Our Table for Two

Two weeks in -- Chicken Salad Rocks

2011-12-14T09:10:00.000-05:00

And, I have some favorite new meals including the Fuji Apple Salad at Panera, Almond Milk, and homemade chicken salad.

The trick so far is to eat before I'm normally hungry so I don't make bad choices. Prepping lots of food for the fridge and making sure I have healthy snacks on hand for those craving moments when they are serving birthday cake in the breakroom.

So here is my Chicken Salad Recipe

Olive Oil
1 onion diced
1 Tablespoon Cumin
Minced Garlic
2 cups Chicken Broth
1lb Chicken Boneless Skinless Breasts
Green Onions
Red Bell Pepper Petite Diced
Grapes Cut in Half
Mayonnaise
Mango Chutney (or oregano if you don't have Mango Chutney on hand)

This is the same chicken I use for Chicken Enchiladas
Heat oil in a dutch oven, or large skillet (you will need a lid) add onion and brown over medium heat, add Cumin and Garlic and let the ingredients release their aroma (about 30 seconds) add chicken broth and chicken pieces - cook until internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Cube chicken and add the remaining ingredients - season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cookie free Diet at Christmas? - yep.

2011-12-06T11:24:00.001-05:00

So for about a month or so I've been battling quite an episode of asthma related trouble. Wheezing, hacking, barley breathing -- it's been an adventure.

An adventure I'd like to avoid in the future. So I'm trying (on day 5) of an elimination diet to help get my body back in sync with reality. It is something my allergist suggested years ago and tried to stick to -- and was successful for about 15 days.

But, it is time again with all the gluten free options at the local grocery and my failed attempts before I have a pretty good idea of what works for me, what doesn't work, and how to clean my house of all things cookie/sugar etc.

So last Thursday night while trolling the aisles of Meijer to pick up a few things it hit me - I should be doing this diet - it worked before, and has worked for others so what is/was stopping me.

I LOVE cookies -- I'm probably addicted to sugar and well the thought of giving it up made me hungry.

But -- I'm on day 5 and a co-worker just loaded the table outside of my office with a selection of holiday treats and I'm not getting up to eat them. My mouth isn't watering and I made it almost 12 hours without need of a breathing treatment.

I've even made creme brûlé and oatmeal cookies in the past few days -- and didn't eat them. Small wins --

Caprese Pizza - My way

2011-09-12T17:11:00.000-04:00

See the post about pizza crust and then add my favorite ingredients.

1. Slice Tomatoes
2. Fresh basil compliments of Kim
3. Mozzarella (the good kind)
4. Parmigiano (the good kind)
5. Splash of Balsamic Vinaigrette, Salt, & Pepper.

And, voila

Roasted Red Pepper Curry Soup

2011-09-08T15:11:00.000-04:00

This was an absolute blast - from roasting my own red peppers, to using my hand held mixer stick thing. The soup reminds me of the Pumpkin Curry Soup but with a bit more substance to it. (Provided by the potatoes)

It was DELICIOUS.

I added cumin, curry powder, and a dash of cayenne pepper (which stings quite a bit when you get it in your eye! We use a paste of milk and baking soda to get the burn out)

Check it out on the food networks website - courtesy of Giada De Laurentils

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/creamy-red-pepper-soup-recipe/index.html

Sanitation & Jazz

2011-06-09T16:30:00.000-04:00

I have a 17+ year old calico cat, she has aged well sleeping with me every night since 6th grade.

Recently my little furry friend has taken to drinking from the toilet (gross!) & tub after we shower (double gross!) luckily we don't leave any chemicals in either, so she is still alive.

But, this morning my husband caught her doing something a bit more surprising.

That is my kitchen sink! Those are dishes my husband used to warm up his dinner last night. I'm not sure if she was eating dried bits of steak or a pool of water from the drippy faucet. And, I really don't care. I think it is NASTY. Mostly because I watched her drink from the tub just a few hours earlier.

I don't wash my dishes in toilet water, and I don't like the idea of Ms. Jazz spreading bathroom germs to the kitchen. (Note: I'm not really worried about common cat germs)

So, after class tonight, and after I scoop the KL for trash night. I'm cleaning the kitchen... and maybe installing a door into the hallway to our bedroom so she can't visit the kitchen when I'm not looking.

Oh, and we do provide her fresh water on a daily (mostly twice a day) she apparently likes these "fresher" sources better. Maybe it is time for a kitty fountain.

Vodka, Shrimp & Okrah

2011-06-08T16:30:00.003-04:00

Last night I needed to make a quick dinner. We haven't been grocery shopping in over a week so options are limited to begin with, but I hadn't thawed anything. The solution?

Shrimp Tempura, Misc Tempura Veggies & rice (I think we have rice or pasta with every meal)

Cook's Illustrated had an interesting recipe for the coating - it included Vodka. My husband, a former bartender, appreciates anything that includes alcohol. (bread pudding coating in rum sauce, beer bread, tiramisu, me after bottle of wine, etc.) So when I finally returned home from class I/we got started with the quick and easy dinner. Of course I was missing seltzer, so Jordan ran off to the store as I chopped veggies and cooked the rice.

The result (after quite a few minor burns from popping grease) was a delicious plate of fried food. Not our healthiest dinner, but it sure was delicious.

Note: Subscriptions to Cook's Illustrated are 50% off right now. I DO NOT get any kick backs for you signing-up (but if you get the 2011 Buying Guide I'd love to see it)

Naan Bread

2011-06-08T14:24:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of getting together with some dear friends from grade school. The menu for the night was something unique that could please eveyone's pallet.

Naan Bread
Chicken Tikka Masala
Rice
Bread Pudding (made by Nikki)

For quite a long time Naan bread has interested me. The texture, the taste, and the fact that only fresh naan bread from a semi-authentic Indian restaurant would ever fulfill my craving. After careful research (a quick google search) I found a recipe with over 1000 positive reviews on Allrecipes.com

I tried cooking it two different ways. First, in a skillet on the stove top using olive oil and a nonstick pan. It looked great and tasted delicious (when you add the butter is tastes familiar maybe like a flat bread version of Little Caesars Crazy Bread) Then I thought I'd get creative and cook the rest in the oven on a pizza stone.

Both methods worked well - however the stove top cooking gave me more control (and I was able to keep a MUCH closer better eye on it)

Culinary School...well SafeServ Sanitation & First Aid Class

2011-06-08T12:15:00.000-04:00

My first day back to school was quite exciting. The elevators at IVY Tech (I think there are only two or three) had quite a line so I took the stairs.... to the 5th floor. I arrived a bit early to my class and met Chef Angie & Dave (a fellow student)

Chef Angie was engaging and dynamic something I think will come in quite handy.

I was reminded again that I don't have a clearly articulated goal for what I am doing. I know I want to "learn to cook" but I also want to enter the world of nutrition (biology classes her I go ::gag::) I'm not sure if I want to be a private chef (cooking in your home when you don't want to ... the collective yous not just one person) or if I want to run a corporate dinning hall (not the kind run by Armark with fried junk, and stale bread) or maybe I'll do what my mom suggested and run a highend food truck service.

At this point it doesn't matter, I'm going to take some classes and enjoy learning new things. I don't have to have master plan, and I don't have to know where I'm going. I just know that being in that class last night was where I wanted/should be.

It's kind of nice... kind of peaceful.

BJ's Oatmeal Muffins

2011-06-04T12:43:00.001-04:00

Just last week my MIL gave me a wonderful recipe for Jordan's favorite muffin. This super easy recipe was the perfect thing to make this morning as Jordan headed to Chicago for a Bachelor party. I was able to use my new food processor to make the Traditional Oats I had on hand "Quick Oats" by pulsing them a few times and re measuring. This saved me a trip to the store, and let me use something I always keep in my pantry (aka one of the various cabinets I stash food and not an actual pantry)

I was a little worried when I checked on the muffins after 10 minutes the outsides look as if they were rising but the middle wasn't peaking. Luckily I didn't ditch the batch and just start over because they turned out wonderfully.

So here is Brenda's recipe.

BJ's Oatmeal Muffins (8 large or 12 regular)
From: Brenda

Cooking time 25 minutes
Preheat oven to 400-425

Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups self-rising flour
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/4 cups Quick Oats
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup Milk
1/4 veg. oil (or 1/2 cup applesauce)
2 eggs

Combine all dry ingredients mixing well, Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour into prepared (buttered) metal muffin pan.

Italian Beef Sandwiches - Susie Wiseman (perhaps also from the Gold & Black team that shall not be named Tailgate Cooking Contest)

2011-06-04T12:36:00.000-04:00

This recipe made enough for Jordan to have left overs for several lunches and dinners. He LOVED it. I used a smaller roast than called for, and used about half the juice to make a gravy for mashed potatoes. Seriously delicious!

Recipe: Italian Beef Sandwiches
From: Susie Wiseman

Cooking Time Low 10 - 12 hours in the CrockPot

Ingredients:
4-alb Beef Roast (boneless)
1 tsp. (cayenne) red pepper
2 tsp basil & 2 tsp oregano (or 3-4 tsp mixed Italian Spices)
1 pkg Onion Soup Mix (Lipton or other)
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder) I used quite a bit more garlic
1 1/2 - 2 cups water

Put all ingredients & water in crockpot. Add Roast. Cook on low 10-12 hours, or until meat falls apart (- or you can cook on High for less time). You can cut roast in smaller pieces & it won't take as long.

Shred beef & refrigerate w/any juice left in crockpot.

Make day before game. Before using, heat beef & put in large mouth thermos serve on sub buns. (Leftovers freeze well)

Monkey Bread - Kristin & Jeff

2011-06-04T12:30:00.001-04:00

My dear friend Kristin gave me this amazing recipe for Monkey Bread. It is a Christmas Morning Tradition in her family. A super simple recipe that can be made as kids unwrap presents this delightful bakery treat was a HUGE hit with the guys over for Beer Night last weekend.

Jordan was quite upset I had waited a year + before trying this super simply recipe. (My bad) It is amazing.

Recipe: Monkey Bread - A Christmas Morning Tradition =)

From: Krsitin & Jeff

Cooking Time 30 min.
Preheat oven to 350

2 Cans Biscuits
1 Cup Sugar
Cinnamon to taste (I used 2 tsp)
3/4 Cup Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 TBSP maple syrup (I used the real stuff)

Cut each biscuit into quarters. Put 1 cup sugar & cinnamon into Ziploc bag, add cut biscuits & shake until well coated. Grease Bundt pan put biscuit pieces into pan & let rise.

Mix butter, brown sugar syrup & a little cinnamon in sauce pan over medium heat, bring to a boil.

