try a new recipe and for some reason Chicken and Dumplings have been on my mind. I have never made dumplings before and was happy with a recipe that I found in my Lion House Cookbook. I just finished eating the leftovers 5 minutes ago. It's a yummy, hearty meal...great for a chilly day.

Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Meat From 1 Chicken Cooked and Shredded
1 large Onion Diced
½ stalk Celery Diced
2 Carrots Diced
4-6 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup fresh cut Green beans
1 cup Pearl Barley if you like
1 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Parsley
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Thyme if you have Thyme
Salt
Pepper

Method:

In a small amount of cooking oil sweat the onion, carrots and celery. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the barley is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add spoon sized balls of dumpling dough and simmer until dumplings rise.

Dumplings

Ingredients:

1 cup Milk
½ cup Butter
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Nutmeg
1 cup Flour
3 Eggs

Method:

Bring the milk and butter to a boil, add salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat and immediately add flour stirring until dough leaves the sides of the pan. Incorporate the eggs one at a time forming sticky dough.

Susan's Cinnamon Rolls

2009-04-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

This is my friend's recipe. I've had a lot of success with it. I like to roll the dough out really thin. They turn out more like "Cinnabon's" that way. Enjoy!

Susan's Cinnamon Rolls

(makes about 24)
3 T. yeast
1 c. warm water
1 t. sugar - dissolve, let proof, then add
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. melted (not hot) butter
2 c. warm milk
2 eggs
2 t. salt - then, with an electric mixer and a dough hook, add 1 c. flour at a time for the first 5 cups - after that, add the flour 1/2 c. at a time till a soft, slightly sticky dough forms (not wet) - do not overmix
- let rise till doubled (in a warm oven if you're in a hurry); punch down; rise again
- divide dough in half; roll out into rectangle with dough about 1/2" thick
- spread soft butter to edges, then sprinkle generously with brown sugar and cinnamon (optional raisins, walnuts)
- roll up and pinch the seam shut; cut with floss about 2" thick; place on greased sheet; let rise till doubled uncovered on counter
- bake 350 about 15 mins till golden (not browned); cool 10 mins, then glaze with:
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. evaporated milk
3 c. powdered sugar - whisk together to desired consistency over a warm burner

Chicken Chili

2009-03-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

This is what we are having for dinner tonight. Sooo good.

Delee's White Chili:

Saute 1 lb of chicken cut up in chunks and 1 medium onion in 1 1/2 TBS of oil

In a large pot put:

Sauteed chicken and onions
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 can chicken broth
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup water
1 can chopped green chili's
1 can Mexi-corn
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp pepper

Boil all ingredients

Just before serving add:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup sour cream

Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips.

2009-03-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Dark Chocolate Frosting by Martha Stewart

1 pound semisweet chocolate (the good kind)
6 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
dash of salt

Put chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Place over a pot of simmering water on the stove. Turn the heat off. Let the chocolate melt, stirring every so often, for 15 minutes. Remove bowl from the pot and let the chocolate cool for 30 minutes.
Combine cocoa and water, stir to dissolve cocoa.
Beat butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add melted chocolate and beat for 1 or 2 minutes. Add cocoa mixture and beat to combine.

I made this cake for Jason's birthday yesterday. This frosting is totally worth the effort, especially if you like dark chocolate, which I do!

Tex-Mex Lasagna

2009-03-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Light & Tasty magazine. If you are looking for something a little different here it is.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
(they used refried black beans)
1 can (15 oz.) black beans , rinsed and drained.
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (ues gloves)
( I used a can of green chile instead)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce, divided
2 1/2 cups salsa
12 lasagna noodles (the kind you can put in uncooked)
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack
cheese or Mexican Blend cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup light sour cream
1 med. ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Cook beef till done and drain. Stir in the beans, (both kinds), corn,
jalapeno, taco seasoning, and 3/4 cup tomato sauce.
Combine salsa and remaining tomato sauce. Spread 1/4 cup
into a 13x9 baking dish ( spray pan with nonstick cooking spray)
Layer with 4 noodles, half the meat sauce, 1 cup salsa mixture,
1/2 cup Monterey cheese and 1/2 cup chedder cheese
(or use 1 cup Mexican Blend)
Repeat layers ending with cheese topping.
Cover and cook at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Let stand 10 min. before cutting. Top with sour cream, avacado, and
green onions.

Fun with Fondant!

2009-03-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

I have only heard scary stories about fondant, how hard it is to make, how it doesn't even really taste good etc. Then my mom had told me about this Marshmallow fondant recipe that was supposed to be just as good as regular fondant to work with (she had never tried it,) I decided to give it a shot, and I was VERY happy with the results!!! All that is in it is marshmallows, a little water and powdered sugar!! It is supposed to taste better (I cannot fully testify of this as I have never eaten regular fondant--but my kids kept snitching it while I was making the cake) and it was really quite easy to make, and so fun to play with. I have new hopes and ideas for future birthday cakes now that I feel comfortable with this fondant recipe. The possibilities are endless!! Give it a try!!
P.S. Definitely not as tasty as Cecy's cupcakes below though!

Pasta e Fagioli

2009-03-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

I have no idea what that name actually means but it sounds nice, and it tastes so good! It's raining a lot here in California, good as it gets soup weather. I got this recipe from http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta
1. Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.
2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.
4. About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.
5. Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve.
Serves 8.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow

2009-03-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

I think these are the best cupcakes I have ever made, and they tie with Sprinkles chocolate coconut cupcake for the best cupcake I've ever eaten. I wasn't sure if I should attempt to make these becuase they looked a little complicated. It is more work than a cake mix and store bought frosting but TOTALLY WORTH IT! It's not hard, just a little time consuming. So if you are in the mood for fancy, these are the cupcakes for you!

I got the recipe from Martha Stewart and the link is below. Enjoy!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-graham-cracker-cupcake-with-toasted-marshmallow

p.s. I did not toast the marshmallow becuase I don't own a kitchen torch. They still tasted good and looked fine too!

Jjajangmyun (Noodles with Black Bean Sauce)

2009-02-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

I can't help but add a Korean recipe. This recipe can be found at http://www.maangchi.com/. If you go to their website you can watch a video on how to make this. I chose this recipe because most Americans seem to like it and it is fairly simple to make. Also, you only need a few ingredients at a Korean/Asian market.

For four large servings:

* 1 ½ - 2 cups pork cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes (sometimes I make substitutions using other meat here. I’m sure the Koreans would die if they knew that! And we like the meat cut much small)
* 1/2 T. vegetable oil
* 2 T. vegetable oil
* 7 T. black bean paste (Jjajang). In a Korean or Asian market they should be able to help you find it.
* minced ginger to taste—about two teaspoons (optional)
* 2 c. onion cut into ½ inch cubes - the onion flavor is very important in this recipe. Although, I use a little less
* 1 c. potato cut into ½ inch cubes
* 1 c. radish (I prefer without) cut into ½ inch cubes. Buy at a Korean store. They are a little different than in American stores.
* 1 c. zucchini cut into ½ inch cubes
* 3 c. water
* 2-3 T. potato starch OR corn starch mixed with 2 T. water
* About 1 t. sugar. More if the sauce has a too salty taste
* Prepared Jjajang (Udon type) noodles. In the Korean market ask for Jjajang or Udon (Koreans say Udong) noodles. The kind that are thick and chewy. If you get a 2.2 lb package, 3 bunches should be sufficient for 4 servings. (To prepare noodles, boil water in a big pot. Add the noodles and close lid. Cook until done. About 3 minutes, unless the package notes otherwise. Noodles should not be firm, or mushy.)
* Note: you can use rice instead of noodles.

