Sloppy Joes

I love sloppy joes- they're a really great comfort food...I made this tonight and thought it tasted great. This is a fancy sloppy joe (if there is such a thing!)- I served it on nice hamburger buns, with or without cheese melted on top. Be careful with the cloves- don't put too much in!

Sloppy Joes
from Simply Recipes

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup minced carrots (can sub chopped bell pepper)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
1 1/4 lb ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce (or 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, puréed)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 turns of freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the carrots and sauté until soft. (If you are using bell pepper instead of carrots, add those at the same time as the onions.) Add the chopped onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat. Remove vegetables from the pan to a medium sized bowl, set aside.

2. Using the same pan (or you can cook the meat at the same time as the vegetables in a separate pan to save time), generously salt the bottom of the pan (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon). Heat the pan on high. Crumble the ground beef into the pan and cook until entirely browned.

3. Return the vegetables to the pan. Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and brown sugar to the pan. Stir to mix well. Add ground cloves, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste (I added salt). Serves 4.

A Belated Thanksgiving Wish

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and was able to spend time with family and friends and able to enjoy great food and fellowship. We had a small gathering here, just me, my mom, and my husband. But it was an unexpected bonus, as we had been working under the assumption that the hubby was going to have to be out of town over the holiday. It is nice to have family near at the holidays, isn't it?

We decided that this year, minimalism was an okay thing. For dinner itself, we only served three dishes, just like I do for my meals throughout the year: a meat, a starch, and a vegetable. We also decided to be a bit unconventional with the meat this year. We roasted a duck. It was a great choice, because with only three people, we could reasonably feed our "crowd" with only one bird (note to self... ducks are small!). We boiled it first to render off some of the fat and then finished it in a really hot oven to brown. We also put together a nice sour cherry, red wine, and orange sauce to go over the duck. It worked out really well.

While I could give up the turkey or ham at Thanksgiving without any remorse, I just couldn't do without dressing. I put together a stuffing using bread cubes from some left over potato wheat bread I had in the freezer. I sauteed a bunch of aromatics and mushrooms, added herbs, a fair amount of butter, and some chicken broth. I like stuffing that is fluffy and moist on the inside and crunchy and golden on the outside. This stuffing fit the bill!

The last item I made was an old standby. I love peas with caramelized shallots. I should have taken a picture of them last night, as they were much prettier than what you see below (an older photo from when I didn't really know how to use my camera properly yet). I love caramelized shallots because they give a sweet, full flavor to a sometimes pedestrian vegetable.

We finished the evening off with a non-traditional dessert. My mom wanted to taste my cornmeal crust, so we made small blueberry tarts. They were so delicious. We made six so we each had one last night and now we each have another waiting for us today. I can hardly wait! So often, a crust is simply a vehicle for the filling. What I love about this cornmeal crust is it really is the star of the dish. I added a little lemon zest to it this time as well. It is sweet and delectable with a slight hint of lemon and a nice je ne sais quoi from the cornmeal.

This had been an interesting week of cooking... some of which was successful, some not. We made marshmallows, which were delicious. I attempted to make some mozzarella cheese for the first time, but I kept forgetting to come in from our yard work at the proper times and it failed. Fortunately, serendipity took over and I found the end result was a great base for a spreadable cheese. I'll have to see if I can recreate that serendipity to develop a real recipe to post. We really enjoyed the spread on crackers. Lastly, I also tried to make yogurt. It's a really simple process, so I was a little miffed when it didn't seem to come out quite as thick as it should... until I read the date on the carton of yogurt I used as a starter. I guess I don't always use plain yogurt as often as I need to! The carton "use by" date was in late September! Oops! I think I can still use the homemade yogurt for cooking, however, so all is not lost.

While I am starting to come to the sad realization that my week of relaxation is coming to a screeching conclusion (I'd better get my red pen in gear soon to finish grading papers), I will try to start posting some of the recipes I made this week that worked great. I hope food brought you and your family closer together this week, too. Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Clone of a Cinnabon

Pic courtesy of allrecipes.com

Throw away all of your trusty cinnamon roll recipes because once you make these, you will NEVER, EVER need another cinnamon roll recipe again. The name of this recipe is only deceiving in that it's better than a Cinnabon. And, it's almost as easy as jumping in your car and driving over to the nearest mall for a creamy, doughy, cinnamon fix.

Clone of a Cinnabon
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start. If you don't have a bread machine, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Mix in the sugar, butter or margarine, salt, and eggs. Add flour and mix well. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Then pick up with rolling out the dough. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Mincemeat Handpies

Hard to believe I almost forgot to post these little gems! While I love these with mincemeat in them, they would be great with any other kind of fairly firm pie filling you can think of. Mini-apple pies? Oh yeah. Mini-berry pies? Splendid. The trick is keeping the right ratio of pie to filling.

