Beef Enchilada Stack

I made this for dinner on Saturday night.  It comes from my Pillsbury Pot Pies & Casserole magazine.  It was simple to put together. It was very good, but mine wasn't very pretty.

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ Niblets® frozen corn
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso® 40% less-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in sauce, undrained
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
9 corn tortillas (6 inch)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1/2 cup sour cream
3 medium green onions, sliced (3 tablespoons)

Heat oven to 350°F.

Spray 9-inch glass pie plate or 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.

In 12-inch skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in bell pepper, corn, taco seasoning mix, tomatoes and enchilada sauce. Heat to boiling; remove from heat.

Spread about 1/4 of beef mixture in thin layer in pie plate. Top with 3 tortillas (tortillas will overlap), 1/4 of beef mixture and 1/3 of cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, starting with tortillas and ending with cheese on top. Pie plate will be very full but should not overflow.

Bake about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Top each serving with sour cream and green onions

Bow Ties with Ham and Asparagus

This recipe came from the Pillsbury Pot Pies & Casserole magazine that I picked up earlier this week.

3 cups uncooked bow-tie (farfalle) pasta (6 oz)
1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce
10 medium asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil and herbs, drained, chopped
1 cup diced (1/4 to 1/2 inch) cooked ham
1 cup shredded Havarti cheese (4 oz) (I used Swiss)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, heat Alfredo sauce over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Gently stir in cooked pasta, asparagus, tomatoes and ham. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour into casserole.

Cover; bake 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbly. Top with remaining cheese.

It was pretty good, but I think I would have chopped the sun dried tomatoes into smaller pieces and under cooked the pasta a little.

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

I just made these and they are now cooling on the island.

2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons cold coffee
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal

Parchment paper
 
In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter, milk and cold coffee. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of parchment paper, drop mixture by a medium cookie scoop, until cooled and hardened.
 

Winter Pork Roast Dinner

This recipe is one from my new Pillsbury Pot Pies and Casserole magazines.

1 rolled boneless pork loin roast (1 3/4 to 2 lb)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 large dark-orange sweet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced, separated into rings
1 1/2teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1quart (4 cups) apple juice

Sprinkle pork roast with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper; place in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Place sweet potatoes around and on top of roast. Top with onion; sprinkle with thyme and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour apple juice over onion.

Cover; cook on Low setting 6 to 8 hours.

With slotted spoon, remove vegetables from slow cooker; place on serving platter. Remove roast from slow cooker; place on cutting board. Cut roast into slices; place on platter. If desired, drizzle some of cooking liquid from slow cooker over vegetables and roast.

When it was done, I strained about 3 cups of the liquid and set it aside.  I made a roux and added the liquid and made a nice gravy and seasoned it with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.  This one is certainly a keeper!!

Home Made Blueberry Pop Tarts

I found this recipe on Cake Spy. Makes 6-8 tarts, maybe even more, depending on size; adapted from wonderful, wonderful Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

For the crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened and cut into cubes
3 tablespoons cold water
For the filling

Jam, about 1 heaping teaspoonful per pastry (your choice of flavor; I used blueberry)

For the icing

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
milk, to thin

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set to the side.

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and blend with a fork, pastry cutter, or your impeccably clean hands. Blend until the mixture is fairly coarse. Add the water, bit by bit, gently mixing the dough after each addition, until the dough is cohesive enough to form a ball. (I used my food processor)
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out rectangles approximately the size of index cards (3x5 inches), or smaller if you prefer a more modest portion (I didn't). Make sure you have an even number of cutouts. I think that mine might have been a little thicker than 1/8 an inch, but I ended up with 12 rectangles (for 6 pastries).

On half of the rectangles, place a small spoonful of the jam of your choice in the center. You don't want it to be too thick or the top crust will mound on top of it.

Place the remaining rectangles of dough on top of the ones with jam. Crimp all four edges by hand or with a fork to ensure that your filling won't ooze out. I also poked the top of each with a fork, to vent them.

Place the tarts on your prepared baking sheet, and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until light golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.

While the tarts cool, prepare your icing; make sure it is fairly thin but not so thin that it will just drip off. Once the pop tarts are cool, drizzle it on top. Garnish with sprinkles.

As you can tell Victoria wanted heart shaped pop tarts.

All rolled and cut out.

Covered with the top crust, crimped and poked holes for a vent.

