Food Finds with Robin

Wanna-be-pretty snowflake cookies

2011-01-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Hope 2011 brings you & your family many sweet blessings. I'm hoping it will for us!

To be honest, over the last month or two I haven't been doing much cooking. And by that I mean that I haven't been trying any new recipes. I've just been recycling old favorites like Beef Mechado (I make this at least once a week), Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Spanish Rice Bake, etc.

I have been baking though! And yes, I made more sugar cookies. When Annie posted her G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S. snowflakes cookies, I thought, "I can do that too! I mean, how hard is it to decorate with royal icing?!" Let's just say, New Years resolution #1 = be more humble. I have a LONG way to go with royal icing.

And so, I give you my wanna-be-pretty snowflake cookies. Check out my pedestrian designs versus her intricate snowflakes & use of sanding sugars & sugar pearls. Be still my detailed, sorta-OCD heart!

And now the finished product! Don't get me wrong, I think they're totally pretty. My goal for this year is to think of my own designs & get to that next level in terms of decorating.

One more thing to note, I used a #3 tip to outline & a #2 to decorate. For me, I found a #1 tip too difficult to use. I found myself squeezing way too hard & the icing was coming out in bits. In time, I hope to master it. ;-)

More trees!

2010-12-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

I had a cookie exchange with some fabulous ladies last weekend & look what I made. Surprise, surprise. ;-)

Please forgive the pics. It was very early in the morning & virtually no natural light around.

FYI, I found the dotting technique from Bridget at Bake at 350 made the decorating process go soooooooooooooooo smoothly. I'm not good with a piping bag yet, so I definitely prefer this method. Plus, the cookies look sooooooooooooo pretty!

For more on sugar cookies, please see my previous posts here & here.

More sugar cookies

2010-12-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Excited about my successful first batch, I decided to go at it again. I used the same sugar cookie recipe (thank you Annie!) & wanted to try a few new decorating techniques a la Bridget at Bake at 350. I was so confident in my abilities that I even doubled the recipe for the cookies. While I was very, very pleased with the results, it took me FOREVER to get this finished. FOREVER.

Colored royal icing.

Getting ready to decorate.

See all the cookies! That's why it took FOREVER.

Thinned royal icing for flooding & dotting.

And they're done!

Yes, I took WAY too many pictures of the cookies. And here are some more! ;-)

I definitely need to practice my dotting technique.

Of course, we didn't eat all these cookies by ourselves. We love to eat, but not that much. These cookies are just begging to be shared with family & friends. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

2010-12-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

For a very long time now, I've been admiring the baking prowess of Annie from Annie's Eats. She is the absolute best! She's so good that I implore you to head over to her blog NOW. Just look at her Holiday Baking Inspiration post. Amazing, right?

After ogling her gorgeous sugar cookies with royal icing for so long, I decided to tackle them myself. Annie makes it look so easy & it really was (though it took me HOURS to finish). I'm hoping to get better & faster with time, and the only way to do this is to practice. So, for those of you who know me IRL, I may be coming by with some sugar cookies soon. ;-)

Now, on to the fun stuff!

SUGAR COOKIES (Makes ~18 large cookies)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg, beaten

2.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

2.5 cups sifted flour

Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, vanilla, salt & flour. Chill dough until firm (about an hour). Roll to 1/4" thickness on a well-floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on lined baking sheets.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should not be brown. Completely cool, then frost & decorate.

ROYAL ICING

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 tbsp meringue powder

5 tbsp water

Per Annie (and this is 99.9% verbatim), combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (about 7-10 minutes).

Transfer royal icing to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time (½-1 teaspoon at a time) and stir by hand until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping. (Remember, if you are having any difficulty piping, it is still too thick. Add a little more liquid and try again.)

Then, divide the batch of royal icing between the various airtight containers and color each as desired. Gel icing color is best as it does not add a significant amount of liquid. Liquid food coloring can be used as well – add powdered sugar as needed to compensate for any thinning that occurs.

FYI, I had to use a whole lotta green gel coloring to get the icing this green!

Transfer the colored icings to the prepared pastry bags. You don't have to use all of the icing you color, only as much as you think you will need for piping. Leave any excess in the container and cover with the airtight lid while the icing is not in use.

Let the cookies stand for about an hour to ensure the icing will set. With any of the piping bags that are not in use, store them upright in a drinking glass with a very small amount of water in the bottom. This prevents the icing in the tip from hardening.

