*Update: This week's URS (Ultimate Recipe Swap) by Life as Mom is for quick meals, so I'm adding this to her collection. I'm quickly becoming rather fond of her Thursday URS's and if you'd like to read more about them, stop by here.
Since we've already established that I love soup, this recipe should come as no surprise to anyone. Buppy and I had some leftover zucchini from our summer party, and since I had nothing better to do with it, it was made into a bisque. It didn't take me too long to find a simple recipe on allrecipes.com (I use this site a lot) and to say the very least, it turned out delish!
Zucchini Bisque
Recipe from allrecipes.com
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 ½ c. shredded zucchini
2 ½ c. low sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 c. fat free half-and-half
In a large pot, sauté onion in butter until slightly tender. Add zucchini and chicken broth. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes; add seasonings. Puree on low in a blender (I had to do this in several batches). Return to pan; stir in cream and heat through.
This has got to be one of the simplest and most fantastic soup recipes I've ever tried. Buppy loved it too and insists that I make this often. What a great way to use up zucchini if your garden produces bunches of it! (I'm still lacking in the garden department for now. Poo.) This bisque, served with some crusty bread, would make a quick, easy and scrumptious lunch or dinner. We're thinking about adding crab meat (we're in Maryland, we add it to everything!) next time. I'll let you know when that happens. Enjoy!
P.S. Sorry for the lack of pictures. It was a beautiful green color but was eaten too quickly for me to snap a few shots!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Restaurant.com 80% off Extended!
Buppy and I are definitely fans of Restaurant.com, although over time we've figured out how to get the most use out of their certificates. It takes a little trial and error to figure out how to use them to your benefit since, a lot of time, there are certain restrictions. One such restriction that we came upon and learned about the hard way is the "valid with purchase of $35/2 entrees." We thought (silly us) that this meant either/or, not both. We could order at least $35 worth of food or 2 entrees(it's not a cheap place, so this made sense). Not the case.
The restaurant that this particular certificate was for is a tapas restaurant, so the majority of the menu is tapas food, not entrees. I think there were 5 or 6 entrees to choose from out of the entire 2 page (long pages!) menu. Our waiter informed us though, as we sat down to eat, that we were required to order 2 entrees and to spend at least $35. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal for us, but when the restaurant is a tapas restaurant, it doesn't seem quite right. We would have gladly forked over $35 if we could have spent it on a variety of tapas dishes, but that was not an option. The experience wasn't overly pleasant and we won't be going back.
It did teach us, however, to pay close attention to the restrictions on each and every certificate we're thinking of purchasing. And if we have any questions, we call the restaurant to get them answered before buying. We pay attention to minimum food purchase amounts, days of the week it's valid (or not valid), if it includes alcohol, etc. These can all play a big part in us deciding which restaurants we want to try and which don't seem worth it to us.
With that all being said, restaurant.com does have some wicked deals at times. Frequently a person can find promo codes for anywhere from 50%-80% off their certificates. An 80% off promo was supposed to end earlier this week, but they're extending it to Friday, 7/31. The code to enter at checkout is NAPKIN. The $25 certificates are usually $10 on the site, so that means with 80% off, they're only $2! And since most $10 certificates are only $4, they're now .80 cents! Ok, off you go to explore the site and find a new restaurant to try with you and someone special!
The restaurant that this particular certificate was for is a tapas restaurant, so the majority of the menu is tapas food, not entrees. I think there were 5 or 6 entrees to choose from out of the entire 2 page (long pages!) menu. Our waiter informed us though, as we sat down to eat, that we were required to order 2 entrees and to spend at least $35. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal for us, but when the restaurant is a tapas restaurant, it doesn't seem quite right. We would have gladly forked over $35 if we could have spent it on a variety of tapas dishes, but that was not an option. The experience wasn't overly pleasant and we won't be going back.