Added some blueberry preserves.


Baked and cooling.
All done!
  Mmmm look at all that blueberry goodness...



I made these back in February and posted it in Miss V's blog.  I copied it here and took out the pictures of Miss V, for her privacy.

September menu planning

I am not so good at planning a whole month of dinners.  I can do a week at a time without a problem.  I like to see what is on sale and plan around that.

So I just went through my new Pillsbury Pot Pies & Casseroles magazine and picked out four dinners for the next few days.  There are only three of us home now with our son off to college.  So now there are more leftovers and trying to remember not to make huge meals is challenging.

The recipes that I plan on making are;
Winter Pork Roast (crock pot)
Green Bean & Chicken Casserole
Beef Enchilada Stack
Bow Ties with Ham and Asparagus

I can wait to hit the grocery store tomorrow!  I know I am not like 90% of people, I LOVE grocery shopping.  Miss V loves to go with me and our "quick" trips end up being at least an hour.  When we are in the produce section she likes to look at everything, smell and feel the different fruits and veggies.  She will ask what an item is and how would we cook it or prepare it.

Someone once asked me how do I keep all my recipes organized on my computer.  Well the simple answer is that I have MasterCooks version 9.  I absolutely love this program!!!  It comes with a wide selection of cookbooks and recipes and gives you the option to make your own books.  When I find something that interests me, I add the recipe to my book.  From there you can add it to a shopping list.  The shopping list feature is great!  I usually end up printing the whole list then cross off stuff that is already in my pantry, fridge or freezer.  I had a problem once when my hubby redid my computer and the software wouldn't register.  Their technical support was very quick and helpful.

Who else out does meal planning?  I would love to hear what you have planned for the next week and beyond if you are that ambitious.

Edited on 9/13 to add three more dinners for this week.  They are all from Pillsbury's Pot Pies & Casserole Recipes:

Pork chops with apples and stuffing
Chicken and Gnocchi
Low fat Chicken Tortilla Soup

As I make them I will link the recipes to the list.

Giada's Lasagna Rolls

I wanted to make something a little different than regular lasagna yesterday.  I looked high and low online and found a recipe from Giada for her lasagna rolls.  I had most of the stuff already in the pantry.  I ran into Sweetbay and picked up the last few ingredients and made a dozen lasagna rolls.

Sauce:


2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg


Lasagna:

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat noodles)
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

 

Here are mine all rolled up.

All set and ready for the oven!

All done and ready to eat with a couple small slices of Herb Bread.

From the side you can see all the yummy goodness!!

September is National Breakfast Month

Our neighborhood has a monthly newsletter and lately the content has been the same boring thing.  One neighbor suggest that I put some recipes in it.  I gave it a little thought and decided to start doing a monthly article about what else?  Food and some fun food holiday info.

I looked on one of my favorite sites, The Nibble and saw that September is National Breakfast Month.  So I wrote up a little article and included three of our favorite recipes.

Apple Cinnamon Waffles

Chocolate Waffles

Gingerbread Pancakes

I did also include Miss V's favorite pancakes, they are called Pumpkin Patch Pancakes.  Sorry no link as her blog is private.

So.....

Lemon Graham Squares

I made this yesterday, the recipe comes from my new Taste Of Home, Fall Baking magazine.

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the milk and lemon juice; set aside.  In a large bowl , combine the cracker crumbs, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  Stir in butter until crumbly.

Press half of the crumb mixture into a greased 9 inch square baking dish.  Pour lemon mixture over the crust; sprinkle with remaining crumbs.

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack.

Yield is 3 dozen.

They are really good and very twangy.

Taste of Home Southwest

While wasting time this morning at Walmart, I was going through the magazine section and noticed a new Taste of Home magazine.  I had to pick it up!!!  Oh it looks like it has absolutely wonderful recipes and I can't wait start trying them.

Taste of Mardi Gras!

Here is the menu I made up in Paint Shop Pro.

Last night was our Taste of Mardi Gras dinner group.  I don't know why but I get this irrational fear that my food will come out horrible and everyone will not enjoy it.  Everyone had a great time last night and the food came out delish!!!

Miss V took my camera and took pictures of the tables for me while I was cooking.

On the tables I put some beads and made up some little bits of trivia.

Taking a little break while the "trinity" sautes

Had to get a picture of Marcel mixing up the Hurricanes.