Pour liquid over biscuits.

Bake at 350 for 30 mintues, remove from oven & let stand for 5 minutes.

Invert onto plate/platter - serve warm!

Can you make this 7-day menu with your grocery budget?

2011-06-03T11:03:00.001-04:00

"WASHINGTON, June 2, 2011 – First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled the federal government’s new food icon, MyPlate, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times and to seek more information to help them do that by going to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups." excerpt from the USDA Press Release

Let me first say I am completely in favor of an updated symbol of healthy nutrition, the new-ish food pyramid (not pictured above) was confusing. This new plate graphic does work, but I'm sad to see the pyramid I grew up with go.

I was quite surprised by the Sample Menus for a 2000 Calorie Food Pattern. This document can be found on ChooseMyPlate.gov under News & Media.

The menu says that "While this 7-day menu provides the recommended amounts of food and key nutrients, it does so at a moderate cost. Based on national average food costs, adjusted for inflation to March 2011 prices, the cost of this menu is less than the average amount spent for food, per person, in a 4-person family."

This menu uses over 100 ingredients and quite often just a portion of a canned item... And, while I understand you would need to multiply that quantity by 4 I don't think the math makes this cost effective.
So - I've made a summary of all of the ingredients, and during lunch today I am going to try and price common sizes. What do you think, could you feed your family this 7-day menu on your current grocery budget?

What a find - recipes from Family & Friends

2011-05-29T14:00:00.001-04:00

I've been making the same few dishes over and over again.

Skillet Penne & Sausage
Homemade Pizza
Chicken Enchiladas (using canned sauce)

We love these meals - but I'm itching to make something new!

This past month, I came across a box of recipes from my bridal shower. It was stashed in my "wedding" closet - with my still muddy wedding dress, dried flowers, saved invitations, programs, & other misc wedding stuff you don't look at after the day is done. My Maid of Honor made sure that I had this library of recipes from family & friends, and I have yet to use it!

So, in June, I am going to do my best to use recipes provided to me by family and friends.

Did you send me a recipe? What was it?

White Chocolate Strawberry Tart of Awesomeness

2011-05-27T16:13:00.001-04:00

*Note my editor is my wonderful husband, and he simply hasn't had the time to look these over lately, so if you are interested in editing my work let me know. Otherwise enjoy my unedited work until he has time, and keep your editorial comments to yourself.

I stumbled upon this site, which I hope won't get my blog blocked from your work browsers.

They have the most heavenly photos of food, and each image links back to a food blog. The Galley Gourmet was home to this decadent dessert - a White chocolate Strawberry Tart.

Just in time for Mother's Day I had found the perfect recipe for my FIL (who is allergic to chocolate). You see, white chocolate is not really chocolate - check out Winkipedia if you'd like to know more.

I thought my MIL wouldn't mind terribly much if I made a non-chocolate dessert so I got to work.

And, to top it off my mother would just LOVE this desert, since she is not only a strawberry fan but also dessert fan.

The dough recipe made quite a bit extra so I found my mini tart set and filled three mini tart pans. Unfortunately only 2 turned out - I think the third had the last bit of dough and it burnt fairly quickly.

Note: the dough will pull away from the pan a bit as it cooks - and then again when it cools. No worries, the pretty shape seems to hold.

The mousse was fairly straight forward and the filled tarts set beautifully in the fridge.

I had found 2lbs of strawberries on sale at the International Grocery (seriously the best place to shop once you find the things you need) So I had more than enough - but I was puzzled. How in the world do you get them to look THAT good? I used a small knife and started chopping - I didn't use the rounded "first" cuts - but saved those for my favorite on the go dessert. Then, I began to place them tip-out from the outside circle in - and guess what?

It didn't look too shabby!

Notice that as you lay the strawberries on-top of each other they tend to tilt upward ... I guess this is normal.

The final touch was a raspberry-lemon, glaze. which is super easy.. simply warm and then brush on.

The only thing I would change is the size of the tart. The tart crust is pretty difficult to cut but easy to chew. This recipe is probably better suited for mini deserts made in a tiny bite-sized tartlet pan. (which I don't have)

Leftovers: Chicken Salad Sandwich

2011-05-26T16:00:00.003-04:00

Step 1: Make a Passover dinner with homemade chicken broth for grandma's matzo ball soup. Reserve the chicken in a container (with bones and skin removed)

Step 2: 1/2 an hour before you need to leave for work in-between blow-drying and straightening your hair, start boiling eggs (bring to a boil, set aside for 10 min, ice bath for 5 min)
-finish you hair

Step 3: take container of leftover chicken out of the fridge and cube about a cup and half.

Step 4: add the things you love ... in this case 1/3 yellow onion, chives, flat leaf parsley, radishes sliced thinly, and 1/4 -1/2 cup mayo. Close container and shake to mix.

Step 5: pack the now chilled boiled egg, 1/4 loaf of bread, and finished salad and walk out of the door with 5 mins to spare.

Step 6: Enjoy.

Blueberry Muffins & Boyscout Camp

2011-05-26T10:30:00.000-04:00

I haven't made blueberry muffins in years, but they are my favorite. This past week I made a batch for Jordan and I to take to work for snacks. To make them accessible, I used an empty cake stand with cover.

When I make them, I am reminded of Ransburg Boy Scout Camp. Yes, I (Jennifer) worked at a boyscout camp during the summer of '01 & '02. It was a wonderful retreat from life here in Indy.

When I make blueberry muffins I am reminded of walking down to the waterfront to use the kitchen in Enlow Hall. Sometimes after a staff meeting, and sometimes early in the morning so I could share them with friends for breakfast.

I think I tried every blueberry muffin mix that summer. Here are two I remember ---

Jiffy was by far the easiest mix - you see, I didn't have a measuring cup, or a mixing bowl. I had a large cereal bowl, a muffin pan, plastic silverware, and plastic cups. Anything that required straining or calculations wasn't going to work... at least not well. I made this mix so often I could eyeball the ingredients until the consistency "looked right"

This mix was a bit more difficult; first the whole box wouldn't fit in the bowl, and secondly the blueberries needed to be opened and then were supposed to be strained. But, it has streusel topping - so you bet if I had the time, this was the mix I picked up on my Thursday night out.

I have some fantastic memories of Ransburg, and maybe during one of my long weekends this summer I'll be able to head down and visit.

Beware of flying bad words!!! - Kitchen Nightmares

2011-05-25T14:00:00.008-04:00

My inspiration for this post comes from our cousin, Kim.. her post this afternoon really just spoke to me.

Kim is going through a bit of a kitchen nightmare today. From her FB posts I can tell the day started out quite well with a visit to Kitchen Art to pick up newly sharpened knives. But, then it was all down hill her mandolin slicer broke, a light burnt out, and her chef'n spatula snapped. (I'm sure she'd be happy to accept donations of new items - including a new fridge)

I too have had these nightmare-ish kitchen days. So I thought I'd share in some of my (least)favorite kitchen stories.

Red Velvet Chocolate Cake - this cake still escapes me. I have tried two recipes and both have failed. The first, a Red Velvet Chiffon that looked like a baby hot pink nightmare (complete with a gooey edge). The second batch, a cupcake version caved in. I may or may not have had quite a few beverages before attempting this and I might have left out a key ingredient.

Gingerbread Cookie Dough - My food processor motor died while making this holiday staple. It came to a screeching halt while I was carefully adding molasses. I held onto it for another couple months hoping it would magically work. And, it did -- if you twisted it backwards a few times, it could process air like a champ for about 5 seconds. (Recently replaced with the KFP750 in White thanks to a gift card I won at work)

Stove top of melt-y-ness - it is a REALLY good thing my husband has some experience fighting fires. Our flat-top stove top sits between the wall mounted oven and fridge. There isn't much counter space.....

We have melted the following items (there are probably more - don't judge)

Food packages - The Blue Box & Brats? It began with a hot mess of melted plastic (the brats were in a plastic bag), a trip to the store, scraping off the stove top, and an awful stench.

Plastic Containers - I had purchased this fantastic set of plastic storage containers to house delicious leftovers. And, well they melt really quickly on a warm burner. We have since switched to glass containers, but the lids are plastic.... and yes I'm pretty sure I've spent the night before Thanksgiving frantically scraping off a plastic lid from my poor stove-top :(

Rubber Spatulas - I have murdered two spatulas, once by placing it on a warm (but not on) burner, and the other time while cooking with a roommate. We both noticed the spatula kept getting smaller and smaller as we cooked. It seemed so odd, sure enough the darn thing had melted into the sauce.

I've learned that the key to removing the melted plastic goo is speed, water, a metal tool, and prayer. And, that value priced plastic melts REALLY fast.

The best solution however is to just make sure plastic NEVER touches the stove top.

So, please join me in telling Kim that she is not alone, and it will get better by sharing your kitchen nightmare(s).

Passover, Seder, and Jesus

2011-05-25T10:16:00.006-04:00

My mom is Jewish, which makes me Jewish. I was raised Baptist. (Single mom working nights + great babysitters)

That said, I have fond memories of the Efromson family Seder here in Indianapolis and that one Passover at my Grandparents where some punk kid cut me in line as we searched for the hidden matza. I think I was 3 or 4 years old, and if I remember correctly earlier that evening I switched places with my uncle and took a HUGE gulp of wine, promptly spitting it out all over my grandmother’s good white linens.... everyone got a good laugh, but me.

This year we celebrated Easter with a Friday night Seder. It was a last minute brainstorm, complete with my mom franticly searching for my grandfather’s Haggadah (Reformed Judaism, sort of the non-denominational liberal-ish arm of Judaism from what I understand ... remember I was raised Baptist) She couldn't find the book, which was most likely subject to one of her "donation" sprees where big black trash bags full of "donations" end up in the garbage cans of local apartment complexes.

Luckily, I had saved a silver-covered traditional Haggadah complete with photos of odd looking little chubby men.

Now, back to the cooking. I had seen an article on Bon Appetite’s email newsletter "An Elegant Passover Menu for 6" which included an interesting recipe for Matzo Ball Soup. The fish and fancy salad they had listed didn’t really fit my... style. So, I searched a bit further on Bon Appetite’s site and found a REALLY awesome Gillette Fish recipe using Halibut (ps Halibut is NOT cheap). Armed with printouts of the recipes I headed to Meijer.

I found everything but lemon grass and a food processor (for the Torte, so I swapped it out for a NOT kosher leavened 4 layer lemon curd cake).