It did teach us, however, to pay close attention to the restrictions on each and every certificate we're thinking of purchasing. And if we have any questions, we call the restaurant to get them answered before buying. We pay attention to minimum food purchase amounts, days of the week it's valid (or not valid), if it includes alcohol, etc. These can all play a big part in us deciding which restaurants we want to try and which don't seem worth it to us.
With that all being said, restaurant.com does have some wicked deals at times. Frequently a person can find promo codes for anywhere from 50%-80% off their certificates. An 80% off promo was supposed to end earlier this week, but they're extending it to Friday, 7/31. The code to enter at checkout is NAPKIN. The $25 certificates are usually $10 on the site, so that means with 80% off, they're only $2! And since most $10 certificates are only $4, they're now .80 cents! Ok, off you go to explore the site and find a new restaurant to try with you and someone special!
Honey Bunches of Oats $2 Off Coupon
Although I don't eat much cereal, we go through a good amount at our house because of Buppy and the kids. Honey Bunches of Oats just came out with a new variety, Pecan Bunches, and they're giving away $2/1 coupons here. If you scroll to the bottom of the screen, on the right hand side it'll say something like "help yourself to savings." Click on this link and you should be able to print the coupon. The cereal is on sale at Safeway this week for $1.99/box, so that would make it free! My only worry is that some readers are saying that, because it's such a new variety, it's not in their local stores yet. Guess we'll find out if it's come to Maryland soon. Happy breakfast!
Norwegian Cookies (I *Heart* Christmas!)
So why not celebrate by participating in Life as Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap: Christmas Must-Haves? It's Christmas in July people, and it looks like she's getting a great group of recipes together; I'm really looking forward to exploring other reader's must-haves. I really love the whole holiday season and this seems like a wonderful idea for a recipe swap! My contribution: Norwegian Cookies. Lip-smackin' good!
These cookies turn out crispy, and although I'm not a huge fan of crispy cookies in general, these are definitely the exception. I made them for the first time about 3 yrs. ago for Christmas after randomly choosing the recipe from a Taste of Home magazine, and I'm now expected to make at least 2 batches of these during the holidays. Luckily I don't mind since they're so easy! My only substitution is that I use pecans instead of walnuts simply because my parents live on a pecan grove and I get as many as I want for free!
Norwegian Cookies
Recipe from Taste of Home website
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts
Red and/or green colored sugar
In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and nuts; beat just until moistened. Cover and chill 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Shape into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness with a glass dipped in colored sugar. Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set. Yield: 3 dozen.
*Tip: I found that the easiest way to get the sugar to stick to the bottom of the glass to press down the cookies is to first rub it on a damp paper towel, then to dip it into the sugar.
Let's Play: Stuff That Pig!
Buppy and I both really like pork. A lot. We don't eat it as often as chicken it seems, but we like it at least as much. We've found some McCormick Grill Mates marinades that make some uber tasty grilled pork, especially their garlic, herb and wine and the tomato, garlic and basil. However, we like it other ways too and experiment when time and the weather permit. My parents taught me how to make the most fantastic garlic and oregano pork roast that just falls apart after roasting for hours (porketta), but that I'll save for another post. This post, my friends, is about my sister-in-law's recipe for stuffed pork chops.Now I'm not usually a fan of apple in stuffing, but it really keeps her recipe moist.It's an awesome recipe and I'll keep on stuffin' some piggy!
