"Put a Lyd on it!"

2012-01-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

Though eggs and I don't always get along, I find it hard to resist a hearty slice of quiche. I've got a few quiche recipes stashed away in here, but why not try a new one? I find I can usually count on Betty to deliver, and she definitely did on the filling part- delish, however I would not recommend this crust recipe. I have tried it before and it hasn't turned out well both times, so this time I finally got smart and left a note in the margin to leave this darn crust recipe alone. :) But forgive the crust and love the filling... like I did. Mmmmm.

Quiche Lorraine (Betty Crocker)

Pastry

cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/3

cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening

to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling

slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled (1/2 cup)

cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz)

1/3

cup finely chopped onion

large eggs

cups whipping cream or half-and-half

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

1/8

teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch quiche dish or glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in quiche dish. Unfold and ease into dish, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.
Carefully line pastry with a double thickness of foil, gently pressing foil to bottom and side of pastry. Let foil extend over edge to prevent excessive browning. Bake 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until pastry just begins to brown and has become set. If crust bubbles, gently push bubbles down with back of spoon.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion in pie crust. In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly; beat in remaining filling ingredients. Pour into quiche dish.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Potato Sausage Casserole

2012-01-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

I'm back after a bit of silence. Hope you had a nice holiday-- good luck beating my dream Disneyland vacation! Not to brag- but it was AWESOME! And hope you are ready for some yummy things to come this year. This certainly doesn't seem like the "light" way to kick off the new year, but lets just start with delicious and go from there, shall we? This was a delicious casserole that wasn't as time consuming as I thought it would be. This one is kind of a "Man Food" recipe. Doug loved it. :) Need I say more?

Potato Sausage Casserole (Taste of Home)

Ingredients

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups sliced peeled potatoes
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer
pink; drain and set aside. Combine the soup, milk, onion, salt and
pepper.
In a greased 2-qt. baking dish, layer half of the potatoes, soup
mixture and sausage. Repeat layers.
Cover and bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until potatoes are
tender. Sprinkle with cheese; bake, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or
until the cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley if desired. Yield:
6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 430 calories, 29 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 77 mg cholesterol, 1,130 mg sodium,

Italian Love Cake

2011-12-05T22:55:00.000-08:00

"All we need is love, love. Love is all you need." Couldn't we ALL use a little extra Love... Cake. :) I was looking for a yummy cake and this rich creamy, chocolaty cake was a big winner! *I have to say I was quite surprised because you pour the white ricotta mixture over the top of the chocolate cake mixture and you open the oven and it's gone. It just kind of gently sinks to the bottom. It's kind of magic. I felt like I was part of the magic somehow... maybe just because I got a nice big slice. Yep, that was it. :) Oh- and I baked it.

Italian Love Cake (allrecipes.com)

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
2 pints part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Pour batter into 9 x 13 x 2 inch greased baking dish. Set aside.
Combine ricotta cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Blend well. Spread mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 75 minutes if using a glass baking dish, 90 minutes if using a metal pan.
Blend pudding mix and milk until thickened. Blend in whipped topping. Spread over cooled cake.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-12-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

It can't truly be autumn without some stuffed squash, right?! This was a yummy quick recipe that turned out lovely. I even sped thing up a bit by microwaving the squash to soften it up a bit.

Stuffed Squash (Kathy's Pumpkin Patch)

1 medium acorn or 2 sweet dumpling squash
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ pound ground beef
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup milk
1 cup Stove Top Stuffing
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down in an 11 in. x 7 in. x 2 in. baking pan; add ½ inch hot water. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Drain water from pan; turn squash cut side up. Brush with butter; sprinkle with brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Bake 30-40 minutes longer or until squash is tender.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in flour and remaining salt. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in stuffing mix. Spoon into squash halves. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 2 servings if acorn (sweet dumpling squash will stuff 4)

Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes

2011-11-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a twice baked potato? It takes a little extra tender loving care and a lot of extra creamy stuff :) but in the end, it's all worth it, right?! This one pleased the whole family... and how could it not? We're kind of Idaho people.... it's in our blood. (But even for those of you not "Idaho born and bred", I think you'll love it. :)

Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes (allrecipes.com)
4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream (I did my plain yogurt substitution of 50/50 and it eased my concience. :)
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
Bake for another 15 minutes.

Crescent Cristo Sandwich Loaf

2011-11-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

This layered masterpiece is not only amazingly delicious, but it is packed with happy memories for me... every bite sends me into a fit of nostalgia. :)

When I was a young soon-to-be bride, and my soon-to-be hubby and I were needing some time together, my sweet new sister-in-law Chelsea offered to make us a picnic. I don't know why it just touches my heart to think of it even now- she spent all day putting together a special meal for us in the cute new picnic basket she had just received from her wedding and probably never used. She made us these heavenly sandwiches, and we could taste the love. :) I can remember how she carefully wrapped each one on foil so it would stay warm. It was one of our best dates and it made me love Chelsea- she has always been an amazing example of silent service and compassion. I think she gives up a lot for herself, and makes sure things are "just perfect" for others. She's just that kind of person- the kind that strengthens marriages. I'm lucky to have such a sweet sister!

Well, I couldn't help but think of her as I prepared these a few weeks ago for a little picnic date. Our schedules are busy, but we were able to meet for a picnic lunch on campus, and it was a fun walk down memory lane. BUT- my memories aside, you should try this one--delicious. The taste has stuck with me for over seven years and I finally just got around to recreating it. :) It's about time!!!

Crescent Cristo Sandwich Loaf (Pillsbury.com)

Loaf

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ flaky dough sheet

2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted

2 tablespoons honey

6 oz thinly sliced smoked cooked turkey breast

6 oz medium sliced muenster cheese

6 oz thinly sliced cooked ham

1/3 to 1/2 cup SMUCKER'S® Red Raspberry Preserves

Topping

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sesame seed

Heat oven to 375°F. Separate or cut dough into 4 long rectangles. Place rectangles crosswise on 1 large or 2 small ungreased cookie sheets (rectangles should not touch); if using crescent dough, firmly press perforations to seal. In small bowl, mix butter and 2 tablespoons honey. Brush over dough.

Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown; cool 15 minutes.

Grease 15x10x1-inch pan. Carefully place 1 crust on pan. Top evenly with turkey. Place second crust over turkey; top with cheese and ham. Place third crust over ham; spread evenly with preserves. Top with fourth crust; brush top with 2 tablespoons honey. Sprinkle honey with sesame seed.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown and loaf is hot. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 slices.

We Make A Good Pear...

2011-11-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

I guess I am too lazy to put up step by step instructions with picture tutorials; however, I'm not to lazy to put up the fruit. That's got to count for something, right? I bottled up 3 boxes of pears from the farmers market a couple weeks ago- a lot of peeling. Gave me some good time to ponder life's questions... in-between interruptions with little kiddos. Here is a link to the site I used. Happy canning!

Cornmeal-Wheat Pancakes

2011-11-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

I love pancakes! I never get tired of trying out a new recipe. I do get tired of mixing them up in the morning though. This took a little more work, but it was worth it. Made a great batch of pancakes with a nice texture from the cornmeal. I passed on the honeybutter for the homemade plum syrup I recently made. Delish! :)

Cornmeal-Wheat Pancakes (Taste of Home)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil

HONEY BUTTER:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the eggs, buttermilk and oil; add to dry ingredients just until moistened.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is golden brown.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, honey and cinnamon. Serve with pancakes. Yield: 12 pancakes (1/2 cup honey butter).

Baked Cinnamon Chips

2011-11-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Am I on a cinnamon kick or what? :) This is a good thing. I promise.

So every once in a while, I accidentally skip over a gem- thank goodness I occasionally go back through. "Eureka!" This is a yummy one that my little sis made this summer. Can you tell those are sweet garden fresh strawberries- so cruel to post that now... mouths watering until next spring! Please forgive. :) Anyway, she said they were pretty simple to make and I can attest to them being a fabulous treat! They didn't last long. Thanks Pete!

Bake Cinnamon Chips (Our Best Bites)

Flour Tortillas (I like the little 6″ ones)
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter. You could use cooking spray instead of butter, buy why would you ever want to do that? Life Lesson from Sara: If ever given a chance to choose between butter or cooking spray, butter wins. Always.

Then sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar. A little or a lot. Since we’re doing life lessons today, here’s another: If ever faced with the decision to go with a little sugar or a lot of sugar, a lot wins. Always.

Use a pizza cutter to cut those tortillas into wedges. Last life lesson of the day: If you don’t own a pizza cutter go buy one. You will use it for all sorts of things you never knew you needed a pizza cutter for.

Place them on an ungreased baking sheet (sugar side up, incase you are visually impared and can’t tell by the picture) and bake them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You’ll see them crisp up. Watch for the edges to turn up.

Remove from oven and let cool. I usually place them on a cooling rack so I can fill up the pan with more, but they can just cool on the pan as well.

Iced Cinnamon Chip Cookies

2011-10-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I wish you could come over to our house for some of my "Prize Winning Chili" and homemade donuts and rootbeer! But these yummy little cookies might make you feel better if you have other plans. :) They are good with or without the frosting. Happy Halloween!

Iced Cinnamon Chip Cookies (Taste of Home)

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (10 ounces) cinnamon baking chips (I actually used butterscotch chips and it was yummy.)
ICING:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup shortening
1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in cinnamon chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients; beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until fluffy. Spread over cooled cookies. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 158 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 148 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Chicken and Cheese Noodle Bake

2011-10-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have WISHED for a mini-freezer for years, and this last Christmas, I was finally "good enough" to get one from Santa... although it came a bit late- as in, by my birthday a few month later--Santa got some serious millage off of this one. BUT that is ok with me, because I have a cute little freezer! It is pretty small, but it works perfectly for out little family, and I have really enjoyed finding freezer meals that give me a break every now and then on a busy night. I think my favorite is still the mini-cheddar loaves just because you can heat them up so fast in the microwave, but this noodle bake made a nice big batch! I was able to freeze 2 medium round and 1 large aluminum casserole pans, in addition to the large casserole dish we enjoyed for dinner that night. (I think I doubled and already "double-batch". :) It was a lot, but so nice for a busy night or if I ever need to take a meal to someone. (Plus, relatively inexpensive--always a bonus. :)

Chicken and Cheese Noodle Bake (Simple and Delicious, Taste of Home)

1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti, broken
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cubed
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk

4 cups cubed cooked chicken (I did it crockpot style and put it in that morning.)
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute the onions and green and red peppers in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, soups, sour cream, celery salt and pepper.

Drain spaghetti; add to sauce mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to two greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 509 calories, 24 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 102 mg cholesterol, 691 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 29 g protein.

