tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67381492443881764682024-03-04T22:05:22.215-08:00Tom's Food AdventureMy adventures with food.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-90966700455815458432013-04-02T16:26:00.000-07:002013-04-02T16:26:02.365-07:00Frozen Beef Pot Pie<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdmzLaIcSV_ZYKsAFru9vr3_3BqL3vTRwtubitkhVTOWfa-QelCL2HYAIIsv1qIrBmnF1kI3aA21dS9-XADpBVZ-dC6FP1N2nG-1JbedFirbHrGcbcCpLfZXlsR4ZA08BttE9Tqmw_aM/s1600/20121018_191948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdmzLaIcSV_ZYKsAFru9vr3_3BqL3vTRwtubitkhVTOWfa-QelCL2HYAIIsv1qIrBmnF1kI3aA21dS9-XADpBVZ-dC6FP1N2nG-1JbedFirbHrGcbcCpLfZXlsR4ZA08BttE9Tqmw_aM/s320/20121018_191948.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If using a disposable dish, be sure to bake on <br />
a cookie sheet to support the bottom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> In
an <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/01/beef-pot-pie.html">earlier post</a> I went over making a <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/01/beef-pot-pie.html">beef pot pie</a>. When I made that
one, I went ahead and made a second one into a disposable aluminum
dish. This was my first attempt at freezing a pot pie to have later.
The process was the same as mentioned in my earlier post. In this
particular one I also added potatoes. I had some leftover potatoes
from a pot roast the night before. I've done raw potatoes in a pie
before but they always seem to come out crunchy. I recommend using
cooked or half way cooked potatoes if you want to add them to your
pie. Then, after I sealed the edges and vented the crust, I covered
the whole thing with aluminum foil and put it into the freezer. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Then
to cook it, I put it into the oven and set it to 425 degrees F and
set the timer for thirty minutes. After the timer went off, I removed
the foil and baked for another thirty minutes. I'm not sure why I
thought doubling the bake time would be enough. It wasn't. It wasn't
even close. After that first hour, the pie was still frozen in the
center! Well, we let it bake for about another hour and forty-five
minutes with the foil on, and another fifteen with it off. The pie
was finally done. We gave it about ten minutes to cool before eating. </span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">So for a frozen pie I suggest placing it in the oven and set for 425 degrees Fahrenheit. </span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Bake for 2 hours 40 minutes covered with foil and another 20 to 30 minutes without the foil.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Other
than having to wait three times as long as I had originally hoped,
the pie was just as great as the fresh one. The filling had a good
flavor and smooth consistency. The crust was golden and flaky.
Overall, a very good pot pie. I had hoped that this could be one of
those meals I could keep in the freezer and just have for dinner when
not wanting to make something. However, a freezer pie like this will
need some prior thought and planning as it will take about three
hours to bake. That said, it will still be a convenient way to make
a pot pie. I could spend an hour or so on a day off and make a few to
freeze. Then later, it would only be a matter of minutes to get it
started. Kind of a set it and don't worry about it for a while. It
would allow my family to enjoy one on those days that I don't have
the time to devote to the whole process. I can see this as a positive
thing for my family, as we do really enjoy them, because we could
have them more often. Still we will have to decide on what to have
for dinner at least three hours before we will want to eat.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-73442102511454616932013-02-22T02:04:00.002-08:002013-02-22T02:18:53.295-08:00Chicken Pot Pie<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0cRQ9VAsGU1-XcWXw9_SpR9qwbYjMKjsB2f7K1NeFJD8a5mzONE2JszHxCQLFze5gMnxAJ6lG96YlmyCyKF1jKja93msDoBvvIkUskle1FnQ2YZMTWzsSTjEWuWIceCpCuhThNxOIQw/s1600/20130109_173943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0cRQ9VAsGU1-XcWXw9_SpR9qwbYjMKjsB2f7K1NeFJD8a5mzONE2JszHxCQLFze5gMnxAJ6lG96YlmyCyKF1jKja93msDoBvvIkUskle1FnQ2YZMTWzsSTjEWuWIceCpCuhThNxOIQw/s320/20130109_173943.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A while back I did a post on a <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/01/beef-pot-pie.html">Beef Pot Pie</a> that I had made. Well, pot pies are somewhat of a<br />
regular occurrence for dinner at my house so here is a follow up post about a Chicken Pot Pie.<br />
Much like the <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/01/beef-pot-pie.html">beef pie</a>, a chicken pie consists mainly of meat gravy and pastry. I am also partial<br />
to having vegetables mixed in as well and this is no exception. This one featured peas and carrots, which I find go really nicely in this recipe. I hope your family enjoys it as much as my family does.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
prep time for pastry and pie: 30 - 40 minutes<br />
<br />
cook time: 35 minutes with an additional 10 - 15 to set<br />
<br />
<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 & 1/2 batches of your favorite pastry recipe</li>
<li>3 chicken breasts</li>
<li>1 medium onion</li>
<li>1 tablespoon minced garlic</li>
<li>4 tablespoons butter - I've used olive oil with great results too</li>
<li>1/2 cup flour</li>
<li>2 cans of chicken broth (about 3 & 1/2 cups)</li>
<li>1/2 cup powdered parmesan cheese</li>
<li>salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>1 (12 to 16 ounce) bag of frozen vegetables</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
bake for about 35 minutes at 425 F and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM71Rq7_SW03m7KHtd9N8jos5MVwdy93r87KOdY9N8vlzJAB8upURSJVto_IIFH12DFSNjkesEYOBiBvtXvZKjTmUDlFBZefLZtg5nDrghI6IjKc9hU3_kAk7lVuVLAqF1w2gU6yYwypU/s1600/20130109_173255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM71Rq7_SW03m7KHtd9N8jos5MVwdy93r87KOdY9N8vlzJAB8upURSJVto_IIFH12DFSNjkesEYOBiBvtXvZKjTmUDlFBZefLZtg5nDrghI6IjKc9hU3_kAk7lVuVLAqF1w2gU6yYwypU/s320/20130109_173255.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The first thing that I start on is the pastry. M<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">ake 1 and 1/2 batches of your favorite two crust pastry recipe. I do 150% of my recipe because this will make a pretty deep pie and I like to have a thicker crust. You may find that your recipe is enough as it is. I divide the pastry dough into two parts (one slightly larger than the other), wrap in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator until I've got the filling made.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> For the filling, I start after I get the pastry in the fridge to cool a little. Start by cutting the chicken</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and onion. I find it easiest to cut chicken while it is still a little frozen. Then after the onion and chicken is cut, I brown them. If needed, and this will depend on how lean your meat is, I add some extra virgin olive oil. About half way before the chicken is done cooking, add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. As soon as the chicken and onions are done, I transfer everything into a </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">suitable</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> bowl to wait </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">until</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> the gravy is started.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> To start the gravy heat the butter in the saucepan. I like butter for the chicken pot pie because I think it compliments the other flavors really well. I have used extra virgin olive oil as well and that does a great job as well. After the butter has melted and is hot, add the flour and mix with a </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">whisk</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to get all the lumps out. Heat the mixture for at least a minute, stirring often. Then add the broth or stock and parmesan cheese. Then mix with the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">whisk</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to get all the lumps out. Heat to a boil, then add the chicken and onion mixture that you saved. Again, heat to boiling. Add water </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">until</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> you get the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">consistency</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> just a little bit thinner than you want the filling to be. Heat to boiling then turn the burner down as far as it will go. About half way through this process I preheat my oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> At this point I roll out the pastry and line an appropriate pie plate. A 9 inch deep dish pie plate will work great. I happen to use my 9" x 9" square stoneware pan. It's a little more difficult to line the pastry into the pan but it works. As soon as you have the pie plate lined, mix the veggies into the filling and then transfer into the pastry. Now roll out and cover the pie, making sure to seal the edges well. Cut some slits into the top to vent and into the oven it goes. Place it on the middle rack and bake for about 35 minutes. Let sit for about 10 to 15 Minutes. You might not need to let it sit for a long as me because my stoneware pan keeps the heat really well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Using myfitnesspal.com as a reference, again, I estimate each 1/6th pie serving has:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">835 calories</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">67 carbs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">44 fat</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">41 protein</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I usually use a big spoon to serve it with. I'm not really as concerned with cutting nice slices as I am getting a good mix of crust and filling, and my family has never seemed to be bothered by it. My kids love it and eat it right up. If I am fortunate enough to have leftovers they are great reheated up the next day for lunch. Enjoy ....</span></div>
</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-78400808664080849182013-02-01T23:20:00.000-08:002013-02-01T17:33:11.038-08:00Ginger Beer Marinade <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
other day I had my extended family over for a barbecue and decided to
grill some ribs I like the country style ribs as they have a lot
of meat on them and I had some that I had previously bought on sale.
I love to marinate and for all the obvious reasons. It adds moisture,
flavor and helps tenderize the meat. They are also easy to make and
use. I have also used <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/12/turkey-brine-and-aromatic.html" target="_blank">ginger beer in a brine.</a> Be sure to check out <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/12/turkey-brine-and-aromatic.html" target="_blank">that post</a> as well. A marinade is pretty much some type of liquid acid with
seasonings that you soak the meat in prior to cooking. The acid is
often vinegar, wine or lemon juice. So I whipped up a couple of
batches of marinade for the ribs The first one was my go to
marinade for barbecue.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1/2
cup vinegar</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1/4
cup lemon juice</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1/2
to 1 cup barbecue sauce</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
teaspoonful liquid smoke - I consider this a must if not using wood
or charcoal to cook with</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
teaspoon black pepper</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfDFGapOXk2MRKR4d7L1oyyfR0HKH2tL_fkfbjim-UKvmXc7NU9mtudKiD1oWFO5Uii_T1rnzc95b8WhnXEJXXBh61fUHC6TdOIh-dvbhjYQHYt7kSDj6jzO7N23NNX8q0gFWzPc-lQk/s1600/20121013_155055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfDFGapOXk2MRKR4d7L1oyyfR0HKH2tL_fkfbjim-UKvmXc7NU9mtudKiD1oWFO5Uii_T1rnzc95b8WhnXEJXXBh61fUHC6TdOIh-dvbhjYQHYt7kSDj6jzO7N23NNX8q0gFWzPc-lQk/s320/20121013_155055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I
usually put all this into a gallon </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">zip-top</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> bag and mix by squeezing
from the outside and then put about two to three pounds of meat, or
just whatever fits. Squeeze out all the air you can and zip the top
shut. You can use pretty much any container that seals water tight.
