Sour Cream Cookies

My sour cream cookies never get rounded like my Mom's and Grandma's do but I attribute it to altitude. I have played with the baking powder and cut the sugar down at times but nothing seems to give me nice rounded mounds of sour cream cookie goodness. Although these are kind of flat they still taste just as good as always. These are a cookie that I often have requests for when needing to bring a treat to a party.

Cookie:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup sour cream

Glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cream or half and half
Optional: Holiday Sprinkles

Preheat Oven to 350. Mix flour, baking soda and powder in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and extracts. Stir in sour cream. And then slowly add flour mixture until all added in. Drop cookies on a cookie sheet and bake 8 to 12 minutes. Cool.

Cardamom Butter Cut Out Cookies

This recipe originally is from Epicurious. But I made a few changes.

For cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

For espresso and chocolate icings
1 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), melted



Make cookies:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 4 minutes with a handheld. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Form dough into 2 balls each on its own sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap and chill the dough until slightly firm, about 1 hour. After chilling, I remove the first ball of dough. Roll out and cut out with holiday cookie cutters.

Put oven racks in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F.

Arranged about 1 inch apart (chill remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap).

Bake cookies, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

Ice cookies:
Whisk together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk until espresso powder is dissolved, then add confectioners sugar and enough additional milk to make a thick but pourable icing. Drizzle the espresso glaze over the cookies.

Melt chocolate and then drizzle over cookies.

Let cookies stand on racks until icing sets, about 2 hours.

Notes:
• Dough can be chilled 5 days or frozen, wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, 1 month (thaw in refrigerator just until ready to roll out).
• Cookies (with or without icing) keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

Makes about 6 dozen.

C.C. Peppermint Cookies

I guess there is this Nieman Marcus Christmas cookie that has peppermint bark in them. I have never had them but heard about them so thought why can't I make my favorite Chocolate Chip cookie recipe and add my own homemade peppermint bark. So instead of calling them by Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peppermint bark....made it easy C.C. Peppermint Cookies.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peppermint bark - broken up into fairly small pieces (homemade or store bought)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In one bowl, whisk flour and baking soda and set aside. In a larger bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Blend in the pudding mix until smooth, then the vanilla and eggs. Slowly work the flour mixture in. Finally, add chocolate chips and peppermint bark.

Make them into little balls and drop them onto your cookie sheet. You can flatten them a little though, because these don't spread very much. But I really like puffy cookies so I don't flatten many of them. Even flattening them though they still make pretty puffy cookies. They keep their size and shape really well. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Molasses Cookies

Busy busy week of baking for the holidays....












Molasses Cookies

That turned out more like Gingersnaps because of the altitude.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulphered molasses

Preheat oven to 375°F.

With a spoon, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice together in a bowl and set aside.

With a mixer (or by hand), cream butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl.

Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased greased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. (I grease all pans here in the altitude.)

Bake until outer edges begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide spatula.

Note: do not overcook. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry. Because of the altitude mine did not turn out hard and dry but very soft and chewy but not spongy like a cake cookie. Everyone who has had them has enjoyed them so far so that is good. But they all say we love these Gingersnaps you made.

Optional Glaze:
When cookies have cooled, lay out over a sheet of wax paper. Sift 1 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar and then whisk with 2 Tbsp of milk until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze and dribble over cookies.

Easy Chocolate Fudge

This recipes is so easy and I always get compliments on my fudge. Fudge was one of those things that always intimidated me. It is something I always thought I would screw up, but this one makes it fail proof at least it was for me. The best compliment for me was my Mom asking me for my fudge recipe. She now makes it like this too and she is a fabulous cook/baker!

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
Dash salt
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into wax paper lined or buttered 8- or 9-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

I have not ever done these variations or made it by microwave but including them anyway.

Notes: Microwave: In 1-quart glass measure, combine chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Cook on 100% power (high) 3 minutes or until chips melt, stirring after each 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Proceed as above.

Variations:
Creamy Dark Chocolate Fudge: Melt 2 cups miniature marshmallows with chips and Sweetened Condensed Milk. Proceed as above.

Milk Chocolate Fudge: Omit 1 (6-oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Proceed as above.

