Chorizo Eggs

Back when I worked at a Mexican restaurant in the mid-90s, I learned that I really like chorizo sausage and eggs cooked up together. The chorizo is so sassy and I just love what it does for the common scrambled egg. There was just one itsy-bitsy little problem... the stuff was always so greasy that, without fail, the end result was a wicked case of heartburn. It didn't matter which Mexican restaurant I went to; every time I would end up in misery for hours afterwards. It got to the point where the misery just wasn't worth the enjoyment.

I guess because it happened regardless of the restaurant I went to, I came to work under the assumption that the greasiness was just a part of chorizo. So, to be honest, I'm not really sure what came over me when I was at the grocery store last weekend. Perhaps it was that I hadn't had a ripping good case of heartburn for a while and was feeling nostalgic, but I decided I would try some home-cooked chorizo and eggs. While I can't say that it wasn't completely grease free (it is sausage, after all), it was nothing like what I experienced at all those restaurants. And after? Nothing! I enjoyed my breakfast and then continued on my merry way. And it was so easy and delicious. What a great change of pace from bacon, sausage, or corned beef hash (our three staple breakfast meats). This is definitely getting added to the rotation!

This was the sausage that I purchased. For my husband and me, I used one of the sausages and froze the other for later. To be honest, I think that this is a great breakfast meat; maybe because it is so flavorful, it goes a long way and makes you believe you've had more meat than you have (not a bad thing when you're married to a carnivore like my husband). Please note that the chorizo is not pre-cooked.

The other thing about this chorizo is that the casing needs to be removed. As far as I know (but I'm certainly not a chorizo expert!!), chorizo is usually used as a loose sausage. Simply heat up a skillet, remove the sausage from the casing and it throw in the pan. Let it get mostly cooked and add your scrambled eggs. For the 7.5 ounces of sausage, I used four large eggs and the proportions seemed to be perfect.

Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture. I served it with home fries for breakfast, but it's also really good as a main dish with rice and refried beans. Oh, and in case you've never had chorizo and are worried, in my experience it isn't spicy hot - and I have a very low tolerance for that kind of heat - it just has a darn good, peppy flavor!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I got this picture off the internet because I made this bread a couple of weeks ago and didn't take a picture. But mine looked even better. :) Only because of the glaze on top. It's the best pumpkin bread I've ever had!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Pam Larson, a friend from my ward

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups pumpkin

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cloves

2 cups chocolate chips

Mix and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. (I made mine into muffins, which took less time to bake)

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

add a bit of water

Poppy Seed Bread

I love this bread! I think I got a little too much of the topping in the middle (as you can see), but it's still moist and delicious.

Poppy Seed Bread

Monica Sedgwick

Combine: 3 cups flour (unsifted) 1 ½ tsp. salt 1 ½ tsp. baking powder 2 ¼ cups sugar 1 ½ Tbs. poppy seeds

Mix together, then add to first mixture: 3 eggs 1 ½ cups oil 1 ½ cups milk 1 ½ tsp. almond extract 1 ½ tsp. butter extract 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Bake 1 hour in 2 loaf pans at 350.

Topping:

½ cup orange juice

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp. each of almond butter and vanilla extract

(I didn’t have almond butter, so I substituted almond extract and used powdered sugar instead of white sugar).

Poke holes in top of baked bread. Pour on top. Cool. Take out of pans.

Oriental Green Beans

I almost always cook my green beans this way (if I have a few extra minutes)--so delicious!

Oriental Green Beans

Adrienne Stowell, a friend from my ward

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed (I buy a big bag at Costco, pre-trimmed)

3 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. oriental sesame oil (if you don't have this, sub olive oil, but it's better with sesame)

1 tsp. sugar

6 garlic cloves, minced (I also buy a big jar of minced garlic at Costco, refrigerated)

Steam green beans for 3-4 minutes. Combine soy sauce, oil, and sugar in small bowl. Spray wok or 10" skillet with cooking spray, or small amount of oil. Add garlic, cook for one minute. Add green beans, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture, continue to stir and cook a few more minutes until beans are brown and yummy (but not soggy).

Tex Mex Beef Enchiladas

I made these last night and thought they were great. Madison didn't agree with me, but that's nothing new. :) The Adobo sauce definitely gives it a unique flavor.

Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas

Cathy Ostergar

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 cup flour

1 can chicken broth

1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder

1 small can chipotle chile in adobo, minced, plus 1 Tbs. adobo sauce from the can (I omitted the chili and just used the sauce so it was less spicy)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4-1 lb. lean ground beef

salt and pepper

corn torillas

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Make the sauce: in a saucepan, heat 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil over medium. Add flour and cook, whisking for one minute. Add broth, chili powder, chipotle and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Make the filling: In a nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1/2 Tbs. olive oil over medium high. Add onion, garlic, and beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Spoon 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of an 8 inch square (I used 9x13) baking dish. Set aside. Make enchiladas: Stack tortillas and warm in foil in the oven. Fill each with a heaping 1/4 cup beef mixture and 2 Tbs. cheese; tightly roll up. Raise oven heat to 450. Arrange enchiladas in dish and top with remaining sauce and cheese at the very top. Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve garnished with cilantro and a green salad (I used corn :)).

Snickerdoodles

Picture courtesy of Stephanie's Kitchen

I love a good sugar cookie and it seems that the king of sugar cookies are snickerdoodles. The first time I made these, I craved them for a week. I made them again last night for a little get-together and they were a huge hit. One self-proclaimed non-sweet-addict even had 3 of them! Next time you're in the mood for cookies, skip the chocolate chip for these- they won't disappoint.

Snickerdoodles
from Stephanie's Kitchen

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in eggs. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated.
3. Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape in to 1 1/2 inch balls and dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake or they will be too crispy. Bake just until light and golden.

Feta & Sweet Pepper Pasta

Last night was one of those nights where I started making dinner before I knew what we were having. I knew that chicken breast was going to play a role because - as usual - I forgot to pull something out to thaw ahead of time. I also knew that pasta sounded like a good plan. Unfortunately, we were out of Parmesan cheese. How do you make a creamy sauce for pasta without Parmesan? I was at a loss until I eventually saw the tub of crumbled feta I got last week to make my carrot salad. I wasn't sure how that would work, so I took a spoon out and scooped up some of the sauce that I had made so far and threw a few pieces of feta in there. I had no idea that feta could make such a delicious cream sauce!

On top of it, I had a clam shell of those cute little yellow, orange, and red sweet peppers that were starting to get wrinkly in the fridge, so they got thrown in there. Somehow, the flavors ended up being wonderful. I love it when "make-it-up-as-you-go" night works so well!

Now, the only problem is that making recipes this way is that it makes it a bit challenging to record the exact proportions because there is a lot of fiddling going on, but I think I can give you a good approximation. This is a great tasting sauce with pizazz and gusto. The green you see in the picture above is fresh parsley, but I think this dish would really be great with some spinach in it, too.

Feta & Sweet Pepper Pasta
Yield: serves 4

3 TBS butter
3 TBS minced shallots
3-4 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup chopped sweet peppers (the small ones have great flavor)
3 TBS white wine
3 TBS all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light cream
1 cup milk
1/3 cup crumbled feta
salt & pepper, to taste
2 TBS minced fresh parsley
cooked fettuccine noodles

Melt the butter over medium-high heat until pan is hot and butter is lightly sizzling. Add the shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Maintain the heat and add the chicken. Make sure your pan is large enough that the chicken is not too crowded. You want to develop some good browned bits in the pan. When the chicken is well browned but not quite cooked through, add the peppers. Cook for another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Turn the heat down to medium.

Add the flour and stir to coat the pieces in the pan. Add the cream and milk and stir until it begins to thicken. Add the feta and stir to help it melt in evenly. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley right before serving. Serve over cooked fettuccine noodles.

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake

photo courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

I made this cake on Tuesday for a friend's birthday and it was divine- almost like a german pancake with cream cheese and strawberries. I didn't put the orange zest in because I didn't have any and I'm not a huge fan of orange flavoring. It tasted great! Make sure you whip the cream cheese mixture til it stiffens, or the cake will be a mess!

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake
from My Kitchen Cafe

Cream Puff Base:
5 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup flour
3 eggs

Cream Cheese Mixture:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Strawberries, sugar

For the cream puff layer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring the butter, water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the flour all at once and stir quickly until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is shiny with a satiny sheen. Don't overbeat. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (or in a pinch, you could use a 9-inch circle cake pan). Using an offset spatula, spread the mixture on the bottom and one inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and prick pastry with a toothpick 10-12 times. Return to the oven and bake 5-10 minutes more until golden brown but not overbaked (you can insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out with sticky dough, it still needs longer in the oven). Cool completely.