That night I made the fish… it was an interesting experience. Hobo Packets + expensive ingredients. This fish needed to be cooked the night before, cooled, and then refrigerated until served. I looked really good, and it smelled even better (everyone said they would have preferred it warm). Halibut with Carrots, Fennel, Lemon, and Garlic

The next day I headed to the International grocery to fetch lemon grass. I had a BIG day ahead of me, homemade chicken broth, a 4-tiered cake, finding the Haggadah (which I didn’t think of until 30 minutes before people were to arrive).

Somehow I pulled it off… but next year we are going to need a new Haggadah with post-its on the questions (our family’s favorite part).

Luckily, Uncle Dave has already ordered a Children’s Haggadah which is perfect, and doubles as a coloring book. I think we will order enough for everyone to have their own.

The Blue Box & Brats

2011-05-03T22:46:00.000-04:00

Wow time goes by so quickly. And, today I was reminded that I am not always a wannabe gourmet cook. Dinner was Mac n' Cheese & Cheesy Brats.

The "real" blue box complete with powdered stuff. (We had a REALLY terrible incident last week with some fermented/expired Velveeta goo ... never again)

I was also reminded that Jordan doesn't really know how to make Mac n' Cheese and I have little clue when it comes to brats.

So here are the recipes from tonight.

The blue box (follow directions on the side, be sure not to pour the packet of "cheese" into the boiling water when adding the noodles)

Add 3 Brats + Can of Cheap Beer + Can (the beer can when empty) filled with water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to boil, simmer for about .... until Jordan thinks they are done (should be firm). Then broil on low until they are crispy brownish. (Turning as necessary)

Death By Chocolate Cake & a torch (Part 2)

2011-04-21T19:51:00.000-04:00

Ok let's see if I can pick up where I left off.

The next day I tried to get permission to leave early in order to finish the decadent chocolate cake (with no luck) after a quick grocery trip for more eggs & instant coffee (I went with Folgers ... it's what my mom always used so I figured it would be good enough). I then headed to the corner liquor store - and it wasn't my normal store because traffic was hellish. Instead of the friendly folks off of 10th, I decided to head to the store near Rockville ... mistake #167 ;) They couldn't tell me what a good dark rum was, nor could they show me where it was. So, I called my husband who was able to answer my plea for help (and who I should have just asked first). Somehow, I managed to find dark rum (I'll try and find the bottle to tell you what I bought) Finally, I was back in the kitchen by 7PM. I still needed to complete 4 more layers and assemble this masterpiece.

The brownie layer was a hot mess of complication... Sifting ingredients, melting various types of chocolate in a double boiler, balloon whisking eggs and such. But, I was able to get it in the oven without much trouble....vowing to use a box mix next time.

The ganache, mocha mousse and rum sauces all went together well. The mocha mousse was pretty much like the other mousse layer, but it didn't seem to hold together like the others... it was a bit runny after gingerly mixing the ingredients together. This time I was sure to rinse the bowl & attachment between the eggs and cream, so I wasn't sure what was going on... but, it tasted good so I shrugged my shoulders, covered it, and tossed it in the fridge hoping it would 'set' a bit.

In the midst of all this baking I asked Jordan, my lovely husband, for at least one more mixing bowl for the stand mixer. He kindly reminded me of my large collection of metal mixing bowls. Totally not the same thing.

I took half of the rum sauce and put it in a container for work, the other half for home/small group (which we never made it to), and a small container for the boss to take home to his family.

Then, I figured it was time for assembly. It was 10:30 PM and I was still really excited to see how this turned out.

The first step was to cut the brownie layer in half. This odd-looking dense brownie layer did NOT want to be cut in half. I used my large bread knife and hoped for the best. I let out a cry of despair as the top layer ripped in two. Not to worry I carefully pieced it back together as the bottom layer and let the Ganache layer hold it together.

Then the meringue layer needed to be trimmed just a bit to fit into the spring form pan. I found that the steak knife worked magic as trimming away bits without cracking the entire meringue.(ok maybe there was a small crack)

Then a few more layers of scooping and the final layer of brownie. It all appeared to be going well. The cake just fit in the pan and I was able to get it in the fridge without dropping it on the floor.

Now to wait ......

And, wait......

An hour-and-a-half later at 12:30 in the morning, I decided to remove this masterpiece from the fridge and complete the final step: ganache, piping, and packing up 1/2 of it for work. I made it from the fridge to the counter spread on the remaining ganache, and returned it to the fridge. After waiting the prescribed 10 -15 minutes I removed the pan from the fridge yet again and then released the spring on the pan and began lifting the ring........

The ganache began to fracture and then the mousse started to ooze out from under the ring.

I was crushed, loudly crushed, with some choice words. My sleeping husband might have thought the world had ended. I quickly grabbed the two pieces of the spring form pan, shoved most of the cake back in place and shut the spring, returned the now HOT MESS of a cake back to the fridge. More choice words, and a few tears later, I shuffled off to our bedroom to cry/whine a bit about my ruined cake, and failure at cooking. Did I mention Jordan went to bed at 10PM, and had been sleeping soundly for 3 hours? This wonderful man listened to me, told me I wasn't a failure, and told me not to worry. He didn't just roll over, he didn't scold me for my fowl mouth -- he just made me feel better. Then, he rolled over and went back to sleep.

I finally, returned to the kitchen to assess the damage. I began by cleaning the smears of mousse off the counter. Then I cleaned up the pan holding the Death By Chocolate Cake and the ooze that had fallen into the deep recesses of my fridge.... and as I cleaned I formulated a bit of a plan: If I could get the ganache to look a bit smoother I could just take the whole cake to work and serve it from the pan. It wouldn't be as pretty, but it would work. I just needed the top of the cake to not look like a train wreck and (to fix the now fractured ganache) my trusty crème brulee torch! I melted the now cracked mess of ganache until it was a smooth layer of chocolate. By 1:30 AM I had loaded the final layer of mousse into a piping bag, packed up serving utensils, and was off to bed.

Look forward to part 3 --- sometime in the future.

Spaghetti Whitt Style

2011-04-21T13:17:00.000-04:00

Making Spaghetti for two can be quite a challenge. Cooking only 1/3 of the box of spaghetti is never enough and 1/2 is two much (I seriously might start counting the strands of spaghetti)

However I think I have the sauce combination down - 1/2 lb of hamburger 1/2 lb of hot/med spicy sausage and one small jar of sauce.

Death By Chocolate Cake & a torch (Part 1)

2011-03-16T23:42:00.001-04:00

My boss's all time favorite cake, which I've heard him rave about for months, is Death by Chocolate. Recently I emailed the restaurant, La Trellis, to see if they would FedEx us a cake. They said no.

Then, I thought about buying the La Trellis cookbook; but after googling I found several recipes online including this recipe from food.com http://goo.gl/NXAds and this blog post from ButterYum - http://goo.gl/yqsvi

At our training dinner this past Monday night my boss asked what, if anything, I'd be making for the group. You see, I've made something for every training group since I started 8 months ago (at first, just to use the massive amount of eggs sitting in my fridge but eventually it was to try new recipes).

The last group had Creme Brulee :)

During dinner our conversation turned to everyone's favorite recipes and the boss mentioned that cake..again. So, I did what any good cook would do - I googled it (yet again) and decided to try making this massive cake with an equally massive 6 pages of directions.

I could have simply made Cook's Illustrated's Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake ... for the 4th time this year, but, no I thought I'd be adventurous....

So following our dinner, I headed to the store to pick up heavy whipping cream and dark rum - I thought I had everything else I might need. When I finally got home around 8pm I realized I was short unsweetened chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. So, off to the store again.

Then, I returned home and made the first two layers: coco meringue and chocolate mousse.

The coco meringue went surprisingly well and I even had the piping supplies to make it look neat. I used a round cake pan and not a cardboard cake round and LOVED when I realized I didn't have to cut out the traced circle. I also thought I'd be creative and pipe the left over meringue into ramekins. The recipe probably makes double (anyone have a 6- inch deep 9-inch spring-form pan?) but, I should have just made two 9-inch meringue circles -- the meringue in the ramekins crusted nicely but the inside was a gooey mess.

The chocolate mousse was going well until I decided not to rinse the mixer bowl between the whipping creme and egg white steps. (Note: milky eggs do not peak) So, I had to start over. And, then I noticed I was short some eggs...

Check back later for part 2 :)

Back to the Kitchen

2011-03-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

I've been a terrible blogger. But, here goes a mini post to get me rolling again....

My Uncle Dave bought me this amazing new Cooking Light book/binder from Target. It is fantastic. His favorite recipe so far is Shepherd's Pie. It is a super simple recipe and can be made in under 20 minutes.

Here is the link to Cooking Light - there recipes are free to view so please check it out - goo.gl/xfJgY

Grandma's Matzo Ball Soup

2011-02-08T09:06:00.027-05:00

I made what I believe is my Uncle Dave's favorite dish - Matzo Ball Soup. If you aren't Jewish &/or don't frequent Shapiro's Deli Matzo Ball Soup is simply Chicken & Dumplings with Matzo instead of flour. (sort of) You could also make dumplings instead of matzo balls & this soup would still be delicious (I wouldn't eat it -- but I'm sure it'd be fine). But we're Jewish and floury dough balls just don't hold a candle to Grandma's Matzo Ball Soup.

I actually wrote this one from memory - makes me happy to have a family recipe of sorts.

Here is a link to the recipe - Grandma's Matzo Ball Soup

Other resources -

Manischewitz the only Matzo Meal I've ever seen used
Low-Sodium Chicken Broth - the lowest we could find (Spotted at Target and the REALLY big Super Kroger in Speedway, IN)

And, remember if you are not in a community with a large Jewish population ask your grocer to order Matzo Meal - they will usually be able to get a small case with out any trouble. If not - you can buy it on Amazon.com :)

A week in photos! With recipe links to Cook's Illustrated Magazine

2011-01-27T22:39:00.003-05:00

So, this month has been a whirlwind - and I have sincerely slacked at posting. It is late, I'm tired, but I wanted to attempt to post SOMETHING this month of value ... so here it goes

Chocolate Mousse

This dish is light, yummy, and has a bit of texture I think is caused by the eggs. But, all around a nice balanced mousse that satisfies that desire for decadent chocolate and rich texture. The recipe link above will make three small Pyrex containers.

Stir-fry Beef with Asparagus & Red-Peppers

We made this for a last minute little dinner party. It fed six, and these were the left overs. We substituted the veggies. It was delicious, cost under $40, could have fed 8, AND took less than an hour to make.