Rocky Road Fudge: Omit 1 (6-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips, salt, nuts, and vanilla. In saucepan, melt chips with Eagle Brand® and 2 tablespoons margarine or butter. In large bowl, combine 2 cups dry-roasted peanuts and 1 (10 1/2-ounce) package miniature marshmallows. Stir in chocolate mixture. Spread in wax paper-lined 13 x 9-inch pan. Proceed as above. (Makes about 2 3/4 pounds)

Festive Bark

The Recipe:


16 oz vanilla/almond bark - candy coating - chopped
2 cups small pretzel twists
3/4 cup Red and Green M&M's


Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Melt candy coating in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Take off heat and add remaining ingredients, toss to coat. Spread mixture thinly on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Let stand until set. Break into pieces.

Godfather Eggs

We had eggs called Godfather Eggs at a restaurant in Denver while staying with Michael's parents. He loved them and I kind of looked at him like um tomato sauce on eggs? It didn't sound appetizing to me at all. But I ended up trying them and oh they were so good. So here at home I have make them every now and then (especially after we have had pasta or pizza since I have left over tomato sauce or Italian sausage.

Godfather Eggs
scrambled eggs
browned ground Italian sausage (I use turkey Italian sausage)
tomato sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh chopped basil (optional)

Take scrambled eggs and then just put the layers on top of them first the sausage, then the tomato sauce and cheese. You can top with some basil even though I didn't have any when I took this picture.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Part 2

(picture taken by Michael for me! Isn't it good...with the reflection?)

Okay she did it again....a great recipe from The Adventures of Super Wife. Only thing I had to do different...was use a 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour as I ran out of all purpose flour. But they still turned out great! These are the best chocolate chip cookies!

I have never been able to make a puffy cookie here in the altitude. They melt into flat crispy cookies instead of soft round cookies. But look...




The recipe:
2 1/2 cups flour (again I used 1/2 cup of whole wheat only because I ran out but they turned GREAT!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 package instant pudding mix (I used vanilla but as you can see over on The AoSW that you can use other flavors)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In one bowl, whisk flour and baking soda and set aside. In a larger bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Blend in the pudding mix until smooth, then the vanilla and eggs. Slowly work the flour mixture in. Finally, add chocolate chips.

Make them into little balls and drop them onto your cookie sheet. You can flatten them a little though, because these don't spread very much. But I really wanted puffy cookies so I didn't flatten many of them. Even flattening them it still made pretty puffy cookies. They keep their size and shape really well. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes

Okay sometimes I need quick and easy. And yes sauteing or grilling some chicken breasts and steaming so veggies are quick and easy but there is just so many times you can do that with the grilled chicken no matter how many times you change the herbs and marinades. So I looked at Kraftfoods.com knowing they would have quick and easy and I found a few recipes. But they weren't perfect for me so I changed them - as always.

So this past week I made each of these. And Michael and I both really enjoyed them! And they were SO easy and quick!

Here are the recipes modified:
Sloppy Joe Skillet
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Cornbread Stuffing Mix or homemade cornbread stuffing
1 cup hot water
1 lb. ground turkey (lean ground beef would work too - I just us ground turkey always instead of ground beef)
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 can (14 oz.) chopped tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
a couple splashes of Worcestershire sauce
pepper to taste

Mix stuffing mix and hot water just until moistened; set aside. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain.

Add peppers, onions, tomatoes with their liquid, ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and pepper to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 5 min. or until peppers are crisp-tender.

Top with prepared stuffing. Cover; simmer 3 min.

It sounded really gross to me but we both really liked it. Served it with some steamed veggies.

Here is a picture...of Sloppy Joe Skillet
I realized as I was scooping the leftovers out of the skillet to put it away that I should take a picture...so nothing special...but just to get a look...



Cheesy Chicken Noodle Skillet
4 cups egg noodles, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups frozen vegetable (I used peas and carrots but others would do well too)
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) (low-fat) Cream Cheese, cubed
1/3 cup (light) Mayo
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup cheese - used mix of mozzarella and cheddar
pepper to taste

Bring large saucepan of water to boil on high heat. Add noodles and chicken. Cook 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through and noodles are tender, adding frozen veggies to saucepan after 6 min. Drain noodle mixture; return to saucepan.

Add broth, cream cheese, dijon and mayo. Heat just to simmer on medium-low heat. Simmer 2 to 3 min. or until cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended, stirring constantly. Add shredded cheese; stir 1 min. or until melted.

Silicone Brushes and The Baker's Catalogue

Okay so not a recipe post but just a plug for these...