To be honest, I think I got the ratio off a bit on this batch. You want to be sure to roll the crust thinly enough so that they aren't too doughy. The trick is finding where that line is. Shoot for about 1/8 of an inch and fiddle from there.

I typically use a traditional crust, but you could use any pastry crust adaptation you want. You could even use my Whole Wheat Pie Crust for an added nuttiness. I used the mincemeat I canned last year. I would love to post how to make it, but I would have to do it without any pictures, because that batch made a dozen quart jars... I won't need to make mincemeat for at least another two years! However, any store-bought mincemeat works, or you could easily cook a filling that is very mincemeat-like. My Ice Cream a la Pie recipe is pretty close.

The other thing I love about these little pies is that they freeze so well. One day of making these little pies, and you'll be able to enjoy them for many days to come. Simply bake them! No need to thaw first. I just bake them at a slightly lower temperature than when they are not frozen. Also, it helps to place them in the oven when you first turn it on so that they warm up with the oven.

Making the pies is fairly straight-forward. Roll out the dough until it is nice and thin. Again, go for thinner than what you see here, as I thought this batch turned out a bit crusty. I use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut the rounds out.


I place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and spoon a small amount of filling into the middle. I use my #100 disher (about 2 tsp). Have some egg wash handy (one egg yolk beaten with 1 TBS of water) and brush the edges of the bottom crust.
Place the other crust over the top. Now, sealing takes a bit of practice to get a motion that will work for you. The important thing is to try and get any large pockets of air out. Seal the edges of the pies with the tines of a fork. Brush the tops with the egg wash and then sprinkle with sanding sugar (regular sugar works fine, too). Lastly, using a toothpick or cake tester, prick a few holes in the top to allow the steam to escape.

Bake in a 400 degree F oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are nicely browned. If you want to freeze some instead, freeze them unbaked on the baking sheet until they are nice and rigid. Remove from the sheets into a freezer container. I have used both zip top bags and plastic containers; both work well. When you are ready to serve the frozen pies, simply place on baking sheets and place in the oven right as you turn it on. Use a slightly lower temperature with frozen pies - about 375 degrees F. They will take slightly longer to bake, but they will taste just like they did on the day you made them!

Maple Blueberry Topping

I am currently enjoying a wonderful week off from work. My mom is visiting as well and we are enjoying our time in the kitchen. Today we are sitting down and making a list of the items we want to make this week so we can go to the grocery store. Of course, to properly focus our minds on such intense tasks requires sustenance.

That sustenance today took the form of my best ever pancakes. While these pancakes are very good with plain old syrup, they are extraordinary with blueberries. I like to spice up my blueberry syrup with a little extra flavoring.

The idea for this sauce came one day when I made these pancakes. I served them with regular maple syrup and a traditional blueberry sauce so each person could choose their favorite topping. I decided to use a little bit of each on mine and was blown away by the combination of blueberry and maple. This sauce cooks up very quickly, so you can make it while you wait for the pancakes to cook. Oh, and it is also wonderful on ice cream.

Maple Blueberry Topping
Yield: about 2 cups topping

2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
3 TBS sugar (or to taste depending on your berries)
2 TBS corn starch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg

Mix all of the ingredients together in a heavy sauce pan over medium to medium-high heat. Heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Let cool slightly before serving.

Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Not everyone loves broccoli the way that I do; for those of you who prefer your broccoli with a bit of adornment, this sauce is the way to go. As easy as it is to make a real cheese sauce, I'm not sure why anyone would make one of those fake cheese sauces.

Sorry, folks, as far as I'm concerned, Velveeta is just not cheese. My husband loves the stuff though. Out of love for him, I suffer through the humiliation of having that yellow box in my shopping cart. I've been trying to break him of this habit ever since we got married... but, alas, I guess when you grow up with the stuff, it holds a special place in your heart. However, this sauce tastes great regardless of your affinity for those processed cheese sauces. This sauce is smooth and creamy. It's got a sweet edge from the shallots and and a tangy edge from the sour cream. It's a great combination. And you can make it in the time it takes to steam your favorite vegetable.

It starts with butter and shallots. Saute over medium heat. This just may be my favorite smell in the whole-wide world. It's completely different from the smell of sauteing onions or garlic, and it is perfect. Let them go until they are nice and soft.