The CP Dinner Group guests

Our menu last night included:

A mixed green salad with creole vinegarette & creole croutons

Muffaletta

Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya

King Cake

Traditional Beignets and a Cafe Au Lait

Pat O'Brien's Hurricanes

There are ALOT of recipes for Pat O'Brien's Hurricanes online and they are all different.  So we kind of combined a couple to make it to our tastes.

4 oz amber rum
2 oz passion fruit syrup
1 oz pineapple juice
1 tbs maraschino cherry juice
1 oz lemon juice

Orange slice and cherry for garnish.

Marcel made them by the gallon and served them over ice and added a splash of club soda to lighten it up a bit.  These were really good!!!!

King Cake

You can't have a Mardi Gras party without King Cake right?  Well some websites said that it is a taboo to make and serve King Cake after Mardi Gras and some stores sell it year round.  So....I made a King Cake!  I found a few recipes online and combined them.

For the Cake:


3/4 cup milk
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and then cooled to room temp
2 whole eggs (eggs do not warm very quickly. If you want to warm it quickly place it in a glass of warm water for about 5 minutes.)
1 egg yolk, save the white for your egg wash before baking
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, room temp (eggs do not warm very quickly.  If you want to warm it quickly place it in a glass of warm water for about 5 minutes.)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 plastic baby figurine or pecan half (optional)

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 - 4 tablespoons milk

Yellow, green, and purple dusting sugar

To make the dough, place all the ingredients into your bread machine listed by manufacturers directions and set on dough cycle.


Make the filling by beating the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Set the filling aside.

When the dough is done, shape the dough into a large rectangle, about 2 feet long, by 6 inches wide. Spread the filling down the center of the dough, place a pecan half or plastic baby in the filling, if desired, and fold in half and pinch the dough shut to form a log. Working on a greased cookie sheet.  Place a aluminum foil wrapped can that has been greased in the center of the cookie sheet.  Form the log into circle around the can. Pinch the ends together to form a large circle. Let the cake rise, covered, in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is well risen.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Make an egg wash by mixing the reserved egg white with 1 tablespoon of water. Gently brush the king cake with the egg wash and bake it for 30 minutes. Lightly cover the cake with foil to prevent over browning and continue baking it for an additional 20 minutes. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.

Prepare the frosting by mixing together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until the frosting is completely smooth and silky. Pour it evenly over the cooled cake. While the frosting is still wet, sprinkle the colored sugars in an alternating pattern directly onto the frosting so it sticks.

This king cake recipe makes 12 servings

As you can tell I didn't pinch the end seams enough.  It was closed enough that the filling did not come out.  Marcel was joking that it was actually the letter "C" for Cake or for Creole...Hey that works for me!

Jambalaya

I found the recipe for the Jambalaya on GumboPages.  That site has some incredible recipes and you should go check it out!
I decided to chicken and andouille Jambalaya and it came out fantastic!

1 lb. boneless chicken, cubed

1 lb. (hot) smoked sausage, andouille
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 - 6 cloves garlic, minced (amount to taste; I like lots)
4 ribs celery, chopped
3 small cans tomato paste
4 large Creole tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; OR 1 28-oz. can tomatoes
8 cups good dark homemade chicken stock (I used Kitchen Basic unsalted Chicken Stock)
Creole seasoning blend to taste
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
4 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
In a sauté or frying pan, brown the chicken, sprinkling with Tony Chachere's seasoning if you've got it; a bit of salt, black pepper and red pepper otherwise.

Brown the sliced andouille and pour off fat. In the pot, sauté the onions, garlic, peppers and celery in oil until onions begin to turn transparent.

In the same pot, while you're sautéing the "trinity", add the tomato paste and let it pincé, meaning to let it brown a little. What we're going for here is an additional depth of flavor by browning the tomato paste a little; the sugar in the tomato paste begins to caramelize, deepening the flavor and color. Keep it moving so that it browns but doesn't burn.

Once the vegetables are translucent and the tomato paste achieves sort of a red mahogany color, deglaze the pan with the about 2 cups of the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix up any browned bits, and stir until smooth, making sure the sautéed vegetables, paste and stock are combined thoroughly. It should be fairly thick.

Add the Creole seasoning, tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the meat and/or seafood and cook another 10 minutes; if you're using seafood, be careful not to overcook it.