Apple Pie Crumble Bars

2011-10-22T12:03:00.001-07:00

I kind of did my own twist on this, and I was happy with the results. I have a yummy Taste of Home cookies recipe book, and I came across "Chocolate-Drizzled Cherry Bars" but for lack of cherry pie filling, we turned it into a fun harvest dessert and I used the pie filling that I put up last year. It was pretty delicious--a lot like a pit--and I liked the crumbles on top!

Apple Pie Crumble Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups butter, softened
1 jar/can of apple pie filling

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside 1-1/2 cups for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Carefully spread pie filling over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until edges and topping are lightly browned.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 3 dozen.

This is just to say... (Plum Syrup)

2011-10-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

This Is Just To Say
by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

I have always loved that poem. (My brothers even wrote a song about it.) So simple, and yet, I can just almost taste those delicious plums as I read it. Well- that was what I was thinking about as I made my delicious plums into plum syrup. I had a friend share two bags that were fast ripening. I didn't follow an exact recipe, but it was pretty simple and has been absolutely delightful on pancakes (heated up with just a little cornstarch). I've also used it occasionally to flavor smoothies- a little bit goes a long way.

You can find more specific instructions here, but here is the gist of what I did:

Homemade Plum Syrup

1. Rinse the plums and cut off any bad parts.

2. Have jars and lids sanitized and ready.

3. Put plums in a large pot at turn on medium heat.

4. I think I added about 3-4 cups of sugar my large pot.

5. Bring to a boil and stir frequently.

6. I used my immersion blender to blend it all up- peels and all, but you can blend it before heating in a regular blender.

7. There were still some peels that I strained out after heating.

8. Pour in jars, screw on lids, and water-bath (with water boiling) for about 15 minutes.

9. Pull jars out and let them fully seal and cool. (Listen for the pop, and clap when you hear it- that is literally what we do. :)

Now you have yummy plum syrup you can enjoy all year!!!

Puffed French Toast

2011-10-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

What I just made for breakfast should probably be considered illegal for two reasons. ONE: The process involves DEEP FRYING WHITE BREAD, and TWO: Because it is SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS! I don't know what possessed me. This was purely an act of rebellion, because my dear mother would NEVER approve. I don't even remember seeing a loaf of white french bread or wonder bread in our home growing up. SHAME ON ME... and yet... Mmmmm. Just for "special occasions" mind you. (Although I'm not sure what that was for us this morning beyond the out of this world breakfast item.)

Puffed French Toast (Our Best Bites)
print recipe text only

2 eggs
2 ½ Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. milk
1 c. flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
12 slices Texas style toast, cut in half diagonally

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat about 1/4″ of vegetable oil (not olive oil) over medium heat. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, flour, and baking powder. Test oil heat by flicking some water into the frying pan. If it pops, reduce the heat. If hardly anything happens, turn up the heat. If it sizzles, it’s just right.

Working quickly, take each 1/2 slice of bread and soak it both sides in the milk/egg/flour mixture. If you leave it in too long, it will get soggy, but you want to make sure enough of the egg mixture has soaked into the bread. Gently shake to remove excess batter and place in hot oil. Cook until puffed, golden brown, and a nice, crispy crust has formed on each side (probably 3-5 minutes per side; you really need to babysit them and make sure they’re cooking correctly) and then remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. While cooking remaining French toast, keep cooked pieces warm in an oven set to the lowest temperature it will go.

When ready to serve, roll each piece in cinnamon sugar.

If you’re feeling extra naughty, go ahead and drizzle a little maple syrup, buttermilk syrup, strawberry syrup or scoop some honey butter on there. You can email me later and tell me how bad you feel about yourself, but I guarantee that it’ll be worth it!

Golden and crispy on the outside with a sugary crunch, and heavenly soft in the middle.Slice the bread into strips for great french toast dippers. Kiddos love these- or talk about killer party food! You could pile them high on a platter and then serve next to ramekins filled with different dipping sauces. Ie: Maple syrup, Buttermilk Syrup, Strawberry Sauce, etc. (As you can see, all these babies needed for me were some cut up strawberries.)

"TLC" Teacher Gift Idea

2011-10-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

So, I'm feeling like Kashi should be paying me for advertising. :) I came across their "TLC" line and had a great idea for a little teacher gift for my daughter's teacher this year. I thought the cookies, crackers and granola bars would make good snacks for her. Then I found a metal waste basket at the dollar store to put them in. I also found a cute jar that was perfect for my "Happy Pill" idea. I think this would make a fun gift for a friend or anyone who is needing a little happiness and some tender loving care. :)

TLC Gift Basket:
Kashi "TLC" cookies, granola bars, and crackers
metal waste basket
tissue paper
personalized note and a cute ribbon to attach

Happy Pills
Lemon Heads
Cute Jar
Prescription Info Paper (*See picture)
Packing Tape

Fresh Mexican Corn Soup

2011-10-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

After seeing all that corn I froze, I felt like I needed to feature it in a dish, and this is the yummy recipe that I found. This was a fun soup, and a great way to use up some of my frozen corn. I thought it had a good flavor. I actually came across it first by watching her video- that is always my favorite, because they make it look so easy and do-able.

Fresh Mexican Corn Soup (Ingred Hoffmann, Foodnetwork)
4 ears fresh or 3 cups frozen, thawed corn kernels
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 slices thick cut bacon
1/2 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup queso fresco, fresh farmer's cheese, feta cheese, or sour cream, optional
Tortilla chips or fried tortilla strips, optional

If using fresh corn, scrape kernels from cobs using small sharp knife or spoon. Place half of the corn kernels in blender with tomatoes, 2 cups of broth, and oregano. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon, turning once until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside. Add onion to bacon fat in saucepan and cook, stirring frequently until onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and stir for another minute.
Add tomato-corn puree to saucepan with remaining 2 cups of broth. Bring to a low boil and add remaining whole corn kernels. Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and remove any foam as it develops with a large flat metal spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix in half of the parsley and cream, if desired, and heat through.To serve, garnished with crumbled bacon, remaining parsley, crumbled cheese and tortilla chips or strips.

Homemade Freezer Corn Instructions

2011-09-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

If you've got corn coming out of your "ear", and you're getting tired of this... (which takes a lot for me- one of my favorite things!)
You can always do this...

Here is a link to some great step-by-step instructions that I followed: http://www.pickyourown.org/freezingcorn.htm
(Don't forget the step of having your kids do the husking- that keeps my kids busy for a long time!)
Don't you love harvest time!!! Thank goodness for good neighbors who share produce with the less-fortunate apartment people. :) I'm looking forward to having a good garden someday!

Dukan Diet Oat Bran Pancakes

2011-09-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

My sweet momma introduced me to these yummy filling pancakes. They are hearty- they "stick to your ribs" so you're full all morning. They are also really easy to make- and quite scrumptious with a bit of cream, peaches, and a sprinkle of sugar. Sweet or savory, this is a good one.

Oat Bran Pancakes (from the Dukan Diet)

(*This recipemakes one large pancake.)
1 Egg

2 tablespoons Fromage Frais (Plain yogurt or low fat cream cheese works great.)

2 tablespoon Oat bran (I found a good deal on oat bran at our local COOP.)

1 tablespoon Wheat bran (I didn't have wheat bran, so I did another tablespoon of oat bran.)

1. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. If the mixture is too stiff, add a couple of teaspoons of skim milk.

2. Add a couple of drops of light oil to a frying pan. Wipe off the oil with a sheet of paper kitchen towel.

3. Spread the mixture in the pan.

4. Cook on a medium heat until the underside is golden and the upper side starts to dry.

5. Flip the pancake and cook the other side.

Frosted Banana Bars

2011-09-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

Remember that friendly little "cake" competition my hubby and I recently had. Well, this was the prize-winning recipe according to our kids, the judges... and myself. As good as my Buttermilk Pudding Cake was, I'll concede that it was pretty incredible, and he is so careful with measurements and following the recipe, that I'm sure it turned out much better then I could have made it. Well done, Doug! You've gotta try this one! Use us all those brown bananas... or just 2 medium ripe ones. :)

Frosted Banana Bars (Taste of Home)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened or cubed), softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-3/4 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in bananas.
Spread into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to achieve desired consistency. Frost bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3-4 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 148 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 96 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

A Cracker Stack Snack

2011-09-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this is nothing new, but this is one of our favorite snacks. I like to give my daughter the assignment of making them for us... and she happily obliges. :) This is a great one for kids... like the WAY overpriced Lunchables with a kick... and much more affordable... and healthy... and fresh... and less processed. I would know, because I just had one yesterday- I was in a hurry and snagged one for me and the kids to curb the hunger, and I just want to know why I BEGGED my mom for those when I was little. I wanted them SO BAD. Some seriously impressive advertising I guess. :)

A Cracker Stack Snack (By Lyd and Miss A.)
whole wheat crackers
garden vegetable cream cheese
cheese slices
lunch meat (pepper turkey in this case)
tomatoes
spinkle of basil

Spread, layer, and devour.

One-Pan Taco Beef and Noodle Skillet

2011-09-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

CONFESSION: I have always had a hard time making mac and cheese. No, I'm not saying health-wise, I'm saying process-wise. Embarassing, I know. I used to beg my room-mates to make it for me... they made fun of me... and well they should, I suppose. The bottom line is, I wasn't ever patient enough for the special step-by-step instructions, and I felt very strongly that it should be an easy, fast meal that should definitely only dirty one pot... which meant I strained it with a spoon. I lost alot of noodles that way. I also had some stubborn water that hung out in the bottom of the pot still. And why dirty the measuring cup- I can eye-ball 1/4 of a cup of milk pretty well. And what was the order? Butter, milk, noodles, packet? I don't know, and my noodles are already in there. Hmmmm... so I kind of threw it all together. Do you see where I'm going with this? You wouldn't think you could bots this, but I don't think I've ever made a proper batch. So here I am, to this day, doctoring it up... and dong a darn good job of it, I might add. This meal would have made my room-mates proud (as long as they just saw the end result :) I like how this one breaks away from the traditional instructions. That helped me for some reason. So for the mac fans who can or cannot make it... here is a happy compromise.

One-Pan Taco Beef and Noodle Skillet

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix

2 cups water

1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

1/3 cup Sour Cream

1 large tomato, chopped

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 cup tortilla chips, broken up

Make It

BROWN meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add seasoning mix, water and Macaroni; mix lightly. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 7 min. or until noodles are tender and liquid is almost completely absorbed.

STIR in sour cream and Cheese Sauce Mix until well blended.

TOP with tomatoes, lettuce and tortilla chips.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Healthy Living

Trim 40 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving by preparing with extra-lean ground beef, BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream and baked tortilla chips.

