Yes, that's right...spaghetti is coming out of those hot dogs!!!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Buffalo Wing Journey!
I tried many different Buffalo wing recipes but I stopped searching when I found this one! Its perfect! And they're baked, not fried! So it's a little less fattening! This is a mild version, but you can make it as spicy as you like by just adding more cayenne pepper and less honey. This is my slightly tweaked version!
Best Buffalo Wings Ever
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Sunday, January 29, 2012
Unique Snacks
I love finding new and intertesting snacks to munch on! Well, I came across 2 fun ones this week and I'm hooked on them already! One of them is store bought and one is an easy homemade treat! This first one I found at Trader Joe's market...I love that store!
These are so crunchy! Kind of like a cheese doodle but with a snap pea flavor! They're low in sodium and fat! They have lots of fiber! So, this is a much better choice than chips! Guilt free snacking...I love it!
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This next snack is not as healthy! I found this recipe through a fellow foodie named Caroline Ann Savage. She posted this recipe on Allrecipes.com and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to try it! Its salty, spicy hot and sweet, all in one crunchy bite! I couldn't stop eating these! They're called Firecrackers!
I made them using 'Andy Capp Hot Fries', you'll find them in the potato chip isle. I coated them in white chocolate! And then to make them even more spicy, I sprinkle them with cayenne pepper! Caroline's original recipe called for 'Flamin Hot Cheetos', but I couldn't find them, so I used the hot fries! Here's the link to the original recipe...Firecracker Recipe - click here
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Saturday, January 28, 2012
My First Published Recipe!
This recipe was my first recipe to ever be published onto a cooking website in 2008! I was so over joyed when Allrecipes.com picked my recipe for their site! This is a salad I've made many times for family gatherings! Its a garlic and seafood lovers dream!
Italian Shrimp and Scallop Salad INGREDIENTS; |
Friday, January 27, 2012
My Journey For The Best Beef Stew!
Today a food friend gave me a great review of my recipe! So that reminded me to post that recipe here for you! Thank you Laura O'Brien!
I've tried soooo many beef stew recipes! And they were all very good but were always missing something. So I decided to take the best parts of all the recipes I've tried and I came up with the 'Ultimate Beef Stew' ...
Ultimate Beef Stew INGREDIENTS; |
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Super Quick & Easy Candy
Chocolate Cherry Porcupines Ingredients; Dried Cherries - Benjamin Twiggs Dried Red Cherries Dark Chocolate-melted-Olive & Sinclair Shredded Coconut |
I made another candy using the ingredients from the Foodzie Tasting Box that I showed you in this post...'It Pays to Be Good'... This is really good! I love dried cherries and I love coconut...and who doesn't love chocolate! All I did was dip the dried cherries into melted dark chocolate and coated them in shredded coconut! Then I put them in the fridge to set! This is one of those candies that you just can't stop eating! I call them Chocolate Cherry Porcupines! My foodie friends gave me the idea for the name!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
It's a Party!
Party Poppers |
How to make these...
Monday, January 23, 2012
It Pays To Be Good...
...to your friends! Today I received a nice surprise in my mailbox! It was a Foodzie Tasting Box! I was given this gift through the Cooking Channel Cookie Swap Contest! I didn't enter that contest, but my food friend (Wendy Rusch) did! She asked her friends to vote for her 2 cookie entries, everyday, until the contest was over. I did just that! And about a week ago I received an email from the Cooking Channel that said my name was picked from the list of voters, and that I will be receiving my gift shortly! I never even considered this during all the times I was voting for her cookie recipes! I guess 'one good turn deserves another'! Here is my Foodzie Tasting Box. To see a larger view just click on the photo.
This box contains Saigon Cinnamon, Dried Cherries, Dark Chocolate Almond Brittle, Hazelnut Butter, Hard Red Winter Wheat Flour, 67% Dark Chocolate Bar and Recipe Cards for these ingredients! |
Thank you so much Cooking Channel and Foodzie!
I decided to try a recipe that came with my Foodzie package! The recipe caught my eye because it sounded very unique! It's called Sponge Candy. The reason it's called that is because it looks like a sponge, as you can see in my photo. But it is definitely not soft like a sponge! This candy is very crunchy, chewy and sticky!
This candy is not for people with delicate dental work! The flavor is like peanut brittle without the peanuts!
