Homemade Peach Cobbler

To contact us Click HERE
I bought some great Missouri Peaches at the farmer's market this past weekend and they started getting really soft.  I made a cobble today and it smells so good in my house.  Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• MIX TOGETHER:
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.               

1. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
2. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

Lidia's Polenta

To contact us Click HERE



During the hot summer months I don't often make a dish that requires a long, slow simmer on the stove. Not only does a long, slow simmer heat up the kitchen, but those heavier meals are often too heavy for hot weather (even when the house is air conditioned). Occasionally, however, a simple meal like polenta and sauce is a nice dish to enjoy on a rainy summer day -- one like this recipe for Lidia's Polenta.

Polenta is a simple dish to prepare, and paired with a really good jarred pasta sauce (or some homemade sauce you stashed in the freezer) and some sauteed Italian sausages, a tasty treat even for a summer evening.

On the evening we ate this meal, I browned some fresh Italian sausages in some olive oil in a large skillet, opened a jar of Tyler Florence's Vodka sauce, poured it over the sausages and simmered them for a half hour or so. Then I sliced the sausages and served them, with the sauce,  over a spoonful of this wonderful polenta, with Parmesan cheese. Simple and delicious (and inexpensive).

I omit the bay leaves when I make it, but other than that, I make it as written.

Lidia's Basic Polenta

2 c. milk2 c. water1 T. unsalted butter1 bay leaf (optional)2 T. coarse salt (I start with less until I taste it)1 1/2 c. coarse yellow cornmeal (or polenta if you can find it labeled as such)
In medium saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, bay leafand salt. Heat to simmer over medium flame. Slowly sift cornmeal into pan through fingers of one hand,stirring constantly until polenta is smooth and thick and pulls away from sidesof pan when stirred, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
Source: Lidia Bastianich



Pin It

{#62} Must Try Tuesday: April 3, 2012

To contact us Click HERE
Whew!  Last week was....well...a week!  We were all sick with a bug.  Both my little girls had a fever on different days.  Fifths Disease is running through our school and I am crossing my fingers that my girls won't get it.  Softball practice is in full swing again.  We only have two more months of school and they are jam packed with activities, games, field trips, state testing and more.  
So, right this second, I am going to take a deep breath and enjoy doing absolutely nothing for the next ten minutes.
Enjoy!


Deviled Eggs for EasterSource: foodjimoto.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Pommes AnnaSource: thegalleygourmet.net via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Ham and Cheese Breakfast CasseroleSource: lifessimplemeasures.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Bacon Cheese Potatoes (Slow Cooker)Source: momswithcrockpots.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar SoupSource: closetcooking.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Stuffed Cabbage CasseroleSource: mostlyfoodandcrafts.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Best Apple CrispSource: mommyskitchen.net via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Raspberry Almond MuffinsSource: sweetpeaskitchen.com via Wende on Pinterest


Linked To:*Finding Joy in My Kitchen: Friday Favorite Finds*Mom on Timeout: Taking a Timeout Thursday*Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*Blissful and Domestic: Feature Friday

Menu Plan: Week of April 8, 2012

To contact us Click HERE
It's a busy week here so I am making several crock pot meals and keeping it simple.  Have a great week!



Meal 1Easter Dinner @ Mom's HousePineapple CasseroleCopy Cat {Cracker Barrel} Hasbrown Casserole
~~~~
Meal 2LasagnaGarlic Bread
~~~~
Meal 3Orange Chicken in the Crock PotRiceGreen Beans
~~~~
Meal 4Farmer's CasseroleCorn Biscuits
~~~~
Meal 5Ranch House Crock Pot Pork ChopsMashed PotatoesButter BeansCorn on the Cob
~~~~
Meal 6Leftovers
~~~~
Meal 7Bubble Up EnchiladasSaladCinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler

BakingPeanut Butter Truffle Centered Banana Muffins~~~~Banana-Oatmeal Muffins with Peanut Butter Chips~~~~Banana Bread~~~~Bacon and Cheese Muffins

Linked To:*Org Junkie: Menu Plan Monday

Recipe: Biscoff Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies

To contact us Click HERE


Have you heard about Biscoff Spread or have I been completely living out in the middle of nowhere....oh...wait....I do!  I have seen a couple of recipes over the past few months that have Biscoff as one of the ingredients.  They certainly don't see something as exotic as that in my little country grocery store but one day when I was in a bigger city I happened to find it at Walmart.  Yes, that fancy store.  And, I am so glad that I did find it.  It is amazing.  I mean really A-MAZE-ING!