Special Extra

For spicier flavor, stir in desired amount of hot sauce or ground red pepper along with the sour cream and Cheese Sauce Mix.

Somber Thoughts on 9/11

2011-09-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

"True faith is trusting the sovereign God even when we don't understand."
-Hank Haanegraff

Just thinking about what happened ten years ago today. I remember sitting in art class during my senior year in high school and being stunned at the images and clips that kept replaying on the classroom TV. It was a sad day in our history, but I am grateful that through trials and devastating times, we can turn our hearts to our God, and that as we do, he always blesses us. I pray today that the Lord continue to bless and comfort those whose lives were changed and those who lost loved ones.

Buttermilk Pudding Cakes with Sugared Raspberries

2011-09-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

Doug and I had a little competition "of sorts". We each made a cake and the kids did the judging. This was my entry, and although Doug won (his amazing Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is coming soon) this was amazingly delicious. I would say that I at least provided very stiff competition. :) You have to include the raspberries! (I want to know who came up with the spelling on that word. They should be horse-whipped.) I found my recipe on mouthfromthesouth.com.

Buttermilk Pudding Cakes with Sugared Raspberries
Adapted from The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern Knockout Dishes with Down-home Flavor
Makes 8 cakes

Buttermilk Pudding Cakes:
3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Sugared Raspberries:
8 ounces (2 cups) raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
Whipped cream (optional)

1)Heat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack positioned in the upper third of the oven. If you don’t have a nonstick muffin pan, grease the cups with butter and dust with flour. Set pan aside.
2) Sift the flour with the baking powder into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they’re creamy and yellow. Then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, sugar and butter. Batter will look curdled – this is ok. Add the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is combined and smooth.
3) Divide the batter among 8 standard-size muffin-pan cups, filling them two-thirds full. Bake for 9 minutes (We needed to bake for 11.5 minutes). Check the cakes by inserting a knife between the rim of the cake and the muffin cup so you expose the side of the cake. If the side of the cake appears evenly browned, the cakes will hold together when inverted and are done baking. If not, bake for another minute and check again. Invert onto individual small plates.
4)While the cakes bake, place the raspberries in a bowl. Sprinkle them with the 1/4 cup sugar and gently toss them with your hands so that all the berries are lightly dusted in sugar.
5)Top each cake with whipped cream (if using) and berries. Serve.

Pesto and Cherry Tomato Pizza

2011-09-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

We have a garden! :) A very small garden. I think I might harvest 7 tomatoes from 3 plants in a styrofoam bin- my husband said it looks "ghetto", and I'm trying to do the math and figure out if that would pay for the soil, not to mention the plants... but hey- I did it. :) (My son made sure the lettuce and chard didn't survive by pulling them out by the roots early on.) However, I am totally amazed with the world of difference in flavor from a fresh tomato- that alone made the experience worth it. I just finished reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and I could really identify with her description of the tomato: "We can’t even wait for the right time to eat tomatoes, but instead consume tasteless ones all winter to satisfy a craving for everything now." I also love the way even just barely touching the vines give my hand the strong tomato smell. Oh- the good earth, even from my little apartment! Here is a yummy recipe for your fresh tomatoes. Pile them on! One of my favorite things on the planet. My mother-in-law appropriately calls them "bites of sunshine." (By the way- this is my favorite pizza dough recipe. I've tried MANY and this is the one I've had the most consistent success with.)

Vary the pizza topping by using cured meats such as salami or pepperoni. Or, substitute other quick-cooking, freshly cut vegetables, like bell peppers or mushrooms.

Pesto and Cherry Tomato Pizza (William-Sanoma)

1 Tbs. coarse cornmeal
1 yeast dough ball (see related recipe at left), at room temperature
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the yeast dough:

3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. (1 packet) instant yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. salt
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F)
2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for bowl

Make the dough
In a food processor, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt and pulse to blend. Add the warm water and the 2 Tbs. olive oil and pulse until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 to 2 minutes to form a smooth ball. In an oiled large bowl, place the dough, turn to coat it with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk and very spongy, about 1 1/2 hours.

Divide the dough
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, punch down and knead into a smooth cylinder. Divide into 2 equal pieces and knead again to form 2 smooth balls, dusting with flour if needed. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Store 1 ball for future use (see note above).

Shape the dough
Sprinkle the cornmeal evenly over an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Place the dough on the prepared pan. Very firmly press down on the center and, working from the center outward, push and stretch the dough to the edges of the pan to achieve an even thickness. (If the dough is difficult to handle, set it aside, covered, for 10 minutes.) Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for at least 15 minutes.

Assemble and bake the pizza
Place a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 450°F.

Spread the dough evenly with the pesto, leaving a 1/4-inch border uncovered. Arrange the mozzarella and tomatoes evenly over the pesto. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 15 to 18 minutes.

Cut the pizza into serving pieces and serve warm. Makes about 8 pieces.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Small Plates, by Brigit L. Binns (Oxmoor House, 2007).

Simple Fruit Toss

2011-09-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

"Ripe strawberries, Ripe..." Who will buy this wonderful morning? (from the musical: Oliver) Wonderful because Doug cut up this fresh fruit for us. Mmmm! A fresh and simple snack.

Simple Fruit Toss (Doug Stew)
grapes
sliced strawberries
sliced peaches
sprinkle with sugar and toss/stir together
Serve cold.
(Any fruit combo will do.)

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

2011-09-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a little bit of heaven in a loaf pan!!! The glaze is literally "the icing on the cake" knocking an already delicious loaf up a notch and out of the park. My friend Erin brought this by and I pretty much thought I had died and gone to cinnamon heaven! SO GOOD!

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread (Taste of Home)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
GLAZE:
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons milk

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk, egg and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and remaining sugar.
Grease the bottom only of a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Pour half of the batter into pan; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Carefully spread with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.
Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency; drizzle over loaf. Yield: 1 loaf.

Applesauce Cake

2011-08-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

I put up applesauce last year and after serving some up for breakfast, I had just enough left in the jar that was screaming to be turned into a delicious spice cake, so I caved. :) I can always count on Betty Crocker for a good recipe; however, I did leave out the raisins and nuts, because… well… sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don’t. I remember as a kid just begging mom to leave that stuff out. In my mind, she had just destroyed a perfectly good dessert. Now-a-days, I’m the one throwing them in… but every once-in-a-while, those childhood taste buds revisit, and I humor them.

Applesauce Cake (Betty Crocker)

Into a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add raisins, chopped walnuts, melted butter, and applesauce. Beat until well blended. Pour batter into greased and floured 9-inch square pan or 11 3/4 x 7 1/2 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool and spread with cream cheese or butter frosting. If desired, decorate applesauce cake with grated orange peel and walnut halves, or top with cream cheese frosting.
Number of Servings: 20

Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe

2011-08-26T16:38:00.001-07:00

First of all… I just have to say THANK YOU to my cute little brother and sis-in-law. They got me one of these for my birthday in the spring… (It just came about a month ago. There were complications with delivery. :)

Jealous? You should be. Aren’t they good to me!!! It has been so fun to experiment with and it’s just so nice to have light is my light-lacking apartment. THANK YOU!!!

Second of all… this is a really yummy version of fried rice. A real twist. Shrimp is growing on me. My friend shared a bag with me as they were cleaning out and moving, so it has been fun to experiment. Texture is a big thing for Doug and he wasn’t quite ready for the peanuts and pineapples, and though he knows better then to tell me so , I could tell it wasn’t his favorite. I however, really liked it. So you just never know until you try it out, I guess. :) (I also threw some ham and tomatoes in there.)

Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe (Taste of Home)

2 eggs
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cooked instant brown rice
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add eggs; cook and stir until set; remove from the skillet and keep warm.
In the same skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice pineapple, shrimp, cashews, peas and green onions; heat through. Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, sesame oil and pepper; stir into rice mixture. Stir in eggs. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups equals 342 calories, 10 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 128 mg cholesterol, 521 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 16 g protein.

Beef Stroganoff

2011-08-21T16:24:00.001-07:00

This is a favorite at our house (particularly with my hubby), so to find a recipe (on the back of a plain yogurt container) that still gives you the rich flavor, but spares you the fat and calories made me a happy cook! Yogurt stands in for the sour cream.
You won’t even miss it.

*Lyd’s Tip: This is a great way to use up left over beef or pork from that Sunday roast or slow cooked shredded meat – I even like to save some of the drippings because it adds so much flavor (there went all the calories I just saved... but it was worth it, right? Don’t worry that it has a different flavor profile. For example, sometimes I use the shredded pork from my South Carolina Pork Sliders, and I use the drippings. It create a whole knew version of flavorful stroganoff that you just couldn’t achieve any other way. :) You can kind of substitute that for the beef stock, too.

Beef Stroganoff (mountainhighyogurt.com)

1½ pounds beef tenderloin,
cut into thin strips (Time to repurpose that roast I was talking about.)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cooking oil
3 tablespoons grated onion
1½ cups beef stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste (How strange is that? I know, and who has 3 tablespoons handy—I hate opening a can for that, but it did give it a cool flavor. Don’t panic if you don’t have it though.)
½ teaspoon chopped fresh basil
¼ cup sherry (I don’t use alcohol, so this is when I either throw in apple juice or those roast drippings I was talking about in Lyd’s Tips.)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I don’t always have fresh mushrooms—my daughters would like it if I didn’t have any, but I drain a can and it works pretty well.)
1 cup Plain Mountain High Yoghurt
2 cups cooked rice or noodles
I sprinkle with Parmesan.

Season beef with salt and pepper to taste, then dust with the flour, tossing until all surfaces are coated.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil, then add beef and onions. Cook until beef is browned but still pink on the inside, about 6 minutes.

Add beef stock, tomato paste, basil, sherry, and mushrooms. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in yoghurt, and serve over rice or noodles.

Makes 6 servings.

Scandinavian Almond Cake

2011-08-19T08:06:00.001-07:00

My sweet neighbor, Melissa, brightened my day by sharing this yummy treat with us- it was gone in seconds. I was excited to find a new home for the almond extract that is collecting dust on my cupboard shelf. I think this one has a nice balance of sweetness and it was really good with strawberries on top!

Scandinavian Almond Cake (lefsetime.com)

1 1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2/3 c milk
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick melted butter

Beat together sugar, egg, extract and milk. Stir in flour and baking powder. Then add butter. Mix well. Spray cake pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle slivered almonds into bottom of pan if desired. Pour into a greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or till edges are golden brown. Cool cake in pan completely before removing. To remove place inverted Almond Cake Plate to top of cake pan and then flip. Dust with confectionary sugar if desired. Due to the ridges in cake pan, slicing is a 'piece of cake'.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

2011-08-11T22:32:00.001-07:00

I just counted up over 20 posts that I need to catch up on! I have gotten so behind! A new little baby can just throw off all sense of time! July? Where… when? I don’t remember a July this year!!! ANYWAY, speaking of babies… this was a meal that my sweet friend Rebecca brought me while I was out of commission and we all enjoyed it so much that I had to get the recipe. Makes a great freezer meal!