Heat 1/2 T. oil. Fry pork. When the pork is well cooked and the color turns golden brown, drain all the hot fat and set the pork aside. Leave in wok or pan for future use.

Preheat a small skillet over medium heat with the 2 T. vegetable oil. When hot, add the 7 T. black bean paste and stir fry for one minute. Remove and discard the extra oil and set the bean paste aside.

Reheat your pork and add 1 T. oil. Add the radish and potato and stir fry for two minutes. Add the onion and zucchini and stir fry for another two minutes. Add the three cups water, submerging the vegetables. Cover and let boil, about 15-20 minutes. Remove cover and skim off any foam from the surface. Ensure vegetables are done by checking to see if potatoes are tender. When they are, add the fried black bean paste from the small skillet. Stir. Mix corn starch and water. Add to mixture. You should have a sticky sauce. Add sugar ½ tsp at a time and check. Add until it suits your taste.

Place desired amount of hot noodles on a plate or in a bowl. Add desired amount of hot black bean sauce over the top. Don't eat Jjajang myun cold!!

White Chili

2009-02-19T19:57:00.001-08:00

I don't know if all of you long time New Mexico residents have made this chili... (it has green chile in it), but we just started making it and love it!! I have to thank Kristen S. for showing me this little gem in our family cookbook! This chili is perfect for a cold day, and a great alternative to your everyday chili.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2- 15 oz. cans of great northern beans
1-14 oz. can of chicken broth
2- 4 oz. cans of green chiles
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 C. sour cream
1/2 C. milk

Dice chicken into 1/2 inch cubes. In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chiles, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and milk. Serve immediately.

* Just a note: I don't put in a lot of cayenne pepper just so my 2 year old can eat it, I also switch out the milk for whipping cream (healthy I know), we also like to serve it with tortilla chips and cheese.... Enjoy!!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

2009-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

I made these tonight and my pickiest eater said "this is a really good dinner mom!" he even remembered them from the last time I made them which was a while ago. Really easy, and a nice alternative to all the frozen-not as good for you-chicken nuggets.

Breading

2 cups cornflake crumbs
2 tsp instant chicken boullion
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 T Italian herb seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Crush cornflakes in food processor to make them nice and fine. Add all other ingredients, and mix. Coat chicken pieces (nugget sized or strips.) Place on oven sprayed baking sheet (I forgot to do this tonight and it was fine--they stuck just a little.) I used three small breasts tonight and still have more than half of the crumbs left. You can place extra crumbs in the fridge to be used later.
Cook on 425 for 12-15 minutes. I usually cut open a thick piece to make sure they are done. I hope you enjoy!! Ketchup is a must! Barbecue sauce is good too!
--Just for the record, I wanted to share these even before I knew about sweepstakes #2!

Another Give@w@y!

2009-02-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

Wasn't that last Give@way fun? Well, here's another one:

GIVE@W@Y for a $25.00 itune$ g!ft c@rd!!

That's right, we're upping it! A whopping $25! So here are the details: This is just for the contributors for this blog. If you would like to be a contributor and I know you, just let me know. Starting from now until April 30th I'll put every post and every comment on all the posts in the drawing. Then on May 1st I'll announce the winner. It's that simple. Oh, we won't start on this post. On the next post. Any questions?

Okay! So there you go! Have fun!!

Orange Rolls

2009-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 cup water

1 cup scalded milk

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

5-51/2 cups flour

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup orange juice

2 T. grated orange peel

In a small bowl, soften yeast in warm water.
In a mixer blend scalded milk, sugar, shortening, salt; cool until lukewarm.
Stir in 2 cups flour. Beat well. Add eggs, mix well. Stir in yeast mixture. Add orange juice, orange peel, and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Let dough rest 10 minutes and then knead 5-10 minutes on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover with warm, damp cloth.
Let rise until dough is double in bulk, 1-2 hrs.
Roll into rectangular shape and spread *orange filling over the top. Roll up like a jelly roll, slice, and place individual rolls on a pan. Let rise for about 1 hour. Bake 12-15 minutes, 425 degrees. While warm, drizzle with glaze.

*Orange filling (make the filling while the dough is rising the first time in order to allow flavors to mingle)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar (brown sugar is the best)

grated peel of one large orange.

**Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar.

1/4 cup hot water (I like using part orange juice for this)

1 tsp. butter

soup request

2009-02-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

I'd like to make a request! I participated in a dinner exchange in the ward and last night we ate Melissa Kemmerle's broccoli soup. It was SO GOOD! I need the recipe!! Melissa - if you're listening - help satisfy my cravings!

cupcakes that make you go mmmm!

2009-02-02T12:33:00.001-08:00

Okay, this is not my baking, but I have found delicious cupcakes! Promise you won't shun me? They are at Starbucks! :) The Double Chocolate Cupcakes are so good! So chocolatey, eat it a little chilled, and yum! They also have red velvet and some other flavor, but why bother when they have chocolate?

And the winner is.....

2009-01-30T07:13:00.000-08:00

Hot Dog! We have a wiener! And it's

TAMI!!!

Yay, Tami! Expect your gift card in the mail pretty soon!

Okay, I hope that got you all to start making comments when you can. Keep looking here because I have another giveaway in mind BIGGER than 10 bucks too!

Thanks everyone! Sure miss you all!

Kathy

Our First Give*way!

2009-01-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

It’s a Give*way!! Really it’s a bribe to get all you comment on new posts. The prize? A $10.00 gift certificate to Target!....What? You think I’m made of money or something!? Okay, it’s not much but it’s something. So here are the rules:

*You have to be a contributor to this food blog. If you would like to be a contributor, you are welcome to join! I have to know you, though. Let me know via email and I’ll invite you so you can be a contributor.

*To enter, you make a comment on THIS POST, answering this question: What is a memory you have involving some good eats (or bad eats)? You may make as many comments as you like with different answers to this question. The final day to add a comment will be Thursday, January 29^th, 2009 at midnight PST.

I will then pick a comment randomly and announce the winner the next day, Friday, January 30^th.

My answers to “What is a memory you have involving some good eats?” (I won’t put my comments in the drawing.)

*I remember going to a local Chinese food restaurant with my family when I was pretty young and tasting sweet and sour pork for the first time. Man, I thought that was the best thing I had ever put into my mouth!

*I’m the fourth of five kids. By the time I became a teenager, my mom was trained well in the art of dealing with teens. She’d be stirring up something on the stove or sticking a pan in the oven when we would ask, “What’s for dinner?” She knew most of whatever she was going to say came with a complaint so instead of telling us what we were really having, she would say that we were having “Wilberg Delight.” (Wilberg is my maiden name.) So now we have an ongoing joke about having “Wilberg Delight” for dinner. And I think that I’ll use that, too, when the time comes.

