Gourmified

Asian Pork Wraps

2012-01-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

In an effort to achieve one of my New Year's Goals, I'm cooking more at home and eating out less. Having three kids, one an infant, PTA responsibilities, a part-time job and household responsibilities is severely cutting into my prep time. When once I loved spending hours in the kitchen cooking and baking, I'm now lucky to steal 30 straight minutes. Sound familiar?

Enter Asian Pork Wraps. The combination of Asian seasonings and spices as well as the juicy mandarin orange slices, crunchy lettuce and toasted almonds are a beautifully delicious light yet filling combination.

Originally written as a slow cooker recipe, it can also be made day-of in 15 min or less, if you pre-cook your meat that is. Remember when I posted about making Chicken Shreds via Kira Cooks? Apply the same techniques to pork and you're set! All you have to do is take one to two bags, thawed, of your pre-cooked and shredded pork, pop it in a saucepan and add seasonings. I use half the seasonings for one baggie. Combine. Heat throughout. Toppings as desired. Serve. Easy Peasy!

{asian pork wraps}
Serves 8-10
2 1/2 to 3 lb. pork shoulder roast
2/3 c. hoisin sauce
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

Place roast in greased 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and spread over top. Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours. Shred roast w/ two forks.

Serve atop warm tortillas (I like 6" round best), with sliced green onion, mandarin oranges, toasted slivered or sliced almonds, and shredded lettuce.

Sunday Supper Roast

2012-01-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Since getting pregnant with, and having, baby #3, we've eaten out so much more than ever. I know it's partly due to those crazy pregnancy hormones affecting my taste buds and also partly due to the lack of energy. If you've had a baby, you know what I'm talking about! Well, upon review of not only my waistline but also our financial goals, I decided that one of my New Year's ~~resolutions~~ goals is to eat out only once per week...if that. So, I'm working on finding some great FAST, go-to menus that my family loves.

This is one of those recipes because:

1. Both kids and adults gobble it up.

2. It's fast to prep and throw together.

3. It can cook all day in my slow cooker while I'm at work so I can come home to a delicious smelling house and a meal ready to go!

Not only does the slow cooker make the meat fall-apart delicious, but the combination of the onion soup, garlic and seasonings creates such a beautiful symphony of flavors in your mouth! The potatoes and carrots are perfectly tender and the gravy so easy to make, although it is delicious without it, too!

{sunday supper roast}

1 (2.2 oz.) box beefy onion soup (2 env.)
1 (3 1/2 lb.) beef rump roast
2 lb. small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
5 large carrots, chunky sliced (about 1 1/2" sections)
4 celery ribs, chunky sliced (about 1 1/2" sections)
8 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp. garlic pepper
2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans beef broth, separated
1/4 cup flour

Roll the meat in both packages of onion soup. Set aside. In a 5-6 quart crock-pot, place half each of the potatoes, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with half each of the garlic pepper and thyme. Tuck the bay leaf into the veggies. Pour all but 1/2 cup of broth over veggies. Add the roast and scrape any dry soup mix left on top. Cover with the remaining veggies and seasonings. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours. Remove meat and veggies and keep warm. Pour the juices from the pot into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Whisk together the saved 1/2 cup broth and the flour. Pour slowly into boiling juices. Stir until gravy is thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour over meat and vegetables and serve.

Sausage, Lentil & Kale Soup

2011-12-28T05:06:00.000-08:00

Did you know that In Italy, lentils are a traditional accompaniment for pork sausages, and are also a required item on New Year's Eve (or day) menus; their shape brings to mind tiny coins and people eat them in the hope that they won't want for cash during the rest of the year!

I don't know about you, but I could really use this good luck, so I plan on eating my way into the New Year with a diet full of lentils! This soup is the perfect way to start it, too! Not only does it have lentils, but spicy sausage and the amazingly delicious and nutritious kale! One of my all-time favorite leafy veggies! Enjoy and have a Happy coin-filled New Year!

{sausage, lentil & kale soup}
Serves 4.
1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage
1 C. lentils
1 medium onion, diced
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
8oz. mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced (I used 2oz. shitake I re-hydrated in the soup this time & love the meatiness they provide!)
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
3 to 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 C. tomato paste
4 C. chicken stock (use 5 if you prefer a little more soupy, like me)
3 C. water
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and discarded, leaves shredded

Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat. add olive oil. Once hot, add the sausage and sauté for 3-4 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a spoon or a potato masher as it cooks and browns.

While the sausage is browning, pour the lentils out onto a light-colored plate and sift through them. Discard any small stones -- sometimes you find them sometimes you don't, but better safe than sorry.

To the browned sausage, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, potato, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.

Add the stock and 3 cups of water, turn the heat up to high and bring up to a bubble. Add the lentils and the kale, stir until the kale wilts in then turn the heat down to medium and simmer 40-50 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Serve warm.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Dried Cranberries & Red Onion

2011-12-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Quite a while back, I came upon a recipe on Two Peas & Their Pod where every part of the recipe name spoke to me. This is that recipe. In years past, I would have snubbed my nose at it because I've never been a big fan of sweet potatoes. That is until my latest pregnancy. I couldn't eat enough sweet potatoes. It's happened to me with each of my pregnancies. My first I fell madly in love with chili and crunchy Cheetos (I passionately hated both before) and my second I became the biggest connoisseur of Powerade on the planet. Well, this one was sweet potatoes. I'm so glad it was, too. Otherwise, not only would I have missed out on the awesomeness that is Rumbi's Sweet Potato fries, but I would have missed out on this incredibly delicious recipe, too!

Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it's my new favorite go-to meal! Protein packed quinoa. Healthful-filled roasted veggies. Sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette. It's like a symphony in your mouth with every bite!

Don't just take my word for it. Go make it yourself. You'll thank me for it. Promise!!! Thank you Maria & Josh for allowing me to use your photo and highlight your amazing recipe on my blog too! It's just too good to keep it a secret from anyone!

{quinoa salad with roasted sweet potatoes, kale, dried cranberries & red onion recipe}

Homemade Bread

2011-12-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

Since the birth of our third child, I've had to modify my diet significantly. Not for me, but for our little guy. I've had to cut out dairy, eggs, oatmeal, chocolate, whole wheat and peanuts. I'm not gonna lie, it's been a rough go. Thankfully, there are all kinds of options available now both in recipe substitutions and ready-made products at the store. One I'm most grateful for is Veganase (vegan mayo). It has been WONDERFUL having that as an option and it tastes exactly the same as regular mayo! Well, because of these changes, I've had to start baking my own bread. Who knew most breads have both milk and eggs in them! I know!

Now that I've adjusted to life without so many of my favorite foods, I'm ready to share some of my newly found favorite recipes. First up...BREAD! I'm a carb addict and bread is a BIG weakness of mine. I've even got a loaf rising as I type now! This bread is DELICIOUSLY moist, holds up great for sandwiches (once cooled completely that is!)and is egg and dairy-free (Vegan)! Besides, who doesn't LOVE the aroma of freshly baked bread permeating the whole house!!

{basic white bread}
makes one 1 1/2 lb. loaf

1 c. warm water (110 degrees)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. canola oil
3 c. flour (mix it up and use 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat if you'd like)
2 1/4 tsp. (or one packet) yeast. (SAF instant is my all-time favorite!)

I use my bread machine to make the dough, so the directions are for a bread machine, BUT you can use a mixer just as easily. I also prefer the traditional shape loaf instead of the bread machine shaped loaf.

Add ingredients in order listed. Turn bread machine on to dough setting. Get your loaf pan ready by spraying it with some non-stick spray. Once your machine is done with the dough cycle and it beeps, pull out the dough. roll it between your hands just enough to get it long enough to fit into your loaf pan evenly. Place into loaf pan. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and place in a warm location to rise. Allow dough to rise to where you want it (I like it about an inch above the edge of the loaf pan). Remove plastic wrap and bake 350 degrees for 15 min. Cover bread with foil to prevent it from getting too brown and crusty on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

When it's done and out of the oven, lightly spread canola oil on top of your bread to keep it nice and soft. Allow to cool for 5-10 min., then remove from pan to finish cooling....if you're like me you'll have to start another loaf at this point so you can eat one now and have one for sammies (sandwiches) later! Enjoy!!!

Cold Weather Cure

2011-12-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you and where you live, but here in Utah it's C.O.L.D. Cold! The bitter cold evenings remind me of my youth growing up in Iowa. Granted, we haven't had any of the freezing rain, sleet, ice connecting the telephone wires to the ground, but it's cold just the same! Because of how chilly it is outside, I'm craving soups. They're the next best thing to warming my insides when I can't have a big mug of hot cocoa! Here's a list of some of my all-time favorites...and I still have more to share this winter!

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Zuppa Toscana

Market Street Clam Chowder

Garden Veggie Soup

Sausage, Bean and Spinach Stew

Mustard Pork Chops with Smashed Potatoes and Peas

2011-12-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

In my continued quest to find fast, easy and delicious recipes for my family to eat, I found this recipe for Mustard Pork Chops with Smashed Potatoes and Peas. It delivered on all three counts! We loved it! The potatoes have so much flavor from the olive oil, peas, green onion and salt and pepper that you don't miss having gravy atop one bit!

{mustard pork chops with smashed potatoes & peas}

Serves 4

1 lb medium red potatoes, cut into 2-in. pieces

Kosher salt and pepper

1 10-oz pkg frozen peas

2 green onions, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 6-oz boneless pork chops (about 3/4 in. thick)

1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. apple juice

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp salt, reduce heat and simmer until tender, 12 to 15 minutes, adding the peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and gently smash with the scallions, 2 Tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the pork with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side; transfer to plates.

Add the broth and apple juice to the skillet and simmer, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until desired thickness. Stir in the mustard and spoon over the pork. Serve with the smashed potatoes and peas.

Triple-Berry Pie

2011-11-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

My Triple-Berry Pie is a staple in our house during the holidays. I had to learn how to make it when my Husband and I got married as he is the biggest berry pie lover on the planet! AND, if you're like me, you're planning your Thanksgiving menu last minute. AACK! One of the best reasons I like this berry pie is that it's super easy to throw together and tastes just as delicious made the day before as it does fresh...warm or cold...and seriously WAY better than anything store bought! Score!

{triple~berry pie}
makes one pie

16 oz. frozen mixed berries, your choice (I use the purple bag of mixed berries at Costco and use my scale to measure)
6 T. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 egg, scrambled (optional)
dough for two pie crusts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw berries in large mixing bowl with juices. In separate small bowl, combine dry ingredients; pour on top of thawed berries with juices. Mix well using rubber spatula. Pour into pie crust. Top with lattice top, or desired top designed pie crust. Brush top of pie with either scrambled egg wash or milk to achieve a more golden color. Bake 45-55 minutes or until golden. Serve with a side of vanilla ice cream or topped with whipped cream.

OR you could make my all-time favorite Egg Nog Pie. Just remember to invite me over for a slice! YUM!!

Quick Sausage, Bean and Spinach Stew

2011-11-20T21:04:00.000-08:00


stock photo courtesy of Women's Day Magazine

I don't often cook on Sundays, opting instead for sammies or leftovers. Today was another story. Not only did I get TONS of extra produce in my Bountiful Baskets selection this week, I also got the hostess pack which in itself seemed like a full second basket! So, this family of five that usually goes thru a basket a week, now has a TON more! I'm excited for the challenge to make even more fresh family friendly meals ... all before anything goes bad! Bring it on!

I found this recipe when I was trying to kill time at one of my many doctor visits. I liked a lot of the recipes in there, so took a snapshot of the magazine front and just recently remembered to pick it up at my local library. Boy am I glad I remembered.

Not only was this recipe FAST and EASY, it's delicious, too! Perfect! I worried that my kids wouldn't like the spinach in the stew, but my drama-filled 7 year-old happily ate the spinach singing "I'm Popeye the Sailor Girl! Toot Toot!". No lie! My 4 year-old gobbled up the sausage. All in all, it was a smashing hit! Everyone gave two thumbs up. Mom and Dad had seconds and there were ZERO leftovers! Success!!!

