Pecan Pumpkin Pancakes

I just made these for the first time this morning...so yummy! They were a hit with all 3 of us. (Ethan is of course too little for pancakes right now.) I got the base recipe off of allrecipes.com. I added the pecans and substituted nutmeg where they used ginger. Also, their recipe only calls for 1.5 cups of milk, which I found to be waaaaaay too thick.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups milk

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons vinegar

• ½ cup pecans, toasted

Directions

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 278 | Total Fat: 7.2g | Cholesterol: 40mg

Kellog's Kocoa Krispies Mint Chocolate Pie

I love this pie! I found the recipe back when I was about 17 and looking for new holiday treats to make with my mom. One day I was reading cereal boxes and this was on the back of a Cocoa Krispies box. It's so easy and so yummy. We both love mint, so it was an instant hit in our house. I haven't made it in about 9 years now. The recipe used to be in her box, but somehow got lost and I sort of had forgotten about it until recently. Can't wait to make it again. I might tint it orange and make a jack-o-lantern face on it for Katie.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons margarine

• 1/4 cup light corn syrup

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 2 cups Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies® cereal

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

• 1/4 cup cold water

• 1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

• 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring

• 1/4 teaspoon liquid green food coloring

• 1 container (8 oz.) reduced fat frozen whipped, topping, thawed

• Chocolate curls (optional)

Directions

1. Place margarine, corn syrup and chocolate chips in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S COCOA KRISPIES cereal to chocolate mixture. Stir until cereal is coated. With back of spoon, shape mixture evenly in bottom and on side of 9-inch pie pan coated with cooking spray. (If mixture is too soft, refrigerate about 5 minutes). Chill crust.

3. Combine gelatin and water in small saucepan. Let stand 1 minute. Place over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin has dissolved. Remove from heat.

4. In large mixing bowl, combine marshmallow creme, flavoring, color and warm gelatin, mixing until smooth. Gently fold in thawed whipped topping.

5. Spoon filling into chilled crust. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
Serve garnished with additional whipped topping and chocolate curls, if
desired.

Chewy Butterscotch Brownies

You gotta try these babies! I'm not the biggest fan of butterscotch, but these are divine! This is Nestle's recipe, by the way.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

• 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels, divided

• 1 cup chopped nuts ( I used walnuts. Mmmm.)
  

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup morsels and nuts. Spread into ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining morsels.

BAKE for 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

*They are called "chewy" for a reason. If you are not a fan of a very moist brownie, I recommend a brownie pan for more edges and less chewiness.

Katie's 2nd Birthday Cake

Here it is. I'd say it turned out pretty well. In all the commotion I forgot to take pictures of it. Thanks, Mom, for snapping a few shots before the party started. Easily the most even cake I've made to date. And Katie loved it! Well worth staying up till 11 pm to finish it the night before.

More Fun with Fondant

So, I made this cake yesterday. I'm going to meet my friend's baby today. (Her name is Adi, as you can see from the top of the cake.) I'll be making dinner for them and I wanted to have a special dessert, too. This is what I came up with. (I really hope Heather doesn't check my other blog and see this post before I can surprise her later.)

It looks pretty darn good from these first two angles...

but here you can start to observe the "pumpkin effect." Ya know how pumpkins aren't perfectly round? Well apparently, neither are my cakes! So annoying!

The reason being, I used a boxed cake (which is a little thicker batter than the homemade recipes I've tried) because in the past I've had better luck with them not sticking to the pan. Well, not this time. And of course, even a little un-eveness rears it's ugly head when you have a border with straight lines.

Because this is a mini cake (I think the bottom tier is only 6 inches in diameter) I had to use my pyrex glass bowls to bake the cake layers in. You should have seen how uneven the layers were when they came out of the oven! Oye. (What gives, anyway? Air bubbles? Batter too thick? If you have any ideas, leave a comment...)

So I did the best I could as far as letting them cool, chilling them, evening them out, doing a crumb coat, and then frosting the final time. (That crumb coat is a thing of genius, I tell you! So glad I saw that tutorial. [A crumb coat is just a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake and then giving it time to set up by placing it in the freezer for about 30 min.] It really made frosting it to coat SO much easier.)

I'm hoping that the recipients won't mind that it's not totally perfect. It sure does taste good! ( I outta know. I ate the pieces I trimmed off the top, even though I told myself I wouldn't...)