Silicone Pastry/Basting Brushes

Now I got these at a dollar store (no I am not kidding). And I love them. So I got them at a heck of a deal compared to the 2 shown here. But I now knowing how well they work I would buy them at that above price easily because they are well worth the price! I didn't realize the find I had found until I used them of course....and then....oh so smooth heavenly goodness! Everything I use them for...to brushing the tops of cinnamon rolls with icing to brushing egg white un-top of a loaf of bread to basting bbq chicken. It just goes on so easily. And they clean up so easily too.

Just another plug, The Baker's Catalogue. I have many things from them and always very happy with their products. I love there flours as well as bakeware.

(And no I don't get anything for plugging them. I just like their products and believe word of mouth is a good thing...even though this is via blog.)

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I first moved to Colorado, one of the first things I tried to bake was chocolate chip cookies and they FLOPPED horribly! I could barely get them off the pan. Now I knew altitude messes with baking but I guess it just never occurred to me how much. I remember crying because I couldn't even make chocolate chip cookies which to me seem like one of those first things people learn to make...a classic. Michael was a good sport and ate the crumbles though and said they tasted good although didn't look very pretty. So it took months of baking and changing things around. I still have problems with traditional chocolate chip cookies but this recipe works for me.

The recipe:

* 3/4 cup butter
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1/3 cup peanut butter
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 cups rolled oats
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the peanut butter, water and vanilla. Combine the flour and baking soda, stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an unprepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cookies are lightly toasted on the edges. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks.



One reason I am posting this recipe and picture as next week I intend to try a new recipe that I again found over on The Adventures of Superwife. Chocolate chip cookies with vanilla pudding in them.

Breakfast Burritos

Michael's parents were here for a few days and his Dad is always trying out breakfast burritos at restaurants so I decided to make them for him. I made his Mom's mild and then the rest of ours with a little more kick. I don't follow a recipe or ever write down what I do. So here is just an approximate...
I made 14 burritos (leftovers frozen to zap in microwave for breakfast). I used flour tortillas, (12 I think) eggs scrambled with some salsa in them, diced potatoes (boiled in the microwave and then fried a little bit in some olive oil), ground turkey sausage (that I seasoned with chopped, onions, garlic powder, cumin and chopped green chilies), cheddar and Monetary cheese mix, salsa and sour cream. I put a little eggs, potatoes, sausage on the tortilla wrapped them up and placed on a baking sheet. I topped them with the cheese and then baked them about 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven to warm all the way through. When warmed through, I served with salsa and sour cream on top.

Dinner Tonight....

Michael and my anniversary is February 1. But the first of the month he always wishes me Happy Anniversary just after midnight. So although it is not our 4th year anniversary - it was an anniversary for us....getting us closer to our 4th years of being together.

So tonight I made his favorite dish....

Beef Stroganoff

The recipe:
1 pound boneless sirloin steak - cut into strips
olive oil
1 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (optional I don't add as Michael is not thrilled with them and they upset my stomach)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 beef-bouillon cube
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1 or 2 splashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup (low-fat) sour cream
3 1/2 cups cooked wide egg noodles (I use whole wheat)

• Slice steak diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips; cut strips into 2-inch pieces.
• Drizzle skillet with olive oil; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add steak strips, sliced mushrooms, chopped onion and garlic; saute 6 minutes or until steak is done and mushrooms are tender. Remove steak mixture from skillet. Drain well, and set aside.
• Combine bouillon cube and hot water, stirring well. Melt margarine in skillet over medium heat, and add flour. Cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, 1 minute. Gradually add bouillon mixture, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and half and half - stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.
• Add steak mixture to flour mixture in skillet; add salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 seconds. Stir sour cream into steak mixture.
• Serve steak mixture over noodles.

Served with some garlic asiago toast. And a salad (not shown).

Happy Halloween!

Made Emergency Cupcakes...Halloween Style...

Michael's parents, Frank and JoAnne where here and so I wanted to make the cupcakes festive. The buttercream didn't set up like it should have because I was a little too impatient with it.

Michael, Frank and JoAnne said they were cute and tasty!

FYI

I started a bio introduction in September and just finished it this morning. I put it in the links to the left side under Know Me.

Blogger is obviously having some issues. I have been having problems pulishing since yesterday. So my last post on Crispy Beef is a little off because it won't republish the changes to the entry. Hopefully it sorts itself out soon.

Crispy Beef

This is one of those recipes that I would have 4 years ago looked and thought it sounded too "hard" - now I look at and go why would I ever think that. It really is a good flavor to it.