You can definitely change this up easily adding a twist of variety using different sausage varieties as I did, or by using a different shaped pasta. Use what you have on hand...that's the beauty of this recipe! It's incredibly VERSATILE!

{sausage, bean and spinach stew}

1 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz fully cooked Italian chicken sausage, sliced 1/4 in. thick (I used Kielbasa because it was on-hand)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine (I subbed with extra broth)
1 32-oz container low-sodium chicken broth (A MUST! otherwise too salty with the sausage)
4 oz ditalini pasta or other soup pasta (about 1 cup)
1 15.5-oz can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed
Black pepper
1 10-oz bag spinach, thick stems removed (I used one bunch and would have preferred two)
1 oz Parmesan, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown). Add the wine and simmer, scraping up any brown bits, for 1 minute.
Add the broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the beans, sausage and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the spinach, stirring gently until it begins to wilt. Serve with the Parmesan.

{link to recipe on Women's Day website}

Trick or Treat? Bloody Intestines

2011-10-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

(Little G here.) Trick or Treat ....give me something SCARY to EAT!!!
I really enjoy Halloween, especially the fun you can have with food during this creepy time of year. I was given the challenge of creating a Spooky Dish to share at an adults only Halloween party. I scoured my resources and I kept finding cute items that sounded yummy and looked yummy. I wanted something that was going to fulfill the Spooky requirement. Brew ha ha! I found the winner on a favorite website Camp Chef. This idea was pure evil genius and just might win me a prize.

The base for the recipe calls for cherry pie filling, ghoulishly perfect blood. Create a bread stick dough colored pink and cut into 1 inch strips. Pinch the ends of the dough strips then twist to make your intestines.

Butter and top with sugar and cinnamon for the stomach turning Bloody Intestine dish. I reserved some cherry filling to pour over the top after baking to give a truly bloody look. Wah ha ha!

Looks like something right out of Fear Factor....who will eat the Bloody Intestines? Some brave souls took a chance on tasting our creepy creation!

I was thrilled it looked even scarier baked! We won for "Grossest Looking Spooky Dish"!
Try this scary dish, IF YOU DARE at your Halloween Party!

Intestine Breadsticks

2 c. hot tap water
1 T yeast
2 T sugar
Red or pink food coloring
1 T salt
4-5 c. flour
canned cherry pie filling
2-3 T. melted butter
cinnamon and sugar mixture (I do a 1 to 6 ratio)

Pour water into a bowl or mixer. Sprinkle yeast over the top and then sugar ontop of the yeast. Let work about 5 minutes. When bubbly, add food coloring todesired color. Add 1 cup of flour and mix. Add salt and then enough flour tomake a soft dough. Let rise.
When risen, grease a 9×13 baking dish and spoon in cherry pie filling.
Halve the dough and roll out dough into a rectangle. Cut into inch wide strips.Take each strip and pinch ends together. Twist and place randomly over the piefilling. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake inoven at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until the middle is set.

9 Months in the Baking

2011-10-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been M.I.A. for a while. This is why...

We are thoroughly enjoying this little Ute, though would really appreciate it if he could get his days and nights in the right order MUCH faster! I'm ITCHING to start baking and cooking, but lack of sleep = zero energy not to mention all my post op (he was delivered via c-section) complications.

Regardless, we are LOVING this new team member and can't snuggle and kiss him enough!!!

Photos & announcement created by Amy Bennion Photography.

Jack of all Muffins

2011-09-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

Little Gourmified here. I am filling in while Gourmified is recovering from having her baby. Until she gets a chance to show you, go ahead and check out her post all about her new little one HERE. I am currently pregnant and this baby LOVES berries, especially blueberries. Growing up our Mom made the most delicious blueberry muffins...I'll have to tell Lisa she needs to post that recipe soon. It's incredible! In the meantime, this recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. Which in our house it is referred to as the Cooking Bible. I have referred to this cookbook more than any other throughout my years of cooking and learning to cook.

I recommend you use Northwest Blueberries (being from the Northwest I am partial ;)

It is recommended that you make a well for the moist ingredients to be added to the dry ingredients. This method works great for creating a perfect muffin batter.

I always add WAY more blueberries than the recipe calls for. This blueberry lover wants her muffins to be purple and oozing with blueberry goodness!

One deviation I do in this recipe is the topping. I like to sprinkle my blueberry muffins with sugar. It is LOADS easier and marries well with the sweet berries. (I also prefer using baking cups they look more inviting and make cleanup a breeze!)

Prep: 10 minutes Bake time: 18 minutes
Oven: 400 degrees F and Makes 12 muffins (or a few more if you add extra berries like I do)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
Sprinkle top with sugar

Grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups: set aside
In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
In another bowl combine egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture (see photo 2)
Spoon batter in top repared muffin cups, filling each one two-thired full. If desired sprinkle topping over muffin batter in cups. Bake in a 400 degreeoven for 19-20 minutes of until golden and wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.

This recipe is a great base for any muffin some recommended are: Cranberry, Oatmeal, Poppy Seed, Banana, Cheese and of course Blueberry. If you are at our house we might be trying all the variations since I have a 2 year-old obsessed with Mickey Mouse Club House and with "Moo Muffins" every muffin is now a Moo Muffin.
For Blueberry Muffins
Prepare as above, except fold in 3/4 (or more like 1 cup) of fresh or frozen blueberries and, if desired 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel into batter.

Grasshopper Bars- the EASY way

2011-09-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

This is Amy aka Little Gourmified. Lisa joined the Club Baked challenge and while I love the idea of cooking from a book along with everyone else some recipes were a little to advance for my Easy style. I L.O.V.E. mint! When I saw Chocolate Mint Thumbprint Cookies chosen by Jamie of Random Acts of Food, I immediately knew this is one I wanted to bake. Grasshopper bars are my favorites, and I couldn't resist the challenge of finding a way to simplify and cheat this yummy dish.
I will admit this recipe looks delicious and I love Grasshopper bars (my favorite are made by the BYU Creamery well worth the drive to Provo.)
I was tempted to try this recipe as is. That is a big deal for me to not find a short cut, that is how good this recipe looks. However, I am pregnant filling in for a woman who is very pregnant. I was not prepared to spend all the time that was required for the recipe. I also couldn't find Creme De Menthe at my grocery store. I know crazy, but that sealed the deal (I don't like driving all over town for a recipe either. 1-stop-shop!) I was going to cheat this recipe so to make it easy I found the next best thing to Creme De Menthe....Mint Chips!

Another part of this recipe that I wasn't certain I could manage was the fudge topping.

Solution: Ghriadelli Brown Mix that included the Fudge Glaze Topping! Score!!!

Make the brownies as directed on the box. Melt Mint Chips as directed on the packaging. Add a little cream or milk to the mint to make it smoother. After pulling the brownies out of the oven pour on the Mint layer first, follow with the fudge topping. Allow to cool then move to the fridge

This brownie was hard to come by, as soon as my family smelled and saw these brownies I had to fight to get one and take a picture before they were gone. It wasn't my first choice of brownie cut, but it was all I had there were that good!

Now this is not quite the same. Grasshopper bars mint layer is usually fluffier, but this had the same yummy flavors and was ready to enjoy in 1/2 the time. I hope you enjoy my cheating and get creative and cheat on your own sometime!

See how other Club Baked bakers fared with their cookies by going HERE.

{chocolate mint thumbprint cookies recipe}

Zucchini, Zucchini and more Zucchini

2011-08-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Does your zucchini runneth over this year? Mine doesn't. Being pregnant this summer, I feel lucky...and a bit surprised, frankly, that our three tomato and two cucumber plants (the only surviving plants after June's insane record rain falls) are even producing a single vegetable/fruit. Thankfully, we have super generous garden-loving neighbors willing to share with us this year! In any case, here's a reminder of some of our favorite zucchini-filled recipes.

sloppy janes

garden vegetable soup

blueberry zucchini bread

zucchini crisp (tricks EVERYONE!)

stuffed zucchini

Club Baked::Sundy Night Cake

2011-08-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

This week's recipe with Club Baked comes from Julie with Little Bit of Everything. When I first bought this book, I had marked this recipe immediately to bake (among about a gazillion others!). It sounded so delicious and easy...like a spice cake version of Texas sheet cake.

Well, when I finally got around to baking it, I read the recipe again, and realized the only part similar to a Texas sheet cake was the frosting method. Oops. In my hurried life lately I just couldn't find the time to get this recipe all the way finished, so I opted to stop with the cake and sprinkle some powdered sugar atop. Not bad. Not out of this world, either. I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream, but otherwise I followed this recipe exactly. It tasted incredibly moist, slightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon and lots of egg and butter. Next time I would definitely make time for the frosting AND make this in a bigger pan (definitely leaning more towards a white cake version of the traditional Texas Sheet Cake). I think less cake and more frosting would be just the ticket to make this a home-run recipe for me.

{sunday night cake recipe}

Fruity Dessert Salad

2011-08-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

If you've ever needed a potluck salad or a yummy fruity side salad, or just something delicious to add to your favorite summer meal and wanted to get RAVE reviews...then this is the salad for you. It's INCREDIBLY easy (5 min total time) and oh so delicious! The compliments will never stop! You'll have multiple requests for this recipe. No lie. Young and old LOVE this berry salad. There are very few ingredients and yet TONS of flavor! It's especially nice in the warmer summer months because it incorporates partially frozen berries. Are you curious about this one yet??? I'm wanting to make another batch of it right now...just so I can sit down and devour it all myself!

{fruity dessert salad}
2 small packages of pudding (either white chocolate or cheesecake...both taste fantastic!)
1 large container of strawberry yogurt
1 large container of frozen whipped topping
16 oz. frozen berries of your choice (partially thawed)..I use the giant triple berry package from Costco.
3 large fresh bananas, sliced
1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced

Combine the pudding and the yogurt in a LARGE bowl until combined. It will be lumpy and that's okay. Fold in the frozen whipped topping....notice lumpiness going away... Add the fresh and frozen fruits and continue folding till combined. Serve immediately for best flavor. Refrigerate.

If you have extra time, do not thaw the berries. Just add them frozen and they will be partially thawed by the time you need them. Just be sure to keep refrigerated till serving!

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Lo Mein

2011-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe about 6 years ago in a favorite magazine. They've since changed the name of this magazine and I have yet to find any family favorites in it. Sad. Definitely. BUT for now, we get to continue enjoying this one over and over and over again! Especially since it's so FAST & EASY to throw together!

It tastes much lighter and healthier than your typical restaurant-style lo mein because it's cooked in less oil and the oil you do use is olive oil, so it's the good-for-you kind! As you can see from the pictures it's filled with colorful yummy veggies which is always a plus! With the veggies cooked to crisp-tender, your mouth doesn't do anything but water and hum during this whole meal for its undeniable goodness! It's so satisfying on so many different levels. Oh! That brings me to my FAVORITE ingredient in this meal. Sesame Oil. This recipe introduced me to the beautiful world of nutty, flavorful, delicious sesame oil. I don't know about you, but my mouth has started to water. YUM!!!

{chicken lo mein}

serves 6

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons chicken broth

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules

1/2 cup hot water

6 ounces uncooked linguine (I use a whole package of the protein-packed kind)

1/2 pound medium fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 pound fresh snow peas

1 large sweet red pepper, julienned

2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons sesame oil

In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce and sherry or broth until smooth. Add chicken and stir to coat; set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon granules in hot water; set aside. Cook linguine according to package directions.

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper and green onions in 1 tablespoon canola oil for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken mixture in remaining canola oil for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in dissolved bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Return vegetables to skillet.

Drain linguine; add sesame oil and linguine to skillet. Toss to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes longer or until heated through.

Bruce Paltrow's World-Famous Pancakes

2011-07-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I {heart} breakfast! When I was growing up my Dad was always up super early on the weekends and had breakfast ready for us. We'd wake up to the smells of waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits-and-eggs (a favorite I'll share later!), etc. Not all at once, of course. :) The delicious smells would permeate the whole house and I LOVED it!!! Now that I'm married, I am the one making breakfasts. I am always trying to find something new and delicious and this recipe ranks right up there as a new all-time favorite!

