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Quick Peppery Cheese Bread

March 10, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

Some things just go together naturally like peanut butter and jelly or chips and dip.  Well, this recipe goes great with the lasagna soup that I wrote about last week.  This recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, The Southern Lady Cooks, who happens to be a fellow Kentucky blogger.  She has some wonderful recipes over there and all that I have tried turn out great.

You could easily modify this bread to suit your tastes by adding different cheeses or even some cooked crumbled bacon.  Mmmm!  I may have to try it with bacon.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk and water. The measurement conversion is on the back of the package.)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 eggs

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Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with non-stick spray and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and powdered buttermilk.

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In another bowl, combine the water (for the powdered buttermilk), butter and eggs.  When that is mixed, add it to the dry ingredients; stir just until combined and make sure there are no dry spots in the batter.

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Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool for about 10 minutes and turn out of the pan. 

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Please join me at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , | 6 Comments »

Book Beginnings

March 9, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

Please join me and other bloggers today over at A Few More Pages for Book Beginnings.  Here’s the scoop…pick up the book you’re reading now and jot down the first line or two then tell us what you think. 

My post today is about “Garden Spells” by Sarah Addison Allen.  I had already read “The Peach Keeper” by this author and was really impressed.  I received three other of her books for Christmas and “Garden Spells” was the one I started first.  Here are the first few lines:

“Every smiley moon, without fail, Claire dream of her childhood.  She always tried to stay awake those nights when the stars winked and the moon was just a cresting sliver smiling provocatively down at the world, the way pretty women on vintage billboards used to smile as they sold cigarettes and limeade.”

Doesn’t this paint a beautiful, mysterious picture in your mind?  I haven’t finished this one yet, but I am really enjoying it.  It has a little magic, a little sisterly love, and a little Southern charm all thrown together. 

Posted in Books | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

Almost Wordless Wednesday

March 7, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

Aahh, spring!

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Posted in Gardening, Home, Photography | Tagged , , , , |

Lasagna Soup

March 3, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

Are you looking for a rich and hearty meal with some classic Italian flavors?  Look no further!  I found this recipe on Pinterest, of course, and it was pinned from the blog Creatively Domestic.  This is one of the best soup/stews that I have had in a long time.  I hesitate to call it a soup, because it gets really thick and stew-like which is just fine with me.  Yummy!  I won’t hold you in suspense any longer…here is the recipe.

1 onion finely diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 lb. Italian sausage

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
26 oz. spaghetti sauce
4 cups chicken (or vegetable or beef) stock (I used vegetable broth.)
2 bay leaves
8 oz. pasta

 

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In a large Dutch oven, cook the onion, garlic, and meats in the olive oil until the meats are completely cooked.  (Note: I cooked this the day before so the photo will show a skillet.)

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Add the remaining ingredients except the pasta and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

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Bring to a boil and add the pasta.  Cook for additional 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.  Enjoy!  I served this with a quick peppery cheese bread that I will highlight next week.  You don’t want to miss it!  They go great together.

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“Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset”

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Thoughtful Thursday-Garden Edition

March 1, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

Today is March 1st, y’all!  That means that spring and gardening are right around the corner.  Can I get a woo-hoo?!?!?  I really can’t complain about our winter weather this year since it has been so nice and mild, but I am itching to get my hands in the dirt and see some green things grow.  Since I had some of my regular veggie seeds left over from last year, I decided to experiment with some heirloom varieties which I ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  Have you ever seen one of their catalogs?  I could sit and read it like a book over and over again.  The photos, the descriptions…it’s just too much! 

C & I are a bunch of lettuce/cucumber/carrot loving people so I always make sure to have a big supply of seeds for those.  There were so many lettuces at Baker Creek that I would love to try, but I finally settled on two types: Gentilina, which produce "lovely bright green leafy heads" and Brune d’Hiver which is a French heirloom butterhead type.  Hmmm, butterhead, that just sounds so good.  Since I found a great carrot variety last year and it seems to be an heirloom, I am sticking with it.  "It" is Danvers 126 Half Long and the flavor is just so carroty.  The cucumber "Marketmore 76" had a wonderful description and good reviews so that was added to my shopping cart as well.  I also want to experiment with making my own tomato sauce and juice since I use so much of it in cooking so Amish Paste tomato seed also was included in my order.  The description is what led me to choose it over some other paste tomato varieties: "Giant, blocky, Roma type tomatoes have delicious red flesh that is perfect for paste and canning.  It has world-class flavor and comes from an Amish community in Wisconsin."  I can’t wait to try this! 