Then add the flour and stir until the flour is all moistened. Add the sour cream and combine until smooth; then add the milk. Keep the heat around medium and stir regularly. Add the nutmeg and pepper. When the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Lastly, taste and add salt as needed to season. If you want to add a special twist, add a small splash of cognac. Yowza!

The last point to remember is to let the sauce stand for a couple minutes before serving so that it can finish thickening up a bit. If you serve it immediately, it will still be a bit thin and will not stick to the vegetables as well.

Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups sauce

1 TBS butter
1 TBS minced shallot
1 TBS flour
1 TBS sour cream
1 cup milk (whole milk is best)
sprinkle freshly grated nutmeg
dash of ground white pepper (or black)
2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt to taste (cheese is salty, so go easy)

Saute the shallots in the butter over medium heat until they are nice and soft. In this case, you do not want them to brown too much. Add the flour and stir until it is completely moistened. Add the sour cream and stir throroughly. Then add the milk and stir until smooth. Add the nutmeg and pepper. Stir regularly over medium heat until the sauce just reaches a boil and begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until it is melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and season as needed with salt. Let stand 3-4 minutes before serving so that the sauce can thicken slightly.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

A recipe from Aunt Jana. She says this is an extraordinary cookie!

Soft chocolate chip cookies

from Allrecipes.com

Ing.

4 1/2 c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 c butter softened

1/2 c white sugar

1 1/2 c brown sugar

2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz)

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 c semisweet chocolate chips

2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

1.pre heat oven 35o Sift together the flour and baking soda,set aside.

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

3 bake 10 12 min. in the preheated oven Edges should be golden brown.

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Aunt Jana just sent me this recipes to add on to the blog. She says they're amazing! I'm not a shrimp fan or I would test them myself.

Mexican Shrimp cocktail

from Allrecipes.com

Ing.

2 lbs cooked shrimp peeled and deveined

1tbs crushed garlic

1/2 c finely chopped red onion

1/4c fresh cilantro, chopped

1 1/2 c tomato and clam juice cocktail

1/4c ketchup

1/4c lime juice

1tsp hot pepper sauce to taste

1/4c prepared horseradish

salt to taste

1 ripe avocado peeled pitted and chopped

1. Place the shrimp in a lg bowl. Stir garlic, red onion, and cilantro,Mix in tomato and clam juice coctail, ketchup, lime juice, hop peeper sauce, and horseradish. Season with salt. Gently stir in Avocado. Cover and refrigerate 2-5 hrs. I did it over night then added Avocado right before we served it. Enjoy!!

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

AMAZING! A little piece of heaven on earth. Must try this.

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

1 (8 oz package) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
10 slices bread (I used Texas toast)
3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
4 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 tablespoon milk
4 tablespoon butter, optional
2 tablespoon powdered sugar extra

Combine the cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon, and beat until smooth, and then spread 1/2 the mixture on one side of five slices of bread. Top with the sliced strawberries (you will have some extra). Spread more of the remaining mixture on the remaining five pieces of bread and place on top, and make five sandwiches, pressing them together gently to enclose strawberries inside.
Beat the eggs and milk together and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400F . Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place in oven to warm up. Melt 1/2 tbsp or so of butter in a frying pan. Take the sandwiches, one by one, and place in the egg and milk mixture, turning so that the mixture covers both sides. Transfer the sandwich to the pan and cook until the first side is lightly brown. Flip over and cook the other side. When both sides are lightly brown, place the sandwich on the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Before serving, top with the extra sliced strawberries and 2 tbsp powdered sugar. Drizzle with maple syrup or the Strawberry Syrup recipe below.

Strawberry Syrup
*Definitely recommend making this

1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons orange juice
3/4 cup pureed strawberries

Combine all the ingredients in a small pan. Stirring constantly, heat mixture over medium heat until it begins to thicken (approximately 5 minutes). While still warm, pour over French Toast and serve immediately.

Tuscan Bread Salad

This is a recipe from our ward cookbook. Amy Foulger is a totally gourmet cook- anything and everything she makes is delicious- this is her recipe. You must try this- it was absolutely divine. My kids don't eat this, so I divided everything so Brian and I had it two nights in a row. The first night I cubed the bread and ate it all on a plate with the chopped romaine(like a salad). The next night I cut the loaf length-wise, toasted it, and put everything on top- this was my favorite way to eat it. I cannot tell you how perfectly delicious it was!

