Delectably Homemade

Best Banana Bread....EVER!!

2011-02-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

This is the best banana bread ever! I have tried many different recipes, and this is by far, the best ever! I made this oat streusel topping and it was just wonderful. For those of you, who prefer nuts in your banana bread.. sorry. No nuts in this one. Although, if you really wanted them, you could definitely add them.

Ingredients for bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups mashed banana (5 medium or 2 large)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

Streusel Oat Topping

4 heaping tablespoons of flour

3 heaping tablespoons of oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup cold butter

Directions for steusel.

Combine all ingredients together with a fork, or your fingertips. Place in fridge to keep cold until ready to sprinkle over banana bread.

Directions for bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch pan; set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Sprinkle streusel oat topping over top of batter.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Or... let cool just enough to slice and and butter...mmmm then, hide the rest of the bread so you don't have to share.

Devilish Delights

2010-12-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

I had to change up the recipe for this. For some reason it wasn't working, and was way to wet to make nice cookie mounds. But, never fear, they are still pretty yummy. They are chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. With a splash of coffee liqueur. The good news is, they are yummy. The bad news is, I can't remember how much flour and cocoa powder I ended up adding. So these will be my one hit wonder this year.

Chewy S'mores Bars

2010-12-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

I wonderful camping favorite in an easy to make bar. Oh these are good. I mean, really good. Plus, the batter isn't have bad. Truth be told, it's a wonder the batter ever made it into bars. I found this recipe in my Better Homes Cookie magazine.

Chewy S'mores Bars

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup crushed graham crackers
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9x2in pan with foil. Lightly grease foil.

In large bowl beat butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour. Stir in oats and graham crackers.

Reserve 1 cup of oat mixture. Spread rest into pan. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows and chocolate chunks over warm crust. Dot top with oat mixture. Bake 20 minutes.

Cool on wire rack in pan. Pull out uncut bars using foil. Cut into bars.

Lemon Crescents

2010-12-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

These came out pretty good. They weren't as sweet as I thought they would be, though. If you are looking for a lighter, less rich cookie, this is a good option.

Lemon Crescents

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and lime juice until smooth. Beat in flour, salt and lemon peel.

Shape dough into crescent shapes, about 2 inches long. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges just turn brown.

Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar and cool on wire rack. Dust with more powdered sugar once cooled.

Nana's Banana Cake

2010-12-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

I love Nana's Apple Cake mix! It is so versatile. I had 2 bananas I needed to use, as they were very ripe. I thought, why not toss them into Nana's Apple Cake mix? I love the results!

Nana's Banana Cake with pecans

1 pkg Nana's Apple Cake mix
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs.
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x9 baking pan.

Beat smashed bananas and eggs to combine. Add cake mix and pecans. Beat until combined.
Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Rhubarb Strawberry Thumbprint Squares

2010-12-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

These are so flaky and yummy. Fairly easy to make too. I used Tastefully Simples Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread to fill the thumbprints and it gave them this wonderful tangy flavor.

Rhubarb Strawberry Thumbprint Squares

1 1/4 cups softened butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 cups flour
Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan. Set aside.

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, beat until combined. Beat in egg and lemon extract. Beat in flour.

Press dough into bottom of pan. Using a pizza cutter cut 9 rows down, and 6 rows across. Make indentations on each square with thumb. Add small teaspoon of fruit spread.

Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Then cut along lines with pizza cutter again. Cool on wire rack and dust with powdered sugar.

Absolutely Almond Cream Cheese Cookies

2010-12-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Absolutely Almond Cream Cheese Cookies. Ohh... If you like fluffy, light cookies, these are the cookies for you. This is a recipe from my Tastefully Simple website. I was looking for something super easy that used the Absolutely Almond Pound cake mix. I like this pound cake, but I love it even more as a cookie! Only thing I added, to the recipe, was the colored sugar sprinkles.

Absolutely Almond Cream Cheese Cookies

8 oz. pkg. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1 egg
Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix

Combine first 2 ingredients; mix until smooth. Add egg; blend well. Stir in AA Cake Mix (may have to knead with hands until dough forms). Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 11-12 minutes or until cookies are light brown on bottom (cookies should not brown on top and will only flatten slightly). Cool on baking rack. Makes about 45 cookies.

Check my TS website for Absolutely Almond Cake Mix

Blondies

2010-12-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

You may be surprised, with all the baking I have done, I have never made Blondies before. Nope. This is the first time. They were pretty easy, and tasty. I found this recipe in my Better Homes cookbook. I added a crushed up Heath bar, white chocolate chips, and pecans to the top right before baking.

Rum Flavored Meringues

2010-12-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

My goal this season is to try making cookies I have never made before. Ultimately, I would really like to do 25 days of baking. All new recipes! I don't know that I will be able to make that many, as it is my busy season at work, but I am going to do my best and bake as much as time (and my waistline) will allow.

My first batch of cookies is Rum Flavored Meringues. This is my first attempt at meringue cookies. They came out light and fluffy. Melt in your mouth delicious! They were also easier then I had anticipated.

Rum Flavored Meringues

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp rum extract
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In large (glass or metal) bowl combine first 4 ingredients. Beat until soft peaks form, Gradually add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Spoon into a pipping bag with a star tip. Pipe 2in stars on parchment paper an inch apart.
(can also use a spoon to make small mounds instead of using a pipping bag)

Bake for an hour and 20 minutes, or until cookies are dry and firm when lightly touched. Cool on wire rack, or do what I did, and just pull the parchment off the sheet and onto cool counter.

Pumpkin Bisque

2010-11-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

This was one of those ideas that kinda scared me. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to try. I had this idea for a pumpkin soup... a thick, creamy soup. I like thick soups. So, I figured, why not. I mean, I had all the ingredients, what could it hurt. I am SOOOOO glad I did! This soup was so good, My husband (who was really doubting it) has already asked when I will be making it again.
I'm also betting it would be even better with fresh pumpkin, instead of canned, but canned is what I had.