For fun, I also purchased two types of sunflower seeds, Mammoth Grey Striped and Tiger Eye mix.  The plan is to plant these in the fence row behind our house and let the birds feast on them.  Since watermelon is a favorite summer treat around here, I also got some Malali watermelon seeds which is a small fruited variety that weighs in around 10 pounds and boasts a light-red flesh that is refreshing and "sugary sweet".  I will definitely be purchasing from Baker Creek again and they also threw in a free gift of "Parisienne" carrot seeds.  Yay, I love free gifts!

Each year I try to add to our "orchard", which so far consists of two apple trees and two pear trees, along with about 50 Tribute strawberry plants.  This year I decided to add another 25 strawberry plants, also Tribute, and two grape vines.  I ordered these from Miller Nurseries and I highly recommend this company.  Their prices are great and the quality of their plants is even better.  They have a three grapevine deal called "Most Wanted Grape Collection" for only $23.15 which is a bargain in my book.  The collection consists of one of each of the following vines: Interlaken, Canadice, (I am planting these two), and Reliance (which my grandmother wanted). 

This doesn’t include the sweet pepper plants that I will buy this spring or anything that might strike my fancy along the way. Maybe some herbs too?  Now, if I can just get another raised bed built before planting time! 

Posted in Gardening, My Thoughts | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

Almost Wordless Wednesday

February 29, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

I think it’s close enough to Spring for a new front door wreath…

Spring Wreath

Posted in Crafting, Home | Tagged , |

Menu Plan Monday Week 9

February 27, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

Is it the end of February already?  That is hard to believe, and since it is the end of the month, this week is clean out the pantry/fridge/freezer week.  In trying to save money on groceries, I have started a new routine this year.  At the end of one month, I take a calendar and write down supper ideas for the next month.  Yes, that’s right, the WHOLE month!  Then I make one big grocery list that allows me to have the ingredients for all of those meals on hand.  That way I only have to buy perishables the rest of that month.  How is it working?  So far so good.  C & I did have a couple of extra events this month that I really wasn’t expecting so I had to pick up a few things, but all in all, it is working great.

Since I am cooking for just the two of us during the week, I also try to plan suppers that have leftovers and we have those for lunch the next day.  That doesn’t always happen, but I usually end up with lunches for 3 or 4 days which helps out a lot.  The next two weeks probably won’t have any new recipes since this week is grocery week and next week we will be traveling a few days for C’s job.  In fact, I will probably skip next week’s menu plan because I won’t be cooking too much then.

Biscuit Bubble-Up Pizza

Grilled Hamburgers with Oven Baked Fries (We ended up having leftovers last week so I didn’t make this then.)

Pizza Night

Grilled Pork Chops & Oven Baked Fries

Grocery Night

Basic Meatloaf with Butter Roasted Potatoes

Posted in Menu Planning | Tagged |

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

February 25, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

Mmmmmm, creamy cheesy potatoes.  This is comfort food at its finest. I have tried to make au gratin potatoes in the past, but they have always turned out too dry for my taste.  I was looking for a recipe that resulted in tender potatoes with loads of creamy sauce and this is it!  These could be a meal by themselves, but if you wanted a little protein, just throw in some diced ham and it would be an awesome casserole.

The original recipe came from allrecipes.com again.  Can you tell that is one of my favorite places to search for food? 

4 Idaho potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1 onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds.

 

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Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

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Please join me at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage for Full Plate Thursday.

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

Book Beginnings

February 24, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

I can’t wait to tell you about the book I am reviewing today!  It is so good! Please join me over at A Few More Pages for today’s Book Beginnings link party to see what everyone else is reading, too.

Usually I am not a big fan of young adult fiction just because I am definitely not a “young adult” anymore, but sometimes there is a special book out there that spans the generations and this is one of them.  It is “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.  Now I know this book has been out for a while, but I just discovered it in the last few months and I am so glad I did. 

Here are the first line(s):

“When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.  My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress.  She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother.  Of course, she did.  This is the day of the reaping.”

The reaping?  Does this sound ominous or not?  It definitely is as you will find out by reading this awesome book. 

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments »

Menu Plan Monday Week 8

February 20, 2012 by pictureperfectcooking

We have arrived at the beginning of another week, so it is time for another menu plan.  Do you menu plan and do you find that it helps save time and energy by knowing what you will fix that week?  I know it helps me tremendously!  After working all day, the thought of coming home and having to wrack my brain for something to fix for supper is just a pain.  By planning a week’s worth of dinners, I know I have options. 

I don’t list my meals by the day of the week on here, but on my kitchen calendar I do.  That doesn’t mean I stick with it exactly, but at least I know what I can make and that makes life a lot easier!

Taco Soup (new) with cheesy bread

Grilled hamburgers and oven fries

Sausage bake (2 nights)

Hamburger Stew

Pizza or Eat Out Night

Posted in Menu Planning | Tagged , |

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