So, as I was looking through my favorite blogs trying to decide what I would make with this awesome stuff, I came across this recipe on Picky Palate's blog.  These cookies were so good that I had to share them with the teachers at our school and they got rave reviews.  They are like over the top good!  These are not delicate petite cookies, they are stuff your face big delightful goodness.  They are so good that I making them again tomorrow!


Enjoy!




Biscoff Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies{original recipe by Jenny/Picky Palate}6021907Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 4 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 2 cups Biscoff Spread (I used crunchy)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
3. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined.
4. Add eggs and vanilla beating until well combined.
5. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
6. Slowly add to the wet ingredients along with white chips until just combined.
7. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
8. Using your thumb, press a well into each cookie for the Biscoff.
9. Using a small spoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon Biscoff into each well of the cookie.
10. Place another scoop of cookie dough on top and press edges gently. The Biscoff will not be completely enclosed and will be visible around edges.
11. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges are just golden brown.
12. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Get ready to have your socks knocked off!Powered by Recipage



Linked To:
*The Southern Institute: Creative Me 
*Mrs Happy Homemaker: Makin' You Crave Monday
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*My Sweet and Savory:  My Meatless Monday
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*2 Maids a Milking: 2 Maids a Baking
*Inside BruCrew Life: Trick Or Treat Tuesday
*Our Delightful Home: Show Me What You Got
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesday
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made From Scratch Tuesday
*Crazy for Crust: Crazy Sweet Tuesday
*The Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Alli 'n Sons: Sweet Tooth Friday
*Bacon time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*I Heart Naptime: Sundae Scoop
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday*Simply Klassic Home: Simply Klassic Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sunday
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper

Korean-Style Steak Taco's

To contact us Click HERE
It was a gorgeous day, perfect time to grill. The June magazines have tons of grilling recipes so I started to flip through the piles of magazines I have just waiting to be read and found plenty of recipes I put on the list to try. Tonight grilled steak taco's won out. They always do.  Flipping through Cooking Light I saw Korean Steak Taco's. The recipe was extremely similar to the Korean Steak Taco's I made a few months ago. The taco's had looked fantastic when I saw them on the blog, For the Love of Cooking. So I made Pam's version, which was excellent. This time we tried the Cooking Light version, very similar. Also a winner, this one had a bit more heat!
Made it with a flat iron steak, like a London broil. We love this cut of meat, and it worked well with the taco's. The Griller has finally gotten the hang of it, perfectly grilled, perfectly cooked. Rare in the middle for us, and overcooked at the ends for Miss Picky.  Everyone's happy! Even Grandma, she didn't bother to use extra chili sauce. But she's finally getting used to the heat!





  Korean-Style Steak Taco's
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook 
Source: Cooking Light, June 2012
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/korean-style-beef-tacos-50400000121408/
Printable Recipe
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons Sriracha, or any Asian chili sauce or paste
juice of 1 fresh lime
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 flat iron steak, sliced against the grain into thin stripssalt and pepper, to taste
8 (6-inch) whole wheat tortillas
Quick Pickled Cabbage
3 tablespoons sliced green onionsavocado, sliced lime wedges, for garnish

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Add steak to dish; cover. Marinate in refrigerator for about an hour, turning after 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Remove steak from marinade, and discard marinade. Grill steak until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill and let stand for a minute or so. Slice thinly, against the grain. Grill tortillas 30 seconds on each side or until lightly charred; keep warm. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates, and divide steak evenly among tortillas. Divide the Quick Pickled Cabbage evenly among tacos; add some sliced avocado's, sprinkle with onions. Serve with a squeeze of lime and top with some Sriracha sauce.
Quick Pickled Cabbage 
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook  
Source: Cooking Light, June 2012
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/korean-style-beef-tacos-50400000121408/

2 cups broccoli slaw
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons simple syrup (or 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with one tablespoon of water)
2-3 teaspoons Sriracha Chili Sauce
lime wedges, to squeeze a little over the slaw when you serve