Look how pretty they are...and they're not even done!

Once all the cookies have been outlined, thin out the icing left in the containers by incorporating a small amount (½-1 teaspoon) of water at a time, until the icing drips off the spoon easily when lifted and then smooths in with that still in the bowl. If you go too far and the icing is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to thicken it again. Once the icing has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a squeeze bottle (MAKE SURE YOU BUY A FUNNEL FOR THIS PART!), and flood the area surrounded by the piping on each cookie. If you're not interested in squeeze bottles and/or funnels (or completely forget to buy a funnel), you can be ghetto fab like me & use a plastic bag with a hole in one corner.

Flooding ghetto fab-style.

If the icing does not completely spread to the edges, use a toothpick to help it along. Allow the cookies to set overnight.

The next day, use remaining thick icing in pastry bags to pipe detailing onto the cookies. Let this icing set at least one hour.

Not bad for my first time, eh??? I adore these Christmas trees!

And check out these sweet snowflakes.

The cookies were given a thumbs up from both the hubs & my little gal.

Some final thoughts:

Don't forget to buy several decorating tips. I used #3s for the piping. For finer detail work, I used #1s & #2s. Also, be sure to buy couplers for your pastry bags & funnels to transfer the thinned icing to the squeeze bottles.
These cookies took me a LONG time to make. They require at least a day & a half of your attention. This can be hard when you have a little one running around the house. The cookies definitely are a labor of love, but sooooooooooooooooo worth it! I've already got a laundry list of cookie cutters to buy. I can't wait to bake some more! (And to be honest, I've already done a 2nd batch of Christmas cookies! Pics of those cookies to come!)

Milk Chocolate Pecan Pie

2010-12-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

I made this on a whim last Thanksgiving & the family deemed it to be a winner! I, of course, had to make it again this Thanksgiving.

This recipe comes from Allrecipes. Oh, how I love you, Allrecipes!

MILK CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE (Serves 6)

1 (9") pie shell
3 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecan
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, roughly chop up the pecans.

My silly little gal & her little fingers!

Next, beat eggs lightly.

Then, stir in the corn syrup, sugar & melted butter. Mix well.

Stir in pecans & milk chocolate chips.

Place filling inside pie crust. To prevent overbrowning, use a pieshield.

Bake for 25 minutes, then cover the whole thing with foil & bake for an additional 25-35 minutes. The filling will be jiggly, but will firm up as it cools. Chill before serving. FYI, the crust does get pretty brown.

And there goes my silly little gal with those little fingers again! Enjoy!

Green Bean Casserole

2010-12-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

Is this recipe really worth blogging since it's so well known? Of course, it is! Plus, I think my pics of the fresh green beans are really pretty.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE (Serve 4-6)

1 (10.75oz) can of cream of mushroom soup (I used the fat-free stuff)

3/4 cup milk (again, I used fat-free)

1/8 tsp black pepper

4 cups fresh, cooked, cut green beans

1 1/3 cups fried onions

Pics of produce are absolutely beautiful, are they not?

All clean & cut.

And now cooked.

Next, mix the soup, milk & pepper.

Then, add the green beans & 2/3 cup of fried onions. And bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Top with remaining 2/3 cup fried onions & bake for an additional 5 minutes until onions are golden.

Serve alongside other delectable Thanksgiving fare.

Homemade Chex Mix

2010-11-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

Our holidays aren't complete without this stuff! Every Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law makes a fresh, big ol' batch of it & we all just devour the stuff. Anyway, this year, she put me in charge of the delicious melange of goodness. Enjoy!

HOMEMADE CHEX MIX (Makes 24-1/2 cup servings)

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Heat oven to 250°F. In very large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside.

Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Stir in seasonings.

Pour seasoned butter mixture on the cereal a little bit a time, making sure to toss until cereal is evenly coated. Transfer to a large roasting pan (I used 2-9x13 pans myself). Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool (I used my jelly roll pan lined with paper towels). Store in airtight container (I used old plastic containers for almonds & other snacks).

And look what I made this weekend!

2010-11-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

A little teaser for now. Pretty decent for my first time, eh?

But first up will be the Thanksgiving posts! More tomorrow...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Praise be to God for His many gifts & blessings.

This Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law put my in charge of 3 things (an app, a side dish & dessert). Full posts to come soon!