I love pancakes and waffles, but especially love the Swedish-style pancakes. This recipe is a perfect blend of both. It is so reminiscent of traditional pancakes with a lot of Swedish pancake elements, that I just couldn't get enough! With six eggs, you can definitely taste the "egginess" in them, but they're only slightly sweet, which balances so perfectly with the sweetness of the syrup that compared to traditional pancakes, you won't be getting that overpowering sugar-high from eating them! DELICIOUS!!!!

{bruce paltrow's world-famous pancakes}
from "My Father's Daughter" by Gwyneth Paltrow

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar
1T. plus 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. fine salt
3 c. buttermilk
6 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled plus more butter for cooking
6 large eggs
up to 1c. milk, as needed to thin batter (I added about 1/4 c. to get the thinness in mine)
Maple syrup, for serving

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, butter and eggs together in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients, whisking just enough to combine (small lumps are okay). Let the batter sit, covered, overnight. The next morning, heat up your griddle or favorite nonstick pan and slick it with a little butter. Add enough milk to the batter to thin it to the consistency you want. Cook the pancakes on the griddle, flipping them after bubbles appear on the surface of the uncooked side. Let cook 2-3 minutes more, then remove and eat with lots of warm maple syrup.

Light Chicken Souvlaki

2011-07-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Kira Cooks

My friend Kira of Kira Cooks, shared this recipe a few months ago. I immediately bookmarked it and finally made it for dinner earlier this week. I have to say I was in heaven as I ate this! I definitely used the extra-specially good for you whole wheat tortillas for the grown-ups, the kids opted for the plain 'ol flour tortillas. This meal was a BIG hit at my house. BIG! The marinade for the chicken is so full of flavor all by itself with not only lemon, garlic, dill and Italian seasoning, but when you add in the Tzatziki sauce, WOW! Full robust flavor and oh so fresh, cool and crisp! This is definitely one you'll want to try. Total work is probably 15 min total. EASY! Exactly what summer calls for, right!?

{light chicken souvlaki recipe}

Dutch Oven Chicken Cordon Bleu

2011-07-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

We recently went camping with my family, my Sister and her hubby who is BIG time into dutch oven cooking. Well, I haven't even broken my dutch oven out of the box from when we got it as a present about 3+ years ago. Sad, I know. BUT I did find a recipe on Our Family Treat that sounded too good to be true that we could make in the dutch oven and just had to try it! Thankfully, my Brother-in-law was willing to do all the hard coal-preparing labor so we could make this recipe!

Once the chicken is pounded out and ham and cheese are rolled up together, put into dutch oven to brown each side. You may want to use some canola oil here to prevent sticking. (The chicken breasts I bought were so big I butterfly sliced them almost completely in half, then pounded them from there. Easy peasy!)

Combine the Cream of Chicken Soup and milk in a separate bowl and pour over your browned chicken rolls. I tripled the chicken rolls and only doubled the sauce and it was perfect!

This is my Dutch oven cooking-LOVING brother-in-law, Doug. We also made long grain and wild rice as a side. I had frozen mixed veggies ready to bring and totally forgot them in the freezer at home. Oops!

Put your coals on top and bottom...careful to not overfill...we did and had some spillage. Oops!

Freshly done. YUM!

Now doesn't that look mouthwatering!? We really felt like we truly GOURMIFIED camping this year! :)

{dutch oven chicken cordon bleu recipe}

Crab Louis Salad

2011-07-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have a weakness for salads. I completely {heart} them. All kinds. Fruit, veggie, pasta, green salads...okay not potato, but I'm just not a potato person, etc. I'll eat them all year round, but summer most of all. Just like winter's cold temperatures scream soup, Summer's hot temperatures scream salad. Every night I want a different salad. Cool, crisp, delicious. Yup. That's me. One of my favorite salads that I don't get to eat too often is a Crab Louis Salad. Not because I don't want it, but because I'm the only one in my house that will eat it. It's sad really. Just looking at this photo is making my mouth water. Crispy cold lettuce, tomatoes fresh from the garden, hard boiled eggs, CRAB! I mean, seriously! Mouthwatering!

{crab louis salad}

Serves 4

1 medium head of lettuce

2 6oz. packages frozen crab meat, thawed OR 2-7oz. cans chilled & drained & cartiladge removed.

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges or chunks

2 hard cooked eggs, cut into wedges or chunks

paprika

1 large lemon cut into wedges

Louis Dressing

Arrange lettuce, crab meat, tomatoes & eggs on a plate. Drizzle Louis dressing over top. Sprinkle with Paprika. Garnish with lemon. OR toss all ingredients, minus lemon & paprika, until coated. Garnish with lemon & paprika.

{louis dressing}

1/2 c. mayo

1/4 c. green pepper, finely chopped

1/4 c. green onion, finely chopped

2 T. Chili Sauce

1 T. Milk

1/2 t. lemon juice

dash Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. whipping cream, beat to soft peaks

Combine all ingredients except whipping cream (can do this in blender or food processor instead of finely chopping veggies). Fold whipping cream into pureed mixture until combined. Serve over Crab Louis Salad.

Cars 2 Premier!

2011-07-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

See this adorable family photo...minus me!? This is who supports me in all my blogging craziness. Usually when I get to go to fun blogger events, they are left behind while I get to go play. They totally understand, but always ask why they can't go too. Well, this time was different!

Any Hour Services, a Utah Electrician, Heating/Air and Plumber, was providing free tickets to see the premier of Cars 2 as a FAMILY!!! Of course we jumped right on that! I mean, a fun blogger event where I could bring my whole family!? Sign me up! Not only did they provide the tickets, but they had all kinds of fun involving the kids beforehand, too! So, if you ask me, Any Hour Services is a winner in our book. They care about us, our WHOLE family! I know exactly who I will be calling when in need next time!!! Because really I hate calling anyone to fix anything because it's a hassle, but I trust them. They sold me on their integrity and reliability...they started on time, people! That's RARE and seriously a pet peeve of mine!

Go visit their page on Facebook and "like" them...because you know I DO!!!

You can also find out about other fun events you could attend by going here.

Club: Baked::NY-Style Crumb Cake

2011-07-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's a new baking group! Hooray! This will be the first time I have baked with a group from the very beginning and I'm so excited about it! All of our recipes will be coming from the book, "Baked Explorations" by Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito and Tina Rupp. Before I even decided to become a member of this group I checked this book out from my local library. I began flipping through the pages and just couldn't keep from drooling. I have SO many recipes tagged that I can't wait to bake! My turn for hosting in this group won't be until May 2012, but that actually works out GREAT for me seeing as I'm going to have a new baby in less than a few months.

For our first recipe, Karen from Karen's Cookies Cakes & More chose the NY-Style Crumb Cake. After reading all the comments on the message board, I was worried about my choice of baking this in my 9x9 stoneware, but plugged along anyway. You know what!? My crumb cake turned out beautifully, despite my addition of an extra egg and adding about 3 T. of extra flour to compensate for that extra moisture. Hooray! It does taste very similar to a coffee cake. Vanilla-eggy dense with a big bite of cinnamon sugar topping. Definitely one that will be made again!

{ny-style crumb cake recipe}

Cookie Carnival::Lemon Tartlets

2011-06-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is the first month in FOR-EV-ER that I've been able to participate in the Cookie Carnival. Cookies are a serious weakness for me, so it has been really hard not to participate. Though, if you look at the cookie I made, it looks more like a mini tart. Yes, I decided to use my mini tart pan and make some lemon tarts instead of cookies. It just sounded like a good idea. Sounded being the key word here. Honestly, I've never used my mini tart pan for making tarts. I usually use it for mini muffins. SOO....it was a day to play and experiment!

These mini tarts turned out really yummy! They very very closely resemble a lemon bar, which I {HEART}, just with a slightly thicker crust (oops)! The only thing that would have made them better was to add that favorite ingredient of mine...ALMOND! So, if you like the traditional tasting lemon bars but want to change it up a bit, try these cookies/tarts out. BUT if you're like me and have a love affair with Almond flavorings, then you'll definitely want to make my Toasted Almond Lemon Bars. They are absolutely positively a WOWZA in your mouth and you will crave them forever-more. You're welcome.

{lemon tea cookies recipe}

{toasted almond lemon bars recipe}

New Sub Zero Giveaway Winner!

2011-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's so sad, but one of our giveaway winners didn't claim their prize, so let's try this again. Our new winner of the Sub Zero giveaway is....

#17 Luz e. Howse said...alright, I've never been to subzero. it seems like total awesomeness! So I don't know what flavors they have but pistachio almond chocolate sounds yummy to me at the moment.


AMEN to the pistachio almond chocolate...that DOES sound incredible!

Congratulations! Contact me at gourmified@gmail.com by Thursday, June 30th to claim your prize!

TWD::Date-Nut Loaf

2011-06-21T23:58:00.000-07:00

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet. I've never cooked with dates before so this was a real treat for me. I've had those Christmas candies in the box that are dates, and LOVE them. I've even had a fresh date to nibble on before and was in a sugar-loving coma! So, needless to say, I was pretty anxious to make this one.

Thankfully, it didn't disappoint. Despite my baking mishap...notice the sunken center. I checked it, at a diagonal, even, to make sure it was 100% baked. Guess my toothpick technique failed me this time. Sad, but we all have those baking mishaps, so why not document them, too. In any case, I LOVED this loaf cake. It was dense, yet light. Tasted extremely well balanced between the buttery brown sugar batter, and the nutty sweetness of the dates and pecans. I haven't tried it yet, but Dorie says this one gets even better over time, and toasted, with more butter to boot. I mean, really, what is better than MORE butter, right!?

Take a minute and see how the other TWD Bakers did with their loaf cakes by going to the TWD Blogroll. You can also get a copy of this recipe by buying Dorie's book, "Baking: From My Home to Yours".

{date-nut loaf recipe}

Sub Zero Giveaway WINNERS!!!

2011-06-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

You read me right. We have TWO winners! The folks at the Murray Sub Zero were kind enough to provide enough for TWO winners! How awesome are they! So, without further ado, our two winners are....

#6 Stephanie :) said...
I love chocolate, raspberry, and brownie. YUM!

#1 PheMom said...
Lisa! Goodness, I miss you! I haven't hit this place yet, but I'm sure it is good. You know my boys would love it! :)

Congratulations! Email me at gourmified@gmail.com, by Thursday to claim your prize!

Food Storage Friday::Fiesta Wheat and Bean Salad/Salsa

2011-06-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

I just went to a class this past week that discussed food storage and more specifically the use of wheat and beans in your storage. It may sound like I'm up on a "soap box" but I firmly believe that we need to get our food storage ready. Whenever I turn on the news, which is not often, I'm hearing about another major disaster of some sort. Now I'm not saying, just get whatever so you have something on hand, but get what your family eats in store-able bulk. I've slowly been working on incorporating this into my meal planning and grocery shopping. I started using coupons to make this affordable, too. One way I've made this goal affordable is incorporating WHEAT into our diets. For the past two years I've cooked and served wheat berries with SO many meals that it is now just a part of how I cook. My kids (ages 7 & 3) and hubby don't even notice the difference anymore. We're used to it. Which is how food storage should work. You should eat what you store and store what you eat. Then when something major does happen and you need to dive into your supply (which I've already had to do in the months we are super tight on funds so it's not just for major disaster use, either) your family won't notice a difference!!!!

With that in mind, I want to try and incorporate more food storage worthy meals into our family diet than I already have been. As I discover more recipes and tricks and techniques, I will share here, on Food Storage Fridays.

For my first Food Storage Friday, I'd like to remind you of a recipe I shared quite some time ago. It is THE best recipe to introduce you into the world of wheat berries, if you're not familiar. I have converted many friends with this recipe. I'd love to add you to this list! :) It is one of the most perfectly delicious, eye opening recipes you can make using the wheat from your food storage. It will amaze even the non-believers into using their wheat, and/or getting wheat incorporated into their life. I can't wait to hear what you think about it, too!!!!

