tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69763374711415596682024-03-13T20:44:33.127-07:00Canucky Ducky Cookbook"All sorrows are less with bread." Miguel de Cervantes, Don QuixoteUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-20158673158286904832023-09-18T20:16:00.004-07:002023-09-18T20:19:32.276-07:00Furikake Chex Mix in Smaller Batches<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We had this for the first time when we went to Hawaii a few years ago. We found it when we stopped by the local Costco and they were selling the Cookies in Paradise Furikake Party Mix. Since then discovered that this is a common party mix in Hawaii. After reviewing a few recipes out there we are a fan of the one by <a href="https://onolicioushawaii.com/furikake-chex-mix/" target="_blank">Onolicious Hawaii</a> and this is adapted from her recipe. Mostly adapted to make a much smaller batch, sometimes you want to enjoy a snack without making a huge batch for a crowd. :)</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A lot of these ratios are based on evenly dividing up the packages the ingredients are sold in. I would consider this roughly a quarter batch? It ends up fitting in our roasting pan which is about the size of a half-sheet pan with higher edges. It can be hard finding a container large enough to fit everything and mix it which is the main reason we like to make smaller batches so we don't have to buy separate trays. We have 2 roasting pans so we have often made 2 quarter batches at a time and measure out one quarter set of ingredients at a time for each tray.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span>We do like more coating on ours so we end up using a higher ratio of syrup to mix. Also, I don't love pretzels so I end up using less, feel free to adjust to your taste. After making this a few times I would also recommend making your syrup in separate batches to match however many trays you're making as it tends to separate and it's difficult to split one large mix between trays evenly. While this requires a little more effort we've found it results in more even distribution of syrup on larger batches.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">PARTY MIX INGREDIENTS:</span>
</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">127.5g Rice Chex (<i>1/4 box</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">127.5g Corn Chex (<i>1/4 box</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">106g Honeycomb Cereal (<i>We used the Malt-O-Meal Honey Buzzers, 1/4 of the bag</i>)<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">71g Pretzels</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">65g Fritos (<i>1/4 bag)</i></span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">53g Bugles (<i>1/4 bag)</i></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span>SYRUP INGREDIENTS:</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><ul style="font-weight: 400;"><li>1/2 cup butter</li><li>2/3 cup sugar</li><li>2/3 cup vegetable oil</li><li>1/4 cup light corn syrup</li><li>2 Tbsp soy sauce</li></ul></span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-weight: 700;">SEASONING INGREDIENTS:</span></div><ul style="font-weight: 400;"><li>1/4 bottle of Nori Komi Furikake</li></ul></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><span><b>PREPARATION:</b></span></span><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Preheat the oven to 250° F</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Measure out all Party Mix Ingredients together on tray lined with parchment paper and mix to incorporate</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted, lower heat and add remaining syrup ingredients. Stir to mix and continue stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pour warm syrup over party mix and using spatulas or gloved hands, toss chex mix until everything is evenly coated. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sprinkle Furikake evenly over tray and toss to incorporate</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bake for 1 hour, taking out pan and stirring/tossing mix every 15 minutes. If making multiple batches rotate trays in oven after stirring</span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Let cool and enjoy! Store in airtight bags/containers.</span></li>
</ol>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-11043012534191828432018-01-11T21:17:00.003-08:002019-10-26T07:43:29.397-07:00Baked Bean Medley<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Received this recipe from Don's mom this past year. She won first place at a ward chili cook-off using this recipe many years ago when Don was growing up. Since then I've also had a sister-in-law also get first place at her ward chili cook-off too - so this is definitely an award winning recipe, twice over! We're still tweaking it a little to our taste but here are all the ingredients and the instructions for baking it in the oven from the original recipe. Last time we made it we just made it on the stove top and didn't bother putting it in the oven. I imagine you could also cook this in a slow cooker if you wanted to and it would be just as good.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>3/4 lb bacon - cooked & diced</li>
<li>1 lb ground beef</li>
<li>2 cups chopped onion</li>
<li>2 (31 oz) cans pork and beans </li>
<li>1 (15 oz) can kidney beans</li>
<li>1 (15 oz) can red beans</li>
<li>1 (15 oz) can lima beans</li>
<li>1½ cups honey barbecue sauce</li>
<li>½ cup packed brown sugar (maybe only use 1/4 - 1/3 cup?)</li>
<li>3 Tbsp vinegar</li>
<li>1 Tbsp liquid smoke, hickory (optional) </li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>½ tsp pepper</li>
<li>shredded cheese for topping</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Cook bacon. Either dice and cook or cook whole and crumble bacon into medium size chunks. Remove and set aside. </li>
<li>Cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender; drain fat</li>
<li>In a colander drain only <i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">one</i> of the cans of the pork and beans, the kidney beans, red beans, and lima beans.</li>
<li>Add cooked bacon, all drained beans, the remaining whole can of pork and beans, all remaining ingredients to beef and onion mixture and mix well.</li>
<li>Bake covered at 350° F for about 1 hour or until heated through.</li>
<li>Serve with shredded cheese on top! </li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-7552999921994517022017-11-24T09:47:00.001-08:002017-11-24T09:47:48.455-08:00Cranberry Sauce<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.6px;"><i>Testing...</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>12 oz cranberries</li>
<li>1 cup orange juice</li>
<li>1/3 - 1/2 cup white sugar</li>
<li>1/3 - 1/2 cup brown sugar</li>
<li><i>Optional:</i> pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Over medium heat dissolve sugar in orange juice and bring to a boil. </li>
<li>Add cranberries and cook until they burst. Continue boiling for a few minutes and remove from heat. Sauce will thicken upon standing. </li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-32573337916596711632017-10-24T19:07:00.001-07:002017-10-24T19:12:34.660-07:00Perfect Family Favorite Pot Roast<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><i>Every now and then, usually late Saturday evening, I get a craving for pot roast on Sunday. The traditional come-home-after-church-and-the-house-smells-amazing pot roast. Ironically though, even though the house smelled amazing usually the pot roasts I had growing up were a little...dry? As for Don, he really didn't have pot roast growing up at all. I've tried various slow cooker recipes that have been hit and miss. Flavors were usually good but the meat wasn't usually consistent. Sometimes moist, and other times dry and tough- really dry and tough. Which is weird because it had just spent hours simmering in a bunch of liquid, right?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt;">A couple of weeks ago the craving hit and I was determined to have the pot roast that I was envisioning - tender and moist. Something that lived up to expectations, ha! I did a search, looked over quite a few recipes, and landed on 2 that were incredibly similar from sources I trusted and that I've cooked from before, Pioneer Woman and A Bountiful Kitchen. </span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></i>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So this recipe is a combination/adaptation of those 2 recipes, <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008_the_year_of_the_pot_roast/" target="_blank">Perfect Pot Roast</a> and <a href="http://abountifulkitchen.com/2016/03/family-favorite-pot-roast.html/" target="_blank">Family Favorite Pot Roast</a>. And, it truly is that, a Perfect Family Favorite Pot Roast. This 100% lived up to expectations, it was AMAZING! And it was one of those recipes where after tasting how it turned out I was actually 'proud' of the meal. Like, check this out, I've just created this from scratch and it tastes friggin' fantastic! :) So, many thanks to both Pioneer Woman and A Bountiful Kitchen - I now know how to cook a wonderful pot roast! </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*Just a note about the pot roast - w</span>e've usually been getting a roast between 3-3.5 lbs for 2 of us and we usually have leftovers for 3-4 meals. For a larger roast the only thing that really changes is the amount of time you cook it for, you wouldn't necessarily need to add more of everything else, but you could if you wanted to. Also, I would highly recommend getting this from Costco, it was more affordable and they sell them in 2 separate portions so I can make this recipe twice :)</span></i><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Chuck Roast - 3 - 3<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">½</span></i> lbs (<i>Try and find one with nice marbling) </i></li>