I'm also hoping that it's one of those situations where because I am intimately familiar with the cake I see EVERY imperfection and everyone else will barely notice...???

Lessons learned: 1) I need a mat and ruler if I am ever going to do ribbons again. Too frustrating trying to use the roller as a guide for the cutting tool. 2) I'm going to start putting parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and making the batter from scratch. (Because that should keep it from sticking and the homemade recipes are thinner, hence no super- duper, un-even, pointy mound on each layer that is impossible to trim evenly. 3) After I mixed each color I rushed rolling it out. I need to remember to let it chill in the fridge for at least 15- 30 before working with it. 4) To make the ribbons easier to apply to the cake, maybe I can chill them before I apply them. Maybe they won't flop all over if they're a little cooler? 5) I should just give in and take a class. (But I'm too cheap, so I won't.) Besides you learn more from your failures than you do from your successes, right?

On the plus side, look how nice my gumpaste bows turned out! (Just extra practice, not part of the cake project.) I'm getting better all the time.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Got this one from The MIL. So awesome. (Picture still to come.)

Twice baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 6 - 8 big russet potatoes

• 1 stick butter

• 1 container french onion dip

• ¼ c milk (maybe more, can't remember)

• ½ package bacon

• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

• pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash potatoes and pat mostly dry. Bake directly on rack at 350° for 1- 1 ½ hours (or until soft inside). Meanwhile cook bacon on the stove top. Cut into small pieces when cooled. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Remove potatoes from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Using a pot holder, cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, mix all ingredients (except the cheddar and bacon) using a mixer. Stuff the mixture back into the skins, put them on the cookie sheet, and top with shredded cheese and bacon pieces. Stick 'em back in the oven for about 10 or 15 minutes under the broiler. For a yummy change you can also top with a shredded meat for and instant meal.

Royal Icing, Three Different Recipes

I just can't seem to memorize this, so here we go. The first is the most popular recipe I've come across, the second is an eggless option, the third is less popular and (I think ?) better for candy making. At any rate, now I don't have to do a Google search every time.

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large (60 grams) egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Directions: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until combined. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap

when not in use.

Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder:

4 cups (440 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar

3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder

1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond)

1/2 - 3/4 cup (120 - 180 ml) warm water

Directions: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. To cover or 'flood' the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.

The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

Makes about 3 cups

Other Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• food coloring (optional)

Preparation:

1. Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature before beginning.

2. In the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer, place the egg whites, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar. Using the whisk attachment, beat all together on low speed until combined. You can use a hand mixer if you desire, but it will likely take longer for the icing to reach the right consistency.

3. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Restart the mixer and beat the mixture on medium speed until very thick, shiny, stiff and white. This should take about 7-10 minutes.

4. Check the texture to ensure that it is suitable for your needs. If you require a stiffer icing, add a little more powdered sugar at this point.

5. If you want to dye your icing just one color, you can add a few drops of food coloring into the bowl and mix it for a few seconds until the coloring is evenly distributed. If you want to make several different colors, divide the icing into several different bowls and stir in the food coloring by hand.

6. Royal icing dries to a very hard consistency, and it will begin setting as soon as it is made. To prevent the icing from getting hard before you use it, thoroughly wet a paper towel and place it over the top of the icing in the bowl. It is very important to keep the icing covered! Likewise, if you are using a pastry bag and piping tips with the icing, twist the back end of the bag tightly, and wrap a wet paper towel around the tip when not in use so the icing will not dry in the tip.

7. Depending on the temperature, humidity, and amount of icing used, royal icing should harden within 15-60 minutes of application. Do not refrigerate products with hardened royal icing, as the icing can become soft and sticky.

Simple Tuna Melt

Tuna has been on sale recently, so I stocked up. Later I realized I don't know what to do with it. So, I had Trav look online for a tuna melt recipe. He found this one on allrecipes.com and we both thought it was excellent. And no fuss whatsoever. (We were out of honey dijon, so we substituted spicy brown instead.)

Ingredients

• 1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 2 teaspoons chopped dill pickle
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bread slices in the oven to toast while it preheats, and while you make the tuna salad.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, salt, balsamic vinegar, mustard and dill pickle until well blended. Remove bread from the oven, and pile the tuna mixture onto one slice. Sprinkle cheese over the other slice of bread.
3. Bake for 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and tuna is heated through. Place the cheese side of the sandwich on top of the tuna side. Cut in half and serve immediately.

Updates...

Finally posted a pick for the first post- Crackpot Chicken.