Classic Pound Cake

A dear friend is getting married and as a bridesmaid I thought I'd pitch in and make something for her bridal shower. This is a photo of my cubed pound cake. I made two - and they turned out beautiful - with a nice crust on the top and all. (should have taken a photo) We used the cubes for dipping in a chocolate fountain, at least that was the plan - it turned into a crock pot when the fountain didn't work ;)

Creme Brulee for Two

Half done, the batter tasted AMAZING. I can't wait to top these tomorrow after a LONG week and enjoy them with an amazing friend (and my husband too) The ramekins are a recent purchase using a Crate & Barrel card from another good friend, thank you Ashley - I was able to get all sorts of sizes, jars, etc with your fantastic gift. (hopefully you read this shout out)

Night :)

Cooking up a storm....

2011-01-10T15:20:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I made the following

Chinese-Style Chicken Skewers with Hoisin-Sesame Dipping Sauce
Coconut Shrimp
Enchiladas Verdas (x2)
Chili Fixings for Slow Cooker
Classic Stuffed Pepper Fixings
Berry's & Cream (once with Cool Whip and Once with the real thing)
Eggs Benedict over Jowl Bacon

I have also competed the second week of 'meal' planning with my Uncle Dave and thought I'd share the worksheets i'm using. Week 1 & Week 2

Last week the Soups were not made and the Turkey was never purchased but we (Uncle Dave, Mom, & I) all made an honest effort. This week I've prepped everything but the peppers for chili & I'm returning tonight to take care it... So Mom & Dave need only to use the slow cooker and warm up prepared meals for the rest of the week. To make sure things were heart healthy we are using Laura's Lean Ground Beef (on sale at both Target & Marsh) it has less sodium than the turkey and Uncle Dave will eat it. We are also adding in some poultry with chicken REALLY well cooked because mom and Uncle Dave both like texture (aka over cooked chicken) Also, when a recipe calls for salt, or cheese, or any other ingredient full of sodium, we are not using it (salt) or using low sodium/organic main brand substitute. WARNING low sodium store brands are FULL of sodium and are not good choices.

Here are some photos -- and I promise recipe links for those missing above sometime later this week.

Manic Monday - Food Edition?

2011-01-04T12:30:00.000-05:00

I have been following this amazing blogger for a few years now - http://www.asleepundermydesk.blogspot.com/

She does a "Manic Monday" post where she blogs little did bits about her day, etc. So here we go with a little Manic Monday of my own.

Runts are delicious, and I don't know which Christmas Elf brought in the candy cane filled with them, but I have made about 10 trips to the snack table, and it is now empty - Thank you.

Did you know that O'charley's puts a salt liquid on their broccoli giving it more sodium than their Salmon? And, that a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish and Small Fry has less sodium than most 6-inch subs @ Subway? Check out this great app Unifed Lifestyle - Restaurants and check the facts for yourself.

Oh and those of you dieting to start the new year - watch out for Sodium loaded low-fat products they may have less calories but can really screw with your body. Better to go with a balanced portion of the real stuff. (it tastes better too)

Noticing the serious Low-sodium kick I'm on today. Well I've been working with my Uncle to figure out what he can and can not have post heart attack. So, look forward to some low-salt takes on recipes in the near future.

And, my husband went grocery shopping this weekend for me - only spent 38 bucks. I think it is AMAZING we 'save' on our grocery budget & I get to stay home.

My shoulder hurts from attempting to do push-ups. I can do a solid 10 and then I'm toast. My goal is 50 a day. . . we shall see.

Homemade Marshmellows -

2010-12-22T15:31:00.001-05:00

I have a huge bag of sugar and BIG plans to make some of these tonight.

http://tiny.cc/mmellows

Thank you - Google alerts for sending me this random blog where I found the link.

Coconut Shrimp

2010-12-20T10:29:00.001-05:00

This weekend Jordan & I made this delicious Shrimp dish for his family's Christmas party. Yes, we made it together, and not just one batch but over 70 Coconut Colossal Shrimp. The Shrimp was from Sam's club - and apparently the freezer burned look is ok and just part of how they flash freeze them.

I bought 3 bags of Colossal Shrimp, 35 gallons of Peanut Oil, 3 boxes of Panko, 2 bags of Coconut, and 3 jars of Orange Marmalade & 3 of Sweet Chili Sauce. (3 times what i needed for the coating)

We pulled out the fryer that had been in the garage storage cabinets for 3 years and got to peeling, dredging, and frying.

The perfect 'timing' was 2 min and 20 seconds. And, a few of them had what we called 'splits' didn't fry curled but sticking straight out either side. This wasn't too tragic -- it allowed for two bite per shrimp :)

I didn't get a photo of the finished product, but I'm sure we will make this dish again, and I'll be sure to update with a photo :)

UPDATE: 1/27/11
http://tiny.cc/cocoshrimp

Cookies -

2010-12-20T10:07:00.000-05:00

Saturday was filled with the joy of cookies and great company. My dear friend Kristin and her beautiful family came to visit. Specifically to mess up my kitchen and not hers, but also cheer me up a bit. It's been a rough few weeks and I needed a little Obermeyer love in my life. As you can see from the photo of Mrs. Gingerbread above we were quite creative in our cookie making. And, no cookie decorating fest would be complete with out a child under the age of 5 using brightly colored icing over white-ish carpet. (no worries she didn't spill any)

The sugar cookie recipe turned out beautifully - with soft puffy sugary wonderfulness. The recipe can be found on All Recipes.com http://tiny.cc/sugarcookie

Kristin was also kind enough to bring a selection of cookie cutters - since I didn't have any. Here is an example of one of the more ... creative cookie cutter shapes. They are candle sticks -- get your mind out of the gutter.

The icing recipe was super simple - 1 cup confectioners/powdered sugar to 2-3 Tablespoons milk whisked until smooth. It/when it dries out a bit add a dash of warm water. Color with food die (I prefer the gel kind, it is not nearly as messy as liquid.

The Gingerbread Cookies gave us a bit of a fight. I turned to my all time favorite Cooks Illustrated
http://tiny.cc/gingerbreadcc for the first time I think I'm a bit disappointed. We followed the directions to a T - but the dough wouldn't release from the parchment paper. So, we improvised and mostly just made round cookies. I was quite surprised - their recipes are normally fool proof. Next time I might floor the paper before rolling to help the dough release.

Finally, I had slaved over French Butter cookie dough on Friday, hoping to have the most adorable chocolate swirl cookies. They were the driest little cookies ever, they were NOT sweet, and overall a complete disappointment in cookie making. That said - they were traditional french butter cookies, crumbled well, and I guess weren't supposed to be sweet American cookies. So, while I was disapponted and wasted 15 dollars worth of ingeredients some French guy would have loved them. My husband, Kristin, Jeff, and I all did not. Next time I'm using the sugar cookie recipe. I'll post the recipe when I perfect it :)

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

2010-12-11T18:24:00.001-05:00

I promised my Uncle Dave I would make him some cupcakes for his 65th birthday on Thursday but, I thought I better do a test batch this weekend just to be sure they aren't terrible.

As I was trolling the aisles of the local Kroger today, I almost bought a Carrot Cake Mix... until the phrase "Carrot Flavored Pieces" quickly lead me to return it to the shelf (as did my sister, who was on the phone telling me I had to make them from scratch). So, instead of buying a mix, I used my Cooks Illustrated iPhone app (FREE!) to look for a carrot cake recipe. Luckily, it turned out that I already had all the ingredients I needed at home.

I started baking "process" as soon as I got home, by shredding the carrots in my stand-up food processor (warning: carrot juice will stain your white plastic kitchen gadgets, but I found Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works wonders on this). After shredding the carrots, I hauled out my full sized food processor to combine/fluff the eggs and sugar. I was kind of surprised the recipe called for a FP ... but the bottom of the recipe had directions for using the Stand Mixer.

By this point, it looked like an orange tornado had cut a path right through our previously clean kitchen.

Once the mix was prepared I quickly tried to look up a method to calculate the proper time for cupcakes (vs sheet cake), gave up and guessed at 15min (it took 20).

Three batches of cupcakes later it was time to start the icing. It seemed to go well at first, and after following the directions I added a VIA instant decaf coffee packet for an extra kick -- (Dave's party is going to be a Starbucks and the SB manager suggested trying the VIA in the icing). It tasted DELICIOUS and after just one more minute whisking it was supposed to be light and fluffy and ready to decorate. That is, until I turned around to straighten up the kitchen and left the icing whisking in the mixer....

With in just a few minutes it looked curdled and I was devastated.... luckily, I happened to stock up on cream cheese last week (it was on sale) and I had JUST enough powdered sugar left for another batch. Unfortunately though, I couldn't risk using the last two VIA packets - since I still needed those for the birthday party batch.

I decided to try piping the frosting which went ok, but next time I'm going to use the larger tip so I can get a larger dollop of icing on each cupcake (and to avoid clogging).

In the end it was a lot of work, some of which was unnecessary, but overall, the cupcakes were delicious, spicy, and had great texture.

Spiced Carrot Cake by Cooks Illustrated - http://tiny.cc/carrotbd

Disney Recipes

2010-12-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

I have been craving the Roasted Red Pepper Soup from the Grand Floridian @ Disney. I haven't found the recipe yet - but I did find this site. http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/recipes.html It has quite a few Disney favorites - check it out!

http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/recipes.html

Delicous Pizza Dough

2010-12-02T12:01:00.002-05:00

This delicious recipe came from my Kitchen Aid Mixer recipe book - the dough also makes delicious bread sticks. Jordan's favorite is spicy Italian sausage and LOTs of Cheese. I LOVE using alfredo sauce, chicken, artichokes, and spinach leaves. (Thank you Carrie Thompson for introducing me to this amazing combination)

Make sure you cook the meat before you put it all together - and if you are cooking for two - try making a smaller pizza and using the other half of the dough for breadsticks.

http://tiny.cc/crustypizza

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

2010-12-01T22:03:00.000-05:00

I was craving a delicious Chocolate desert, and so I turned to my Cooks Illustrated books and found this tasty treat. http://tiny.cc/3mousse

Note: That is a Steak n' Shake plate. (not I did not steal it)

Thanksgiving...

2010-12-01T21:31:00.001-05:00

This year we had Thanksgiving dinner at the VA hospital. My Uncle Dave had a heart attack the Saturday before and was still in the hospital so we had to change plans a bit ... but we were still able to have full T-day dinner with all the trimings.

The turkey was a beautiful 19 pounder from Goose the Market - I used some cooks illustrated tricks including brining the turkey, drying it in the fridge (for a crispier skin) and a BUNCH of butter & herbs rubbed under the skin. Unfortunatly I didn't have a v-rack and during step 1 of cooking the turkey breast side down the skin stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan and was pulled off when we flipped it -- but no worries I simply re coated the top with more herbs and prayed it wouldn't dry out.