For the cream cheese mixture, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar (if you want to ensure there are no lumps, sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese) and beat with the cream cheese until mixture is smooth and light. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread onto the cooled cream puff shell.

Top with fresh sliced strawberries (I mixed 2 cups of strawberries with 1 teaspoon sugar and let them hang out in the fridge while I was prepping the cake) or you can use a 16-ounce bag of frozen strawberries that have been thawed. Mix the thawed strawberries and juice with 1-2 teaspoons sugar and bring to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook until slightly thickened. Cool completely and use as topping for the cake.

Pork Tenderloin

I forgot to take a picture of this, too, but I made it on Sunday. It's one of my favorite easy, delicious meals, and is perfect for a Sunday dinner along with mashed potatoes (the cooked marinade can be used as gravy)!

Pork Tenderloin (yields 2 logs)

Shera Mae Walker (a friend, who got the recipe from a friend)

Marinade:

1 cup Teriyaki sauce

1 cup prepared Orange Juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 Tbs. dried basil

1 tsp. dry ginger

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. minced garlic

Slit tenderloins and salt and pepper. Marinade overnight and flip in the morning. Broil on low 20 minutes each side.

Black Bean Soup with Sausage

I've been on a soup kick lately, too. This is the second time I've made soup this week. I made the creamy white chicken chili posted below, and it was very yummy. I found this soup in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and my family devoured it. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture until I noticed the leftovers (not quite enough to save) dumped into the sink. I didn't think that would be too appetizing of a picture, so you'll just have to make it to see how it looks.

Black Bean Soup with Sausage

Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Soups and Stews

2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup celery

1 tsp. ground coriander (I didn't have this, so I omitted it)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz. cooked smoked turkey sausage or Polish sausage, chopped (I cooked mine in a little olive oil in the same pan that I later used for making the soup, leaving the drippings in the pan)

Dairy sour cream or shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a large saucepan combine beans, broth, water, onion, celery, coriander, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in sausage; heat through.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

picture courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

We had a cold, rainy day yesterday and I was feeling soup-y! So, I looked this little number up on my all time favorite recipe blog, My Kitchen Cafe and, let me tell ya, it did not disappoint. In fact, it made so much that we're having it for dinner again tonight and I'm going to freeze the rest (which I'm sure will feed us at least one more time). I love soup season!!!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1/4 cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
½ - 1 cup frozen corn (or ½ cup chopped celery, if preferred)
1 cup carrots, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 ½ cups chicken broth (can use 7 bouillon cubes plus 6 ½ cups water)
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder (didn't have any, so I just used regular old French's mustard)
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or it won't thicken properly - let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Bourbon Chicken

I just made this for dinner last night and it was a nice change in routine (we don't have Chinese-like food very often). It's kind of spicy, but to remedy that, just don't add as much crushed red pepper flakes. Oliver LOVED this meal and had not one, not two, but THREE bowls of it!

Bourbon Chicken
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe


Ingredients:
2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons oil (for pan-frying)
cornstarch (for dusting, optional)

Sauce:
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon ginger (I used ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to liking
¼ cup apple juice (I used white grape juice and it turned out great)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and if you choose lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

Chilling Bat

I'm not sure I can convey the amount of joy I feel for the recent change in weather down here in Florida. While the majority of folks here are lamenting how "cold" it is (you know, temperatures below 60 degrees), I am singing hallelujah. Did you know that yesterday I took my dog for a walk and did not even break a sweat? Granted, I am a bit freakish in that department... what can I say? Apparently, I was genetically made to live in the desert. But, still! It was so enjoyable! I keep trying to tell myself that I simply have to trick my brain into thinking summer here is like winter up north in that you don't spend a lot of time outside. As far as I'm concerned, we're just now getting into the good season.

But, despite the cooling temperatures, I'm pretty sure we'll never really get truly cold here. One of my favorite things about living up north is that in the winter, I don't have to worry about food safety when it came to chilling things quickly. You never worry about putting hot soup into the refrigerator; you just stick it outside! It's like the largest walk-in cooler ever! I'm pretty darn sure I'll never be able to do that here.

