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Menu Plan Monday

June 10, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Oh, hi!  Is it Monday already?  Wow, I guess it is so I had better get my weekly menu together.  Please join me and many others over at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday where you can find loads of meal ideas and inspiration. 

I hope everyone had a nice weekend and is looking forward to a successful week.  We did and are, especially since we are taking a little time off at the end of this week.  We will celebrate twelve years of marriage on Friday so we are going to get out and run around that day and hopefully just have some silly fun. 

Because of that, this week’s menu is a little short because I am not sure what we will be doing and that’s ok.  Everyone deserves a little free time.

Easy shredded pork BBQ and chips

Grilled hot dogs and oven baked fries (postponed from last week)

Cheesy steak sandwiches with oven baked fries (2 nights)

Brown sugar meatloaf (new) with potatoes of some kind

Southern Plate’s Perfect Pecan Pie (I have had a pecan pie craving for a few weeks now.)

Posted in Menu Planning | Tagged , , |

Oreo Strawberry Pie

June 8, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

C and I both love strawberries and there has been a bumper crop this year.  I was cruising Pinterest one day and C even saw something on there that caught his eye.  It was a fresh strawberry pie and, for the life of me, I can’t find the link for it so please forgive me!  I don’t have the original source, but I tweaked it a little so I guess it is my recipe now.  If anyone recognizes the filling recipe, give me a shout out as to where it originated.  I hate not knowing. (Finally found it…it was from Hoosier Homemade.)

Anyway, one word of warning regarding the glaze…DO NOT leave it cooking on the stove unattended.  Stir it constantly or it will burn.  I learned this the hard way TWICE!

strawberrypie

1/3 package Oreo cookies, crushed

1/2 stick butter, melted

2 lbs. fresh strawberries

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tbsp. cornstarch

4 tbsp. strawberry gelatin powder

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Crush the cookies in a food processor and mix with the melted butter.  Press the crumb mixture into a greased pie pan and refrigerate until chilled, about an hour.

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Pile those delicious strawberries in the crust and set aside.  In a small saucepan over medium-high heat combine the water, sugar and cornstarch.  Cook, STIRRING CONSTANTLY, until the mixture boils and becomes clear.  Remove from the heat and add the strawberry gelatin.  Stir to combine and pour over the strawberries.  Chill for an hour or two until the glaze is set.

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strawberrypie

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments »

Book Beginnings

June 7, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Hello, my fellow book lovers and welcome to another edition of Book Beginnings hosted by Rose City Reader.  Join me, won’t you?  Today, I am sharing the first line or two from an old favorite, “Angels & Demons” by Dan Brown.  Mr. Brown has a new book out called “Inferno” and I wanted to refresh myself with the main character.  I can’t wait to read the new one!  I first read “Angels & Demons” several years ago and really enjoyed it.  In my opinion, it was just as good or maybe even a little better than “The DaVinci Code” which I enjoyed immensely.

“High atop the steps of the Great Pyramid of Giza, a young woman laughed and called down to him. “Robert, hurry up!  I knew I should have married a younger man!”  Her smile was magic.”

Doesn’t that just set a scene?  But is this reality or maybe a dream?  You will just have to read the book and find out.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments »

One Word Wednesday

June 5, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Home…

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Posted in Gardening, Home, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Menu Plan Monday

June 3, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Good morning and welcome to the first Monday of June!  What?!?!?!  Is it June already?  Wow, this year is just flying right by me and I wish I could slow it down just a little bit, don’t you?  Sorry I was MIA last Monday, but the holiday weekend through me off schedule a little bit as did working in the yard for hours and hours.  I really didn’t even want to think about cooking last week and I didn’t do a whole lot.

The next few weeks should be much better.  I took the time on Saturday to sit down and tentatively menu plan for the whole month so I could make a serious grocery list.  Hopefully, I will make it to the stores this week to re-stock our shelves.  I am listing several meals today, but one or two might not get made if I have to go grocery shopping after work.

Bubble-up pizza

Grilled steak burgers with oven fries

Pineapple grilled pork chops (new) with oven fries & salad

Grilled hot dogs with chips

Grilled tenderloin with butter roasted potatoes (Sensing a grilling theme this week?)

Pizza night

Double berry scones (New for this month’s dessert challenge)

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

Posted in Menu Planning | Tagged , , |

Strawberry Freezer Jam

June 1, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

C & I have a small strawberry patch that, in a good year, produces plenty for us to eat on and a few to freeze.  Last year was a terrible strawberry year so we had none left over in the freezer.  Thankfully, the same can’t be said for this season.  Our little plants are loaded down with berries and I am picking a good sized bowl every day.  Still, that wasn’t quite enough to please us so, in the last week, I have worked up 5 GALLONS of berries bought from a family friend.

I also have a new toy in my food arsenal that has been on my wish list for a while…a chest freezer! I am so happy with it.  I bought it on Lowes.com and they delivered it for free from my local store.  How easy is that?  Now I can freeze all sorts of things.