Herbed Roast Turkey http://tiny.cc/ccturkey

The stuffing was Rachel Ray's Mushroom Stuffing. I started this the Wednesday night with the cubing and drying of the bread. To add some texture I used one white bread loaf and one higher end whole wheat loaf. This process takes some time - especially if you just pile all the bread in your large roasting pan. You will need to 'turn' the cubes every 30 mins or so until all pieces are dry like croutons. http://tiny.cc/raystuff

.

And, no Thanksgiving dinner would be complete without Cranberry Sauce - and not that canned goo - but a sweet orange concoction using fresh cranberries & one orange. Again, a Rachel Ray recipe - http://tiny.cc/raycran

$25 dollar salad - I miss my garden.

2010-11-17T10:21:00.002-05:00

Today is my company's annual Thanksgiving pitch-in. A dinner event for work kept me out late last night, so I was in a bit of a rush this morning trying to make it into the office on time. In that rush, I spent about half a weeks grocery budget on a large spinach, apple, walnut salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

"Seriously....!?" - from Jordan

Why didn't I just make Jiffy Corn Muffins? Wouldn't it have been cheaper to eat out everyday this week then to participate in this 'pitch-in'? Perhaps if I had actually planted spinach this year I could have simply visited my garden this morning for the main ingredient..... If I hadn't chosen to get Honey Crisp Apples, and if I had skipped the bag of Walnuts, and I had simply made a batch of homemade dressing, this would have been a lot less expensive... But, in my defense it is a rainy 40 degrees

outside. That and I LOVE Honey Crisp Apples, I promised a co-worker Walnuts, and overslept... so, in a frenzy this morning at the local big box retailer/grocery I spent a fortune to create a beautiful salad, with fantastic flavors, for a bunch of people that would have been happier with Jiffy Corn Muffins.

So, to prevent this same disaster next year I'm in need of budget conscious pitch-in recipes... any ideas?

Grocery Shopping

2010-11-10T11:15:00.001-05:00

In my quest to establish consistency with our food budget I have decided I need to follow these simple rules.

1. Never take anyone with me grocery shopping (Jordan included)
2. Meal plans are my friend (stop being lazy)
3. Stay away from the middle of the store.
4. Don't bother visiting the frozen food aisle
5. Don't go shopping on Sunday - they are always out of sale items, and the lines are ridiculous.

And, finally stop being lazy --

Do you have any suggestions?

Pumpkin Curry Soup

2010-11-05T10:36:00.001-04:00

The first time I tried Pumpkin Curry Soup I only took a small portion for fear of looking foolish or picky. (ha!) Needless to say, two full bowls later I still wanted more.

It took a few years of craving the spicy yet sweet curry burn punctuated by pumpkin goodness before I finally google'd the recipe and tried making it myself. The first few batches were made completely from scratch (anyone have a photo from the party where I served it in the pumpkin?) This year I went with organic pumpkin puree and a similar recipe that can easily be made after a LONG day at work.

The only addition I made was 1 leak chopped up into bits (just used the end portion)

http://tiny.cc/pumpkincurry

Oh cooking...

2010-10-27T15:33:00.000-04:00

Oh, how I love to cook meals people enjoy. This week I cooked my first Turkey of the season, just a frozen one on sale at Kroger. Nothing fancy just a little salt, pepper and rosemary. Then a remix of last weeks Chicken Tikka Marsla - this time with the cardamon (kind of pricy @ $12/bottle), and proper fresh serrano chile were missing last week. Last night it was Maple Salmon, & tonight -- I'm taking the day off and heading to the Beans for a pasta bake.

Next week check back for the much anticipated Pumpkin Curry Soup, and my first Sweet Potato of the season. I really didn't start eating sweet potatoes until 2 years ago. I always hated the mush that was served at Thanksgiving , and figured that was the only way people ate them (which may have been true in the 80's)

Here are a few delicious recipes from the past week or so --

Easy Turkey Recipe http://tiny.cc/easyturkey

Chicken Tikka Marsala http://tiny.cc/tikkam

And, here is a little TV spot I was lucky enough to do this morning for our event this weekend!

Anytime Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

2010-10-15T13:30:00.000-04:00

These delicious little muffins were super easy to make - and delicious. I made them froze them - and then a few days later cooked the entire batch.

I would like something with a bit more lemon -- but maybe next time. Also, perhaps warming it with a little butter would have been good.

http://tiny.cc/lpsmuffins

Tip: Poppy seeds are a normal spice - but are quite hard to find you may have to ask your grocer to order a bottle.

Rich's Fried Chicken (or pork)

2010-10-14T07:47:00.000-04:00

This makes a great dinner and the leftovers make delicious breakfast sandwiches. A few weeks ago Rich (Anne's husband) was staying over after a long day of packing. I was exhausted but gave him run of the kitchen to make whatever he wanted. The result was a delicious fried chicken. Jordan used the leftoveres the next day for a breakfast sandwich and has promised to stop his frequent trips to chic-fila for breakfast if I make this every week. So -- here is the much anticipated recipe. I'll post photos next week as well as the homemade biscuit recipe I use :)

Ingredients
4 Chicken breasts/thighs/pork loins - TENDERIZED
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk or heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of bread crumbs - you may need more depending on absorption of meat to breading
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
*other seasonings can be added for different flavors to the preference of the dish (for example red pepper flakes, cumin, rosemary, chili powder, curry, etc)
1/2 cup or more of frying oil - vegetable oil, sunflower oil, canola oil - DO NOT USE OLIVE OIL

Directions
~Mix egg and milk and beat together
~Mix together bread crumbs and desired seasonings
~Begin Heating oil, med to high heat for frying
~Place meat in egg/milk mixture for 2-3 minutes to get it slimy
~Take meat out and coat meat in bread crumb mixture to have a even breaded coating on meat
~When oil reaches frying temperature - check by taking a pinch of bread crumb mixture and putting it in oil to see if it sizzles
~Apply meat with breading to frying oil and cook meat entirely through - note the breading may darken faster than meat cooks, so use medium heat at first and flip meat consistently, cut meat in the center to check when done or use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature to make sure it is done.

I LOVE the Fall -- Cider, Pumpkins, and Parties

2010-10-08T12:55:00.001-04:00

So look forward to amazing recipes this month. Including Jordan's Magic Cider, Pumpkin Curry Soup, and more information about the BIG Halloween party downtown at Footlite Theater. But, for now -- save the date October 30th ghouls and goblins for a fantastic afternoon with the kids or evening with your hubby (or sig other) at Spooktacular Featuring Live Music by Scott Kline & Destination: Earth!

Ugly Dip - Guest Recipe from Ms. Sara

2010-10-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

Sara, a dear friend from work makes this amazingly ugly and devilishly delicious dip. I made it twice this past weekend!

Ugly Dip
~Looks ugly, tastes pretty great

1 Roll regular or hot sausage
1 can Rotel (Do NOT drain)
2 pkgs Cream Cheese
Red Pepper Flakes to add heat (optional)

Brown meat, drain grease. Add Rotel and Cream Cheese. Warm through. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Doubles easily

Tip: It will take about an hour and a half to warm in a crock pot

Mandel Bread / Almond Biscotti

2010-10-02T17:18:00.003-04:00

As promised here is the recipe I use to make almond biscotti's a hard cookie perfect for dipping in hot chocolate or coffee.

4 eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3/4 C oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/8 tsp. almond extract
3 c. flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
sliced almonds

Use large aluminum tray. 325 for 35 in. cut & return to oven 250 for 35 min.

* You can also dip them in chocolate or white chocolate for a more refined look.

All Recipes has a pretty close recipe that uses a little less flavoring and a topping of milk/sugar. They also have more specific instructions. http://tiny.cc/biscottis

Grandma Betty's Manicotti Recipe

2010-10-02T17:05:00.001-04:00

A few weekends ago Becky Smith, the future Mrs. Colglazier, & I whipped together a last minute dinner for Jordan and Scott as we waited for them to return from Boston.

Manicotti

INGREDIENTS
Package of Manicotti noodles
- Filling & Topping -
1/4 c fresh ground parmesan
1 lb. ricotta
1/2 lb mozzarella
2 eggs
salt & pepper
1 pkg chopped frozen Spinach (cooked & drained)*
- Sauce -
1 lb ground beef
oregano - italian seasoning
1/2 c onion
2 cloves garlic
#2 can tomatoes - 2 1/2 cups
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1 can of tomato paste*
1/3 t black pepper
1 1/2 t salt

DIRECTIONS
Cook sauce on top of stove for about 45 min. (Brown meat with onions and garlic then add remaining ingredients) Cook manicotti shells 8-10 min. Rinse in cold water - fill with mixture. Pour half meat sauce into 12 x 7 1/2 baking dish arrange manicotti. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 Parmesan chese on top - bake 350 degree 30-35 min .

Tips: The tomato paste in the sauce is optional - I add it because I like a thicker consistency. We also skip the spinach - Jordan hates cooked green leaves.

Flan - Adventures with Sugar, & baking towels ?!

2010-09-17T08:41:00.002-04:00

Every few weeks we have group of sales reps in for training. The first group had mentioned biscotti's one day and I got this ... itch to make my Grandmother's delicious Mandel bread (Almond Biscotti). Then a few weeks later, we were overwhelmed with the vast number of tomatoes that were ripening in our garden. A few days later another training group came to the office and I brought in one of the many jars of salsa I had made.

Today, I brought in both Flan and Custard Pie. Somehow we started hording eggs and I have been looking for a way to use 3 dozen organic farm fresh eggs. Last night I used about a dozen.

The Flan was a new one for me -- caramelizing sugar was a chore (a quick chore) the first batch I swirled the pan a bit too feverishly and it crystallized. Scraping that concoction out of my pan wasn't much fun either. (Steel wool, hot water, and a wooden spoon work well)

The second batch went a bit better - and flowed into the pan fairly well. But seconds later was hard as a rock. Now, I have to admit I have never eaten Flan, but I have seen it and I have read the description and what I had was a bit lighter than mahogany, and hard like glass. But, I took a chance and finished the custard/pudding filling and stuck it in the oven. Another adventure. The recipe says to put a kitchen towel in the bottom of a large pan or roasting pan -- the only pan I had that would fit my 9-inch cake pan was the turkey roasting pan Jordan got me last year. And, a towel?! I figured there was something missing -- but I went with it.

After mixing the ingredients for the custard esc filling - I filled the cake pan and placed it in the oven. But, I wasn't finished I had to fill the roasting pan with boiling water half way up the cake pan. I used a ladle and it went pretty well -

After cooling I placed in the refrigerator and prayed it worked out ok... This morning when I got to the office I flipped the Flan onto a serving dish and gave it a try - (had my friend Sara try it first - just to be safe) the hard caramelized sugar had turned to a sugary syrup and it tasted delicious.