Add the rest of the stock, check seasonings, and stir in the rice, combining thoroughly. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked through. If you haven't checked your seasonings before adding the rice, it's too late! It's much better for the rice to absorb the seasonings while it's cooking. Check seasoning anyway, then turn the heat down to low-medium and let the sauce thicken up a bit, with the pot uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients. When the jambalaya has thickened up a bit and has reached the "right" consistency (you'll know), it's done.

Miss V had to take a picture while I was cooking the Jambalaya.

Creole Croutons

This is my go to recipe for croutons, it is from Emeril's 20-40-60 cook book.

1 French baguette (about 12 ounces), preferably day-old, cut into 1/2-inch dice (down here it is easier to find Cuban bread and that is what I used for our Taste of Mardi Gras party)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Emeril's Original Essence or Creole Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and toss quickly to coat the croutons well.

Transfer the croutons to a baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Bake, rotating the baking sheet front to back midway through, until crisp all the way through and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yield: About 6 cups

Muffaletta

I found the Muffaletta recipe on a site called Suite101.

1 1/2 cup quality pimento-stuffed olives, crushed or coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, crushed or coarsely chopped (standard black olives may be used)
1 cup giardiniera (Italian pickled salad including cauliflower , carrots, celery, and onion. This can be found in the pickle aisle at the grocery store.)
2 pepperoncinis, chopped
2 Tbsp. capers, chopped
2 large stalks celery, finely chopped
3-4 fresh cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 cup quality extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Combine ingredients and place in a jar with lid. Refrigerate over night (24 hours is best) to allow flavors to mingle.  I made this first thing on Saturday morning.

1 10 inch round Italian bread, not sliced
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese
1/4 pound provolone cheese
1/4 pound ham
1/4 pound hard salami
1/4 pound mortadella
To assemble the sandwich, I sliced the loaf in half.  Layered on the meat then cheeses.  On the top half of the bread I scooped out some of the bread and spread a generous amount of the olive salad.  Then put the top on the sandwich.  I sliced it into 10 wedges for our guests.  I have a lot of olive salad left over.

Green Salad with Creole Vinagarette

I found this recipe on GumboPages.

1 medium shallot, finely minced

2 ounces sherry vinegar (I jused red wine)
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
3 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces walnut oil
3 or 4 drops of Crystal or Tabasco hot sauce, to taste (I used Franks Red Hot)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Mixed greens
Creole tomatoes, quartered (cut into eighths if they're really big)
Red onions, very thinly sliced

For the dressing, combine the shallots, vinegar, hot sauce and Creole mustard. Slowly whisk in the oils until the dressing is emulsified, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the greens and tomato quarters with the dressing. Plate the salads, allowing 4 tomato quarters per person. Sprinkle with a few Creole croutons and place a small mound of the red onions in the center.

I did double the recipe for 10 people.

Freebie Mugs!

Yesterday the UPS man came and I had no idea what he could have dropped off.  I already received the items for our Taste Of Mardi Gras dinner....

Hmmmmm??????

I didn't even look at the shipping label, I just grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the packing tape and opened the box.  First thing I saw was an envelope and in the envelope very pretty card.  On the outside was a very "New Englandy" picture with an old town with a covered bridge, barns, and a church.  It was my friends at New England Coffee Company.

Woo Hoo in the box, packed really nicely was two of their mugs and two little tins of peppermints.  I love them!!!

I cannot wait to use them when the weather cools of this fall/winter.  Or maybe I will use it tomorrow night for my Cafe Au Lait!!

Internet Shopping

So our little spot in SW Florida is not a foodie's mecca.  I tried three or four grocery stores to see if any of them carried creole mustard...not one did.  So I did the next best thing, shop online!  I am really great at finding stuff online.

Last week the Passion Fruit Syrup came and that is the first time I have been unhappy with Amazon's shipping.  I purchased two 3 packs of the syrup.  When I went to pick up the box from my front entryway, it was covered in tiny little sugar ants.   I quickly ripped open the box and inside was full of the little ants.  Both 3 packs were in plastic bags and the ants were not inside the bag.  I rinsed off the bottles just in case.  I had to spray down the box, my front porch and around the front door with ant spray.  Needless to say I let amazon know that the packaging was NOT adequate.

Today came the creole mustard and Cafe Du Monde coffee!!  I found them at Cajun Supermarket.  Excellent service and shipping!

Can't wait to Laissez les bons temps rouler!