Pumpkin Bisque

1 cup pumpkin
half an onion chopped
1 tbs bacon fat
1 tbs Garlic Garlic
3 cups heavy cream
2 cubes chicken bouillon
3 egg yolks, beat slightly
salt and pepper to taste

Heat bacon fat in pan. Add onions, cook until translucent. Add pumpkin, Garlic Garlic, some salt and pepper. Whisk in heavy cream. Add bouillon cubes.
Temper eggs by adding a little of the hot soup to eggs and beating with a fork. Repeat. Then add egg mixture to soup. Cook on medium, stirring constantly. Soup will thicken and start to bubble. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy.

Side note, I think this would be better completely creamy, by blending with immersion blender. (I don't have one, so we had our chunky) My husband, prefers the chunks of onion for texture. I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Garlic Garlic is made by Tastefully Simple, you can get it from the website on the top, right of this page.

Praline Pumpkin Dessert

2010-11-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! This is what I made for dessert today. I made one for all my guys at work, and they gobbled it right up.

I found this recipe online at http://www.pumpkinnook.com/ Pretty neat little website all about pumpkins. This dessert is very good. I can't wait to make it again. It is definitely better served warm. I plan on serving it with my home made pumpkin spice ice cream.

go here for the full recipe. http://www.pumpkinnook.com/cookbook/recipe49.htm

Definitely, try this. It's so yummy and super easy.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-11-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

Ohh... Now this..mmm.....this is soooo good. Oh.. you have to try it. But you can't, because I think I'm going to eat it all. I also got this recipe out of my KitchenAid Best Loved Recipes cookbook. Oh... mmmm sooo sooo good. Cheesecake

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

2010-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

If I have made awesome ice cream before... I have made super awesome ice cream now. This is so yummy. I can't wait to try it over warm pecan pie....oh..yummo! This is totally my recipe, and boy, did I surprise myself.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

1 2/3 cups heavy cream
1 2/3 cups half and half
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
6 egg yolks

Cream egg yolks and sugar in stand mixer. Add pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Mix to combine.

Heat half and half in a sauce pan until very hot, but not boiling. Stream in a little into egg mixture while beating on low. Once combined, add a little more. Combine. Stream in rest of half and half while still beating mixture. Beat for 1 minute. Pour complete mixture back into sauce pan, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbles form on side of pan. Strain into a large spouted bowl. (I like my Pampered Chef batter bowl for this) Add in heavy cream and vanilla. Mix to combine. Let cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacture directions. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Brownies with White Chocolate Frosting

2010-11-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

These are delicious! I found the recipe in one of my all time favorite cookbooks. My KitchenAid Best Love Recipes book. I have wanted to make these for a while, but kept putting it off for some reason or another. Oh, they are so yummy. It is a small batch, but they are very rich, so you don't need a huge piece.

Primo Pumpkin Brownies

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/3 cup flour
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp backing powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 heath bars crushed up. (my addition, since I couldn't find toffee baking bits)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8x8 baking dish. Beat sugar,butter, and vanilla in stand mixer. Beat until smooth. Add egg, beat until fluffy. Add rest of ingredients. Mix until combined. Spread into pan. Bake 45 min. Allow to cool completely.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

3 tbs heavy cream
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 brick of cream cheese, soft
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Heat cream in sauce pan, till bubbles form on sides. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate. Stir until completely melted. Whip cream cheese and sugar in stand mixer. Stream in chocolate mixture. Whip until smooth.

Frost cooled brownies with cool frosting.

Pumpkin Chili

2010-11-21T10:26:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Chili...Yep, I went there. I came across a few different recipes and just had to give it a try. Many were skeptical...including me. I have only ever had pumpkin in sweet dishes, never savory. I'm glad I gave this a try. It was very good, with just a hint of pumpkin. I made mine a little on the spicy side, but my family gobbled it right up. Only change I will make, is the beef broth. I think it would be better to change it out for tomato sauce.

Pumpkin Chili

1 can pumpkin

2 bell peppers, diced

1 onion, diced

2lbs ground beef

1 tbs Garlic Garlic

1 tbs Fiesta party dip mix

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cans Dark kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can chili ready diced tomatoes

2 cans beef broth

Brown up ground beef with peppers and onions. Drain. Rinse and drain all beans. Add all ingredients to crock pot. Mix to combine. Cover and cook on low about 5 hours. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Garlic Garlic and Fiesta Party dip mix are from Tastefully Simple. Click the web link to the right, to order.

Yes, I'm a Huge Slacker.....but I promise to make up for it.

2010-11-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

I know I have been a huge slacker... But I have been cooking.. LOTS! I have some awesome new recipes.
I doing a Five Days of Pumpkin, starting tomorrow. Then, I am doing 25 days of cookies starting December 1st. I will be trying all new cookie recipes. Yep. NEW! I am so excited!

Jacob'S Wraps

2010-09-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

I love to cook. Really, I do, and I hope to pass my love of food, on to my children. I think it's working, at least, with my son Jacob. I picked him up from school and he told me he had this great idea for dinner. He wanted to make wraps. Although this isn't exactly what he had in mind. He loved making them. So, this particular night, Jacob made dinner. Almost completely by himself. He was so very proud and so was I.

Fried Okra?

2010-09-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

Okra. Never had it, let alone cooked it until a few days ago. My sweet neighbor, Sue, brought over some fried okra she had made. I loved it! So yummy. I don't know how I've never had it. This is what it looks like after it's been sliced up, the ends removed, and rinsed.

Toss into a bowl of bread crumbs and corn meal. Added seasonings for flavor.

Then fry up. Only takes a few minutes for the okra to fry up nicely.

And this is the finished product. I loved it. Came out so crispy and light. Lots of flavor. To me, it was very similar to a fried zucchini.

Hot Coco Mocha Ice Cream

2010-09-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

I made this ice cream using the same hot coco mix I made the cake and frosting from. Ohhhh soooo good!

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
2 table spoons instant coffee powder
3 cups hot coco mix
1 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Once everything is dissolved and incorporated, add to ice cream maker. Churn until done. Try not to eat it all.