Tips:

Make sure you really let the caramel turn to a dark brown - you need the color in the end to make it LOOK like caramel.
The towel allows the water you pour into the baking dish to flow under the cake pan.
Don't use a hot pink towel it bleeds in the water -- harmless but could stain if spilled.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Wait Time: 2 hrs to cool, 2-24 to refrigerate
Cook Time: 40 - 50 min (15 on the stove, 30 ish in the oven)

Flan - http://tiny.cc/lemonflan

It is not just IU dorm food - Chicken Piccata

2010-09-15T14:54:00.000-04:00

Last night I made this quick and easy dish. I was a bit worried about "Slicing the Cutlets" (sounds like the title of a bad horror movie), which plate I could use that would be oven safe, and if I'd end up with dried chunks of chicken. But it really was quite easy because the cutlets were really thin and cooked quickly. Here are some quick tips:

Watch your fingers
Use corning ware
Add the cutlets to the sauce immediately so they don't dry out

The sauce (below) was a salty, chicken broth based lemon-aid and it was DELICIOUS! Jordan's note… When Jennie told me we were having “Chicken Piccata” I was immediately taken back to my Freshman year of College at IU, as this dish happened to be one of the only truly edible things in the “Wright Place” food court at Wright Quad where I lived. Fyi… her’s was better :)

Prep Time: 5 mins
Wait Time: 0
Cook Time: 20 min

Chicken Piccata - http://tiny.cc/piccata

Photos of the Magical Grilled Pizza

2010-09-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

Another fantastic Salmon Recipe.... Maple Salmon

2010-09-13T11:00:00.001-04:00

Labor Day was a wonderful day for Jordan and I -- we walked Scout around the neighborhood and all the way to Starbucks where we hung out with Uncle Dave. Then we took the bike to Anderson Apple Orchard, where they were out of Cider! On the way back home we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa Whitt's, and got to visit with cousins. We even found time to stop by Jordan's parents -- they weren't home but were visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Thompson -- we decided to run home and make something for dinner to take over.

While I ran to the grocery for supplies Jordan went to Mug N Bun. (we had skipped lunch)

The dish we pulled was sort of heart healthy since Grandma Thompson had just gotten out of the hospital and was told to eat a bit more ... heart friendly.

This recipe was DELICIOUS -- and would serve up to 5-6 if you use a large cut of Salmon (cut into 6 or so fillets) We added white rice and what I call Jordan's Asparagus Recipe (really Kevin's) ... look forward to that recipe in a later post :)

Prep Time: 5 mins (chopping the sun dried tomatoes is bit of a pain)
Wait Time: 0
Cook Time: 40-60 (could be less if you put more than one thing in the oven at a time)

Broiled Maple-Soy Glazed Salmon Fillets with Toasted Sesame Seeds - http://tiny.cc/maplesalmon

Autumn Chicken Cacciatore Menu - from cooksillustrated.com

2010-09-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

Life has been crazy busy for the last 7 wks. SO I haven't gotten to cook all that often. But, here is a wonderful dish I made Tuesday right after work for the in-laws and our good friend Scott Kline.

I was lucky enough to have my Great-grandmother Carrie's Dutch Oven. There is something magical about cooking in an heirloom cast iron.

It was delicious. And, took about 30 min of 'cooking' and 45 of simply simmering. The dressing was quickly made the night before, and the apples were SO easy. If I did it all again I wouldn't forget the sage and I'd be sure to cook the apples for a good hour so they were good and soft.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Wait Time: 40-60 (let the pot simmer, and apples bake)
Cook Time: 30 (browning, mixing, etc)

Autumn Chicken Cacciatore Menu - http://tiny.cc/cacciatore
TIPS: Make sure your apples are baked until soft.

Amazing thin crust pizza on the gas grill? - Cooksillustrated Late Summer Menu

2010-09-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

This week Jordan and I cooked for some of our friends... unfortunately the pictures did not turn out... but no worries I will be making this dish again soon.

The menu includes:

Grilled Tuscan Steak with Garlic Essence
Stuffed Tomatoes with Goat Cheese (we used Blue Cheese), Olives, and Oregano
Grilled Flatbread
Fresh Peach Cobbler

The winner of the night was the amazing flat bread -- the dough was a curious Nickelodeon Gak-esc substance. It worried me and my guests until it magically turned into the most amazing flat bread ever.

Next time I want to try using one of those thin pizza cutting boards/handled things to slide the dough on the grill.

Prep Time: 20 mins
Wait Time: 90 mins (letting the peaches sit and the bread rise)
Cook Time: 60 min (Peaches first - then the tomatoes, then the steak and then the flat bread)

Late Summer Menu - http://tiny.cc/flatbread

Tips:

Flat Bread: Using all-purpose flour did not ruin the bread & add 1/3 cup whole wheat flour not the listed 1 TLBS. Be careful when putting the thin dough on the grill -- make sure you re-flour so you can gingerly flatten it back out once on the grill (try not to burn yourself)

Stuffed Tomato: Use more olive oil and perhaps use a cheese that melts better.

Dry chicken and AMAZING topping

2010-09-09T20:46:00.000-04:00

I wasn't able to brine the chicken quite long enough .. and it could probably have used some more salt. BUT, the topping was AMAZING! I made this dish for my Mom and Uncle Dave last week - Dave is an honest food critic he didn't touch the chicken after just one bite. Of course he is also a lifetime smoker and probably couldn't taste much of anything. I save a plate for my husband who picked around the tomatoes and devoured every morsel of meat, chicken included.

Next time I'll be sure to brine the chicken longer and season it with a heavier hand.

Prep Time: 5 mins + an hour for Brining
Wait Time: 15-20 (while the pasta cooks, be sure to stir often)
Cook Time: 40 mins

Sauteed Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Scallions - http://tiny.cc/bluecheesechicken
TIPS: Use more bacon - people love bacon.

Hamburger Helper ? . . . not in this kitchen.

2010-08-10T07:49:00.001-04:00

I am a HUGE fan of one-skillet meals (Hamburger Helper excluded). Last night, I used the hot-Italian sausage I purchased from (http://lekincaidmeats.com/) to make a Cooks Illustrated Editors' Choice recipe.

Skillet Penne with Sausage & Spinach reminds me of a made-for-summer chili. It has great flavor and take less than thirty minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4, so cut it in half for 2 :)

Finding the Sun Dried Tomatoes proved to be a bit tricky… apparently, they are kept in the produce aisle under the fresh tomatoes and not next to canned tomatoes or tomato sauce.

Prep Time: 5 mins (chopping the sun dried tomatoes is bit of a pain)
Wait Time: 15-20 (while the pasta cooks, be sure to stir often)
Cook Time: 10 (cooking sausage, adding ingredients, wilting spinach)

Skillet Penne with Sausage & Spinach Recipe - http://tiny.cc/skilletpenne

TIPS: One sausage = 1/2 pound of meat; all that spinach does wilt down; be careful opening the pine nuts.

# 3 - Enchiladas Verdes

2010-08-09T13:02:00.000-04:00

I really didn't cook this weekend. But, I did re-organize my Pyrex (I know, only old married women would ever get excited about this).

I received two amazing sets of Pyrex as wedding gifts and after five hours of laying down some flooring and building an IKEA cabinet, I finally had a place to put them. As I carefully collected every piece I was reminded of a dish I made the first week we were married (and then again a few weeks later for a family from church).

I suggest prepping the sauce and chicken the night before and simply assembling it after work for a delicious dinner.

Cut the recipe in half for a great meal for two (or three).

http://tiny.cc/verdes

Squeamish vegetarians/vegans beware…

2010-08-06T10:31:00.000-04:00

#1 - Sweet & Savory Lamb, Indian Summer Veggies, & Rice Pudding

I've been quite busy with work, travel, and life in general for the past few weeks. During which, my wonderful husband has had to sustain himself on frozen pizzas, any'tizers, & lunch meat sandwiches. (& beer)

Monday, I made a trip to the butcher's shop near work (http://lekincaidmeats.com/) and purchased hot Italian sausage, flank steak, bone-in ribeyes, lamb chops, roast beef, peppered turkey, horseradish cheddar cheese, provolone, bacon, bacon burgers, Traders Point Creamery yogurt, and a a loaf of bread (all for about $90).

The plan was/is to make at least three great meals before leaving again next week for training, so my husband doesn’t have to live like a frat-boy.

So, here we go -- this is actually meal #1 (the steak tacos were meal #2)

I found the Lamb and Rice Pudding recipe the first week we were married. It was part of cooksillustrated.com's menu selection. The problem was that the closest grocery store did not carry the cut of lamb required. So, I called the butcher to see if they would have what I needed - and they did!

Unfortunatly the lamb may have been a bit over cooked. I thought it was lacking in flavor and I probably won't make it again -- but perhaps it could have been better if I hadn't 'braised' it for so long.

Luckily, the veggies were fantastic and had a great spicy/sweet Indian flavor - Jordan even enjoyed them (which says a lot)!

The pudding was good as well. Neither of us is big on raisins, so next time I might try adding different fruit or maybe some almonds. It also holds well in the fridge overnight.

Prep Time: 15-30 (cutting veggies takes some time)
Wait Time: 30-60 (only if you are going to cool the pudding)
Cook Time: 40-60 (could be less, I used the same pan for the veggies & meat so I could only cook one at a time)

Sweet & Savory Lamb and Rice Pudding - http://tiny.cc/lambrice
Indian Spiced Vegetables - http://tiny.cc/indianvegy
White Rice - http://tiny.cc/limerice

On the Road Again ....homemade dessert in a hotel?

2010-08-06T09:30:00.000-04:00

Have you ever spent a week in a hotel for work? I have… in fact over the last four years, I have spent what amounts to an entire year living “on the road”. And, I've learned a few things. For example....

1) Chicago hotels: the Conrad isn't that great, actually. The Hampton Inn & Suites has a larger suite for half the cost. (The Conrad bathroom is still pretty amazing, though)

2) Orlando transportation: DO NOT TAKE A CAB. Call a car service.

3) New York food: the gyro vendor outside of the Javits is the BEST $5 you will ever spend. Don't forget your Dr. Brown Dark Cherry Cola.