Place cabbage and broccoli in a medium bowl. In a microwave safe bowl, mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, simple syrup, garlic and chile sauce. Microwave for 1 minute, stir again and microwave for another 30 seconds. Pour warm vinegar mixture over the slaw mix; toss. Let stand at least 30 minutes.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joining  Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 
AND
 Mosaic Monday  at the Little Red House

AND 
Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen
with the

 Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes
 

Turkey Piccata

To contact us Click HERE
I got this recipe out of a Southern Living cookbook. It was SO good and so easy that it will become on permanent rotation at the Stamps' house. I am always looking for something besides chicken to cook.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless turkey cutlets
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp drained capers
6 lemon slices, halved
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge turkey cutlets in flour mixture. Melt 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olvie oil in a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the turkey and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove turkey from skillet and place on a wire rack in a jelly roll pan in a 200 degree oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining turkey, butter and olive oil.
(NOTE - I didn't remove the turkey - I kept it in and just made the sauce with the turkey in the pan and it turned out great.)
Stir wine and next 3 ingredients into skillet and cook over medium high heat for 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in remaining butter.
Place turkey on a serving platter and pour sauce over it. Sprinkle evenly with parsley.

Coconut Cake

To contact us Click HERE

My sweet friend Erin made this amazing coconut cake on Easter and brought it over and I have been thinking about it ever since. It was SOOOOO good and moist. I LOVE coconut cake almost as much as I love red velvet and this was probably the best I've ever had.

It was the same idea as the Butterfinger cake that Scott requests on a daily basis.

Ingredients:
One white cake mix
14 oz can of cream of coconut (found in the mixed drinks area)
14 oz can of Sweet condensed milk
Cool Whip
Coconut flakes

Bake the cake mix according to the box. While hot, poke holes all over the cake. Mix the sweet milk and coconut milk and pour over cake. Once cake is cool, top with cool whip and the coconut flakes. Keep refrigerated. SO, SO good!

Mam-ma's Chocolate Pie

To contact us Click HERE

My sweet mam-ma made the BEST chocolate pie. We used to request it at every holiday dinner or family gathering and it was a fight to see who could eat the most. I have never tried to make it until this weekend. It tasted good but I have a long way to go on being able to make a good meringue. I don't know what the secret it is but I hope one day I can get mine to fluff up like hers always did.

Ingredients:
Pie filling:
Frozen or refrigerated pie crust
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
3-4 tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter

Meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
6-8 large marshmallows

Bake pie crust according to directions. Mix first 3 ingredients. Beat 4 egg yolks and save the whites. Sprinkle salt on eggs. Add milk in eggs. Add to dry and cook on stove top - stir until thick. Add vanilla and butter.
Pour in pie crust when done.

Take egg whites and beat until stiff. Take sugar and a "tad" of water and boil until it makes a syrup. Add marshmallows and melt.  Add to egg whites already beat. Add on top of pie.

Korean-Style Steak Taco's

To contact us Click HERE
It was a gorgeous day, perfect time to grill. The June magazines have tons of grilling recipes so I started to flip through the piles of magazines I have just waiting to be read and found plenty of recipes I put on the list to try. Tonight grilled steak taco's won out. They always do.  Flipping through Cooking Light I saw Korean Steak Taco's. The recipe was extremely similar to the Korean Steak Taco's I made a few months ago. The taco's had looked fantastic when I saw them on the blog, For the Love of Cooking. So I made Pam's version, which was excellent. This time we tried the Cooking Light version, very similar. Also a winner, this one had a bit more heat!
Made it with a flat iron steak, like a London broil. We love this cut of meat, and it worked well with the taco's. The Griller has finally gotten the hang of it, perfectly grilled, perfectly cooked. Rare in the middle for us, and overcooked at the ends for Miss Picky.  Everyone's happy! Even Grandma, she didn't bother to use extra chili sauce. But she's finally getting used to the heat!