Chicken Broccoli Casserole (Rebecca Alldredge)

1 pkg frozen broccoli spears
4-5 chicken breast cut up
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
2/3 cup Milk
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup Mayo or salad dressing
1/4 tsp curry powder
3 cups of Cooked rice (leftover, fresh or instant)

Mix ingredients together, sprinkle with cheese, salt (to taste) and paprika. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with breadsticks or nice green salad. Enjoy!

Tip: you can cook it with the chicken raw or cooked, if chicken is raw cook the full 30 minutes; if not raw then cook til heated through and cheese has melted.

Pasta, Edamame, and Bacon

2011-07-15T21:29:00.001-07:00

Took a little break there- we were on the road stranded with car trouble… well not the whole time, of course, but long enough! We actually had a really nice visit with family, just tough to look past a two day ride home where we replaced two tires and a couple hours down the road, our transmission went out. But on a happier note… I made this yummy pasta. :) (Here is a link to the video- you just basically toss soy beans in with cooked pasta and bacon and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top.) By the way- isn’t that cellantani pasta cool? It just looks like a party!

Lyd’s Tip: This is one of Sandra Lee’s Round Two Recipes, but if you didn’t make the first round, it worked well to crisp up the bacon (cut into thin pieces) and then saute the onions and edamame in the bacon fat. It gives it a good flavor and skips a couple steps.

Round 2 Recipe: Edamame (Soy Bean) with Pasta (R2R from Sandra Lee)

1/2 pound bow tie pasta
4 slices bacon, diced
1 cup leftover Sauteed Edamame
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, optional

Click here to see how she does it.

Cook pasta according to box instructions.

While pasta is cooking saute bacon in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until bacon is brown and crispy. Pour off half the excess bacon fat from the pan. Add the leftover soybeans and saute for 2 minutes. Add cooked pasta, season with salt and pepper and stir so that the pasta is thoroughly coated with the bacon fat. Transfer to serving bowl and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Sauteed Edamame:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, to taste and saute for 2 minutes. Add edamame and saute for 4 minutes until edamame are heated through and onions are tender. (Reserve leftover Sauteed Edamame for online Round 2 Recipe "Bowtie Pasta with Edamame.)

Use the leftovers from this recipe to make Edamame with Pasta.

Pork Nachos

2011-06-30T22:30:00.001-07:00

I love slow cooked pork. It just make the whole house smell so yummy… like I have a plan for dinner. (Here are links to my favorites: Café Rio Pulled Pork and South Carolina BBQ Pork Sliders.) But sometimes, I pull them out, and have no idea what else to do with all that pulled pork. I stumbled across this video clip in my hunt, and I liked it, because it was something totally different. It tasted great too. You can follow the link for the salsa recipe, but I just mixed my own.

Pork Nachos (Sandra Lee’s Round 2 Recipes)

2 cups baked corn chips
1 cup leftover slow-cooked orange pulled pork
1 cup leftover corn and black bean salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream, optional

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

In an oven-proof baking dish add half of the corn chips in a single layer. Cover with half the pork, half the salsa, and then half the cheese. Continue layering with remaining ingredients ending with the cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly browned. Top with sour cream, if desired, and serve hot.

Click here to see how it's done.

Butterscotch Chip Bars

2011-06-26T15:51:00.001-07:00

This is such a fast and easy dessert- great one to make when you are in a hurry. And who, I would like to know, doesn’t love butterscotch chips. They never last long at my house, which is the only reason I wouldn’t make these. :)

Butterscotch Chip Bars (From 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix)

1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil. Stir in butterscotch chips until stiff. Press dough into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake 13-16 minutes.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

2011-06-21T19:22:00.001-07:00

Blueberries and sour cream were just meant to be best friends, I’ve decided. They just go so well together! I made some Sour Cream-Blueberry Bread a while back, and I thought it was such a happy mixture… and here they are again, like old friends, only much easier to make in a quick pancake. Blueberry pancakes are my favorite and my best! Hope you ENJOY! (P.S. I didn’t make the sauce for this one- I usually make a yummy sauce, but as you can see, I literally couldn’t wait to tare into this bad boys, and they stood on their own two feet without the sauce.)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes (Taste of Home)

For the Sauce:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

PANCAKES:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Add blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
For pancakes, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the eggs, milk, sour cream and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with blueberry topping. Yield: about 20 pancakes (3-1/2 cups topping).

Editor's Note: If using frozen blueberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.

Nutrition Facts: 2 pancakes with 1/3 cup topping equals 332 calories, 13 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 79 mg cholesterol, 387 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Vanilla Pound Cake

2011-06-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

This seems like such an incredibly appropriate post for today. My girls watched a “Strawberry Shortcake” episode earlier, and the theme song has been in my head every since, “…That girls so sweet, just like her name…” After watching it with them, (Yes… I watched it with them, thanks to my nursing child, I’m a bit hard up for quality entertainment around here. :) I came to the conclusion that she is a little TOO sweet- unrealistically so. You like a good, positive main character, but she was over-the-top unrealistic optimistic. I guess it is at least wholesome, right? They could be watching worse things, surely. Anyway, regardless of the cheesy cartoon, this is one SWEET dessert. Hard to beat an easy-to-make pound cake topped with yummy strawberry sauce!

Vanilla Pound Cake (marthastewart.com)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix).
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely.

Spicy Butterscotch Pudding

2011-06-07T14:00:00.001-07:00

I’m just a puddin’ kind of gal. I dare say it is one of my absolute favorite desserts- I love soft mushy puddingy custardy things… I think it stems back to my childhood days when I would steal my little sisters banana strawberry baby food (which I still think is divine, and which I now steal from my own kiddos… but I assure you that that wasn’t my only reason for having another one. :) AND might I add that this is my new favorite pudding. Heavenly! I’m not big on “spicy” but just that slight hint of cayenne is kind of fun… but you can always leave it out, too. Just SOOO good and really easy to make! This one beats that box mix any day!

Spicy Butterscotch Pudding (Melissa d’Arabian from Foodnetwork.com)

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 pinch salt
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 dash cayenne pepper

Whisk together the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a saucepan until smooth. Add the milk and half-and-half and stir to combine. Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium heat whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla, butter cinnamon and cayenne. Pour the pudding into 4 small serving bowls and chill for 1 hour before serving.

A Prize Winning Recipe...

2011-06-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a little something I've been cooking up for the last nine months. He was slightly over-done (arriving a week late) but his deliciously kissable pink cheeks and all that rich dark hair have convinced me that this one is a winner for sure! :) Definitely "Lyd's Favorite"!

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2011-06-02T19:24:00.001-07:00

Here is a fun way to switch up a typical sandwich. I like Ellie’s recipes, because they are pretty fresh and easy, and they seem to be just a bit healthier than usual. This didn’t pack of ton of flavor- I had to add a bit of salt, but it was still pretty good.

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (Ellie Kriegor from Foodnetwork.com)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls
6 large green lettuce leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Split rolls. Place a leaf of lettuce on each roll, then pile on 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto the roll.

Per Serving:

Calories 440; Total Fat 12 g; (Sat Fat 2.5 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 3.5 g) ; Protein 36 g; Carb 47 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 400 mg

Easy Traditional Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe

2011-05-25T09:51:00.001-07:00

We had a really fun Relief Society activity where my friend Michelle, a native of the Caribbean, shared a few recipes with us. She adds her own twist of spices to this dish, but this is the basic recipe she used. We also had some delicious “rice and peas” on the side. It was all so yummy! I can’t handle too much heat, but she made a mild version, and it was perfect. Just a mouth-watering mixture of flavor! So fun to add some culture to the mix! Thanks for sharing Michelle!

Homemade Jamaican Jerk Chicken (Suite101.com)

1 whole chicken, sectioned and with each piece containing a few ½ inch deep slashes
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 seeded and finely chopped habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper for a very hot flavor or a jalapeno pepper for a milder spice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Cooking Directions for Jerk Chicken

Combine all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a food processor and blend into a smooth puree to form the jerk marinade.
Place the sectioned chicken in a large bowl and cover each piece completely with the marinade.
Cover the chicken and marinate for at least six hours. Leave overnight for best results.
When the chicken is fully marinated, remove it and grill it over a hot grill until the chicken is fully cooked.

If one does not have a grill, the chicken can also be baked in a 425° oven until it is fully cooked. (Michelle bakes hers in the oven in a casserole dish.)

For the perfect meal, pair this jerk chicken with a cold, crunchy coleslaw or salad and Jamaican rice. Make sure to have plenty of cold drinks on hand as this recipe is spicy. For a less spicy version, leave the hot pepper out all together. This marinade can also be used with pork if desired.

$250 Cookie

2011-05-22T21:51:00.001-07:00

I know what you are thinking… “Seriously, another chocolate chip cookie recipe?” Can you ever have to many, really? They just all turn out so different and so good! :) I feel like Debra’s got cookies down! (Remember those Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies?) Well, this one is worth at least $250! :) Thanks for sharing Debra… especially in the middle of a move… bonus points for you!

$250 Cookie

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
1-8 o.z. Hershey Bar (grated)
2 cups sugar
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice/optional)
4 eggs
5 cups blended oatmeal **
2 tsp. Baking powder
24 oz. chocolate chips
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups brown sugar

**Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies. (Recipe may be halved)
Note: May bake in a convection oven for 11 minutes at 350 degrees. Also if you take your butter and eggs out a few hours before you plan to make the cookies and allow them to warm to room temperature, your cookie will turn out better! I don’t use nuts. These cookies freeze really well, and defrost within a couple of hours. Freezing them is a way to keep them fresh and enjoy them longer!!

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts

2011-05-19T21:14:00.001-07:00

Muffins or Donuts for breakfast? Hmmm… why not indulge in both fairly unhealthy competitors? (I’m sure you would have the full support of your local law enforcement. :) I came across this recipe on goodlifeeat.com and seeing as how I am a pretty big muffin fan, this one was just screaming at me to give it a try. We are not going for healthy here… just absolutely delicious! :) I loved the dense consistency and the cinnamon and sugar coating. It really did remind me of an old fashioned donut or a yummy coffee cake. This made a very tasty addition to the muffin collection! A must try!

