Posts

Showing posts from 2013

Christmas Stollen?

Image
Christmas at our house this year was a quiet one.  We did the family thing earlier in the month so good friends had us over for dinner both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so they are a blessing to us.  I made Rachel Ray's five minute fudge wreath to give to a few of my neighbors this year, and then I made this yeast free stollen for another neighbor.  I kept a tiny piece for Chandler and me to try and he loved it so much I made another one just for us on Christmas Day.  It is delicious and so easy!  Looks a little rugged because it is more like a biscuit than a yeast roll, but delicious nonetheless.  Chandler loved the name of it and kept telling me the police were coming soon to take me away since I had "stolen" bread in our house. Stollen is a German Christmas tradition dating back to the 14th century.  My research found that Germans baked these loaves at Christmas to honor princes and church dignitaries.  They also sold them at fairs and holiday festivals.  The C

Beatty's Chocolate Cake from Ina Garten

Image
This is the second time I have made this wonderful cake and it will not be my last.  If you love choocolate like I do, you will love this.  Ina never fails on richness and elegance.  I would not hesitate to serve this cake to my most honored guests.   I plan to make it again at Christmas.  It is easy, moist, and just delicious.  The icing is addictive.  I love that it includes buttermilk. Beatty's Chocolate Cake Ingredients Butter, for greasing the pans 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans 2 cups sugar 3/4 cups good cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup buttermilk, shaken 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee  DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl

Welcome to TONGA!

Image
In our group My Kitchen My World, we virtually travel each month to a different location and choose a recipe from that country.  This month we chose Tonga.  I do not personally know a lot about Tonga so I had to do a bit of research.  Just think polynesian. If you do not know much about Tonga, it is located in the South Paciifc and is a group of 176 islands. The capital of the Kingdom of Tona is Nukualofa and it is also the largest city in Tonga. One of the most popular recipes I found was the Tonga Toast.  It looks fabulous. . .all covered in cinnamon and sugar.  However, I went for the Banana Cake.  This makes a two layer cake, but since there are only two of us and we are trying to cut back on sweets, I halved this recipe and made in a loaf pan.  Looks a little more like tonga toast than cake, but cake it is.  The banana pudding in between the layers makes it so moist and rich. Check us out at m kmw.wordpress.com  and see what the others in the group came up with.  Shou

My Kitchen My World - Great Britain!

Image
Great Britain - the land of kings and queens, princes and princesses, the stuff fairytales are made of.  Our group, My Kitchen My World, is exploring the foods of Great Britain this month. There were so many wonderful choices this month.  My husband actually made the choice for me and asked, "why don't you make a quiche?"  So quiche it is.  However, I think the popular quiche in England is the Quiche Lorraine.  I like a little more of this and that in my quiche so I substituted ham for the bacon and I added some frozen, chopped, and thoroughly drained spinach to the mix. Check out our website and see what the other cooks came up with for their British dish!  Click here: mykw.wordpress.com I cannot wait to virtually travel next month as we go to TONGA.  That one might be a challenge for me. If you are not in the mood for fish and chips, try a quiche.  Try quiche cold on a weekend lunch.  So many variables as to what ingredients to choose.  I love artichokes

Ina's Group - Salads, Soups or Sides?

Image
This month in the Ina Garten group we are making salads, soups or side dishes.  I chose a side dish because it is just a little warm here for a soup!  Ina has so many wonderful and flavorful dishes it is always a hard choice.  I decided on her Broccoli and Bowties.  We always love pasta and I am trying to incorporate more fiber into our dinners so the broccoli just made good sense for us. I have gotten into a bad habit of just microwaving our side dishes at night and my microwave died a couple of weeks ago.  It was only three months old so we were able to take it back and order another one.  It was supposed to arrive yesterday but they had us down for today's delivery between one and five.  So here I sit and it is right now five o'clock and no delivery yet.  They did call and say they were running behind but they didn't call until five o'clock.  So frustrating!!!  Anyway, I guess you don't realize how much you use an appliance until you no longer have it.  I

VIRTUAL TRAVEL TO SWEDEN WITH MY KITCHEN MY WORLD!

