Notice:

So, I think I will delete this blog. It has been fun, and although I have quite the cue of pics and recipes, I am just too insanely busy to keep up with it. All it does is sit there and remind me of one more thing I need to do that I haven't done. (anyone else have the half completed projects in their closet?)

Anyway, to get rid of some of the guilt I have been feeling, I took down all the recipes I had inside my cupboards and...threw them away! I felt so free!

I will leave this up until I figure a super easy way to transfer the info here to one of my other blogs (being super computer-y is not on my extensive list of talents...) And when I come across something that needs to be shared, I will post there. :)



I feel better already.

Cinnamon Kix

These little treats are so fun to munch. This recipe can be doubled and made with one bag corn puffs. They are so addictive that way, but don't read the nutritional info of those corn puffs. I wanted a better alternative for when we are craving them, and subbed Kix cereal and added cinnamon oil. Try other flavoring oils or extracts for a different treat.

Cinnamon Kix

1 box Kix cereal
½ c. sugar
½ c corn syrup
¼ c. butter
¼ tsp cinnamon oil—add 1/8 tsp more for a stronger cinnamon flavor
½ tsp baking soda
red food coloring (optional)
Bring sugar, corn syrup and butter to a boil. Add baking soda, cinnamon oil and red food coloring and stir to combine. Pour Kix in a large bowl coated with pam. Pour cinnamon mix over cereal and stir to coat. Transfer to greased cookie sheet. Bake at 250 stirring every 10 min for 45 min. spread on wax paper to cool.

What did You have for lunch today?

I had a bagleful and some fresca today. Not exciting, but a week or so ago I treated myself to this: An amazing capreese salad with tomatoes and basil from the garden, fresh mozzarella, good, fruity olive oil and a sweet, smooth balsamic reduction.

So so so tasty. My 4 year old and I were in heaven!

We had a fabulous dinned a few weeks ago with some of my husband's co-workers, and had a capreese salad with balsamic reduction. I had to re-create!

Assembly is easy, just put sliced, vine ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced fresh mozzarella and a pile of fresh basil leaves that you have chopped on a plate in a pretty design. Drizzle with the best olive oil you have. Drizzle with Balsamic reduction. (recipe below) and eat!

Balsamic reduction

This one took me a few tries to get it the way I like. Makes a lot... refrigerate it and use frequently.

3/4 c good balsamic vinegar. ( I like the Kirkland brand you can get at Costco)

1 1/2 Tbs brown sugar (that is 1 tbs + 1 1/2 tsp for those of you who don't like kitchen math)

1 clove garlic, smooshed with side of knife and peel removed

Combine all in a saucepan and simmer for 10 min, until thick as cold syrup. remove garlic clove, and use. store in fridge.

***Moments of brilliance I cannot take credit for***

My Husband mixes some of this reduction in a small amount of mayo and makes amazing sandwiches that taste so gourmet! We really like it on grilled tomato and mozzarella sandwiches!

Chili for a chilly day

Happy first day of fall! It is raining at my house today. All the wind and cold has me thinking about soup. I love soup. We tried this one a few weeks ago, and I was surprised at how good it was. I normally am not a big fan of red chili, and pepperoni is generally forbidden at our house. But I found Hormel turkey pepperoni and it is tasty and not greasy (thanks for telling me about it, Michelle). It has waaaay fewer calories and tons less fat than normal pepperoni. Still not health food, but okay for every once in a while. This soup is so good my kids gobbled it up, and my 7 year old asked for the leftovers the next night instead of what I had prepared for dinner. Really easy and really tasty. Perfect for this chilly, rainy day. Enjoy!Pepperoni pizza chili

1 pound ground beef
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian stewed tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups water
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, optional

In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, pizza sauce, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, pepperoni, green pepper, pizza seasoning and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until chili reaches desired thickness. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Green Chile Chicken Tamales

These are tasty tamales. A little bit of work, but oh, so worth it. Delicious! And it makes a ton. I froze half of the tamales, and we take them out and steam them or nuke them in the microwave, wrapped in a wet paper towel for 2 min, or until hot.

Don't be afraid of the Serrano chilies, I took out the seeds of two because I thought they would be too spicy, but the sauce turned out really mild, so next time I will leave in all the chili seeds. Also, I needed two batches of masa to use up all the chicken filling. One batch I used lard, 'cause I'm sure that is what the little Mexican lady that sells them at the farmers market uses. The second batch I used half shortening and half unsalted butter, and cut down the amount of fat by about 3 tablespoons. We really liked the shortening/butter version better. they were much less greasy and had a better flavor. I also just cooked a few chicken breasts in the crock pot with about 1/2 cup salsa instead of using rotisserie chicken. Enjoy!