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts
from lemanda on Tasty Kitchen

for the muffins:

1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/3 cup Oil
3/4 cup White Sugar
1 whole Egg
3/4 cup Milk

for the topping:

1/4 cup Butter
1/3 cup White Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Grease one standard size muffin pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine. Fill standard sized muffin tin with the batter, using a scant 1/4 cup per muffin (I like to use my Pampered Chef Large Cookie Scoop – perfect size & easy!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a bowl. Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl. Shake muffins out while still hot. Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool.

Makes 1 dozen. You might want to double the recipe. (I think I filled my muffin tins really full, because I was short 4 muffins from a two dozen after doubling the recipe… and I felt pretty ripped off. :)

Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans

2011-05-15T07:55:00.001-07:00

It’s always good to have a winning side dish… it just seems like I neglect that part of the meal, but I find it’s really worth it when I take the time. It makes me so impressed with my Grandparents generation—they always seemed to have an impressive “proper” spread complete with several side dishes, fruit, and followed up with dessert. I just feel lucky most days to throw together a casserole or something of that nature, and if it has some sort of veggie in it, I feel like “I’ve arrived.” :) Way to go Grandma! These string beans were really god- I love almonds in them! I’ve made a similar recipe before, but I really liked the addition of ginger- added a whole new dimension.

Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans (foodnetwork.com)

Salt
1 pound string beans, trimmed
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt
4 to 5 cloves garlic, smashed
1-inch piece ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (I'm a wimp and didn't include this.)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for just 1 to 2 minutes, until the beans turn bright green. Strain them and run under cold water to stop them from cooking.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast them until golden brown, about 4 minutes, shaking the pan often to avoid burning the almonds. Remove the toasted almonds from the pan.

Return the skillet to the burner and increase the heat to medium-high. Heat the olive oil in the pan and add a few pinches of salt, the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Cook just until the garlic starts to brown. Add the vinegar and let cook down for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and toss in the beans to coat them thoroughly and evenly with the dressing.

Serve on a platter and scatter the top with the toasted almonds.

Scones

2011-05-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

Scones, Fried Dough, Indian Bread, Whale’s Tails, Tiger Ear’s, Pizza Frita, Frying Saucers, Elephant Ears… I’ve even heard them call “Nessy’s Ears” at our local Renaissance Festival. (Which, consequently, got me pining for these greasy, yet delicious morsels.) Growing up, I used to help out in our ward food booth to earn money for the scouting program. I have memories of stretching many a dough ball to make many a scone. We had the best honey butter to go with it. (Talk about asking for a heart attack. :) At least you would die happy, right?) Doug made some this time, and it was pretty good. At the festival, they had theirs dipped in cinnamon and sugar, and they looked so good.

This isn’t even like a real recipe- I guess I just wanted to get the idea out there. I didn’t even make my own rolls! I was lazy and bought a package of Rhodes rolls… but they work great. Let them thaw and slowly stretch them out, then I just deep fried them in some canola oil. I couldn’t get them to stretch really well- I can usually get them really thin and make huge ones, thanks to all my former “practice”, but I think I’ve lost my touch. :) Still a fun “once in a while” treat. The kids loved it!

Mexican Wedding Cookies

2011-05-09T14:06:00.001-07:00

I’m just a bit behind on my “Cinco de Mayo” post. I am certainly not of “Mexican” origin, but growing up, we used to beg my mom to make us these cookies, so you could just about consider me a "danged native". They are one of my favorites. They are kind of a shortbread cookie… with lots of butter as you can probably see… chalk it up as another reason I'm quite partial. :) My husband said he was surprised at how good they were, because he was just expecting little “dough balls”. My daughter did the powdered sugar dipping, so they weren’t “perfect” but I thought they tasted great, and I was happy to find a quick recipe that worked well and brought back lots of happy memories!

Mexican Wedding Cookies (kraftrecipes.com)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Beat butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and pecans, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.

SHAPE dough into 1-inch balls. Place, 1-1/2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 14 to 15 min. or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Cool 5 min. on baking sheets. Roll warm cookies in remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar until evenly coated; place on wire racks. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Make it Easy: Use a blender or food processor to finely chop the pecans. Just be careful not to overprocess them or you'll end up with nut butter!

MaryJane’s Farm

2011-05-03T21:46:00.001-07:00

My daughter’s class recently went on a field trip to MaryJane’s Farm. She is kind of a “local celebrity” and it was fun to see her lovely farm and where all the “magic” happens for her magazines. It was fun to meet her. She is like a lovely, down-to-earth, country version of Martha Stewart. She even came out with her pet chicken named Ginger. (The kids were thrilled! :) One of the reasons I wanted to post this, was because she has a pretty cool line of MaryJane organic foods. I’m not totally immersed in the whole “organic” thing, but I think there is some neat stuff in there and a few fun recipes you might want to check out. It was a neat trip for me. I’m enjoying some of her magazines- she has a really fun old fashioned, Country Girl style that is refreshing after so much of the trendy, new-age stuff that gets thrown at us.

Banana-Berry Brownie Pizza

2011-05-01T21:26:00.001-07:00

I brought the dessert to “The Easter Feast”, and this is what I decided to make. My mother-in-law knows how much I love cooking, and for my birthday, she gave me this AWESOME Taste of Home Most Requested Recipes cookbook that I have just LOVE! It has so many practical, but absolutely mouth-watering recipes in there that I can’t wait to try. This was one that I found, and it ended up being a big hit! They had it in a pizza pan, but I decided to do it in a 9x13 casserole dish. Anyway- this is a yummy one. Bananas and strawberries are just a good match, but then you throw chocolate in there and life is beautiful!

Banana-Berry Brownie Pizza (Taste of Home)

1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch size)
1/3 cup boiling water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
TOPPING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 to 2 medium firm bananas, sliced
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted (I'm a slacker, and I just drizzled chocolate syrup over the top.)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, oil and egg until well blended. Spread into a greased and floured 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread over brownie crust. Bake 15 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool on a wire rack.
Just before serving, arrange strawberries and bananas over topping; drizzle with chocolate. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Dairy-Free Chip Cookies and The Beginning of a New Adventure…

2011-04-29T12:45:00.001-07:00

Dairy Free? Can in really be done? I mean… can it REALLY be done with someone like me? A month or two ago, I would have told you ABSOLUTELY NOT, but I have found a few gems a long the way that have really helped out. Rice Milk is one of them!

Alternative milks I like (in this order):

Flax Milk is my favorite, but it is newer and hard to find. It tastes really good- vanilla flavored… Mmmmm! And it has that Omega 3 that is really good for you. They enrich these milks, so they have just as much calcium as a glass of cow’s milk- which I think is pretty cool.
I also really like Rice Milk- the flavor isn’t too strong, but it does taste like rice. My husband didn’t like any of them until he tasted this, but he love rice, so there you have it.
I also like Coconut Milk- it was so good in cereal!

However, I’m not as big a fan of Almond or Soy Milk- which are much easier to find. I just didn’t care for the flavor as much, but that is just my two bits on the subject. Why Dairy Free?, you may be asking. My husband and daughter have had a couple health issues, and we’ve found out they might have a food allergy/irritation to dairy, so I’ve just been trying to cook most of our meals without. I have been surprised at the difference- we have all felt better. My husbands stomach pains have decreased and my daughters issues are almost gone! It is hard, I still haven’t completely gotten rid of the cheese and yogurt- those have been the hardest, but we’ve found that the low fat kinds seem to cause the worst reactions.

ANYWAY- enough about all that- I did try out these cookies I found on the side of the Rice Dream carton. They were pretty good. I like the maple syrup flavor in them—although I don’t know how “healthy” that was with all the high fructose corn syrup… oh well, I guess you win some and you loose some. :) It reminds me a little bit of the guy I saw using one of those aluminum water containers to “help the environment” and I watched him open a plastic water bottle, pour it in, and toss it…Hmmmm…I guess you just do the best you can and just hope to yourself you are making a difference. Maybe you just feel a little less guilty anyway. :)

Huey's Chip Cookies (Rice Dream)

Makes 12 large cookies or 3 dozen small cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup carob or chocolate chips (I used mini dark chocolate chips.)
1/2 cup Rice Dream Classic Original or Vanilla
1/2 cup canola oil
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Drop by scoop or spoon onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake 10 - 20 minutes (depending on size) until edges begin to brown.

Blueberry Muffins with Crumble Topping

2011-04-26T21:36:00.001-07:00

Yes… you are absolutely right, I will admit that I make a lot of muffins. I can’t help it. I just REALLY like muffins. They always sound good and almost always taste good… especially blueberry muffins… ESPECIALLY THESE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS! Mmmmm. So good. I promise! I have made so many different recipes for blueberry muffins—Emily’s To Die for Blueberry Muffins (from whence came the crumble topping for these, and which I embarrassingly posted twice, I just found out), The Best Blueberry Muffins I Ever Made, Sour Cream Blueberry Bread, Bacon Blueberry Scones, and Good Morning Blueberry Bran Muffins. Can you tell I really like blueberries—and really super-duper like blueberry muffins? :) The first two recipes are my favorites, but I think this one takes the cake…or the muffin in this case, or at least ties with the other two, especially with the addition of crumble topping. A wondrous way to start the day!

Blueberry Muffins (Susanna Tee, 1 Mix, 100 Muffins)

2 cups all-purpose flour (I did half wheat, half white- seems to be a good balance, a little more substance, but not too heavy.)
1 T baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
scant 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
2 eggs
1 cup milk
6 T oil
1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 lemon (I cannot emphasize enough what a difference this little secret weapon makes! Totally transforms a typical blueberry muffin- don’t leave it out, and if you don’t have lemon, use orange, maybe even lime… it just needs that citrus kick.)

Preheat oven to 400 and grease or line 12 muffin cups. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and blueberries.

Lightly beat the eggs in separate bowl, then beat in the milk, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined- do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups. (Sprinkle on your crumble topping now before baking, if you are adding that.) Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Crumble Topping: (Pretty easy to mix together, and worth the extra 5 minutes!)

Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Lion House Porcupine Meatballs

2011-04-21T23:12:00.001-07:00

I just haven’t had quite the same motivation in the kitchen with this baby taking away some of my appetite and desire to cook (not to mention the heartburn :), so it is a good thing I have sweet friends with good recipes! I mentioned my dilemma to my friend Jackie, and she e-mailed me this yummy recipe. She was saying she likes this one because after you prepare, you just let it simmer for an hour and you don’t have to worry about it so much. I tired it out and really liked it. I have to admit I was nervous that it might just taste like tomato soup, but was surprised at the yummy unique flavor. My husband did the stirring because I had to leave for a bit, and not that I’m complaining, but they didn’t quite look as much like meatballs afterwards :) but they still tasted great and they weren’t burned, so thanks hubby. And thanks Jackie for motivating me to get dinner on the table. :) Keep ‘em comin’ friends!