Edited the ingredients for the Yellow Beans recipe.
(It's the Table Blend by Mrs. Dash, not Original. Oops.)

Egg Substitutions for Baking

1 egg = 2 tbsp water + 1 tbsp oil + 2 tsp baking powder

(I'm experimenting with this one as I type.)

The following were listed as other options, but without measurements. I guess if I was to try them I'd estimate visually?

• applesauce
• pureed prunes

Melissa's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

These recipes are a variation of my mom's. When I moved into my own apartment, I wrote down her recipe and used that for the four years I lived there. Somehow, when I moved into the rental house from there, I misplaced the recipe. You'd think after making it every time I ate spaghetti I would have it committed to memory, but I guess being an 'overtime' student with a full-time job takes a toll on your brainpower and you don't really remember things you don't have to. Anyway. I remembered all of the ingredients, just not the exact amounts of each, so I began estimating and seeing how it turned out. (I refuse to buy a jarred sauce because I have tried to save time this way and just end up disappointed in the meal.) Here's what I came up with.

For the record: Any and all generic brands can be used for all ingredients except the Great Value brand peeled, crushed tomatoes in puree. The texture is just not right.



Melissa's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 large can (I'll check the amount) tomato juice
• 1 medium, short and fat sized can (" ") peeled, crushed tomatoes in puree
• 2 small (or 1 regular size) cans tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp oregano leaves
• 2 -3 (depending on the size) cloves minced garlic (it must be fresh or it will not be even half as good!)
• 3 -4 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• (Sometimes I also add a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. If the mood strikes me. I'm not sure how much of a difference that even makes because I've made it without more times than with and can't seem to tell the difference. It just makes me feel chef-like, I guess.)

Directions:
[*If you don't want to piss off the person who cleans up after dinner, I recommend two things. First, clear anything on your counter tops about a foot and a half away from the pot on the stove and use the deepest pot you've got. It's a pain in the neck to clean up the carnage (as Trav calls it) off of things like the tea kettle and baking canisters, but the extra deep pot helps. I don't know how many quarts mine is, but it's literally at least 12 inches deep. I would check but I'm on a roll here and don't feel like getting up.]
Combine all ingredients in a deep pot on the stove over medium heat. (I do not, under any circumstances, recommend a heat higher than that to save time. The one time I turned it to high, I burned the sauce on the bottom of the pot so badly that it took me (LITERALLY) 2 weeks of scrubbing with a steel wool pad and soaking in extremely hot water and soap to get it clean. Not worth it.) Bring to a bubble (it's not quite a boil) and stir very often for around 20 minutes. The goal here is to cook out a lot of the water to thicken the sauce. Turn down to low for 3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes or so. Makes enough for a pound of pasta one night, a pound of raviolis another night, enough to top 1 1/2 pounds of Chicken Parmesan, and even a little that I never quite use up. It freezes well, too. Definitely budget friendly!

Melissa's Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 -1 c bread crumbs
• 1/2 - 3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove minced garlic (again, it must be fresh garlic!)
• 1/4 c parsley
• 1 tsp ground oregano, if you so desire (Sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't. Again, just depends on my mood.)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together by hand. Roll into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook over medium heat in a nonstick pan until cooked through. (I don't add any oil...they render their own fat.) Honestly, I still don't know how long I cook them. I think around 20-25 minutes? I usually keep turning them and cooking them until all sides look a little too done. Then, I cut one open to see that they are a consistent gray color all the way through, and not any lighter in the center. Then I let them hang out in between paper towels to get the excess fat off. (Same as you would with your breakfast bacon.) Last, I put 'em in that sauce and scoop out a giant helpingt to top my pasta. Yum-my. Now I'm hungry.

My Christmas Chicken Cutlets

The first Christmas in our house, I wanted to make dinner and have the family over. I wanted something non- traditional that my mom and grandma had never made for me before. I made this chicken (along with some long grain and wild rice and asparagus topped with a goat cheese sauce that I whipped up off the top of my head and haven't been able to recreate since. (I hate that!) Anyway. I'm getting side tracked here. This is adapted from yet another Rachael Ray recipe. She titled it Spanish Chicken Cutlets. Everything is exactly the same except for the type of nuts used. She used peeled almonds, I used walnuts. It's just what I had in the pantry at the time. Can it still be classified as Spanish? I dunno. That's why I re-titled it. I'm not going to take any credit away from the master, though. She's my hero!