Stuffed Pork Chops
From Stacey
Finely chop or mince the following ingredients and sweat in pan until lightly done or onions become transparent:
½ small white onion
2 small green onions with tops
2 Tbsp. fresh celery leaves
½ medium apple (Fuji is good)
¼ - ½ c. baby spinach leaves
1 Tbsp. garlic
1 tsp. thyme (dried)
¼ c. chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 slices 7 Grain bread (or bread of your choice)
6-8 Club crackers
4 1-inch boneless pork chops
Toast the bread and tear into fine pieces in a bowl; crush the crackers into bread crumbs. Pour hot minced mixture (from above) over bread and toss until mixed. Cut pockets into pork chops, making sure they are actually pockets and you're not cutting all the way through the chops; fill with stuffing. Place in a large pan over medium high heat; pour a little chicken broth into pan (just eyeball it, maybe an 1/8 c., if that) and cover with lid (cock lid). Cook 5 minutes or until broth is gone and chops become golden on the bottom; turn over and repeat. When broth runs out for the second time, turn chops up on edge (stuffed opening down). Cut to open top and spread to see if done (or use an instant read thermometer to temp them). Let brown on stuffing side and cover if not quite done. Remove pork and place on plate; keep warm. Deglaze pan with an additional 1/8 c. chicken broth and put leftover stuffing in to heat lightly. Pour extra stuffing over chops and serve. Yield: 4 servings.
*Linked to Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday, 3/10/11.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A Recipe & a Movie Review
Last night was our scallop dinner, accompanied by The Haunting in Connecticut. First, a brief movie review.
For those of you who haven't seen it yet, it's a decent movie. Most people I know who'd seen it said it was "really good." Well, I'm not sure I'd go that far. I'm a huge fan of scary thrillers and will watch 'em even if I think they'll turn out to be cheesy. This wasn't cheesy, but it just wasn't as scary as I'd expected. Will I watch it again? Probably not. Would I buy it? Definitely not. But it was still good to see. And now I'm interested in doing a little more research to find out just how much of it is true and how much is embellished.
Dinner turned out pretty tasty, although not as flavor packed as we anticipated. We adapted the recipe from allrecipes.com to suite our tastes, and even after we'd cut out 1/4 c. of the recommended maple syrup, it still made a lot more marinade than necessary for 12 large scallops. The recipe suggested marinating for at least an hour, but there were many conflicting reviews regarding this. Some said that the longer you marinate, the sweeter the scallops get (I'm not huge on overly sweet meat/seafood). Several said that they get rubbery if marinated too long, although Buppy and I guessed this had more to do with overcooking. I had partially fried all the bacon we used the night before while Buppy was at work, so that was a skipped step for us last night. Also, we baked them on a broiler pan instead of a baking sheet. We're not sure if this is why they didn't hold a lot of their flavor; maybe they were supposed to bake in the goodness that was the marinade, but then they wouldn't have gotten as crispy as I like 'em!
Marinated Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops
Adapted from Gabsmom on allrecipes.com
1/2 c. maple syrup (yes, we used the fake-me-out kind and it was still good)
1/4 c. soy sauce (we didn't have low sodium on hand and used regular)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (I eyeballed this)
12 jumbo sea scallops, halved
12 slices smoked bacon, halved (we used thick cut)
toothpicks
The bacon, in my opinion, should be partially cooked for this recipe or else, as I said in my previous post, it'll be sloppy and not crispy as I like it. I partially cooked mine the night before and just took it out of the fridge when I started marinating the scallops so it could come to room temperature and be pliable when I needed to wrap the scallops. If you haven't done that yet, be off on your merry way and partially cook your bacon. Come see me when you've finished your homework.
All done? Ok then. The first 3 ingredients get mixed together, then the scallops should be thrown in (well, not literally thrown or that would fling sauce all over your kitchen!) We let ours marinate for about an hour, which yielded a very faint hint of flavor. Mostly the kitchen just smelled like pancake syrup. I love scallops regardless of how they're cooked, but more time in the marinade probably wouldn't have been bad. Probably would have made 'em even yummy-er.
So after however long you marinade your scallops for (I wouldn't go longer than a day), the next step requires gettin' dirty. I made Buppy do this while I fixed the salad. He's a great in the kitchen! Since the scallops are halved and the bacon is halved, whatdaya think comes next? Yup, wrap a slice o' bacon around each scallop half and secure with a toothpick or 2. I don't recommend the colorful toothpicks; a chicken dish of mine once turned all sorts of fabulous colors and I haven't used them since. Talk about tasting the rainbow....