This then goes into the refrigerator for about two hours. I've done
longer and that has worked great as well, but two hours seems to be
sufficient most of the time. A marinade works from the outside in so
flip the bag over about every fifteen to twenty minutes to make sure
that all sides get to have as much contact with the marinade as
possible. When you are ready grill the meat as you usually would. You
can also reserve some of the marinade to baste with wile the meat is
cooking. If you do that, make sure that you give it plenty of time
for the marinade to fully cook. After all, raw meat was in that juice
and you don't want to contaminate your food. I then grilled the ribs
and brushed on more barbecue sauce about five minutes before I took
them off the grill.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ6N5PFTTn0Gpv4mc-ufic_3a3XEnheOuOWto5qe7O2tYgxt6gxLL3Gh9xVpE3bg8yU_nfdf_EevniQINdXL-vfQdWnmjH0uuAuzz2-aLjWTRlAP_vzHyw7qBIUpnW5J5HgWXJqN1zUg/s1600/20121017_113729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ6N5PFTTn0Gpv4mc-ufic_3a3XEnheOuOWto5qe7O2tYgxt6gxLL3Gh9xVpE3bg8yU_nfdf_EevniQINdXL-vfQdWnmjH0uuAuzz2-aLjWTRlAP_vzHyw7qBIUpnW5J5HgWXJqN1zUg/s320/20121017_113729.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> So that's my usual method for grilling barbecue. In addition to the batch
of marinated ribs I just mentioned I did a second batch and tried a
new marinade. This one with Ginger Beer as part of the liquid. I was
first introduced to ginger beer a while ago. It is a popular soda
flavor in many parts of the world, just not in the United States. I
find ginger beer to be much stronger than ginger ale, at least when
it comes to the ginger. As soda is acidic it can potentially make a
good marinade. I used a bottle of Reed's Ginger Beer. The Extra
Ginger Brew kind. I picked it up a while back at a Fry's (Kroger)
grocery store. I've also seen ginger beer at world markets and the
soft drink section at Bev Mo. I enjoy ginger beer but this Extra
Ginger Brew was too strong even for my taste, so I never got around
to drinking this bottle. On to the marinade.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
bottle of ginger beer - I think any brand will do</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">a
splash of lemon juice</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1/4
cup barbecue sauce</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
teaspoonful liquid smoke - I consider this a must if not using wood
or charcoal to cook with</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
teaspoon black pepper</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I
just followed the steps mentioned above and it turned out great. I
wasn't able to ever get all the air out of my </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">zip-top</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> bag as the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">carbonation</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> in the ginger beer was constantly releasing gaseous
carbon dioxide. I did my best though, and it did turn out great.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUw2k0hyb4Kk7tWExZ8zcel98CEsttPmJ1e5GRgH7GKgevfUYozREhyphenhyphen8HFayHCiqV1zzW5inKeuJUWcqp8eexn6s7e5yec6zDNtfCSz3XX526pu0KKX1ZmojKGeCePkaq4ZAlsKDyxao/s1600/20121013_190227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUw2k0hyb4Kk7tWExZ8zcel98CEsttPmJ1e5GRgH7GKgevfUYozREhyphenhyphen8HFayHCiqV1zzW5inKeuJUWcqp8eexn6s7e5yec6zDNtfCSz3XX526pu0KKX1ZmojKGeCePkaq4ZAlsKDyxao/s320/20121013_190227.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I tried one without adding barbecue sauce on at the end, kind of like a control. It was juicy and had a nice flavor. So I think that this marinade is a good one even without the barbecue sauce. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
ribs from this batch </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">turned</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> out great. They were more tender and the
ginger flavor was a good addition to the barbecue flavor from the
sauce. Both batches were great ribs, with the smokey flavor from the
liquid smoke and the barbecue flavor from the sauce both working
together to turn out an amazing flavor. The ginger beer marinade was
a great enhancement to an already great flavor combination. I hope
you enjoy it as much as I did.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-83765429028449517102013-01-29T01:50:00.001-08:002013-01-29T01:50:16.077-08:00Chewy Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1lh9aWhizVDW3pNhkB9A_zOQ_cRpdRVgavZWLz5SQVtBFzq10E0IF5PkDNqtyv9471fzaawhTMNCnkhJqHSkgEpeA2GPz1E4pkzLfEaRzklvwTYdog0Bq85mSe65Xa382kiRt3YHUlg/s1600/20130128_180657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1lh9aWhizVDW3pNhkB9A_zOQ_cRpdRVgavZWLz5SQVtBFzq10E0IF5PkDNqtyv9471fzaawhTMNCnkhJqHSkgEpeA2GPz1E4pkzLfEaRzklvwTYdog0Bq85mSe65Xa382kiRt3YHUlg/s320/20130128_180657.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
How's that for some alliteration? Well in addition to employing a classic literary device, the title is also descriptive for my next recipe. This recipe started as a way to do something nice for a friend having a rough day. You know the kind. Those days you just need some chocolate. Having some chocoholics in the family probably had something to do with it too. So, here I was trying to think of a recipe to do with what I had on hand, and this is what I came up with. It is a great chocolate cookie with a chewy texture. I hope you like it.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1 stick of softened butter (8 tablespoonfuls)</li>
<li>3/4 cup sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>2 teaspoonfuls vanilla</li>
<li>1 dark chocolate bar (6.8 ounce)</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>2 & 1/4 cup flour</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoonful salt</li>
<li>1 teaspoonful baking soda</li>
<li>2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cream butter and white sugar. While you have that going, melt the chocolate bar. I broke it up and microwaved it in a microwave safe bowl. I microwaved it in one minute increments on 30% power and stirred it three times. We don't need the chocolate to get rally hot, we only need the chocolate to melt. After the white sugar and butter gets creamed add the brown sugar and vanilla. Next beat in the eggs. After that slowly add the melted chocolate and mix well. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in parts. Finally, mix in the chips. Spoon onto un-greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJjSQwf5X9fFi3EXEqUoeXiv3W4y_OJL2E6R0-HSEJHCWw9uVvb6owFIWmYO2ADCXrceYEIfOFhH-RECrwIk5-oa58jV-2QegBcqYBNYmK2Xh9VgSE7zqm0YMmdHlsm3ZhfBKdvYOwAM/s1600/DSCF2294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJjSQwf5X9fFi3EXEqUoeXiv3W4y_OJL2E6R0-HSEJHCWw9uVvb6owFIWmYO2ADCXrceYEIfOFhH-RECrwIk5-oa58jV-2QegBcqYBNYmK2Xh9VgSE7zqm0YMmdHlsm3ZhfBKdvYOwAM/s320/DSCF2294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
yield: about 4 dozen cookies</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
per cookie (approximately)</div>
<div>
calories: 109</div>
<div>
carbs: 17</div>
<div>
fat: 5</div>
<div>
protein: 1</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think that this recipe could also be great with a few variations. Add some chopped nuts. Try white chocolate or peanut butter chips. Have some fun with it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-34787537012416005502013-01-21T08:56:00.002-08:002013-01-23T01:46:03.616-08:00Potato Soup, Slow Cooker Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCIWAeM23dU0Gr_MvBEh-CEV4V-1cNLZW2vI_vQh5T57S1b-ZmEQUesli5r07XembPtE-UrtANRgWzM6KP5YjVnuh5uFEntol0SwJdTA4Z6N-VZGAFhUbUnLEG_Q0LnGAOhRnR8s4WWU/s1600/20130120_141610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCIWAeM23dU0Gr_MvBEh-CEV4V-1cNLZW2vI_vQh5T57S1b-ZmEQUesli5r07XembPtE-UrtANRgWzM6KP5YjVnuh5uFEntol0SwJdTA4Z6N-VZGAFhUbUnLEG_Q0LnGAOhRnR8s4WWU/s320/20130120_141610.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Slow cooker recipes are always a welcome addition to my recipe collection. They are usually pretty easy and don't take a lot of skill to make. They also don't require you to heat up your oven and use less energy to do the cooking than your oven. Those are all good reasons to like using a slow cooker. However, a soup like this, with a lot of dairy, takes a little extra care to do in a slow cooker without burning the milk. Still, it is pretty easy to do and turns out great.<br />
My potato soup recipe is fairly basic and can be modified really easily. The cheese and milk give it a nice creamy flavor that can work well as a base for other ingredients than just potatoes. The leftovers were really great as well. I used milk powder for several of reasons. The first, is that I didn't want the milk to scorch while the potatoes were cooking. The second is that using the milk powder allows for me to have the liquid made almost entirely of milk without risking burning the milk. Also, it is a lot easier for me to commit three quarts worth of powdered milk to a recipe like this because it is stored at room temperature, rather than committing three quarters of a gallon of fresh milk from my refrigerator. While drinking powdered milk does not taste much like drinking fresh milk, I can't tell the difference when using it to cook with. So here it goes.<br />
<br />
This recipe is for a 7 quart slow cooker.<br />
Prep time: about 20 plus 10 minutes<br />
Cook time: about 3 to 4 hours plus 30 minutes<br />
Yield: 14 - 2 cup servings<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>5 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced</li>
<li>1 medium to large yellow or white onion, chopped</li>
<li>1 heaping tablespoonful of minced garlic</li>
<li>2 cubes chicken bouillon crushed and/ or dissolved</li>
<li>salt to taste ( I used about 2 tablespoonfuls )</li>
<li>pepper to taste ( I used about 2 tablespoonfuls )</li>
<li>about 2 quarts water</li>
<li>2 - 8 ounce packets of neufchatel cheese (cream cheese will work just fine)</li>
<li>2 & 1/4 cups non-fat milk powder (enough to make 3 quarts of milk)</li>
<li>1/2 cup corn starch</li>
<li>about 1 & 1/2 quarts water</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Instructions:</div>
<div>
Peel and dice the potatoes and place them in a seven quart slow cooker with about two quarts of water. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Salt and pepper to taste and add the chicken bouillon. At this point you may need to add more water. You want to just cover the potatoes and onion with liquid. Cook for 3 to 4 hours on high. The potatoes should be done. </div>