Green Chile Chicken Tamales

Filling 1 8-ounce package dried corn husks
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed 4 3-inch-long Serrano chiles, stemmed, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups low-salt chicken broth 4 cups (packed) coarsely shredded cooked chicken (about 1 pound; from purchased rotisserie chicken) 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dough 1 1/3 cups lard or solid vegetable shortening 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (omit if masa mixture contains salt) 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (omit if masa mixture contains baking powder) 4 cups freshly ground masa dough for tamales (34 to 36 ounces), or make masa dough with 31/2cups masa harina (corn tortilla mix; about 17 ounces) mixed with 2 1/4 cups warm water 2 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth

Preparation For filling: Place husks in large pot or large bowl; add water to cover. Place heavy plate on husks to keep submerged. Let stand until husks soften, turning occasionally, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat broiler. Line heavy baking sheet with foil. Arrange tomatillos on prepared sheet. Broil until tomatillos blacken in spots, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer tomatillos and any juices on sheet to processor and cool. Add chiles and garlic to processor and blend until smooth puree forms. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo puree and boil 5 minutes, stirring often. Add broth. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until sauce coats spoon thickly and is reduced to 1 cup, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Season with salt. Mix in chicken and cilantro. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

For dough: Using electric mixer, beat lard (with salt and baking powder, if using) in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in fresh masa or masa harina mixture in 4 additions. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups broth, forming tender dough. If dough seems firm, beat in enough broth, 2 tablespoons at a time, to soften.
Fill bottom of pot with steamer insert with enough water (about 2 inches) to reach bottom of insert. Line bottom of insert with some softened corn husks. Tear 3 large husks into 1/4-inch-wide strips to use as ties and set aside. Open 2 large husks on work surface. Spread 1/4 cup dough in 4-inch square in center of each, leaving 2- to 3-inch plain border at narrow end of husk. Spoon heaping tablespoon filling in strip down center of each dough square. Fold long sides of husk and dough over filling to cover. Fold up narrow end of husk. Tie folded portion with strip of husk to secure, leaving wide end of tamale open. Stand tamales in steamer basket. Repeat with more husks, dough, and filling until all filling has been used. If necessary to keep tamales upright in steamer, insert pieces of crumpled foil between them.

Bring water in pot to boil. Cover pot and steam tamales until dough is firm to touch and separates easily from husk, adding more water to pot as necessary, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool 1 hour. Cover and chill. Before serving, re-steam tamales until hot, about 35 minutes.)

You should have been home Monday night...

I tried a new treat for family night treat this week. It was so yummy that we decided we had to give it away...and fast. Or we might eat more of it. Or all of it. We decided to take the yummy goodness to some neighbors we usually don't take treats to on a regular basis. We caught a few people home, but so many were not. So, we decided to try just any of our neighbors. It took some time to find people home to accept our homemade delight. I have to say, they were so lucky! So, If you are my neighbor and weren't home Monday night, here is what you missed...Maybe you will stay home next week. But, it is my husband's turn for treat.....so maybe not.Mascarpone Cheesecake (Mwahahhahahahhaaa)

Yes, this deserves the "evil laugh".

I have only ever tried a cheesecake once, and it came out all cracked on top and kinda lumpy on the inside. Not being a big fan of cheesecake, I never tried again. Until today. This cheesecake is sooo creamy! It was very easy to make, too. I followed the directions exactly, except for I made it in a 10" springform and it was perfectly done at 50 minutes. I used Tom's gourmet caramel ice cream topping (available at my local associated food stores) and it was tasty stuff. I hope you enjoy!

Mascarpone Cheesecake

Ingredients:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
FILLING:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2 cartons (8 ounces each) Mascarpone cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
TOPPING:
1 envelope whipped topping mix
1 tablespoon caramel ice cream topping

Directions: Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. For filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cheeses, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Before serving, prepare topping mix according to package directions. Garnish cheesecake with whipped topping; drizzle with caramel. Refrigerate leftovers.

Cinnamon Pecan braid

This sweet bread is so delicious! I am an average bread maker...and this was easy and turned out perfect. (I have to acknowledge my amazing hubby who took care of the final rise and baking while I was in a meeting...he did an awesome job!) When we open our bed and breakfast (hey, ya gotta have dreams) I will be making this for our guests. This recipe makes a ton. Two big loaves. We divided one and took them to neighbors, and ate the other one. I took the leftovers 2 days later and made the MOST AMAZING french toast ever. Maybe I will make this again just to have the french toast. Yummy.
Cinnamon Pecan Braid
6 to 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
2 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
GLAZE:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Directions: In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, yeast, salt and sugar. In a small saucepan, heat water and 1/2 cup butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Divide into six portions. Roll out each portion into a 12-in. x 6-in. rectangle. Melt remaining butter; brush over dough. Combine pecans, brown sugar cinnamon and cardamom; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Place three ropes seam side down on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining ropes. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over loaves. Serve warm. Yield: 2 loaves.