{fiesta wheat and bean salad/salsa recipe}

{wheat berries}
**See NOTE at the end.
4 c. raw whole wheat
10 c. water
1 T. salt
Oil a large (4 quart or larger) slow cooker and fill with wheat, water, and salt. Cover and cook on low all night, 8-10 hours. Cooked wheat may be bagged and stored in the refrigerator for at least a week or in the freezer for months. A sandwich bag will hold 2 cups.

Once you have a small supply of cooked wheat berries prepared, try experimenting with adding a cup to your favorite soups, chicken salads, or casseroles. When combined with regular white rice it makes a very simple—but healthy—pilaf. I've been adding these wheat berries to EVERYTHING. We enjoy them most in taco meat. They hardly notice the difference and I can save so much money using 1/2 wheat 1/2 meat. It's GREAT!

***NOTE: You can't actually buy the wheat berries, you have to cook the dried/raw wheat grains to make them into the wheat berries. A lot of places carry the wheat grains. Maceys, Harmons, Walmart, Costco, Sams, etc. You just need to look in the food storage section of their stores (baking at costco/sams). The problem with these places is they usually sell the big 25-50 lb buckets. If you're not sure if you're going to like the wheat berries, you will want to get a #10 can first. You can get the cans from any LDS Dry Pack Cannery. You will just want to call ahead to see if they have any extra single cans for purchase (they usually do). Anyone can go in there and purchase a single can and/or use the machines to pack your own food storage items.
This link shows the single-can prices.
This link shows locations in UT.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2011-06-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Phemomenon

First of all, thanks Holly for introducing me to this recipe in the first place! It has been a family favorite ever since! There is so much flavor in these little enchilada rolls that you will be UH-mazed!! A little bit sweet from the honey, a little bit of citrus from the lime, and creamy dreamy from the enchilada sauce. These will definitely turn into your family's next FAVORITE MEAL!! You determine the heat level...depending on how much chili powder you put in the chicken AND by what kind of green enchilada sauce you use. As I'm sure you know, if you've followed me for some time now, I'm a BIG freezer meal FREAK! This recipe qualifies with a few minor tweaks, that is. Don't let the recipe and directions overwhelm you. It's seriously the EASIEST! Made even easier if you use the method my friend Kira of Kira Cooks uses to pre-cook and shred your chicken so it's ready in a snap! You'll always want to have those chicken shreds on hand once you start! Always!

{honey lime chicken enchiladas}
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)
2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 large cloves of garlic, ﬁnely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), cooked and shredded
12 corn tortillas (use flour tortillas if freezing)
2 cups of Mexican cheese blend, shredded (1 small bag usually is 2 cups)
1 14-oz can of green enchilada sauce (mild or medium, to your taste)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream (milk or Chicken Broth if you want to go lighter)
nonstick cooking spray
1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro, to garnish (add fresh after baking if freezing)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cooked and shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, place the honey, lime juice, chili powder and minced garlic or garlic powder. Whisk together thoroughly to combine. Pour this mixture over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate while you prepare the tortillas, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Heat a large griddle till a drop of water skitters across (about 350 degrees F). Spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray or a oil it with a little bit of canola oil in between each round of tortillas. Heat tortillas about 20 seconds on each side till warm and ﬂexible and some golden brown spots have appeared. Remove the tortillas from the griddle and keep them between a couple of paper towels until ready to use.

Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the heavy cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the mixture in the bottom of the oiled baking dish.

Add a large spoonful (about 2 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla in a line. Cover the chicken with a large tablespoon (or big pinch) of cheese, then roll the tortilla up from one side to make a rolled enchilada - it will be more of an over lap on the seam side that rolled tightly. Place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish starting at one end with the long edge parallel to the longest side of the pan so that you end up with two columns of six enchiladas each.

Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese and tortillas. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese for the ﬁlling and set the remainder aside for topping the enchiladas in the pan. Add the remaining marinade mixture to the enchilada sauce and cream mixture, if desired. Pour this mixture over the top of all the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake the enchiladas for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and starting to brown on top. Serve with sour cream, black beans, and rice or a green salad for a great meal.

Serves 4 to 6

TWD::Chocolate Biscotti

2011-06-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe selection comes from Jacque with Daisy Lane Cakes. Can I just say, BRAVO Jacque! I absolutely positively LOVED these! I didn't make them into true biscotti, all hard and crunchy. BUT I did a "half baked" version. I really really enjoy my biscotti on the chewier side, more cookie-like.

Oh and did these deliver such incredible flavors!!! The original recipe calls for espresso powder and bittersweet chocolate chunks. Well, I don't drink coffee-type drinks so I don't have that on hand, and after baking many many of Dorie's recipes, I've discovered I don't have the love that she does of the deep dark chocolate flavor. So I opted for 1/2 c. of mini semi-sweet chips and 1/4 c. of white chocolate chips. Also, because I omitted the espresso powder, I decided to add a splash of almond extract (only the BEST flavor on the planet!) to give it more of a chocolatey-almond oomph.

These were sheer perfection at my house. The perfect balance of chocolate and nuts and chewy goodness. The best part...actual prep time was about 15 min. So incredibly EASY for such maximum output!!!

Since I know you're going to want to see what other variations were made, here's the link to the TWD Blogroll. You're really going to want to make this one yourself, too. So, here's the recipe link. She'll have it up soon...I promise!

{chocolate biscotti recipe}

SubZero Ice Cream GIVEAWAY!(CLOSED)

2011-06-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

I am not normally an ice cream lover. I know. I know. What's wrong with me you ask!? Well, who knows. There's a lot of things in this world I don't like, and even more that I LOVE! One of my new found loves, even with my afore mention lack of love, is SubZero Ice Cream! HOLY COW! I took my kids to their grand opening one Saturday and we had so much fun. It's priced slightly more than that place that uses a stone to mix your ingredients (a place I LOVE, BTW), but SubZero has the entertainment factor which makes it 100% worth it!!!

At SubZero, you are able to choose how rich and creamy you want your treat to be, or you can also opt for the super healthy yogurt and/or soy/rice milk. Everything there starts in liquid form. No lie! They'll pour the liquid base into the bowl, then your liquid flavoring, and any additional mix-ins you want to create your own special treat! THEN, the MAGIC begins! This is where the entertainment comes in at SubZero!

Once everything is ready in your bowl, in pours the liquid Nitrogen! The kids were in HEAVEN playing around with the "steam". You get to watch your ice cream form right before your very eyes! It's even a bit of a science lesson for you and the kiddos, too!

The end result was pure LOVE!

Win It: One person will win a SubZero T-shirt and Gift Card to get your own amazing ice cream treat!

Mandatory: Include what flavor combination would you just LOVE to try! Get creative here!!!

Extra options:
*Follow "Gourmified" on Google Friend (1 entry)
*Like "Gourmified" on Facebook (1 entry)

*Follow "SubZero" on Twitter (1 entry)

*Like "SubZero" on Facebook (1 entry)

*update your status on Facebook or Twitter telling your friends about our giveaway (2 entries)

*Add our link to your blog roll on your blog (2 entries)
*Blog about this giveaway (3 entries)

Details:
Make sure to leave separate comments for each entry. Open to anyone! Contest ends June 19th at 11:59 PM and winner will be chosen by Random.org generator. When winner is announced you will have until Thursday to claim your prize, or a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I was provided this product free of charge. Opinions expressed are my own. Individual results may vary.

TWD::Blueberry Brown Sugar Plain Cake

2011-06-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late in posting, but I really did make this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe on time. Cindy from Everyday Insanity chose our recipe for the week. As much fun as I thought this would be making, it's really super super easy, it just didn't turn out for me.

First of all, I don't know why my blueberries sank to the bottom. I followed all of Dorie's directions to a "T". Second, I think my oven still needs to be calibrated. Sadly, everything I've been baking is just not turning out well...over baking on the outside and under baking in the middle. The how-to directions are in my owner's manual, it's just a matter of doing it now.

Hopefully, you won't be swayed by my mishaps, because they're still blog-worthy...we all have them, right!? If you'd like to see how amazing the other TWD Bakers did with their plain cake, check out the TWD Blogroll. Or you can grab the recipe and make one yourself!

{blueberry brown sugar plain cake recipe}

TWD::Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones

2011-05-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week, our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe comes from Patricia from Life with a Whisk. I haven't made too many scones in my lifetime. Especially not the kind you make with your hands. I'm still not sure if a recipe turns out better because I've gotten in there and used my hands instead of a kitchen appliance. Though, I have to say, I DO know my appliances pretty darn well and think these scones would have turned out better had I used my food processor. Then again, I'm having a hard time with recipes turning out in general lately. With my "bun in the oven" not just my own balance is off, but my baking equilibrium seems to be as well. Frustrating, to say the least!

So, as much as I LOVED the flavor in these (I'm a BIG sucker for freshly grated nutmeg..I really do {heart} it), I don't know that I enjoyed the texture of the oats in it. Call me crazy, but they just seemed like a spice cookie to me. Maybe I happened to over bake them? I keep doing that, too. My oven and I need to get reacquainted. We've become grossly out of sync! Sigh.

I did add the drizzle of glaze (powdered sugar, cream and almond flavoring), which just made my taste buds sing!

{oatmeal nutmeg scones recipe}

See how the other TWD bakers fared with their scones (because, really, I'm sure everyone did better than I this week) by going to the TWD Blogroll.

Or buy yourself a copy of this most incredible book, "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan. You won't be sorry!!!

What I've been baking

2011-05-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some baking of another sort lately.

You may have already guessed something was up from my lack of posting.

Cooking/baking has been non-existent at our house, too.

It's definitely a great excuse for being MIA for a while.

Sickness has been heavily prevalent the WHOLE 20 weeks so far...and still going strong. :o(

This little BOY is growing big and strong, though!

We'll get to meet his little face sometime the end of September! Hooray!

TWD::Maple Cornmeal Biscuits

2011-05-17T00:10:00.000-07:00

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe selection comes from Lindsay at A Little Something....Sweet! I'm not really a biscuit person, but since this had so much cornmeal in it, I thought...why not!? I {heart} cornbread in most any fashion. These biscuits are a bit drier than typical cornbread, but just as sweet, if not sweeter because of the maple addition. Even after cooling, they were crumbly. I'm sure I did something wrong since I haven't noticed any other TWD bakers comment about that being an issue for them. SO...that being said, I'm thinking I'll probably stick to my cornbread recipe for anything of this nature. On a side note...my kids LOVED these biscuits!

To see how other TWD bakers fared this week check out the TWD Blogroll.

{maple cornmeal biscuits recipe}

What's on the menu for Cinco de Mayo?

2011-05-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you already know what kind of party food you're planning on serving for your Cinco de Mayo, then you're one step ahead of me. I'm still thinking and planning. So, if you're like me, then maybe one of these family favorites will do just the trick...

Starting with an appetizer - Tortilla Rollups
Or go with a traditional taco salad.
For a main course we have either - The Mexi-Burger
or Skillet Enchiladas
To use as a side, or enchilada/burrito/taco filling you could go with - Quinoa with Black Beans

No matter how you celebrate Cinco de Mayo, have fun and EAT a lot! Ole!

TWD::Basic Marbled Loaf Cake

2011-05-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

This week's selection comes from Carol from The Bake More. As I'm just now getting back into the food blogging world, I was excited that this was not only a SUPER easy recipe, but doubly delicious! I really really enjoyed this loaf cake!

I switched things up and instead of using vanilla extract, used Almond (my favorite extract of all time!) and I had forgotten to pick up some bittersweet chocolate last time I was at the grocery store, so opted to use milk chocolate. How did my changes fare? Well, the 1/2 tsp of almond is a very subtle flavor. I would probably double it next time. Also, you would definitely want to use either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate in this recipe since the milk chocolate did what I feared. It just adds more sweet flavor and gets lost in the shuffle. Oh well. Now you and I both know. Regardless, it still tastes fantastic! Thanks Carol for choosing a winner in my book!