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Anyway, back to today’s recipe.  I made peach freezer jam last year so I had to make some strawberry this year.  The recipe is from Our Best Bites, but it seems to be just the basic freezer jam recipe that is very popular.  Here goes…

strawberryfreezerjam

2 cups crushed strawberries

4 cups granulated sugar

1 box Surejell

3/4 cup water

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Mash the strawberries and measure out two cups.  Mix the sugar in the berries and let them sit for about 10 minutes.

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During this time, mix the water and Surejell together in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and let cook for 1 minute.  Pour the Surejell into the berries and stir for 3 minutes.

Ladle the strawberries into sanitized jars leaving about 1/2 inch headspace and put on the tops.  Let these stand at room temperature for 24 hours and then refrigerate.  These will keep in the fridge for about a month or in the freezer for a whole year.  I have been loving this on a buttered bagel in the mornings.  It is so much better than anything you can buy at the store.

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strawberryfreezerjam

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments »

Thoughtful Thursday- Flower Power Take 2

May 30, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

One day, while watching a Lexington, Kentucky news broadcast, I saw a commercial that really caught my eye.  It was for Springhouse Gardens which, come to find out, was a nursery in Nicholasville, a nearby town to Lexington. 

I mentioned seeing this ad to my aunt and Nanny so we decided to take a little road trip to visit and it was well worth it!  Nicholasville is about 2 hours from where we live so we started out early one morning just a couple of weeks ago.  It is so worth it to take the scenic route up Highway 68 through Lebanon, Perryville and Harrodsburg.  The view up the Kentucky River when you cross is breathtaking!  I wish there was a place to stop for photos at that location, but there really isn’t.  The huge limestone walls and forests along the banks of the flowing river is absolutely beautiful!

We arrived at the nursery after passing some manicured horse farms and we weren’t disappointed.  Since they are located in a more upscale area, the prices reflected that a bit, but they weren’t too bad.  I bought an “American Hero “ hosta and Nanny purchased something I had never seen before…a non-vining Clematis which will make a shrub instead. 

If you are looking for some specimen trees or shrubs to add to your landscape, then I highly recommend going to Springhouse Gardens.  They had things I had never seen before, including a weeping redwood that was out of this world.  I didn’t even know you could grow redwoods in Kentucky.

Would you like to see a few photographs from that day?  I thought so…I’ll be quiet now and just let you bask in the beauty of Springhouse Gardens.  Oh, one last thing…the owners were there that day and they are just delightful.  Let them know if you are from out of town and they will have you sign a guestbook.

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Yes, we are in horse country.

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Beautiful Japanese Maple trees:

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I loved the tree they trimmed to look like a flower:

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Posted in Fun, Gardening, Kentucky Proud, My Thoughts, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments »

One Word Wednesday

May 29, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Garden…

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Posted in Gardening, Green/Sustainable Living, Home, Photography | Tagged , , , |

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

May 25, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Since I didn’t get to make any candy last Christmas, I decided that it didn’t have to be a holiday to make it.  Why not make fudge any old time of the year?  This recipe from Buns In My Oven that I found on Pinterest looked so yummy that I decided to try it. 

I usually like the classic fudges the best such as chocolate pecan and peanut butter, but I have to say that this one is right up there with them.  Of course, being chocolate-flavored helped a little! The only problem I had was that my chocolate chips wanted to melt a little in the warm mixture and Ms. Buns’ has perfect little chips in each piece.  Thankfully, it didn’t hurt the taste, just the appearance a little.

cccdfudge

For the cookie dough:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons half and half
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the fudge:
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup butter
pinch of salt
1/3 cup half and half
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

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Line an 8×8” baking dish with foil leaving a little overhang and spray with non-stick spray.

For the cookie cough: beat the butter and white sugar until they are light and fluffy which takes about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, salt and half & half and combine. Stir in the flour and set aside.

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Now make the fudge base:

Combine the brown sugar, butter, salt, and half and half in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat.  Warm and stir until the butter is melted and the brown sugar is dissolved. 

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Remove from the heat and slowly add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Stir in the vanilla and then stir in the cookie dough.  Mix in the chips and spread it in the prepared baking pan. 

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Chill for at least 3 hours.  It was a little humid when I made mine so it took more time to set up.  Cut into small pieces and enjoy!

cccdfudge

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments »

Book Beginnings

May 24, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Thanks for joining me today for Book Beginnings hosted by Rose City Reader.  The book I am spotlighting is “A Clash of Kings”, the second in the series by George R.R. Martin.  To call these books “epic” is something of an understatement.  They are long and detailed with many characters with unusual names.  There are many times when I had to go back and re-read a few sentences to make sure I had all of the players straight!

“The comet’s tail spread across the dawn, a red slash that bled above the crags of Draonstone like a wound in the pink and purple sky.”

Was the comet a sign?  Is Dragonstone an important place?  You will just have to read and find out.  I hope to eventually read the rest of the series, but I may have to take a break from it for a little while.  Usually reading relaxes me and I can do it anywhere, but these books take a lot of concentration to keep up with all of the action.

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments »

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