<div>
Add the cheese and cover with the potato mixture so that it starts to soften and melt while you mix the milk and starch. In a 1 to 1 & 1/2 quarts of water mix enough non-fat milk powder to make 3 quarts of milk. I recommend using a gallon container and a hand mixer for this part. After you have gotten all the lumps out of the milk powder you can mix in the corn starch. You may need to adjust the amount of corn starch depending on how thick you want the soup. Add the milk and suspended corn starch to your slow cooker and stir well. Make sure that the cheese gets well mixed into your soup. Add more water to fill your slow cooker and make sure that everything is mixed well. Replace the lid and cook on high for another 30 minutes. Enjoy</div>
<div>
From the <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/">myfitnesspal.com</a> web site I estimate that each 2 cup serving is about </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>320 calories</li>
<li>51 g carbohydrates</li>
<li>7 g fat</li>
<li>12 g protein </li>
</ul>
<div>
I think several alterations will be great for this recipe. Add a bag of frozen corn to the soup when you add the milk. Add some chicken or bacon in with the potatoes at the start. Some green onion or leeks would also taste great in this. Any or all of those suggestions as well as many others can really enhance this recipe. Go ahead and experiment.</div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-22644000558508142092013-01-09T14:09:00.000-08:002013-01-09T14:09:13.504-08:00Beef Pot Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dEgWNr0W8Rp0nkZP7nPjpCyIZY3p9wnDXaZ_HphgRoImug61adNZfTWE1TaapnIpXHj5YZxv4XhlEsQr2sZ2l0EYxW9nzDJT-IDncm__DOMh7xLq7kIZtrbUNB_6Gqd_3nQSmgz8Edo/s1600/20121008_172823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dEgWNr0W8Rp0nkZP7nPjpCyIZY3p9wnDXaZ_HphgRoImug61adNZfTWE1TaapnIpXHj5YZxv4XhlEsQr2sZ2l0EYxW9nzDJT-IDncm__DOMh7xLq7kIZtrbUNB_6Gqd_3nQSmgz8Edo/s320/20121008_172823.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't seal the edges the best and the <br />
gravy leaked out the sides a bit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I
love pot pies. My family loves them too. That's why anytime I have
some extra time to make a meal, a pot pie is usually at the top of
the list. To be perfectly honest I love pies in general. A pie that I
can have for dinner that doesn't call in some guilt for having sweets
as a meal, what's not to love? Well recently my wonderful wife was
trying to decide on something yummy to do with some frozen stew beef
that we had. Almost immediately my mouth started watering for a beef
pot pie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I've
long since abandoned the recipes that got me through the first few
pies like this that I made. For me it's one of those things that I've
practiced enough that I just feel my way through and change things up
every time to gauge the results. This time was no different. Not only
do I kind of wing it when I make a pot pie, I prefer to use my own
broth or stock. I collect and strain the dripping off of any roasting
that I do, provided of course that I didn't use it for gravy. I
freeze it in zip-top bags in about two cup amounts. This helps to
assure that I have some on hand when I need some. Also, I make my own
pastry. I think I'll go more into my favorite Pastry recipe in a
future post. Now on to what I did.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Prep
time for pastry and pie : 30 - 45 minutes</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
and 1/2 batches of your favorite two crust pie crust recipe</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">at
least 1 pound of beef, chopped into chunks- I used stew beef. I've
used roast, steak and stew meat, all with great result</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
medium onion chopped</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
teaspoon minced garlic</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
teaspoon liquid smoke </span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">pepper
and seasoned salt</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">about
3 tablespoons of oil - I used extra virgin olive oil with a little vegetable oil. I've also used butter or shortening with great
results.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1/2
cup flour</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">about
2 cups beef broth or stock</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
to 2 teaspoonfuls seasoned salt depending on how salty your broth or
stock is</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
to 2 cups water</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
package frozen mixed vegetables - I use the one that has green beans,
carrots and corn, use whatever you like</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJDAlrMwQ9oSNUD5mJ2rPEDpkXqZmJkzFLV7ic18n6D8ZXkUUrHbVECjPG5uzWFG2myFdXa7IuA97n527mhRnlFwjRcraed7-NJCgCvm9I_vt79HbBy6nLEQqvamDe5aPxXO1zu0fmg4/s1600/20121008_161946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJDAlrMwQ9oSNUD5mJ2rPEDpkXqZmJkzFLV7ic18n6D8ZXkUUrHbVECjPG5uzWFG2myFdXa7IuA97n527mhRnlFwjRcraed7-NJCgCvm9I_vt79HbBy6nLEQqvamDe5aPxXO1zu0fmg4/s320/20121008_161946.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I find it easier to roll the pastry between<br />
two pieces of waxed paper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Bake for about 35 minutes at 425 F.<br />
Let sit for about 10 minutes.<br />
<br /></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> First
make 1 and 1/2 batches of your favorite two crust pastry recipe. I
do 150% of my recipe because this will make a pretty deep pie and I
like to have a thicker crust. You may find that your recipe is enough as it is. I divide the pastry dough into two
parts (one slightly larger than the other), wrap in plastic wrap and
put into the refrigerator until I've got the filling made.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJ2XFy1Ow3pU827_Ul3Ay4jA_ZpGcow-nxGm9s5VZxsCDzElrCLECioPYiCWg1n9rUhmcWoNJvcV2leR0ZibvCEUYR0unUrVz3i5pK6JkVcxPI0_lVcIVqyD56R0L7hSBNmGGEhd3UGg/s1600/20121008_163800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJ2XFy1Ow3pU827_Ul3Ay4jA_ZpGcow-nxGm9s5VZxsCDzElrCLECioPYiCWg1n9rUhmcWoNJvcV2leR0ZibvCEUYR0unUrVz3i5pK6JkVcxPI0_lVcIVqyD56R0L7hSBNmGGEhd3UGg/s320/20121008_163800.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is going to be tasty. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> For
the filling, I start after I get the pastry in the fridge to cool a
little. Start by </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">browning</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> the beef and onion. If needed, and this will
depend on how lean your meat is, I add some extra virgin olive oil.
Add the liquid smoke. About half way before the beef is all the way
browned, add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. As soon as the
beef is browned I transfer everything into a </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">suitable</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> bowl to wait </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">until</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> the gravy is started.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> To
start the gravy heat the oil in the saucepan. After the oil is hot
add the flour and mix with a </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">whisk</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to get all the lumps out. Heat the
mixture for at least a minute, stirring often. Then add the broth or
stock and mix with the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">whisk</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to get all the lumps out. Heat to a boil,
then add the Beef mixture that you saved. Again, heat to boiling. Add
water </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">until</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> you get the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">consistency</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> just a little bit thinner than
you want the filling to be. Heat to boiling then turn the burner down
as far as it will go. About half way through this process I preheat
my oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB83jzRlMpBoImOkJLOTolQY2_KQOx0KrLMFrfNUQDCaEMtGX52vCxIidBww_2jMLmLMl2QSXr_uy6ZhY1pfINJfEsb4mbX13g91TzlQqlt9NszySyp-5D2Cf5TZG_HxO3lxjq061CI2Q/s1600/20121008_164308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB83jzRlMpBoImOkJLOTolQY2_KQOx0KrLMFrfNUQDCaEMtGX52vCxIidBww_2jMLmLMl2QSXr_uy6ZhY1pfINJfEsb4mbX13g91TzlQqlt9NszySyp-5D2Cf5TZG_HxO3lxjq061CI2Q/s320/20121008_164308.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know it's not pretty, I only flute the edges <br />
when I'm taking the pie out somewhere<br />
people will see. It tastes the same anyway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> At
this point I roll out the pastry and line an appropriate pie plate. A
9 inch deep dish pie plate will work great. I happen to use my 9"
x 9" square stoneware pan. It's a little more difficult to line
the pastry into the pan but it works. As soon as you have the pie
plate lined, mix the veggies into the filling and then transfer into
the pastry. Now roll out and cover the pie, making sure to seal the
edges well. Cut some slits into the top to vent and into the oven it
goes. Place it on the middle rack and bake for about 35 minutes. Let
sit for about 10 Minutes. You might not need to let it sit for a long
as me because my stoneware pan keeps the heat really well.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I
usually use a spoon to serve it with. I'm not really as concerned
with cutting nice slices as I am getting a good mix of crust and
filling, and my family has never seemed to be bothered by it. My kids love it and
eat it right up. If I am fortunate enough to have leftovers they are