<li>1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges - <i>ends up being about 2 cups precooked</i></li>
<li>3 cups of carrots, cut into 2" chunks - <i> we usually peel our carrots, but you could also leave them unpeeled and scrub them</i></li>
<li>3 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>2-3 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar</li>
<li>1 Tbsp Worcestershire </li>
<li>2-3 cups beef broth</li>
<li>Salt & Pepper to taste</li>
<li>Optional: fresh rosemary & fresh thyme (<i>I tried this with dry and didn't love it because I couldn't just pull it out after. We ended up scraping quite a bit of it off and I was worried about it tasting strangely in the gravy we made from the drippings.)</i></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil. </li>
<li>When oil is hot add onion wedges. Brown on one side, turn, then add carrots and minced garlic. Continue cooking until carrots are lightly browned making sure you don't burn the garlic. Remove all veggies and set aside</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 275° F and move around racks if needed to accommodate pot/dutch oven</li>
<li>Salt and pepper roast generously. Add more oil to pan if needed and then sear the roast on all sides. About 30-60 sec per side and remove roast from pan.</li>
<li>Using about 1/2 up to a cup of broth, deglaze pot scraping up browned bits.</li>
<li>Remove pot from heat and add roast back. Add onions and carrots to the sides around roast. </li>
<li>Sprinkle Worcestershire and balsamic on top of roast evenly. </li>
<li>Pour remaining broth around the edges over the onions and carrots until it reaches about half way up the sides of the roast. Try not to pour the broth on top of the roast so you don't wash away seasonings and sauces. </li>
<li>Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top over the everything. </li>
<li>Cover tightly with foil or lid.</li>
<li>Bake in oven for about 3<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">½</span></i> hours. If time allows, let sit in turned off oven for an hour longer after cooking to tenderize. We usually use that time to make our mashed potatoes! :) </li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">FOR GRAVY:</span></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Use equal portions butter and flour to start a roux. I usually get about 3-4 cups of liquid, after separating out the fat, based on the pan we use so I usually use 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup of flour. Also depending on how salty your drippings are you may want to use plain beef broth to work your way up to 3-4 cups liquid instead of using all drippings. </li>
<li>Add half the onions to drippings and blend in blender until smooth. You definitely don't have to do this, but if you have the time and a blender, it makes for some pretty amazing gravy! </li>
<li>Melt butter in small pot or pan. Add flour ans whisk constantly until incorporated. Keep cooking over medium heat until mixture changes to golden color.</li>
<li>Slowly whisk in liquids and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened.</li>
<li>Salt and pepper to taste. </li>
</ol>
<i>To troubleshoot your gravy Our Best Bites has a great <a href="https://ourbestbites.com/2013/11/how-to-make-homemade-gravy/" target="_blank">recipe</a> (that's where I grabbed my roux ratios from!) and some great tips and pictures to help you out. </i></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-71169305611834086822016-06-12T21:55:00.001-07:002016-06-12T22:56:55.623-07:00Basic 'Swig' Sugar Cookie <div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">I can't remember
when I first heard about Swig - but it was definitely after the fact. As in
everyone else knew about them and loved them. I heard about them when I started
hearing about Dirty Coke's last year and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>then</u> I
heard about the cookies. </span></i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">By the time that
I heard about them last year there were Swig locations outside of St. George so
Don and I went and and got Dirty Coke's and the pink swig sugar cookies. They
were good, huge, but good. Just in case you were confused by that last statement
- this is goofy, but I like smaller cookies. I'd rather eat 2 smaller cookies
than one large cookie, but that's just me, ha! :) Apparently the current
version of cookies are different from when they originally started serving them in
St. George. The one that everyone </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">initially</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> fell in love with. Not to say that people don't still
love their cookies - they're just a different recipe now. All the pictures I had seen of them previously had cracked edges
etc and when I went to Swig they were clean edges and I had read in a couple of
places that they didn't taste like they did before. </span></i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 8pt;"><br />
</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">And that made me curious to try the 'original.' Or at least try a
cookie recipe based off of the original. I looked up recipes for 'swig' cookies
- and I found a TON. Like I said, late to the bandwagon. I'm going to say
this right off. I've never been the biggest fan of sugar cookies. Something
about the texture? But I like 'swig' style sugar cookies. They're kind of like
a cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread? But I'd say they're less finicky
to make than shortbread cookies. I like them. </span></i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 8pt;"><br />
</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">I've seen quite a few adaptations that have made lemon or lime
ones, even chocolate versions. I'm listing the version that I like that I found
on Vintage Revivals, which is probably the most popular one out there. There is
a note on the original recipe to link instead of copy - I'm all for that, I
love her site. As a home decor junkie I'm a big fan. Here is the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.vintagerevivals.com/2013/03/swig-sugar-cookie-recipe-literally-best.html">link</a>. </span></i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 8pt;"><br />
</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">I am still going to copy out the recipe because there is an
adaptation of adding a little vanilla, which I'll be honest I don't always add,
but I like the reminder to maybe put it in. I also wanted to separate out the
wet and dry ingredients. I accidentally added the powdered sugar with the dry
ingredients once and it did not turn out as well as when you mix it with the
wet - the dough was super crumbly. I just need the visual reminder to put it
with dry ingredients. I ended up relisting out the ingredients in the order I
like to add them as I'm putting everything together. As well, it's not
listed (anywhere that I could find?) how many cookies the recipe makes. I don't
have a cookie scoop, I'm making them by hand so it's helpful to know how many
I'm making, also because I prefer smaller cookie portions. </span></i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">As I was looking around I also found this version by Garnish and
Glaze which with the adaptation of the vanilla ends up being pretty much the