This would be really really really good with bits of Heath Bar crumbled in at the end. Next time for sure.

Hot Coco Mocha Cake with Hot Coco Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-09-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when one gets caught up in those cake shows on t.v. Wait until you see what I made to go with this cake.

I had this crazy idea to make a cake. I went into the kitchen with no clear idea of what kind of cake I wanted to make. Started looking into my pantry to see what I had. Found this huge bag of homemade hot coco mix my dear friend Mary had given me. Hmmmm.. Bet that would make a great cake flavor. So I found my recipe for one bowl chocolate cake. Used that as my base. Then added some instant coffee and used the coco mix in place of some of the sugar and coco powder.

The frosting, though, is the main attraction. This frosting is so darn good, it's well, wrong. I actually made it up on the fly. Only one thing needs to change... The coco mix contains powdered milk and it kinda lumps up. So, I need a hot coco powder recipe that does not contain the powdered milk. It doesn't affect the flavor, just the look of the frosting.

Ingredients
One brick of cream cheese.
4 cups Powdered sugar
1 1/2-2 cups Hot coco mix
2 cap fulls Almond extract

Whip the cream cheese until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Whip until creamy.

Angel Hair Pasta with Broccoli Cream Sauce

2010-09-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

I made this up for dinner tonight. Came out pretty good. A little too thick of a sauce for angel hair pasta, but my family loved it anyway.

Sauce is pretty simple. Chop a few cloves of fresh garlic and toss in a pot with olive oil and butter. Cook until butter is melted and the garlic is soft. Add Italian seasoning. Add about half a bag of frozen broccoli and a brick of cream cheese. It will be very thick, so add a splash of milk to thin it just a bit.

If I make this again, I will only use half a brick of cream cheese and use half and half or milk to thin it out.

Leftover Stew

2010-09-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

I love making something new with leftovers!! Here is leftover stew! Yummmo! I got the kids involved in this too. Diced up an onion and some leftover grilled chicken breasts. Toss into a big pot. Add corn, green beans (from last night), a can of stewed tomatoes, can of tomato sauce, couple cans of water. Add seasonings and let boil. Turned out so good.
My husband said it's even better if you add sour cream on top.

Teaching the Kids to Cook

2010-09-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have decided it's time to get my kids involved more in the kitchen. It's important to teach them such life skills. I don't want them living on fast food when they are older.. or worse, not moving out at all. So, I am teaching them to cook. Plus, it is kinda fun having them help. I just have to make sure I have a lot of patience on these days.

Anyway.. this is how it went.

Jessica, made the garlic bread. It was the perfect job for her. She has a very unnatural love of butter, so she was able to put as much as she wanted on her bread. She can get away with this, since she's four and has a pretty healthy diet the rest of the time.

Jacob, had to cut the sun dried tomatoes and make the sauce. He did very well. We did have safety talks about using knives and the stove. Basically, I told him if he touched either items without my permission..I'd break his little fingers. I think that drove the point home. LOL He worked very safe and did a wonderful job.

I really enjoyed working with both of them. I'm not going to lie, it took a little to sucker them into helping me. But, after all was cooked and done...they had fun too. Jacob is already thinking of other things to make.

My White Pie

2010-09-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Home made white pizza pie. Oh yumm! This is very rich and oh so delicous. Pretty simple too.
Make a pizza dough. Flatten out. Rub some olive oil on it and toss on to hot grill. Grill one side for a few minutes, till it starts bubbling on the top, and has good grill marks on the bottom. Flip. Add your favorite toppings. Let the toppings get all hot and melted. Then, it's done.

I went with a riccota cheese, mixed with roasted garlic, salt, pepper, Tastefully Simple's Spinach and Herb Dip mix, and some olive oil from the sundried tomatoes. Then, I added sundried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes, and some shredded mozzarella. Came out pretty good. Some things I will change next time..Fresh mozzerella instead of the preshredded stuff, only one kind of tomato. May also try with fresh basil or baby spinach.

Grilled Chicken Salad

2010-09-01T11:17:00.001-07:00

I light dinner. Grilled up some chicken breasts and tossed them on top of some lettuce and tomatoes. Add shredded cheddar cheese and a little dressing. This was actually a very filling meal. It was also a nice change from the gut busting (yummy comfort food) chicken fried steak.

Not as good as Trish's..but..

2010-08-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Chicken fried steak, smashed potatoes, and asparagus. Not the most healthy meal, but it was definitely good comfort food. Plus, pounding out the steak works out a lot of aggression. I recommend making this meal when you are really want to beat the husband or children. The flatter you pound the meat, the better it gets. So, the more ticked off you are, the better. :)

Anyway, Start by pounding the meat. Then dip into milk (I used half and half, I had it and it needed to be used) and then into the breading, then straight into a hot pan of oil. Cook a few minutes on each side. I made the breading with equal parts flour and Italian seasoned bread crumbs. I also added some seasonings..salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.

I also made the potatoes and gravy from scratch. :) No instant potatoes today. LOL

Tastefully Ice Cream

2010-08-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

I couldn't sleep last night. So, I decided to make ice cream. I know.. I'm a sick puppy. Anyways, I made this ice cream from a Tastefully Simple Sweet Strawberry Cheese Ball mix. I went the easy route on this one, I didn't make it a custard like I normally do. So, there is no cooking involved. Just got out a mixing bowl and poured in heavy cream, half and half, cheese ball mix (not the crunchy coating) and 3/4 cup sugar. Mix until dissolved. Churn in ice cream maker.

This came out pretty good. Kinda reminds me of strawberry milk. I added the crunchy coating as sprinkles.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 half and half
3/4 cups sugar.
1 packet of Tastefully Simple Sweet Strawberry Cheese Ball Mix.

Go to http://www.tastefullysimple.com/home.aspx to find the mix.

Cheese Cake Ice Cream

2010-08-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

Cheese Cake Ice Cream...yep..life couldn't be better. This is a custard ice cream and it is very rich and soooo creamy.