  Korean-Style Steak Taco's
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook 
Source: Cooking Light, June 2012
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/korean-style-beef-tacos-50400000121408/
Printable Recipe
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons Sriracha, or any Asian chili sauce or paste
juice of 1 fresh lime
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 flat iron steak, sliced against the grain into thin stripssalt and pepper, to taste
8 (6-inch) whole wheat tortillas
Quick Pickled Cabbage
3 tablespoons sliced green onionsavocado, sliced lime wedges, for garnish

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Add steak to dish; cover. Marinate in refrigerator for about an hour, turning after 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Remove steak from marinade, and discard marinade. Grill steak until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill and let stand for a minute or so. Slice thinly, against the grain. Grill tortillas 30 seconds on each side or until lightly charred; keep warm. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates, and divide steak evenly among tortillas. Divide the Quick Pickled Cabbage evenly among tacos; add some sliced avocado's, sprinkle with onions. Serve with a squeeze of lime and top with some Sriracha sauce.
Quick Pickled Cabbage 
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook  
Source: Cooking Light, June 2012
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/korean-style-beef-tacos-50400000121408/

2 cups broccoli slaw
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons simple syrup (or 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with one tablespoon of water)
2-3 teaspoons Sriracha Chili Sauce
lime wedges, to squeeze a little over the slaw when you serve

Place cabbage and broccoli in a medium bowl. In a microwave safe bowl, mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, simple syrup, garlic and chile sauce. Microwave for 1 minute, stir again and microwave for another 30 seconds. Pour warm vinegar mixture over the slaw mix; toss. Let stand at least 30 minutes.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joining  Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 
AND
 Mosaic Monday  at the Little Red House

AND 
Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen
with the

 Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes
 

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

To contact us Click HERE
So I cheated in the kitchen. When my friend Debbie from Mountain Breaths gave the heads up that Williams-Sonoma was having a sale on the Breville Mini Pie Maker I jumped right away and ordered one. I'm a sucker for kitchen stuff! But I am a little baking challenged.  So I took the easy way out. Store-bought dough. Soup from a can. I know. I know. That was practice. Next time from scratch. But these mini pies were a big hit anyway.

photo from the Williams-Sonoma Website

Took a couple months to finally have a moment to use it and I am so glad I did. First time around was mini chicken pot pies. I need a little more practice, this one needed more filling so the top would have browned better. My son ate the one that was somewhat picture perfect. And it must have tasted as good as it looked because he wanted a second. And some to take to work tomorrow.






This is a basic recipe. Instead of pie shells in the tins, I used store bought pie crusts that are rolled. Two pie crusts per box, made about 6 mini pies, if you re-roll out the scraps. Next time I will try homemade dough. Hopefully. But this worked out fine.


Really Easy Chicken Pot Pieadapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe
2 (9 inch) deep dish frozen pie crust shells, thawed (or not!)
10-oz frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
8 cremini mushrooms, sliced thin1 potato, diced and par-boiled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl combine the mixed vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, cream of chicken soup and milk. Pour mixture into one of the pie crusts. Turn the other crust over and pop out of the tin onto the top of the filled pie. Poke a small hole in top crust.

Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joining  Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 
AND
 Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House

 

Hot dogs and potatoes

To contact us Click HERE





From one day to the next I never know how dinner is going to be received in my house. That can be a frustrating thing. You go to all that work and then the kids stick their noses up at it. Not that they are permitted to be rudely critical, but if they don't eat, then that's a pretty clear criticism.

I can take the criticism, but I hate wasted food. Period.

I also hate to fight over food, so I gave up a long time ago making kids sit at the table until their plate is clean. My sanity is more important than my pride.

Anyway...short story long, the other day I was asked, as I am every day, "What's for dinner?" When I said, "hotdogs and potatoes," I was met with mixed comments. I told them all to "Shut it" and they could eat it or not. They all ate it. It was good, simple, and really easy to make food.

The bottom line is, kids like hotdogs (and I use good beef hotdogs) and fried potatoes (and just dice the onions really small and encourage them to cover it in ketchup -- hey, it has lycopene!). So what's not to like? Serve some fresh fruit on the side, like sliced watermelon, or bing cherries, and some yummy buttermilk biscuits with strawberry jam. It's a good, easy meal. And it's cheap. Yey.


Hotdogs and potatoes
oil for frying (I use canola for this dish)one large white Idaho potato for each person, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced across in 1/4 inch pieces.1 to 2 T. minced onion for each person1 to 2 sliced hotdogs for each personsalt and pepper
In a large skillet (non-stick or cast iron, I use non-stick for easy clean up) heat oil over medium high heat. 
When oil is hot, add potatoes and then onions on top of the potatoes. Arrange them in a single layer (or as close as possible) and them leave them alone for about five minutes. Toss the hotdogs on top and then stir, attempting to get the potato pieces flipped over. Cook for about 30 minutes, until potato pieces are tender and everything is lovely and browned.