(Sorry there's no photo. I can't seem to copy and paste the one from foodnetwork.com.)

Ingredients:
* 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups walnuts
* 1/2 cup bread crumbs
* Generous handful flat-leaf parsley
* 1/3 cup dry sherry, eyeball it
* 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat about 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over low heat in a large skillet.

From the rounder, thicker side of the breast, cut into and across but not through the breast meat and butterfly the breast open. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour flour, smoked paprika and salt and pepper onto a dish; beat eggs in a second dish with a splash of water. Grind nuts, bread crumbs and parsley in food processor to combine. The nuts should have the same consistency as the bread crumbs. Start the processor in pulses then turn on to combine. Pour nut mixture onto plate. Coat the chicken in flour, egg then nuts. Wash your hands.

Raise heat under the skillet to medium-medium high. When oil ripples, add the chicken and brown on both sides, and finish in the oven until deeply golden and cooked through.

Remove chicken to a platter and add sherry to the pan then stir in butter. Spoon pan sauce over chicken and serve with rice alongside.

(On a side note... as I was reading through the recipe just now, I was reminiscing and remembered that I was pregnant with Katie that Christmas and didn't know it yet. Seems like a long time ago.)

Spring Chicken Roll-Ups with Lemon Dijon Pan Sauce

Another Rachael Ray hit!

Prep Time:10 min
Cook Time:20 min
Serves:4 servings

These bundles are a healthy twist to a Cordon Bleu chicken - ham and cheese stuffed breast meat breaded and sauteed.

Ingredients:
* 2 (6-ounce) pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 4 thin slices provolone cheese
* 4 thin slices prosciutto cotto
* 12 thin spears asparagus, trimmed of tough stems and blanched in salted water
2 minutes, drained
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
* 1/4 cup chopped, flat-leaf parsley, a handful

Directions:
Halve the chicken breasts horizontally separating each into 2 cutlets.

Place each halved cutlet in an individual freezer plastic storage bag (with slider tab). Add a tablespoon of water to each bag and pound into1/8-inch thick cutlets.

Arrange the 4 cutlets on work surface. Season cutlets with salt and pepper on the side facing up. Cover each piece of chicken with 1 slice cheese and 1 slice ham. Starting on 1 side of the breast, place a small bundle of 3 asparagus spears. Wrap and roll the chicken around the asparagus. Wash hands.

Heat about 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, using tongs, add the chicken roll-ups to skillet with seam side down. Season the roll-ups with salt and pepper. Cover the pan loosely with tin foil and cook 4 to 5 minutes, turn roll-ups over and cook and other 4 to 5 minutes. Remove cooked roll ups to a serving plate. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons flour Stir in the chicken stock and Dijon mustard, scraping up any drippings from the bottom of the pan, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley and spoon over chicken.

*I know it's weird, but I didn't like the idea of my asparagus inside a raw piece of chicken (yuck!), so I just broiled it separately in the oven. This was such a yummy dinner. The pan sauce was TO-DIE-FOR! If you've been reading other posts, you probably figured out that I doubled the sauce; it's what I do. (And I'm not really a huge fan of dijon, so that's saying a lot!)Oh- I almost forgot... I substituted ham slices for the prosciutto cotto because I'm cheap. It was still excellent.)

BLT and P (Bacon, Leek, Tomato and Potato) Soup

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

"Bacon, Leek and Tomato Soup is a soup for any season! It is surprisingly light and colorful and full of vegetables. It makes a simple, flavorful, special lunch or supper that warms you up, soul and stomach. It is especially delicious on rainy days or nights! I first made this for my mom because she and I both LOVE Oscar's bacon and we wanted a whole pot full of soup that tasted like it! We ate a pot of it while watching movies curled up in the living room of the cabin."

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Well, I've made my fair share of soup in my time, but never from scratch. This was a first for me and we loved it! The only thing I can say is remember to remove the bacon after it's browned (or it gets soggy) and if the grocery store is out of leeks that day, DON'T substitute extra celery. It was overload, let me tell ya. Other than that, it was soooo good!