Lion House Porcupine Meatballs
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/3 c uncooked rice
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c water
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 can tomato soup (condensed)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 c water

*Combing beef, rice, onion, 1/4 cup water, salt, and pepper. Shape into one inch balls. Set aside. Blend soup and chili powder. Stir in 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add meatballs. Cover and simmer gently for one hour. Stir occasionally. Makes about 6 servings.

Quick and Easy Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting PLUS a Self-Rising Flour Recipe

2011-04-18T22:57:00.001-07:00

I’m coming out of “birthday central” at our house. We have three right in a row (soon to be almost four, because I’m due with another little one in a month), and my daughter was the only one who actually ended up with a “cake”. I made little girly cupcakes for her party. She requested “Pink Lola Frosting” (Charlie and Lola is one of our all-time favorites, so here is a link to a cute Charlie and Lola birthday episode that I highly recommend watching—I dare say I enjoy them just as much, if not more then my kiddos… just a little confession. :) I got this great Mom and Me Cookbook a while back for kids. It is so cute and simple and kids have fun helping because it is so visual. I had to have something to put that “Pink Frosting” on, and this ended up being just as “Quick and Easy” as it boasts to be. :) Better than a cake mix and dare I say, just about as easy. I added just a bit of lemon juice to have it go with the Lemon Frosting I made. Ended up being a tasty little Spring-Time Birthday Cupcake! Wish you could have made it to the party. :)

Lyd’s Tip: It’s easy to make something look fancier with a slice of fruit. Just kind of dresses things up and makes it look special. I would recommend waiting until you are ready to serve though if you are doing a wet fruit like a strawberry- it got a little soggy and wet on the frosting. I also thought the sprinkles would be fun, but by the time I served them, they had bled onto the strawberry and it didn’t look quite so “pretty” but the kids didn’t seem to mind. :)

Quick and Easy Cupcakes (Annabel Karmel, Mom and Me Cookbook)

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup self-rising flour (Don’t panic- it’s ok if you don’t have it, just scroll down and I’ve included an easy recipe for self-rising flour.)

Preheat oven to 350. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat together until the mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in color.

Line a muffin pan with muffin papers and half-fill each paper with the cupcake batter.

Bake the cakes. You can tell they are done when they have risen up, are golden in color, and spring back into shape when pressed.

Lemon Frosting

(I came across this recipe last summer when I made Lime cupcakes for my sister’s birthday and it is totally my favorite frosting recipe! (As you can see, I subbed Lime for Lemon this time.) It is the first time you actually REALLY want to eat the frosting right off the top- so yummy. Be warned though, it makes a huge batch- I made 24 cupcakes, and I still had almost half a bag left… which isn’t really a problem. :) I made a very creative, yummy fruit dip with it by adding a bit of cream cheese and yogurt, but I think it is best in frosting form.)

3/4 - cup Butter, softened
6 - cups powdered sugar
1/8 - teaspoon salt
1 - Tablespoon half and half or milk
1 - teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon freshly grated lime peel (I zested 2 times) (I used Lemon zest.)
2 Tablespoons lime juice (the juice of 2 limes) (I used Lemon juice.)
2 - Tablespoons light corn syrup

In a large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter at medium speed until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt alternately with half & half and 1 teaspoon vanilla, lime peel and juice, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Stir in corn syrup.

Frost cupcakes. (I scooped all my frosting into a zip-lock bag, got air out and sealed tightly. Then I cut about 1/4 inch off the end and piped icing out in a circle starting on the outside of the cupcake and moving into the center. I garnished with a strawberry slice.

Self Rising Flour (about.com)

For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Mix to combine.

Healthy Oat & Prune Muffins

2011-04-16T13:59:00.001-07:00

Hey- it’s Muffin Monday… or wait, Saturday. :) You won’t feel one bit of guilt eating these healthy muffins. They were surprisingly tasty too! The prunes are actually pretty good in them- they add some moisture. They mix up fast too, which is always nice. A healthy breakfast or snack!

Healthy Oat & Prune Muffins (Susanna Tee, 1 Mix, 100 Muffins)

1 cup of all purpose flour (I went ahead and did whole wheat, why not if we’re thinking healthy?)
1 tablespoon baking powder
heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
scant 2 cups rolled oats
heaping 3/4 cup pitted prunes chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C.

2. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with cases.

3. Sift together the flour and the baking powder and then stir in the sugar, oats and prunes.

4. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and then add the milk, oil, vanilla extract.

5. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

6. Stir gently until just combined, do not over mix.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until well risen, golden brown and firm to the touch.

8. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Homemade Tartar Sauce

2011-04-13T22:18:00.001-07:00

My hubby took me out for fish and chips on my birthday. It was so good! I was inspired by the yummy tartar sauce- that is most definitely an acquired taste for me. When I was little, I was not interested at all, but now I could just spoon it out and eat it alone. :) Anyway- we recently had some crab cakes, and I felt like they needed that yummy tartar sauce, so I did some hunting and found a pretty good recipe. I love small raw onions- also probably an acquired taste (I feel a little like a rough pirate-like character embracing such a strong, rugged veggie). I just love the crunch, and when they are finely chopped, I don’t think they are too strong or overpowering… and least, I like to think that, but my onion breath might suggest otherwise. :)

Lyd’s Tip: I must say that “1 quart of mayo” is a lot. You’ll probably want to cut this one down. (What a great area to sub some plain yogurt- cheaper and better for you- I wouldn’t swap it straight across though.) I made a smaller batch, and I still had a lot left over. I was wondering what to do with it, but then I started thinking about how it might work well for tuna fish sandwiches. It was been awesome! A great flavor and you just add the tuna and a little bit of this sauce and you are good to go. These extra few ingredient kick it up a notch, and the kids really liked it.

Tartar Sauce (allrecipes.com)

1 quart mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup diced onion
1 cup finely chopped dill pickle

In a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, and dill pickle. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to a glass or plastic container with a tight lid and refrigerate.

Asian Marinated Steak

2011-04-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a nice Asian meal for Doug a while back… ok Valentine’s Day, I think it was—I know, I’m a little behind on some of my posts. :) Anyway, I ended up cooking up these yummy steaks- this recipe was for flank steaks, and I can’t remember what cut this was, but it wasn’t that. They still tasted good and I used my “George Forman” to grill them up. They had a yummy flavor, and I mixed up some yummy Asian veggies to go on the side- I used broccoli, zucchini, peppers, carrots, and onions, and I flavored it with teriyaki sauce and thickened it with a bit of cornstarch—nothing too fancy, but it made a great side dish with the steaks.

Asian Marinated Steak (grouprecipes.com)

Ingredients

1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp liquid honey
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp lemon zest
2 minced cloves garlic
1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
pinch crushed chili flakes
1 lb beef flank steak

How to make it

Mix all ingredients in a Ziploc baggie.
Add steak and turn to coat.
Refrigerate 24 hours.
Bring out meat from fridge, let stand 30 minutes.
Pat steak dry, place under broiler or on hot grill 4 minutes a side.
Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Cheesy Beef and Pasta Skillet

2011-04-08T21:02:00.001-07:00

This is a nice quick one for a busy night—it seems like I can never get enough of those… even for the nights that I’m not that busy. :) I love that on the Kraft site, I can just plug in a couple ingredients I might have and they can generate a recipe for me. I didn’t have VELVEETA cheese, so I just ended up leaving that out and sprinkling grated cheese on at the end. It was pretty tasty.

Cheesy Beef and Pasta Skillet (kraftfoods.com)

1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup water
1 cup penne pasta, uncooked
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped (I used red bell peppers, because that is what I had on hand.)
2 oz. VELVEETA 2% Milk Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Make It

COOK meat with onions, cumin and chili powder in large skillet on medium-high heat 5 min. or until meat is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

ADD tomatoes, water, pasta and peppers; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 18 to 20 min. or until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

STIR in VELVEETA; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Add 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper along with the onions, cumin and chili powder.

Substitute a green bell pepper for the yellow pepper.

Strawberry Mango Lime Syrup

2011-04-05T16:18:00.001-07:00

I’m just coming out of three birthday’s in a row, so I’ve got some catching up to do!

Is Strawberry-Mango combination truly such a novelty? (I search and could not find!) What a pair they make! I basically had to make this syrup recipe up. It was delicious! Now you can thank me tomorrow morning for this priceless little invention as you are spooning it over your warm pancakes. :)

Strawberry Mango Lime Syrup (By Lyd)

4 cups chopped ripe mango, from 2 (1-pound) mangoes
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of cinnamon

In a small pot, stir cool water and cornstarch together until well mixed. Turn on heat to medium. Add sugar, lime and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add fruit. Don’t over cook the fruit—unless you like it that way- I just like mine a little fresher.

Lyd’s Confession:

I have never properly cut up a mango before, so I turned to good old YouTube for a tutorial… thought I would share in case you are in the same boat. :)

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Robot Birthday Cupcakes

2011-03-31T19:02:00.001-07:00

I have a SUPER creative friend! These are the cupcakes she made for her sons fun Robot Birthday Party, and I just had to share because I thought it was such a cute idea. She just printed off cute little robots and rockets for the colorful cupcakes- it was so fun! The kids made those cute little paper bag robots with foam stickers- it was really cute!

Daring Baker’s Challenge: BLUEBERRY-BANANA FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE

2011-03-29T21:34:00.001-07:00

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

WHAT A TREAT! This ended up being a DELICIOUS challenge- I’m a bit late on posting it, because I wanted to use it for my son’s birthday cake. (We have three birthdays right in a row, so a variety in cakes is most appealing. :) Plus he is little enough that he didn’t care.) I had fun trying a filling version of my own that ended up working pretty well- even though it was a little bit of a hot, sticky mess. :) It was quite a bit more runny (because of the mashed bananas) than I think it was supposed to be, but it has such a moist, sweet flavor in the end! It reminded me of the Over-the-Top Blueberry Bread Pudding or the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding I made a while back. (Both of which I liked very much, I might add.) I will say that the texture did not fit what I conjure up to be “coffee cake” at all. It was more like a cinnamon roll. I picture coffee cake to be more like a… well, cake. :) I am certainly not complaining though. Hope you give this one a try- just for fun. It was a lot of work, but a whole lot of delicious, too!

BLUEBERRY-BANANA FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE
Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter
The recipe can easily be halved to make one round coffee cake.

(*Might I add that, as you can see, I didn’t make “rounds of coffee cake.” My filling was just too messy, so I ended up emprovising with cinnamon rolls and little rolled loaves. With a drying middle mixture, I think the “rounds” would be great.)

Ingredients
For the yeast coffee cake dough:

4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour
¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar
¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼ oz.) salt
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast
¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature)
½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature

(I also added a bit of nutmeg to the dough- it gave it a good flavor.)