Image
! Well hello world!  Our group this month decided to cook foods from Sweden.  The first thing that came to my mind of course was Swedish Meatballs.  But I wanted to try something a little less ordinary.  I was watching the Rachel Ray show one morning this week and she prepared a dish called Swedish Sailor's Beef and Potato Casserole.  I knew that was it for me!! First I browned the meat.  I used bottom round steak just as Rachel suggested, but I think next time I would just go with top round steak. Next you saute up some onions with a few seasonings and butter, then you layer sliced potatoes, then top with onions, then meat, and repeat repeat.  Pour a bottle of light beer (I used Sam Adams Summer Ale) over it, cover it and let it cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours on 275.  As you can see, I could have used a little more steak to top it with, but for just the two of us I was trying to get buy with six slices. Delicious and hearty! The beer makes it tender and jui

The Barefoot Contessa - Ina's Fridays

Image
My friend Chaya suggested I might enjoy being in her Ina Friday's cooking group.  It meets once per month. Even though this is the fourth month for the group, I decided to join in today. This month the theme was appetizers.  There are so many wonderful Ina appetizers I had a hard time choosing just one.  I finally settled on Ina's Herb Dip.  It will go nicely with the lasagna pizzas that I plan to prepare for tonight's dinner.  It was easy to make and tastes delicious!  When I make dips, I really wonder why I ever buy the prepared ones at the store because to make your own really only takes a little preparation and a little time.  The finished product is so delicious. Here is the recipe: 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature  1/2 cup sour cream  1/2 cup mayonnaise  4 scallions, white and green parts, minced  2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced  1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced  1 teaspoon kosher salt  3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pe

My Kitchen My World - Virtual Travel to the Ukraine!

Image
Why do cabbages win at races?  Because they want to get a-head!! This month we are cooking Ukrainian dishes.  There were plenty to choose from on the internet.  I chose for my main dish Chicken Kiev.  The queen city of Ukraine is Kiev.  I read that most Slavic people have never prepared it however because it is considered a gourmet treat.  This dish takes some preparation, but it is well worth it.  Unfortunately, my chicks suffered a minor burn in the skillet, OOPS, but not enough to mess with the taste.  Delicious!  The butter inside oozes out when you cut into it and that makes for very tender chicken.  I was surprised at the grocery store how expensive chicken has become.  Must be because gas prices are high??  I wish I had cut into this breast after it was cooked and taken a photo of the inside, but the DH was starving and ready to dig in!  Please do not let this photo deter you from making this wonderful recipe. Chicken Kiev Ingredients: 4 Chicken Breasts 2 eggs, beaten

My Kitchen My World - Let's go to Cuba!

Image
This month in MKMW, those of us participating took a virtual trip to Cuba!  There were plenty of recipes to choose from, especially found a lot on Pinterest.  Of course some were in Spanish and since I am not fluent, I had to look for an English version!    I chose a beef dish and a salad. I like to start my posts with a joke or two.  When I think of Cuba, coffee is what comes to mind.  I know that is not all that Cuba is famous for, but that is just what I think.  Good Cuban coffee.  So . .. . What does Coffee say when it’s depressed? – Pour Me, Pour Me. Why did Coffee cross the road?  Because it was tired of being ground-ed! We have been so busy this month traveling (some fun, some not) that I really did not have the time to devote to an entire meal the way I wanted to.  I cooked the beef a long time trying to make it tender.  Maybe I overcooked it, not sure.  It was an easy dish to prepare and tasty.Oops I totally forgot the fresh parsley!   Loved the salad.  I omitted the re

My Kitchen My World - Virtual Travel to Argentina!

Image
A man walks into a doctor’s office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear. “I don’t feel so good - what’s the matter with me?” he asks the doctor. The doctor replies, “you’re not eating properly.” That may be one of the lamest jokes ever, but it made me laugh today.  I know for a fact that I don't always eat properly, but it is not because I have vegetables in my ears.  It is because I love those foods that are not good for me! In our MKMW group, this month we are experiencing the deliciousness of Argentinian foods.  I was pleasantly surprised when I googled to find recipes were abundant on pinterest.  I love pinterest!  I decided to treat the DH to a dish of Argentinian Garlic Chicken with Corn, Tomato, and Parsley Sauce .  I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.  It had just the right amount of spicy kick to it, but not overpowering at all.  And I do think it is probably pretty healthy.  Easy to prepare.  First you grill you

Pound Cake in Honor of Mother's Day!