Ingredients-
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 brick of cream cheese
5 egg yolks
2 table spoons sugar
capful of almond extract

Heat half and half, cup of sugar, and cream cheese in sauce pan. Heat until cheese is melted and sugar is dissolved, but not boiling.

Whisk yolks with 2 tablespoons of sugar until creamy.

Temper eggs and half and half mixture. Cook until thickened.

Put heavy cream in a bowl and place a sieve over top. Run the hot cream cheese mixture thru a sieve. Stir all together and let cool. Place in fridge, if you can wait, let it sit over night.

Churn according to your ice cream makers directions. (If you are as lucky as I was, your custard will be so cold and creamy, it will only take about 10 minutes to churn. But, I let the batter sit over night on the top shelf of my fridge.)

Garnish with Graham crackers.

Simple Pasta Dish

2010-08-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

This was so easy... I think my four year old could do it.. That is, if I allowed her to touch the stove. The best part is, it was yummo!! My family just ate it up... and I just made it up as I went a long.

1 bag pasta, cooked and drained.

Sauce..
One brick of cream cheese
One can of diced tomatoes, Italian style
Garlic, Garlic to taste

Toss everything into a sauce pan. Cook until the cream cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.
Toss with pasta. Enjoy.

This was a very good meal. Fast, easy, and cheap. I think next time I will use sun dried tomatoes.. I bet that would be good.

Leftover Chicken Burritos

2010-08-23T19:41:00.001-07:00

I love making something new from leftovers! Had some roasted chicken leftover from yesterday and decided to turn it into burritos. Added a can of diced tomatoes, diced onion, can of black beans and seasonings. Cook until the liquid from the tomatoes is gone and it's all hot and bubbly. Heat up some tortillas, add cheese, sour cream and avocados. Yumm!

It's Been a While

2010-08-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight was a throw together. I have been lazy and not really in the mood to cook, so I have been cheating with frozen lasagna and boxed mac and cheese.. oh and take out. LOL Today it was time to get out of the funk and cook. Not that this was a big deal. Frozen burger patty, cooked under the broiler. Add cooked bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Saute up some cabbage and tomatoes. Done. Was delish and fairly healthy.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2010-07-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

I made this very yummy ice cream yesterday. It is so sweet and refreshing.

Ingredients

3/4 bag of fresh cherries, stems pulled off.
1 1/2 of sugar
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of almond extract
1/2 mini chocolate chips....maybe a little more. ;)

Beat egg yolks till light yellow. Heat up half and half and 1 cup of sugar on the stove. Temper eggs into hot half and half. Keep stirring. Add yolks to cream. Cook until it thickens. Just a few minutes. Pour heavy cream into a large, spouted bowl. Add in almond extract. Put a strainer over the bowl of cream. Pour the half and half mixture into the cream, allowing it to strain through the strainer. Stir the mixture making sure it's well combined. Let cool. I put mine in the freezer to cool, because I'm very impatient.

Add 1/2 cup sugar and cherries to a pan and cook for about 20 min, until the juices come out of the cherries and thickens up. Then, strain the cherries letting all the wonderful juices drain into a bowl. Add this bowl to the freezer to chill.

When both mixtures are cold, mix together and add to ice cream maker. When it's almost done, add in chocolate chips. Transfer to a freezer safe bowl and freeze.

Pork Chops, Cabbage, and Potatoes

2010-07-21T16:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight I made broiled lemon pepper pork chops, cabbage and fried potatoes. Very good and easy meal.

Turkey Taco Salad

2010-07-15T15:59:00.001-07:00

Nothing special. Just ground turkey with taco seasoning. I also added in the corn and black bean salad, left over from last night.

Margarita Chicken Burrito with Corn and Black Bean Salad

2010-07-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

I used leftover margarita chicken to make these burritos. Made corn and black bean salad for the base. Added chicken, avocado, tomato, and pineapple salsa.

Corn and Black Bean Salad. Char up two ears of corn and a red bell pepper. Dice up a small onion and cilantro. Rinse and drain a can of black beans. Cut corn off the cob, and dice up the pepper. Toss all ingredients into a bowl. Add juice from half a lime and 3-4 teaspoons of taco seasoning mix. Toss together. You can totally enjoy this by itself, or add it to a burrito like I did.

Margarita Chicken Salad

2010-07-13T17:17:00.001-07:00

Margarita Chicken Salad..how can that not sound good? It was very good. Marinated chicken breast (over night) in tequila (not just for drinking anymore :)), lime juice, margarita mix, Tastefully Simple Simply Salsa mix, salt and pepper. Grill chicken and corn, cut corn off cob and place on a bed of lettuce. Add some tomato's, cheese and sour cream. Avocados would have been a great addition, but mine were too hard.

One of The Many Reasons I'm so Lucky

2010-07-12T14:57:00.001-07:00

My wonderful husband has learned something very important. A full wife, is a happy wife. Almost every morning I come home to one of his delectable omelets. I love them! I work early mornings and when I get home, I'm starving. He knows this and has an omelet all ready for me, with all my favorite things....ham, onion, mushrooms, and goat cheese. I also love avocados, so he, lovingly adds half an avocado to the top.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

2010-07-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

This was the easiest ice cream I have made, yet. I have had the idea rattling around in my head for weeks. I finally decided to try it today.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 scoops Cake Batter Chiller Drink Mix by Tastefully Simple
1/2-3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl until dissolved.
Set up ice cream maker.
Pour cream mixture into ice cream maker and follow instructions to make ice cream.
During last few minutes of mixing, add chocolate chips.
Pour into freezer safe bowl and set in freezer. Or... do what I do and eat it right from the ice cream maker. :)

http://www.tastefullysimple.com/Cultures/en-US/Products/CakeBatterChillerDrinkMix724400.htm?CatalogNavigationBreadCrumbs=ClientCatalog%3bBeverages&ShowTop=true

Blackberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2010-07-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman Cooks. I love her blog, and her recipes are wonderful. Anyway, this ice cream is even better then I thought it would be. Head on over to her website, and try it yourself. http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Heaven

2010-07-02T15:37:00.001-07:00

Chocolate Heaven. I got this recipe from my mom, years ago. It's so good, it's sinful.