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• 6 slices lean, smoky good quality bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

• 3 small ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, finely chopped

• 2 small to medium carrots

• 3 leeks, trimmed of rough tops and roots

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt and pepper

• 3 medium starchy potatoes, such as Idaho, peeled

• 2 quarts chicken stock

• 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

• Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

• Crusty bread, for dunking and mopping

Directions

Heat a medium soup pot or deep sided skillet over medium-high heat. To the hot pan add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the bacon. Cook bacon until brown and crisp. Add the chopped celery. Take peeled carrots and lay flat on cutting board. Hold each carrot at root end and use the vegetable peeler to make long, thin strips of the carrot. Chop the thin slices into small carrot bits or carrot chips, 1/2-inch wide. Add the chips to celery and stir. Cut leeks lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch half moons. Place the leeks into a colander and run under rushing cold water, separating the layers to wash away all the trapped grit. When the leeks are separated and clean, shake off water and add to celery and carrots. Stir veggies together, add a bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. While the leeks cook to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes, slice the potatoes.

Cut each potato across into thirds. Stand each piece of potato upright and thinly slice it. The pieces will look like raw potato chips.

Add stock to vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add potatoes and tomatoes. Cook 8 to10 minutes until potatoes are tender and starting to break up a bit. Add bacon and parsley and stir. Adjust seasonings. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

Named for the main ingredient, this is one of the easiest recipes I've come across. I saw it in with the Sunday coupons a couple of months back. It's very budget friendly, too. Next time I might try their 'zesty tip' or even make it into chicken nuggets. We'll see.

Ingredients:
2 c French's French fried Onions
2 tbsp flour
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Crush the onions with flour in a plastic bag. Dip the chicken into the egg, then coat in onion crumbs. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees F (or until cooked through.)

*Zesty tip: Substitute 1/4 cup any flavor French's mustard instead of beaten egg.

Formerly Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

I got this recipe from Kirsten's food blog. (I was her son, Zach's, kindergarten teacher the year I was pregnant with Katie.) The link to her blog has the "story" behind the dish. It's such a yummy meal. A crowd pleaser for all ages! I haven't modified it at all because it's perfect the way it is. Although, one time I forgot to pick up long grain and wild rice and had to substitute my good ol' jasmine rice. It was still good, but the long grain and wild rice makes it great.

(Picture to still to come. I am just trying to record as many recipes as I can right now. I refuse to move stacks of paper!)

Ingredients:

2- 6.2 oz boxes Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice, prepared

4 to 6 chicken breasts, seasoned (salt, pepper, all-purpose seasoning, whatever)-cooked and cubed or shredded

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 package (tube) Ritz crackers, crushed

1/2 cube butter, melted

poppy seeds (optional)

Directions:

Bake and cut up chicken breasts, set aside. Spray 9 x 13 inch baking dish with Pam. Prepare rice and evenly spread on bottom of baking dish. Layer chicken evenly over rice. In separate bowl, mix together soup and sour cream, spread over chicken. Sprinkle crushed Ritz crackers over soup mixture, drizzle melted butter over crackers. Optional- sprinkle poppy seeds over Ritz crackers before drizzling butter. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Classic Pot Roast

Another good recipe from parents.com...
but next time I'm going to double the amount of carrots and mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup baby carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 rib celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 boneless chuck roast (about 3 pounds), tied
• 1 teaspoon olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups sliced white button mushrooms OR: 1 package (8 ounces) sliced white button mushrooms
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound egg noodles

Directions:

1. In 5- to 5 1/2-quart slow cooker, layer onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Rub the roast all over with the 1 teaspoon olive oil; season the roast with the salt and pepper. Scatter the mushrooms over the vegetables in the slow cooker, and place the chuck roast on top. Tuck thyme sprigs and bay leaf into mixture.

2. In medium-size bowl, whisk together beef broth, wine and tomato paste; pour over meat.

3. Cover slow cooker; cook on high heat for 6 hours.

4. Remove chuck roast from slow cooker; keep warm.

5. Pour the liquid with the vegetable mixture from the slow cooker into a medium-size saucepan; remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil.

6. In a small cup, stir together the 2 tablespoons olive oil and flour until well blended and smooth. Stir the flour mixture into the liquid in the saucepan. Boil, stirring, until liquid is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

7. Meanwhile, cook noodles in large pot of lightly salted boiling water following package directions. Drain the noodles well.

8. Slice pot roast. Serve with gravy and cooked noodles.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings Per Recipe 10 servings
• Calories 545,
• Total Fat (g) 30,
• Saturated Fat (g) 10,
• Cholesterol (mg) 130,
• Sodium (mg) 433,
• Carbohydrate (g) 34,
• Fiber (g) 2,
• Protein (g) 33,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Rule of Two Sausage Dish

This is a dinner that Trav's mom made once and I have sorta turned into my own. She makes it with just the pots and sausage. I wanted an easy way to add a vegetable that offered more than just carbs, so that's where the green beans come in. And I don't think it actually has a name, so I named it 'Rule of Two Sausage Dish' just this very moment. You'll see why as you read on...although I bet you can guess why...