same recipe. So here is a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.garnishandglaze.com/2015/01/21/swig-sugar-cookies/">link</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to that recipe as well. She also mixes
the dough the same way I do as well, butter and sugars first before adding the
other wet ingredients. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: 8pt;">I did notice at the bottom of the Vintage Revivals recipe that there's
was a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://community.babycenter.com/post/a36262273/autumn_in_the_air...time_to_bake_cookies">link</a> to another recipe it was adapted from. I checked it out
and it was the same recipe for the cookie portion of it. I did want to mention
that and link as well, just in case. I'm not listing a frosting recipe just yet
and that's simply because I haven't found one that I'm in love with. I need to
experiment with a few others before I commit to one. But FYI, the 'original'
recipe calls for a sour cream frosting. </span></i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Wet:</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1 cup butter - room temp, soft</li>
<li>1<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 16.8667px;">¼</span> cup sugar</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 16.8667px;">¾</span> vegetable oil</li>
<li>2 Tbsp water - <i>on recipes with flavored variations I've seen this replaced with lemon or lime juice and then adding the zest of one lemon or lime</i></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">¾ </span>cup powdered sugar</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla (optional)</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Dry:</span>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>5<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">½ </span>cups of flour</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;">½</span> tsp baking soda</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">½</span> tsp cream of tartar</li>
<li>1 tsp salt - <i>sometimes I half this or leave it out because I use salted butter</i></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in eggs, oil and water. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. </li>
<li>Mix all dry ingredients in another bowl and add a cup or so of dry ingredients at a time into the wet ingredients. </li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350° F.</li>
<li>Form into balls and flatten with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar (<i>and a teensy bit of salt if you like - that's from Vintage Revivals, I don't always do it because of the whole salted butter thing</i>)</li>
<li>Bake for 7 - 12 min. This will vary depending on how chewy you want the inside of the cookie. The longer the bake time the dryer the cookie. </li>
</ol>
<div>
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-size: 11.22px;"><i>NOTE: Makes 3 dozen cookies </i></span></h4>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-89655123926390779092016-01-03T14:12:00.000-08:002016-01-03T14:14:19.620-08:00Drop Biscuits<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>This recipe is straight up from JOY of Cooking which is pretty much the </i></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>encyclopedia</i></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i> of cooking. Seriously. When we first got this we played a game where we had to think of an ingredient or some crazy food we had heard of and then check to see if there was a recipe for it. And there was one every single time. It's a beast. There are no pictures but there is so much information that it's really helpful to have. We like these biscuits because we don't always have Bisquick and these are almost just as quick and we always have all the ingredients on hand. And every now and then we get cravings for biscuits and gravy and these are perfect for that. Also there is note that these can be bland on their own due to the fact they are made with oil instead of butter or shortening. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 Tbsp baking powder</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>2/3 cup milk</li>
<li>1/2 cup vegetable oil</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to 450° F</li>
<li>Sift the first 3 ingredients into a bowl. </li>
<li>Add wet all at once and stir with a fork until the dough readily leaves the sides of the bowl. </li>
<li>Drop dough in desired size onto ungreased baking sheet.</li>
<li>Bake for 10 -12 minutes.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<i><b>NOTE: </b>The original recipe states this makes 24, one and 1/2 inch biscuits. We like bigger biscuits so this makes 6 for us. You can double the recipe for a full dozen which works out well because we like cooking it in muffin tins. It just makes for consistent sizing and you get a nice outer crust.</i></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-75146635741448073952015-01-10T18:17:00.003-08:002015-01-10T18:23:47.458-08:00Classic Waffles<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">So we got ourselves a Belgian waffle maker for Christmas this year, and it is fabulous!!! We love it! After we made our first ones we knew we'd be getting a LOT of use out of it. There was a recipe that was included in the instruction booklet for our Presto FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker (just in case you were wondering what waffle iron we had) that we've used every time and they turn out really really well. I think probably a little doughier than you'd get from a mix? But it's still definitely a batter. I used to prefer pancakes growing up, but after these, I don't think I'll ever want a pancake again! :) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Dry:</span></h4>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 Tbsp sugar</li>
<li>1 Tbsp baking powder</li>
<li>1/4 tsp salt</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h4>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Wet:</span></h4>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1 3/4 cups milk</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>2 Tbsp vegetable oil</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk milk mixture into dry ingredients just until dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. </li>
<li>Preheat waffle maker. Pour 3/4 - 1 cup onto the center of bottom grid. Close top and flip waffle maker. Bake until brown, about 4 minutes. </li>
</ol>
<div>
<h4>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><i>NOTE: Makes 4 Waffles</i></span></h4>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-19538066488043582472014-11-22T22:34:00.003-08:002016-01-03T13:37:30.049-08:00Shepherd's Pie<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">This is recipe is really nice coming into fall and winter. It's a comfort food that comes together pretty easily though there are quite a few steps involved. I've heard some people use instant mash potatoes to shorten prep time, but I've never tried it. Traditionally 'Sherpherd's Pie' is made with lamb, but that's not something we usually keep stocked... Someday we'd like to try it that way, but for now we just use ground beef. So I guess this is actually a recipe for 'Cottage Pie'?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">This is an adaptation of a couple of different recipes that I think turned out really well. It was a combination of one recipe that fit in an 8x8, and another that fit in a 9x13. Our finished product fits somewhere in between those two, ha! You could put it in a 9x13 and it would be a little thin so you'd have to adjust the cooking time or add a little more of everything else. So this is just a starting place, easy to adjust for however much you want to end up with, just add more mashed potatoes, meat and vegetables. We ended up cooking this recipe in a 7x11 baking dish we had and it filled it completely. So Yummy!!!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2-3 cups potatoes </li>
<li>1 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>2 Tbsp cream cheese - <i>you could leave this out, but it does make the potatoes really thick and creamy, it's a nice touch if you've got it</i></li>
<li>1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheese - <i>half for mixing in potatoes, half for topping finished casserole</i></li>
<li>Salt and Pepper to taste</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen vegetables thawed in water from boiling potatoes - <i>use a mix of whatever you have on hand, peas, carrots, corn</i></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 1/2 tsp oil - <i>you could use vegetable or oil, whatever you prefer</i></li>
<li>1 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>1 small onion, diced</li>