great reheated up the next day for lunch. Enjoy ....</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-48914097667279542442013-01-03T02:06:00.000-08:002013-01-09T13:58:07.553-08:00Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QJIegktQd2P0UFnUxBcgUU1-n8dn_hc88Hwaur-ebdn9sxqxlh-SIi68y49yZLSPngjZhvRz-8x9F3H8Uoa08oklCZsyP7-p3-o2403Wui1CaypLpRsL10oibB9JXI4-cJi7nWCOkCs/s1600/20120929_184622-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QJIegktQd2P0UFnUxBcgUU1-n8dn_hc88Hwaur-ebdn9sxqxlh-SIi68y49yZLSPngjZhvRz-8x9F3H8Uoa08oklCZsyP7-p3-o2403Wui1CaypLpRsL10oibB9JXI4-cJi7nWCOkCs/s320/20120929_184622-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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I tried a recipe my wife had pinned on <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>. I may personally not be that big on <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> but, as I'm sure many wives are, my wife is addicted. So in addition to all the diy flower appliques on baby shoes, she pins a lot of interesting recipes.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABAuDaL5_i2VCCwJbnBn3Zpt7N568biZxObXGy4SI3eM4cNN6HafaYu-4ySDiSmF6pBOpZG3BZuYhuB9dBmNPXCBO06iEXVortuWWMdMqvcw3Tdp-PXhE4h41YaPuodD7AwBkWwU9QOs/s1600/20120929_173559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABAuDaL5_i2VCCwJbnBn3Zpt7N568biZxObXGy4SI3eM4cNN6HafaYu-4ySDiSmF6pBOpZG3BZuYhuB9dBmNPXCBO06iEXVortuWWMdMqvcw3Tdp-PXhE4h41YaPuodD7AwBkWwU9QOs/s320/20120929_173559.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chicken and buffalo sauce ready for the potato mixture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This makes it easy for me when I want to try something new but haven't found anything just yet. I just look through her food board. This particular recipe looked like it would be a good one to try, for a couple of reasons. It looked like it would use a few potatoes and my wife has been worried about using the ones we have before they start growing more potatoes. Also, and most importantly, as I read the description I thought it sounded really good. It turned out that it was.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8o9wjEvcrOrdCsP_L6rT-og2KMCVxCLceNextxKw01kvzSgVUN3IlNFvMB6NbmxTGdlOo2aZfxz_Aw-D-RepVeHJIiFSjKE_YkJynAp7pMG8rJCt9hew3HE0DQ83oyLQxTkC1j4qAXw/s1600/20120929_174140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8o9wjEvcrOrdCsP_L6rT-og2KMCVxCLceNextxKw01kvzSgVUN3IlNFvMB6NbmxTGdlOo2aZfxz_Aw-D-RepVeHJIiFSjKE_YkJynAp7pMG8rJCt9hew3HE0DQ83oyLQxTkC1j4qAXw/s320/20120929_174140.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">potato mixture on top</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This recipe can be found on the Holy Cannoli Recipes blog.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://holycannolirecipes.blogspot.com/2011/05/buffalo-chicken-potato-casserole.html">http://holycannolirecipes.blogspot.com/2011/05/buffalo-chicken-potato-casserole.html</a><br />
<br />
As she already covered it in detail, I'll just give you the cliff notes. Basically, you mix just over a pound worth of cut up boneless, skinless chicken with some buffalo sauce and layer in in the bottom of a non-stick sprayed 13" x 9" pan. Next mix about 5 cups of shredded potato with about a cup of ranch dressing, a can of condensed cream of chicken soup and some shredded cheese. That gets layered on top of the chicken followed by some bread crumbs. Put foil across the top and bake for about 30 minutes at 350f. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes. At this point I found that the potatoes weren't done yet, so I baked it for about another 20 minutes.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnicCqT9ITvojKhyphenhyphenP-WVNb3lQvcoLTk_1x5sPzVHPRN36M-CA0XFO1AoUjaH9MEUrRF7ZsWjkrLPO8M-KfS9OJA1qwUTnKW60q9iS0oh79qle022Pkbk0esPdc8CIJVbrnF1Yf3OefOM/s1600/20120929_184633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnicCqT9ITvojKhyphenhyphenP-WVNb3lQvcoLTk_1x5sPzVHPRN36M-CA0XFO1AoUjaH9MEUrRF7ZsWjkrLPO8M-KfS9OJA1qwUTnKW60q9iS0oh79qle022Pkbk0esPdc8CIJVbrnF1Yf3OefOM/s320/20120929_184633.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finished dish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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According to the writer of Holy Cannoli, this recipe is meant to be done with cream of celery instead of cream of chicken, blue cheese instead of ranch and frozen hash browns instead of shredded potatoes. So it seems that this recipe can be tweaked fairly easily to accommodate personal taste. As my wife doesn't like celery or blue cheese, I don't think I'll get to experiment much with this one.<br />
So the finished dish is a nice buffalo flavored chicken with crispy topped creamy ranch potatoes on top. Now if you like buffalo chicken dipped in ranch, you will enjoy how all of this comes together. My wife and I both really liked how everything played together. I will be looking more into what Holy Cannoli has to offer. If the other recipes are this good, I'm in for a treat. At any rate, this one was great and I will be making it again in the future. Thanks to Holy Cannoli Recipes for letting me share this one.<br />
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<a href="http://holycannolirecipes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRfmbcmGNSjiV4Xidb183ZosntppwxRqluDQC0zxiDshvy2N4_UO5Q9bwY3FVcqOU0ehsl20wxH4rXTUqJ1E3RwDyfsxo-j8VQFn_XjAoHvllS0GTMtG04V2ed32m1f3ZWhIdB56HQcg/s320/HCR_51.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-78740946552911396482012-12-31T00:53:00.000-08:002012-12-31T00:55:45.815-08:00Soft Brown Sugar Cookies<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
This was another great find by my wife on <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/119345458844862528/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/104568590531118779894" target="_blank">+Susie Buetow</a> </span></span>posted this on her <a href="http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Susie QT pies Scraps of Life</a> blog and said I could share on my blog. You'll want to give these a try.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4FZvmUNprSREmaahRSTzcA6jjett0TwC7wm8RkA6uS3eWJUJOgJyah7jFyLnwtoCTMMz6wFeh03vqgexoxYGpW5O5j3_7OwyoMoEzuavuCEkXS7k5itpx8Sk4gibvLHcLm-PlFUTcIw/s1600/20121229_034545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4FZvmUNprSREmaahRSTzcA6jjett0TwC7wm8RkA6uS3eWJUJOgJyah7jFyLnwtoCTMMz6wFeh03vqgexoxYGpW5O5j3_7OwyoMoEzuavuCEkXS7k5itpx8Sk4gibvLHcLm-PlFUTcIw/s320/20121229_034545.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added the frosting while it was still warm and runny to give <br />
it that smooth coating.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
This recipe was a
hit. I brought some to a family get together and received a lot of
positive comments about these. I think for me the best part was the
flavor. The sour cream and the brown sugar make for a really nice
sweet flavor. I've always preferred the taste of brown sugar over
white. I do like the flavor of molasses so brown sugar is a welcome
change from standard white granulated sugar. The taste is smooth with
a hint of creaminess from the sour cream and a hint of molasses from
the brown sugar. Great combination in my opinion. Also, and I think
this has a lot to do with the sour cream, these are extremely soft. I
think I would have preferred them a little stiffer and more chewy,
but that is my opinion and preference. If you are a fan of super
soft cookies, then these are the best sugar cookies in that category that I
am aware of. Without further delay, here is the recipe.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
Ingredients:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>2/3 cup softened butter</li>
<li>1 & 1/2 cup packed brown sugar</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoonful vanilla extract</li>
<li>2 & 1/2 cup flour</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoonful baking powder</li>
<li>1 teaspoonful baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoonful salt</li>
<li>1 cup sour cream</li>
</ul>
<div>
Instructions:</div>
<div>
Cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time and add the vanilla. Continue creaming the mixture until light. In another bowl mix together with a whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and the salt. Slowly add flour mixture and sour cream to creamed mixture by alternating portions. Mix well. </div>
<div>
Drop by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. After cookies are cool, frost with Browned Butter Frosting. </div>
<div>
Makes 2 - 4 dozen depending on spoonful sizes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Browned Butter Frosting</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1/4 cup butter</li>
<li>1 & 1/2 cup powdered sugar</li>
<li>2 tablespoonfuls milk</li>
</ul>
<div>
Melt butter over medium heat in a suitable saucepan. Heat the butter until it turns golden brown. Keep an eye on the butter as it will go from melted to brown very quickly. You don't want to miss it and over cook the butter. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar. Add milk until the desired consistency is met.</div>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWjcnD3NXRZjGgL0EyI-URAesN_U6zacRUjWQFK8l60GR7nPER-w6ASWcgJvZ9d77F0wNeZPoKvMcj3CoJMXieYsrGt8-LNFDqm6DxFBZEE4mjfLuvjSWNwtf22FffXhZyg4ou_6L8Q0/s1600/20121229_034415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWjcnD3NXRZjGgL0EyI-URAesN_U6zacRUjWQFK8l60GR7nPER-w6ASWcgJvZ9d77F0wNeZPoKvMcj3CoJMXieYsrGt8-LNFDqm6DxFBZEE4mjfLuvjSWNwtf22FffXhZyg4ou_6L8Q0/s320/20121229_034415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
One thing I noticed
when taking them off the sheet, was that my vinyl spatula was tearing
the cookies up on the bottom. I switched to a metal spatula that was
much thinner and I was able to get the cookies from the sheet to the
cooling rack much easier. I personally prefer sugar cookies without frosting. So I made most of them plain. However, the Browned Butter Frosting that was
suggested in the recipe seemed likely to enhance the overall flavor. So I made some to try. While I still think I personally liked them better plain, the frosting was great and really did enhance the already great flavor of the cookies. Don't skip the frosting just because you don't normally like frosting on your cookies. At least give it a try. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
At any rate these where great. I look forward to enjoying them again. I recommend giving them a try.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-36446065591115813752012-12-13T10:30:00.000-08:002012-12-31T01:12:22.310-08:00Crunchy Caramel Corn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JZvqQwT4148FAJpRpE2QlgRR6tKLsbMLY-Lf5qa-OYRnGvCWuVGPOfref8KcmEaDbxEhlLWfarU8yi7AzK3vOLIMTmTd-krPtVlpiAKdH03Mn8S4YTgKXEukzb3a6j-SlUOXjGbB2Go/s1600/DSCF1778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JZvqQwT4148FAJpRpE2QlgRR6tKLsbMLY-Lf5qa-OYRnGvCWuVGPOfref8KcmEaDbxEhlLWfarU8yi7AzK3vOLIMTmTd-krPtVlpiAKdH03Mn8S4YTgKXEukzb3a6j-SlUOXjGbB2Go/s320/DSCF1778.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> This
is a personal favorite of mine. I love caramel corn of all kinds.