Ingredients:
2 packages beef smoked sausage (I use Hillshire Farm because it's cheap @ Wal-Mart)
2 cans cut green beans
2 large russet potatoes
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (10.75 oz each, or 1 big 26oz can, if you like... I'll explain more in the directions)

Directions:
Chop sausage and potatoes into bite sized pieces. Drain green beans and mix everything together in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. (If you have one with extra deep sides, that would be easiest for you to mix it in.) Mix all the ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for around 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Basically until the potatoes are done. As far as using two 10.75 oz cans of soup versus the big 26 oz can, it depends on the consistency you prefer and how you're cooking it. When I cook it in the oven, I use the big can because I like my food to be plenty moist and have lots of whatever the "sauce" is. But, the big can is too much if you're cooking in the crock pot, so that's when I use the small cans. And for those who like a low-fat alternative... you can substitute the beef sausage for a turkey blend option and you can substitute the regular Cream of Mushroom Soup with the Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup. I do not recommend both substitutions in the same dish, however, because the flavor will be a bit bland. If I had to pick the substitution that tastes the best it's the regular beef sausage with the Healthy request soup; hands down. The texture and flavor of the regular sausage is SOOOO much better. And even though the crock pot is obviously the more comfortable choice during the summer months, the oven baked version is extra yummy because the top of the dish gets a bit of a crispy texture as it cooks that it doesn't have the chance to develop in the crock pot.

I made this for my sister tonight, but forgot to take a picture. I'm making it for us on Monday (in the crock pot) so hopefully I'll remember to snap a shot then.

2nd Attempt at Katie's 2nd Birthday Cake

Ok. The third time better be the charm because the fondant turned out SO much better, but the cake layers gave me a bunch of trouble. The layers out of a box were no problem, but the homemade layer was a disaster to get out of the pan. Lesson learned: You cannot "glue" a cake back together with yummy frosting and expect it to look good. Hence, the giant canyon and lumps all through this cake. Oh well. The fondant turned out really well. I loved the gel food coloring! I can never go back to liquid drops. I just need to remember to let the gel icing letters dry before putting them in the cake. (And no more cakes from scratch for this project!)

The circle cookie cutter represents the "2" candle that I keep forgetting to pick up. I decided that it would look better to have the candle on fondant clouds rather than the clubhouse circular cutouts. Next time I need to dust the cloud with powdered sugar to make it look less shiny. And that darn leg is still too long. Also just noticed that the black accents on the window panes are too thick.

This time I also opted for grass accents instead of a border of grass along the bottom. I couldn't get the grass border to look right. I think this looks so much better. (Don't laugh at my canyon. Next time the cake won't break and slide off.)

I also used the smallest roller guide for thinner accents this time. Much better. Still didn't seem to need anything to help the accents adhere to the cake. Just applied them to the cake when it was right out of the fridge.

Still not sure that the doghouse is worth it. This time put black accents on the handy hot air balloon (per Travis' request) and it looks a lot better. I'm so much happier with the colors this round. Very "animated."

1st Attempt at Katie's 2nd Birthday Cake

(This post is more for me than anyone else. Want to document what I learned before I forget.)

Make 2 batches of marshmallow fondant for a 3 layer, 9 inch round cake. 1 batch to cover the cake and 1 for the accents.

1 batch of Marshmallow Fondant:
*(1 1/2) 10.5 oz bag mini marshmallows (Not Great Value, but Market Pantry is good. Jet-Puffed is best. Should probably use name brand to cover cake and store brand for accents and designs.)
*(1) 2 lb bag powdered sugar, sifted (Actually about a cup shy of the whole bag. Go by texture, not measurements.)
*2 tbsp water
*shortening

Directions: Grease microwavable bowl, mixing bowl, dough hook, and spatula with shortening. Put marshmallows and water in bowl and microwave about 60-75 seconds. Stir. It should be a gooey, lumpy, sticky heap. Put about 1/2 bag sifted powdered sugar into mixing bowl. Add marshmallows and food coloring, if desired. Mix on low until sugar and marshmallows are mixed. Keep adding sugar and mixing until it looks like dough. Grease counter top and hands. Finish kneading by hand until it's like a soft cookie dough. Refrigerate in a sealed plastic bag (not saran wrap like in the tutorial or it might dry out) for a few hours. It should be a little hard to knead so that it doesn't get to warm when you roll and cut it.