<li>1 lb lean ground beef</li>
<li>Salt and Pepper to taste</li>
<li>1-2 cloves garlic, finely diced</li>
<li>3 heaping Tbsp flour</li>
<li>2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce</li>
<li>1 Tbsp ketchup</li>
<li>1 can of low sodium beef broth <i>- We used Swanson's 14.5 oz can, you could use a smaller can, just adjust the flour accordingly. You could also use regular sodium, I've just found it's harder to plan for that as you're seasoning your meat and you don't want it too salty. </i></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still a little firm. About 15 min. Drain but keep water in pot, and mash. Mix in butter, cream cheese and half shredded cheese. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.</li>
<li>Thaw frozen vegetables in potato water and set aside.</li>
<li>Heat oil and butter in frying pan. Add onion and sweat until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until half way done. Add garlic, flour and cook until fragrant. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and beef broth and bring to a boil. Continue simmering until thick. </li>
<li>Remove from heat and mix in thawed vegetables.</li>
<li>Spread ground beef mixture in an even layer in bottom of baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.</li>
<li>Bake in oven preheated to 375 for 20 min. or until golden brown.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-77921052092471287612014-08-06T19:07:00.000-07:002014-08-06T19:09:47.971-07:00Gingerbread-White Chocolate Blondies<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">This recipe is from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Cookies-Treats-Share/dp/0307394549/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407375730&sr=8-1&keywords=martha+stewart+cookies">Martha Stewart's Cookies</a> cookbook. We love it. Bought the cookbook awhile back from Costco around Christmastime when they have a ton of different cookbooks stocked. Hands down we use this recipe the most! Granted we have only tried a handful of them... It's almost like we found this one and stopped looking, ha! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">The first time we made these we were in Portland and it was for a Sunday dessert after dinner with our friends Paul & Wendy. Didn't realize how many the recipe made until after the fact so there were a ton of leftovers and we left them for them to keep. They decided it was too much for them and Paul ended up bringing them into where he and Don worked. People started coming in from other offices asking about them!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Anyhow, they are fabulous year round, but particularly around fall because of the spices. I usually end up cutting them into triangles because the spacing works out better for me. I cut them into rows of 4 and then 6 bars per row then into triangles to get the 4 dozen. They finish up quick because you don't have to form individual balls, just spread it all out and bake it! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/4 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1 1/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1 tsp ground ginger</li>
<li>1/4 tsp ground cloves</li>
<li>1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature</li>
<li>1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar</li>
<li>1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar</li>
<li>2 large eggs plus 1 egg yoke</li>
<li>1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/3 cup unsulfured molasses</li>
<li>1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped best-quality white chocolate (10 oz)</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 17" x 12" rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat parchment. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.</li>
<li>Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate.</li>
<li>Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or desired shape. Makes about 4 dozen.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-72333750047431068252014-05-26T10:40:00.000-07:002014-05-26T10:44:30.484-07:00Basic Burger Patties<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">This is an adaptation of <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bacon-Wrapped-Hamburgers/Detail.aspx">this recipe</a> on Allrecipes. It's a good basic burger recipe! Makes 6 burger patties.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1 lb ground beef</li>
<li>1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese <i>(I've left this out on occasion and everything was still fine!) </i></li>
<li>1 small onion chopped or 1/2 large onion - anywhere between 1/4 to 1/2 cup <i>(On occasion I'll also leave this out if I'm planning on putting red onion or grilled onion on top separately...)</i></li>
<li>1 egg <i>(Some people recommend halving or omitting the egg entirely, we've always done it with)</i></li>
<li>1 Tbsp ketchup</li>
<li>1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/8 tsp pepper</li>
<li>1/8 tsp garlic powder</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Preheat grill or frying pan. </li>
<li>In a large bowl, mix together cheese, onion, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and spices. Crumble in ground beef and mix together by hand.</li>
<li>Form into 6 patties and cook until well done.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-37759764909523521772013-12-27T13:13:00.000-08:002013-12-27T13:18:49.808-08:00Simple Sauce for Crispy Pan-Fried Noodles<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">I recently discovered crispy noodles that I can make at home! Aaaand, I've started making them more often. It's kind of been a trial and error on finding a sauce that tastes right to me for it. Finally found this one on <a href="http://rasamalaysia.com/cantonese-fried-noodles-pork-chow-mein-recipe/2/">rasamalaysia </a>which I guess was actually a guest post from another blogger, <a href="http://www.tastehongkong.com/recipes/cantonese-fried-noodles-with-shredded-pork-guest-post-on-rasa-malaysia/">Taste Hong Kong</a>. Either way the sauce was perfect for it, and at some point I do intend to do the full on recipe as is. Lately I've just been making the sauce plain and pouring it over the noodles. So yummy!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp soy sauce</li>
<li>3/4 tsp sugar</li>
<li>2 1/4 tsp cornstarch</li>
<li>1 cup and 2 Tbsp water</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Mix all ingredients thoroughly. </li>
<li>Bring to a boil stirring frequently, usually just boil it for a minute or two.</li>
<li>Pour over noodles and enjoy!</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-37192864080156018512013-12-21T21:50:00.001-08:002013-12-21T21:52:19.150-08:00Chewy Caramel Popcorn<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Adapted from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/caramel-popcorn/">this</a> recipe on Allrecipes. Really quick and easy to make, tried it for the first time this year and ended up making a ton of batches! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1/4 cup butter</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>1/4 cup corn syrup</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/4 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 bag of microwave popcorn, popped</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. </li>
<li>Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.</li>
<li> Bring to a boil stirring constantly. As soon as first bubbles appear, allow mixture to boil for 3 minutes without stirring. </li>
<li>Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat. </li>