That means I have to stick with using a chilling bat when I have hot liquid I want to cool down quickly. Putting a big pot of hot stuff into your refrigerator not only means that the liquid will take a long time to chill down but it will also warm up the other items in your chill box. That leaves a fair amount of time for little microscopic critters to get a foothold in your food. Down with food creepy crawlies! Away!

In restaurants, they use a chilling bat... or paddle... or wand. The gizmos go by many names, but they all have the same purpose: to help cool down your hot liquids quickly so that they spend less time in the temperature "danger zone." Here is a picture of a chilling paddle from the Webstaurant store. Do you know food service suppliers want over twenty bucks for such a device? Crazy!
But, don't you fret, because for less than $1.50, you can have your own chilling bat. Just carefully wash and remove the label from a 2-liter soda bottle. Fill it with water until it's about an inch shy of being full, put the cap on, and store in your freezer. The next time you make a pot of something that needs to be chilled down quickly, you've got it made! I reuse mine over and over. Just wash the outside between each use and replace in the freezer.

Not a bad deal until I can make my way back to the land of real winters...

Fried Gizzards

It's game day! You know what that means, don't you? It means the football obsessed men in our lives are craving football food. And because it really turns out to be only 12-14 days out of the year, I like to oblige him. For my husband, football food means big sandwiches, hot wings, and fried food.

One of his favorites are fried gizzards. Although fried gizzards are much easier to find down here in the south than they were up north, I still just have a hard time with fried foods that have been held on a steam table. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of frying foods, if you ask me. I have another problem with store bought fried gizzards... they leave them whole. I just cannot tolerate eating a whole gizzard at once. The toughness in a mouthful of that size just does me in.

Here is what the gizzards look like whole when you buy them. Granted, that's just a paring knife there, but that gizzard is still nearly three inches across. I like gizzards for the flavor more than the texture.

So, I cut them into much smaller, bite-sized pieces. Not only do they cook more quickly and evenly, but they are much easier to eat. If you've always been a bit turned off by fried gizzards, I suggest you try them this way before you completely write them off. It makes a huge difference.

Now, I tried all kinds of batters and breadings, and the one that is the best is a simple batter. Fried gizzards, in my book, are best with a crunchy, dense (aka not fluffy) coating, so you don't want to add baking powder to the batter. Flour, water, seasoning, and a little bit of oil are all you need. It may sound odd to add oil to the batter when you are frying them in oil, but I really found that they develop a better color when there is a bit of oil in the batter.

Fried Gizzards
Yield: variable

1 cup flour
1 cup water (adjust as necessary)
2 tsp seasoning salt (such as Lawry's)
1 TBS vegetable oil

Cut the gizzards into nice, small, bite-sized pieces. Pat dry with a paper towel. Start your oil heating in a pan or frying appliance. Use a fry thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Shoot for keeping things around 375 degrees F.

Mix the flour, water, seasoning, and oil together in a bowl. The amount of water needed may vary depending on the flour and the day. You want a batter that is smooth and thick enough to coat the pieces well, but thin enough that you don't end up with huge chunks of batter clinging to the gizzards. Dip the gizzards into the batter and drop one by one into the hot oil. Stir to break them up (they will tend to clump when first added). Fry until they float and are a nice golden brown. Drain on a paper towel lined tray and sprinkle with a little additional seasoned salt. Serve immediately!

Creamy White Chicken Chili

I love this soup- its so creamy, delicious, and flavorful- oh, and really easy to make! I usually serve this with a salad and rolls, but a breadbowl would be great too. You're definitely going to love this one, especially as it cools down outside and you want to warm up!

Creamy White Chicken Chili
From My Kitchen Cafe

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil (I use EVOO)
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Makes about 6 servings.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

I think that there's a tunnel... I'm not sure I can see any light yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm at least in the tunnel. That's progress, right? This whole teaching a new high school science content area is rough stuff (I'm an earth science teacher suddenly being asked to be a chemistry teacher). You remember those old ads for the Peace Corps? "The toughest job you'll ever love." That's teaching, too. In a lot of ways, I really regret taking this job. I miss being able to do so many of the things that I enjoy doing - like cooking!

The other day I finally made it back to the grocery store and when I walked by the hot table with those rotisserie chickens, the smell was so enticing. I love those little chickens. You just can't beat them! Heck, you can't hardly even buy a raw chicken for what you pay for one of those rotisserie things.