To see how other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers played around with their loaf cake, check out the TWD blogroll.

{recipe for basic marbled loaf cake}

TWD::Corniest Corn Muffins

2011-04-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. It's about a month and a half late, but I really wanted to bake these since my family LOVES corn muffins!

Thanks to Jilla of My Next Life for choosing such a YUMMY recipe! We LOVED them.

There was just the right amount of cornmeal with a touch of fresh corn for added texture. Delish!

To see how other Tuesdays With Dorie bakers fared check out the TWD Blogroll.

{recipe for corniest corn muffins}

Tie-dyed Birthday Cake

2011-03-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last year just about this time, I found a recipe in the Family Fun magazine that I really wanted to make for Taste-A-Rainbow Cupcakes. I tore it out of the magazine before I threw it away just so I could file it away in my to-do recipes folder. Super cute, huh!?

Well, as we approached my daughter's 7th birthday this past January, she INSISTED we make her these cupcakes. Originally I had wanted to make them for her class and stay true to the recipe. Then remembered that homemade treats are no longer allowed in schools. We were sad. So, instead we opted to make one giant cake for home. I had envisioned this cake being perfect rainbow stripes.

I measured the batter out equally into six bowls (I used white cake mix but you could also use yellow without problem). Then added our Wilton food coloring for even more intense colors. If you've never tried the Wilton food coloring, I HIGHLY recommend it. They're going to cost you a bit more, but you will be so much happier with the outcome and a little goes a LONG way! I get mine at a local craft store.

As you can see, the cake didn't end up with perfect stripes, but more of a tie-dyed look. Which still looked pretty darn awesome! I used vanilla pudding between the cake layers and a homemade buttercream frosting with a touch of cream cheese in it. FABULOUS!!!

{buttercream frosting}

1/2 c. butter, softened
6-7 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1-8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

Whip butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add extracts. Slowly add powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency/flavor. You might add a little more or less powdered sugar depending on how you like it.

Enjoy!

If you want the directions on how to make this cake/cupcakes using store-bought food coloring drops, go HERE. Otherwise, head on over to your favorite craft store and pickup the colors you like best to go into your cake!

Honey-Glazed Apple Pear Tart

2011-03-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

I happen to be a BIG fan of the show "The Next Food Network Star" so when Kelsey Nixon (a Utah girl) was on, I was intrigued even more. I mean, I've got to support! Well, she didn't win and that's okay. 'Cause now she has her own show on the new Cooking Channel TV network. You know what!? I LOVE her new show, too! It's full of super easy, basic tips that can be applied to so many different recipes. Brilliant! In one show, she baked this delicious looking pear tart. I'm not an apple pie fan, so it surprised me that this would look good, but it did. AND it tasted even BETTER! Buttery, flaky puff pastry crust enveloped slightly cinnamon, slightly sweet, all-tender baked pears. The final topping, a light drizzle of warm honey and I topped with some lightly sweetened heavy whipped cream. YUM! We all wanted seconds. The BEST part? I threw this amazing goodness together in less than 20 minutes (minus baking)! UH-Mazing!

{honey-glazed apple pear tart recipe}

Zuppa Toscana

2011-03-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. It's getting warmer outside, turning into Spring even, but I still {HEART} soups. I'm a year-round soup eater. This soup. It has to be one of my all-time favorites, too. I first fell in love with it at Olive Garden. Then a couple of years ago my Sister-in-Law introduced me to kale. It's been love ever since. I {HEART} kale! What's so awesome about this soup is how incredibly easy it is and how amazing the flavors are! It tastes EXACTLY the same as Olive Garden's version. Normally it wouldn't be purple, either. I substituted Salad Savoy I got one week from my Bountiful Baskets Co-op Produce basket since they're basically in the same family...and it just brightened my soup up, too!

{zuppa toscana}
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

Serves 6-8.

{Photos of step-by-step directions}

Market Street Clam Chowder

2011-02-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

With the temperatures dropping again this week, my thoughts turn to soup. I {HEART} soups! Clam Chowder being one of my all-time favorites! BUT I like my clam chowder to taste like clams...NOT like a glorified potato soup. SO, if you like a hint of clam, this is not the chowder for you. If you're like me and LOVE the taste of clams then you're going to LOVE this one! It actually comes from a restaurant I love to go to but don't often get the opportunity. I even took this to my company party in December and it was a BIG hit! A double-batch will NOT fit in your largest crockpot for warming or my huge stock pot while cooking...just FYI. I learned that the hard way. I suggest you make a single batch. You will really be surprised at how much it makes! Oh, and don't worry about the calories and fat. They're totally worth it in this one. REALLY!!!

{market street clam chowder}

(Serves 12)

1 cup potatoes, diced ½ inch
1 cup celery, diced ½ inch
1 cup onion, diced ½ inch
1 cup green pepper, diced ½ inch
1 cup leeks, diced ½ inch
¾ cup chopped clams (canned or fresh) (3-4 cans)
¾ tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoon salt
¾ tablespoon whole thyme
6 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Tabasco
¾ cup sherry wine (optional) (I used cooking sherry wine)
2 cups water
¾ cup clam juice (drained from canned clams or purchased separately in can)
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
2 quarts half-and-half

Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half-and-half. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately.

Linguine with Italian Chicken Meatballs & a Product Review!

2011-02-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by Gold'n Plump Poultry asking if I would be willing to try some of their ground chicken products which have recently started Utah distribution. Of course I said YES! I love trying new products, and finding new and exciting family favorites! And let me be the first to tell you, their new lean ground chicken products are incredible!

During this time of year, and especially in Utah, many of us start cooking heartier, slow-cook meals that are perfect for ground meat products. This winter as you prepare any ground meat-based recipes, consider trying one of Gold'n Plump's new healthier varieties instead. You will be amazed at how delicious this ground chicken product is! If you don't believe me, do a "ground-off" to taste and compare different ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey) products.

The first recipe I tried was the 'ol family stand by, taco salad. I used the ground chicken from Gold'n Plump just like I would have ground beef. Added a can of black beans, some taco seasoning and voila! My family LOVED the replacement of chicken for beef. It definitely added a different flavor element having ground chicken in the mix, and what a treat! This will definitely be a do-again! What I loved the best about it was that the chicken was so incredibly lean (I used the 95/5 variety) that I didn't have to drain it at all and it was still incredibly moist and delicious!

The second meal I made with the Gold'n Plump Poultry was Linguine with Italian Turkey Meatballs...using CHICKEN! Another winner!!! We loved the swap using chicken instead of turkey, and again LOVED the lightness that the chicken brought to this meal. There were so many flavors in the meatballs, that you could've just eaten them plain. Yumm-O!

Since I know you're going to want to go grab some of this amazing ground chicken, All of Gold'n Plump's products, including its Recipe Ready™ ground chicken, are available at the following stores in Utah:

Harmons, Dick’s, Lin’s, Marketplace, Fresh Market, Thriftway, Dan’s, Food 4 Less, Family Fresh Foods and Target/SuperTARGET.

Gold'n Plump's ground chicken products retail for approximately $2.99 to $3.99, per 16-ounce package, and include:

95/5 ground chicken spaghetti grind (fresh)

93/7 ground chicken chub (fresh and frozen)

90/10 ground chicken spaghetti grind (fresh)

90/10 ground chicken chub (fresh and frozen)

Additional mouth-watering recipes using Gold'n Plump ground chicken can be found right here.

TWD::Bread Pudding

2011-02-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week, our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Sharon from Simply Southern. Until about five years ago, I wasn't a big fan of bread puddings. What changed my mind? I tried a crockpot recipe for my mother-in-law who LOVES bread pudding and since we were living with her at the time, I thought it would be a nice gesture. Well, as it turned out, I ended up LOVING it, too!

I mean, if you're a fan of cinnamon rolls, bread pudding is quite similar. My kids even love the flavor and taste. Not too sweet, a hint of cinnamon and a creamy eggy flavor and completely decadent and satisfying with every bite. Dorie's original recipe called for 1Tbsp. of bourbon on top. Well, we're not into that kind of stuff at our house so I didn't add it, but I really don't think it needed it. It was DELICIOUS all on its own!

To see what other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers did with their recipes, visit the TWD Blogroll.

{bourbon bread pudding recipe}

Lemon Pasta

2011-02-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Almost a year ago, wow how time flies!, I was in a major cooking rut. I didn't feel creative and didn't want to cook anything. I posted a shout out to all you fellow blogger friends and received some incredible ideas. Some have become staples in our dinner menu like the Pasta Caesar salad. My kids request this one on a regular basis! Well, the latest one we tried and fell in love with comes from Lindsay at Our Family Treat.

The marinade for the chicken has me a bit squeamish because it has cajun seasoning in it. I've never been a big fan of it so I kept staring at this printed recipe telling myself that everything looked good, except the cajun seasoning part. For some reason whenever I think of cajun seasoning I think of okra....and my gag reflexes try to take over. Well, I sucked it up, found a seasoning mix recipe to make with what I had on hand at home already. I wasn't about to go buy a whole bottle of it if I didn't like it. Nope. Wasn't going to do it. BUT I have to tell you. I REALLY REALLY REALLY liked the seasoning on the chicken! Really! I would even use the entire marinade recipe on just plain 'ol grilled chicken to serve aside a salad or grilled veggies, or something. It would even be tasty on fish!

When you add the deliciously marinated and grilled chicken to a lightly lemony flavored pasta with a touch of parsley and green onion, well. Let me be the first to tell you. You can't lose with this one. Delish!!!

{lemon pasta}
  from Our Family Treat
1 box of any type of pasta
½ cup olive oil
lemon zest from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
½ cup green onion-chopped
¼ cop fresh parsley-chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
about 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
   {marinade}
   ½ c. olive oil
   1 clove garlic, minced
   2 T. Cajun seasoning (*recipe below)
   2 T. lemon juice
   2 T. minced parsley
   1 T. brown sugar
   1 T. soy sauce
   2 chicken breasts
-Marinate chicken in zip lock baggie for at least 3 hours. I always like to just pull my chicken out in the morning, mix it with the marinade and let it sit all day.
-While cooking your favorite type of pasta, grill up the chicken, and then chop it up.
-Drain pasta, add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, green onion, salt and pepper, chicken and parmesean. Mix and serve!

{cajun seasoning mix}
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Stir together all ingredients until evenly blended. Store in an airtight container.

TWD::Grain Muffins, well sort-of

2011-02-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

This week for our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe selection, Christine of Happy Tummy chose Great Grains Muffins. As you can see, I didn't quite follow that recipe. BUT this IS a grain recipe of sorts. Though Dorie's recipe for the Great Grains Muffins looks INCREDIBLE, I've had this bran muffin recipe sitting in my to-do folder for a LONG time. I'm definitely going to be making Dorie's recipe in the near future, but for now, I'm enjoying this bran muffin...A LOT! They are really quite good. They are not terribly sweet just very filling and good.

It's actually a 6-Week Whole Wheat Bran Muffin. Why 6 weeks, you ask? Well, once all combined, the batter for this recipe can sit in your fridge, covered for up to SIX weeks! HOLY COW! I know! Is that not the craziest!? Since the recipe makes a healthy 60 muffins, you might just want to bake them fresh each time.

Or, You could be like me and spend all morning in the kitchen baking muffins, and everything else under the sun, just so you can get the baking part over with. Besides, they freeze really well and taste absolutely INCREDIBLE reheated and slathered with butter. Then again, doesn't EVERYTHING taste amazing with butter!? Yeah. Butter. It's one of my favorite toppings. If you don't want to add butter, don't fret. Your favorite jelly spread or plain is just as incredible! My kids even love them and will snack on them instead of junk!!!

{low-sugar bran muffins}
recipe from Kira at Kira Cooks

2 cups water
4 cups whole bran cereal (all-bran)

Boil the water, then combine with the whole bran cereal in a large bowl. Sit for 5 min to allow the bran to soak up the water and soften.