<li>Spread out on lined cookie sheet, breaking apart into smaller pieces as you go and allow to cool. Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-77573129189276542712013-09-08T18:37:00.003-07:002014-08-06T19:11:55.341-07:00Blueberry Balsamic Rosemary Chicken<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">We tried this recipe for the first time today, and it was awesome! We got some blueberries in our co-op basket and were trying to figure out what we wanted to do with them, other than just eat them as-is :), and I was thinking for whatever reason that it would be good as a sauce with balsamic vinegar. Went on the trusty internet and found a couple of various recipes which were pretty much identical. Turns out someone else had the idea before I did! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">This is a French dish and was incredibly home~y and rustic. I could totally see myself ordering it at a French restaurant or maybe even a pub somewhere. :) We had it with mashed potatoes, and it was a great Fall dish - even though it isn't quite Fall yet! One thing we did notice was that 10 min. definitely wasn't long enough in the oven to finish cooking. I would definitely do it for at least double that. We kept checking w/ the thermometer just to make sure. Maybe we didn't brown it long enough? Or it really does make a difference browning in a skillet vs a regular frying pan? We're going to try browning it longer next time, but really either way it turned out great and the flavor was awesome! If you want to retain some of your crispy skin after browning I would use a larger baking dish so that your sauce doesn't completely cover your chicken. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">We had ours with brownies for dessert, but during dinner we ended up talking about other desserts that would go really well with this, like a free-form apple tart, baked cheesecake, lemon pie...yum! We figured this would be great for company and easy to stretch out, recipe made quite a bit of sauce. We were thinking it would also be really nice with a green salad with feta too, if you decided to serve it in courses... Such an inspiring dish, ha! And it was fairly easy to do and the results were well worth the effort!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>2 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/8 - 1/4 tsp pepper</li>
<li>4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts <b><i><u>or</u></i></b> 2 lbs bone-in leg and thigh (<i>we used thawed frozen chicken thighs from Costco, 4 thighs in a pack, worked great</i>)<i> </i></li>
<li>2 shallots, about 1/4 cup, thinly sliced (<i>we substituted this with regular onion thinly sliced</i>)</li>
<li>2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen - <i>we supplemented with frozen</i>)</li>
<li>1/2 cup balsamic vinegar</li>
<li>1/4 cup honey <b><i><u>or</u></i></b> 1/3 cup maple syrup (<i>Used honey because we already had it! But I imagine it would be really good with maple syrup, want to try it that way sometime...)</i></li>
<li>1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/8 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350° F</li>
<li>Heat 1 Tbsp each of oil and butter in a large skillet until hot and bubbly. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and sear over medium high heat until golden brown - about 1 minute per side or until a light crust forms. Remove to baking dish and set aside.</li>
<li>Add remaining oil and butter to pan and when hot stir in shallots and cook until soft and lightly caramelized - about 4 minutes.</li>
<li>Add blueberries to shallots and cook 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar, honey <i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">or</i> maple syrup, rosemary and salt and pepper. Simmer about 10 min, or until blueberries have collapsed.</li>
<li> Pour blueberry balsamic mixture over chicken and place baking dish in top half of oven for about 10 min. (<i>25-35 min. I would say start at 25 and check and then go from there)</i>, until the chicken has cooked to interior temp of 170° F </li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-47458876897522863582013-08-12T13:02:00.002-07:002013-08-12T13:07:17.101-07:00Lamb with Rosemary Honey Mustard Glaze<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">This recipe is one that Don found from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roast-Leg-of-Lamb-with-Rosemary/Detail.aspx">Allrecipes</a>. It is the best recipe I've ever had for lamb and all the ingredients are items we have on hand with the exception of fresh rosemary, which we do actually get. Usually we substitute for dry, which I imagine you could, but it really is awesome with fresh if you can get it for a reasonable price. Original recipe calls for leg of lamb, but we have always done it with a lamb roast, which we get at Costco. I imagine you could do it with pretty much any cut of lamb and it would still be great. We like making extra marinade to use as a sauce, it really is that good! Can be served with pretty much anything, we've done it a couple of times with a quinoa recipe and the flavors went together really well. </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1/4 cup honey</li>
<li>2 Tbsp Dijon mustard <i>(We use the Grey Poupon brand)</i></li>
<li>2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped</li>
<li>1 tsp ground black pepper</li>
<li>1 tsp lemon zest</li>
<li>3 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li><i>Optional:</i> dash each of lemon juice and balsamic vinegar<i> (Haven't tried it this way yet, but want to at some point. Some of the reviewers prepared it this way and it's supposed to be really good!)</i></li>
<li>2 lbs of lamb roast approx. <i>(Original recipe calls for 5 lbs of lamb leg, but the roasts we get are smaller)</i></li>
<li>1 tsp coarse sea salt </li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Combine the honey, mustard, rosemary, pepper, lemon zest and garlic. Mix well <i>(some reviewers recommend putting it all in the blender to mix. I think if you want to make extra to use it as a sauce afterwards I would definitely recommend that b/c of the garlic cloves) </i>and apply to the lamb. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight. </li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 450° F.</li>
<li>Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt to taste. Cover loosely with a foil tent.</li>
<li>Cook for 20 min at 450 then turn the oven down to 350 and cook for 1 hour. Remove the foil and turn the heat temp up to 400 and cook for another 10 - 15 min. <i>(Consider simplifying, I don't know if all this is quite necessary...will double check the next time we make it and update this.)</i></li>
<li>Let the roast sit for 10 min and then carve and serve with extra marinade as sauce! Yum!</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-57538694504773616952013-08-09T09:44:00.001-07:002013-08-09T09:45:56.857-07:00Char Siu - Cantonese BBQ'd Pork<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>Don and I made this for the first time just last month. Up until this point I thought the only way to make this was from pre-made powder sauce packets etc. It just seemed too complicated to try to make from scratch and I wasn't the biggest fan of the results from the packets. Then I found this post about it, on none other than our favorite Chinese food blog, Appetite for China! (I've been copying out more of her recipes recently b/c I've been having issues accessing her site for some reason. It' been glitchy and won't load...)I watched the video, and it turns out it wasn't so bad at all! I watched a couple of other videos and read a few other recipes for it, but this one still seemed the easiest to do without hunting down a bunch of extra ingredients. We tried them in sandwiches a couple of times, done up like the pork in this <a href="http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/taiwanese-pork-belly-buns/" target="_blank">recipe</a>(found the buns in the freezer section of our Chinese market, only a couple of dollars) and it was really a simplified quick and easy way to have a Cha Siu Bao without having to make everything else from scratch. :0) I liked them with the cilantro and we also did a couple with some sliced cucumber! Yum!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><i> </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1 lb whole pork belly, skin removed <i>(We prefer using pork loin, less fatty. I've read some people use pork butt for the same reason.)</i></li>
<li>2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry <i>(Found some cooking rice wine at our local Chinese market. I have heard you can substitute this for apple or orange juice. Also saw something about using vinegar sugar and a dash of lemon juice?)</i></li>
<li>2 Tbsp dark soy sauce</li>
<li>2 Tbsp sugar <i>(I read one variation that used agave sweetener instead of sugar, wonder how that would taste?)</i></li>
<li>2 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>1/2 tsp hoisin sauce <i>(This is a Chinese BBQ sauce, sweeter than traditional western BBQ sauces)</i></li>
<li>1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder <i>(Definitely can be found in Chinese markets - we got ours at a <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/world-marketreg-chinese-five-spice.do?from=Search&cx=0" target="_blank">World Market</a>.)</i></li>
<li>2 Tbsp honey </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Marinate the pork belly: In a large bowl, mix together the rice wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, garlic, hoisin sauce and fice spice powder. Rub the pork belly with the marinade mixture and marinate for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. <i>(We usually set a large ziploc bag in the bowl and do everything in that instead, makes for less mess and much easier clean-up. Also makes it easier to 'rub' everything together.</i><i>) </i></li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 325.</li>