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tbls. distilled white vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbls. pure vanilla extract
1 tbls. baking soda
3 oz. dark chocolate - optional
Directions;
Remove from heat. Working quickly, add the baking soda and quickly blend to incorporate the soda into the sugar mixture, about 5 seconds. The mixture will bubble up when you add the baking soda. Be very careful not to touch the hot mixture.
Immediately pour the hot toffee into the prepared pan.
Let cool and set completely before touching.
Cut into pieces. It will makes a huge mess, but the messy little crumbs can be saved for your ice cream! You can stop here if you like or you can take it to the next level by melting the chocolate and drizzling it over the sponge candy pieces.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
A Slow Cooker Kind of Day!
Yes, its just another one of those days! Plus, I can use it to get more points in the Allstar program! This month the Allstar members were encouraged to try at least 3 slow cooker recipes from the Allrecipes.com site! We get one point for every recipe we make (up to 3 points)...these points go towards chances to win a prize at the end of each month.
So, today I'm planning on making a cassoulet...isn't that just a fancy way of saying casserole! The 'cassoulet' has chicken and kielbasa in it! Along with beans, onions and some other tasty ingredients! It sounded unique, so I thought I would try it because I just LOVE unique recipes! If its a winner, I'll post it here later...with pics!
I just realized that I blab...I mean blog, so much about the Allstar program, but I've never supplied ALL the info on the program! Here's the link to everything you may want to know about this fun program! If it sounds like something you might be interested in, then sign up! Its free and fun! Allstar Program Info - Click here
~~~Update~~~
The cassoulet tonight, needed a super tweak! I tasted it before I served it and it was very bland! So I decided to fix it by adding some liquid smoke, chicken broth, shredded cheddar cheese and cream cheese. This gave it some creamy texture and a perfect smokey, cheesy flavor! Here is my photo and the link to my version of the recipe!
Here's a little kitchen tip that I'd like to share! I've been doing this for many years and it's so helpful! I used to have such a problem with where to put my recipe while I'm cooking...no matter where I would put it, it would always be in the way! So I finally came up with a solution! I glued a magnet on the underside of one of my top kitchen cabinets. This is just a piece of a refrigerator magnet. You know the kind that local businesses give away as advertisement! I cut it into a strip and just glued it under the front edge of my upper cabinet.
Strip of magnet glued on underside of upper cabinet. |
Then I cut another same size strip to use as the holder for the recipe. So when I want to keep my recipe at easy sight, I just put it between the two magnets and its right there for me to see, without being in my way! The recipe stays off my counter top and out of my way, but not out of my sight!
This is how the recipe hangs from the cabinet. Its right next to my stove. |
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Snowed In! So LOTS of Cooking Today!
Well, we finally got our first snow storm of the year today! It's only about 5 inches so far, but it's enough to keep all of us home! YAY! I love it when my whole family is home! Today is the perfect day to try some of those tasty looking recipes I've been wanting to make! I already have the slow cooker going with a posole recipe! I also have an applesauce loaf in the oven! I'll be making a couple of loaves of crusty bread to go with the posole! And I want to make another Chef Boyardee concoction to enter in the that contest that I mentioned in my other post! If the recipes turn out REALLY good, I'll post them here later!
Well, we finally got our first snow storm of the year today! It's only about 5 inches so far, but it's enough to keep all of us home! YAY! I love it when my whole family is home! Today is the perfect day to try some of those tasty looking recipes I've been wanting to make! I already have the slow cooker going with a posole recipe! I also have an applesauce loaf in the oven! I'll be making a couple of loaves of crusty bread to go with the posole! And I want to make another Chef Boyardee concoction to enter in the that contest that I mentioned in my other post! If the recipes turn out REALLY good, I'll post them here later!
I wonder what my fellow foodies are cooking today!
~~~~ Update ~~~
~~~~ Update ~~~
The applesauce loaf is delicious! The aroma of apple/cinnamon spice filled my house while this was baking! I just enjoyed 2 slices with a cup of coffee! What I love about this recipe is that it is VERY low fat...only 2 tbls of butter and 1 egg! And its not overly sweet either! Here is my photo and recipe link to my tweaked version of this tasty snack!
http://allrecipes.com/customrecipe/63073538/applesauce-loaf/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/customrecipe/63073538/applesauce-loaf/detail.aspx
The posole recipe was a winner....such hearty, authentic, flavors! Perfect for this snowy day! Here's my photo and the link to my tweaked version of this tasty recipe!