Soft and chewy or crunchy. I even love the store bought kind like
Fiddle Faddle etc. However, there is something satisfying about a
good crunchy snack. I happen to think that my crunchy caramel corn is
the best. Well, at least it's the best that I've tried. This recipe
is one that I dug out of my mothers box of recipes. I have no idea
where it came from. I don't know if she or some other member of the
family made it up or if someone found it in a cookbook or on the back
of a box of brown sugar or something. I do know that my mother made
it as least as far back as when I was a little child of three or four
years old, possibly earlier. Those are my earliest memories of it at
least. At any rate here is the recipe.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFqG-NiB18MK6-hV1SQLhtQhfNsDLedpp-FVNZb66bcZm6ZdNsMWarkSeZr5SMZ0EeRfw7h1LIUWHYorS_OUC6xlV76DWwW1wbVMRwOMXmm4dQpfnv_4LmpoULuwfCQ6Gc5Ukw2O432c/s1600/DSCF1773a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFqG-NiB18MK6-hV1SQLhtQhfNsDLedpp-FVNZb66bcZm6ZdNsMWarkSeZr5SMZ0EeRfw7h1LIUWHYorS_OUC6xlV76DWwW1wbVMRwOMXmm4dQpfnv_4LmpoULuwfCQ6Gc5Ukw2O432c/s320/DSCF1773a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">16
cups popped popcorn</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
cup peanuts - optional</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
cup packed brown sugar</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1/4
cup light corn syrup</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1
stick butter</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">a
pinch of salt</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1/2
teaspoon vanilla</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1/2
teaspoon baking soda</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Preheat
oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGVVxChDFSjhFmK5sIRqVPb40EYyDlTaXQlwyWYKNNDLYRnbjLvYPCuXbGVnC8usZDoMjSYH2mClQZQTfbhwv3Wv4neIa5yK5sNrfGsp-OOV6lh00-PxN11iWMXAvfbT95GIFA82nLTA/s1600/DSCF1774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGVVxChDFSjhFmK5sIRqVPb40EYyDlTaXQlwyWYKNNDLYRnbjLvYPCuXbGVnC8usZDoMjSYH2mClQZQTfbhwv3Wv4neIa5yK5sNrfGsp-OOV6lh00-PxN11iWMXAvfbT95GIFA82nLTA/s320/DSCF1774.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> First,
divide the popcorn and peanuts into a couple of 13" x 9"
baking pans. Make sure to keep out any unpopped kernels It's not fun
chomping down on one of those. Then in a saucepan melt and bring to a
boil the butter, sugar, syrup and salt. Stir constantly. As soon as
it gets to a boil, stop stirring and let it continue to boil for one
minute. Don't let it go too much further than that or you can burn
the sugar. Then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and baking
soda. It should bubble up and and get kind of fluffy. Without delay,
pour over the popcorn and stir it in to coat all of the popcorn. Then
place the pans in the oven on the center rack for 10 minutes. Stir
again and bake for another 8 -10 minutes. Again, cooking for too long
can burn the sugar. After it is done baking spread out into a single
layer on some wax paper and allow to cool. Spreading it out helps you
to get the popcorn broken up into small bite sized pieces and lets it
cool faster. You should end up with a crisp and crunchy caramel corn.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUA8y9vjTfM7xbLGTBcWEJ7sKK8Z6Kt6mf-eNshDMbV8yrt9GpLLtAqpRmFeXKxXsE96g8Y-wK_bAj4SAXqEcI3s65EIWpQV4QzWF-r2dF-VEOAjGktGPFbA7UQaYSCSUDamE913jf18/s1600/DSCF1777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUA8y9vjTfM7xbLGTBcWEJ7sKK8Z6Kt6mf-eNshDMbV8yrt9GpLLtAqpRmFeXKxXsE96g8Y-wK_bAj4SAXqEcI3s65EIWpQV4QzWF-r2dF-VEOAjGktGPFbA7UQaYSCSUDamE913jf18/s320/DSCF1777.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I
almost always omit the peanuts as a couple members of my family are allergic I personally love the nuts in it, but I usually don't want to
make two batches. I just want to eat some. Even without the nuts it
is very good. I've always gotten positive feedback on it. I hope you
enjoy it as well.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-28851190039854102342012-12-10T14:14:00.000-08:002012-12-10T20:40:47.154-08:00Turkey Brine and Aromatic<div dir="ltr">
I know that Thanksgiving is over, but Christmas is coming up. I know that a lot of people like to have turkey for Christmas dinner as well as Thanksgiving. So I thought I'd share with you what I did. Our Turkeys turned out moist tender and flavorful. Part of that reason was the brine.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
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I know that there has been some debate about the benefits of brining a Turkey. I am still a fan. I like the texture of a bird that has been brined and it is very moist. I suppose that it will all boil down to preference. Still, it will be your bird, and you will be the one eating it. Some say you can't make gravy with the drippings. I've personally never had that problem. My gravy always seems to come out pretty good. One thing to note, is that brining will add salt to your turkey. Perhaps people are adding too much salt, which then is too much for gravy. Basically brining causes some exchanges of water and salts in and out of the flesh. First, the bird which is relatively unsalty, loses water and allows salt to enter the meat. After the meat is saltier, then water enters the meat, more than the original amount which makes it moister. Well that's the basics of what happens. It does take time and preparation so you will need to plan ahead. So go if you want to brine then follow along.</div>
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Brine</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>2 to 3 gallons of water and ice</li>
<li>6 to 10 teaspoons salt</li>
<li>6 to 10 teaspoons packed brown sugar</li>
<li>2 tablespoons liquid smoke</li>
<li>1 tablespoon black pepper</li>
<li>1 tablespoon allspice</li>
<li>1 tablespoon minced garlic</li>
<li>1 lemon cut in half</li>
<li>1 small onion cut in half</li>
<li>1 ginger beer</li>
</ul>
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<div dir="ltr">
You are going to want to try and keep the salt/ sugar ratio to about 10 teaspoons for every 3 gallons. Don't worry too much about being precise. these are just rough guidelines. I did about two gallons for a twelve pound turkey. So use your best judgement to plan ahead. Mix about two quarts of water with all of the other ingredients except the ginger beer. Bring to a boil, making sure all the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Allow the mixture to cool completely and refrigerate. You can use ice to cool and chill the mixture quicker. I like to use a plastic bucket to brine my turkey in. I use a 3&1/2 or 5 gallon bucket depending on the size of the turkey. Mix the now chilled brine mixture with more water and the ginger beer to bring to your final volume. Place your thawed, cleaned (no internal organs etc) turkey in the brine. Make sure that the turkey is completely covered. Weigh it down if you need to. Cover and refrigerate for 10 to 20 hours depending on the size of your bird. You don't want to leave it in too long or it can get too salty. You will want to do a minimum of eight hours to make sure it is moist enough. I did my twelve pound turkey for about twelve hours.</div>
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After the bird has been in the brine you will want to rinse it off inside and out and pat it dry before cooking. Stuff the bird with aromatics if you want and cook it with your preferred method. Make sure to get it to a safe internal temperature but not overdone. The meat should come out moist, tender and flavorful. Enjoy.</div>
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I like to pair a brined bird with some things meant to add more flavor to the meat. To be honest the flavors from the brine are really subtle. Still, I think a brined bird tastes a lot better. The aromatics enhance and kick the flavor up another notch. If you also want to give it a try, this is what I like to do.</div>
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Aromatics</div>
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<ul>
<li>a fist full of fresh rosemary</li>
<li>a small onion cut in quarters</li>
<li>an apple cut in quarters</li>
<li>a tablespoon minced garlic</li>
<li>a tablespoon cinnamon</li>
<li>a tablespoon sage</li>
</ul>
<div>
Alternating ingredients a portion at a time, I layer them into the cavity of the bird. Again, this is not something that needs precision. The amounts given are just a guideline. Feel free to adjust as you see fit. After the bird is stuffed with the aromatics, cook it with you r favorite method. Make sure to get it to a safe internal temperature but not overdone. </div>
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Image courtesy of <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:TheKohser" target="_blank">TheKohser</a> and used under Creative Commons and GNU licences. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oven_roasted_brine-soaked_turkey.jpg" target="_blank">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oven_roasted_brine-soaked_turkey.jpg</a></div>
I have always loved the turkeys I have cooked after brining and stuffing with aromatics. I love how juicy and tender they are. I love how flavorful they are. I was hooked after the first time I tried one like this. I don't think I'll stop preparing them this way anytime soon. I hope you enjoy the results as much as I do.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-42737863944587471282012-11-24T22:05:00.000-08:002012-11-24T22:05:47.750-08:00Happy Thanksgiving<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Well Thanksgiving is over. Black Friday too. I
don't know about you, but I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. There was a
lot of wonderful food all around. I was very fortunate to be able to
spend this day and enjoy good food with family. This is the stuff
that some of the best memories are made from.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Even though I had work all week, except Thanksgiving Day, including Black Friday and the following weekend, I
started my cooking contributions Monday night. I actually didn't even
get my turkey until then. I know, I know, that's bad planning on my
part. So I got that thawing in ice water. The size turkey I had took
about 12 hours to thaw. After I got that going, I made some pies. All
the great pies everyone brings, are one of the best parts of Thanksgiving for me. This
year I made up my own pie to make. I'm not yet happy with the results
but when I get that recipe where I want it, I'll share it with you.
After the turkey had thawed out, it was time for the brine. So on
Tuesday I got the brine made and the turkey in it. Wednesday was
mostly uneventful for me. About all I did that day was get the stuff
ready for putting the turkey together to cook. Some sweet potatoes,
carrots and onion to cook with and some apples, onion, fresh rosemary
and garlic to stuff the bird with for flavor. I was scheduled for
work until late so my wife got it out of the brine, put together and
started cooking. If you're paying attention you may notice that we
started cooking the turkey on Wednesday. No, we didn't eat it on Wednesday we had the turkey Thursday evening. We planned on cooking
in a pit and planned on cooking for the better part of a full day.
