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).