I like to make all kinds of things from these guys, but lately, what I've enjoyed the most is the chicken salad. This dressing is so simple and quick, but you'll enjoy it like you slaved over it all day. Mix the chicken and dressing with whatever add-ins appeal to you. I used shallots, celery, and Craisins, but you could also add grapes, diced egg, or anything else that sounds good.

Chicken Salad Dressing
Yield: about 1/3 cup of dressing, enough for about 4 cups of chicken

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
2 TBS white wine vinegar
salt and fresh cracked pepper
hint of lemon zest (1/4 tsp or so)
1/2 clove of "zested" garlic

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sugar, poppy seeds, and vinegar. Using a microplane, zest a little bit of lemon into the bowl. Then use the microplane to "zest" a little bit of garlic into the bowl as well (perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 tsp). Mix well and pour over diced or shredded chicken. Add desired mix-ins and serve in a bowl or on a sandwich.

Yummiest Jam EVER

I have discovered the best way to make jam! It only takes 3 ingredients: Ball Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin (bought mine at WalMart), Splenda, and fruit.

The thing that makes this different is that it only takes 1 1/2 cups of Splenda for the whole batch!! The jam takes on the natural fruit flavor and it is so good! Go ahead, try it, you won't be disappointed!

Buttermilk Biscuit Donuts

We did this for a book project, but they were so good and clever that I'm going to put them here too. I got this recipe from Once Upon a Cookie. They were stupidly easy and delicious!

Buttermilk Biscuit Donuts
from Paula Deen

Ingredients

Peanut oil, for frying (Canola is good too)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Icings:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
5 tablespoons milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Colored sprinkles
Chocolate sprinkles

2 cans buttermilk biscuits (I use the ones that come 10 to a can because they make mini donuts and mini donut holes. But you can also use the larger biscuits if you want bigger donuts.)

Directions:

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, set aside. This is the vanilla icing. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of milk and set aside. This is the chocolate icing.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1/4 to 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter (or any small circle you can find), cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit. Fry them in the oil until just golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. Be careful not to cook them to long. You can even fry the donut holes. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or ice and decorate with sprinkles, as desired.

Cool, Creamy Fruit Salad

I got this yummy recipe from Sister's Stuff. This was good enough to be a dessert.



1 Small Package Orange Jello

1 Small Package Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding

2 C. Water

Mandarin Oranges

1 Small Cool whip



Mix together jello, pudding and water in saucepan. Cook until it thickens. Boil 1 minute. Set in fridge overnight or until set and cool. Mix with mixer one small bowl of cool whip. Whip until creamy. Stir in oranges.

Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes

I found this recipe on All Recipes. It was really good! I used my co-op cookie dough instead of making their version. It was still delicious. I'd probably just do that again or use pre-packaged cookies. I used Rachel's rich chocolate frosting that she posted about on this blog.

Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes

1 1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 (18.25 oz) bow yellow cake mix
1 1/3 c water
1/3 c canola oil
3 eggs

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside. Beat the butter and sugars with a mixer until smooth. Add 1 egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place on baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

3. Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with a mixer. Add the cake mix, water, and oil. Spoon into the cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

4. Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool entirely on a wire rack.

Mom's Buttermilk Pancakes

This is Mom's recipe. She got it from Aunt Freddie's ward cookbook, the actual recipe is by Judy Potter. Anyhow, these are AMAZING!! This is mom's new guests breakfast. You know, the one she always makes when people are visiting. I don't mind, they are divine!

Buttermilk Pancakes and Syrup

1 1/2 c. flour
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c milk
1/8 c oil

Mix dry ingredients. Add and mix remaining ingredients, leaving a little lumpy. Cook on griddle at about 350 degrees.

Syrup:
1/2 c buttermilk
1 c sugar
1/2 cube butter or margarine
1/2 tsp soda

Cook on high. Boil 1 minute. Turn off and add 1 tsp vanilla. Cook in a large saucepan because it will boil over easily. Two times this syrup recipe for 3 times batch of pancakes.

Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

Okay, I don't eat pumpkin pie, don't really like it. However, this was really good! I was totally surprised at it's yumminess...
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/3 C pumpkin, canned or homemade
1/4 - 1/2 C milk
1/2 t cinnamon
1/16 t cloves (just use a 1/8 t measure and fill it half way, or do a pinch)
1/16 t nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
2 C vanilla ice cream
a few graham crackers

Pop it all in a blender. Start with 1/4 C milk and then slowly add more if needed to make the blender process it all. I used somewhere between 1/4-1/2 C.