Tuscan Bread Salad
Amy Foulger

1 loaf rustic country bread (I used a ciabatta loaf)
1 large ball fresh mozzarella
2 large tomatoes
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
Chopped Romaine

Dressing: 1 clove garlic, 6 Tbs. olive oil, 3 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine dressing ingredients and set aside. Chop tomato and cheese into 1-inch cubes. Spread bread on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and lightly browned. Mix tomatoes and basil in a small bowl. As the bread comes out of the oven, layer the tomato mix, cheese and romaine on top. Pour dressing on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper, as desired. You have to be creative with this and figure out which way to eat it that suits your preferences the best. Enjoy!

Maple Glazed Bacon Bits

A while ago I posted about pancetta and how I like to keep it handy for cooking with. While I do love pancetta, I have recently decided that I really am an all-American gal, because, deep down, cured pig just ain't the same without that smoked flavor. So last time I was at the market, I specifically looked for some of the thickest cut, hardwood smoked bacon I could find.

When I am cooking with bacon, especially as small pieces, I think thicker is better. When I make bacon to eat as strips, I like it thinner as I am all about the thin, crispiness. I specifically bought this thick-cut bacon to cook with. I'll use it as the base for soups. I'll use it in fried rice. Oh! And don't forget about pasta carbonara! There are any number of recipes in which bacon is a useful, flavorful addition. But sometimes, it's a star in its own right. These little bacon bits are divine. Crispy and salty, smokey and just slightly sweet. They are the perfect addition to any salad and a darn sight better than those fake bacon "bits." (Bits of what, I'm not sure - it sure isn't bacon!).

To prepare bacon to be useful for cooking, I open up the package and freeze the strips individually. This allows me to easily grab out however many strips I need at any moment. They thaw so quickly this way that you can pull them out and use them right away. I love convenience! Be sure to line the tray on which you plan to freeze your bacon with parchment so that you can easily get the slices apart once they're frozen. Later, I remove them from the sheet and place them into a zip top bag. Voila! Bacon is at the ready for a shot of flavor anytime!

To make the bacon bits, cut the bacon strip into small pieces. You can do this while the bacon it still frozen; it'll all come out the same in the end. Place the pieces into a skillet over medium heat. You want the heat low enough that all of the excess fat can render out before the pieces get too browned. Stir periodically, adjusting the heat if necessary.

When the bacon is just about done and is nicely browned and completely rendered (required if you want a crispy bacon bit), drain off as much of the excess fat as possible, turn off the heat, and then add a small dollop of real maple syrup. Don't go overboard, here. You want them to have a slightly sweet, maple essence, not become a sticky gloppy mess! Keep the bits moving for a minute or so and then let them cool completely in the pan. In this case, you do not want to remove the bits onto paper towels to drain because the sugars will cause them to stick to the paper. If you want, when draining the fat, you can pat them with paper towels to sop up the extra grease, but once the syrup is on there, paper towels are anathema. Once they are completely cooled, sprinkle over your favorite salad and enjoy their salty, sweet crunch!

Orange Honey Grilled Chicken Strips

This was surprisingly tasty and refreshing. I made this for Mom's birthday dinner tonight. I served it up with an asian salad with mandarins and some hummus and foccacia sticks. Then we made Rachel's delicious Strawberry Cream Puff Cake. To die for!

Orange Honey Grilled Chicken Strips

Sister’s Café Blog

1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 TB butter softened

2 TB finely chopped scallions

2 TB fresh orange juice

2 TB chopped cilantro leaves (I like a little extra)

1 TB honey

1-2 TB grated orange zest, from ~1/2 an orange (I use just 1 TB)

Cut each chicken breast into 3 length wise strips. (I just bought chicken tenders and used those). Thread 3 strips accordion style, on each of 4-6 long metal or wooden skewers. If using wood skewers, soak them for at least 20 minutes in cold water before using to prevent scorching on the grill. To make the basting sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the butter, scallions, orange juice, cilantro, honey, and orange zest. Brush about half of the sauce on the chicken, covering each strip well. Set aside to marinate for about 15 minutes. If you have to let the chicken marinate longer refrigerate. Prepare grill to medium hot. Grill chicken about 15 minutes, turning several times, until the chicken is cooked through but still moist. Baste several times with the remaining basting sauce. Stop basting 5 minutes before the chicken is done. Remove the chicken from the grill and serve immediately. (Do not serve any of the basting sauce with the chicken.)

Cheezy Chicken Chowder

This is Jennefer's recipe in our cookbook. I made it today for a party and thought I would add it on the blog. It is so good and extremely hearty. A good man meal!