Ok, we're almost there. Place all bacon wrapped scallop halves on a broiler pan and bake at 375F for about 6 minutes per side (give or take), depending on their size. I flipped my oven over to broil towards the end for an additional 2-3 minutes or so to get the top a little crusty and to really crisp up the bacon edges. Then pull 'em out and eat 'em hot!
Like I said, ours were good but didn't have nearly as much flavor as we thought they would. I think next time we'll marinate them for 5 hours or so and I'll play around with the ingredients (and add good stuff like garlic); then we'll see what happens! These scallops were served with sliced garlic bread and green salad.
For those of you who haven't seen it yet, it's a decent movie. Most people I know who'd seen it said it was "really good." Well, I'm not sure I'd go that far. I'm a huge fan of scary thrillers and will watch 'em even if I think they'll turn out to be cheesy. This wasn't cheesy, but it just wasn't as scary as I'd expected. Will I watch it again? Probably not. Would I buy it? Definitely not. But it was still good to see. And now I'm interested in doing a little more research to find out just how much of it is true and how much is embellished.
Dinner turned out pretty tasty, although not as flavor packed as we anticipated. We adapted the recipe from allrecipes.com to suite our tastes, and even after we'd cut out 1/4 c. of the recommended maple syrup, it still made a lot more marinade than necessary for 12 large scallops. The recipe suggested marinating for at least an hour, but there were many conflicting reviews regarding this. Some said that the longer you marinate, the sweeter the scallops get (I'm not huge on overly sweet meat/seafood). Several said that they get rubbery if marinated too long, although Buppy and I guessed this had more to do with overcooking. I had partially fried all the bacon we used the night before while Buppy was at work, so that was a skipped step for us last night. Also, we baked them on a broiler pan instead of a baking sheet. We're not sure if this is why they didn't hold a lot of their flavor; maybe they were supposed to bake in the goodness that was the marinade, but then they wouldn't have gotten as crispy as I like 'em!
Marinated Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops
Adapted from Gabsmom on allrecipes.com
1/2 c. maple syrup (yes, we used the fake-me-out kind and it was still good)
1/4 c. soy sauce (we didn't have low sodium on hand and used regular)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (I eyeballed this)
12 jumbo sea scallops, halved
12 slices smoked bacon, halved (we used thick cut)
toothpicks
The bacon, in my opinion, should be partially cooked for this recipe or else, as I said in my previous post, it'll be sloppy and not crispy as I like it. I partially cooked mine the night before and just took it out of the fridge when I started marinating the scallops so it could come to room temperature and be pliable when I needed to wrap the scallops. If you haven't done that yet, be off on your merry way and partially cook your bacon. Come see me when you've finished your homework.
All done? Ok then. The first 3 ingredients get mixed together, then the scallops should be thrown in (well, not literally thrown or that would fling sauce all over your kitchen!) We let ours marinate for about an hour, which yielded a very faint hint of flavor. Mostly the kitchen just smelled like pancake syrup. I love scallops regardless of how they're cooked, but more time in the marinade probably wouldn't have been bad. Probably would have made 'em even yummy-er.
So after however long you marinade your scallops for (I wouldn't go longer than a day), the next step requires gettin' dirty. I made Buppy do this while I fixed the salad. He's a great in the kitchen! Since the scallops are halved and the bacon is halved, whatdaya think comes next? Yup, wrap a slice o' bacon around each scallop half and secure with a toothpick or 2. I don't recommend the colorful toothpicks; a chicken dish of mine once turned all sorts of fabulous colors and I haven't used them since. Talk about tasting the rainbow....
Ok, we're almost there. Place all bacon wrapped scallop halves on a broiler pan and bake at 375F for about 6 minutes per side (give or take), depending on their size. I flipped my oven over to broil towards the end for an additional 2-3 minutes or so to get the top a little crusty and to really crisp up the bacon edges. Then pull 'em out and eat 'em hot!
