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Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category

Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged , , , on March 25, 2013|

Is is actually Spring?  I think the calendar may be wrong because it is cold and wet and dreary and, well, you get the picture.  Where’s the sunshine?  There is so much that we want to do outside, but it is just too cool and damp to do any of it yet.  I guess that means more time to cook more comfort food even though our diet won’t like it too well.

This is an odd and short menu week for me.  I have a couple of new weeknight dinner ideas to try, Easter is next Sunday, and we have a couple of nights/days out planned.  This Tuesday is my homemakers/cooking club meeting and I will actually be one of the presenters this time. *Gulp*  I will be making a couple of dairy free ice creams and talking a little about lactose intolerance. Wish me luck…I will probably need it.

Next Saturday, C & I are going to the first Kentucky Green Living Fair in Somerset which is being organized by Sustainable Kentucky.  I am really excited about it and can’t wait to see the booths and a couple of the seminars planned.  After that, I hope we get to drive up to Stanford to the Bluebird Café and then to Lancaster to Marksbury Farms.  It will be a very full day, but we don’t go that direction very often so I want to try to squeeze as much in as possible.

Sunday is Easter, of course, which means celebrating our risen Lord Jesus Christ at church that morning and then eating with both sides of the family at lunch and dinner so I will have multiple dishes to make for that.  Happy Easter to everyone!

Enchilada beef (new)

Pizza night

Taco pork chops (new) with oven fries

Brown sugar honey glazed ham (new)

Cinnamon pecan sweet potatoes (new)

Pineapple upside down cupcakes (new)

Please join me at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

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Deep Dish Pizza Pie

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , on March 23, 2013| 3 Comments »

Pinterest obviously is now my main source of new recipes to try and, no surprise to anyone, that is where I found this one.  It is supposedly one of quarterback, Tim Tebow’s favorite meals, but that is not why I tried it.  I am always on the look-out for a new way to fix an old dish.  This turned out pretty well, but still not as good as take-out pizza. 

Here is the link to the original recipe from Taste of Home and you will be able to see that I tweaked my version to use the ingredients I had on hand.

Deep Dish Pizza Pie

1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and drained

1 jar pizza sauce

1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

2 cup shredded cheese of your choice

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Separate the biscuits and press them into a greased deep dish pie plate to form the crust.  Mix the sausage with the sauce and pour that into the pie dish.  Top with shredded cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

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Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged , , on March 18, 2013| 1 Comment »

Is it Monday again already?  Time sure does fly whether you are having fun or not, unfortunately.  Well, C & I took time for a little fun and adventure this weekend and it was well-deserved.  C has been a comic book fan from way back and we went to the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention this past Saturday.  It was really fun, but very very crowded.  So crowded, in fact, that is was overwhelming for both of us.  I am not usually an anxious person, but being in the middle of a large moving crowd can set my nerves on edge. 

If we go back next year, at least we will be better prepared on what to expect.  Check back on Thursday because I hope to have some photos featured of the events and people in costume. 

This week looks to be just a normal week for us.  The office that I work in is open one Saturday morning a month so this Saturday is my turn to work.  We will probably being sticking close to home because of that so hopefully I can get some more cleaning done after work.  I hope all of my readers have a great and blessed week!

Bubble up pizza (didn’t get made last week)

Sausage bake

Chili

Ham biscuits with oven fries

Pizza night

Bruschetta meatloaf (new) with potatoes of some kind

Chocolate cream Swiss roll (new-if time permits)

Please join me at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

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Sweet Almond Pastry

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , , , on March 14, 2013| 11 Comments »


Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge

Today’s post is this month’s entry for the Dessert Challenge hosted by Lady Behind The Curtain.  Every month she gives us bloggers two ingredients to use and post about then we all link up together on the second Thursday of that month.  The spotlighted ingredients for March are almond paste and pastry.  When I first saw those two listed, I felt a little nervous about finding the almond paste to buy, much less finding a recipe.