Cheezy Chicken Chowder

1 pkg. bacon cooked/crumbled
4 lg chicken breasts cooked/diced
6 medium red potatoes chopped
celery, diced
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 med onion, minced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
2 cans corn-drained (3 c. frozen)
1 stalk broccoli florets
1-2 c. light velveeta cheese
2 large carrots, grated
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. thyme (optional)
1 1/2 c milk

Cook veggies (except corn and broccoli) in water for 20 minutes until tender. Drain, and add everything except sour cream and velveeta cheese. Add these last!

Lemon Ricotta Tarts

I made lasagna last week. It seems that I bought too much ricotta cheese, but I had less than a cup left over. I know, I know. Why didn't you just add it to the lasagna? Because I'm weird about ricotta in lasagna. I like it to be there, but I don't like it to be too there. Thus, the left over ricotta. So, then the quandary began... what do you do with less than a cup of ricotta cheese?

I really like cheesecake. I love the decadence. I love the creaminess. I love it's slightly tart edge. It is the one dessert I will regularly imbibe in at a restaurant. Earlier this year, I made mini-cheesecakes from some homemade cheese I had in my fridge. Tuesday, I decided I needed to try using that left-over ricotta to make a cheesecake-like dessert. You know why I thought this was important? Have you ever compared the nutritional information on the side of a tub of ricotta to the info for a brick of cream cheese? You should. And then you will make this tart and congratulate yourself for a job well done. While these tarts are not as creamy as a cream cheese cheesecake, they are just as delicious.

I made these guys two ways. I made a couple of four-inch mini-tarts using the cute little pans you can find almost everywhere nowadays. I also made a dozen of these adorable little one-biters. I love mini-muffin tins. However, I really should finally throw away that old pan I have that pretends to be non-stick. Every time I use it, I grumble about what a bald-faced liar it is. Regardless, they still came out reasonably attractive and darn delicious!

The first step, of course, is the crust. I went with the requisite graham cracker crust. It's just the right thing to do. I pulsed the crackers in my food processor and then added the sugar, butter, and the lightest hint of cinnamon. Mix together and then divide amongst your baking vessels. I have this cute little wooden tamper that was a wedding gift, but fingers and spoons are pretty useful, too.

Bake the crusts in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 7-9 minutes, until they are slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Turn the oven down to about 335 degrees F. Mixing the batter together is really easy. The "hardest" part is using a fork or whisk to fluff up the egg white. I went just shy of soft peaks. The most important thing is not to forget the lemon! These tarts have such a great lemon flavor. It's subtle but distinctive. Distribute the batter evenly between the tarts.

Bake in a fairly cool oven for about 20 minutes for the mini-muffin tin size and about 30 minutes for the four-inch tart size. Remove them before they brown. They are done as soon as a tester comes out clean. By the time these would start to brown, they would be over-cooked and be a bit dry. We don't want dry cheesecakes! I like mine chilled, but you can serve them at room temperature if you want. Just be sure to let them cool completely before trying to remove them from their tins or the graham cracker crust will fall apart on you!

Lemon Ricotta Tarts
Yield: 24 mini-tarts or 4 - 4" tarts

Crust:
7 full graham crackers
3 TBS sugar
sprinkle cinnamon
3 TBS melted butter

Filling:
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 TBS Creama Mexicans (or creme fresh or sour cream)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
zest of one small lemon (or half of a large one)
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 egg yolk
1 egg white, beaten just shy of soft peaks

Process the crackers in a food processor or bang into crumbs in a plastic bag. Add the sugar and cinnamon, stir to evenly distribute. Add the melted butter and stir completely. Divide the crust evenly between your pans. Tamp the crust firmly down. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 7-9 minutes, or until the crusts are just lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Reduce oven temperature to 335 degrees F. Mix the ricotta, Creama Mexicans, sugar, vanilla, zest, lemon juice, and egg yolk together gently. In a separate bowl, beat the egg white until it is almost to soft peaks. Fold it into the other mixture. Evenly distribute the filling between all the pans. You can fill them all the way up as this batter does not rise much at all. Bake the minis for about 20 minutes and the tarts for about 28-30 minutes. Remove as soon as a tester comes out clean. Let cool before removing from tins. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice "Cream"

The very first thing I have to say is, "Thank you, Ida." Ida was exactly what a hurricane should be to teacher in dire need of a day off. Just threatening enough to call school off for a day, but tame enough that when it's all said and done, everyone was just really happy to have a day off school.

Even though I had... I mean, have, plenty of work to do, work that I meant to start today, I couldn't help myself. It's been so long since I've been able to play around in the kitchen that when all was said and done, three different sweet treats were made and no school work was completed. That's OK. At least I'll have good snacks now while I work tomorrow!