Like I said, ours were good but didn't have nearly as much flavor as we thought they would. I think next time we'll marinate them for 5 hours or so and I'll play around with the ingredients (and add good stuff like garlic); then we'll see what happens! These scallops were served with sliced garlic bread and green salad.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Split Pea & Ham Soup
I love soup. There, I said it. Doesn't matter the time of year or even what kind, I just really, really love soup. Buppy eats soup more in winter than the warmer months, but he'll still take some of the stuff that I make and freeze to work if we don't have much else in the house. I remember growing up, my dad used to make split pea & ham soup; it was one of my favorites, along with his chicken dumpling. While what I make doesn't taste like his, it's just as delish!Pam, author of For the Love of Cooking, has some amazing recipes on her site. I decided to give hers a try when I got hungry for split pea & ham soup, and I wasn't disappointed. While I'll list the ingredients and directions here, her pictures are much better; stop on over to check out her original post here.
Split Pea & Ham Soup
From For the Love of Cooking
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 carrots, diced
1-2 stalks of celery, diced
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 lb. ham steak, diced
7-8 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 lb. dried split peas (rinsed)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until slightly tender. Add garlic and ham; cook for 60 seconds or so. Add 6 c. stock, peas and bay leaf to pot; salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat for 1½-2 hrs. Add stock as necessary to keep from becoming too thick/burning. Add the carrots, celery and potatoes, then cook for another 30-45 min. or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf. Enjoy!
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 carrots, diced
1-2 stalks of celery, diced
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 lb. ham steak, diced
7-8 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 lb. dried split peas (rinsed)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until slightly tender. Add garlic and ham; cook for 60 seconds or so. Add 6 c. stock, peas and bay leaf to pot; salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat for 1½-2 hrs. Add stock as necessary to keep from becoming too thick/burning. Add the carrots, celery and potatoes, then cook for another 30-45 min. or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf. Enjoy!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
I've tried to menu plan in the past, really tried. Betty Crocker even sent me this nifty-spiffy menu planning pad with the days of the week and a place to write a grocery list, all with a magnet on the back so it can go on the fridge. And yet I can never really pull it off. I have ideas for meals rolling around in my head (somewhere), but the execution is always lacking. We still somehow manage to cook at home most nights, but it's not until the night before (or morning of) that we figure out what we want for dinner.
A lot of this stems from the fact that Buppy works a 48 on/72 off schedule, so for 6 nights out of every 2 week stretch I'm left on my own to forge for dinner. I can't complain; it's nights like this when I eat fried eggs with toast or a simple salad or sandwich. Cheap, easy, no clean up. And I enjoy foods like that!
But here I am, making another attempt at menu planning. I'll allow myself some leeway in my "free nights" (when I'm alone) but would like to have more of an idea about what the family will eat when we're all together. Plus, it simplifies shopping for the week! So here we go:
Monday: Marinated bacon wrapped scallops, green salad and cheesy garlic toast
Tuesday: BBQ chicken, fried potatoes
Wednesday: *free night* Ham or roast beef sandwich, leftover zucchini bisque, a peach
Thursday: *free night* Breakfast for dinner
Friday: No plan as I bartend at my part-time job on Friday nights; Buppy will have to fend for himself and the kids
Saturday: Working day shift at the bar, out of town at a friend's house for a wine tasting that night
Sunday Lunch: Grilled ham & cheese (just grilled cheese for the kids), canned fruit
Sunday Dinner: Homemade pierogi (I've had a recipe I've been dying to try!)
Ok, now that that's done, lets see how well I stay on track. I realize that it's just a guideline and I can veer as much as I want, but I really want to trim down all the one-two-and-three item shopping trips Buppy and I make throughout the week.