The recipe:

1/4 cup cornstarch (I am sure another thickener could be used if you don't like using cornstarch)
salt and black pepper to taste
12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced (really I have taken all sorts of different cuts of steak and used in this recipe and always turns out great)
olive oil for frying
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon chile paste (have left this out when I don't have it on hand or don't want it to be too spicy and tastes very good still)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons chopped ginger root
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers - I usually cut them in strips. You also can get stir fry peppers and onions in the frozen vegetable section and I have used those before too when not in the mood for chopping.

Heat oil in deep-fryer, wok or deep pan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, salt and pepper together. Mix thoroughly. Toss the steak slices in the cornstarch mixture and coat well.

Deep fry the coated steak slices until golden brown. Check to make sure they are cooked through. Remove from oil, and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey. Add sugar, chili paste, water, and ginger. Mix well and set aside.

Heat a wok or deep frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, and quickly saute the onion, garlic and peppers for 30 seconds. Add the sauce mixture, and cook another 30 seconds. Finally, add the strips of fried steak and toss to heat through and coat with sauce.

Drop Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Cut 3/4 cup chilled butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until evenly moistened. Using 1/4 cup dough for each biscuit, drop biscuits onto baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm. (12 servings)

Stuffed Peppers

This recipe will stuff 6 to 8 medium to large sized peppers. If they are large I usually cut the pepper in half. Because that is a lot of food for just Michael and myself I often freeze the "stuffing" and take it out a month later or so and either stuff peppers with it again or do something completely different with it.

Also I always here people say they don't like green peppers the taste is too strong. So do others...red, yellow, and orange are more on the sweet side.

The recipe:
6 to 8 Red, Yellow or Orange Peppers (I never do green but feel free to do them if it is what you like)
1 lb ground turkey (most recipes call for beef and really you can use that - I just use ground turkey as it is a little more healthy)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic minced
pepper to taste
1 cup cooked rice
1 can of kidney beans - drained and rinsed
1 can of corn - drained
1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use whatever I have on hand)

Cut the steam end of each pepper off. If they are large peppers cut them in half. Remove seeds and membranes, rinse peppers and then cook peppers in boiling water to cover - for about 5 minutes. Drain.

Cook ground meat, garlic, pepper, and onion in a skillet, stirring occasionally, until meet is light brown, drain. Stir in cooked rice, kidney beans, corn, and diced tomatoes and heat until all is mixed and hot.

Heat oven to 350. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand in square baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.



Stuffed peppers are a favorite of mine and I have stuffed them differently over the years...

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers - just make your normal sloppy joe mix and stuff the peppers with it and top with cheese

Taco Stuffed Pepper - do black beans instead of kidney beans, do salsa instead of diced tomatoes, could even mix in some crushed tortilla chips or corn chips. Top with cheese.

Chicken Stuffed Peppers - do a can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, cooked rice, diced cooked chicken, chopped broccoli or asparagus

Italian Stuffed Pepper - ground sweet italian sausage browned with onion and garlic, mixed with mushrooms, ricotta cheese, and some tomato sauce with seasonings. Mix together stuff in the peppers and top with some Parmesan or Mozzarella Cheese.

Vegetarian - There are all sorts of wonderful vegetables - zucchini, spaghetti squash, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, broccoli - combine any with a tomato sauce and herbs. Oh and don't forget beans! Kidney, navy, great northern, black beans...all would be great with a combo of veggies and sauce. If you do dairy - top with cheese.

Just think of your favorite veggies or meat and decide what sauce to combine it with and stuff it in peppers.

Chili and Homemade Bread

We have been out of town for 2 weeks and leave again on Tuesday. The fall air - crisp and cool inspired Michael to request chili and homemade bread for dinner on today...

Chili with a little sour cream and cheddar cheese on it...












2 round loaves of homemade bread....














Warm bread with butter smeared on them....















The chili was super easy...

2 cans of chili beans
2 cans of kidney beans
1 small onion finely chopped
1 lb ground browned meat (I use turkey)
1 large can of chopped tomatoes
pepper to season

All thrown in the crockpot and cooked for 5 hours

I didn't use any other seasonings and we both agreed this was the best chili I have made because neither of us needed a tums after! It really did have good flavor for not adding anything else to it. I know the can of chili beans had chili seasoning in it and it was just enough for us. The flavor was really good.

Snickerdoodles

I made these to mail to some friends...

The recipe:
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl cream at medium speed butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Scraping sides of bowl occasionally. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture until well blended. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon. form dough into balls (walnut sized) and roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place 2" apart on baking sheet. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on rack. Snickerdoodles will puff up at first and then flatten out during baking.