Covering cake with fondant: Tutorials said to grease counter and dust with powdered sugar. I didn't want my color to fade, so I skipped the extra sugar and it worked out fine. Not sure how much of a difference it would have made. Roll out fondant using a greased fondant roller. I like the little guides because it's so much easier to get it all an even thickness. Tutorials said to ice the cake and let it crust up before applying fondant. Then, either apply piping gel or spray with water to help the fondant stick to the cake. I sort of did that. I let it cool in the fridge and applied it without piping gel (because that's just one more thing to buy.!) or water. We'll see how that turns out. Tutorial said to make it about 1/4 inch thick to hide the bumps of the cake. Fondant needs to be rolled out to a width that is the height plus the diameter of your cake. Keep picking it up and and putting it down between rolls so it doesn't stick. When it's the right thickness and width place roller over the middle of it. Flop over one side of the fondant, hold the roller at each end, and quickly line it up and roll it onto the cake. Lift and pat the fondant until it smooths and lies flat on the cake. Tutorial said to use a fondant smoother, but I'm not sure how much of a difference it made. Cut the excess off with a pizza cutter, it's way easier than that little fondant cutter. Refrigerate immediately.

Notes for improvement:
liquid food coloring is a pain to mix into fondant by hand, will try gels
cakes from scratch don't come out of the pan as easily as boxed mixes, nor do they keep as long
icing from scratch doesn't keep as well ( at least the one I tried didn't)
it takes 2 .25- 2.5 ready-made frosting containers for a 3 layer, 9 in round cake
skim the mound in the center of bottom and middle layers before "assembling"

*Going to try a more vibrant sky blue color next time. (And not let it dry out. Arg!) Blue slide is too dark. Leg is too long. Pink stars will have the letters of her name on them. Circles on top of cake will hold "2" candle and will be pink, purple, and yellow or the same color as the blue slide will be. Next time will do accents on windows and door in black. Not sure if it's worth it to include Pluto's doghouse.

Italian Mini Meat Loaves

This is a great twist on meatloaf. (I don't like meatloaf all that much, but it's cheap and easy, so it does appeal to me in those aspects.) It's a Rachael Ray recipe that I've modified a bit. It reminds me a lot of my meatballs, so maybe that's why I like it so much. The key to the excellent flavor is the tomato paste instead of ketchup, like a traditional meatloaf has. And I love that she suggests to make mini loaves instead of one big loaf, because the edges are the best part of a meat loaf. This way everyone gets lots of edges and it cooks a lot faster! It can be halved, but I like to have leftovers, so the following is the amount I make most of the time. This time when I made it I decided to have some fun and shape the meat loaves using a heart shaped cookie cutter. Some turned out better than others. Oh well. It keeps it interesting, I guess.

Ingredients:
2lb lean ground sirloin
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 c bread crumbs
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese (Racheal uses Parmigiano Reggiano, but I always forget to buy a package and just end up using the Kraft brand cheese in my fridge)
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
6 tbsp tomato paste
sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredients listed in her recipe that I don't include because I/we don't like them:
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 small green bell pepper, chopped

Sometimes I do add about 2 tbsp parsley if I think about it, even though Rachael's recipe doesn't call for it.


Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix everything together and form mini loaves 1 inch thick. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. (Why spend time cleaning when you don't have to?!) Rachael's recipe says to drizzle with EVOO, but I think that's just unnecessary because they brown up just fine without it and the extra fat just makes it too greasy for my taste. Cook for about 18-20 minutes. I like to serve it with a pasta dish or yellow beans and garlic bread. Maybe I'll post a homemade mac 'n cheese recipe next...

Slow Cooker Apple-Cinnamon Pork Roast

Well, this recipe I received via email from Parents.com. Just tried it tonight and we loved it! It had a great flavor and was really tender. The only thing I didn't do according to the recipe is add the lemon juice to the slaw. (Partly because I forgot until the end and partly because I liked it without an extra layer of flavor.) I love when a crockpot meal is a hit- hooray for not having to cook dinner in the oven when it's 108 degrees outside!