Make a chocolate cake in two 9in round pans. Let cool. Then crumble each cake.

Make one large box of chocolate instant pudding.

Crush 6 regular Butterfinger candy bars.

Thaw one large bowl of Cool Whip.

Place one crumbled cake in the bottom of a clear bowl.
Layer pudding, Cool whip, then Butterfinger crumbles.

Repeat.

Now, try and share with your family and friends. Try.

Roasted Veggies in a Pita Pocket

2010-07-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

This was a "throw together" meal, as my husband would call it. I had the idea before going into the kitchen, so I don't really feel it was a throw together, but I'm not going to argue with him over it. I can find so many other things to argue about. ;) But, never mind that. Here's how to make it.

Cut up an onion, a few zucchini and squash (I had 5 total), and a few tomatoes. Mix together in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Tastefully Simple Sun Dried Tomato dip mix (about 2-3 teaspoons). Spread out on a sheet pan and roast under the broiler until golden brown, and the veggies are cooked.

Take a pita pocket and spread hummus inside. Add roasted veggies and some feta cheese. That's it. Totally yummy and vegetarian

Grilled Bell Pepper and Feta Burger

2010-06-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

It's been so hot, that I haven't really been in the mood to cook. So, as you can see, I've been grilling a lot, and burgers are so easy. Tonight, I thought I'd change it up a bit. I sliced and grilled a red bell pepper. Add tomato, tomato & basil feta cheese and baby spinach... and you have an awesome burger. This would also be very tasty on pita bread, which was my original plan. But I decided to save the pita bread for something else.

I love my Grill!

2010-06-29T19:33:00.001-07:00

Grilled steak, shrimp and veggies. What could be more tasty on a hot summer day?

Pork Chops

2010-06-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy weekend and I haven't had much time to cook. Sooo.. I made a super simple supper tonight. Boneless pork chops (on the foreman grill) steamed broccoli, and pan fried french fries.

Fast and Easy Turkey Burgers

2010-06-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

I love ground turkey! So many things you can do with it. Plus, it takes flavorings so well. Not to mention better for you. I love making burgers with ground turkey. Here is one of the ways I make them.
One package ground turkey and one packet of french onion soup mix. Mix together and make 4 burger patties. Spray burger patties with nonstick cooking spray. Cook on hot grill and cook until done and there is no pink. Dress burger with cheese, bacon and avocado.

Best Potato Salad Ever!

2010-06-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

The best potato salad ever! Yummy!
First thing you are going to do, is fry up a pound of bacon. (save some of the bacon grease. Actually, just leave it in the pan.)If you're as lucky as I am, you can convince the husband to do this part. While the bacon is frying, cut and boil about 8 yukon gold potatoes. Boil them until just fork tender. Drain. Hard boil 4 eggs.

Once bacon is all fried and potatoes are boiled and drained. Toss potatoes into hot bacon grease and brown them up a bit. The potatoes will take on some of the bacon flavor and get nice and crispy. Chop up 3/4 of the bacon. I left out about 5 slices. Set aside. Peel and chop eggs.
While the potatoes are frying up, make the sauce. I used about 2 cups of mayo, but you could cut it with sour cream. Add 2 tablespoons of dill, tablespoon and a half of Tastefully Simple Onion Onion, salt and pepper to taste. Once mixed, add in chopped bacon and eggs. Mix.
Let the potatoes come to room temp, then add to the mix and toss.

Lastly, add in two large handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Mix all together. If it's to dry, add in more mayo or sour cream. Set in the fridge to chill. Enjoy.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

2010-06-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

Simple and delicious. Corned beef and cabbage. I don't do anything special with mine, but it is always good. Trim the fat off a slab of corned beef, cut up an onion and a head of cabbage. Place in crock pot, beef at the bottom. I put the seasonings from the packet that comes with the beef in a tea ball to keep them contained. Add a couple cups of water. Not to much, as plenty of water will come out of the cabbage. Not to mention the juice from the beef. Cook on high about four hours. Cook on low, about 6-8 hours.

Salmon and Asparagus

2010-06-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Broiled salmon and asparagus. This was a one pan meal. Very easy, and clean up is a breeze. Turned out pretty good. Not the best salmon, but still pretty good. Turn on broiler. Place salmon and asparagus on broiler pan. Drizzle all over with fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle on salt, pepper, and dill. Place under broiler until fish is flaky and opaque. Honestly, I have no idea how long it took, as I paid no attention to the time. I'm pretty sure it took about 15-20 min. Definatly, no longer. I just kept checking the fish, and since I'm weird about making sure it's cooked, I cooked a min or two longer when I thought it was done. The asparagus gets a little over done, but that's the way my family likes it...but only on the grill or under the broiler, because it gets kind of crispy.

BBQ Chicken Sandwhiches

2010-06-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

My friend, Amy, suggested that I blog about every meal, or at least dinner I make. The good, bad and the horrible. I decided to take her suggestion. Why not? Could be fun, plus it would keep me motivated in the kitchen.

So, here is the first meal. Super easy and perfect for summer. BBQ chicken sandwiches and grilled corn on the cob.

The chicken is made in the crock pot. Just take one package of boneless, skinless chicken breast and toss in the crock pot along with about half a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. Cook on high 3-4 hours. You know it's done, when you can pull the chicken apart with two forks. Pull all the chicken apart and add more sauce. Cover and let cook a little longer. I usually put it on warm and just let it sit for 15 min. But it will be ready to eat once you have pulled all the chicken. Pile chicken onto a bun and eat up.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

2010-06-16T17:19:00.001-07:00

I haven't baked a cake in a while, so I thought I would make one today. I was flipping through my Pioneer Woman Cooks, cookbook and found this sinful recipe. As you can see, I wasted no time digging in to this chocolate treat. My family loves it! I know I will be making this cake again, and again, and again...Thank you P Dub!

I know...