A lot of this stems from the fact that Buppy works a 48 on/72 off schedule, so for 6 nights out of every 2 week stretch I'm left on my own to forge for dinner. I can't complain; it's nights like this when I eat fried eggs with toast or a simple salad or sandwich. Cheap, easy, no clean up. And I enjoy foods like that!
But here I am, making another attempt at menu planning. I'll allow myself some leeway in my "free nights" (when I'm alone) but would like to have more of an idea about what the family will eat when we're all together. Plus, it simplifies shopping for the week! So here we go:
Monday: Marinated bacon wrapped scallops, green salad and cheesy garlic toast
Tuesday: BBQ chicken, fried potatoes
Wednesday: *free night* Ham or roast beef sandwich, leftover zucchini bisque, a peach
Thursday: *free night* Breakfast for dinner
Friday: No plan as I bartend at my part-time job on Friday nights; Buppy will have to fend for himself and the kids
Saturday: Working day shift at the bar, out of town at a friend's house for a wine tasting that night
Sunday Lunch: Grilled ham & cheese (just grilled cheese for the kids), canned fruit
Sunday Dinner: Homemade pierogi (I've had a recipe I've been dying to try!)
Ok, now that that's done, lets see how well I stay on track. I realize that it's just a guideline and I can veer as much as I want, but I really want to trim down all the one-two-and-three item shopping trips Buppy and I make throughout the week.
Marinated Bacon Wrapped Scallops
It's been awhile (and by that I mean a long, long while) since I've made scallops at home. Buppy has ordered them out at restaurants here and there, but as for buying and cooking them, we just haven't done it. We both love scallops, and even though they're cheaper to buy in a store and make at home, they still always seem so expensive when I hit up the seafood counter. Not anymore though! For the past 2 weeks they've been on sale at 2 different local grocery stores (is it scallop season?) for a $7.99/lb. And we're talking the jumbo 8-12 count ones!
We tried to get some 2 weeks ago and both of the stores we tried were out; at least they rain checked them for us so we can still get them for that price within 90 days. I stopped while out shopping yesterday and picked some up for dinner tonight since Buppy and I get to have the next 2 nights to ourselves (no kiddies). I'm scallop psyched.
We plan to loosely follow a recipe I found on allrecipes.com where the scallops are marinated in soy sauce, maple syrup and Dijon mustard. I might cut back on their recommendation for the maple syrup, just because I'm not one who loves things overly sweet (except my desserts!) They will then be wrapped in partially fried, thick cut bacon. Partially fried, because otherwise the bacon wouldn't get as crispy as I want it and would most likely stay "sloppy", as my dad calls it (this is how he loves his bacon). I'm not sure yet if we'll grill or broil them; grilling would add some great flavor but I'm worried about the high heat of our grill, even when on low (we recently burned a pizza crust trying to grill it). Most likely they'll get the broiler. We plan to make some angel hair (my favorite kind of pasta) and dress it simply to accompany our scallops, as well as a green salad.
The scallops will be devoured while we're watching The Haunting in Connecticut; I love scary movies and have been dying to see this one! Pictures to come of the scallops!
We tried to get some 2 weeks ago and both of the stores we tried were out; at least they rain checked them for us so we can still get them for that price within 90 days. I stopped while out shopping yesterday and picked some up for dinner tonight since Buppy and I get to have the next 2 nights to ourselves (no kiddies). I'm scallop psyched.
We plan to loosely follow a recipe I found on allrecipes.com where the scallops are marinated in soy sauce, maple syrup and Dijon mustard. I might cut back on their recommendation for the maple syrup, just because I'm not one who loves things overly sweet (except my desserts!) They will then be wrapped in partially fried, thick cut bacon. Partially fried, because otherwise the bacon wouldn't get as crispy as I want it and would most likely stay "sloppy", as my dad calls it (this is how he loves his bacon). I'm not sure yet if we'll grill or broil them; grilling would add some great flavor but I'm worried about the high heat of our grill, even when on low (we recently burned a pizza crust trying to grill it). Most likely they'll get the broiler. We plan to make some angel hair (my favorite kind of pasta) and dress it simply to accompany our scallops, as well as a green salad.