Ingredients

• 1 2.5 to 3 pound boneless pork-loin roast

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin wedges

• 1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice

• 2 Jonagold or McIntosh apples, cored and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 bag (16 ounces) coleslaw mix

Directions

1. If the roast won't fit in your 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, trim it and save the pieces for stir-fry later in the week. Then sprinkle the roast with thyme, salt, and pepper. In a large skillet, brown meat on all sides in hot oil.

2. Layer the onion on the bottom of your slow cooker. Place roast on top and pour on the apple cider- we prefer cider because it has a bit more fiber. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Toss apples with lemon juice and cinnamon. Add them and the coleslaw mix to your slow cooker. Cover and heat 10 minutes more.

3. Remove the roast and place it on a platter. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables and apple slices to the platter. Drizzle any remaining cooking juices over meat and vegetables.

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe: 6 to 8 servings, Calories 368, Total Fat (g) 15, Sodium (mg) 273, Carbohydrate (g) 12, Fiber (g) 3, Protein (g) 43,

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Yellow Beans

These are a staple in my house. And super easy to make. Whenever I go grocery shopping I pick up at least two cans of beans for this recipe, regardless of how many cans are in my pantry. I first tasted them at a Sunday dinner at my Grandma's house when I was in college. At least I think that's when it was. Anyhow- may grandmother is a great cook and has always seemed to find a way to make veggies taste way better than my mother or I can. (Sorry, Mom.) I've come to realize she cheats, though. As an adult I began asking her about her recipes and watched her cook before our meals...and that's when I realized the veggies were so good because she uses a plentiful amount of butter/ margarine. In an attempt make this dish a little bit lighter I substituted the butter for EVOO (that's extra virgin olive oil for those of you who have never followed a Rachael Ray recipe.) It was good, but I had already been ruined having eaten it the great way, so I gave in and only substituted half the butter/ margarine. That seems to be the happy medium. I also let them get a little bit more color than Grandma does. This happened on accident once when I walked away from the stove for too long. Trav raved about how much better they tasted, so that's the way I cook them every time now. I love it when a flub turns out to be fabulous! Oh and the can in the store will say "wax beans," but that just grosses me out. I don't want to eat anything waxy. Yuck! I affectionately refer to them as yellow beans so that I can continue to love them. And love them we do. There is never any leftovers of this, no matter how many cans I make. It's one of those side dishes that I have served to adults and children and all of them loved it.


Yellow Beans
2 cans yellow beans
1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
1 1/2 Tbsp margarine
1 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning (table blend)

Melt the margarine in the EVOO, then add beans. Toss to coat. Cook for around 5-7 minutes on [just over] medium heat and add the Mrs. Dash. Stir and cook and stir and cook until there's enough carmelization for your liking. For me that's when the bottom of the pan looks like it will be a total pain in the rear to clean. But the cook doesn't clean in my house, so I don't worry about it. (Note: Medium isn't high enough, but medium-high is too high. At least on my crappy range. Be sure to use a stainless steel pan because you can't get the same affect with a non-stick surface. Believe me- I've tried.)

As I was typing this out I realized that I have never actually measured all the ingredients, so it's a bit of an approximation. One of those recipes I just make by sight. Sorry. I guess that's not very helpful. But it leaves room for your own interpretation, so your family can enjoy it whatever way they like.

Crackpot Green Chile Chicken

I got this recipe from our witty and intellectual friend Martin's mother, Bev. She's a fabulous cook (and person, for that matter.) We were in college at the time and Trav came home to our tiny apartment raving about the meal Bev had made for them. They had this arrangement that Travis would give Martin rides to and from their classes (they were in the same degree program) in exchange for meals at the Sector residence. Classic. Wish I was Travis back then. I had to live on breakfast bars and shakes between classes. Anyway, this is without a doubt one of my favorite recipes because it is SO easy and super tasty. I haven't modified it at all because it's perfect just the way it is. Just don't make the same mistake I did the first time I cooked it and use sour cream instead of cream cheese. I thought it was a typo, but the cream cheese is what gives it the extra layer of flavor and creamy texture. Also, I'd like to dedicate this recipe to my friend, Genifer. The reason: because it only has a few ingredients and that's just the type of recipe Nob likes to cook from.


Crackpot Green Chile Chicken
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can green chili enchilada sauce ( I prefer Hatch's because it's a little more mild than Macayo's)
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked rice

Cook chicken and sauce in crockpot for 8-10 hours on low or 6 hours on high. Half an hour before serving stir in cream cheese and begin preparing rice according to directions.