The first thing I made today was mint chocolate chip ice cream. I am a die-hard fan of Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. I think it is hereditary because my mom suffers from the same affliction. Fortunately for her, she gets enough exercise these days that she is able to buy the stuff and not feel too badly... but when I buy it and eat the whole thing in less than a day I wind up not being able to button my pants. I simply cannot help myself when the stuff is around. I sometimes wonder if there's some narcotic in there that makes it so impossible to stop eating. I can't even be troubled to get a bowl out of the cupboard, for crying out loud. Anyway, I could go on and on about how afflicted I am, but instead I'll tell you the solution I devised to allow myself the satisfaction without the waist bulge.

I make my own using whole milk. Sure, it still has a lot of sugar in it. Sure, it's not a health food. But I can eat a scoop of it and be satisfied without feeling compelled to eat the whole carton. It's a good feeling, you know. And it's not because it's not good. It is. Again, I can eat one (you heard me, one) scoop and be happy. It's minty; it's chocolaty... it's pretty dadgum creamy for a treat that is basically an ice milk.

While there are a variety of ice cream makers/churns out there, these days I use my Cuisinart electric one most of the time. This recipe fits perfectly in it. You want to make sure to not overload the churn so that there is plenty of room for air to fluff up your ice cream. Air is one of the things that really makes it taste creamier than it might otherwise.

I mix all of the ingredients (except chocolate) in a mason jar with a sealing lid, shake it up and leave it in the refrigerator to come together for a few hours. During this time, if I happen by the refrigerator, I'll give it another shake. This time is necessary to allow the sugars to melt and the guar gum to become saturated. Once a few hours (or up to a couple of days) are up, pour the mixture into a prepared ice cream churn. Turn it on and let it go. The Cuisinart churn uses a coolant filled chamber that you place in the freezer so that you don't have to mess with ice and salt. A couple of tips, though:

• I store mine in the freezer at all times so that it is really nice and cold when I want to use it.
• I store mine upside down so that the coolant is frozen into the "top" of the container. That way, as I churn, the top of the chamber is as cold as the bottom.
• Be sure the freezer you store it in is at least at zero degrees F. The colder it is, the more firm you can get your ice cream during the churning and the more air you can incorporate.

Here is what it looked like just a few minutes after I got started. I think it took my ice cream about half an hour to churn. Again, I like to let it go as long as I dare before I start worrying that the motor is getting too hot. Here's what it looked like when I pulled it out. Notice how it stands in ridges in the freezer.
While you can serve it immediately and it will taste divine, I like to let it ripen in the freezer a bit first. Homemade ice cream fresh out of the churn melts so fast it's a bit ridiculous. I like to put it in a plastic container and then I smooth out the top so that there is less surface area on which ice crystals can form.

A couple of hours is all it takes before it is really ready to go. However, as long as you were careful to let it run long enough to get a fair amount of air in it and used the guar gum, you should have a scoopable ice cream until it gets eaten up.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Yield: about 3 1/2 cups

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp guar gum
1/2 tsp mint extract
2 TBS heavy cream
1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together except for the chips into a quart jar with a sealing lid. Shake for a minute and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. Shake occasionally, if possible.

Pour the milk mixture into a prepared ice cream churn. Churn until the ice cream is thick and stands in ridges as it works it way through the paddle. Remove the paddle and fold in the chocolate chips. Decant into a quart-sized plastic container. Smooth out the top, cover, and place in the freezer to ripen for at least a few hours before enjoying.

Oh, and what else did I make today that I'll be posting in the coming days, you might ask? Mincemeat Handpies and Lemon Ricotta Tarts coming right up!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is my all-time favorite soup. Maybe that's because it has my favorite vegetable in it! I love, love, love broccoli. This soup is so easy too. I took the kids to the park, got home at 5:30, and dinner was on the table by 6. So fast. My kids love this too- I mean, what kids like soup with broccoli? You have got to make this one- it delivers for sure!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
From My Kitchen Cafe

1 can chicken broth
1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
Pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

2 c. milk (I used 1% with great results)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
steamed chopped broccoli (the amount of broccoli really boils down to preference - I wanted a lot of broccoli in my soup, so I chopped and steamed approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups of broccoli florets)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Baked Manicotti

A meal to impress! This looks way fancier and harder than it is! But it is so good!

Baked Manicotti



*Serves 6 to 8



Tomato Sauce

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dried basil



Cheese Filling and Pasta

3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

2 large eggs , lightly beaten

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil

16 no-boil lasagna noodles (I use the Barilla brand - apparently they are supposed to be the most similar to homemade pasta and I love them, both in this and in lasagna)



Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.



Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.



In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan chese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.



