Christmas Feast in CO!

Christmas isn't complete without a feast! This year I had the opportunity to fly out to CO, and it was such a great time! Jason and Kevin just bought a beautiful new house, and the kitchen is way spacious, perfect for baking and cooking! Jason and I spent numerous hours in the kitchen getting all the recipes made. On the dinner menu was the following: Honey Glazed Ham, homemade mashed potatoes, brown gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, Martha Stewart's Herb and Cheese hot rolls, and Martha Stewart Pumpkin Spice Bundt cake. It was a pretty impressive lineup of recipes, and a lot of fun to make. 

Two of the recipes we would like to highlight to try are Martha Stewarts Herb and Cheese hot rolls and Martha's Pumpkin Spiced Bundt cake. We have a picture of the rolls, but unfortunately the bundt cake was so popular that we didn't get a picture captured in time. The Herb and Cheese hot rolls were featured in Martha's Dec/Jan double issue that should still be out at the news stands; both links are copied below to maximize space. Enjoy and have a great New Years!:)

http://www.marthastewart.com/1093615/herb-and-cheese-rolls

http://www.marthastewart.com/315295/spicy-pumpkin-bundt-cake

German Chocolate Cake

October 30th marked my Grandfathers 90th birthday.  Sadly, this great man passed away last January. In honer of his birthday I made my Grandmother one of her favorite cakes. German Chocolate Cake, this is a layered chocolate cake from the United States that is filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting. The name of the cake comes from the creator of the baking chocolate used in the recipe.  Sam German developed the dark backing chocolate for the American Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. The cake recipe was created by Mrs. George Clay in 1957 and then was distributed by various news papers through out the United States.  The cake became so popular that it increased Baker's Chocolate sales by 73%.

For this classic recipe I turned to Better Homes and Gardens and due to its length I will not post it. However, I encourage you all to try this cake out as it so soft and delightful.

Mama Owl Cupcakes & Acorn Cookies!

One of my best girl friends from college had her baby shower this past weekend, and I was so excited to have the opportunity to make the dessert! The theme was “Owls” and was perfect being in the fall season. I decided on Mama Owl Cupcakes and Acorn cookies because of the presentation. For the chocolate cupcakes I used Martha Stewarts, “Chocolate Cupcakes” recipe.

http://www.marthastewart.com/337010/chocolate-cupcakes

 

For the vanilla cupcakes I utilized Betty Crocker Vanilla cake box for time purposes, and Betty Crocker’s Vanilla Whipped Frosting. I had purchased some neon food coloring, and was able to blend some blues and green to reach the desired blue hue. Here’s a list of topping materials I bought to decorate the Mama Owl:

1. Circus Peanuts- cut to mold her beak and talons
2. Junior Mints- for the pupil of her eyes
3. Jelly Rings- for her eye color
4. Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers- these were super hard to find since they are a seasonal item. The only place I could locate them was at Schnucks grocery store. These were cut for eyebrows and layered for wing depth
5. Sweetened coconut (1 cup used for texturized front of her chest)
6. Mini chocolate chips- used to give speckled chest
7. Long Pretzel Rods for tree branches at the end of her feet
8. White board to place her on-purchased from Hy-Vee bakery
9. 3 plastic cupcake containers to transport cupcakes, highly recommended to assemble at location J

 

http://cuteeverything.com/autumn/owl-cupcakes/

 

The cupcakes were a big hit, and the Acorn cookies were also really popular. Ingredient wise the Acorn cookies were really simple to assemble. There are close to 70 mini Nutter Butter cookies in a package, so make sure to allocate back some time back because you will have to do it in batches.

 

Acorn Cookies:

• Package  of mini Nutter Butter cookies
• Dark Chocolate Hershey Kisses
• Caramel Hershey Kisses
• Mini chocolate chips
• Almond Bark (melted) to “glue” the cookies, kisses and mini chocolate chip together

 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/acorn-treats

 

Enjoy!

The not so green Green Chili and homemade Tortillas

If your from Colorado you would know how important green chili is. So I have been on the hunt for the perfect chili. This recipe was republished by the Denver Post as it was loved thorough out the city.  The chili its self was good however it was not very green. This is a problem and therefor not a good green chili recipe. But since the chili was good I will publish the dish. I also made tortillas that rocked!