Pin It

Noah's Ginormous Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

To contact us Click HERE




My youngest son, Noah (and the biggest as it turns out), has been harassing me to make these cookies. Oreo-stuffed anything is not my idea of a good cookie, but after he begged and begged and even offered to help, I gave in.

I admit, they were good. I couldn't have eaten more than one, but they were pretty darn good. And Noah was really happy with the whole helping-mom-make-cookies thing. All by himself. Which is really funny since he's a good head-and-a-half taller than me.

And you better believe he hid the cookie jar after we filled it. He is forcing his siblings to ask him for a cookie. Tee hee.

You can find the recipe all over the internet and in foodie magazines, but Noah did the research and he picked the Picky Palate's recipe. We followed the recipe exactly the way it was written, but ours required a slightly longer cooking time. They looked pretty gooey after the timer went off, so I gave 'em another five or so. I altered the time in the recipe to my oven and taste. We had regular Oreos, not Double Stuff, so less of our cream shows. You decide which to use.


Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookiesmakes about 2 dozen really big cookies
2 sticks butter, softened3/4 cup packed light brown sugar1 cup granulated sugar2 large eggs1 T. pure vanilla3 1/2 cups all purpose flour1 t. salt1 t. baking soda10 oz. bag chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, Ghiradelli)about a dozen Oreo cookies

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
 In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and bakingsoda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until justcombined.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and placeon top of an Oreo cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottomof Oreo cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand untilOreo cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto  baking sheet and bake cookies 12-18 minutes or until cookies are baked toyour liking.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to coolingrack.  



Source: modified from The Picky PalatePin It

Coconut Granola

To contact us Click HERE





Never let it be said that I failed a friend in need. My dear friend Maggie up in Minnesota is pregnant and wearing a dull spot on the sofa. Apparently she felt she just might have enough energy to whip up a batch of Coconut Granola, however, because she practically offered her firstborn in exchange for the recipe. I'll tell ya what though, that firstborn is safe with his mama because I want no more teenagers. None, nadda, zip. Hopefully she has all the ingredients on-hand for this recipe, because I hate to see her poor husband sent out to the store again.

I saw the recipe on, you guessed, Pinterest, but I altered it so much due to food allergies and a lack of the proper quantity of maple syrup, I'm just gonna call it my own. If you want to see the original recipe, you can find it here at Two Peas and Their Pod.






Coconut Granola
4 cups old-fashioned oats (or two cups old-fashioned and 2 cups quick oats -- not instant)1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut1/2 cup packed brown sugar1 t. cinnamon3/4 t. coarse kosher salt (or 1/2 t. table salt)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil1/4 cup maple syrup2 t. vanilla1/2 t. coconut extract

Heat oven to 300 degrees F.Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl.Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and toss with your hands or a spatular until well mixed. Pour onto a large rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, stirring every ten minutes or so (or send one of the kids to stir it up). Cool completely and then place in a glass jar for storage (or plastic, if you must).

NOTE: If you want to add seeds or nuts just add them. I usually add nuts before the granola bakes, and dried fruit after the granola bakes but while it is still hot. I will say, however, that I missed neither nuts nor fruit in this recipe, and I ate it with milk once and yogurt once (and a tablespoon of homemade strawberry jam -- yum).

Printer version



Pin It

Lidia's Polenta

To contact us Click HERE



During the hot summer months I don't often make a dish that requires a long, slow simmer on the stove. Not only does a long, slow simmer heat up the kitchen, but those heavier meals are often too heavy for hot weather (even when the house is air conditioned). Occasionally, however, a simple meal like polenta and sauce is a nice dish to enjoy on a rainy summer day -- one like this recipe for Lidia's Polenta.

Polenta is a simple dish to prepare, and paired with a really good jarred pasta sauce (or some homemade sauce you stashed in the freezer) and some sauteed Italian sausages, a tasty treat even for a summer evening.

On the evening we ate this meal, I browned some fresh Italian sausages in some olive oil in a large skillet, opened a jar of Tyler Florence's Vodka sauce, poured it over the sausages and simmered them for a half hour or so. Then I sliced the sausages and served them, with the sauce,  over a spoonful of this wonderful polenta, with Parmesan cheese. Simple and delicious (and inexpensive).