Chicken...in a Rut...

I took some boneless chicken breasts out and thought what will I make with these. You know I get stuck in that rut of doing the same things with them always. All day I rolled several ideas around but nothing really sounded like "yes that is it!"

So right before really needing to start dinner, I looked into the fridge and saw I had sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, basil, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, thin sliced ham so I took all those things chopped and mixed together. I pounded the chicken breasts and then spread it with the mixture and rolled them up. I then coated it a whole wheat bread crumbs.

Here is how they turned out....




They had amazing flavor. And looked really beautiful on the plate. It is something I would cook for a dinner party.

Bran Muffins

My Mom used to make bran muffins for us a lot when we were kids. I know this is not her recipe as hers was the kind you could leave the batter in the fridge for a month and just keep scooping out of it. For some reason that bothers me although nothing bad ever happened to us eating these muffins as a kid and my Mom is a cook so she knows what she is doing. Anyway, I loved them so much so...even now biting into one I bake brings me right back home to being a little girl.


Bran Muffins

* 1 1/2 cups wheat bran
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1 egg
* 2/3 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour (sometimes I do 1/2 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.

Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Good Healthy Appetizer/Snack

I made this dip today for Michael to enjoy during the football games. There would be a picture but every time I went to take a picture of course it turned out fuzzy because it didn't know where to focus. The dip was pretty good but really for me needed more flavor. While mixing it up I did a taste test and it was a little bland, so I ended up adding some garlic to it. And that helped a lot.

I don't know where I got the original recipes as it was just saved on my hard drive as a recipe to try someday.

Bean Dip
1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1-1/2 cups Shredded Colby & Monetary Jack Cheese, divided
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) low fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped tomato
Snack Crackers (I served with some toasted pita triangles)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place beans, 1 cup of the cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and ground red pepper in blender or food processor container; cover. Blend until smooth. Stir in green onions.

Spread into 9-inch pie plate.

Bake 20 min. or until lightly golden brown. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and tomato. Serve with crackers.

edit: adding in this one picture that was the least fuzzy out of all 3 I took..dip with pita triangles

BIO

I have always disliked introducing myself in school or someplace new where they had you go around the room and stand up and say...I am....now I need to figure out how to do this in blog form.

So without further ado...

All about me....
I am expressive, diplomatic, open-minded, kind-hearted, understanding, passionate and loyal. I can be introverted but other times I am very extroverted. I am a mixed media artist. I throw myself into my art and usually emerge with some of the art on me....smeared in charcoal or paint. I am a foodie wannabe and amateur cook. I enjoy wine, tea with cream, reading, chocolate, mail love, music, stationary, art, fresh pineapple, Asian food, cookbooks, typography, mary janes, coloring books and crayons, anything handmade, and the endless possibilities of life. I like Paulo Coelho books, Pre-Raphaelites paintings, and Joss Whedon shows (ie: Firefly). I am constantly learning and growing in my spirituality. I find my inner cool and calm through Buddhism. I love and adore my partner, Michael completely, openly and deeply. I love my family and friends very much and appreciate all their support and kindness.

On Cooking...
My Mom, her Mom and her Mom before her all cooked and are known for being great cooks. And now I cook. You would think with a line of wonderful cooks in my family that I pretty much would have been cooking as a child but I do have to say my Mom's kitchen is HER kitchen. And I don't think I just ever got "it" -- how enjoyable food was until I was an adult so I never asked to learn. I just kind of fell into cooking. As an adult I started cooking and really I was not horrible but I wasn't great either. Baking really is what got me hooked on cooking. I enjoyed baking, sharing and seeing people enjoy the sweet treats. Up until then I was scared of the kitchen. Scared of messing up. Then one day I got over that and just started creating, testing, and enjoying the process. It was much like art for me - textures, colors, now add in smell and taste....all coming together to form a work and creating an exeperience for not only me but others.

I created this blog in order to share some of the things I cook. I will share recipes and photos. I live in Colorado so there is altitude element that plays into my baking. Often my cupcakes, muffins, and cookies aren't poofy like the pictures in cookbooks. I have lived here 3 years and am still experimenting with that element. I have finally mastered bread so that it doesn't fall (really it was almost test to my patience). I cook everything from gourmet food, comfort food, quick meals, food of my childhood and whatever else inspires me.