<li>Hold up the pork for a few seconds to allow excess marinade to drip off, then place the pork in a roasting pan. Brush the top with the honey. <i>(Make sure to either spray and or line pan with tin foil, this can make quite a big sticky mess as it cooks.) </i>Roast the pork for about 45 min, flipping over the pork belly half-way through and brushing honey on the other side. The pork is done when the outsides begin to crisp and blacken and the center of the pork belly strip feels firm.</li>
<li>Remove the pork from oven and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into thin slices. Arrange the slices on a plate and serve.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-29974454879215490822013-08-05T08:10:00.000-07:002013-12-22T15:26:58.357-08:00Mapo Doufu or Mapo Tofu<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is an awesome recipe from one of our favorite go to cooking blogs for Chinese food. In fact I think this is the first recipe I ever cooked from her blog and was the reason I stumbled onto the <a href="http://appetiteforchina.com/" target="_blank">Appetite for China</a> blog in the first place. The flavors were spot on for what I was looking for and it was not ridiculously difficult to make. Ever since I've always checked her website for Chinese recipes first, and I've never had a problem with a single one! (FYI - she also has a cookbook out now!) It can be a little on the spicy side for kids, but I don't really have spicy tolerance and this has been just fine for me! Makes 4 servings but very easy to stretch out and make more of. Here's a link to the <a href="http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/mapo-doufu-mapo-tofu/" target="_blank">original recipe and site</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15px;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<div class="ERSSectionHead" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-weight: bold; margin: 3px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;">Sauce:</span></div>
<ul><span style="background-color: white; line-height: inherit; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">1 tablespoon fermented black beans (or substitute black bean sauce)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">1 cup chicken stock</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">2½ tablespoons chili bean paste</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (</span><i style="line-height: inherit;">We've made this for years w/o ever putting it in b/c we never had it and it had always tasted awesome anyways!)</i></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">2 teaspoons soy sauce</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">2 teaspoons sesame oil</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">2 teaspoons sugar</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper (</span><i style="line-height: inherit;">Awesome addition if you can find it, we found this at an Asian market as whole peppercorns. We have also made it w/o this and while it isn't as aromatic w/o it, it still tastes just fine.)</i></li>
</span></span></ul>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15px;">Other Ingredients:</span><br />
<ul><span style="background-color: white; line-height: inherit; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
</span></span></ul>
<ul><span style="background-color: white; line-height: inherit; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">½ pound ground pork or beef</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">2 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced at an angle (</span><i style="line-height: inherit;">Because leeks are usually harder to find and aren't regularly stocked in our 'pantry' we usually end up using regular green onion.)</i></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">1 teaspoon minced ginger</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">1 block soft or medium-firm tofu (about 1 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: inherit;">1 scallion, green part only, chopped for garnish</span></li>
</span></span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15px;">PREPARATION:</span><br />
<ol>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: inherit; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Prepare the sauce: Rinse the black beans to remove any grit. In a small bowl, mash the black beans with the back of a spoon. Combine the black beans with the chicken stock, chili bean paste, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and Sichuan pepper. Set aside.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: inherit; text-align: start;">Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the pork and stir-fry until crispy and starting to brown but not yet dry, about 2 minutes, breaking up the pork with a spatula. Reduce the heat to medium, then add leeks, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: inherit; text-align: start;">Pour in the sauce and bring the liquid to a boil, the reduce to a simmer. The liquid should now have a nice red color. Gently add the tofu cubes, being careful to not move them around too much or else they will break up. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes so the tofu can cook and absorb the the sauce.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: inherit; text-align: start;">Carefully push the tofu to the sides and create a small well in the middle. Stir in the cornstarch mixture in the center. Allow the liquid to simmer for another minute, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a deep plate or wide bowl, sprinkle scallions on top, and serve hot.</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-80685491937624087172013-07-28T08:08:00.000-07:002013-07-28T08:09:27.085-07:00German Pancakes / Dutch Babies for Two!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 - 3 Tbsp butter for baking dish - not mixed in w/ other ingredients</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 eggs at room temp (<i>can put in a bowl of warm water for a bit</i>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup warmed milk (<i>heat up for about 20 sec in microwave</i>) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup sifted flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp vanilla</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 pinch ground nutmeg</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 pinch salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Juice from 1 lemon and about 2 Tbsp powdered sugar for topping</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Preheat the oven to 425<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">°</span> F<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the oven is warming, put butter in 8x8 baking dish and let melt as oven preheats.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Place eggs and milk in blender, blend lightly until frothy. Add remaining ingredients and blend until just incorporated. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Remove baking dish from oven with melted butter and pour batter in without stirring or mixing and return to oven.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bake 20 - 25 min. until golden brown crust on top and puffy!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Top with lemon juice and powdered sugar and enjoy!</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-37499720746842160832013-06-04T17:48:00.002-07:002023-12-25T15:34:11.835-08:00Broccoli Salad<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So
this past Easter we had a family lunch/dinner at my Sis-in-law Melanie's house,
and she made this awesome salad. We got the recipe from her and as I was
looking it over to add to the site I discovered I had one incredibly similar
already posted from when I took my cooking class back at BYU. Who knew? </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I
certainly hadn't been using it lately and I definitely fell in love the version
I had at Easter so I decided to update and kind of mash the two recipes
together, hence all the options for quantities! Seriously though, you can
just eyeball everything and it will still turn out fantastic, it's that great. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #444444;">Hearty enough to be a meal on it's own with a side of rolls/bread/cornbread or
whatever else you want! The dressing recipe included is the halved proportions.