A Well Stocked Pantry

What is your idea of a well stocked pantry?

I love my Tupperware containers.

Four kinds of flour and various other baking ingredients.

Coffee, tea, a couple different kinds peanut butter & nutella....

Rices, tomato sauces, pastas and a couple boxes of stock. Not my favorite kind of stock, I haven't been to Sweetbay all summer.

Cake mixes, frostings, syrup, cereals, rolled oats, and dried fruits.

Lots of kinds tomatoes, beans, and soups.

What are some of your pantry staples???

What's Bean Happening

So What's Bean Happening?

Guess what I am currently having on this rainy, first day back at school and Marcel's birthday?

If you guessed an Ice French Vanilla in my Try Me Iced cup you would be correct!!  Stop on over at the New England Coffee Company site and see what kinds of yummy coffee they have and OH!!!  Publix had a BOGO on their coffee this past week.  Gotta stock up!

Cooking Channel & Chefography

I am really in love with the new Cooking Channel on FIOS.  I think I have said in previous entries, I am just burnt out on Food Network.  I have been enjoying their sister channel, the Cooking Channel.  They have reruns of old shows and have a great selection of new shows.

Last night I watched and older episode of Chefography about Guy Fieri.  I remember watching him on the Next Food Network Star and I picked him from the very first episode.  There was just something about him.

If you have a chance, you should check it out.

Chicken and Dumplings

I am making this for dinner tonight.  I have made this a ton of times in the past and the recipe is on Miss V's blog with pictures.

1.5 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
3 large russet potatoes peeled and diced
3 large carrots peeled and diced
1 large sweet onion
3 ribs of celery
3 bay leaf, fresh or dried
kosher salt and black pepper
2 or 3 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tbs flour or wondra flour
1 box of Kitchen Basic chicken stock
1 box of Jiffy biscuit mix
1/2 cup of warm water
2 tbs flat leaf parsley chopped
1 1/2 cup of frozen peas

Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces and put aside.
Heat a large pot over medium high heat and add oil, butter, veggies and bay leaf and cook -10 minutes stirring frequently. Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add flour to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in stock and bring to a boil. Add chicken and stir.

Mix the biscuit mix with water and parsley. Drop tablespoonful of mix into the pot spacing the dumplings evenly. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium low. Steam dumplings for about 10 minutes. I like to turn my dumplins over at 5 minutes. Stir in frozen peas and cook for a few more minutes.

Remove pot from heat and serve in shallow bowls.

New England Coffee Company

So this morning I was going through my email and I received an email from a woman at New England Coffee Company.  She wanted my permission to post a comment that I put on Facebook, on their main site in the What's Bean Happening section.

Sure I said!!!

So my comment will be on their site the week of August 23rd!

Woo Hoo for giving positive comments!!!

Crunchy Granola

I was bored the other day so I made some granola.  I tweaked a few different recipes that I had and the final product is good!  It is fantastic over ice cream or yogurt.  Miss V loved it with a splash of milk.

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 tbs light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup chopped or slivered almonds

1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs water
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300.  Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Mix oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, salt and nuts in a mixing bowl and set them aside.

Bring the maple syrup, vegetable oil, water and cinnamon to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Drizzle over the dry ingredients.  Mix well. 

Pour mixture into the prepared cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.  Stir every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool.  Can be stored for up the two weeks in an airtight container.  I know this won't last two weeks.

French Toast Waffles

I spotted this recipe yesterday in a Family Fun email.  I made a loaf of Sally Lunn bread late yesterday afternoon.

4 to 6 slices of bread
2 tbs butter melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
I also put in 1/2 of cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients, except the bread. Dip the slices into the mixture, coating well on both sides, but not drenching. Cook the French toast in a well-oiled, hot waffle iron until crisp. This recipe makes four to six waffles

Egg Recall!

Please take a minute and check to see if your eggs are on the list of recalled eggs.  You can find the link HERE.

The Next Food Network Star

I have to say that some seasons have been a real hit or miss with me.  This season was a hit for me.  I really enjoyed Aarti from the start.  Towards the end of the season, I really liked Herb.  I thought his pilot was very good!

Tom...well I just didn't enjoy him.  His concept to me was a mix between season 4 winner Aaron McCargo and season 2 winner Guy Fieri and seriously there is only ONE Guy Fieri.

What are your thoughts on this past season?