Adventures in Emergency Cupcakes

So a while back I started reading The Adventures of Superwife and she posted this recipe for Emergency Cupcakes. They looked so good that I bookmarked it to come back to and make someday. Well it had been the first time I read her and it was during one of my insomnia cycles - so what I am saying it was LATE and I forgot about them and her blog. I know shame on me!

One day probably a month or even 2 later on the Food Network (can't even remember which show it was at the moment) the host was making yes....cupcakes. And all of a sudden I had the vague memory of reading a blog with amazing cupcakes that sounded so easy too. So I went to my favorites and looked for the link. Nope not there. So, not remembering the name of the blog or the name of the cupcakes...I started the endless google searches which lead me to another link I have listed....Cupcake Bakeshop (which of course made me bookmark a BUNCH of recipes I wanted to try there too.) But I still couldn't find one I really wanted because you know at this point it was a MISSION! I NEEDED to find the blog again! Really it took a couple weeks of googling on and off and I have no idea what words I put in but one precious evening...The Adventures of Superwife appeared. I rejoiced as any other baker would do...I made the cupcakes RIGHT AWAY!

So Emergency Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting....
















The recipes:
Chocolate Cupcakes
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat Oven to 350

Whisk all your dry ingredients in one and all your wet ingredients in another. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Line cupcake tins with paper liners - spray lightly with cooking spray. And then fill liners 3/4 full and bake for 14 to 18 minutes.

Quick Buttercream Frosting
I used Williams-Sonoma's recipe but cut in half and omitting the salt.

3 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter
2 tblsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter and then mix together all ingredients until fluffy and creamy but with so it keeps its peaks. If too stiff add a little more milk.

Chicken Pasta Salad

I made chicken pasta salad last week. It has chicken that I grilled with lemon pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil marinade. I chopped that up. And then added cooked whole wheat rotini pasta, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped roasted yellow, green and red peppers, grated mozzarella cheese and then all of it was tossed with a little bit of fat free half and half, basil,and Italian dressing.

Balsamic Chicken and White Beans with Pancetta and Sage

Dinner one night this summer...

Balsamic Chicken
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, enough to coat chicken
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 stems rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped, about 2 tablespoons
Salt and coarse black pepper

Coat chicken in balsamic vinegar, then olive oil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts to the pan. Cook chicken 12 minutes, or until juices run clear, turning occasionally. The balsamic vinegar will produce a deep brown, sweet finish on the chicken as it cooks. Remove chicken from skillet when cooked through. Serve.




White Beans with Pancetta and Sage
1/2 pound large dried white beans -- corona beans (have used lima beans too...whatever larger white bean I can find)
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour - for dredging
salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta (when I have not been able to find it as I live in a smaller town I by just regular bacon or some prosciutto)
4 sage leaves - chopped

Prepare beans - put the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator.

Drain the soaked beans, place them in a large pot and cover with fresh cold water. Put the beans over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Toss in the bay leaves and garlic (I also added some of the sage this time and it really added a good flavor to the beans and extra pop of flavor). Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until tender. Drain the cooked beans and spread them out on a sheet pan to cool slightly and dry off a little.

Put about 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow platter and season it with salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Toss the beans in the seasoned flour to coat completely.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta, fry for a couple of minutes to crisp it up. Toss in the sage leaves and fry for about 1 minute. Remove the pancetta and sage to some paper towels; now you have a flavor base. Shake off excess flour from the beans and put them in the pan in a single layer. Fry the beans for a good 10 minutes to form a golden crust on the outside of the beans, tossing to cook both sides.

Return the pancetta and fried sage to the pan, stir everything together, and serve.

Calzones

I made calzones tonight for dinner...
A whole wheat crust stuffed with ricotta cheese, roasted chopped peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, ground sweet Italian turkey sausage, mozzarella cheese. Topped with some tomato sauce.


Oh yes...I have a bread machine and I love it and use it often. This recipe I use the bread machine on the dough setting.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread machine in order used by machine. Run on dough cycle.

Calzones

When done, divide dough into 4/6 balls depending how big of calzones you want to make. All to rise for 10 to 20 minutes. Roll out dough balls on a lightly floured surface to 6 to 9 inch circles (depending on the size you want for your calzones).

Layer your favorite pizza ingredients on half of each dough round. Fold dough over filling and pinch edges of dough firmly together to seal. Move dough to baking sheets and pierce in several places. Bake calzones 15 at 350 degrees and then turn and bake another 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

For the above calzones I used roasted mixed peppers, sundried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and browned ground Italian turkey sausage. Topping each calzone with tomato sauce after they are baked.