Okay, so does that sound good? Like I said this is just to get you to check the blog out and comment on posts. I mean, everyone wants to know that someone is reading what they just wrote, right? Can't wait to read your answers!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2009-01-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

Right before we headed out to the east, Jocelyn made a big batch of these fabulous whoopie pies. She accidentally tripled or quadruped the recipe and stayed up all night finishing them up in the oven. Well, we reaped the rewards of her "mistake". These are SOOO delicious and totally addictive! I have to make some....when I have friends or family coming over because we'll eat the whole batch!! Thanks, Jocelyn! You're a great cook and baker!! You really know the science of good eats.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

From: Rosies Bakery: Chocolate-packed, Jam Filled, Butter-Rich, No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book. By Judy Resenberg.

(The flour to liquid ratio is quite important for just the right puffy-pie texture. This recipe calls for buttermilk. I subbed heavy cream—I just happened to have some. As you know, both of these liquids are thicker than milk, so if you use milk I suggest being careful. Maybe do it the way the recipe says first to get a feel for how the batter should be first before substituting other ingredients)

½ c plus 1 T all purpose flour

¾ c plus 1 T cake flour (I used a tiny bit more than ¾ c of reg. flour)

½ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

9 T. butter (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature)

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (lightly packed) light brown sugar

7 T granulated sugar

2 ½ t. ground cinnamon

2 t. ground nutmeg

¾ t. ground allspice

½ ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 ½ tablespoons molasses

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pureed pumpkin

½ cup buttermilk

Marshmallow Filling

8 T. butter

5 heaping T. marshmallow fluff (I used a lot more)

1 c. powdered sugar

½ t. pure vanilla extract

·Preheat oven to 400F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly grease them with vegetable oil.

·Sift both flours, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt together into a small bowl and set aside.

·Using an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream the butter, both sugars, the spices and the vanilla together in a medium-size bowl until light and fluffy, about 1 ½ minutes. Stop the mixer twice during the process to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Scrape the bowl a third time before going on to the next step.

·Add the eggs, one at a time, blending on medium speed for about 10 seconds after each addition.

·Add the molasses and pumpkin, and mix on medium-low speed until well blended, about 10 seconds. Scrape the bowl. Add the buttermilk and blend for 5 seconds.

·Fold in the flour mixture by hand. Then turn the mixer to low speed and mix for about 5 seconds. Scrape the bowl with the spatula, and mix on low speed until the batter is smooth and velvety, 10 seconds. Give the batter a stir or two with the spatula.

·Drop the batter by generously rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

·Bake the cookies until they are risen and firm to the touch, but not crusty, about 12 minutes. Using a metal spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

·While the cookies are cooling, prepare the filling: Place all four filling ingredients in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the sugar is absorbed, 15-20 seconds. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Stop the mixer twice during the process to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.

·When the cookies are completely cool, turn half of them upside down, and spread each bottom half with a heaping teaspoon of filling. Top them with the remaining cookies. (I make extra filling because 1 t. is just not enough!!)

·If you plan to eat the cookies the first day, leave them sitting out. If not, store them in an airtight plastic container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, and bring to room temp before eating.

Gwen's Creamy Lemon Chicken

2009-01-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

This dish is thanks to a good friend of mine that I don't get to see very much, Gwen. I LOVE IT and HER! Creamy Lemon Chicken. I made it again this week and I really do think it's one of my favorite dishes! Gwen was a friend of Scott's before I came along. In fact, she set Scott and I up on our first date. I remember this dinner she made for us at her condo before Scott and I had kids. She even gave me my first citric zester. Thanks, Gwen for this fabulous lemonly goodness!

Gwen's Creamy Lemon Chicken
6 chicken breast
salt and pepper
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
2 T. 7 up
2 t. lemon zest
2 T. lemon juice
½ t. salt & pepper each
1 c. heavy cream
6 pads of butter
Parmesan Cheese

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil and saute chicken till cooked through. Remove chicken and put in a glass oven-safe dish. In a small bowl, stir together 7up, lemon juice and lemon zest then add this to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. (The 7up lifts up all the yummy chicken bits from the bottom of the skillet.) To skillet, slowly add salt, pepper and cream stirring vigorously. Pour this sauce over chicken and place a pad a butter on each chicken breast. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place under broiler for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Serve chicken with sauce and over rice.

I'm on my third baby and I just figured out how great homemade baby food is! And easy! And putting and freezing them into little cubes in ice trays makes it even easier. Shown below is apple sauce and a puree of sweet potatoes and broccoli. I loved the real flavor and Sam even wanted to eat some!
I have a fondness for Argentina and would love to learn how to make empanadas they are famous for. I tried last week and they are cute and pretty but the crust wasn't great. To chewy and tough. This is one of my goals this year: to make a perfect (okay, not perfect but a good) empanada crust. This recipe called for too much kneading. I need to look for a better recipe with less kneading, just like a pie crust, right? Those of you who are good at pie crusts, less touching is better, right? Help me out.

Cake Balls

2008-12-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

Is anyone getting sick of me posting on here? Is anyone even looking? Oh, well... here goes another! A few of you have asked me about these little cake balls that I recently made. Instead of writing out the recipe I will kindly give you some links that have pictures and instructions.

Warning: Do not blame me if you are completely addicted!

My Kitchen Cafe

Bakerella

I love both of these sites!

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

2008-12-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

First of all- Happy Birthday Kathy!! We miss you here in Albuquerque.

Now, on to the recipe. This grilled cheese might sound weird, but it is so good... Here are the ingredients:

butter

cream cheese

purple onions

tomatoes

any yellow cheese (we used colby jack)

any white cheese (we used pepper jack)

bread

Butter the outside of one piece of bread and then spread cream cheese on the inside. Then layer purple onions, tomatoes, slice of yellow cheese, and slice of white cheese. Finish with cream cheese on the inside of the final piece of bread and butter on the outside. GRILL and enjoy... it can get a little messy! We made it on homemade bread and it was delicious!

Pumpkin.....

2008-11-21T11:35:00.001-08:00

So my kids are both sleeping, and instead of cleaning I've decided to blog.. (imagine that)! Thanksgiving is coming and that means... pumpkin pie! While I love that, I also like to make a few other pumpkin things. Here are 2 "tried and true" recipes that we love! (I wish I had pictures, but really, these two tasties last a total of 13.2 seconds at our house)

PUMPKIN MUFFINS with cream cheese frosting
2 C. sugar
1 C. oil
4 eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease mini-muffin or regular muffin pan. In large bowl combine sugar, oil, and eggs (one at a time). Add pumpkin until all combined. In separate bowl mix dry ingredients. With mixer on low add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and blend for 1 minute. Fill muffin cups and bake 10-12 min. for mini-muffin pan, and 17-20 min for regular.

Cream cheese frosting
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 C. butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
mix and add milk or evaporated milk until desired consistency.

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE
Mix the following:
2/3 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 can of milk, or 1 1/2 C. milk
1 29 oz. can of pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cloves or allspice

Pour into 9 x 13 inch. cake pan. Top with the following

1 box yellow cake mix mixed with 1 C. melted butter

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 min..... and ENJOY!

pumpkin pancakes!