We found that the original had to much dressing for our taste. So if you like
more dressing with your salad, it can easily be doubled.</span></i><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>For Salad:</b></span></i><br />
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 large head (3-4 cups) of
fresh broccoli, washed and trimmed<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">¼ - ½ cup red onion, finely
diced<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">½ - 1 cup craisins or raisins</span></li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Optional (but highly recommended) Mix-Ins:</b></span></i></blockquote><ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4 - 6 strips of bacon, fried crisp and
crumbled<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">½ - 1 cup shredded cheese (<i>I've used sharp cheddar and Parmesan before, both great) </i></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup sunflower seeds</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup pepitas</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">½ - 1 cup cashews or chopped pecans or walnuts</span></li>
</ul>
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>For Dressing:</b></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul type="disc">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 cup low-fat mayonnaise</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (<i>can substitute w/ regular vinegar if it’s
all you have</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 Tbsp sugar</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In small separate bowl, make
salad dressing by combining all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least a
couple of hours, preferably overnight.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cut broccoli into small
florets, peel the stem and cut into 1/2" pieces.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Combine broccoli, onions, craisins,
nuts, bacon, and cheese.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pour dressing over salad.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Refrigerate until ready to
serve and toss before serving<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<i style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Note: </b>This salad can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for hours, even overnight.</span></i></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-27894642207421960412012-12-02T11:26:00.001-08:002014-12-05T18:17:34.057-08:00Chewy Ginger Cookies<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>So this is the <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/big-soft-ginger-cookies/detail.aspx" target="_blank">recipe</a> I've taken to making lately when I make Ginger cookies. It has a few more spices than the previously posted recipe, (which I'm leaving up because it's Mom's original one) but for the most part though, they are incredibly similar ingredient and even measurement~wise. I've just found I prefer the taste of these ones...warm and chewy and filled with Christmas~y memories!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">DRY INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2 1/4 cups flour</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>2 tsp ground ginger</li>
<li>3/4 tsp ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ground cloves</li>
<li>1/4 tsp salt</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">WET INGREDIENTS:</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>3/4 cup butter</li>
<li>1 cup white sugar</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1 Tbsp water (some people recommend using orange juice)</li>
<li>1/4 cup molasses</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2 Tbsp white sugar for rolling cookie dough balls</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 350. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.</li>
<li>Cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg then stir in water and molasses. Gradually add sifted ingredients to wet ingredients. Shape dough into balls and roll in 2 Tbsp of sugar to coat. Let chill in fridge for an hour or so, even overnight if convenient.</li>
<li>Place cookies 2" apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake w/o flattening balls to get a crackle on top.</li>
<li>Bake for 8-10 min. in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet to settle, approx. 5 min. before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-73530393094410038142012-11-23T11:05:00.000-08:002012-11-23T11:21:49.658-08:00Sweet Potato Casserole<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>Don and I both agreed that this was the best thing on the table for Thanksgiving this year! We ended up being so busy with preparations that I completely forgot to make the pie and didn't remember until we were sitting down to dinner. Don said though that these were so good we didn't even need pie, which made me feel a lot better! :) Our crumble/streuesel topping didn't turn out looks~wise (ended up more mushy </i></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>then crumbly-I think our butter was too soft), but taste-wise was still awesome. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>No marshmallows on top this year, but that's probably for the best. While I like the look of the roasted marshmallows on top, the leftovers will keep better this way. Leftover marshmallow topping never works out. I've discovered from previous years that it gets all slimy and gross and we end up peeling it all off anyways. Our version ended up being a slight adaptation b/w this </i></span><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/yummy-sweet-potato-casserole" style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">recipe</a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i> and this </i></span><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/gourmet-sweet-potato-classic" style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">recipe</a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>. which are pretty much identical except for a couple of ingredients and preparations. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS for SWEET POTATOES:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>4 cups peeled and cubed sweet potato (T<i>his ended up being about 2 medium-large potatoes)</i></li>
<li>1/4 cup butter</li>
<li>1/2 cup white sugar</li>
<li>1/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</li>
<li>2 eggs beaten</li>
<li>2 Tbsp milk (<i>Original recipe calls for heavy cream, but we didn't have any. If you happen to have cream on hand, I imagine it would be good. Milk worked out just fine though.)</i></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;">INGREDIENTS for TOPPING:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>1/4 cup flour</li>
<li>1/2 cup to 3/4 brown sugar</li>
<li>1/4 cup butter softened (<i>room temp.)</i></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">PREPARATION:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Put cubed sweet potatoes in medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 325.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sweet potatoes and mix until smooth. Transfer to baking dish. (<i>Both original recipes called for a 9x13 but we ended up using<i> an 8x8 and it worked out great</i>.)</i></li>
<li>In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour together. Cut butter into mixture with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle over sweet potato mash.</li>
<li>Bake for 30 min. in preheated oven, or until topping is crisp and lightly browned.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-75138685766827403112012-11-15T07:48:00.001-08:002012-11-15T10:18:43.233-08:00Puffed Wheat Squares!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">It's kind of funny, the things that you discover are 'Canadian' treats once you leave Canada. Like things you don't even give a thought to and sometimes don't even notice are missing. I remember one time a few years back when Don was working with a fellow Canadian at work he came back asking me about something called a 'Ninamus" and I had no idea what on earth he was describing. Turns out he was talking about <b>Nanaimo</b> Bars, hahaha. Eventually I will have to make those and share that here, but today, this is about Puffed Wheat Squares!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Who knew that these were a Canadian treat? I remember bringing it up one time saying I liked them and Don had no clue what they were. We then searched the internet for them and discovered that apparently it is something that is more common/popular in Canada. Curious and Curiouser! So for anyone who has not had them before, let me *formally* introduce you! They are similar to a Rice Krispie treat, but they are instead of Rice Krispies they use Puffed Wheat and instead of a marshmallow base, it's chocolate, yum! I found a couple of recipes and then narrowed it down to one where the amounts and ratios seemed most reasonable to me and tried it out last night. They were delicious and chewy! If not maybe a little bit too sweet? Checked a couple other recipes and here is my ever so slightly adapted version of The Casual Bakers <a href="http://casualbaker.blogspot.com/2007/09/bring-it-back-to-old-school.html" target="_blank">recipe</a>. One of the wonderful things about these are that they whip up fast and you don't even have to use the oven at all! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>Oh, and one last note. I remembered this treat awhile back but never attempted it because I couldn't find any Puffed wheat locally - which could be why it's more popular in Canada, you can get Puffed wheat easily in your regular grocery store. Recently though, when Don and I were walking our local Walmart cereal aisle I noticed they had started carrying it! It was stashed away in the corner at the very end of the aisle! Success!!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i><br /></i></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC5e_I5QLQxbyLhezZdyEXPbKb8U6F_qAssYedUTX_Zm9u7quTlf9avF4_SnTCtw4ndHjrqqBdvgr6_1Z6thSChp8CNEjlZ5x5X3_TtW4LggaR2W9GLxSJyhPaz7kNddhzx-1sPfNXbg/s1600/CIMG0819-005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLC5e_I5QLQxbyLhezZdyEXPbKb8U6F_qAssYedUTX_Zm9u7quTlf9avF4_SnTCtw4ndHjrqqBdvgr6_1Z6thSChp8CNEjlZ5x5X3_TtW4LggaR2W9GLxSJyhPaz7kNddhzx-1sPfNXbg/s640/CIMG0819-005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1/3 cup butter</li>