I was right about finding the paste…I couldn’t find it locally and it was going to be too pricey to ship so I just found a recipe for it and made my own.  This is really going to be two recipes in one post so it is long: one for the almond paste and one for the sweet almond pastry using that paste.  The almond paste recipe was from Two Tarts and the pastry recipe was from the Pepperidge Farm website.  Enjoy!

SweetAlmondPastry

For the almond paste:

3 cups raw almonds

3 cups powdered sugar

2 egg whites

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*This recipe makes a lot more than you need for the recipe, but it will keep in the freezer for up to six months.*

Heat a big pot of water to boiling.  Pour 3 cups of almonds into the water and boil for one minute.  Drain immediately and let cool for a few minutes before peeling their loose brown skins off.  The skins will just peel right off with very little effort.

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Put the almonds in a food processor and let it run until the almonds are in very tiny pieces.  This will take 2 to 3 minutes.

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Add the powdered sugar and process until the mixture is very finely ground, another 2 or 3 minutes.  I had to stop a few times and shake the bowl so it would evenly process.  Add the egg whites and process until thoroughly combined and it will look like this:

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Now on to the final product:

Vegetable cooking spray

2 eggs

1 tbsp. water

6 oz. almond paste

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Combine 1 egg with the water for an egg wash.  Set aside.

Place the almond paste, granulated sugar, 1 egg and vanilla in a food processor. Cover and process until the mixture is smooth.

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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rough 12×10” rectangle.

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With the short side toward you, spread the almond mixture on the lower half of the dough.  With a sharp knife, cut small slits in the other half.  Then fold the half with the slits over the half with the almond mix and seal around the edges using a fork.  Place this on the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash.

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Bake for 12 minutes then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 20 more minutes.  Cool for about 15 minutes and enjoy!

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SweetAlmondPastry

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Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Cooking, Menu Planning, tagged , , on March 11, 2013|

Please join me and many other menu-planners over at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.  You will always find great ideas for new dishes in the lists provided. 

We are finally seeing some warmer weather and a little sunshine around here, thankfully.  I spent several hours Saturday cleaning an area in our garage and ended up with 8 garbage bags of stuff to dispose of.  Whew!  I am a little ashamed to admit that some of the boxes had been there since we moved seven years ago (YIKES!), but that was the last area that I really needed to clean out.  Now I can go back and re-organize the other areas and have a pretty nice garage finally. 

This week’s menu is a little short since we have a couple of nights out planned.  I’ll will have lots of photos about our adventure very soon.  I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Bubble up pizza

Cheesy steak sandwiches with oven fries (2 nights)

Pizza night

Sloppy Joes with curly fries

Cookie dough fudge (time permitting-new)

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Mexican Hamburger Soup

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on March 9, 2013| 5 Comments »

February was soup month for me, specifically hamburger soups.  I have been eyeing this recipe for a while and finally had a chance to try it out.  I found it on Pinterest (of course) and it was pinned from Easy Natural Food.  The name of the site says it all…this recipe was simple and natural and yummy.  I didn’t have any hot sauce to perk up my mild salsa so next time, I will get a spicier salsa.  I also added just a little salt and black pepper for a flavor boost as well.

MexicanHamburgerSoup

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 lb. ground beef

2-3 ribs celery, chopped

1 medium/large carrot, sliced

1 cup corn (I used canned.)

16 oz. jar salsa

3 cups beef or vegetable stock

2 tbsp. tomato paste

Salt & pepper to taste

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Over medium heat in a large pot, heat the oil and then add the onion and garlic.  Cook until the onion is soft, but not browned. Add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

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MexicanHamburgerSoup

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Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged , , on March 4, 2013|

Welcome to the start of another week and another menu plan!  We got to turn the calendar another page to March this week even though our weather here sure didn’t seem too spring-like.  I really hope the old saying of “in like a lion, out like a lamb” applies this year because I think we have had more snow in the last week than we have had all winter.  I am ready for some sunshine and warmer temps!