To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.



Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.



Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.



The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Chicken Fettucini Casserole

This has to be one of my favorite go-to meals now. I thought it was really, really good and really easy. I would definitely recommend adding sour cream in to the dish.

Chicken Fettucine Casserole (Somewhat Simple Blog)
Ingredients:
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts- cooked and cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 package fettucine noodles, cooked according to package directions
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Mix well
3. Spread mixture into greased 13x9 casserole dish
4. Sprinkle with cheese
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through


Variations:
-You can use any pasta you have on hand- macaroni noodles are one of my favorite variations!
-Use canned tuna instead of chicken (this would then be called My Moms Tuna Casserole!)
-Add a couple spoonfuls of sour cream to the mixture for a creamier taste
-Add some vegetables to the mixture- broccoli, peas etc. This will add color and nutrition, but be sure to cook it longer, especially if you are using frozen vegetables.

Taco Stromboli

Taco Stromboli

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey

1 Tbs. oil

1/2 diced small Onion

1/2 pack of Taco Seasoning

1/2 cup Salsa

1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream

Cheese for top

1 Pizza crust dough in a tube



Add oil into skillet and saute the onions for a few minutes. Add meat. Brown and drain meet. Add seasoning and salsa.



Roll out your pizza dough making it long and a large rectangle. Pour meat into the center of the dough and top with 1/2 cup of cheese. Fold over sides and close the ends of the dough.



Bake at 350 for about 16 minutes or until golden brown.



Slice and serve over a bed of shredded lettuce. Top with Sour Cream and cheese. You could also add tomatoes, olives and green onions on top.

Creamy Tomato Pasta

Creamy Tomato Pasta (Somewhat Simple blog)

Ingredients:

- 4 thin sliced chicken breast

-6 cloves of garlic

-2 tsp flour

-1 c. chicken broth

-1/2 c. heavy cream

-2 oz. cream cheese

-8 oz. tomato sauce

-1 tsp. red pepper flakes

-1 tsp. oregano

-2 tsp butter

-1 c. parmesan cheese (grated not the sprinkly kind)



Directions:

1. Melt butter in a pan; add chicken and cook until just done; move chicken to a baking dish and cover (keep drippings in the pan)

2. Add flour to the pan and stir until pasty

3. Add chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic, simmer 1 minute

4. Add cream cheese, cream, tomato sauce and most of the parmesan cheese, and oregano

5. Cook over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly; stirring almost constantly

6. Pour sauce over the chicken; top with the rest of the parmesan cheese

7. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes



ENJOY OVER YOUR FAVORITE PASTA!

***the 1 tsp. red pepper flakes makes it pretty spicy, so I would add less if you are feeding to the kiddos. I also like to add one can of drained petite diced tomatoes to the mix, just to add a little extra.***

Orange Rolls

Finally! Finally! I have conquered a roll. This has been my nemesis. I cannot bake. These were SO, SO good! I ended up using about 6 cups for flour and not orange rinds...but they were amazing! Also, I did not refrigerate mine over night but just let them rise.

Orange Rolls (Sister's Cafe Blog)



1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup warm water

4 1/2 cups Better for Bread Flour - divided (note: my mom lives in UT and this works for her, I always end up adding a bit more flour here in OR, so you may need to adjust a little)

3 eggs, well beaten



2 Tbsp rapid rise yeast



Mix all ingredients together in mixer except for yeast and half of the flour. Then sprinkle yeast on mixture and add remaining flour. Mix until sticky. About 5 min. Place in lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel. Raise until double. About 2 hours.



Punch dough down and cover bowl with a damp towel. Refrigerate. (I make the dough the night before and then refrigerate it till whenever I'm ready to make it the next day)



Roll out as desired. Shape. (I divide the dough into thirds, roll each ball into about a 14" circle (about 1/4" thick) like a pizza crust and then use my pizza cutter to cut it into 12 triangles, then I roll them up into crescent shapes) Brush with melted butter. Place on baking sheets and cover lightly with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Let raise 2-3 hours. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min or 375 for 12 min.



Makes 3 dozen



Filling:

2 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp orange rind (I use more)

1/2-1 tsp orange juice



Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp orange juice

1/2-1 Tbsp grated orange rind

1 Tbsp melted butter



Brush filling onto rolls before rolling them up (and before they rise) so it's on the inside, then dip tops of rolls in glaze when rolls have cooled. Makes enough for 16-20 rolls.

Sesame Chicken

This recipe was surprisingly easy and good. I would recommend buying a nice brand of popcorn chicken. I bought the cheapest and you could taste it. Plus, I did not deep fry my chicken, but baked it.