And this is the bread I made to go with the posole... I always use this recipe because it tastes just like the bread I get from my favorite bakery! And its so easy to make with a few simple ingredients!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Did You Know...
...that hamburger buns are great for making stuffed French toast?
Well, I found this out when I had some burger buns that I wanted to use up! It was morning and I felt like having stuffed French toast, so I took the burger buns and made a stuffing with
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Allstar Program
Allrecipes Allstar Ambassador Program
I was invited to be an Allstar Brand Ambassador by Allrecipes.com, when the Allstar program first started in June 2011...And I gladly accepted!
As part of the program, Allstar members are often given food items from various manufactures. We are asked to use these food items in different recipes and to then give our honest review of that item, along with a photo of the finished recipe. On this page I will show the products and recipes I have made with these items. This is a fun program for me because I'm doing everything I love doing...trying new recipes, reviewing recipes and photographing recipes!
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Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
I was given this product and asked to make a Hidden Valley Ranch recipe from the Allrecipes.com site. I chose this recipe...
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/out-of-this-world-pasta-salad/detail.aspx
And it was very good! Of course I tweaked the recipe, as I usually do! This is my photo of the finished dish along with my review.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/out-of-this-world-pasta-salad/detail.aspx
And it was very good! Of course I tweaked the recipe, as I usually do! This is my photo of the finished dish along with my review.
This was very good! I made it as written except I used regular broccoli...I couldn't find the alien kind! And I used all wagon wheel, no spiral. I may add some green onion next time...just for more flavor! I did use the black olives, as suggested, and it went very well with this salad! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pillsbury Crescent Rolls This was an easy one for me because I've always liked this product! We were asked to make 2 recipes using this item. Here are my photos and reviews. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crescent-Pizza-Pockets/Detail.aspx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pulled-Chicken-Crescents/Detail.aspx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Barber Foods This was one of my favorite Allstar assignments so far! The Barber foods company sent us 9 coupons for free stuffed chicken breasts. My family loved this product! Here is the link to their website and below is my photo of their product! http://www.barberfoods.com/Our-Products.aspx I highly recommend their recipe! And the dipping sauce in that recipe is just PERFECT with the grilled sweet potatoes! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips We were given this product to use for a Cookies Across America campaign. The Allstars were to bake Nestle Toll House cookies for the holidays and give them away! I always make dozens of cookies for the holidays, so this was a pleasure! This is the photo of my cookies...
I made my chocolate chip cookies into biscotti shapes!
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Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Recipes I've Tried and Loved
Cucumber Fruit Salad
This is a recipe I found on http://allrecipes.com/ Its similar to a Waldorf Salad. I've made it many times and LOVE it! I love the contrast of the tart sour cream and the sweetness of the apples and cranraisins! I also love the freshness of the cucumbers with the parsley. All of these different flavors just dance on your tongue! This is a very impressive salad!
The photo is my own.
INGREDIENTS;
1 english cucumber - peeled into stripes and sliced as in photo
1 Macintosh apple - cored and cubed
1/2 cup cranraisins
1/2 cup sour cream - I used fat free
1 Tbls. sugar
1 Tbls. fresh parsley - minced
1/3 cup walnuts - chopped
DIRECTIONS;
In a bowl, combine the cucumber, apple and cranraisins.
In a separate small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar and parsley.
Pour over cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Stir in walnuts. Serve immediately.
If you want to make this salad ahead and store it in the fridge, just do not add the dressing until just before serving. And add a little lemon juice to the apples to keep them from browning. I mix the dressing and store it in a separate container. Then just add to the salad when needed.
Homemade Mozzarella in 30 Minutes
I found this recipe on a cooking site, posted by a cook named Malinda Coletta at http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/appetizer/cheese-appetizer/homemade-mozzarella-cheese-in-30-mins.html?p=1 I tried this and it was perfect! The supplies can be found at www.cheesemaking.com. They ship fast and the prices are great! When you make this cheese, taste it while its still warm...YUM!
My photo.
I found this recipe on a cooking site, posted by a cook named Malinda Coletta at http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/appetizer/cheese-appetizer/homemade-mozzarella-cheese-in-30-mins.html?p=1 I tried this and it was perfect! The supplies can be found at www.cheesemaking.com. They ship fast and the prices are great! When you make this cheese, taste it while its still warm...YUM!