2008-11-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I have posted as well! We tried this recipe out of the Taste of Home magazine and I thought it was tasty! It's different from the traditional taste, especially with the apple cider syrup, but it's worth the try! We liked it.

Hot Cider Syrup:

3/4 cup apple cider or juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 TBLS butter

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Pancakes:

1 cup flour

1 TBLS sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin

2 TBLS oil

For syrup, combine everything, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving to help thicken.

For pancakes: combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just unitl moistened. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, fold into batter.

Tucano's

2008-10-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

Greg's parents were in town and we wanted to share something different. It's a brazilian resturant and if you have ever been there you know to come with an empty stomach. Greg served his mission in Brazil and says that everthing is pretty authentic except the salad bar. The best on the menu is too order the main meal and have slices of meat brought to you. It's awesome but to get your money's worth you need to eat BIG.

Pumpkin Ravioli

2008-10-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

This recipe is fantastic but only if you have a pasta press. I tried rolling it out on my own and the pasta was too thick.

Easy Soups

2008-10-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Hi ladies! This is my first time posting and you need to know that I am far from a gourmet chef. Meals at our house are generally what we can throw together fast. That being said here are 2 soup recipes we love when it is getting cold. They are total throw-it-together-fast meals!
Katie

Taco Soup
1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning (or less to taste)
1 small can tomatoe sauce
1 can corn (do not drain)
1 can kidney beans (do not drain)
1 can black beans (do not drain)
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

Brown hamburger and drain of grease. Add all ingredients in a large pot and cook 15-20 minutes. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips or Nacho Cheese Doritos. (YUM!)

Minestrone Soup
1 lb. browned hamburger w/ chopped onion
3 cans Campbell's Minestrone Soup
2 cans pork n' beans
3 cans water
1 packet dry italian dressing (or less to taste)

Mix ingredients together in large crockpot. Cook on low for 2 hours stirring occasionally.

Chocolate Ganache Cake

2008-10-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hi again!
Gretchen wanted this recipe and I had already put it on my sisters' food blog so I just copied and pasted it here. I love it! I make the cakes the day before so I don't have a totally mess in my kitchen all day. Good luck with it.

Chocolate Ganache Cake. You CAN'T beat this cake!! I LOVE IT! I wanted to make Scott a Princess Cake for his birthday but he didn't want to be a princess and really wanted me to make this one again. The original MS recipe is here LINK but this first time I made it I didn't know that there was a difference between all-purpose flour and cake flour. DUH. Therefore it was a TOTAL DISASTER! I made those cakes twice that day with crappy results on the cake but yummy goodness on the ganache. But really, how can you mess up ganache? So I used Stephanie's AWESOME-amazing-can't-go-wrong chocolate cake recipe with the original ganache and now it's pretty much near perfect!

Stepi's Chocolate Cake

3 c. flour ALL-PURPOSE! Not cake flour
6 Tbs. coco
2 tsp baking soda
2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 c. oil
2 Tbs. vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 c. very cold water
Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients and add to dry mixture. Mix till just moist. Grease and flour (or use coco) a 9x13 or 2 9" inch circular pans or cup cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-50 minutes, depending on your pan. Check frequently.

To assemble:(from Martha Stewart)

Transfer half of Chocolate Ganache (3 1/2 cups) to clean bowl of an electric mixer; set aside remaining. Let cool completely, stirring frequently, about 40 minutes. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until ganache holds soft peaks, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make level. Transfer one of the layers to a cake turntable or platter, and spread top with 1 1/2 cups whipped ganache. Top with remaining layer, cut side down, and spread remaining whipped ganache in a thin layer over entire cake, covering completely. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.Transfer cake to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour reserved ganache over top, letting it run down the sides. If necessary, use a large offset spatula to spread from the center toward the edges, so that the cake is evenly and completely covered. Refrigerate until ganache has just begun to set, about 30 minutes. Transfer cake to a serving plate. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered with a cake dome, for up to 2 days

Chocolate Ganache

Makes about 7 cups

4 cups heavy cream
2 pounds best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cream to a full boil; turn off heat. Add chocolate, and swirl pan to completely cover with cream. Slowly whisk mixture until smooth. Add corn syrup and salt; stir until combined. Transfer to a clean bowl.

New Links list for Restaurants

2008-10-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hey! I just had a great idea!

I was just eating some leftovers from take out that Scott and I had yesterday. May Hong. It is Vietnamese. I first went there with Jocelyn and Debbie for dinner. It was so yummy and the prices were great! So try it!

I thought it would be a great idea to have a list of our favorite ABQ restaurants! (even if they are chains) So post your reviews of a restaurant, good or bad, and for "Labels for this post" at the bottom of where you write, put "restaurant review". If you want it in that link list off to the right side let me know and I'll put it in.

Quick reviews on the restaurants I put:

Buffalo Wild Wings: Scott and I just went there. Yummy! They have like 18 different sauces for your wings. They don't have to be spicy.
Chows: Good Chinese food, close and not very expensive.
Flying Star: Who doesn't like Flying Star?! So good! You can't leave without a piece of their desserts
Golden Pride: I haven't had the meat there too often, but their breakfast burritos and sweet rolls are great and cheap! Haven't you seen the totally long line of cars there every morning? There's a reason.
May Hongs: Really fresh food. I didn't feel icky full when we left. Debbie and I got the rice vermicelli bowls and Jocelyn got her favorite beef broth soup. Yum!! We also got these pork buns that I really liked. My boys wanted more of those.
Sadie's: Classic New Mexican. Scott and I really like Sadie's. Some may not. It's supposed to be New Mexcian and is more spicy, say, than Gardonos. But try it. Meals come with sopapias. My favorite: Chile Relleno

Okay, so what are some others? Write a review, even of a place you didn't like. And ones that you want to recommend, I'll put in our list.

Blueberry Muffins

2008-10-12T16:27:00.001-07:00

I just bought some yummy blueberries and made some of my favorite muffins. The recipe isn't from me and I LOVE them. They are from dianasdesserts.com. I guess the coarse sugar on top makes them irresistible. I don't always have the orange zest so sometimes that's out and I also make 11 muffins out of this instead of 12 so they're nice and big. So good! I also bake them for slightly less time that 20 minutes. But it's really an easy recipe. I finished them before my oven's pre-heat bell rang.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) melted butter (no substitutes)
1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
Coarse sugar (optional) (from Kathy: really not an option. You MUST have this on top! :))

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin pan cups. Set aside.

2. Stir together flour, the 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside.

3. Combine eggs, milk, butter, and orange peel; add all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each almost full. If desired, sprinkle tops with coarse sugar. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups.

Makes 12 muffins.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Submitted By: Erica

Date: May 11, 2005

Hot Almond and Cream Drink

2008-10-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cup vanilla ice cream, softened
2 tsp almond extract
ground nutmeg

In a saucepan over heat, cook and stir butter and sugars for 12-15 minutes or until butter is melted. Pour into a large mixing bowl; add ice cream and extract. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, scraping the bowl often.

To make one serving: Spoon 1/4 cup mix into a mug; add 3/4 cup boiling water and stir well. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately. Yields 2 cups mix.

I found this recipe the taste of home magazine and it sounds delicious. The last few days have been cold and I thought it would be appropriate for the season.

Eerie Eyeball treats--Happy October!