4) Dallas safety: even though you might be staying at a 5-star hotel (the Adolphus) where several Presidents, Queens, and Dignitaries have laid their head, DO NOT go to the 7-eleven across the street. But do check out the amazing Mexican food place around the corner :)

5) Vegas: THE HOTEL (at Mandalay Bay) is amazing! Seriously, do not bother to stay anywhere else. EVER. Ok, maybe the Venetian if you really want to be in the middle of everything. Be sure to grab a crepe in Mandalay Bay, and a moijto in Caesars. Stay away from the blackjack table and play the penny slots. --Editor’s note: Looking for that killer mojito in Caesar’s? It’s tucked away in a corner of the Forum Shops at a little place called Casa Fuente, which is owned by world’s most famous cigar family/empire. Ps… they have a world-class cigar selection locked away there as well—so, don’t skip this if you are at all interested in cigars.

Finally, I have learned how to make an amazingly refreshing dessert in my room. This dessert requires a quick visit to a grocery/convenience store for a half-pint of fresh blue berries, package of strawberries, and Cool Whip Original (my latest obsession). You must then rummage around the hotel for a knife, fork/spoon/spork and a glass of some sort. If you are really desperate you can always use the cups provided in the room ... but after watching that documentary on 60 mins a few years ago I won't touch those things.

Rinse the berries in the sink, cut the strawberries up a bit, fill your glass with the fruit, and then top with the Cool Whip – and dig in!

Taco Night

2010-08-05T08:37:00.000-04:00

Last night we made delicious homemade tacos. Not the Old El Paso's packet of seasoning on some frozen ground beef. Would I do that?

This week I went to a butchers (http://lekincaidmeats.com/) and bought Flank Steak. I also made 3 trips to the grocery since I kept forgetting to pick up tortillas, cheese, and sour creme.

The tacos were DELICIOUS! Filled with flavors from the lime and cilantro paste. I paired it with a lime/cilantro white rice (Chipotle), homemade salsa, & left over rice pudding for desert.

I've decide to add some 'times' to my blogs -- since i broke up the prep it didn't seem to take too long -- it just depends on how fast you chop, etc. These times include steak, rice, and salsa.

Prep Time: 15-30

Wait Time: 30-60

Cook Time: 30-40

Steak Taco Recipe - http://tiny.cc/steaktacos

One-Min Salsa Recipe - http://tiny.cc/1salsa

White Rice - http://tiny.cc/limerice (I simply followed the directions on a package of long grained white rice. Then squeezed 1/2 a lime into the rice and added 2 Tablespoons of minced Cilantro leaves.

TIP: The salsa is really easy to make -- I used the bullet my sister bought me for Christmas years ago - the clean up is so much easier then using my large food processor. It takes about 3 mins from start to finish.

Eliminating sugar & processed foods?

2010-07-22T13:44:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard of a yeast-free diet? (a supposed cure-all for ill health). After the fourth round of allergy testing confirming I allergic to everything under the sun… I decided to give it a go. During the diet I had amazing focus, energy, and no allergy or asthma symptoms. It lasted about 3 weeks then there was a cookie incident, and I caved.

It isn't a very practical diet for most people. If you are anything like me it is almost life changing; I love milk, sweets, & white bread/dough and the idea of sticking to mostly vegetables and meats seems ... boring.

But, when have I ever been practical? With the change at work I will have a 'decreased' travel schedule & I think this is the perfect opportunity to give it a go... again.

Look forward to creative uses of meats and organic veggies when I return in a week or so.

If you are interested in learning more about the diet -- here is my favorite site about the subject. http://tiny.cc/wholeapproach

*Disclaimer this diet is not about losing weight, in fact, I actually gained weight while on it. So please save the comments like “you are so tiny”, “why would you diet”, etc.

Junk Food

2010-07-19T14:11:00.000-04:00

For the next few weeks I will not have a moment to 'cook' so I loaded up on frozen pizzas, (Blue!) Gatorade, lunch meat and anytizers. Jordan is ecstatic.

Mostly because I already have a fridge full of Miller High Life, which everyone knows goes perfect with this kind of food -- Jordan

It happens. - So please look forward for random hotel food ideas and reviews of conference food :)

Chicago, Orlando, Chicago & Boston Creme Pie (oh my!)

2010-07-19T14:10:00.000-04:00

The adventure of married life continues with a crazy month ahead. I just found out I have been promoted.. This promotion will come with less travel in the long run, and more travel in the short run.

Last week I was in Chicago at a tradeshow - the last of my old role. I have returned to the office for a week and will take the GMAT (which I have been avoiding for 4 years) this weekend, followed by a week-long trip to Orlando for the new role, only to return home for about a day and a half before heading back to Chicago (first for a batchelorette party and then for training with my old boss for my new job). Finally, I will be able to return home for a while.

Expect some amazing food blogs from the road, but for now enjoy this treat I made for Jordan before I left for Chicago. Reminded me of cocoa gravy -- but I'll save that for another blog.

http://tiny.cc/bostoncreme

Steel Cut Oatmeal

2010-07-15T13:17:00.000-04:00

A post I wrote last weekend...

I am much more familiar with the variety pack from Quaker Instant Oatmeal, but daring to try something "new" I went with something classic.

I originally ordered Steel Cut Oatmeal from Farm Fresh Delivery's bulk selection. If you haven't heard of Farm Fresh Delivery you are missing out. They delivery organic produce and groceries to your home, just like the milk man used to do. It is AMAZING. You edit your order online and can receive a 'bin' for as little as $35 dollars every other week.

So, when I received my bin that week I was surprised to find these little pellets of 'oatmeal' - I google'd a recipe and decided to give it a try. It turned out beautifully - I prefer a bit of apple or pulot cut up into cubes, Jordan enjoys copious amounts of maple syurp and brown sugar. It takes a bit of time... 5 min prep (boiling water, toasting the oats) & then you let it sit uncovered &; simmering for about 25 minutes with out stirring. Giving you just enough time to do something for you ... today Jordan cut scouts nails & folded some laundry, while i made coffee, cleaned up the kitchen, wrote this blog post, and watched him pin scout down :)

http://tiny.cc/steelcut

delectable, delightful, masterpiece

2010-07-11T10:57:00.000-04:00

Applebee's Blondie Brownie -

I long for the evenings spent with my girlfriends, splitting this delectable dessert, and catching up on the latest news. Deeanna, Carole, Anne, Jenna, Kristin, Laura, Leslie - you all know the magic of devouring this delightful treat. It has helped assuage our hurt and pain -- simply spending time in quiet reflection with friends... ok... maybe not quiet, but you get the point.

Yesterday, I got the idea that maybe I could recreate this masterpiece in my own kitchen. After carefully combing through countless recipes (for about 5 minutes) I settled on the one sent to me by my new sister-in-law. The recipe included the secret ingredient mentioned in all the reviews of the recipes I found online - creme cheese.

How did it taste? I'd give it a 7 out of 10. It came close to the real thing -- but like many reviews of recipes I found online it wasn't quite as fluffy as the real thing. If I did this again (and you know I will) I would do the following to make it rise a bit higher:

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder (instead of 4 teaspoons)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Baking Soda (instead of a pinch)
1/4 teaspoon salt

I also think I over-did it on the vanilla chips (I used 3 bricks of vanilla almond bark and could have stuck with 2).

Finally, the icing wasn't quite right - I think it had too much of a cream cheese flavor. I might try a basic icing recipe next time and simply add some syurp to see if I fair a bit better -- or perhaps it isn't creme cheese, but almond bark that should be added to give it the right taste and consistency... Don't worry this is one of my favorite deserts so I will be trying it again :)

Thank you Nansie Whitt for this recipe! :)

Applebee's Blondie Brownie
The Ingredients:
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 pinch baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted real butter
• 1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar - divided (1 cup and 1/3 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vanilla baking chips
• 1/4 cup unmelted, unsalted real butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp. maple extract

Applebee's Blondie Brownie
The Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Stir in nuts and set aside.
4. With an electric mixer, beat together melted butter and 1 cup brown sugar.
5. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
6. Slowly beat dry mixture into wet mixture.
7. Turn mixer off. Stir in vanilla baking chips by hand.
8. Spread batter into a greased 9" X 9" X 2" baking pan.
9. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; set aside to cool.
10. In a saucepan over low heat, melt remaining 1/4 cup butter and maple syrup.
11. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar into saucepan until it has dissolved (the sugar, not the pan!)
12. Remove saucepan from heat and beat in cream cheese and maple extract until smooth.
13. Return saucepan to low heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until desired consistency
14. Cut warm blondies into 4" X 4" squares, top with vanilla ice cream, and pour sauce over the top... YUM!

No buns? No problem.

2010-07-06T10:48:00.000-04:00

Last night, Jordan and I made a feast of Hawaiian Rolls and Bratwurst. It was surprisingly delicious. Simply tear the sweet Hawaiian Rolls in half and cut the bratwurst in thirds and then cut the resulting pieces in half length-wise -- like mom used to do when she fried hotdogs :)

Leaning Tower of .... Lemon Cake?

2010-07-05T21:43:00.000-04:00

July 4th weekend is full of pitch-ins with the family. This 4th of July, Jordan and I were invited to a family flag raising to honor his Grandpa & Grandma Whitt who served in WWII and Grandpa Thompson who served during the Korean War. We were asked to bring a desert and side dish -- so I went all out and used this opportunity to try a cake recipe from cooksillustrated.com. It took approximately 7 hours from start to finish ... and was worth it!

Lemon Layer Cake -- doesn't it just look like heaven... Until you see the recipe -- There are 3 parts to the recipe. 1) Lemon Curd - Filling 2) Cake Batter 3) Icing Then you must carefully assemble the entire thing.

The Lemon Curd - Filling went pretty well, the Cake Batter was fun to mix (and would have gone a bit quicker if I had pulled out the milk and eggs ahead of time so they could have been at room temperature when I wanted to get started. I was going to wait until Saturday morning to assemble and make the icing - but since we happened to be up till 2 am watching a redbox movie I thought - what the hell, I'll give it a go. . . big mistake.

I had never cut a cake in half (horizontally) but I had my big tupperware bread knife ready to go. While I butchered the first one making the bottom layer only 1/4 an inch thick, the second cake went much better. I decided to put the tiny layer near the top and began assembly. The first two layers went together without a problem...but then came the butchered layer -- and well it seemed to go ok, so I added the rest of the filling and the final layer of cake.

I was rinsing dishes when Jordan walked in to admire my work .... he then kindly let me know it was falling apart -- I shot him a dirty look and told him it was fine... fine until he pointed out that the third layer had torn in half and was sliding down and it wasn't just a bit of lemon curd oozing out of the layers like I had assumed. I grabbed the cake at the sides and shoved the layer back in place while frantically yelling at Jordan to grab the "stick thingies" (skewers) out of the top left drawer. We were both laughing uncontrollably but he some how managed to find the sticks -- and then, of course, he insisted on snapping a photo before (much to my chagrin) jabbing them in the middle of the cake. Needless to say, I then asked him to move them to the edges to help hold the cake in place.