In the meantime, Combine:
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar

add:
4 eggs, beaten
1 quart low fat buttermilk

then add:
2 cups 40% bran flakes (I buy the cheap wal-mart bran flakes)
the soaking whole bran cereal1 Tbsp salt
5 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
2 cups whole wheat flour (if you want to do all whole wheat only do about 4 3/4 total since wheat is "thirstier")
Raisins (optional, but add just before baking)

Stir together until just combined. Bake 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes (mine always take the 20).
This recipe makes 60.

{great grains muffins recipe}

Also, don't forget to check out the TWD Blogroll to see how all the other bakers fared with their muffins this week!

Crockpot Lasagna {Best Ever}

2011-01-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

This is Amy aka Little Gourmified. I am Lisa's little sister and I felt it only fitting to call me Little Gourmified (or even better Lil' G, if you prefer). As I am only a little of what my sister is. She is an amazing (and I mean AMAZING) cook. I on the other hand am only a little bit of a cook. I like to keep my meals simple and quick. So on the occasion I guest post you can guarentee they will be simple, but yummy.
For my first post a new favorite at our house....Crockpot Lasagna. This Lasagna is super easy, very tasty and somewhat healthy. I usually steer clear of Lasagna due to the difficulty level and time to make the meal. The only thing that lead me to make it was a family gathering that I needed to bring a Lasagna to. I opted to find a easy alternative that could be transported as well as cook while I was at church. I found this delicious recipe here for Vegetarian Crock pot Lasagna. To me this is the {Best Ever} Crock Pot Lasagna.

No precooked lasagna needed, just the cheapest regular old lasagna noodles.

The only down side to the recipe is the dishes. Yes, I am not only a simple cooker, but I don't like having a super messy kitchen afterward. You have to use 2-3 bowls and a Crock pot. I recommend the Crock pot liners to save time on cleaning. The upside is with Crock pot time you have some time to put this meal together, clean the kitchen and be ready to enjoy dinner in a clean space.

The recipe calls for crushed tomatoes. I only had diced on hand so I added a can of tomato sauce. (Actually, I have a bunch of tomato paste so I used the substitution method. I mixed tomato paste with water to make tomato sauce. I think the paste is sweeter, but with all the ingredients it worked well.)

Not cooked, yet super tasty looking already!

Doesn't that look DELICIOUS! I hope you all enjoy it too!
Crock-Pot Lasagna Recipe

Recipe created by Jessica Seinfeld
Oprah.com | October 26, 2010

While slow cookers are often thought of as 1970s throwbacks and only good for making heavy stews, Jessica Seinfeld uses hers to make everything from whole small chickens to oatmeal and even this worry-free lasagna.

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients

Crock-Pot Lasagna Recipe

3 cans (14.4 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic , finely chopped
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 containers (15 ounces each) fresh ricotta
2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
12 lasagna noodles (about three-quarters of a 1-pound box)
5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

In the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Top with 3 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.

Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender—especially in the center of the lasagna—about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Harmons Tour

2011-01-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

I was recently invited to attend a “Back of the Store Tour” for Harmon’s, a grocery store here in Utah. For forever, Harmon's has been one of my all-time favorite stores. Probably because I can get practically EVERYTHING there. From the normal every day foods all the way to the bizarre, crazy stuff. I can rely on Harmon's to help me out each and ever time!

Our tour was of their new Bangerter Crossing Store in Draper. We also got to meet Vice President Bob Harmon, along with Culinary Education School Director, Chef Robert “Bob” Bryant. They "wined and dined us" allowing us to try all kinds of yummy foods and hang out with some fellow bloggers. Some of their blogs I already stalked, but was also able to meet and make some new blogging friends.

Laura of Real Mom Kitchen

Deborah of Taste and Tell

Carriann of Sweet Basil

Nisha of Healthy Mom Kitchen

Mariel of Or So She Says

Gabi of The Feast Within

Frieda of Frieda Loves Bread

The Draper Harmon's store has an incredible balcony area that has a large culinary education center they use for cooking schools, and a lounge area complete with WiFi and a fireplace so you can sit and relax while doing everything you need to.

Bob Harmon himself, took us around on our tour of the store and how Harmon's is able to make your shopping experience above and beyond that of any other grocery store.

The specialty cheeses!!! This was one of two of my favorite sections. I {HEART} cheese! And with SO many to choose from, you can't go wrong. Blue cheese....drrroooool.......my FAVORITE! And look at all those veins! YUM!

There's even a special file they provide so you don't have to remember which flavor you bought that just happened to be your all-time favorite! Brilliant!!!!

Flavored olive oils....Can I just DIE now!

Or are you a fan of wasabi like me? Yes! Well, you just HAVE to try this Raspberry Wasabi. You will die. It's incredible!!!

This would be my Second favorite area of Harmon's. Their seafood is so fresh and tastes incredible you would think we were living near the ocean. No lie. I grew up in Seattle and can really taste the difference!

I even showed everyone how easy it is to eat a muscle. YUM!!!!!!

Fresh basil, in the dirt so you can attempt growing it at home in the winter. I tried it. I {HEART} fresh basil. Can I grow it. Nope. Anyone know a trick to keeping it alive, I'd like to know. Thankfully, Harmon's has this on hand for Ms. Black Thumb over here.

See this crazy little gadget the produce manager is looking thru? I can't for the life of me remember the name of it, but you look into it with a piece of fruit and it shows a certain number. Harmon's only takes produce that reaches a certain number to ensure you are getting good, ripe, juicy and delicious produce.

Figs. Who knew these little gems tasted so AMAZING!? I didn't. Now that I've had the opportunity to try one, I'm so so glad that I can get them by the case-full from Harmon's. They're pretty cool like that.

Or what about this oven? Fire grilled pizza anyone?

Fellow food blogger friends, Nisha, Cariann, Me.

After all the fun downstairs during our tour, we headed back up to the culinary education center and got to hang out with Chef Bob, Bob, and the girls a little more. Chef Bob made us an uh-mazing lunch! The sandwich was fantastic! Oh and the blood orange sorbetto! You must, must, must go try them. In fact, try all of the gelato. They make it themselves and have even brought everything over from Italy. Sooo good!

I love you Harmon's! Thanks for a fun, eventful and educational day!

TWD::Nutty Chocolatey Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

2011-01-25T23:55:00.000-08:00

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe selection comes from Jennifer with Cooking for Comfort. A bundt cake. I {HEART} bundt cakes! Bittersweet chocolate mixed with nuts and sugar all swirled and folded into a buttery orange batter. What's not to like, right? Well, this wasn't my favorite. Not even close, I'm sorry to say.

I thought the orange peel batter was INCREDIBLE! So incredible, I'm tempted to make up a batch of just that yummy orangey batter and stir in some cranberries, bake them as muffins and top them with more orange glaze. THAT combination makes my mouth water! I'll have to bake that up this week and tell you all about it! That is if I can get the batter into the molds and into the oven. It was THAT good! We {HEART} batter at our house!

{recipe for nutty chocolatey swirly sour cream bundt cake}

To see how the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers fared this week, check out the TWD Blogroll. You never know, maybe they liked it WAY more than I did.

Spinach Salad with homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

2011-01-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever run into a situation where you have somewhere you need to take a salad to that's potluck and with so many choices you just can't decide? AND you want whatever you bring to be incredible, because no matter how modest you are, you really really love it when you get compliments on the food you bring? Yeah. Me too. If ever you're in a bind and need something speedy-fast and still turn out like you spent forever on it...THIS IS FOR YOU! Exceptionally fast and easy with maximum results! You can also change it up depending on the season by adding fresh sliced mushrooms and/or strawberries. You could even grill some chicken to add to this salad and make it more of a main dish. The balance of sweet, salty, vinegar-y and green leafy spinach, is truly amazing! Either way you make it, it's FANTASTIC!!!

{spinach salad}

adapted by Gourmified from "The Essential Mormon Cookbook" by Julie Badger Jensen

2-10 oz. bags washed and trimmed baby spinach

OR 2 bunches spinach- wash extremely well (3x) and dry, stems trimmed and leaves torn into pieces

3/4 lb grated swiss, mozzarella cheese (I used about 3/4 of a bag of the Italian mix cheese)

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and broken into small pieces

1-8oz. package sliced mushrooms (optional)

1 lb. strawberries (optional)

2 lbs. boneless-skinless chicken breast, grilled

Toss all ingredients together just before serving adding desired amount of dressing.

Makes about 12 servings.

{poppy seed dressing}

1 1/4 Tbsp. poppy seeds (optional)

3/4 c. vinegar (I used white)

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. grated onion

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. dry mustard

1 1/4 c. canola oil

Combine everything in blender to emulsify...VERY IMPORTANT! Refrigerate any unused dressing for future use. Will keep for 3 weeks in refrigerator.

TWD::Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

2011-01-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

Have you ever not liked something forever because repeated taste tests just didn't quite measure up? Yeah, well, I've been like that practically my whole life when it comes to poppy seed anything. No matter how often I would try, I just couldn't enjoy it. Until NOW.

Betsy of A Cup of Sweetness chose our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe this week and I have to say Betsy, Thank you. I absolutely positively fell in LOVE. I changed mine up a bit since I have so many oranges on hand and made mine and orange-flavored instead of lemon as the recipe suggests. Though, I know this would taste incredible with lemon as well. They're called muffins, but really, I say that loosely. They tasted more like a delicious citrus-y cake-y dessert. This could easily be made into one large loaf, a few mini loaves or cupcakes perhaps!? I mean, when you slather an amazing orange glaze all over the top that makes you want to lick it right off just as fast, what else is there. Really. They taste just as good fresh and warm out of the oven as they do cooled. The best part about this recipe, was that it was so EASY! I {HEART} recipes that are not only easy but taste incredible, too.

{Recipe for Orange Poppy Seed Muffins}

Don't forget to see how other TWD bakers did with their recipe by checking out the TWD Blogroll.

Easy Thai Chicken Curry

2011-01-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, so remember that post I had back a few months ago all about canned coconut milk vs. powdered coconut milk? Well, I figured it out. And am so incredibly happy I did. I can now eat one of my favorite meals without feeling like I'm eating fire. Sadly, I've discovered that coconut milk powder, though fantastically shelf-stable for food storage, is NOT universal. It's good for use in baking, but not with cooking. Especially when you are using a hot/spicy ingredient like curry paste. I swear, the powder only made the bite of the heat that much worse. No lie! So, with that said, if you're going to make this most incredible Thai flavored recipe full of coconut flavor, bamboo shoots, carrots, bell peppers, curry and chicken, you're definitely going to want to use CANNED coconut milk. Learn from my mistakes. You'll be happy you did! Oh...and you're going to LOVE it that you can have this amazing restaurant caliber Thai meal at home for a fraction of the price, too!

Photo courtesy of Pimp My Dinner

{easy thai chicken curry}

from pimpmydinner.blogspot.com

4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diagonally sliced (to look pretty)
2 bell peppers, julienne sliced
1-8 oz. can sliced bamboo shoots
1-4 oz. can thai curry paste (green or panang) - I use MAESRI brand
2-14 oz. cans coconut milk
basil

Cook chicken in a large pan with olive oil. Add onions, carrots and bell peppers. Let cook for a couple of minutes. Add bamboo shoots. Add curry paste and stir to coat all ingredients. Add coconut milk and basil and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until carrots are soft.

Serve over rice.

Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

2010-12-18T21:14:00.000-08:00

Every year in my family we have a tradition. A sugar cookie tradition. We will get together one Sunday in December and make a TON of cookies...frosted and decorated, too. This year, I perfected my recipe. Seriously. It turned out UH-MAZing! I've always felt um, snobbish towards sugar cookies....and this is why!

{sugar cookies}
1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. almond extract (you can sub. vanilla here if you have to)
2 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients. Set aside. Combine the butter and sugar and beat until fluffy. Add Almond extract. Combine. Beat in one egg at a time until just combined. Add dry ingredients. Mixture will be slightly crumbly. Form into one large disc or two smaller discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 min.

Roll out dough, cut out. Bake 8-10 min. Cookies will be done when it no longer has a shinny look to it.

*I prefer mine more chewy so I bake for about 8 min. If you prefer yours more crunchy, bake for 10 min or more...but NOT until golden.