2008-10-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

I've made these several years in a row now, and they are pretty easy to make and fun to take to a fall/Halloween festivity--we wish we could be at your Halloween party this year Kathy!! The picture I posted is a not that great scan from the magazine I got the recipe from. I've made them other times as a yummy treat to give away other times of the year, by just dipping the balls in chocolate, and not making them into eyes.

Eyeballs

Makes 36 Prep 45 min Chill 2 hr

* 1 cup creamy peanut butter
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 2 to 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1 bag (12 oz) white chocolate chips
* 2 T solid vegetable shortening---I really detest vegetable shortening, but I do have to say that it helps quite a bit in this recipe, I've tried it without.

*1 tube each red white and green decorators frosting (I just make my own frosting--don't make a lot, you don't need very much.)
* 36 brown M&M's (If you can't find brown M&M's you can use brown Reeses pieces.)

1. Stir the peanut butter and butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar until thick and smooth and well combined. (The mixture should be thick and easy to roll into balls.)
2. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Shape mixture into 36 (or more) 1 inch balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheet and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. (Can speed this process up by using the freezer.)
3. Meanwhile melt the white chocolate with the vegetable shortening over a double boiler until smooth. Carefully drop chilled peanut butter balls into the chocolate to coat, and scoop them out with a fork, letting excess drip off through the tines (be careful not to stick the balls.) Return balls to wax paper-lined baking sheet; refrigerate until set.
4. Squeeze frostings into separate ziptop bags. Snip a very small corner from each bag. Pipe red frosting lines from center out for the veins. Pipe a dot of green frosting on top. Place the M&M's in the center and pipe a white line on ones side. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Heather's note: I have never piped the red veins on and they still really look like eyes, but if you have the time, go for it!!

Fabulously Tasty & Easy Grilled Panini Sandwiches!!--(don't know the real name)

2008-10-05T18:30:00.001-07:00

My Mom made these for me when we visited this summer, and I've made them a million times since then. No more leftover peanut butter sandwich crusts for me for lunch!! These are almost as easy as the PB & J that the kids request so often. I PROMISE you will love these! Just make sure the first time you make them you use the ingredients from below--then experiment later.

* Sliced sourdough bread loaf (have tried it with other kinds of
bread--sourdough is the best.)
* sliced chicken deli meat (every time I've made it I've just used the kind
that comes in a big variety pack from Costco-can use the turkey too.)
* Provolone Cheese (Costco also sells a pack of sliced provolone)
* Fresh spinach
* Italian Salad dressing
* melted butter and olive oil mixed together--equal parts

All you do is put a slice of provolone, several slices of deli meat, and a layer of the fresh spinach, between your two slices of sourdough bread. Brush the butter/olive oil mixture on the outside of your sandwich and toast on your griddle, or frying pan etc (like your making a grilled cheese sandwich) until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. When sandwich is done browning, open it up and drizzle on some Italian dressing. They are good without the dressing too. Cecy let me borrow her panini maker and they are really fun to make using that as well--I think the lines on the sandwich just might make them taste better!
The picture I took of the sandwiches I made without the panini maker.
This is my first post!! I really have had good intentions!
Miss you guys!
Luv,
Heather

Chicken Curry

2008-10-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

A while ago Jocelyn let us sample some awesome soup that she made. So good! When I had the first bite, I thought I recognized a mild flavor that I couldn't initially pin point. But then I figured it out. Coconut milk! It was so delicious and the coconut didn't overpower it. So thanks! Jocelyn wanted to make sure that Tina Culter got the credit for the recipe so thanks Tina as well!!

*Chicken Curry From Sister Cutler

1 can chicken broth
1 can coconut milk (13 ½ ounce)
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
3 chicken breasts, diced.
bamboo shoots, sliced
4 carrots, chopped thin
2 small zucchini chopped (or other vegetables you like)
1 teaspoon lime juice
fish sauce, sugar and salt to taste

Mix curry paste with a small amount of coconut milk to dissolve. Bring coconut milk, chicken broth and curry paste to boil. Brown chicken, add to coconut milk mixture. Simmer about 10 minutes. Add lemon leaves, chopped vegetables and bamboo shoots. Simmer about 10 minutes. Add lime juice and fish sauce, sugar and salt to taste.

Boiled Egg Tip from Jocelyn

2008-10-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here’s a great tip I figured out. When making hard boiled eggs, salt the water heavily and the eggs absorb it somewhat so that they taste much less bland. My sister said that in China they often put other flavor/seasonings in the water while making hard boiled eggs.

New Look and Labels

2008-10-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

What'd ya think about the new look? Fun, eh? Okay, I organized this a bit more so I hope it's more helpful.

One new thing I added: "labels". That's so we can find a recipe quickly and we won't have to scroll down threw everything. So next time you post be sure to put a label in. It's at the bottom of the gray box where you write a text called "Labels for this post". Add to an existing label or add a new one if you think we need it.

Thanks!
Hope you like it!
Kathy

Green Chile Quiche

2008-09-17T12:32:00.001-07:00

This is another recipe from the brunch last week. Our family eats this for dinner, since it is way too much work for breakfast.

Green Chile Quiche

1/2 lb sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 small onion, chopped
6 eggs
2 T milk or cream
2 T flour
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack)
1 can green chiles
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
3/4 t oregano
1/4 t garlic powder
salt and pepper
9 -inch pie crust

Beat eggs with milk and flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

A very similar recipe is:

Green Chile Breakfast Casserole

sliced, buttered bread, crust removed

2 c. Cheddar cheese, grated

1lb cooked sausage

2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1 4 oz can green chilies

8 eggs

2 c. milk

1 t salt

1/2 t paprika

1 t oregano

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

1/4 t dry mustard

Line bottom of 9x13 pan with buttered bread, buttered side down (fit tightly). Layer Cheddar cheese, sausage, Jack cheese, and chilies. Beat together eggs, milk, and spices. Pour over casserole. Chill overnight. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes uncovered. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

One good thing and one...not so much

2008-09-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

So I had a success and a miss-fire this week.

I love using the EverydayFoods little magazine and, thanks to Summer for a tip about a smaller binder with plastic sleeves, I have the recipes I like ripped out and nicely organized. Both my mistake and my success come from this Everyday Foods, which is odd because I've loved everything that I've made from it.

The Bomb: (and not in the cool "yer-the-bomb" sort of way. The "this-really-sucks" way.)

Spinach-feta Turnovers pg 68 of some month this year. I love the thought of turnovers. Yummy deliciousness nicely packed inside a crusty buttery pocket. The pastry shell was very good but that's easy: It was a frozen puff pastry you buy in the freezer section, I mean, you can't go wrong with that. But the stuff inside: not so good, in fact yuck! With spinach and feta cheese really the only two things, it was nasty. But what really ticked me of was the assembling of these stupid turnovers! Rolling them out not big enough, sticking too much filling so it oozed out the side, the egg wash it called for did NOT make the edges stick together. So NO THANK YOU, to this recipe!