Ingredients
1 pound diced pork (whichever cut you like — shoulder, chops, loin)
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons dark chile powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
3 cans (10 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (32 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3-4 fresh roasted green chiles or 1 can (8 ounces) diced green chiles
3-5 jalapeño peppers, diced with seeds (remove seeds to bring down the heat factor)
Tortillas
Shredded cheese

Directions
Brown pork on all sides in oil over medium high heat. Add cumin, chile powder, oregano, garlic powder, onion and broth.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Crush tomatoes with potato masher in another pan. To tomatoes and their juice, add tomato paste, green chiles and jalapeños. Combine tomato and pork mixtures.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours (or place in a slow cooker up to 8 hours), until pork is very tender. Serve with warm tortillas and shredded cheese.

Tortillas Recipe 

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

3 tablesppons olive oil 

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a clouded surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth coach. Let rest for 10 minutes. 

Divide dough into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle. 

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. yield: 8.

Louise's Sheetcake

As I have gotten older I wanted to reconnect with my families roots. Oneway that I have started doing this is by learning popular dishes and desserts that family members are known for.  My Grandma told me that Aunt Louise was known for her sheet cake and that it was a must have a family gatherings.  Louise also served this cake for large groups as she did a number of catering events. So, I thought I would give it a try when I had a friend over for dinner last week.

The fallowing recipe is just how my grandmother composed it.

2 c. flour
2 c. suger
1/2 c. butter or oleo
3 T. cocoa
1 c. water
2 well-beaten eggs
1 tsp. soda
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Put in mixer 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar. Boil 1 cup water, 1/2 cup oleo with 3 tablespoons cocoa. Pour over flour. Mix well and add the 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon soda and 1/2 cup buttermilk with vanilla. Bake at 350' for 10-30 minutes in large cooking tray. Upon removal from oven: Melt 1/2 cup butter with 3 table spoons cocoa, adding 1 package powdered sugar and enough milk for spreading consistency. Frost upon removal from oven.

The cake was very good and the frosting was a bit sugary for my liking however it was well received by our guest. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as my family has.

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn & Candied Popcorn on the Cob!

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn and Candied Popcorn on the Cob are 2 great recipes to showcase at parties and potlucks, and you will be blown away with the flavoring of each recipe. The Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn recipe was from Hy-Vee’s Fall 2013 Season magazine, and the Candied Popcorn was a new recipe shown in Martha Stewart’s October 2014 Living magazine.

With the Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn I used honey from the local farmer’s market, and Bee’s Knees Peanut Butter to give it the rich thick texture that binds the popcorn. It almost tastes like a peanut butter caramel thanks to the honey and sugar blend in it. With the Candied Popcorn it resembles Indian corn, and is perfect to eat with the unbleached parchment paper wrapped around it.

Links are copied below to maximize space, and for your convenience. 

https://www.hy-vee.com/seasons/recipe.aspx?r=8782

http://www.marthastewart.com/1084338/popcorn-cob#1084338

Have fun with these recipes and enjoy!

Martha Stewart Labor Day Food Feast!

Let's be honest Labor Day isn't complete without some delicious American fare! Jason and I worked from Martha Stewart's American Food cookbook that captures timeless recipes from coast to coast. We selected mouth watering recipes from the South that we hadn't attempted before. The menu included homemade Fried Chicken, Buttermilk Biscuits, Corn on the Cob, Creamy Coleslaw, and Louisiana Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce.

In order to save space, the recipes listed above will not have text. However, we encourage you to check out Martha's American Food Recipe book below for delicious all American fare to cook or entertain with this week!

Kit Kat & Snicker Bar Cookies!

What do you do when you have left over Kit Kat and Snicker bars? Well besides eating them…you can throw them into cookies of course! The multi layers of chopped candy bar and chocolate chips are a great mix of varied texture.