A note about blenders: Here's the problem with making thick, diner style milkshakes at home: A lot of times you have to add so much milk to the thing to get the blender to process that it turns into a milk-slushie instead. Or you have to blend and plunge, blend and plunge, etc. You know the drill, right? So if you have any trouble with your blender, I would recommend blending everything but the ice cream first and then mashing it into the ice cream by hand (well, with a hand. Holding a fork or spoon :) If your scooped ice cream sits out at room temp while you measure the other things and get them all ready, then by the time you mash it all together it should be a good consistency.

Sprinkle with crushed graham cracker crumbs before serving.

Skillet Penne with Chicken and Broccoli

I love this recipe...I craved it the entire time I was in Spain so I made it right when I got home and it was just as delicious as I'd hoped it would be. It really tastes like candy to me. I'm sure you could use milk instead of cream and still get a delicious result. Enjoy!



Skillet Penne with Chicken and Broccoli
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

1 lb. chicken breasts, sliced into 1 inch pieces
Salt and Pepper
3 Tbs. butter
1 onion, minced
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. penne- or favorite pasta (2 ½ cups)
2 ½ c. chicken broth
½ c. heavy cream
1 bunch broccoli (1 ½ lbs.), stems discarded and florets cut into 1 inch pieces
1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped as fine as desired
½ c. parmesan cheese

1. Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tbs. of butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until its lightly browned but not fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add 1 more Tbs. butter, onion, red pepper flakes, oregano, and ½ tsp. salt to skillet. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
3. Sprinkle penne evenly into skillet. Pour the broth and cream over it. Cover and bring to boil, about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to med-low and stir in the broccoli and roasted peppers. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until the pasta begins to soften and the broccoli turns bright green, about 8 minutes.
5. Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juice. Cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
6. Stir in remaining butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

What have I been making lately?

Not much, let me tell you. The nice thing about cooking from scratch, though, is that back in that world where I wasn't crazy, I put a lot of "convenience" food up in the freezer and pantry. Now, even though life is out of control, my husband and I can enjoy home cooked, healthy meals in the time is takes to blink an eye.

Soup and sandwiches have been enjoying a resurgence in our household lately. I just never get sick of eating homemade tomato soup! It is so good with a grilled cheese sandwich. I canned mine months ago, but every time I want to relive that fresh tomato goodness, all I have to do is open the pantry!

The other thing I eat a lot of are these muffins. I like the chocolate chip ones best (duh!). I make a batch every couple of weekends and then I have a good, portable breakfast. I store them in the freezer and then grab two out every morning and zap them in the microwave. My favorite part about heating them up in the microwave is that it gets the chocolate chips all gooey again.

Some days I don't feel like a muffin and so I make toast. I don't need to go to the boulangerie! I only need go as far as my freezer. Because most of my bread recipes make multiple loaves, every time I made bread in the last year, I had an extra loaf that I froze. Now I can reap the reward. I love that chewy, holey ciabatta di birra bread!

Then there's the weekends. I like to still throw together one good home cooked breakfast a week, but I've been a little tired lately. I love this pancake mix because when ready to make it you only have to add water and oil. And the taste! These are absolutely the best pancakes ever! The name does not lie; I swear.

I'm kind of sad about these guys, actually, because I finally finished them up. Talk about a quick fix weeknight meal, though! Drop the frozen raviolis into boiling water, throw together a little butter, cream, and cheese (the pasta triumvirate!) and less than ten minutes later, you are eating the perfect meal. But now they are all gone. It was a bittersweet day...

And what better snack is there than the curry cashew? If you store these guys in a canning jar with a sealing lid, they keep well for months. If you keep them in a plastic bag, you might get three days out of them. I just finished the last of these the other day, too. I love the salty, curry, garlicky taste. And a few always help me tide over until my husband can get home for dinner.

Oh... and then there's these guys. I've been trying to get around to making another batch of them for a month now. Actually, I always make a double batch when I make them, but I love fact that for a couple hours of work, I end up with the makings for 8 quick meals for me and my husband. Who doesn't love pizza? And I really like the fact that because we have our own individual pizza round, I don't have to compromise on toppings. I can put whatever I want on it! Including sun dried tomatoes. Yum! Maybe this weekend. Wouldn't that be nice?