2010-06-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Yea..I've been...well, I've been not posting anything. I'm a loser..I know.. But I think I'm getting my mojo back. Soooo....Hopefully...I will have something very soon. I have a few new ideas I want to try. When I do, I won't forget to take some pictures to show everyone. :)

Cookie Burgers for Kids

2010-03-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

I taught my son's kindergarten class how to make these sweet treats. All you need is 2 Nilla waffers, 1 thin mint and colored icing. Use the waffers as buns and the thin mint as the hamburger patty. You can also use coconut and color it green to look like lettuce.

Kids love them and they are easy, and not to messy.

In honor of St. Patrick's day

2010-03-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Mint cookies! These were super easy and festive. Brought them to work and they were gobbled right up. My kids loved them too! I had the idea and just went for it. I'm so glad I did. It's just to bad I'm on a diet and can't eat them. I did taste one, to make sure they were good, though.

Ingredients~

1 packages sugar cookie mix
3/4 of a bag of thin mint cookies, chopped up
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/8 tsp mint extract
8-10 drops of green food coloring

Preheat oven to 375.

Whip butter until smooth. Add cookie mix, egg, and mint extract. Mix until combined. Add food coloring until desired color is achieved. Stir in chopped up thin mints. Scoop onto cookie sheet, two inches apart. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

Enjoy.

Super Simple Cheese Snack

2010-03-15T05:12:00.000-07:00

This snack is so easy. I mean ridiculously easy.
All you need is cheese slices, (Kraft singles seem to work best)
parchment paper and a microwave.

Cut a slice of cheese into small pieces.

Arrange on parchment paper, leaving room in between for

expansion.

Cook in microwave for about 1 minute and 15 seconds.

You may have to adjust cooking time a few seconds.

The cheese should be slightly brown..see all the brown specs?

Let sit for a minute and then peel off the paper and enjoy.

Cheese is now light and crunchy. It will have filled with air

hardened. See, I told you it would be super easy.

My grandmother told me how to make these.

Try them, you'll like them.

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

2010-03-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

Do you want a delicious oatmeal cookie? I know you do. Here is a recipe I changed a bit. I got the recipe out of my Better Homes cookbook that I love so much. However, I have made that recipe several times and wanted to change it up a bit. So instead of adding peanut butter, I added pumpkin spice pudding mix. I had no idea what the change would do to the cookies. But, let me tell you, I am sooooooo glad I tried this!! The only problem is, you can only get pumpkin spice pudding mix during the holidays, so I won't be able to make these again until the fall. I will however try different pudding mixes to see how the flavors mesh.

Here's the recipe-

3/4 cup softened butter
1 pkg pumpkin spice pudding mix (I used Jello brand)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl beat butter and pudding mix until combined and smooth. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Beat until combined. Scrap sides of bowl as needed. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Once combined, mix in flour. Lastly, stir in oats.

Drop my rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on baking sheet. (I used a handy dandy cookie scoop, if you make a lot of cookies you have to have one of these. Best thing ever..right next to my Kitchen Aid)

Bake 10 minutes or until edges are just slightly browned. Let rest for a few (3-5) minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.

Coka-Cola Chicken

2010-03-11T07:29:00.001-08:00

Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
You can also use whole chicken pieces.

Add a lot of ketchup.

(see, lots of ketchup)

Then add a can of coka-cola.

Mix the soda and ketchup up just enough to blend.

Stick in the oven at 350 for half hour covered, take off cover and bake

another 30 minutes.

And voila! You have Coca-Cola chicken! Very moist and tender.

Not to mention, full of flavor!

My most favorite Pizza!

2010-03-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

Pizza Blanca!! From NYPD Pizza. So rich, and so cheesy. Oh so delicious. Words can not describe the love I have for this pizza pie. There is no red sauce, just olive oil, and different cheeses..oh and tomatoes.

Divinity

2010-02-25T08:30:00.001-08:00

Divinity. I remember seeing a recipe for this many years ago (I was probably 13 years old) in my mom's Better Homes Cookbook. I always wanted to try it, but was intimidated by it. Well, I was bored last night and started flipping through my cookbooks. Found the same divinity recipe that was in my mom's old cookbook..I know this because it's the same cookbook, just updated almost 20 years. Anyways, I had all the ingredients, so I went for it. I did not have a candy thermometer though, so I had to test the sugar with the water test. Pulled it off the stove at "hard ball" temp, and streamed it into the whipped egg whites. I'm pretty sure I got it right. I used mint extract instead of vanilla, making it taste like soft pillow mints. The texture I like, the mint...well, not so much. Mint is very strong, and I only used a quarter teaspoon. It was just to much for me personally. I think I would prefer an almond flavor, and will try that next time.

Adventures in Chop Sticks

2010-02-19T16:02:00.000-08:00

We had Chinese food for dinner tonight and it came with chop sticks. We decided to let the kids try the chop sticks. It was interesting.....and a little funny...and very cute. But then, they are my kids so I am always amused when they learn something new. After a while, Jacob gave up and just started stabbing his food with one stick. While Jessica, used her hands to but the food on the stick and slurp it off.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2010-02-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

Pineapple upside down cake...never made it before, or eaten it for that matter. I'm not a big fan of fruit on my cake. My husband, however, loves this kind of cake. Matter of fact, it's his favorite. So, I decided to give it a try. Came out pretty good, and tasty too. Not to mention, this was a very easy cake to make. I don't know why I thought it was going to be hard. You can't tell from the picture, but I made it in a heart pan, just for Valentines day.

Fresh salsa, without jalapeno hands

2010-02-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love fresh salsa! I don't know many people who don't. It is so much better then the canned stuff. The only problem with making fresh salsa is cutting the jalapenos. Those oils stay on your hands forever. God forbid you touch your eyes anytime that week. Or any where else for that matter.

Anyway, I have found a solution to my fresh salsa problem. Tastefully Simple! They have this wonderful Simply Salsa mix. All you need is a can of diced tomatoes and a 1/4 cup of this mix. Throw both items in a bowl and set in the fridge for at least an hour. Voila! Fresh salsa, and you didn't even have to peel an onion.