For the meringue: (I loved the meringue! It was so hard for me not to snitch- I’m pregnant and I’m not supposed to do the “raw egg” thing, but it was too hard! Good stuff!)

3 large egg whites at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sugar

For the filling:

Lyd’s version:

1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white chocolate
3 very ripe mashed bananas

Directions:

Prepare the dough:

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.

In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.

With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup (150 g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.

Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.

Prepare your filling:In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling if using. You can add the chopped nuts to this if you like, but I find it easier to sprinkle on both the nuts and the chocolate separately.

Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue:
In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cakes:

Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).

Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.

Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.

Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.

Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.

Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling. These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

(See- check out this oozing mess of sweetness- it just didn’t want to roll up pretty… and it wasn’t. But it made up for it in flavor. :)

He liked his birthday cake, but he really had trouble blowing out the candles. :)

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

2011-03-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

My friend Bekah shared these AMAZING cookies at a girls night. HEAVENLY! She found the recipe from picky-palate.com, a really cute site full of some yummy, incredible, and seemingly a-bit-unhealthy recipes. :) (I just want to know who could possibly be picky using ingredients like that!) Watch out, because these are DANGEROUS! They are just such a perfect mix of gooey chocolate and peanut butter, that it is hard to muster up enough self control to stop at just one. Good luck, hope you’re a better man/woman than me! :)

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix

10 oz bag peanut butter chips

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or line with a silpat liner.

2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate pudding mix, peanut butter chips and marshmallows. Mix until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, place onto baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Balsamic Pork Cutlets

2011-03-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Doug went nuts over this recipe, which kind of surprised me. I know he likes mushrooms, but he’s not big on vinegar-anything. I think of all the vinegars, balsamic is the most “noble.” It isn’t over powering, but it definitely kicks it up a notch. This recipe sounds more technical than it really is. Just “shalax”… I think recipes that say “and cook for 1 minute” are silly- like you are going to set a timer or something. I probably didn’t do everything completely perfect, but it tasted great and I think I got the “gist” of what they were going for… and BONUS—I didn’t stress myself out. :)

Balsamic Pork Cutlets (Family Circle, March 2011)

4 boneless pork chops, about 5 oz each, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1/4 cup flour
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small red sweet pepper, seeds removed and chopped (I didn’t have these, but I bet they would have been good.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) broth
1 can (6.5 oz) mushroom pieces, drained
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt

Coat pork chops with flour. Reserve unused flour. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook 2 minutes per side. Remove to plate.

Add onion to skillet and cook 1 minute, stirring so onion doesn’t burn. Add red pepper and garlic and cook one minute. Stir 1 T of the reserved flour into broth and add to skillet; stir in mushrooms, vinegar, parsley, basil, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a simmer.

Add pork; cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes. (I cooked the pork chops a little longer the first time around and then served them plain with the topping to put on as desired, because my girls recently developed an aversion to mushrooms.)

Let’s Go Banana Muffins!

2011-03-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I struggle with consistency. I get really good ideas, but they fizzle overtime. You might recall my “Muffin Monday” idea… that lasted one post. However, my love for muffins is unchanging! I have a thing for muffins! If they didn’t take so darn long to make in the mornings, I would have them every day! I like them healthy and I love them not. I like them here. I like them there… I like muffins anywhere! :) These muffins in particular where a complete success! I’m glad I came across such a good recipe. I added chocolate chips, because who, in their right mind, wouldn’t? They were just the perfect consistency, and my husband said they were the best muffins he had ever tasted… I can’t help but love that response. :) I doubled the recipe, but I don’t think they lasted more than a day… yes, we have a problem. (One that I don’t intend to fix any time soon. :)

Makes 12 regular sized muffins.

Banana Muffins Recipe (Joyofbaking.com)

1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans (Didn’t do the nuts, just for my hubby.)
1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour (I made them half whole wheat and half white.)
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
I added about 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 12 - 1/2 cup muffin pan with paper liners or butter or spray with a non stick spray.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake about 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and then remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Guess I’ll Go Eat Worms... In Dirt Cups

2011-03-21T16:19:00.001-07:00

HAPPY SPRING!!! It was a rainy Monday today, and as I walked my daughter to school, I noticed all the little earthworms scattered here and there on the pavement- a sure fire sign of spring… hooray! Getting to school took an extra ten minutes, because I had to wait while my daughter hopelessly tried to rescue as many earthworms as possible. This may not be typical “kindergarten behavior,” but in her class it is. They just completed an exploration on earthworms and finished it off by compiling everything they learned into a darling little picture book full of all the earthworm facts they learned along the way. (The book is called E is for Earthworm, An A-z Guide, and proceeds go to future explorations.) They recently had a book signing and reading at a local bookstore, and I made these dirt cups for the crowd. It was a lot of fun and we’re pretty proud of our little “worm” expert. :) This isn’t any kind of gourmet recipe, but great for a spring treat that kids (and might I add adults as far as I’m concerned) are sure to love!

Worm Dirt Cups

chocolate pudding mix, prepared
package of Oreos, crushed and crumbled
gummy worms

In a cup or small bowl, layer prepared pudding with crushed Oreos over it. Top with gummy worm.

It was crunch time and I called in the troops to help me get it all together. Doug came through in a big way! He always seems to do that for me when I bite off more then I can chew… literally in this case. :)

Chicken Cacciatore

2011-03-19T09:54:00.001-07:00

I came across this recipe a while back, and it looked pretty tasty, so I thought I would give it a try, however, I turned it into a crockpot meal, so I definitely took some shortcuts. It was really easy going that route, and it turned out well. It’s also a healthy meal- always a plus!

Chicken Cacciatore (Ellie Kriegor)

4 skinless chicken breast halves on the bone, about 2 pounds
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, chopped and juice reserved
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste

*Lyd's Tips: I didn’t exactly follow these directions- I turned mine into a crockpot meal and pretty much threw it all into the crockpot for a few hours. But I bet that if done properly like this, it would be even better. You know me… I like taking shortcuts.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a saute pan over moderately high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and juice, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and simmer the mixture covered for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 20 minutes longer.

Warm White Bean and Tuna Quesadillas

2011-03-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

I was about to make the “typical” tuna fish sandwich for lunch, but I found this recipe stuck to the top of a tuna can, and was quite inspired. I thought I would “make my own dang quesadillas.” I’m glad I shifted my thinking, because this ended up being surprisingly delicious. It was really easy, and all the family loved it. I also thought it was a great way to sneak in some beans and spinach, which, unfortunate I didn’t have much of. This makes a tasty fast lunch, and I think you’ll like the depth of flavor the lemon juice adds!

Warm White Bean and Tuna Quesadillas (from Bumblebee.com)

1 can (16 oz.) cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (6 oz. ea.) tuna in spring water, drained and flaked
1/4 cup Mayonnaise Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
4 (8-in.) fajita size flour tortillas
4 slices Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese
1 cup baby spinach leaves

Lightly mash beans in medium bowl. Stir in tuna, Mayonnaise Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon juice and salt. Evenly spread tuna salad onto 2 tortillas, then top with cheese, spinach and remaining tortillas.
Cook in 10-inch nonstick skillet lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat, turning once, 5 minutes or until golden and cheese is melted. Cut into wedges.

If life gives you lemons, make Lemon Loaf…

2011-03-12T10:22:00.001-08:00

Here is ANOTHER winner from Megan! She brought this one to some activity a while back (most likely a baby shower :), and I thought it was fabulous! I really love the addition of the cranberries (I think I would add even more- I bet blueberries would be really good too), and I think a little citrus zest can make a world of difference in shortbread and muffins! I recently added some Lemon Extract to my collection, so I did add just a drop of that as well, just to intensify the yummy lemon flavor. It was a good thing I did, because I totally forgot to add the juice over the top. Still fabulous though! Thanks again Megan!

*This recipe made 4 mini loaves.

Lemon Loaf (from Megan Naess)

1/3 c. margarine or butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. Baking powder
grated rind of 1 lemon, and the juice, separated
1-1/2 c. flour
½ c. milk
1/3 c. cherries or cranberries (can use chopped or whole according to preference)

Cream margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs until combined and then add rest. Pour batter into 1 large loaf pan, or 2-3 small pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. When fully baked, remove loaf from pan and pour 1/8-1/4 c. sugar (again, to suit personal preference) dissolved in the juice of 1 lemon over the top of the loaf. Let cool completely.

Split Pea Soup

2011-03-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a simple, yummy soup. It had a nice flavor. I added a couple vegetables like carrots and celery to make it go just a bit further. Then I pureed them for a smoother texture. I also added just a bit of chopped ham that I had. The cornmeal muffins went well with this soup! :)

Split Pea Soup (By Emeril Lagasse)

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
1 pound dried green split peas, picked over and rinsed
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
Hot Sauce

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onions. Season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and split peas and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes, until the peas are tender. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the milk and, using a hand-held immersion blender, process until smooth. Add the hot sauce and serve hot.

Cornmeal Muffins

2011-03-09T22:20:00.000-08:00

“1 Mix, 100 Muffins”… doesn’t that just sounds awesome! I recently won this great cookbook by Susanna Tee, at Bunco night. This book is full of muffin ideas! From sweet to savory. The beauty of this book is that every single recipe is based on the Basic Muffin Mix. I have had fun getting new muffin ideas! This was the first one I tried out, just because it sounded like it would go well with some soup I made… and because I was reading a “Pioneer… Westward Ho” kind of book, and whenever that happens, I feel like making homemade bread or Jonny Cake, cornmeal mush, or beans and salted pork. At least that was what happened when I read Little House on the Prairie. :) I am looking forward to finding some good new muffins to try out! These turned out great- it was fun to have the whole corn in there. I wouldn’t have thought of doing that. I do like a little bit more sweetness to my cornbread from some reason, so if I made them again, I might add a tablespoon of sugar, but all in all, a great place to start.

Cornmeal Muffins (From 1 Mix, 100 Muffins cookbook)

Oil or melted butter for greasing
1 1/4 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c yellow cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 c milk
6 T sunflower oil or melted, cooled butter
1 c frozen corn kernels (I just used 1 can, drained.)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease or line a 12 cup muffin pan. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper to taste into a large bowl. Stir in cornmeal.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Then Beat in milk and oil. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients, and add the corn. Stir gently until just combined; do not over-mix.

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to touch.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Baked Lemon-Pepper Salmon with Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

2011-03-07T20:40:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite things to do with fish! My husband loves it. It makes a delicious healthy meal that is so easy to throw together, and ends up seeming quite gourmet! :) This fish is moist and tender and roasted red potatoes always make a great side dish! A very little prep goes a long way with this one!