{buttercream frosting}
1 1/2c. salted butter, at room temperature
5-6 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1/4 c. whipping cream

Whip butter until light and airy. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixer and whip until thoroughly combined. Spoon frosting amounts into bowls for food coloring separation. I use the Wilton food coloring in the jars. You can find them at most craft stores in the baking/cakes isle. They will give you a deeper more true color than the grocery store tubes.

Be sure to have ample sprinkles and decorations to top your cookies with. As you can see, in my family there is no such thing as too many red hots. They're the FAVORITE!!!!

EggNog Pie

2010-12-08T14:48:00.000-08:00

So, I'm finally following through with my promise of sharing my family recipe for our incredible eggnog pie. I'm sorry it has taken so long, I didn't forget. I've just had things going on.

This is our spread of pies we had for 12 adults and 5 children under the age of 6! YUM!

(Top to bottom: Pumpkin, Triple Berry, EggNog) (Table Left to Right: Lemon Meringue, Banana Cream, Sugar Cream)

Now keep in mind, if you don't like eggnog, chances of you enjoying this pie are slim to none. Also, between the custardy-type gelatinous filling and the whip cream topping, no calories or fat were spared. Eat and enjoy with every mouthwatering bite. I know I'm going to!!!

{eggnog pie}

2 envelopes plain gelatin
1/3 to 1/2 c. dairy eggnog*
1 1/2 c. dairy eggnog*
3 eggs separated
1/2 c. sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 pint to 1 pint of whipping cream (depends on how much you like!)
Shavings of either bittersweet or semisweet chocolate to top the pie with
1-9" baked pie shell, cooled

1. Heat the 1 1/2 c. of eggnog in the top of a double boiler.
2. Soak the gelatin in 1/3 to 1/2 c. eggnog for 5 min.
3. Combine beaten egg yolks with 1/4c.sugar.
4. Pour egg yolk mixture into heated eggnog. Cook over hot (not boiling) water, stirring until mixture coats a silver spoon.
5. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved, cool.
6. Beat the egg whites until stiff, not dry and slowly add remaining 1/4 c. sugar, beating until stiff.
7. Slowly fold the cooled custard into the egg whites.
8. Add vanilla.
9. If desired, transfer mixture back to double boiler pan to cool in the fridge. Chill until congealed (stir at least two times while thickening), then pour into the baked crust & chill until stiff.
10. Top with whipped cream and shavings of chocolate. Finish edges using piping bag and desired tip design.

Keep refrigerated. DO NOT cover with plastic wrap. It will affect the flavor of your pie.

*Be sure to use to use PURE dairy eggnog only. The best brand for this pie is called Southern Comfort. (I've found it mostly at Reams. You can sometimes find it at some Wal-Marts, too.) Nothing fancy. BUT if you try any other brands, you'll be sorely disappointed. No lie.

Do you have a favorite?

2010-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

In gearing up for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, my Mom and I were discussing our favorite pie selections. Of course, my favorites vary from hers, but that's okay. Whenever we have Thanksgiving dinner at my parent's house, we usually end up with about 5-7 pies to choose from. All this for usually only 12 adults and 5 children all under age 6. There's always leftovers...and we LOVE that! This year I'm only making one pie. It seems weird for me to only be making one. I enjoy baking and LOVE pies.

What's our selection this year?

Triple-Berry
Lemon Meringue

Egg Nog (Non-Alcoholic)
Pumpkin (I know it's a classic, but I really could do without it)
Sugar Cream Pie
Banana Cream Pie (if my sis-in-law hasn't had her baby and is willing at 10 month pregnant)

I'm making the Triple-Berry. It's my husband's favorite, so I've perfected it. Though since I've been married, my Mom has taught me how to make the Lemon Meringue and Egg Nog, she's going to make those this year.

Which is my favorite, you ask? Oh! That's EASY!!!!

EGG NOG!

Yes. I {HEART} Egg Nog Pie. I've tried a few different varieties, but the one I grew up on is my favorite. All the other pies can be made year round...but not Egg Nog. I count down to when the Egg Nog is available for purchase. I bought a Halloween adorned box this year, too!

I can't wait to share the recipes I have for all of these amazing family favorite pies AFTER Thanksgiving. Because really, my jeans cannot afford making extra before Thanksgiving just to blog about it. So sorry. You'll just have to wait it out and enjoy them between Thanksgiving and Christmas! And you will WANT to make them! They're THAT good!

BUT as these pie-making thoughts swirl around in my subconscious, I wonder,
"WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PIE?"

Pumpkin Tarte with chocolate crust?

Coconut Creme?


Traditional Chocolate Cream?

No matter how you look at it, I think Thanksgiving is going to be filled with many thankful hearts for giving thanks for many MANY things! I know I will be!

90-Second Cake?

2010-11-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

Yes. You heard me right. Have you ever had a craving for something sweet and chocolatey at a random time and just needed that something to be baked? I know I do. I prefer baked treats over candy any day. So, when my friend gave me this recipe it was LOVE at first bite!

All it takes to conquer that craving bug is a minimum of 2 ingredients, too. How CRAZY is that!?! I know. You're going to love me for sharing this with you. Consider it my present to you this holiday season.

{90-second cake}

1/4 c. Boxed Cake Mix (whatever flavor your {heart}desires)
2 1/2 Tbsp. Water.
Toppings: (optional)
   caramel syrup (my favorite!!)
   chocolate syrup
   marshmallows
   OR whatever your favorite topping might be!

Combine well, the first two ingredients in a ramekin-sized bowl. Add desired toppings. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. The top should look slightly dry and most of the toppings will have melted to the bottom. Let rest for 1 minute before serving. If desired, top with whipping cream. Enjoy!

You can thank me later....

Mexi-Burger

2010-11-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Sweet Basil

Okay, I know it's not summer anymore, but why do we have to retire our grill for the winter months? I know I don't! We grill year-round and LOVE it! I came upon this recipe from Cariann at Sweet Basil and I have to say it's DELICIOUS! There is a tiny little kick to it, but not enough to burn your mouth, more just give you that awesome Mexi flavor we all love! What could make it better you ask? Top it with some freshly sliced avocado, garden tomatoes, Monterey Jack cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Yes. It was heavenly!!!

Thank you so much Cariann for this incredible recipe! And I couldn't say it any better myself, "I pretty much think you are going to love it."...and we DO!

{mexi-burgers}
Recipe By Sweet Basil

1 Lb Lean Ground Turkey (I used lean ground beef and it was fantastic!)
4oz Diced Green Chiles
1 Clove of Garlic, minced
1 tsp Chili Powder
2 1/4 tsp Cumin
3/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

Mix everything in a large mixing bowl and form into 4 patties. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for 15-20 min.

Heat a grill and cook each burger for about 6 min on each side. Serve with whole wheat buns, tomato, avocado and monterey or pepperjack cheese and a smear of mayo (or sour cream)!

My Inqiring Mind

2010-11-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

So, I've had a question rolling around in my mind for a while now and am wondering if my wonderful friends/readers might have an answer.

"Coconut Milk vs. Coconut milk powder reconstituted...is there really a difference? If there is, what is it? I know I've tried one of my favorite recipes 2x now using coconut Milk Powder and it fails miserably...the reconstituted milk powder doesn't cut the heat of the Thai Curry Paste...but maybe it's just me."

Sloppy Janes

2010-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you've been following me for any length of time, you've probably already seen this recipe, but it's so good and uses so much ZUCCHINI that I just have to remind you of all it's wholesome delicious goodness!

This recipe has very little meat (you could even go all vegetarian and do NO meat). It consists of grated carrots, grated zucchini, diced onion and seasonings. I've even put some of my wheat berries in substitute of hamburger and it still tastes fantastic! This is also a recipe that I can eyeball measurements on and it still turns out excellent! I LOVE recipes that are forgiving like that!

It is also VERY freezer friendly so when I make it I cook up a HUGE batch and put family serving sizes into quart zip top freezer bags and it's ready for a rainy day. The zucchini, carrots and onion freeze well, on their own, so if you prefer, you could freeze the bags of pre-grated and diced veggies so all you had to do would be to dump the frozen veggies into the pan add the seasonings and sauces and voila! A FAST, EASY, DELICIOUS dinner in minutes!!!

{sloppy janes recipe}

Garden Vegetable Soup

2010-11-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all-time favorite soups. Not because it's delicious, because it totally IS, but because it's all vegetables! I can snack on this soup and feel completely guilt-free while filling my tummy! I {HEART} it! For those of you that are Weight Watchers groupies, this soup will definitely look familiar. Though, I've switched up the ingredients a bit and added my flair, I think you'll like it even better than the original. I know I do!

I mean, really, doesn't that soup scream DELICIOUS!!!!????

All my measurements are a ballpark of what I use. Usually I just eyeball it and use the whole item, i.e. whole onion, whole zucchini, whole cabbage, etc. I don't like leaving 1/2 of anything in my fridge to spoil that much faster. No matter how you cook this soup, it's going to taste fantastic!!!

{garden vegetable soup}
Modified from Weight Watchers

1 1/2 c. sliced carrot
1 c. diced onion
4-5garlic cloves, minced
5 c. broth (my favorite in this one is beef, but if you must you can also use chicken or vegetable)
6 c. (or one whole head) diced green cabbage (I {HEART} Cabbage so the more the merrier)
1 14oz. can green beans
2 14oz. cans diced tomatoes, WITH juice
2 Tbsp. Tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. diced zucchini
2 tsp. Olive Oil
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, if desired

Coat an extra large dutch oven with olive oil (of course you can use cooking spray, too but the olive oil lends such a delicious flavor and is good for you), heat. Saute the carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 min.

Add broth, cabbage, beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, about 15 min or until beans are tender. Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 min. Serve HOT. (with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.)

Serves 12.

Coming Next:

Sloppy Janes

Rhodes Giveaway NEW Winner!

2010-11-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Since Julie didn't claim her prize, I'm choosing a new winner.

#4 Clements Family said...of course I follow you:)

Congratulations! Send me an email to gourmified@gmail.com to claim your prize package! You will have until Sunday, November 7th to claim your prize, or a new winner will be chosen.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

2010-11-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know last week I said I'd be doing a full week of zucchini recipes. Well, life got in my way yet again. I have yet to figure out how to keep this from happening, but when you work outside the home and have kids off track and Halloween parties, it tends to happen. I hope you understand and can continue to forgive me!!!

But like I promised, here's the Blueberry Zucchini Bread.

I found this recipe a year and a half ago and it's been a beautiful relationship ever since. My family LOVES LOVES LOVES Blueberries. I like them, but prefer zucchini, so when I found this recipe combining the best of both worlds, I HAD to try it. I've never been sorry...well, not until I try to put my jeans on, but I have so many baked food loves, that pretty much everything causes that.

Try it. You won't be sorry. I promise. I've made this with frozen blueberries, too. It still turns out with the right flavors, but the frozen berries tend to ooze juice more in the stirring process. So, there will be less tan bread and more of a purplish bread, but still taste delicious.

My Mom gave me a trick that works to combat some of the juice bleeding: make sure your frozen berries are frost-free. Then toss in a small amount of flour from your bread ingredients total. DO NOT ADD EXTRA FLOUR! Do a quick stir to incorporate your blueberries into your batter and voila!

{blueberry zucchini bread recipe}

Coming next:
Garden Vegetable Soup

Rhodes Giveaway WINNER!

2010-11-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to:

#10 Julie Pia said...
Nummy nums. This would be fun to win.... thanks!

Send me an email to gourmified@gmail.com to claim your prize package! You will have until Wednesday, November 3rd to claim your prize, or a new winner will be chosen.

TWD::Not Apple, but Zucchini...Crisp?

2010-10-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

*Don't forget to enter the Rhodes Giveaway.

You heard me right! I said Zucchini Crisp. It's a VERY close relative to the Apple Crisp, but it involves a fun tricky game you get to play on all your unsuspecting friends and family.