Success!
Angel Hair Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Did you go to the brunch at the park on Friday? If not, you MISSED out!! Lots of good food for the taking! And this was one of 'em, thank you very much!...Okay, it was super easy and I had all the stuff so I really don't get much credit. Here's a link to the recipe. LINK I didn't use fresh angel hair pasta and next time I won't use angel hair at all. It's too delicate and fragile...like me...ahhh. I need something a little heftier and strong...like me! HA! Anyway, it was good and some of you had it!

So what have you made lately? Any that really tasted bad?

Weird Pizzas but still yummy!

2008-07-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

Last month, I made a few out-of-the-ordinary pizzas and I thought I'd share them with you along with the pizza dough recipe that is from Maria not me and it comes out perfect every time I make it! So I had to share it but Maria gets the credit! :)

This first pizza had grilled green onions and asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes with ricotta cheese. Very good and tasty. I love asparagus! The second one (no photo) had goat cheese, balsamic vinegar and caramelized onions. Different but still good and fun to try. Caramelizing onions is not like sauteing onions. I sliced five, yes five!, onions and put them in a medium heat pan with butter and a little oil. On medium heat, they just kept braking down and caramelizing but it does take long time. I also add a tablespoon of brown sugar for every onion. Anyway, it was tasty and interesting.

Okay, here's Maria's Bread sticks recipe that I use for a thick pizza crust in a cookie sheet.

Maria's Bread Stick

1 T. yeast

1 1/2 c. water

2 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

3 - 3 1/2 c. flour

1/4 - 1/2 c. butter

Heat oven to 375. Dissolve yeast in water and add other ingredients. Kneed for 3 min. and let rest for 10 min. Melt butter on cookies sheet in the oven. Roll dough and cut into strips. Place on cookie sheet and roll in butter. Sprinkle with garlic and Parmesan. Let raise for 15-20 minutes and bake for 20 minutes.

Agave

2008-07-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Yes, I don't really contribute, but since all of you are such oh-so-divine foodies, I am hoping for some insight on agave nectar. I've heard it's the healthy and best way to sweeten and just purchased it, but realized I'm not really sure how to convert it or use it in recipes. Hmm. Obviously my intentions are good, but cooking skills leave much to be desired. I had it in some bean salad once and know it's in a lot of drinks, but what about other things? Anyone?

A BBQ Recipe

2008-06-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Bear Canyon friends! I am finally contributing a recipe to this blog, thanks Kathy for setting it up. In response to Kristine's BBQ post, I am sharing a recipe that I recently got from a friend. It is a little more time consuming than throwing a burger on the grill but well worth the effort if you have time. Enjoy!

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH MANGO SALSA

Grilled Pork Tenderloin
1.5 Tbsp table salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 pork tenderloins (1.5-2 lbs total), trimmed of silver skin

Spice Rub
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp orange zest (1 orange)
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp orange marmalade
1 Tbsp olive oil
Dissolve the salt and sugar in 4 cups cold water in a medium bowl. Add the tenderloins, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Remove the tenderloins from the brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Set aside. Discard brine.

Preheat grill on high, about 15 minutes. Rub the tenderloin with the spice rub. Place the tenderloins on heated grill. With lid down, brown tenderloins on all four sides, about 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium, cover with aluminum roasting pan and cook another 10-15 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 145 degrees or the meat is only slightly pink when cut. Remove to platter or cutting board, cover with roasting pan and let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving with mango salsa (below).

Mango Salsa
2 medium mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 medium red onion, minced
2 scallions, sliced thin
1/2 medium jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded (if desired), and minced
1 Tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl with an airtight seal. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 4 days).

Two Recipes I tried from the Blog

2008-06-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you guys know that I tried two recipes from our blog here and they were both super tasty!

I made that Honey-Soy Glazed Chicken that Summer put in and it was SOOO easy and yummy! It was the first time that my boys had drumsticks and they LOVED eating with their hands. I did forget to salt and pepper the chicken before cooking but I threw it on afterwards. I also think it would be easier (not in clean-up though) to NOT put foil on the bottom of the pan because I ripped the foil anyway basting the legs and most of the good sticky honey was under the foil anyway. I bought more legs for trying the recipe again so Scott can have some. (He was out of town.)
Here's a photo of our Father's Day meal. Steak sandwich, twice baked potatoes, sauteed Brussel sprout. The perfect ending to this meal was the Creme Brulee (shown in front of the sandwich)! I loved it! It's the recipe Jocelyn made for me. Not that hard, like 3 or 4 ingredients and soooo good. Why haven't I made this like five years ago!?

You should all try both! Thanks Summer and Jocelyn!!

Honey Soy Glazed Chicken

2008-06-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

From: Everyday Foods magazine

Serves 4
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 40 min

1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce
8 skinless chicken drumsticks (3 lbs.)
course salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 475. Line a shallow roasting pan or 9X13" baking dish with foil. In a large bowl, mix together honey, soy sauce, and 1/3 cup water. Add chicken, and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

2. Bake chicken, basting with juices from edges of pan every 10 minutes, until well browned and a thermometer inserted into the thicked part of the drumstick (avoiding the bone) read 165, about 30 - 40 minutes. Serve chicken drizzled with pan juices.

~This is a family favorite of ours. We served this to my brother-in-law and his college roomates and I wish we had made more. I also really like the Warm Potato veggie salad (also pictured).

Warm Potato Veggie Salad

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min

1 1/2 lbs. Baking potatoes, peeled, and cut small
coarse salt and ground pepper
6 oz. Green beans, trimmed and cut small
1/3 cup light mayo
2-3 tsp white wine vinegar
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, coarsly grated

1. Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with water by 1", and add 1 Tbsp salt. Bring to boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. With a wire skimmer or sloted spoon, transfer potatoes to a large bowl, save water.

2. To the simmering water, add green beans, and cook until crisp tender, 2-3 minutes. Drain and add to potatoes, along with mayo, vinegar, scallion, and carrots. Toss to combine, and lightly mach, season with salt and pepper, and serve warm.

BBQ Secrets

2008-06-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Please don't be disappointed, I don't have secrets to share. I'm posting to beg all of you to share your BBQ recipes with me. We love to BBQ all summer long. It keeps the house cool, clean and it is delicious! So...anyone have any good ideas??

One thing we like is grilled corn. We coat it with a marinade made with butter and soy sauce. (1:1) It is delicious and is something we use to eat sometimes in Japan.

Please post something yummy...I'm really excited to try a few new things this summer.

Thanks!

Creme Brulee & Flan

2008-05-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

Right after our #3 was born Jocelyn called me and said she wanted to make our family a dessert and I could choice from either creme brulee or flan. I love flan and have made it a few times and I have had creme brulee from restaurants but never homemade. So I opted for the creme brulee. Oh man! It was soooo good! I could eat it everyday! So yummy! So creamy so good! Such a fancy treat that Jocelyn claims is not that hard to make. I'm going to be making it as soon and I can! She wanted me to let you know that you can have them caramelized in a couple of ways. The recipe says to use a blowtorch but that's not in every kitchen, huh? You can do it under a broiler but you must watch it the whole time!! And you can also melt sugar like in the flan and pour in on top and let it harden.

Anyway, you should all totally make this! It's totally good!