 

As you make these, you’ll probably notice that both of these cookies are rich and quite chocolaty. Out of both of the recipes, I liked the Kit Kat ones a little more because of the blended taste of melted Kit Kats and white Ghirardelli chocolate chips. The Snicker Chocolate Chip cookies have a unique undertone flavoring with the cornstarch, and are truly better when the dough is chilled overnight.

 

Try baking these cookies up this week to see which candy bar cookie you prefer! Enjoy

 

Kit Kat and White Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies:

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2014/01/kit-kat-cookies/

Snicker Chocolate Chip Cookies:

http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/05/soft-and-chewy-snickers-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

 

Macaroni and Cheese

When I was young I enjoyed baked Macaroni and Cheese. Now that I am an adult I continue to enjoy this meal however I seem to have a continual search for the best recipe of this believed meal. I must admit that I did find one recipe that seemed to capture that great dish from my childhood.

This Macaroni and Cheese has two types of cheddar in the recipe. However, you can easily switch this out with just one type, and add anther melting cheese, such as pepper jack, and Muenster, Swiss, or mozzarella.   For an added twist I added broccoli. But, if you not a broccoli fan you could add ham or sharp to this dish. 

This meal serves 8 and takes about an hour from start to table. 

For this meal you will need: 

1 pound elbow pasta

4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped 

1/4 cup flour (spooned and leveled) 

4 cups milk

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/4 cup shredded yellow cheddar cheese 

1 1/4 cup Shredded white cheddar cheese 

Course Salt and fresh ground pepper

Broccoli 

2 slices whiter sandwich bread

1. Preheat the oven to 375'F. Cook the pasta according to package instructions; drain and reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring often, until softened 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour to coat the onion. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk until there are no lumps. 

2. Cook, whisking often, until the mixture is think and bubbly and coasts the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cayenne, and 1 cup each of both the yellow and white Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. 

3. Toss the pasta with the cheese mixture; fold in the broccoli. Transfer together with the remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow Cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon slat. Top the paste with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until the top is gold, about 30 minutes. 

enjoy! 

The July cupcake...

America's love affair with individual cakes kicked off in 1796 when the first recipe was written in the book American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. But, it was not tell 1828 that this individual cake hit it big and earned the name "cupcake" with Liza Leslie's receipts cookbook, Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats. Today the cupcake has become a $20.1 billion retail industry and cakes sale for $3.00 to $5.00 each.

For this post I wanted to share with you a simple Devils Food cupcake with an added twist. For the added twist I filled these yummy cakes with cherry pie filling. To do this I got a cup cake corer and removed the centers of the cakes and using a frosting bag I filled the center of the cakes with the cherries. Once filled I toped them off with a rich chocolate frosting. I encourage you all to get creative with you cupcakes and make them yours.

If you wondering about the white frosting... that same night I made Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

In preparation for National S'mores Day on August 10th

1927 was a the year that revolutionized the campfire dinning experience. The publication Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts introduced this awesome now traditional nighttime threat. This tasty dessert is most popular in the United States and Canada and consists of roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker.

For my S'mores I liked to mix them up with an assortment of chocolate candy bars such as Rolo, York Peppermint Patty, Rese's, Kit Kat, and the traditional Hershey's. I must note that my favorite was the York and Rolo. 

Patriotic Pie and Red, White & Blue Krispies!

I saw this Patriotic Pie and loved the creative twist of it being a banana creme base with patriotic fruit topping. One thing I did alter in this recipe is the making of the homemade whipped topping. I tried making the topping but apparently in my attempt to make it extra fluffy, I made butter. My next best option was buying canned whipped topping, which did the trick! This recipe is a great way to use up any fresh raspberries, blackberries and bananas.

http://secretlifeofachefswife.com/anthologie/desserts/the-easiest-fourth-of-july-pie-ive-ever-seen

The Red, White & Blue Krispies were a lot of fun to make and would make a great centerpiece for a 4th of July party. I loved the creativity of it, but the recipe required a lot of food coloring to make it. Subsequently, this dried out the bars and made them brittle and dry when they were cooled. I made a plain batch of Rice Krispies and was able to use airheads to make a flag from the red, blue & white.  Enjoy!

http://the-wilson-world.blogspot.com/2011/06/red-white-and-krispy-treats_30.html

http://www.starmedia.us/woman/4th-of-july-patriotic-flag-rice-crispy-treats-with-airheads-recipe.html

Teddy at the Beach Kit Kat Cake!