Image
My mother was a pistol as they say.  Clever, funny, smart, beautiful, talented, and a great cook.  She passed away five years ago and not a day goes by that I do not think of her and miss her.  I am sure I get my love of cooking from her.  She loved to make cakes, especially pound cakes.  She must have had ten recipes for pound cakes.  Chocolate ones, buttermilk ones, sour cream ones, swirled ones, plain ones, etc. I must have been in my 20's when someone at church gave me their pound cake recipe.  I made one and shared with my mom and even years later we both agreed it was the best pound cake recipe around.  We never found one that was better.  We even named it "Best Poundcake Ever." In honor of mother's day this Sunday, I baked that pound cake.  It was so moist and delicious.  I know mom would be proud of my cake.  Notice a piece missing?  That was ME tasting it right out of the oven while it was still warm.  So good!  When it gets a tiny bit stale, I like to b

Wedding Day Arrives!

Image
It was an outdoor wedding in Orlando.  The weather was iffy that day and the weathermen were saying 50% chance of rain.  The bride and groom were trying to remain positive that their dream wedding would go as planned.  It rained a bit during the day but then stopped for the wedding and was just a bit overcast.  It was GREAT. What a beautiful ceremony!  I was so proud to be a part of it.    Small, but elegant, and every detail perfect. The surprise of the evening came when my son told me he would be "rapping" a song in a bit.  Well I had never heard him rap, but it was great.  The crowd cheered.  A little later, he did two more songs and my other son chimed in on the last one.  He sounded awesome as well.   Proud mama me.  :) They have just returned from their honeymoon in Belize where they had an awesome time! I am so proud of my family.  All of them.   Now if I could just get my house cleaned I could relax and start cooking and blogging again.  My micro

Coconut Milk - OBSESSED!

Do you LOVE milk?  I never have.  Even as a child.  I know I need calcium for my skinny bones so I continue on my quest to find a milk that I enjoy. I've tried Almond Milk, and Soy Milk.  This week I tried Coconut Milk.  I have always loved the taste of the milk as it flows from a fresh coconut so I thought I would try it.  I am now obsessed with my new coconut milk.  It is so tasty and smooth.  If any of you have any pros or cons, I would love to hear from you.   I have not tried cooking / baking with it yet.  I also have not tried putting chocolate syrup in it, but I'm sure I will this weekend!!  Hmm. . . I'm thinking a glass of it would be great right now with this piece of pound cake I am eating. Here are some advantages I found online that I thought I would share with you.  Since I am trying to GAIN weight, I was not happy to see "aids in weight loss" on the list, however some of you will be happy to see that I'm sure! Benefits of coconut milk

Chicken and Yellow Rice Casserole - Blast from the Past!

Image
Years ago, and I do mean years ago, my ex-mother-in-law made a fabulous chicken casserole.  I made that casserole many, many times for my family as the kids were growing up.  While looking for a cake recipe last week, I ran across the casserole recipe and decided I needed to make that again.  It is very easy to make and just fabulous.  Delicious enough for a company main dish, or just for your family on a weeknight.  Chandler and I ate way too much of this last night and I am looking forward to having leftovers for my lunch today!  Definitely need to put this on my monthly dinner rotation. Chicken and Yellow Rice Casserole Boil three chicken breasts until done.  Shred meat and put in the bottom of 9 x 13 buttered casserole. Cook one package of yellow rice, one onion chopped, four stalks of celery chopped.   Spread one can of cream of mushroom soup over chicken, then top with cooked rice mixture.  Top all with buttered breadcrumbs and bake in 350 oven for about 20 minutes until

Valentines lasted for more than a day!

Image
So for Valentine's this year we decided to cook together.  Now my DH is not a cook at all.  He barely knows how to open a can and heat it up.  But he was game for this.  So we started out Saturday morning making our grocery list.  I gave him one item to prepare - a side dish.  "Aren't you going to tell me what to cook," he asked.   I told him no that was part of the fun - the surprise of it all.  So I gave him a cookbook and he chose cauliflower.  Strange. . . I know, but it was delicious.  I chose to make a chicken dish I had seen on Rachel Ray's show last week and for dessert, some Nutella pastries. Here is the cauliflower dish.  For me, it would have been better without the dijon mustard.   He did an excellent job of preparing it.  And he opened a bottle of pink champagne we had in the fridge for like four years.  I wondered if you could keep it that long, but it seemed to taste okay still.  It was so cold outside we enjoyed our night staying home. The c