Season five runner up was Jeffrey and I saw him on one of Bobby Flay's shows and I really enjoyed watching him.  To bad he doesn't have a show on Food Network or their sister channel Food Channel, like some of the past runner ups/dismissed contestants (Adam Gertler and Kelsey Nixon will be having a show)

Supper Club? Gourmet Group? Dinner party?

I have to say that I really love my neighborhood. Well 95% of the time anyway. This is the kind of neighborhood I grew up in. Neighbors are friends, kids play ball in the street, ride bikes etc. A few of us decided to get together every so often for dinner.


In my own little mind I like things compartmentalized and labeled. So I looked up what a Supper Club is. This is taken from Wikipedia:

Supper club in United States is an American dining establishment generally found in the Upper Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. These establishments typically are located on the edge of town in rural areas [1]. They were traditionally thought of as a "destination" where patrons would go to spend the whole evening, from cocktail hour to enjoying night club style entertainment after dinner [2]. They feature a casual and relaxed atmosphere [2].

Typical menu

Supper clubs generally feature "simple" menus with somewhat limited offerings featuring "American" cuisine [2]. Menus included dishes such as prime rib, steaks, chicken, and fish. An "all you can eat" Friday fish fry was particularly common at supper clubs in Wisconsin [3].

Relish trays featuring items such as crackers, carrots, pickles, radishes, and celery are typically served at the table on Lazy Susans [2].

Well that sorta fits, but not really. So then I looked up what a Gourmet Group is:

What Is a Gourmet Group?

A gourmet group meets regularly to enjoy meals prepared by members of the group. A typical group size is four couples. Anywhere from three to six couples will work, depending on the size of your table. Groups generally meet once a month and rotate homes where the dinner is held. The host couple may select a theme and recipes or might simply ask each couple to bring a particular course.

What Are the Benefits of a Gourmet Group?

Before the group meets, couples can enjoy time together preparing their assigned recipes. If only one partner enjoys cooking, pairs can shop together for ingredients they might not otherwise buy. Couple time can become family time if you involve the kids in measuring and pouring ingredients or helping with clean-up

Again that sorta fits, but not really. The host family decides on the theme and menu and prepares everything. And our little group is adults only. I am sure some of the kids would like to come, but some of us could use the adult only time.

So my next search, what is a dinner party? Here is what wikipedia has to say:

A relatively formal meal at which invited guests eat in the home of the host.

Well....I wouldn't call our group formal. I think I have come up with my own little label. How about CP Dinner Group? I think that works for me.

So the first one was held on July 24th and was Caribbean Themed and it was wonderful! I tried things that I would not normally have tried. I don't have recipes from that one and I really wish I could find the recipe for the martini, but it is buried way deep on my Facebook wall.

Not wanting to waste anytime planning our night, I thought about doing Italian, Mexican or something else. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and decided on a Taste of Mardi Gras! I have the recipes planned. I ran into a bit of an issue with finding some ingredients, but thanks to the Internet found and ordered the ingredients that aren't easily found in my area. I did up the invitation with Paint Shop Pro and the menu. Here is a quick shot of the invitation, but I took out the layer that had the personal information.

So......Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Watermelon Splash

I have been a behind in my blogging.  A few weeks ago Marcel made this for me.  It is from Sandra Lee's Cocktail Time book.

Makes 1 drink

3 oz lemon lime soda

1 1/2 oz watermelon flavored vodka, Smirnoff

1 splash cranberry juice

Ice Cubes

In a chilled glass, combine lemon lime soda, vodka and cranberry juice.  Add ice.  Stir to combine.  The first night he made it in a regular glass.  I happen to think it looks prettier in a martini glass.

This tasted just like a watermelon Jolly Rancher.

Lemon Cream Martini

Saturday night Marcel had me pick a recipe out of my Cocktail Time book from Sandra Lee. I picked this Lemon Cream Martini.

Makes 1 drink

Lemon Flavor drink rimmer, Stirrings (I just used plain yellow sugar)
1 oz Vanilla Smirnoff
1/2 oz Lemon Liqueur
Ice cubes
1 splash lemon lime soda

Wet the rim of a chilled martini glass with water. Dip the rim in the lemon flavor drink rimmer. In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka and lemon liqueur. Add ice; cover and shake until very cold. Strain into prepared glass. Add lemon lime soda.



This was a very good drink. It is smooth and not lemony harsh.