Thursday was the busy day for me. I started cooking about 6:30 in the
morning. I got a batch of rolls rising. Then went and did some sale shopping. After I returned home I made cupcakes and cookies. Kneaded the roll dough and form rolls for them to rise again. Also my wife and I made mashed potatoes. At 1:00 in the afternoon it was time for lunch with my family. Later it was time to help get the turkeys out of the pit, bake the rolls, and make some more mashed potatoes. </span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">We
had many of the traditional Thanksgiving Day foods. Including but not
limited to turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, garden
salad, green bean casserole, and rolls. Like many of you, I'm sure, my
family spent some time with both sides of our family. On my side we
went to my grandmother's house. We had roast turkey and all the
fixing there. My mother cooked the turkey and it was a good one. I
like her stuffing. She makes it with french bread, celery and onion
and bakes it in the oven. My family has never really been one for
stuffing the actual bird. Mostly I think, because everyone wants
some and the bird wont hold enough. So why bother stuffing the bird
and baking more when it is easier to just bake all of it. We had peach cobbler, pecan pie, lemon meringue pie, chocolate meringue pie, my butter finger pie, apple pie and some little pumpkin custard pies. Yes, we like pies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Later we had dinner with my wife's family. We had more people there so we had two turkeys. These were cooked in the pit. I brined one and my sister-in-law brined the other. My wife and sister-in-law were the ones that actually got them into the pit though. I personally like the pit cooked turkey better. It was more moist, tender and flavorful. Other members brought in some great food as well. We had sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, carrots, onion, and rolls. Pecan and pumpkin pie were brought. We also had cookies and cupcakes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">It was great getting to spend the day with our families and share all the wonderful food. There were many great dishes. I am grateful for times like these, when we can not only enjoy such great food but share it with those we love. I hope your Thanksgiving celebration was a great one as well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYj_7fO13Ijm29kizfpaZtei-jXWm72HzZSekyU_QKcr3GKClwl01GkBCdJeciSRkSW4O1Xjx6W7UGTDdfRKidX7pfvF1pj-5Tz0XVbSREUVDclUgxT4WQWoqycePeooUfMM-6k1h_qKo/s1600/ID-1003212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="<p>Image courtesy of [Tom Curtis] / <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net" target="_blank">FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p> " border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYj_7fO13Ijm29kizfpaZtei-jXWm72HzZSekyU_QKcr3GKClwl01GkBCdJeciSRkSW4O1Xjx6W7UGTDdfRKidX7pfvF1pj-5Tz0XVbSREUVDclUgxT4WQWoqycePeooUfMM-6k1h_qKo/s320/ID-1003212.jpg" title="<p>Image courtesy of [Tom Curtis] / <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net" target="_blank">FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p> " width="212" /></a></div>
Image courtesy of Tom Curtis / <a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/" target="_blank">FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-56060215785659787362012-11-17T23:47:00.000-08:002012-12-31T01:20:31.958-08:00Homemade Butterfingers Recipe As <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/11/homemade-butterfingers.html" target="_blank">promised</a>, here's more about those homemade butter fingers. So what to do about all that leftover candy? Specifically candy corn. Personally, I like candy corn for about a day and then it is just gross. Of course I keep eating it anyway, all the while thinking how much I don't like it anymore. So that is why this recipe seems like the perfect solution for that leftover candy corn.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMybpxjfsQKQmLdmSOt6RV8DCjpskdWhk0G3OkFdA_hfar1dYaBo08ugsar0R0TkTrV0aSpSjsFrGHG2vl2NSrcz1gzvphnY-HLqSq_SDDj1oAF-NTSqoN9OHplYRJuZasXRz2xZytHA/s1600/20121117_204130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMybpxjfsQKQmLdmSOt6RV8DCjpskdWhk0G3OkFdA_hfar1dYaBo08ugsar0R0TkTrV0aSpSjsFrGHG2vl2NSrcz1gzvphnY-HLqSq_SDDj1oAF-NTSqoN9OHplYRJuZasXRz2xZytHA/s640/20121117_204130.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are amazing, give them a try.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
My co-worker originally told me about this recipe and I am so glad she did. It comes from the <a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/" target="_blank">Plain Chicken</a> blog. She's actually got a lot of great recipes to try out. I will be going back to try more. Here's the link <a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/11/homemade-butterfingers.html?m=1" target="_blank">Plain Chicken: Homemade Butterfingers</a><br />
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<div>
Here is the simple recipe</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 pound candy corn</li>
<li>1 pound peanut butter</li>
<li>1 pound almond bark</li>
</ul>
<div>
Melt the candy corn. Place it into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for one minute. Stir, then microwave for fifteen more seconds. Alternate stirring and microwaving on high in fifteen second increments until candy corn is completely melted. Mix in the peanut butter and then spread into a parchment lined 8" x 8" pan and let cool completely. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XXGmRYoIgQc5AJmZBcdM87qNuvojLazeMyZJsNIW7sc0XrbACs-JHFwGrgvuXqfGhA3MeWNefAwExLs2tzMWneHLbtGrNauLz2afiF5we4fwKu4e3e-BRURymCUrbWZeHq7ck0wzNN0/s1600/20121117_184159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XXGmRYoIgQc5AJmZBcdM87qNuvojLazeMyZJsNIW7sc0XrbACs-JHFwGrgvuXqfGhA3MeWNefAwExLs2tzMWneHLbtGrNauLz2afiF5we4fwKu4e3e-BRURymCUrbWZeHq7ck0wzNN0/s320/20121117_184159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
After the filling has cooled, cut into pieces Melt almond bark, and dip the cut filling pieces into the chocolate. Place coated pieces onto waxed paper and let cool completely. Enjoy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYLzFoXGbjhQ74RrB1PEJ8diIEFMExbL0aLY6V8gmQNPI6jemGMiXZn6LQtctAJolNtmxg-Se9VYokJRWuGsuZnnzAxw-p4HTel1_XtdLQHrNr4Z-xkTF_8c4cCuFdb7dkxYm4m3_vQo/s1600/20121117_190100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYLzFoXGbjhQ74RrB1PEJ8diIEFMExbL0aLY6V8gmQNPI6jemGMiXZn6LQtctAJolNtmxg-Se9VYokJRWuGsuZnnzAxw-p4HTel1_XtdLQHrNr4Z-xkTF_8c4cCuFdb7dkxYm4m3_vQo/s320/20121117_190100.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<div>
Overall, I found the process pretty easy. However, this was the first time that I had ever tried to chocolate coat anything, and that turned out a little more difficult than I had anticipated. I think If I had frozen the filling pieces after I cut them, they would have been easier to work with. Smaller pieces probably would've helped too. As soon as I got them into the chocolate, they got warm and started to get soft and fall apart. </div>
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<div>
Some tips I can give, start with getting your peanut butter out of the jar first. Let's face it, it takes time to get a whole pound of peanut butter out of a jar. You don't want the candy corn to cool too much before you get it mixed with the peanut butter. It gets too hard to work with. Also, the microwave method is not your only option for melting the candy corn. If you are more comfortable, a double boiler will also work. Either way, be careful not to scorch it. Next, cut the cooled filling with a straight edged knife with a thin blade. I tried a serrated knife and a thicker blade and they both broke the filling up more than cut it. The chocolate can also be melted in the microwave or on the stove with a double boiler. Either way, be careful not to scorch it. Freeze the filling pieces before dipping as it will make them easier to work with in the chocolate. I'm sure there are many other things that could make it easier to do this already easy recipe but those are the ones I noticed.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVklWQohla_EYFiLpPONzCQbR2Vz2hWtbOpyL0W9P_8ZaMQI7mqF2XXsI6KxpJ_MOwRdMS8fR-HctYifTdEUgxspPCJMlRaitPyt-QROdETDfKG9RnufyEKeI98J8TwyGeq-gT_bO4sdA/s1600/20121117_203536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVklWQohla_EYFiLpPONzCQbR2Vz2hWtbOpyL0W9P_8ZaMQI7mqF2XXsI6KxpJ_MOwRdMS8fR-HctYifTdEUgxspPCJMlRaitPyt-QROdETDfKG9RnufyEKeI98J8TwyGeq-gT_bO4sdA/s320/20121117_203536.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Like all the comments that I noticed said, this recipe is really delicious. I personally think that the peanut butter flavor is a little stronger in these than the original. However, that may be due to the brand and type of peanut butter that I used. The taste is awesome at any rate. The texture is not the crispy, crunchy texture from the original. Mine did turn out crispy and crunchy, just a lot chewier and softer than the original. Even though it was not the same as the commercial product, I did fine the texture very pleasing and ultimately adding to a very enjoyable piece of candy. My family loved them. Well those without peanut allergies that is. I made chocolate covered pretzels and popcorn with the leftover almond bark to make up for it though. So everyone got a treat. I hope you enjoy these as well. I thought they were great.</div>
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Thanks to <a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/" target="_blank">Plain Chicken</a> for letting me share this one.<a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXA90LPetQtVrs9qH-TkY_2gLY3IAozCmLAbY8_WpPmZKWP1edzeX1OQDS1qf7xnPUJcAqFxK18SLZr2K59rkI4dsk7S9tSdwNvHy-KBfivukhGF_XyFU5dD7WhxNoek7Zo1WCytlgBTc/s320/PlainChickenXLONG.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-34975424831991775582012-11-05T14:53:00.001-08:002012-11-17T23:52:38.814-08:00Homemade Butterfingers<div>
Well Halloween is over. My kids had a great one. With that, of course, means having all kinds of leftover candy. Between that and all the candy that is going on clearance at the store I work at, something evidently needs to be done with all that candy. Well that was the topic of conversation one day at work and one of my coworkers told be about this recipe. So of course I need to give this a try. Here's the link:<br />
<a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/11/homemade-butterfingers.html?m=1">Plain Chicken: Homemade Butterfingers</a><br />
On the post itself a lot of the comments indicate that these are really good, just nailing the Butterfinger flavor on the head. It was indicated the the filling texture is a little softer though. I'll <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/11/homemade-butter-fingers.html" target="_blank">post again</a> after I've given it a try.<br />