This past Tuesday, I experienced another first for me.  Two of my co-workers and I have joined a local homemakers club and Tuesday night was our first meeting/demonstration.  The subject was all things vanilla and our president actually made homemade vanilla extract for us and then she and a few others used this in recipes for us to try.  Here is a couple of photos from that night:

homemade vanilla extract

vanilla hot chocolate

Next month is all about healthy/alternative diets and I am presenting a short demo about lactose free ice creams.  Wish me luck!  I am usually not comfortable in front of crowds but I hope to pull it off without too much drama.  LOL!

I have a few new recipes this week along with some old faithfuls.  The peanut butter pudding cake didn’t get made last week because I needed to work on a recipe for the upcoming edition of the Lady Behind The Curtain’s Dessert Challenge so the PB cake is back on the list this week.  Have a great and blessed week!

Beef stew with noodles (new)

Grilled pork chops with oven fries (didn’t get made last week)

Chili with grilled cheese

Easy pasta soup (new)

Easy apple cinnamon pancakes with bacon

Pizza night

A-1 Swiss steak

Peanut butter pudding cake (new)

Please join me at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

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Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on March 2, 2013| 13 Comments »

If you are a chocoholic like I am, I have the perfect cookie for you!  I found this delectable little treat over at Tracy’s Culinary Adventures and it is a winner.  With this much chocolate and butter, you just can’t go wrong.  One little word of warning…this recipe makes a LOT of cookies so you may want to find some people to share these with.  Trust me.

choctrufflecookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 oz. (567 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups mini chocolate chips

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two cookie sheets.  Sift the first 4 ingredients together and set aside.  Melt the semi-sweet chips in the microwave at 50% percent power for 45 second increments until the chips are soft enough to melt when stirred.

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Look at that beautiful chocolate goodness.  Mmmm.

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Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate before adding the next. Increase the mixer to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and the mini chocolate chips. 

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Using a small cookie scoop, portion out the dough on the cookie sheets.  I put about 14 cookies on each sheet.  Cook one at a time for 12-14 minutes. I let the first sheet cool for a few minutes while the second sheet cooks.  Then just reload and put the sheet back in the oven.

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Menu Plan Monday

Posted in Menu Planning, tagged , on February 25, 2013| 2 Comments »

Happy Monday to everyone!  Sorry I was MIA last week, but I had a touch of something that left me tired and weak.  I went home from work early on Friday with a fever, chills, and body aches.  Thankfully those symptoms were short lived and the rest of the weekend I was just tired and lazy.  I did absolutely nothing all weekend except lay on the couch to read or watch tv.  That is not like me at all!

After that, I have played catch-up all week with laundry, housework, etc. so this week I am back to normal.  Yay!  I did make a new cookie recipe this weekend and it was divine.  They are Chocolate Truffle Cookies and will be coming up this Saturday so please check back for a delicious treat.  This menu is actually starting with yesterday’s supper since I didn’t get to post my new recipe on last week’s menu.  Have a great week, everyone!

Country-style pork loin (new)

Hamburger stew with quick peppery cheese bread

Grilled pork chops with oven fries

Tacos with salad

Grilled hamburgers with oven fries

Pizza night

Salsa sloppy Joes with curly fries

Peanut butter pudding cake (new)

Please join me at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

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Hamburger Soup

Posted in Cooking, tagged , , , , , on February 23, 2013| 17 Comments »

I love to try new soup recipes, especially when the weather is cold.  Soup just warms the body and soul.  This is a quick and simple, but filling, soup from Simply Klassic which I found on Pinterest.

Even though I don’t have kids, I think this would be a very kid-friendly meal with some cheese and crackers or cornbread on the side. 

HamburgerSoup

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 lb. ground beef

salt & pepper to taste

1 can condensed tomato soup, plus 1 can water

28 oz. beef broth (I used vegetable since I was out of beef.)

1 small can corn (I used Mexicorn.)

2 cups uncooked pasta of your choice

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Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion has softened.  Add the beef and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the meat is no longer pink.

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Add the rest of the ingredients except the pasta.  Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to medium.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

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