Wanna get some? go here-http://www.facebook.com/l/fba60;www.tastefullysimple.com/web/jhabra

Triple Chocolate Cake

2010-02-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

Triple Chocolate Cake...Heaven on a plate...no really, it is.

Chocolate cake recipe from Better Homes, creamy dreamy chocolate mousse from Tastefully Simple, and chocolate ganache, also, from Better Homes cookbook. I wasn't able to get the beautiful smooth texture from the ganache, but it didn't matter. It was so good. Very rich and creamy. I made this for a bridal shower and it was a huge hit.

Cappuccino Cupcakes

2010-01-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Cappuccino Cupcakes cooling. The recipe said to use ramekins. Next time I will make them into a layer cake or use regular cupcake tins. These are a little sticky to not have a paper liner. Not to mention, they bubbled all over the ramekins and onto the sheet pan. This wasn't to big a problem, as I just ate up all the yummy cupcake bits.

The coffee creme. So yummy!

The finished product. Oh my, these are awesome!! If you like coffee flavor, these will knock your socks off! I found the recipe in my Kitchenaid Best Loved Recipes cookbook. I can't wait to make these again. I will, however, change up a few things. You'll just have to wait and see.

Who doesn't like to lick the bowl?

2010-01-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like to lick the bowl or the beaters? Anyone? Yeah, I didn't think so.

My kids love when I bake because they get the bowls and beaters. As you can see, they really get every last chocolaty goodness. Of course, sometimes they have to fight mommy for the bowl. ;-)

Chocolate Cake

2010-01-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

This is my very first totally homemade cake. I have always used a box mix, but I really wanted to see if I could make a yummy cake from scratch. Turns out... I can! This chocolaty delight, was better then any box cake. I also made chocolate cream cheese frosting to go on top. This cake was for my husband, Jason's, birthday. He really liked it, I don't think he will ever let me buy a cake again. LOL

Flan...NOT Flop.

2009-12-24T05:19:00.000-08:00

Woooohoooo!! I figured out how to make flan! It was delicious! And, as you can see, I got it to come out of the pan with out any problems.

Butterscotch Bars

2009-12-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

I can't remember the last time I made cookie bars. I made these because I needed something fast and easy to take to work. These were super easy. I got the recipe off the bag of butterscotch chips and they were a big hit. So easy and so yummy, I can't wait to make them again.

Another Cookie Swap

2009-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

My dear friend, Debbie, hosted her annual cookie swap this past weekend. It was a blast. She is a wonderful hostess, and always goes above and beyond. Really, she does...to prove it...those are her snowflake cookies on the white platter. So much detail, and yummy too! It was great seeing everyone, and all the cookies were delicious.

Almost as good as Thin Mints

2009-12-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

Pudding cookies. You know I love them. Here is my latest take on my favorite cookie. This version uses chocolate fudge pudding mix and dark chocolate and mint chips. I also used crisco instead of butter. If you love Thin Mints, you'll love these cookies.

Flan Flop...

2009-12-16T15:03:00.001-08:00

What went wrong?

This is my very first attempt at making flan. I definitely need some practice.

To answer the question of what went wrong... two things for sure...

1. I burnt the sugar..bad.

2. I turned it out of the dish to early. I should have waited and let it cool for at least five minutes.

However, all was not lost. The custard was actually pretty tasty and the consistency good.

I will try again tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Easy Pudding Cookies!

2009-12-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

These are my all time favorite cookies! They are also the cookies I made for the cookie swap. They are super easy, and they don't take a lot of ingredients. Plus, they are moist and sweet and oh so chocolaty.

I got the recipe from kraftfoods.com but here it is, just in case you want to make these yummy treats.

Pudding Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) Chocolate Instant Pudding
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
1 pkg. white chocolate chips

BEAT butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add dry pudding mix; beat until well blended. Add eggs and baking soda; mix well. Gradually add flour, beating after each addition until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

DROP dough 2 inches apart, onto un-greased baking sheets.

BAKE at 350°F for 10 to 12 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 min. on baking sheets; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

COOKIES!

2009-12-13T07:05:00.001-08:00

I hosted my first cookies and recipe swap this weekend. I had 18 guests. Each person made 9 dozen cookies. In all, we had over 2000 cookies! That's a lot of sugar!

pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

2009-11-30T17:24:00.001-08:00

I got this recipe from my friend Rachele. So yummy! Spice cake mix, 1 can of pumpkin and (mini) chocolate chips. I added 2 eggs to mine, because the batter was to thick. They were so yummy. Next time I will make regular size muffins instead of mini muffins.

Leftover turkey?

2009-11-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

Make turkey and dumplings!
Chop up some carrots, celery, and onions. (I had corn left over, so I added that too.) Toss in a pan with a little olive oil just until soft. Add shredded turkey. Then, add some poultry seasoning and if you have any leftover gravy, add that too. Add broth and cook until boiling. Once boiling, add dumplings to cook for about 20 min. I use bisquick to make my dumplings and the recipe is on the box. This is a favorite in my house.

You can also make this yummy soup with those rotisserie chickens you can get at the grocery store. Fast and easy, plus it's perfect comfort food as the weather gets cooler. Warms you right up.

Best Turkey Ever (part 1)

2009-11-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

The best turkey ever starts the day before. I make a brine for the turkey to soak in. I use the ingredients above plus 2 or 3 gallons of water to make the brine. Mixing until the salt and brown sugar are dissolved. I also like to squeeze the juice out of the orange pieces to add more flavor.

I don't have a bowl large enough to hold a turkey, so I bought a large plastic bin with a lid. It's the perfect size and still fits easily into my fridge.

Slowly, add the turkey to the brine.

Pushing it down, until the brine covers the bird completely.

Stick in the refrigerator until bake time. I like to brine mine for about 24 hours.

Scroll down to find out how to bake the best turkey ever. (In my opinion, of course)

Best Turkey Ever! (part 2)

2009-11-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

The next day, I drained the brine from the turkey.

Discarding all fruit and herbs. I then rinsed off the bird.

After rinsing the turkey, I stuffed it with fresh rosemary, thyme, sage...

apples, oranges, and onions...