<br />
edit: The recipe and my experience with it can be found at <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/11/homemade-butter-fingers.html" target="_blank">Homemade Butterfingers</a><br />
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Recipe can be found on <a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/">Plain Chicken</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.plainchicken.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXA90LPetQtVrs9qH-TkY_2gLY3IAozCmLAbY8_WpPmZKWP1edzeX1OQDS1qf7xnPUJcAqFxK18SLZr2K59rkI4dsk7S9tSdwNvHy-KBfivukhGF_XyFU5dD7WhxNoek7Zo1WCytlgBTc/" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-23142398799181181672012-10-30T05:07:00.000-07:002012-10-30T05:07:29.672-07:00Saints Roost Gathering - Some of the best Barbecue I've ever had<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I
recently went to a party hosted by a co-worker of mine. She hosts an
annual gathering for all her friends and the food is always great. At
least that's what I always heard. This was the first time I actually
made it, and I'm very glad I did. It's a bring the whole family kind
of party that she hosts every fall. She gets a DJ, so there is good
music. Her yard is big so there is room for the kids to run around
and for people to play some games or just move around. At this time
of year the weather where I live is just perfect. The day of her
party the weather was clear and beautiful In addition to all these
fine things to make for a great get together, the food did not disappointing. Everything was great. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Several
people brought some sort of dip for all of us to try. I think there
was about ten different kinds of dip. There was a Philly Cheese Steak
dip, a Bean and Queso dip, a Buffalo Chicken Wing dip, a Jalapeno Cheese dip, some fruit dips, and even a Reuben dip and others. There
were so many great dips to try. I personally liked all of those I
just mentioned. That's probably why I remembered them. All of them
were very good. There was no shortage of delicious things to scoop up
and eat with chips or bread. I think next year I will bring something
too. </span>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Also
there was a yummy pasta salad and some coleslaw to go along with the
main course. Ah, the main course. The highlight of all that yummy
food was the barbecue. My co-workers husband always smokes various
meats for everyone to enjoy. It was some of the all time best
barbecue that I've ever had. He smoked some pork ribs. I was told
they were baby-back ribs. Also he smoked some beef brisket and some
chicken breast. The ribs and brisket were tender and juicy. The
chicken was a little dry but chicken breast often is. It was,
however, superbly flavored with smoke flavor. To be honest I'm not
really sure what woods were used, but I believe the pork was smoked
in pecan and the beef and chicken in mesquite. At any rate the flavor
was through the roof and perfect for their respective meats. While I
prefer barbecue sauce to be cooked onto the meat a little bit, it was
provided on the side. Considering the numerous people in attendance
that was probably the right move. They had some different flavors to
try so everyone was able to choose. I think there was a sweeter sauce
and a tangier sauce. There might have been others but those are the
ones I remember. Any combination I tried with the meat and barbecue
sauce was amazing. All in all the entire meal was a great collection
of great flavor. The food was all so very good. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Thanks
goes out to my co-worker for hosting such a great event and a special
thanks goes out to all those who helped provide the great food,
especially my co-workers husband. I will do my best to go to her next
get together. I can't see myself missing out on that again. My sons
really enjoyed themselves and were sad to leave. I had a really
enjoyable time with good friends and great food. I hope you too can
have the opportunity to share a great time and good food with good
people. There are few things in life that are better. </span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-8248375189885666452012-10-27T02:02:00.001-07:002012-10-27T02:08:40.879-07:00Toasted Pumpkin Seeds<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S95wh3BE3OKwqlI5jvPmS8xo4vIkD2BRotRvoHxa_Tx-cV5ijOwddEBlHUlrn68ucLk70Xc-PSVhZFY8MH3im28CuTqI75go1KLYkohg1v-1g9njHq12eCdqikF4Z3lNzDqn18KfKFA/s1600/DSCF1805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S95wh3BE3OKwqlI5jvPmS8xo4vIkD2BRotRvoHxa_Tx-cV5ijOwddEBlHUlrn68ucLk70Xc-PSVhZFY8MH3im28CuTqI75go1KLYkohg1v-1g9njHq12eCdqikF4Z3lNzDqn18KfKFA/s1600/DSCF1805.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
love pumpkin, and this time of year when pumpkin is in season. So
what to do with all that pumpkin. Well we carved our Jack - o -
lanterns the other night and I saw this as an opportunity to toast
some yummy pumpkin seeds. So here is what I did to make some crispy
pumpkin seeds</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NcO9mXiaywybsIQ5Ogv9mfxwGtC1adrIOnDWFMsQSuIkL0spIf5XpvjIR4b-ZeIjouSTEAXFZLIIegN9ikur1J1sbRhyGWF4iFGm_Ifw0zVt6c_LqOe6936jDQr0Kt-Cor5K8hFTcIg/s1600/DSCF1790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NcO9mXiaywybsIQ5Ogv9mfxwGtC1adrIOnDWFMsQSuIkL0spIf5XpvjIR4b-ZeIjouSTEAXFZLIIegN9ikur1J1sbRhyGWF4iFGm_Ifw0zVt6c_LqOe6936jDQr0Kt-Cor5K8hFTcIg/s1600/DSCF1790.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">First,
I place all of the seeds into a colander. Then I run water
over them and with my hands try to separate all of the other pumpkin
guts from the seeds. This does take some time and patience. After
I've got all the seeds separated and rinsed off I put them into a
large bowl. In another bowl I mix salt and water. About 3 tablespoons for every cup of hot water. The idea is to dissolve the salt into the water. The saltwater mixture is then poured over the top of the
seeds until it just covers them. I let this sit for about 15 to 30
minutes. After it has had some time to sit I spread out the seeds on
a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 45
minutes. Stir the seeds about every 10 to 15 minutes. After they have baked, the seeds should all be completely dry and
crunchy. If they are moist at all or chewy give them another 15
minutes in the oven, then check them again. Repeat as necessary. </span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpo_tlFThGDcgv64BsUSXWc-wiPtSxdiOHzCVZ5kP7nMpnlub3X1fokrojJ29329Yej75N6h9VSD57_VLrNBq9PukTBn0kN1yFoEKRr4MKFPn2Yi6d_Os8dDgXKDnEgOqZRC9IRyj653Q/s1600/DSCF1798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpo_tlFThGDcgv64BsUSXWc-wiPtSxdiOHzCVZ5kP7nMpnlub3X1fokrojJ29329Yej75N6h9VSD57_VLrNBq9PukTBn0kN1yFoEKRr4MKFPn2Yi6d_Os8dDgXKDnEgOqZRC9IRyj653Q/s1600/DSCF1798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
love the salty, nutty crunch of these pumpkin seeds. I hope you enjoy
them as well. </span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-45122212172514120872012-10-21T22:20:00.000-07:002012-10-23T15:12:09.162-07:00Single serving Cookie<div><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> First,
I have to say I can't think of many good reasons to only make one
cookie. I'm all for making dozens at a time. That way, you can have
some right out of the oven, and save some for later. Second, I'm not
sure cookie is an accurate description either. Maybe, "Single
Serve Chocolate Chip Bar". The flavor was just like a chocolate
chip cookie. However the texture was a lot closer to that of a
brownie. Criticisms aside, it was pretty good. My wife found it on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. It leads to a blog that is no longer available so I'll just include a link to the <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/133208101449311094/" target="_blank">pin</a>. The pin my wife found and re-pinned can be found at </span><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/133208101449311094/">http://pinterest.com/pin/133208101449311094/</a> and the process is:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfAOlbSTRdRCSVTHU5idiPWu2U20qunsn4UUuJzlK6Sd89_m4p0fw2e3u9hr4NbvGO6HRWm0ky1fMl7P0uOvXgc9v6HDWoWaH_hTUMdT0uOjDGFtQOdiP0wXiqg1us_6ufdrzwzD_qJU/s1600/20121001_204803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfAOlbSTRdRCSVTHU5idiPWu2U20qunsn4UUuJzlK6Sd89_m4p0fw2e3u9hr4NbvGO6HRWm0ky1fMl7P0uOvXgc9v6HDWoWaH_hTUMdT0uOjDGFtQOdiP0wXiqg1us_6ufdrzwzD_qJU/s320/20121001_204803.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Mix into microwave safe cup or bowl <br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>1 tablespoon melted butter</li>
<li>1 tablespoon white sugar</li>
<li>1 tablespoon packed brown sugar</li>
<li>3 drops of vanilla</li>
<li>a pinch of salt</li>
<li>1 egg yolk</li>
<li>1/4 cup flour</li>
<li>2 tablespoonfuls chocolate chips</li>
</ul>
<div>
Then microwave 40 - 60 seconds. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqI6KB5ZdJjQKgSEirCXILmFqGnfWGNxUSJcCKk08BK-m-rGqcTWIRY_fbfo3uLFdedPaciP1szPFv90dlru-hZtWhHgkPzfZfj3BM7bMhaM4dgx4C3juy9swO_vOlnMYgdPplqQVy2o8/s1600/20121001_205344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqI6KB5ZdJjQKgSEirCXILmFqGnfWGNxUSJcCKk08BK-m-rGqcTWIRY_fbfo3uLFdedPaciP1szPFv90dlru-hZtWhHgkPzfZfj3BM7bMhaM4dgx4C3juy9swO_vOlnMYgdPplqQVy2o8/s320/20121001_205344.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
The power of microwave ovens vary a lot from one persons to the next, so you will need to experiment a bit to get the time just right. I also like my cookies a little chewy and gooey. I might try it with a whole egg next time just to see how it turns out. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At any rate it was really easy and tasted great. I think the best use for this recipe would be to make this in a bowl and then scoop some ice cream on top. Maybe a little chocolate or caramel syrup and you've got yourself a Chocolate Chip Cookie Sunday. Sounds great to me, I'll have to give it a try sometime.</div>
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-45151753739049423092012-10-06T08:54:00.001-07:002012-12-31T10:28:12.826-08:00Pumpkin Bars As <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/10/these-pumpkin-bars-are-hit.html" target="_blank">promised</a>, here is my post on the Pumpkin Bars. I found this particular recipe on <a href="http://penniesonaplatter.com/" target="_blank">Pennies on a Platter</a>'s website and she let me share it here. The recipe and post for her <a href="http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/11/02/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-brownies/" target="_blank">Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies</a> can be found at <a href="http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/11/02/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-brownies/">http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/11/02/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-brownies/</a><br />