I decided that was enough and to put the cake in the fridge for the night so I could just deal with it in the morning. Luckily, it was all in one piece. I still needed to make the Icing -- which seemed like it was going well until I realized I had used 2 large eggs and not 2 large egg whites and had to start over. The second batch tasted delicious! I iced the cake hiding any drooping layers and carefully loaded it into the car. Some how it made it all the way to Grandma & Grandpa Whitt's with out falling apart or touching the glass lid.

http://tiny.cc/lemoncake2

editor's note: besides jabbing the sticks in the middle of the cake, I did make some positive contribution by squeezing the lemons for the filling and creating a crapton of lemon zest (which Jennie totally forgot to use). Just wanted to point out that I'm not completely worthless :)

Don't you know it hurts so good...

2010-06-30T22:56:00.001-04:00

Jordan and I's favorite dish!! - Remember that Salmon I de-boned and portioned? Well, it ended up on our dinner plates. (Now don't puke) We share this dinner on one plate -- sweetheart style. The secret ingredient is Sriracha sauce - which you can find at any major grocery. This is actually a US made product developed for Americans to make us think we are eating a fancy foreign hot sauce.

Ingredients

1 Salmon Fillet with skin
Some Oregano
Some Rosemary
Some Sesame Seeds
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Cooked White Rice
** Don't for get the Sriracha sauce

Simply coat meaty side of the salmon in the herbs of your choice (I use a combination of oregano rosemary and sesame seed) Then, heat the oil in a skillet until shimmering (right before it steams). Carefully place the fillet skin down (watch for popping oil). Once the fillet looks about half cooked carefully flip it over (time depends on how thick the cut is - but you can flip once about half of the meatiest portion in a light pink instead of the sushi color) While the fillet continues to cook, place your hot cooked rice in the middle of a large plate and then place the salmon on top. Make sure to some Sriracha sauce on the side... and lots of stuff to drink!

Here are some photos from our dinner Tuesday night ...

Tip: Turn the Salmon over only once if you can, because handling it too much can make it fall apart or worse, toughen the meat.

As for tonight, we just got back from a delicious dinner with our friends from church John and Rachel. She cooked a fabulous peppercorn pork loin (two words I never thought I'd say in the same sentence: fabulous and pork!) It was really tender, tangy, and delicious. I know the secret now so I might even try making pork for Jordan and I.

Editor's note: seriously, I hope Jennie follows through on this, because I LOVE me some pork :)

Fish on Sale! What's the Catch?

2010-06-29T00:19:00.000-04:00

I found a great deal on both Tilapia ($4.99) and Salmon ($3.99) at Kroger today! This time I stopped at the smaller Kroger on US 36 because I was in a bit of a rush and it was getting late (I was praying the meat counter stayed open until 9 PM...it was 8:52). Of course, the seafood had already been pulled from the display case so I thought I'd check out the pre-packaged items. I try and get my seafood from the meat guy -- I like being able to order just the right size for the meal I am making -- but I wasn't going to make my third trip to Kroger this week if I didn't have too -- and low and behold, I found better-than-advertised pricing on Salmon AND the Tilapia I needed.

Of course, there is a catch. There is always a catch. I would have to buy in bulk... These packages looked like they would serve an army -- or at least a family of 8. Seriously!^LOOK^ I checked out with my treasure, knowing that to get the 3.99 lb price I would have to stay focused and zip lock and freeze portions of two for Jordan and I the minute I got home. If I didn't it would sit in the fridge until I finally found time to cook this week, and by then it may not be fresh. I started with the Tilapia: 6 nice fillets, two in each zip lock. And, then on to the Salmon.And, I wasn't done just yet -- the Salmon had a surprise in store.... BONES! Luckily, I have dealt with de-boning Salmon a time or two --

Step 1: Dig through your tool box, closet, drawer, etc until you find a small pair of pliers with out those little grippy teeth. I prefer the kind that come in a computer repair kit -- but I couldn't find mine.

Step 2: Sanitize the tool (hot water and soap, or you could just use them as they are ... who knows where they have been)

Step 3: Run your fingers along the salmon ... WAIT - Wash your hands - you just dug around in a tool box... and then run your fingers along the salmon against the 'grain' of the bones -- AKA poke your self in the finger until you feel where they are.

Step 4: Grasp the bone firmly with the pliers (NOTE: Do not use wire cutters for this) and pull evenly and firmly with the 'grain' sliding the bone out like a splinter.

Step 5: Repeat step 3 and 4 until you are sure there are no bones, or you are so sick of pulling them that you no longer care if you or your husband choke on one.

Step 6: Cut fillets into portions for two, and place in zip lock freezer bags. Be careful to get as much air out as possible when sealing. (I like to seal the bag, all but and inch, and press the air out)

I ended up with 4 bags of Salmon (one a bit larger incase we have company) and 3 bags of Tilapia … all for under $25 dollars - and it is portioned and ready to go after about 15 minutes of searching for pliers and 5 minutes of pulling bones. ;)

Redbox and Salsa ...

2010-06-28T00:46:00.000-04:00

Tonight, Jordan and I went on a mission to find the Sunday paper. We were just going to run to Marsh (which is about a half mile away)....an hour & a half later we returned with a red box movie and salsa from the new Kroger in Speedway.

Marsh had the Indy Star, but I had to dig a bit through a stack with copies of Thursday's edition and Saturday's "Sunday Early Edition" to find the real Sunday edition, which surprisingly had zero grocery ads (I later found out they were in the Thursday edition - can you say newly wed.) I snagged one of the Marsh ads from a pile near the door - and Unfortunately, I quickly noticed nothing I needed this week was on special... so off to Kroger we went to check out the seafood selection and their ad for this week. (Our real mission was to spend some time in air conditioning I made pizza tonight --http://tiny.cc/pizzayum & we really needed a break from our the heat in our house).

Kroger was completely re-vamped recently (the third I can remember) and it is now the second largest Kroger store in the state (second only to the one in Bloomington, as Jordan was quick to point out). It was about 10pm and of course the meat counter was closed (they have a fantastic seafood collection) so, we walked around and checked out the beer selection and the international aisle to find that they carry KOSHER foods!! I have spent a good 5 years asking grocery managers to order matzo meal special. NO MORE! They had a good selection of potato pancake mix, matzo's and matzo ball mix *(although they don't carry the large container, just the packets) -- my favorite part was the economy size container of chicken consummate which I haven't seen since my Grandmother was alive and cooking. If it wasn't so darn hot I might make some soup right now --

I will return tomorrow for some of the Salmon (on sale for 6.99 lb) and Tilapia fillets (4.99) Jordan mentioned trying a Pecan Crusted Tilapia -- anyone have a good recipe? Cooks Illustrated doesn't have anything on Tilapia :)

Cheap & easy food

2010-06-26T13:09:00.000-04:00

This week I thought I should take it easy -- we just returned from our honeymoon/missions trip in Honduras to find the dog's room/mud room flooded AND a random 3-inches of water in our (previously) completely dry crawl space. So, Monday I went grocery shopping using the Sunday paper ads and wrote out a list while I waited for the plumber to arrive (did I mention we also found a leaking toilet?)

This budget conscientious menu cost us less than $50. It included roast beef sandwiches for lunches as well as a few plums and nectarines. Each meal cost well under $10 dollars for the two of us. We were always full and had something leftover (but not TOO much) And the dessert of the week was mixed berries w/ homemade whipped cream -- http://tiny.cc/whippedcream

DINNERS

Monday - burgers with grilled corn on the cob
Tuesday - grilled chicken with baked potatoes
Wednesday - sloppy-joes with mac & cheese
Thursday - brats with baked beans
Friday - Night out (hotdogs at the game)
Saturday - hamburgers and fruit (and a salad for me)
Sunday - homemade chicken & artichoke pizza with cheesy bread

The best part of this week was the chicken - instead of grilling frozen lumps of 'boneless skinless chicken breast' until crispy dry and 'cooked' (oh yeah no Air Conditioning - so we were cooking outside all week) I bought fresh bone in chicken breast that I found on sale at Kroger for just $1 pound and 'brined' them ... well actually Jordan was in charge of that since he stayed home that day from work (he was sick ...)

Brining is nothing I had ever seen growing up -- we simply took the chicken from the package maybe rinsed it and always baked it -- it was dry (sorry mom) and mostly blah. Brining is simply soaking the chicken in a water/salt solution -- which can include a bit of sugar. The chicken marinates in this for an hour or so and when cooked is SO juicy and tasty that you will never again cook chicken without this step.

You can do this with just about any meat -- here is a great article from Cook Illustrated http://tiny.cc/brining

Tiramisu for two?

2010-06-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

Ok to start off my 'blog' I want to share my new favorite dessert recipe - the original serves 10 to 12 . (Published November 1, 2007. From Cook's Illustrated.)

I made this the first week we were married - and it was a blast... even in the 85 degree heat of our home (the air conditioning was/is broken). The recipe had photos and step-by-step instructions (see links below) and it turned out beautifully even with my last minute substitutions (no espresso, and amaretto instead of rum)

The result was a heaping 13 x 9 pan of heaven that my husband (Jordan) refused to share with his parents or mine. He didn't think it was appropriate for the church pitch-in, so he was going to finish it himself! It took a week and half and he came really close -- but I finally insisted on tossing it out before we left on our honeymoon.

It was really a nice dish -- and I can't wait to make it again, but this time much smaller and with hot chocolate instead of coffee. Maybe this weekend (I'l be sure to take photos this time!!)

I have a Cooks Illustrated online subscription - they have some amazing dishes. It is $35 dollars a year for access to the online site and magazine archive - on sale until July 7th for 17 bucks! http://tiny.cc/cooksill

But for now -- visit this link http://tiny.cc/tiramisu to view the full recipe. Sketches, video, tips, and all.

I have made a few modifications to the measurements so that it serves just 2-3 people, and added some substitutions below to make it easier to cut the recipe down to size.

INGREDIENTS

3/4	cups strong black coffee (hot chocolate) , room temperature
1	teaspoon instant espresso powder (I skipped this step)
2 1/2	tablespoons dark rum (amaretto)
2	large egg yolks
3	tablespoons sugar
1/16	teaspoon table salt (pinch)
6	ounces mascarpone cheese
3	tablespoons heavy cream (cold)
3 1/2	ounces ladyfingers (10 to 15, depending on size 1/2 pkg)
1	tablespoon cocoa , preferably Dutch-processed
1	tablespoon semisweet or bittersweet chocolate , grated (optional)