You see, I don't like apple Pie. Not one bit. However, I absolutely {HEART} Apple Crisp, BUT only when I get to make it. Why? Because, I like to shred my apples. Yes, as in grated. I'm crazy like that I guess. But I just LOVE how each bite combines the perfect amount of topping and apple instead of having the big chunks of apple slices throwing off your apple-to-topping ratio.

Since today is my Tuesdays with Dorie day I thought I'd combine both! Thanks to Emily from the Sandmuffin who chose the All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie. As I'm sure the pie turned out perfectly delicious for everyone, I didn't quite stick to the recipe this week...

Because....as I said in my first zucchini post of the week, I am overflowing with gigantic zucchinis. Even though I've found that the only good way to freeze zucchini is by shredding/grating them and bagging them, I still like to use some fresh straight from the food processor. So, with that in mind, I was in the mood for an apple crisp. Perfect time of year for one, too. Problem. In my house we've been devouring apples right and left. Whole Apples. Sliced Apples, you name it. All fresh. So, since we're on this fresh apple binge, I wanted to save them for actual fresh consumption and decided to play with my zucchini shreds in an unconventional way. Zucchini Crisp is what came out of it.

I used my original {Perfect Apple Crisp Recipe} and tweaked it a bit to make it fit the Zucchini addition. If you're feeling a bit squeamish about using zucchini, don't fret. You can do half apple and half zucchini if you'd like. But I'm telling you. NO ONE WILL KNOW! I served this at an event with a lot of women, one of whom HATES zucchini. She gobbled it up. It wasn't until AFTER she was done I told her what it was. The look on that face....priceless!!!!

{zucchini crisp}
from the kitchen of Lisa Jensen, Gourmified

Zucchini mixture:
10-11c. Zucchini, GRATED (if it's the big hard-skinned kind like I use, be sure to peel the tough green shell off and scrape out the seeds inside)
1/4 c. flour
1c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1c. salted, melted butter
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional but oh so tasty!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a Large bowl, combine zucchini mixture ingredients. Mix well & put into greased 9x13 pan. Mixture will be quite soupy. This is what the flour will help to thicken. Combine topping ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle evenly over zucchini.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and sides are bubbly and topping no longer looks doughy. Allow to cool for 15 min while the juices continue to thicken.

Serve warm with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.

Oh, and this is definitely an apple crisp photo. I've made this zucchini crisp recipe a few times now and it gets eaten so quickly that I don't have time to get a picture! Yikes! It will look very similar to the Apple Crisp anyway!

To see how the other TWD Bloggers pies turned out check out the TWD Blogroll. OR if you just want to make this pie for yourself, you can get the recipe by visiting Emily's blog.

{All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie}

What's Next on the Menu?

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Rhodes Blogger Event and a GIVEAWAY!

2010-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, a few bloggers were invited to the Rhodes Bake-n-Serve kitchens for a demo and a fun blogger night. Since this was my first ever blogger event, I didn't know what to expect, but was PLEASANTLY surprised!!! From the first moments you walk in their doors, there is the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked bread. I could've died right then. That smell is seriously one of my top 10 favorite smells...EVER. I love baking breads and rolls just so I can have that aroma fill my home.

THEN, I got to finally meet face-to-face all the fun wonderful blogger friends I've made over the past 18 months. So fun!

Rhodes had so much baked "eye candy" for us to get ideas from (and then eat) out on display.

How fun would this spider or pig be to create with your kids!?! Just after this event I tried making some shapes with my kids. My son wanted a spider, my daughter a flower. Well, we let them rise WAY too long. They were terrible. Oh well. I bought a BIG bag of dough balls...we WILL be trying again soon!

Did you know that every Rhodes package contains a no fault guarantee? That means if your bread doesn't turn out right they will replace it for you. I didn't want to go THAT far with this batch, but if you feel you need to, then go ahead!

Since Rhodes created this handy slide show of all the blogger's sites, I had to show mine off for you, too.

Heidi V. We go WAY back...We used to live in the same "religious compound" as she put it...too cute! I didn't even realize she would be the one doing the demos, but it just made it all the more fun. And I DID get into a tad bit of teasing trouble right after I took this picture of her...oops! Love you, Heidi!!!

She even taught us a bunch of really cool tips and techniques to use with the dough to create different baked goods. To read all about it, visit Kathy's Blog. She took fantastic notes.

Or if you prefer, you can go to Rhodes' website and watch their instructional videos.

or better yet, book your own demonstration with Rhodes for only $3/person. I'm thinking I really want to do this again!

Ah, enjoying a few moments of fun together at the end!

We even got to taste some of the yummy treats Heidi V. made us after the demonstration. How lucky can you get!?!

Rhodes was so amazing, they gave us all a baggie and plate of treats to take home AND some of us won extras (like my loaf of bread) AND all kinds of extra handouts of recipes. How wonderful was that!?!

In honor of this fun Rhodes Blogger Demo Night I will be giving away a Rhodes gift pack.
Gift pack includes-
Fresh Ideas With Frozen Dough cookbook
Rhodes apron
Certificate for a free Rhodes product
To enter leave a comment on this post.

Bonus entries
*Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect
*Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment including your link
*Add my link to your blog roll on your blog

Details:
Leave a separate comment for each entry.
Giveaway ends at11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 31st. Open to US only! Winner will be chosen by Random.org. Winner will be announced Monday, November 1st. You will have until Wednesday, November 3rd to claim your prize, or a new winner will be chosen.

Stuffed Zucchini

2010-10-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I have zucchini coming out my ears. Not the small zucchinis either. Mine are massive. The largest I weighed was 7.9lbs. Yeah. BIG! I LOVE letting my zucchini grow BIG for a few recipes on purpose. This week's recipes/blog posts I'm dedicating to the Zucchini.

Oh, and don't forget, when your zucchinis get pretty massive like mine, the outer skin gets tough to the touch which means it turns into more of a winter squash and can sit on a cool dark shelf for a few months and be just fine until you're ready to eat it! Brilliant, I know!

Today's recipe
{Stuffed Zucchini}.

Get a firm grip on your massive zucchini. Cut it lengthwise in half. Scrape out the giant seeds so your squash looks like a hollow boat. Be sure to leave a generous amount of the zucchini "meat" for eating.

Mix up your favorite meatloaf mixture. My family's favorite is at the bottom of this post.

Shape the meatloaf into each of the zucchini halves. Top with your topping of choice. We like the Ketchup/brown sugar combo. You could also just use cheese.

You can bake it one of two ways. In the oven or on the Grill. Either way, it's going to taste fantastic! Eat the meaty part of the zucchini with each bite of meatloaf. Leave the dark tough skin shell, though. That part just doesn't taste edible to me...but if you like it, more power to ya!

{Classic Meatloaf}

3 pieces of bread

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion or 2 T. dried onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce (which I just learned has Anchovies in it!? Did you know?)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

Topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Tear bread into pieces and put in mixing bowl. Add milk, egg, onion, celery, Worcestershire sauce, salt and poultry seasoning. Stir until well mixed. Add ground beef and mix.

In a separate small bowl, mix brown sugar,ketchup, and mustard for topping. Set aside.

Stuff your Zucchini with the meatloaf mixture. Top with ketchup mixture now, or if you prefer cheese only, leave it plain. Add the cheese topping in the last 5 min. Bake in the oven at 400 or on the grill for 1 hour.

**For some extra fun, try adding in some grated carrots, diced bell peppers, torn frozen (and thawed)spinach, etc. It's a fun recipe to play around with adding more veggies to.

Coming Next
Surprise! Zucchini Crisp

Thanks Amy for the use of your pictures!

Roasted, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

2010-10-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is by far the BEST and easiest roasted pumpkin seeds recipe I've found. It's basic, no-nonsense goodness. I seriously can't wait to make mine. I'm counting down to when we'll be going to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins. 2 c. washed pumpkin seeds, spread out on a foil-lined cookie sheet to dry completely.

Dry 1 day.

2 tbsp. oil OR melted butter
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Mix oil and salt with seeds. Bake on cookie sheet about 40 minutes in 350 degree oven. (You can salt lightly after cooking, too if you'd like) Enjoy!

Cabbage-Burger Bake

2010-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have to say that this recipe is one of our family favorites. It doesn't picture well, but oh man! It tastes fantastic! So, if the pictures aren't doing it for you, look at the list of ingredients. If they look good to you, then try it. You won't be sorry!

{cabbage-burger bake}

1 sm. head cabbage (about 2 lbs. - I LOVE cabbage so I tend to add a lot more)
6-10 slices of bacon cut into 2 " pieces (depends on your love of bacon...we add 10)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. uncooked rice (NOT instant. If you use brown it will need to be pre cooked 1/2 way or you'll have this baking forever just too cook the rice)
1 1/2 lbs meat-loaf mixture (ground beef & ground pork)
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 can spaghetti sauce with mushrooms (we like Hunts)
3 c. water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.Shred cabbage (there should be about 8 c.); spread half in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Place baking dish ontop of a cookie sheet to catch possible spillage. In a large sauce pan, saute bacon just until fat starts to cook out; remove and drain on paper toweling, set aside. Stir onion and rice into drippings in pan; cook, stirring constantly, until onion is soft and rice is lightly browned. Spoon over cabbage in baking dish. Shape meatloaf mixture into large patty in same pan. Brown 5 min on each side, then break up into chunks. Spoon over rice mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with remaining cabbage. Heat spaghetti sauce with water to boiling in same pan. Pour over cabbage, stirring lightly with fork so sauce will flow to bottom. Top with bacon slices; cover. Bake for 50 min or until rice and cabbage are tender. Uncover. Bake 10 min longer to crisp bacon.

Serves 10 generously.

Carrot Cake with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-10-11T09:03:00.001-07:00

So, I still can't get the newer photo uploader to work. I finally figured out how to switch to the old uploader...so we can have pictures to look at BUT they're just not as big or as good. Sorry.

This is a recipe I've made twice now, and comes from one of my favorite baking books. If you haven't tried any of Melissa Murphy's recipes, you HAVE TO! They're all incredible!!! Every single time I've made this cake it's a HUGE hit! The carrot cake is very basic and EXTREMELY easy to whip together. Neither time, did I make it in layers like the directions say, but no matter. It still tastes incredible! The cream cheese frosting is just your basic cream cheese frosting, but with the orange zest kick, it takes it up about a dozen notches. I have the hardest time allowing the cake to have all the frosting and not just sitting there eating it all alone. It's THAT good! So, if you need a cake to WOW your guests, definitely make this one. It's a definite crowd pleaser!!!!!
{carrot cake with fresh orange cream cheese frosting}
from the Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy
For the cake:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tb. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
4 large Eggs
3/4 c. oil (I subbed equal parts of greek yogurt this last time and liked the moisture even better)
2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. carrots, grated medium fine
3/4 c. walnut pieces, coarsely chopped (I used pecans, but whatever)

For the Frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Before you start:
Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8x2-in round cake pans (or one 9x13). Line with 8-in round parchment paper.

To make the cake:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder.

2. In the bowl of and electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the eggs at high speed until light and frothy, about 1 min. Decrease the speed to medium and add the oil, sugar, and salt and mix until just combined. Decrease the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

3. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the carrots and walnuts.

4. Pour batter evenly between prepared pans. Spin the pans to level the batter. Bake for 45 min (same as in a 9x13) or until a wooden skewer inserted into the enter comes out clean. Remove to a rack to cool for 20 min before turning the layers out onto the rack. Cool completely before filling or frosting.

Frosting:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, sugar and zest. Start on low speed and then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 min. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

2. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until just fluffy and smooth, about 45 seconds more. Add the vanilla and mix until just combined. Do not overbeat.

Cookie Carnival::Chiquita Banana Breakfast Cookies

2010-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

We finally remembered to bake along with the Cookie Carnival Bakers! Wahoo! My kids really wanted to make the banana cookies. So we did. They had a blast baking them, but really we didn't think they tasted all that great. They were super super crumbly, too. Oh well. The kids had fun getting messy in the kitchen with me. That's what's really important anyway...that we have FUN!

{Chiquita Banana Breakfast Cookie Recipe}