I omit the bay leaves when I make it, but other than that, I make it as written.

Lidia's Basic Polenta

2 c. milk2 c. water1 T. unsalted butter1 bay leaf (optional)2 T. coarse salt (I start with less until I taste it)1 1/2 c. coarse yellow cornmeal (or polenta if you can find it labeled as such)
In medium saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, bay leafand salt. Heat to simmer over medium flame. Slowly sift cornmeal into pan through fingers of one hand,stirring constantly until polenta is smooth and thick and pulls away from sidesof pan when stirred, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
Source: Lidia Bastianich



Pin It

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

To contact us Click HERE



I am so sorry you can't get a lick here on your computer screen

My plan this week was to get so much blogging done -- get all those recipes posted that have photos sitting on the desktop. Alas, life never goes just that way, and other things got done instead. But, that's ok, they were real things. At least more real than blogging about food.

This recipe needed to be posted next, however, because it was so divine, and you need to make it soon. Like today. If you haven't put that ice cream machine on your Christmas list, I don't know what you're waiting for. Look at this delicious ice cream you can make at home. All by yourself!

I read about it at The Sweets Life and it caught my eye because it's a Jeni's recipe. Jeni's ice cream started in our fair city (actually, I intensely dislike Columbus, so I take that "fair" back). Actually it started here, and I'm not sure it has gone anywhere else, but I don't frequent Jeni's because I'm a...tightwad. Yup, about some things I am. Actually about most things I am, except shoes, and coats, and sofas. Those things deserve to have money spent on them so they last. But very few other things. I can always make it or find it elsewhere for less. And in this case, I can make it. And I did.

It was so very good, and as Natalie's friend Mike said, it really is legit. It's the best ice cream I've had so far this season.

I screwed the recipe up twice, once on purpose and once by accident, and it turned out great, so I am posting it as I screwed it up because 1) it was easier this way, and 2) you have no waste.

By the way, don't let the term "roasted" fool you. They are really just warmed up enough to soften. I prefer uncooked strawberries (like fresh berry pie and freezer jam) to cooked, and this ice cream tasted fresh.

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream


1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/3 c. sugar
3 T. fresh lemon juice (or quality bottled)
1 1/2 c. whole milk 
2 T. cornstarch2 oz cream cheese, softened1/8 t. fine sea salt1 1/4 c. heavy cream2/3 c. sugar2 T. light corn syrup1/4 c. buttermilk

To roast the strawberries, preheat the oven to 375F. Mix the strawberries with the sugar and place in an 8-inch square glass baking dish (or pie plate) stirring to combine. Roast for 8 minutes, just until soft. Allow to cool slightly.
 In a food processor or a blender, puree the strawberries with the lemon juice. 
To make the ice cream base, mix 2 T. of the milk with the cornstarch in a medium bowl, mixing to make a smooth slurry. Add the cream cheese and salt and stir to combine.
 Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside.
 In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, and corn syrup, and cream cheese/cornstarch mixture, heating to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 to 4 minutes, cooking until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
 Stir in the strawberry puree and buttermilk, mixing well. Pour the mixture into a bowl and nestle down into the ice water. Allow to stand for about 30 minutes, until chilled.
 Churn ice cream according to ice cream maker instructions. Pack the ice cream into an airtight storage container and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours (or just eat it straight from the ice cream machine -- yum!).


Source: modified from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home via The Sweets Life




My sweetheart enjoying his ice cream by the bonfire


Pin It

{#63} Must Try Tuesday: April 10, 2012

To contact us Click HERE
It is a crazy busy week here, so I will keep this short.  Here are some fabulous finds that I found last week.
Enjoy!

French Toast BakeSource: sheldonrachel.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Scrambled Egg NestsSource: whatscookinglove.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Taco Roll-UpsSource: kaitlininthekitchen.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Sour Cream and Bacon Crock Pot ChickenSource: auntnubbyskitchen.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Quesadilla BurgerSource: notsohomemade.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Mexican Chicken SoupSource: cuttingbackkitchen.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Cherry Coke Float CupcakesSource: ambrosiabaking.com via Wende on Pinterest
~~~~Apple Coffee Cake in the Crock PotSource: momswithcrockpots.com via Wende on Pinterest



Linked To:
*Finding Joy in My Kitchen: Friday Favorite Finds