The next thing I did is make a butter compote with butter and fresh (or dried) herbs. Once the butter and herbs were mixed together, I shoved it under the skin of the bird, on top of the breasts. Sorry, no picture of this.. Butter and camera do not get along very well.

Then, I added cut up apples, oranges, celery, onions and carrots to the bottom of the roaster.

I prefer to use my Rival roaster oven to my oven. It keeps all the heat right next to the bird and it keeps all the moisture in. No need for basting, and it is still super moist and fall off the bone tender.

This is what it looks like after cooking for four hours. It is so moist it is falling off the bones. I am telling you, this turkey is to die for! It is so good, I hardly ever have leftovers.

Yummy gifts

2009-11-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I went on a little scrapbooking retreat with a few girl friends. We had a blast! It was a such treat to get away from real life for two nights. I am very grateful I have such good friends.
Our wonderful hostess, Mary, made us feel very welcome in her home. She set us up a great work space and had some really fun scrapbooking door prizes. But, what I really want to talk about is the food! She made an amazing chicken dinner and a really tasty chicken and rice soup. Even her daughter, Holly, made us some homemade nachos one night. All of these meals were really good, but one of my favorite things was this adorable gift basket we received, full of yummy, take home treats. Each item is homemade and gift wrapped. Dill dip, cider simmer, hot chocolate, flavored coffees, and even potato soup. Mary was so sweet, she even made mini coffee recipe books. She really went above and beyond what we ever could have imagined. Thank you, Mary!

So close to the real thing

2009-11-04T18:45:00.001-08:00

Hubby brought this home from the store the other day. I

had been doing pretty well in avoiding it. But tonight, I just had to give it a taste...Oh My!! It is so close to real pumpkin pie, it's crazy!! You can smell the pumpkin pie spice when you open the lid up. Plus, it has little swirls of whipped cream and chunks of graham cracker crust through out. I was able to stop at a small bowl, but just barely. If you love pumpkin pie, then you have to give this a try.

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

Our Halloween pumpkins. I loved carving pumpkins this year. For one, I got to carve a white pumpkin. I've never had a white one before. I like it. Plus, Jason bought a pumpkin dremel tool. It made carving the pumpkin a breeze. I don't know how I ever carved a pumpkin with out it.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Pudding Cookies

2009-10-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

As we already know, I love pudding cookies. Here is my latest variation. Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk. They came out pretty good. So far, I haven't found a variation I don't like. If you want to try these cookies, try them soon. The pumpkin spice pudding is only available during the holiday season.

My goodwill find

2009-10-25T16:32:00.001-07:00

I love second hand stores because you never know what you will find. Sometime you score big, other times you bust, but either way the hunt is great fun. This particular time was kind of a bust...that is, until I found the cookbooks. I bought two new (to me) cookbooks, this is one of them.

I love rotisserie chicken! They are so versatile and they really help out in the kitchen. I love using them for soups. I make a pretty mean pot of chicken and dumplings using a store bought rotisserie chicken. This book was a great find for me, because I already know how great rotisserie chicken can be. Better yet, the book only cost me one dollar. It was originally priced at $14.95 and it's practically brand new. With as expensive as books can be, I say, check your nearest Goodwill. Make sure to go on Saturdays..everything is half price.

Bread Pudding

2009-10-22T12:44:00.001-07:00

Another recipe that has been around forever, Bread Pudding. I enjoy this old time favorite, but have never made it until now. Pretty easy recipe to follow, and it turned out great. So far, Jessica is the only one to try it besides me. She gobbled it right up, so I think she likes it.

Got the recipe out of my trusty, Better Homes cookbook. You know, only one of the most famous cookbooks out there. It's been around for years. My mother has one, and I'm pretty sure my grandmother has one too. I love this book. I used to flip though my mom's looking for ideas. I would try the recipes, sometimes the results good, other times, disastrous. But, more on that another time. Anyway, I love this book, mainly because it's a little nostalgic, but always informative.

A twist on my favorite cookie

2009-10-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

I love pudding cookies!! They are my all time favorite cookie. It is similar to a chocolate chip cookie, but has instant pudding added in. I have always made them with chocolate pudding and white chocolate chips. Very tasty!! But, you can change up the pudding and mix-ins. I like to add my own twist to things, so I decided to try a different pudding and chip combo. I went with banana pudding with peanut butter chips. I love this flavor combo, so it seemed so natural to try it in my favorite cookie. And guess what... it was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. The cookie is moist and soft, with a hint of banana and a sweet peanut buttery taste. I look forward to making these again. You can get the recipe for Easy Pudding Cookies on kraftfoods.com.

Jacob's Birthday Cake

2009-10-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

My sister made this cute car cake (say that three times fast) for my son's 6th birthday. She and my mother have been taking a cake decorating class for the last few weeks. They are both learning so much and doing so well. I know Jacob loved his car cake. Plus, it was a nice break for me, I didn't have to worry about the cake.

Not just for Thanksgiving

2009-10-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sweet potatoes... a favorite in my house. My kids love them, my husband loves them, and I love them. Canned or fresh, it doesn't matter. Tonight, we had fresh. I had intended on making twice baked sweet potatoes, but they fell apart when I started gutting them. So, I made a casserole instead. First, I baked them in the microwave. Then, I gutted them and mashed them with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Add a little marshmallow fluff to the top and stick in the boiler for a few minutes. Keep an eye on them, the marshmallow browns up pretty fast. I served this with grilled chicken and asparagus with melted cheese.

My Tasty Spot on the Web

2009-10-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

After driving everyone nuts with all my food talk, I thought it was time to start my own food blog. I love food, making it and eating it. I love to play with recipes and try new things. I am most happy in my kitchen or in my craft room. Since, I already have a craft blog, it seems only natural to start a food one. Plus, I hope this blog will help me stay creative in the kitchen.

Now, I'm no gourmet chef, so it will be more about my trials and triumphs as a home cook. The delectable to the disastrous, and everything in between. If it's my recipe, I'll share it, if it's not, I'll tell you where to find it.