My photo.
INGREDIENTS;
2 gal. very fresh milk
1/2 tsp. lipase powder - optional - I didn't use this and it was fine.
3 tsp. citric acid
1/2 tsp. liquid vegetable rennet
2 tsp. kosher salt or cheese salt
DIRECTIONS;
This is another recipe I made from Malinda Coletta. I made this ricotta from the leftover whey from the mozzarella recipe. The only thing I would do is to add salt to taste. This is very good and very easy to make. I added some italian seasoning and drizzled my ricotta with extra virgin olive oil. I served this as a cheese spread.
My photo.
INGREDIENTS;
Leftover whey from making mozzarella cheese
1 qt. whole milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup cider vinegar
kosher salt to taste
DIRECTIONS;
Add milk or cream to whey and heat to 200 F.
Once the mixture hits 200F turn off heat, add vinegar and stir. You will start to notice tiny white particles. This is curd. Add salt to taste.
Ladle the curd into a colander lined with cheesecloth or a light weight kitchen towel. Allow to drain. Once you can handle the cloth, tie it into a knot and hang over a bowl to drain for several hours.
If you will be using this as a cheese spread, season with whatever you desire...garlic, italian seasoning, olive oil, etc.
1/2 tsp. lipase powder - optional - I didn't use this and it was fine.
3 tsp. citric acid
1/2 tsp. liquid vegetable rennet
2 tsp. kosher salt or cheese salt
DIRECTIONS;
- We start by dissolving ½ teaspoon of Lipase powder in ½ cup of cool water; it needs to sit for about 20 minutes before adding to the milk.
- I pour two gallons of milk in to a CLEAN stock pot (stainless steel DO NOT USE an aluminum pot)and bring it up to 55F over a medium heat stirring constantly; this step goes quickly so be sure to have your thermometer in the milk most of the time. When the milk reaches 55F, add 3 teaspoons of Citric Acid and your Lipase.
- Heat the mixture to 90F over medium to low heat you will see the milk start to curdle. Off to the side I have waiting in a glass ½ teaspoon plus 2 drops of rennet mixed with ½ cup of water. When the milk hits 90F I add the rennet mixture. Gently stir in an up and down motion, while heating the milk to 105F. Turn off the heat. The curds should be pulling away from the pot and they are ready to be scooped out.
- Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon or a Chinese spider (that is what we use) put into a microwave safe bowl. Press the curds with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible.
- We then microwave the curds on high for 1 minute. Drain off the whey again. Gently fold the cheese over and over as if you are kneading bread. Again, microwave for 30 seconds on high drain off whey and add 2 teaspoons of salt.
- When the cheese is smooth and shiny we roll, it into medium size balls and place them in a bowl of water and ice to cool. Once cool we pat dry and wrap in plastic. This makes about 2 pounds of cheese. We also make ricotta cheese for the remaining whey…but that is another post!!
This is another recipe I made from Malinda Coletta. I made this ricotta from the leftover whey from the mozzarella recipe. The only thing I would do is to add salt to taste. This is very good and very easy to make. I added some italian seasoning and drizzled my ricotta with extra virgin olive oil. I served this as a cheese spread.
My photo.
INGREDIENTS;
Leftover whey from making mozzarella cheese
1 qt. whole milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup cider vinegar
kosher salt to taste
DIRECTIONS;
Add milk or cream to whey and heat to 200 F.
Once the mixture hits 200F turn off heat, add vinegar and stir. You will start to notice tiny white particles. This is curd. Add salt to taste.
Ladle the curd into a colander lined with cheesecloth or a light weight kitchen towel. Allow to drain. Once you can handle the cloth, tie it into a knot and hang over a bowl to drain for several hours.
If you will be using this as a cheese spread, season with whatever you desire...garlic, italian seasoning, olive oil, etc.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
One Pan Greek Skillet Supper
I found this recipe on the Internet and tried it...It was amazingly good! And easy too! I love one pan meals! Especially pasta ones! I love that the pasta is put in uncooked and it cooks with all the other ingredients...no separate pasta pot! This recipe was posted by a cook known as Nanacooks2...I'm posting it, but showing my version with my photo.
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