<li>1/3 cup corn syrup</li>
<li>1/4 cup brown sugar (<i>Original recipe called for 1/2 cup. I think it would be fine going for half that, Don thinks that's too extreme and maybe 1/3 cup?)</i></li>
<li>3 Tbsp cocoa powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>6-8 cups puffed wheat (<i>I used 6, but I can see stretching it out over 1-2 cups more to spread out the concentration of chocolate/gooeyness. You'll have to try it out for yourself. Maybe start with 6 and then add more as you're mixing if you want to?)</i></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Lightly grease a baking pan. <i>We did ours in an 8x8, which left us with 2</i><i>" thick squares. You could use a 9x13 I think for 1" squares if you're wanting to spread them out and cut more squares for serving a crowd.</i></li>
<li>Measure out puffed wheat into a large mixing bowl. <i>I'd say you would only want it about half full with your puffed wheat or else when you mix it you'll send puffed wheat flying all over your counters!</i></li>
<li>Combine all remaining ingredients except for the vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly. <i>Original recipe says to use a wooden spoon. I ended up using a silicon spatula. I think pretty much anything that can withstand the heat and won't add a taste to your base would be fine.</i></li>
<li>As soon as recipe starts boiling continue mixing over heat for 2 min. <i>If you want your squares to stay chewy and gooey you have to be careful here. If you over boil your mixture it'll end up tough!</i></li>
<li>Remove mixture from heat and add in vanilla and stir a couple times to combine.</li>
<li>Pour entire mixture over puffed wheat in large mixing bowl and quickly stir to evenly coat.</li>
<li>Pour coated mixture into greased pan and press the mixture evenly into pan using spoon, or spatula. <i>Original recipe says you can also use your hands to press into pan, but dang, that mixture is hot so I don't know if I would recommend doing it that way.</i></li>
<li>Cool, slice and keep stored in an air-tight container. <i>I'm thinking I might try and do puffed wheat balls around the holidays similar to popcorn balls!</i></li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-59984329108203448572012-10-08T13:12:00.000-07:002012-10-08T13:13:40.799-07:00Pumpkin Cheesecake<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Made this for the first time last year for Thanksgiving, and it was awesome! Plan to make this a tradition, liked it even more than regular pumpkin pie. Found it originally <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/double-layer-pumpkin-cheesecake-2/detail.aspx">here</a>, but there are so many different versions there decided to put it here for quick reference :)</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened</li>
<li>1/2 cup white sugar</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. vanilla extract</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 (9") prepared graham cracker crust</li>
<li>1/2 cup pumpkin puree</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1 pinch ground cloves</li>
<li>1 pinch ground nutmeg</li>
<li>1/2 cup frozen whipped topping thawed (<i>Optional)</i></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 325 degrees F</li>
<li>In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.</li>
<li>Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust. </li>
<li>Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 min., or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover w/ whipped topping before serving. </li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-72951042591689304472012-06-23T17:48:00.000-07:002012-06-23T17:48:35.759-07:00Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened</li>
<li>3/4 cup granulated sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup packed brown sugar</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li>2 large eggs</li>
<li>2 cups (12 oz. pkg) chocolate chips</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit </li>
<li>Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.</li>
<li>Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets</li>
<li>Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. </li>
</ol>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-87273693977133919302012-06-15T06:54:00.000-07:002012-06-23T17:34:48.328-07:00Oreo Truffles<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="font-size: 14px;">Seriously quick and easy dessert.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1 pkg of OREO's (15.5 oz.)</li>
<li>1 pkg of cream cheese (8 oz.)</li>
<li>2 pkg BAKER's semi-sweet chocolate. melted (16 oz. total)</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Crush entire package of OREO's. (Reserve about a cup of crushed cookie crumbs to use as topping for finished truffles.)</li>
<li>Combine remaining cookie crumbs with cream cheese. Mix until well blended.</li>
<li>Form mixture into 1" balls.</li>
<li>Dip into melted chocolate and sprinkle tops with reserved cookie crumbs.</li>
<li>Refrigerate until firm, approximately 1 hour. Store in airtight container in fridge. </li>
</ol>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976337471141559668.post-4649558605587957252012-03-11T10:32:00.000-07:002014-12-01T12:49:31.861-08:00Jook or Rice Congee Starter<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 85%;">Jook, essentially a rice broth or porridge, to me is the equivalent to how I imagine most people feel about Chicken Noodle soup. It's what I want when I'm not feeling well. It settles the stomach and it's just a really nice comfort thing. Plus it's associated with all kinds of memories growing up when my Mom would make it for me and/or the family. One instance in particular stands out...when I got my wisdom teeth out and couldn't really eat much and my stomach felt all gross after the 'surgery.' (Does it count as a surgery if they put you out for it?) My mom made a pot of this when we got home and kept it on the stove for me for whenever I felt like I could keep something down. *Sigh* </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">reminiscing</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">...</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>But for the longest time I really had no idea how on earth to make it. I did try on a couple of </i></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>occasions</i></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>, but it always ended up a pretty ridiculously goopy mess usually with a thick layer of it stuck to the bottom of the pan. Definitely not what you want and nothing quite like what I remembered from when my mom made it. It wasn't until I tried doing the ratios from this <a href="http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/vegetarian-congee/">blog</a> that I got consistent results that actually tasted great.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>So this is a basic variation of Appetite for China's vegetarian variation (she also has a <a href="http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/chicken-congee-goji-berries/">chicken</a> one) that originally came from the New York Times. I call it a starter because from this point you could add pretty much anything to personalize it to your taste. I usually add stripped up pieces of ham or something, though you could add pretty much any meat and anything else you might like to throw in there. I don't make as large of a batch as she does, mainly because we wouldn't be able to eat that much (serves 6-8 people) and I don't currently have a pot anywhere near large enough to make a batch that large. Now if only I could find the dried crumbled fish that my mom also used to have...think bacon bits, but with fish...sounds weird but it's fantastic on this!</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">INGREDIENTS:</span>
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>1/2 cup rice, uncooked</li>
<li>1 cup chicken stock</li>
<li>3-4 cups water</li>
<li>1 Tbsp grated ginger</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>Dash of white pepper</li>
<li>1/4 tsp sesame oil</li>
<li>Green onion for garnish</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">PREPARATION:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li>Combine rice, stock, and water, bring to a boil.</li>
<li>Reduce heat and simmer for an hour and a half stirring on occasion and adding more water as necessary to keep essentially same ratio as when you started.</li>
<li>Add all remaining ingredients, except garnish, at some point during the simmering process depending on how strong you want the other flavors incorporated. I sometimes add it in right after reducing the heat to simmer. Sometimes not until later, in kind of just depends on whenever I get everything else all ready to go.</li>
<li>When consistency of rice is as desired (sometimes you want the rice a little more formed and sometimes I like completely broken down-I guess this makes more sense if you're familiar with jook and you've made it before...) serve hot, throw green onions on top and enjoy!</li>
</ol>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0