Sesame Chicken

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of frozen popcorn chicken

6 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons sugar

Salt (to taste)

4 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoon white distilled vinegar

a sprinkle of ground black pepper

diced green onion, optional

sesame seeds, optional

Deep fry your popcorn chicken and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. In a wok or sauce pan, combine the remaining ingredients and warm over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring and simmer until sauce slightly thickens. In the wok or in a serving dish coat chicken with the sauce. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with diced green and sesame seeds.

Chicken Broccoli Quesadillas

I haven't made these in at least a couple of years- and I used to make them all the time. So, I thought I'd dust this recipe off and make it again. I was reminded of how easy and delicious it is. My kids love this- its pretty healthy too! I cannot remember where I got this recipe, so I'm just going to take all the credit for it! Enjoy!

Chicken Broccoli Quesadillas

1 pouch Lipton Chicken and Broccoli flavored rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small pieces
Shredded cheese
Tortillas

Cook the chicken, cut it into small pieces. Cook the rice according to package directions. Drain and rinse beans. Once the rice is done cooking, add the chicken and beans to the rice and mix altogether. Warm up a skillet and place a tortilla on it, then sprinkle cheese, then rice mixture, then more cheese (you can be liberal or stingy with your cheese- its more of a "glue" than a flavor) on tortilla. Top with an additional tortilla. Cook until tortilla is crispy and cheese is melted. Then, flip the quesadilla and cook the other tortilla until its crispy.

Pumpkin Pancakes

photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

These are becoming a tradition in our home at this time of year. I made them this morning and the girls loved them (and they tend to be pretty picky)- both Kate and Taylor had seconds. Lauren even got in on the action and ate an entire one all by herself! I'm going to include a recipe for homemade syrup as well, which is a must! I also think these would taste great with some fresh whipped cream and bananas...

Pumpkin Pancakes
From allrecipes.com

2 cups flour (can use 1 c. white/1 c. wheat)
3 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk (add more for desired consistency)
1 1/3 c. pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Combine both just until combined together. Add more milk to desired consistency (I added about 1/2-3/4 cup additional, but I like thin pancakes). Heat and grease a griddle over medium-high heat. Pour batter onto griddle, brown on both sides, and serve hot. You might need to use a ladle to smooth out the center of each pancake as you drop batter on the griddle, so the pancakes cook evenly. These pancakes are very hearty.

Homemade Syrup:
1 cup water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp. butter flavor
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

Bring water to a boil. Add remaining ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. Enjoy! You must try this...once you go homemade, you will never go back!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

photo courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

I saw Paula Deen make these on the Food Network and I couldn't resist trying them. I love a good pumpkin recipe and these definitely fit the bill. They are so moist and delicious- definitely a holiday splurge! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for 1/2 cup oil)
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Potato Pepperjack Soup

Pic courtesy of The Sister's Cafe

I hope you guys are prepping for lots of soup recipes because it's that time of year and my all-time favorite meal in the whole world is, yes, you guessed it- soup. No other food, in my opinion, can capture so many flavors in one bite. I just made this one and it's so delish, that I had to post it right away. My non-vegetable-eating husband even loved it. Oh, but you better create some kind of calorie deficit before you embark on this one- it's laden.

Potato PepperJack SoupPo
adapted from The Sister's Cafe

2 T olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 ½ cups chicken broth (I used water and 2 bouillon cubes)
4-5 cups diced potato
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (or use bacon bits)
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
scant 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1 cup heavy cream (could probably use half milk, half cream on this one)
½ cup butter
½ flour

Boil potatoes in water until tender; about 15 minutes. In the meantime, combine olive oil, peppers, onion, garlic and carrot in a medium sauce pan. Sauté on medium heat until vegetables are soft. Drain all liquid from potatoes and add vegetables and broth to the pot. Add bacon, milk, salt, pepper and thyme. Prepare roux by melting butter in a separate pot and stirring in flour to make a paste. Slowly add cream and allow to bubble, stirring, until roux thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan. Add roux to soup mixture along with the cheese. If necessary, add milk to desired consistency. Serves about 6.

Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Chicken (for tacos)

Pic courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

This was almost too easy for how delicious it was! I made this last night and I seriously could not stop eating the chicken straight out of the crockpot. The combo of sweet and spicy was Cafe Rio-like.

Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Chicken
adapted from Prudence Pennywise and My Kitchen Cafe

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
optional: sprinkle of taco seasoning to liking

Coat the inside of your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until chicken shreds very easily with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded.) Serve in tacos or however your little heart desires.