This cake is similar to an earlier cupcake version I made this Spring. However, I love the idea of a Kit Kat border surrounding the cake to offset the frosted texture. This is such a fun cake to make, and you can be extremely creative with beach toppings. On half the cake top I used whipped buttercream frosting with brown sugar and crushed graham crackers for the sand. For the ocean I used Pillsbury Aqua Blue vanilla frosting. Teddy Graham's in peach rings as floaties, and Fruit by the Foot is perfect for colorful beach towels. Cocktail umbrellas and plastic palm trees add to the tropical scene. Enjoy!:)

http://lovelypartythings.com/2012/07/09/beach-party-birthday-cake/

Lemons Pull-Apart Bread

I found this recipe in the Hy-Vee Seasons Summer edition mag, and what's fun about this recipe is its versatile enough that it would be great for Sunday brunch or a work potluck. The recipe will take a little time so I would highly advise making it during a weekend morning. It's a solid 3 hours to thaw out the bread with a 30 min prep in between. The best part is after the dough rises, and is sectioned accordingly you layer it 5 high with each strip containing zesty lemon/sugar mixture & roasted almonds. The last section is layered on top, and then the dough is cut into 6 sections, placed in sprayed loaf pans and then left to rise 30-50 mins. Once the bread is baked & cooled you can drizzle on a lemon flavored icing. It is a sweeter bread, it reminds me of a lemon monkey bread minus the cinnamon. Enjoy!

http://www.hy-vee.com/seasons/recipe.aspx?r=9266

Beef Rolls with Salad

I feel that hot summer days tend to draw a craving for salad. So, for Monday's dinner I made Beef Rolls with salad. This simple meal only took me about 20 minutes to whip up.

For this meal you will need:
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Onion, halved and sliced
2 red or orange bell peppers, ribs and seed removed, sliced 1/4 inch think
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup water
3/4 pound thinly sliced top round beef, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 ounces pepper jack cheese, thinly sliced.
1 package lettuce lettuce mix


1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add onions and peppers; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the ager; cover and simmer 3 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.

2. Pat meat dry with paper taels and season with salt and pepper. Place cheese and onion-pepper mixture in center of beef pieces. Beginning with narrow end of meat, roll filling and secure with toothpicks.

3. Using the same skillet over medium-high; brush with 1 teaspoon oil. Place meat rolls, seam side down, in skillet; cook, turning occasionally, until beef browns and cheese melts, about 8 minutes (reduce heat if beef is growing too quickly). Transfer beef tools to a plate.

4. Toss lettuce with your favorite dressing; season with salt and pepper. Remove toothpicks from beef tolls; serve with salad.

This great receipt cold easily be moved to the grill or you could get creative with different vegetables and cheeses. I added a little blue cheese and red bell peppers to my salad as I have some available. Please feel free to share your ideas with Angie and myself. Or if you would like us to try a dish send it our way and we will give it our best shot.

Roasted Cornish Hens, homemade biscuits and strawberry shortcakes.

One thing that I LOVE doing is cooking! For this past weekends meal I had a few friends over for Roasted Cornish Hens with Grapes. I also whipped up biscuits and shortcakes that where later covered in strawberries.

Cornish hens are nice treat and they take about half the time it takes for a whole chicken. It took me about an hour to get these little hens on the table. I encourage you to explore your cookbooks to try and find a fast recipe that will be easy and yummy.

I know its simple to crack open some biscuits in a can. However, buttermilk biscuits are simple to make and truly don't take much time at all. I love the taste of buttermilk biscuits as the buttermilk tenderizes and adds flavor. That and you can tell if the food you are consuming is real and clean or pumped full of preservatives.

Strawberry Shortcake is often cited as the single most popular dessert across the country, and for good reason. The combination of sugared fresh fruit, sweet biscuits, and whipped cream makes for a delightful jumble of contrasting taste, textures, and flavors in every spoonful. What is event better about the concept of strawberry shortcake is that it can be adapted to use any summer fruits at their glories peak.