The scallops will be devoured while we're watching The Haunting in Connecticut; I love scary movies and have been dying to see this one! Pictures to come of the scallops!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Baker's One Bowl Brownies
While I can't take credit for this fantastic recipe, it's still something worth sharing for those of you who've never tried it. Actually, a lot of my recipes come from other places and aren't my original creations, but who cares? As long as it's tasty (and not too-too difficult), I'll share so you can enjoy too.This recipe was created by those wonderful folks who make Baker's chocolate. The brownies are, I'm pretty sure, ridiculously unhealthy (I try to eat healthy most of the time, but I'm only human!) but they're easy, fudgy and downright sinful. Buppy agrees. A lot of times I'll send stuff I make into work with him as he works with a pretty great group of guys, but these puppies didn't go anywhere except into our tummies. I'll warn you now though --- they're addicting. One small piece will morph into half the pan before you can say "yum!" So without further ado, here goes...
Baker's One Bowl Brownies
4 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 c. sugar (I told you it wasn't healthy!)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 c. coarsely chopped nuts (I used pecans because my parents live on an orchard so they're free, but I'm sure walnuts or even peanuts would be good too.)
The directions say to preheat the oven 350F, but also make special note to decrease that temp to 325F if you're using a glass baking dish. I don't think I knew this the first time I made them and baked them in a glass dish at 350F; they were great. They also suggest lining a 13"x9" pan with foil so that the foil forms handles by extending over the edge of the pan, then greasing the foil. I didn't and just poured the batter directly into a 13"x9" greased glass baking pan. They still turned out, and I had no trouble getting them out of the pan.
Ok, so now that the pan's ready, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl in the microwave until the butter is completely melted, around 2 min. on high. Stir the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted too, then stir in the sugar. 
Once this is all mixed up nicely,add the eggs and vanilla. I believe Baker's suggests mixing in the eggs one at a time, but I threw caution into the wind and mixed in all 3 at the same time. Ah, my rebellious streak shines through! Add the flour and nuts to your batter and mix it all up good. Then? Dump it all into the pan! Throw that puppy into the oven for about 25-30 min. The recipe says 30-35, but trust me, go with 25-30 instead. They're done when a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs on it. Viola! You're now the best brownie maker ever (provided you like the fudgy kind of brownies anyway, which I do!) Enjoy!
Once this is all mixed up nicely,add the eggs and vanilla. I believe Baker's suggests mixing in the eggs one at a time, but I threw caution into the wind and mixed in all 3 at the same time. Ah, my rebellious streak shines through! Add the flour and nuts to your batter and mix it all up good. Then? Dump it all into the pan! Throw that puppy into the oven for about 25-30 min. The recipe says 30-35, but trust me, go with 25-30 instead. They're done when a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs on it. Viola! You're now the best brownie maker ever (provided you like the fudgy kind of brownies anyway, which I do!) Enjoy!Update: I'm linking this fabulous recipe to Life as Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap for today, 2/4. Wouldn't these be great for Superbowl Sunday? I sure think so. Now, off to check out her other great contributors!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Crockpot Horseradish Scalloped Potatoes
I realize I should probably not make this my first food post since, well, let's be honest, it sucked, but all the same, I'll fill you in on the awfulness that was the crockpot horseradish scalloped potatoes.