<br />
Her recipe is:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWor9QPS8h8k5MHfjpBHiID-2NaLY1lktkIFnzncopLUNJVGa_NQdZXhE3DeLuDDa_FPZVGU4oRLdwPXIJHaE94LIkO4LpvQSwKCFDLfC-g2z4xzqPJA7xWO5MzBzGupaVHu8_z826_ak/s1600/20120930_162131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWor9QPS8h8k5MHfjpBHiID-2NaLY1lktkIFnzncopLUNJVGa_NQdZXhE3DeLuDDa_FPZVGU4oRLdwPXIJHaE94LIkO4LpvQSwKCFDLfC-g2z4xzqPJA7xWO5MzBzGupaVHu8_z826_ak/s1600/20120930_162131.jpg" /></a></div>
Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 11" x 7" pan with parchment paper.<br />
<br />
1/2 cup pumpkin puree<br />
1 whole egg<br />
2 egg whites<br />
1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
2/3 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips<br />
<br />
Combine until smooth and set aside pumpkin, egg and oil. In separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, spices, salt and sugar. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture until well incorporated, then stir in the chocolate chips.<br />
<br />
Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean. Completely cool before cutting.<br />
<br />
So basically, I followed the recipe. However, I did tweak a couple of things.<br />
<br />
First off, I don't have an 11" x 7" pan. I don't know many who do. I used a 9" x 9" square stoneware pan. As it is stoneware, I skipped the parchment and it came out just fine. I substituted the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg with about a teaspoon and a quarter of pumpkin pie spice. I was out of allspice, and I don't know that it would make much of a difference anyway.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBYsSWJd511G73VUexocLjU4hwV8vFe51OajwMNS1tn5yqBf_Fgds_9SbTl2MxwH6OlClMQuzXTNIOKVuhN3WCOGcqU0vUoWhOSIFLFVjCPJwUPVCEX3Sv8tEh8EGrpGWrXGaRMQljN0/s1600/20120930_164418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBYsSWJd511G73VUexocLjU4hwV8vFe51OajwMNS1tn5yqBf_Fgds_9SbTl2MxwH6OlClMQuzXTNIOKVuhN3WCOGcqU0vUoWhOSIFLFVjCPJwUPVCEX3Sv8tEh8EGrpGWrXGaRMQljN0/s1600/20120930_164418.jpg" /></a></div>
I mentioned in the <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/10/these-pumpkin-bars-are-hit.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> that I made a second pan. For the second pan I used a glass 8" x 8" pan that I did line with parchment. I also skipped the chocolate chips. While I am usually fond of the way simple things can bring a great flavor all on their own, I felt that this pan needed frosting to set them off. I mixed up a simple cream cheese frosting by mixing in about 2 cups of confectioner sugar into a packet of softened cream cheese. I mixed in about 4 tablespoons of milk to get the texture how I wanted it. I think frosting the second one was the right choice.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-Z55IQqaOlQ1r2MoN-DzvddZi-kDIjON70v1kWVJLQ8MoixvCIStbgBJ71HR0KXnDThrp7cCMJRWZwZo4hsPxnzc587yIFyCJJUTnBbGBHxkH2MvjEkoiJjmQDFCNcqn7ESDCSIhOQs/s1600/20121001_085531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-Z55IQqaOlQ1r2MoN-DzvddZi-kDIjON70v1kWVJLQ8MoixvCIStbgBJ71HR0KXnDThrp7cCMJRWZwZo4hsPxnzc587yIFyCJJUTnBbGBHxkH2MvjEkoiJjmQDFCNcqn7ESDCSIhOQs/s1600/20121001_085531.jpg" /></a></div>
I don't know that calling these brownies is quite right. I always think of brownies as being, well, brown, and chocolate. That being said this is an excellent bar recipe. The name has absolutely no bearing on how great they tasted. A Rose by any other name and all that. I found the texture to be closer to cake than brownies. I like mine a little gooey. I'm not sure if I should decrease the baking time or do all whole eggs, rather than a couple with just the whites. Even so I found the texture moist and soft. Even though I did the second batch in a slightly smaller pan I found that the size difference didn't have much difference on baking time, or on how it turned out. Neither the chocolate chips or the frosting proved to be a better fit. Both batches were very tasty. My family loved them and my coworkers loved them. They are definitely worth a try.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-74458980983522318222012-10-01T13:37:00.001-07:002012-11-17T20:26:37.755-08:00These Pumpkin Bars Are a Hit<div>
My grandmother invited my family over for Sunday dinner and asked us to bring dessert. Me being somewhat of a procrastinator meant that I was scrambling for a recipe that looked good, and which I had all the ingredients on hand, Sunday afternoon. As autumn is here I came across quite a few recipes with pumpkin, and my wife remembered that we still had a few pints that I had canned a while back. It must have been meant to be.<br />
I decided on a pumpkin chocolate chip brownies recipe that my wife pointed out. I'll post the <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/10/pumpkin-bars.html" target="_blank">recipe and my experience</a> on that later. The recipe yielded one pan. I was sure that wouldn't be enough because for some reason I thought it would be my family, parents, siblings and grandmother all over for dinner rather than just my family and grandmother. My solution was to make another pan, which I then decided to alter a bit to see how it turned out.<br />
The first pan I did with chocolate chips in it. The second, without chocolate chips and with cream cheese frosting. Both went over really well. I had most of it left after dinner because I made to too much, so I brought them to work with me. Everyone just gobbled them up. It's always good to be the one who brings the treats.<br />
<br />
edit: the post with the recipe is at <a href="http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/10/pumpkin-bars.html">http://foodyadventure.blogspot.com/2012/10/pumpkin-bars.html</a><br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-Z55IQqaOlQ1r2MoN-DzvddZi-kDIjON70v1kWVJLQ8MoixvCIStbgBJ71HR0KXnDThrp7cCMJRWZwZo4hsPxnzc587yIFyCJJUTnBbGBHxkH2MvjEkoiJjmQDFCNcqn7ESDCSIhOQs/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWor9QPS8h8k5MHfjpBHiID-2NaLY1lktkIFnzncopLUNJVGa_NQdZXhE3DeLuDDa_FPZVGU4oRLdwPXIJHaE94LIkO4LpvQSwKCFDLfC-g2z4xzqPJA7xWO5MzBzGupaVHu8_z826_ak/" /><br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBYsSWJd511G73VUexocLjU4hwV8vFe51OajwMNS1tn5yqBf_Fgds_9SbTl2MxwH6OlClMQuzXTNIOKVuhN3WCOGcqU0vUoWhOSIFLFVjCPJwUPVCEX3Sv8tEh8EGrpGWrXGaRMQljN0/" /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315099127079959939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738149244388176468.post-72960508599675239452012-09-29T03:50:00.002-07:002012-12-10T01:16:21.828-08:00Wanted Something Quick So I got home from work Friday, exhausted. The power went out a couple of times and as my day job relies heavily on computerized records, the power outages caused a major disruption to our workflow. So the end of my day was a rush to try and catch up. When I got home my wife rushed off to get some well deserved time away from our children and some groceries without the hassle of the kids. This left me in charge of dinner. I like to eat. I love good food. Therefore I cook. I even enjoy cooking. However, I wanted something quick but better than macaroni and cheese. So I turned to a favorite standby.<br />
<div>
Burritos. These can be easily made with leftovers and have always proved to be a hit with my family. Here's what I did.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>about 1/2 cup chopped onion</li>
<li>about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic</li>
<li>1 can of beef chunks (some leftover pot roast works great)</li>
<li>1 can black beans drained (leftover beans also work great)</li>
<li>about 1/2 packet taco seasoning (sometimes I've got some left over)</li>
<li>some shredded cheese (always good to have on hand)</li>
<li>tortillas (also good to have on hand)</li>
<li>some diced tomato</li>
<li>some sour cream</li>
<li>some lettuce (I used some leftover salad)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHvbskPfFdtWLEDmyTkrJHkgp6xr302fDIqkLC9OU8X6P5gEAkbWw1e0C_Glv6KZ33xhl4mMnfaOFpI74zNaBz1zHVzKuWFqv7dJvd1npu2T0Ql8KD_vbYlVnwf1zAHIrKTByA_rzAEo/s1600/20120928_182841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHvbskPfFdtWLEDmyTkrJHkgp6xr302fDIqkLC9OU8X6P5gEAkbWw1e0C_Glv6KZ33xhl4mMnfaOFpI74zNaBz1zHVzKuWFqv7dJvd1npu2T0Ql8KD_vbYlVnwf1zAHIrKTByA_rzAEo/s320/20120928_182841.jpg" width="320" /></a> First, I sauteed the onion over medium heat in a skillet with extra virgin olive oil until just starting to turn clear. I prefer to use olive oil whenever possible as the fats are healthier and most importantly, I like the taste. Tip: add a small amount of vegetable, or other high smoke point oil, to low smoke point oils like extra virgin olive oil to raise its smoke point and prevent it from scorching. Next, in went the beef chunks, garlic and taco seasoning. After that had some time to sizzle a bit (about five minutes) I added the beans. After it had all gotten nice and hot (maybe another five minutes) it was time to put the burritos together.</div>
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I like my burritos with lots of goodies. So lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream went in along with the beef and bean mixture. Rice, guacamole, salsa or hot sauce are also things I enjoy in my burritos. As always, what exactly goes into your burrito would be up to personal preference. In fact, most of these ingredients could be switched up. I could've used pinto beans, or pork. A can of green chili (or some fresh roasted, yum) would be great too. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrK9J5-1pSsJvc3Qskb7sKks44MHyKiv8JE0jLl0k-xyaIAKeGCSAGB5zA1jgHU0HAtd8WX7NqESiCy3uO71ioAWUihfml_szbuyt17SBySJyzUK1zLtv15enTSmeonDsqeLeUYgPfe4M/s1600/20120928_183412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrK9J5-1pSsJvc3Qskb7sKks44MHyKiv8JE0jLl0k-xyaIAKeGCSAGB5zA1jgHU0HAtd8WX7NqESiCy3uO71ioAWUihfml_szbuyt17SBySJyzUK1zLtv15enTSmeonDsqeLeUYgPfe4M/s320/20120928_183412.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I thought they turned out great and really hit the spot. My kids loved them, and my wife was a little jealous to see what we had while she was away.</div>
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All in all, it only took about 20 minutes to put together. It was much better than mac and cheese or even just some re-fried beans smeared into a tortilla. A little imagination, even with leftovers, can go a long way towards making something great. </div>
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