Baked Lemon-Pepper Salmon with Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

For the Fish:

Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and lemon-pepper seasoning. You can also pour a little lemon juice over the top. Place the fish on tin foil and wrap it around, creating a tent, pretty much covering the top. Bake at 400 for about 30-45 minutes or until juices run clear and fish flakes apart.

For the Potatoes:

Just toss small or halved red potatoes in a bowl with olive oil. Sprinkle and toss in kosher salt, pepper, and dried rosemary. Spread foil over a baking sheet and spread potatoes evenly across. Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes, or until tender and cooked through.

*You can also add other veggies to the mix, like cut carrots, cauliflower, squash, sweet potatoes, or broccoli.

Apple Pancakes

2011-03-06T08:35:00.001-08:00

Here comes yet another pancake recipe! I love pancakes and they just keep coming… hot off the griddle, as my mom would say. I liked the apple in these.

Veronica’s Apple Pancakes (allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded tart apple
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat.)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon white sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, combine butter, egg, milk and apple. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar. Stir flour mixture into apple mixture, just until combined.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Garden Bread

2011-03-03T14:22:00.001-08:00

“And why not throw the veggies straight into the bread?” That is what you will ask yourself after trying this one out. This loaf is perfect for toasted cheese sandwiches! This was fresh and healthy, a great way to sneak the veggies in. Be sure to refrigerate what you don’t eat the first day. I found this in a great cookbook all about Homemade Food Gifts. I love some of the ideas, and I thought this was a good one. They suggested folding it in a cloth napkin and securing it with a napkin ring.

(This recipe made 4 mini loaves.)

GARDEN BREAD (Simply Homemade Food Gifts)

2/3 cup water

1/2 cup tomato juice

2/3 cup coarsely shredded carrots

3 T coarsely chopped green bell peppers

3 T sliced green onions

4 T butter or cooking oil

4 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed

1 tsp active dry yeast.

Grease loaf pans.

With Bread Machine: Add the ingredients to a bread machine according to the manufacturer’s directions. Select the basic white bread cycle.

Without Bread Machine: Add warm water and sugar to mixer. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let it bubble and sit for about 10 minutes. Add flour, oil, and salt. Mix until dough forms. Add remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated. With so many loose ingredients, you might have do some of the needing by hand. Form rounded loaves, and let rise 30 minutes-1 hour. (I like to turn my oven to warm and let it sit in there for about 15-30 minutes. It rises much faster.) Bake at 350 for about 30 minute.

Blueberry Oat Bars (or Blackberry if you happen to live around here :)

2011-03-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you might recall Megan’s Sweet Potato Casserole… or you might not, but
Heavens to Betsy, I DO!!! Megan has never failed me yet, and the record still holds. (Just wait until I post her Lemon Loaf I just made!) I tried out this AMAZING dessert, and LOVED IT. I actually used some frozen blackberries I had put up after picking this fall. SO yummy! Thanks for the recipe, Megan… by all means, keep them coming!!!

Blueberry Oat Bars (From Megan Naess)

1-1/2 cups flour (I try to use whole wheat)
1-1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup cold butter
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a bowl, combine flour, oats, 1 cup sugar and baking soda. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 2 cups for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. Baking pan; set aside.
In a saucepan, combine blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, and remaining sugar. Bring to a boil;
boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen.
Note: The last time I made this, I thought it needed more filling so I doubled the amount of blueberries and cornstarch, used the juice from one lemon, and I thought it was better that way. (I didn't add any more sugar to the blueberries.)

Daring Baker's Challenge: Panna Cotta & Nestle Florentine Cookies

2011-02-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.I LOVE ALL THINGS CREAMY... and this yummy dessert makes the list! This was fairly simple to create, but something about it makes you feel fancy... and something about that creamy texture is just heaven to me. I think this was one of my favorite challenges so far! I'll be making this again... after I loose a bit of weight from this go around. :)

Giada's Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Directions:

Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage).
Next, add the cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.

(*My daughter sees me taking "food" pictures, and she said she needed a turn. :) She felt like a face with a beard would be "artistic".)

Nestle Florentine Cookies

Recipe from the cookbook “Nestle Classic Recipes”, and their website.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter
2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) dark or milk chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat. (Rather then do this over the stove, I just melted the butter in a big glass bowl in the microwave... I think it was quicker and worked fine.)
To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula. (No matter how far apart I spread my cookies, I still ended up with a "sheet" of cookie, rather then individuals... not sure what I did, but they still tasted good, I just broke them apart.)
Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl). (Or just use Netella like me... who doesn't love an excuse to use Netella. :)

Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean).
Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.

This recipe will make about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen sandwiched Florentine cookies. You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper).

Freezer Meals: This one goes out to Michelle...

2011-02-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

A while back, my friend Michelle posted a comment/questions/request, and I just wanted her to know that I had not forgotten about her! Here is what she wrote:

Hey Lydia,
I love your site because you have actually made the meal and you add your own twist to things, or alternatives you think would make it taste better! I was wondering if you have any recommendations for "make ahead" meals? You know, ones you freeze and use another time? I am thinking of trying some of those out for busy times. Do you have any good recipes to recommend? Or have you tried out any that you have liked? Thanks!
-Michelle

Michelle,
If you only knew how very much I am wishing for a freezer (Even a small one!) and dreaming of actually having freezer space to make something like that happen! I've just got an itty-bitty freezer and I'm lucky to squeeze in a bit of frozen fruit, some meat, and an occasional bag of unhealthy, but delicious tater-tots. :) So actually stuffing in a frozen casserole or the like, does not happen very often, and when it does, it somehow gets buried in the frozen abyss almost never to be discovered again, until it is too late. HOWEVER, when I was almost due with my last little guy, my sweet friends threw me a "Practical Baby Shower" (Here I go again with the baby-shower recipes :) and some of the girls helped cook and assemble some nice freezer meals for me- it was a huge help after the baby came! (Space was a bit of an issue then too, because I remember having to leave some in her freezer and she brought them to me later.)

They made Stuffed Jumbo Shells, Orange Chicken, Mini Cheddar Meat Loaves (One of my favorites!), and Herbed Chicken for me. All of these recipes freeze up really well and they used those disposable aluminum Dollar Store containers which stack up really nicely, but I think I would prefer zip-lock bags because I would rather microwave to heat them up- the oven takes to long for my impatient self. :) Most of them took about 30-40 minutes to heat through and I feel like I could make a meal in that time- but if you are thinking ahead and just remember to pop it in the oven, it works fine.

All these meals are all relatively easy to make, too and the whole family loved them! I should get in touch with my friend that threw me the shower, because she was always making freezer meals- a big batch at a time and then tucking it away. I know casseroles work really well- you just kind of make double and freeze one, and it isn't as much trouble.

I have made the Orange Chicken, but I think I forgot to post it, so I'll get around to posting that one soon. I recently made the Herb Chicken- it makes a great Sunday meal! It doesn't take too long to make and it's really tasty! Anyway- best of luck with your endeavors and please share with me what you discover works well! I know you've got some good ones up your sleeve! Glad you are keeping track of me! I miss sweet friends like you!
-Lyd

Herb Chicken
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
3/4 cup butter, melted (I think 1/2 cup or one cube would be plenty.)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 cup herb seasoned stuffing mix
1/4 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Rinse chicken breasts and pat with pepper towels to remove moisture. In a small bowl combine all ingredients except chicken. Stir together until well blended. Place each chicken breast in herb mixture and coat on both sides. Place on greased baking sheet and cook at 325 for about 45 minutes. Makes 6 or more servings.

Mandrin Orange Salad

2011-02-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law whipped up this great side dish when we visited a while back. I thought it was pretty tasty! I wasn't very patient, it should have had more time to set, but I couldn't wait for the orange yumminess. :)

Mandrin Orange Salad (Maxine Stewart)
1 small pkg. vanilla pudding (not instant)
1 small pkg. orange jello
2 cups water
*Stir ingredients together, bring to a boil, and remove from heat.

1 can mandrine oranges with juice
1 cup whipped whipping cream (or cool whip)
*Add ingredients to jello mixture. Stir thoroughly and set in refrigerator. Before serving, sprinkle with crumbled gram crackers on top or add mini marshmallows.

Never Underestimate the Power of 4-H... whence came My Microwaved Egg McMuffin

2011-02-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

I am a proud previous 4H'er. However, while my friends were shearing sheep and raising up baby pigs, I was taking "Microwave Cooking." No... I'm not making that up, there really was a microwave cooking class. (Which I completely loved, by the way, so keep your thoughts to yourself. :) I don't remember all the "nuked" goodness I produced, but there was one in particular that stuck with me... and aren't you lucky, because I'm going to share it with you. :) This was what I had for breakfast pretty much EVERY DAY during my college experience. It was quick, easy and delicious, and made all my room-mates jelous. But it has been quite a while, and the other morning, I remembered my little microwaved gem... never to forget again! :)

*I'm going to give a recipe for 1 serving, but you can crank as many out as you please. :) This is a really handy technique if you are just making 1 or 2, but if you are mass producing, you might just want to scramble up some eggs, unless you have several microwaves handy. :)

Microwaved Egg McMuffin
1 English muffin or prepared biscuit (I like to use whole wheat English muffins)
1-2 eggs
A little mayo and mustard
1 big slice of cheese
ham, bacon, or sausage patties

Cook meat of choice and have other ingredients ready for fast assembly. Spread mayo and mustard on toasted English muffin.

Spray a hot chocolate/coffee mug with pam-spray to lightly coat the bottom and sides. Crack 1-2 eggs in and stir well with a fork until yoke is ruptured (Am I allowed to use that word with regards to cooking?) and incorporated. Microwave for 1 minute if you are doing 2 eggs and about 40 seconds if you are making one (but they cook fast, so watch it close and don't let it explode. :) Let it cool for a second and use a spoon to loosen the edges.

Place cooked egg on a toasted English muffin with cheese and meat. I like to microwave for another 20-30 seconds to melt cheese and make sure it's hot. Enjoy your EASY, YUMMY breakfast!

Happy "Late" Valentine's Day!!!

2011-02-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Gone are the days of home-made valentines, decorated Kleenex mailboxes, and "Do you love your neighbor?"... I had to really talk my daughter's teacher into letting me bring cupcakes. They have a strict no candy policy and they don't celebrate holidays. Rip off!!! I looked forward to those days all year!!! I'm glad we did the cupcakes because Amberlee was on cloud nine passing them out. She was so tickled with herself. I think she got 2 other little Valentine notes from classmates, and she came skipping out of the school saying "Valentines is my favorite, best day ever!!!" Oh little Amberlee... if only you knew what it could be. :) Hope you had a very "SWEET" day!!!