Crème Brulee

(Ina Garten: Food Network)

1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier) I just used 1 tsp of orange extract. Either one is optional.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They should only be used in well-ventilated areas. When lighting a propane gas torch, place the torch on a flat, steady surface, facing away from you. Light the match or lighter and then open the gas valve. Light the gas jet, and blow out the match. Always turn off the burner valve to "finger tight" when finished using the torch. Children should never use a propane gas torch without adult supervision

Portuguese Flan

M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger: Found on Food Network

Caramel:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
Custard

8 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 quart half and half
2 teaspoons port
Violets, nasturtiums, or other edible flowers, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To make caramel: combine the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan. Be sure all the sugar granules are washed down from the sides of the pan (use a wet pastry brush). Cook over moderate heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the color is golden brown and the mixture smells like caramel. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the caramel into a 9 inch round cake pan and, holding the pan with an oven glove, swirl it around to generously coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and 2 cups of the half and half, without whisking in any air. Bring the remaining half and half and the port to a simmer in a small saucepan and begin whisking this into the egg mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly until it is all incorporated. Pour through a strainer into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan inside a large roasting pan and pour very hot tap water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for about 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the center is slightly jiggly but not wavy. Cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap with the plastic gently touching the top of the flan. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 4 days.

To unmold the custard, run a small sharp knife around the inside edges of the dish several times to loosen it. Dip the bottom briefly in a basin of very hot tap water. Invert a round platter over the dish and turn them both over together, shaking the two a little to help release the custard (or rap the bottom of the platter gently on the work surface). The caramel sauce will run

(You probably know this: When I made the caramel I did not wash down sides of the pan, and despite what the recipe says DON”T stir or swirl the mixture in the pan or it will start to crystallize. Just let the sugar/water cook down to the color you like it. If it does start to crystallize, simply add more water and let it cook down again. (It’s crystallizing if it starts to look foamy on top. You’ll see “floaties” forming on the top of the mixture.

Almond Raspberry Torte

2008-04-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

I think Jocelyn and I have a similar vein because I LOVE making cakes and trying to improve on them. She and I have talked a bit about the cakes that have been good. Here's one that she said was great. Seem irresistible! Jocelyn, you gotta take some photos of your delicious cakes! We all want to see what they look like! Thanks!

Almond Raspberry Torte

Bake a white or vanilla cake (There is a recipe for homemade cake, but I don’t think it’s very good at all. It’s seems impossible to make a good, all-homemade white cake—do you know how?) Anyway, I used a boxed white cake and altered it with this recipe, which I really liked:

Lion House White Wedding Cake
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon clear vanilla
1 box white cake mix
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup shortening

Sift the flour and cake mix together. Mix with water and add egg whites and flavorings. Add shortening and mix well for 2-3 minutes.

You don’t have to use all the extracts, I’m sure. I didn’t have some of them.
Cut cake layers in half horizontally.

The rest of the recipe
½ cup seedless red raspberry jam
Almond Filling (In a small bowl crumble one 8 oz can almond PASTE . Add 1/3 cup softened butter or margarine; beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Add 2 T. milk; beat until smooth)
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
sliced almonds, toasted
¼ cup seedless red raspberry jam

Stir the ½ cup raspberry jam. T assemble, spread 1 cake layer with 1/3 of the Almond filling, then with 2 rounded T. of jam. Repeat layering with the cake layers, Almond Filling, and jam 2 more times. Top ith the final cake layer. cover cake tightly and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

No more than 1 hour before serving, beat whipping cream with an electric mixer on low speed until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over cake. Press almonds around the base of the cake. Just before serving, stir the 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Drizzle jam over cake; if desired, swirl with a knife. Serve immediately. 16 (ha! ha!) servings.

Ginger Pear Upside-Down Cake

2008-04-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Jocelyn chatted with me about this new cake she tried and had a lot of success with. Sounds yummy! And since she doesn't have super-fast internet, I'm putting it on.

Thanks, Jocelyn!

This was really yummy. I plan on making it again. I want to try it with peaches. I prefer using freshly ground ginger in this recipe. Either way, I suggest tasting the batters and adjusting the ginger to your personal liking.

Ginger Pear Upside-Down Cake

Topping
6 T. butter
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger (I like more)
5 juicy-ripe medium pears, peeled, halved, and cored, or a 28 to 29 ounce can plus an 8 – 9 ounce can pear halves, drained—I used sliced pears and it was pretty. I think peaches would work great for this cake too.
Approximately 1/3 cup pecan halves

Cake
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (I just used regular flour)
¾ teaspoon ground ginger (I like more)
¾ teaspoon baking poder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar

Preaheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

(My guess is you could use an 8-9 inch baking pan if you don’t have a skillet)

Prepare the topping. Melt the butter in a heavy 8-9 inch skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and ginger, and remove the pan from the heat.
Arrange the pear halves, cut side up, in the skillet. Fit them snugly in concentric circles or in a another pattern that pleases you. Tuck pecans in spaces between the pears.

Prepare the cake batter, first sifting together the flour, ginger baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks with the sour cream and vanilla. Cream together the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer at medium—high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the egg mixture and flour mixture in thirds, alternating the two. Mix for about 20 seconds following each addition, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Spoon the batter over the topping in the skillet, smoothing the surface. Bake for about 50 minutes, until nicely brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (In my experience the toothpick did not come out clean, but was still done. I think it was due to the moisture in the pears)

Immediately run a knife around the sides of the cake and invert the skillet onto a serving plate. Leave the skillet in place over the cake for a couple of minutes, then carefully remove the skillet. This gives time for the caramelized topping to release fully from the skillet, but if any clings stubbornly, scrape it out and smooth it onto the cake. I didn’t do this next part, but it says to cook for an additional 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Stromboli

2008-04-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite dinners, but I don't have a recipe anymore. Here is what I do.

You need:
One recipe pizza dough
Pizza sauce (I use Ragu)
about 1/2 lb sliced deli roast beef
grated cheese
chopped green chili

Layer everything and roll it up. Then bake it at 350 for 20 minutes or so. Delish. These pictures show a double batch.

A Good, Always Popular Salad

2008-04-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Summer Salad

1-2 heads iceberg lettuc

1 bunch red leaf lettuce

1 red onion sliced (soak in water overnight)

1 lb. fried bacon cooked and crumbled

8 oz. fresh mushrooms sliced

2 cups cottage cheese

1 lb. Swiss cheese

Dressing:

2/3 cup vinegar

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. dried mustard

1-2 green onions chopped

1-2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. poppy seeds

1 cup salad oil

stir until sugar is dissolved

This salad goes soggy very quickly, so don't mix it together until ready to serve. I have also seen many variations of this salad with slivered almonds, oranges, chicken, etc...

St. Patrick's Day Puff Pancakes

2008-03-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Julie R. just sent me an email about a green tradition we have in our house. It started with my mom and we have carried it in our lives, too. Although I have no Irish in me we like to celebrate this green holiday with a totally green breakfast, either served for breakfast or if you're more of a night person and just don't want to get up that early, you can have a green breakfast for dinner. That's what I have been doing lately. Anyway, Julie wanted a recipe for what we call Puff Pancakes. Scott grew up with these and I never had them till he came into my life. But we love them now! They are also known as German Pancakes. So here's the recipe we use. Just add a little green food coloring and you're set for St. Patty's day.