The recipe seemed simple enough at a glance. The plan was to make them on Tuesday night when Buppy (as my boyfriend is affectionately known) was at work. I wanted them for myself for dinner and figured he could survive with some leftovers. I stopped at the store and got milk just for this recipe! And then I got home to discover that I had roughly 1 1/2 lbs. of potatoes and the recipe called for 3. Oh well, I'll just make half. Good call dear, except that once the potatoes were peeled, I realized they were older than I'd thought and had a lot of bad spots that had to be trimmed off. I wound up with about 1 1/4 lbs. potatoes in the end and decided this just wasn't gonna cut it. I made mashed potatoes out of those, and Buppy so kindly picked me up some potatoes yesterday specifically for this recipe. My status on Facebook talked about my plan to make these delish potatoes. Friends were excited and already asking for the recipe. And now?
Now I have to tell them all it was a bust.
There are only 7 ingredients to the recipe, one being Parmesan cheese as an optional garnish. The other six are potatoes, horseradish, heavy cream (I subbed 1% milk knowing it would affect the creaminess but hoping it wouldn't damage the taste), nutmeg, salt and pepper. As for damaging the taste? There really wasn't much of one. At all. I tried a bite once the potatoes were tender and it tasted like a hot potato, with pretty much no other flavor. It's wasn't like it was horrible and I spit it out, but it was just so . . . blah. I'm not a fan of blah foods and this? This was beyond blah.
Buppy and I will not be making them again. The problem is now we have these potatoes that are cooked that have the potential to be decent if we use them in another recipe. My suggestion was to make them the crust or top layer of some type of casserole. Wish me luck.
*Just an FYI --- usually I take pictures of my food so you'll get to see the good stuff, but this wasn't really worth it.
The recipe seemed simple enough at a glance. The plan was to make them on Tuesday night when Buppy (as my boyfriend is affectionately known) was at work. I wanted them for myself for dinner and figured he could survive with some leftovers. I stopped at the store and got milk just for this recipe! And then I got home to discover that I had roughly 1 1/2 lbs. of potatoes and the recipe called for 3. Oh well, I'll just make half. Good call dear, except that once the potatoes were peeled, I realized they were older than I'd thought and had a lot of bad spots that had to be trimmed off. I wound up with about 1 1/4 lbs. potatoes in the end and decided this just wasn't gonna cut it. I made mashed potatoes out of those, and Buppy so kindly picked me up some potatoes yesterday specifically for this recipe. My status on Facebook talked about my plan to make these delish potatoes. Friends were excited and already asking for the recipe. And now?
Now I have to tell them all it was a bust.
There are only 7 ingredients to the recipe, one being Parmesan cheese as an optional garnish. The other six are potatoes, horseradish, heavy cream (I subbed 1% milk knowing it would affect the creaminess but hoping it wouldn't damage the taste), nutmeg, salt and pepper. As for damaging the taste? There really wasn't much of one. At all. I tried a bite once the potatoes were tender and it tasted like a hot potato, with pretty much no other flavor. It's wasn't like it was horrible and I spit it out, but it was just so . . . blah. I'm not a fan of blah foods and this? This was beyond blah.
Buppy and I will not be making them again. The problem is now we have these potatoes that are cooked that have the potential to be decent if we use them in another recipe. My suggestion was to make them the crust or top layer of some type of casserole. Wish me luck.
*Just an FYI --- usually I take pictures of my food so you'll get to see the good stuff, but this wasn't really worth it.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Beginning
So here I am, beginning a new blog to share with the world my love for cooking, saving money, spending time with family and friends and enjoying life in general. I've had a private blog for some time now but wanted to be able to share with others on a larger level, those who share my passions. I'm not entirely sure where this will lead but I'm sure they'll be pictures of food, talk about couponing, saving money and great deals to be had, discussions about food, mention of news and books I'm currently reading, more food (can you tell I'm pretty into food?), restaurant reviews, talk of family, dialogue about my struggle to drop a few pounds (I know, eat healthier and exercise more --- sounds easy, right?) and whatever else I feel like throwing at you! I'm still trying to learn about the crazy world that is blogging (how to use different fonts, writing my own HTML codes, etc.) so bear with me and enjoy the ride!
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