Another St. Patty's breakfast tip: In college we had a green breakfast group date. We wanted to make green bacon so we put it in green water for a while. Yeah, not good. The water sucked out all the salt! It was nasty! So for green bacon don't do that but while you are frying it up drop of few drops right on the bacon and there you go!

Okay, okay! Here's the recipe!

Scott’s Puff Pancakes

½ cube butter

½ c. sugar

6 eggs

1 c. flour

1 c. milk

¼ tsp salt

¼ c. orange juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 425. Melt butter in 9x13 pan whiled mixing batter. Pan should be hot when batter is poured into it. Mix and beat together all ingredients (don’t over beat). When butter has melted, pour mixture into dish and bake for 17-20 minutes. You must watch it. It will puff high so don’t put it on top oven rack. Must serve immediately. Makes about 6 servings.

Pineapple Upside-down Muffins

2008-02-11T16:01:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite muffin. I made them for scrapbooking a while back, so some of you may have tried them. Also, this muffin book is pretty cool, lots of good recipes.

Pineapple Upside-Down Muffins from The Ultimate Muffin Book

3 T light brown sugar

8 T butter, melted and cooled

One 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups plus 2 T flour

½ cup sugar

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

2 lg eggs

¾ cup buttermilk

¼ t almond extract

Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and 2 T of the melted butter until well combined. Divide this mixture evenly among the 12 muffin tines, placing about 1 t in the bottom of each. Top the butter mixture in each tin with 1 t of crushed pineapple. Set aside.
Wisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until uniform. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the buttermilk, the almond extract, the remaining 6 T melted butter, and the remaining crushed pineapple. Gently stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon until moistened.
Taking care not to disturb the sugar and pineapple in the bottom of the tins, fill them three-quarters full with batter. Use additional greased tins or individual , ovensafe, greased ramekins for any leftover batter, or reserve the batter for a second baking. Bake for 22 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned with rounded tops. A toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin should come out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Gently tip each muffin to one side, taking care to keep the pineapple bottom attached. If it comes looks, simply scrape it out and gently press it back onto the muffin top once the muffin has been removed from the tin. Remove all the muffins; serve upside down. Cool completely before sealing them in a airtight container, where they will stay fresh for up to 2 days. These muffins do not freeze well.

2008-02-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

Sadly, my first contribution doesn't take much skill (perhaps more appropriately, luckily...)--This easy appetizer is a nice variation of bruchetta and is pretty tasty (and not bad on the eyes).

Chickpea & Balsamic Vinegar Bruchetta

1/2 baguette
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Thinly slice half a baguette. Place the rounds on a baking sheet and broil them until they're golden brown (about 1 1/2 minutes per side).

In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, parsley leaves, garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture on the rounds.

Caramel Chex

2008-02-06T14:19:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to add something to our food blog. This here is one of my favorite quick and easy treats! I LOVE it, it's addictive and we gave some of it away for a Christmas treat. So here's the recipe. Also, Maria said she made a Baked Alaska during the Christmas break and took a picture of it to put on the blog. Maria, where is it? We all want to see your masterpiece!! :)

p.s. I still want Sara's carrot chowder. Sara, I made it the other day and it was soooo good! But for some reason I thought that you said that you added something else. What was it?

Caramel Chex

1 cube butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
8 c. Chex
slivered almonds (optional)
1 large brown paper bag

Pour Chex and almonds in a large brown paper bag. Bring butter, brown sugar, corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat then add baking soda. The soda will make this mixture foam a bit. Pour this mixture over the Chex in paper bag. Close up bag and put into microwave for 1 minute on high. Take out bag and shake. Put bag back in microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and shake then pour out onto wax paper to cool.

These measurements might be more helpful because it's based on the cereal box size.

1 1/2 cube butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
a little more than 1/3 c. corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 16 oz. box of Chex

Carrot Chowder

2008-02-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

I didn't take a picture of the carrot chowder I made for Gretchen's shower but I have had many requests for the recipe. So, here it is minus the pic:

Carrot Chowder

1 pound ground beef—brown then add:
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup celery chopped
½ cup bell pepper chopped
½ cup green onion chopped

1 quart tomato juice (46 oz juice or 32 oz)
1 ½ cup water
½ tsp pepper
3 cloves of minced garlic (I always add extra)
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp marjoram
1 tsp sugar
2 ½ cups coarsely grated carrots
2 cans cream of celery soup

In a large pot brown 1 lb. grown beef and discard drippings. Add: salt, celery, peppers, green onions, sauté this mixture until meat absorbs vegetable flavor—about 10 minutes. Add: tomato juice, water, pepper, garlic, salt, marjoram, sugar, and grated carrots. Bring to a boil and then turn to simmer.
**Take some of this hot mixture and put it into a separate bowl. Add two cans soup into the separate bowl and stir until smooth. This step is important so that the soup isn’t lumpy. Then, put this mixture back into the big pot. Pour the soup into bowls and add swiss cheese to melt into each bowl**

Yummy Choclale Cake!

2007-12-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

My sister made this chocolate cake for my birthday last week. It is TOO good!

Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 c. all purpose flour 2 c. sugar 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa 1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder 1 t. salt 2 eggs 1 c. milk 1/2 c. vegetable oil 1 t. vanilla
1 c. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch pans by rubbing with butter, sprinkling with flour and tapping out extra. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon then set aside. In small bowl combine eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat well with hand mixer. Slowly add boiling water and mix. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and fold and stir until smooth. Pour batter into pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove cake from pans and cool on racks.

Chocolate Frosting

3 c. confectioners' sugar 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa 1 stick butter, softened
3-4 T. heavy cream 1 t. vanilla

Sift sugar and cocoa together into a large bowl. In another bowl combine 1 c. of sugar mixture with butter and 1 T. cream, beating until smooth. Add another cup of sugar and another T. of cream, beating well. Continure until all ingredients are combined and frosting is fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Spread frosting on top of one round. Top with second round and cover top and sides completely with frosting.

Let's Play a Game!

2007-12-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

Alright everyone!

I thought I would do something to jump start you all writing posts and commenting on our rookie blog, so here's a little game...well, more like a semi-interesting question. :)

What recipe do you want someone ELSE to post on this blog?

I'll tell you mine. Sara has this yummy soup recipe for Carrot Chowder. Yeah, I hadn't heard of it either but it was sooooo good! So, Sara, I want you to post your Carrot Chowder recipe. Get cracking! :)

What about everyone else? Just click on "comments" bellow this post and let us know!

A fun blog

2007-11-21T09:46:00.001-08:00

Hey ya'll!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Claire just sent me a great food blog. Check it out. I love good recipe books with pretty pictures (yes, I'm very right brained...and maybe like a 5 year old). This is a blog with pretty pictures. I put a link under "Yummy Links" but here's a quick way, too.

LINK

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2007-11-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Well, I'm excited about it. I'm going to try my Alton Brown brine turkey again this year. And thanks to my more-observant-than-me sister-in-law ReNae, I found out that I put the wrong link for that recipe from the first post. So I'll fix that but just in case here is the CORRECT BRINE TURKEY RECIPE.

I'm so excited to see that a bunch of you have signed up to contribute! I'm looking forward to all your good eats!

Don't forget to take pictures of your Thanksgiving feast so we can see there here!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!