My appetizer offering this year is homemade Chex Mix. Our holidays wouldn't be complete without the stuff! So yummy!

Next, I was commissioned to make green bean casserole (avec fresh green beans). This is my second favorite Thanksgiving dish (the first being stuffing). So, I made sure to double the recipe.

And for dessert, I present to you Milk Chocolate Pecan Pie. I made this on a whim one year & it was a smashing success! This is a nice variation on your traditional pecan pie. So good & super easy to make!

Hope you all have a wonderful & peaceful Thanksgiving holiday!

Beef Stroganoff

2010-11-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

Oh, my sweet little food blog! How I've neglected you! I come bearing gifts of a delicious & super easy Beef Stroganoff recipe, courtesy of my dear mother-in-law. To ensure wonderfully tender meat, I recommend simmering for at least 2 hours. You won't regret it!

BEEF STROGANOFF (Serves 4-6)

1.5-2 lbs beef stew meat

1/4 cup flour

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup butter

1-2 bags of sliced mushrooms (depends on how much you like mushrooms)

2-3 cloves garlic minced

1 can beef broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (16oz) bag of egg noodles, cooked

Place flour in a shallow bowl or plate. Add salt & pepper. Dredge beef in flour, making sure to shake off any excess flour.

In a large skillet, melt butter on high heat. Add garlic & saute for 1-2 minutes (do not burn).

Add meat & brown.

Add can of beef broth & let simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

At the end of 2 hours, you'll get this wonderfully tender meat in a thick sauce.

Add mushrooms & let simmer for another 45 minutes.

The mushrooms will shrink down.

When you're almost ready to serve, add in 1 cup of sour cream. Incorporate well. Then, salt & pepper to taste. If sauce seems a little thin, add a little flour & increase the heat to thicken.

Pour sauce over cooked pasta & enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting

2010-11-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

I'm a total pumpkin tip...and maybe the cup of pumpkin I had leftover after making those Pumpkin Bars has something to do with it too. ;-)

I now give you an EXCELLENT recipe for pumpkin cookies. The hubs absolutely raved about these & even deemed them better than **GASP** Grandma's Orange Cookies. I think nothing beats Grandma's Orange Cookies, but these come close.

I found this recipe on, of course, Allrecipes. And you can print it out here.

PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH PENUCHE FROSTING (Makes 36 cookies)

Cookies:

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Frosting:

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, cream together shortening, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in walnuts (optional).

Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto baking sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on wire racks.

To make the frosting, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Cool slightly, then stir in the milk, and beat until smooth. Gradually stir in 2 cups confectioners' sugar until frosting has reached desired consistency. Spread on cooled cookies.

Some final thoughts:

I don't know if it's my oven or what, but I had to bake these for 14-15 minutes. Bake until they start turning golden brown on the bottom & edges. Otherwise, you'll get some raw cookie dough on top.
This cookie is more cakey than your traditional cookie.
Instead of spreading the frosting on the cookie, I just dip the cookie into the saucepan. This ensures pretty even coverage. Also, I leave the saucepan on the lowest heat setting so that the frosting stays soft.

Paul's Pumpkin Bars

2010-11-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

I have no idea who Paul is, but he sure does make some delicious pumpkin bars! You can find & print the recipe on Allrecipes.

PAUL'S PUMPKIN BARS (Yields 2 dozen)

Base:

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Then in a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil & pumpkin.

Beat with an electric mixer until light & fluffy. What a neat, brilliant orange!

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Completely cool before frosting.

To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars.

Cut into squares.

These bars are super moist & yummy! Probably one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. Enjoy!

Thank you, Great Pumpkin!

2010-10-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

Just a preview of a post to come! In the meantime, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

In honor of Halloween

2010-10-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing tops the Disney magic! On a recent trip to Disneyland, we discovered this gorgeous fall & pumpkin display in the Big Thunder Ranch area.

Check out the beautiful decor. It's all about the details with Disney!

And now, check out the intricately carved pumpkins. A M A Z I N G.

Look, it's Crush.

And there's the Mad Hatter & Tinkerbell.

Mike Wazowski & Sulley. You can see a cut-off Boo in the bottom right corner.

Loveable Stitch. The detail in this one is awesome!

Prince Naveen in frog (& pumpkin) form.

The evil Maleficent.

Mr. Fredricksen from Up or as my little gal calls him, "the old man."

And finally, Jack & Sally riding in their buggy.

Hope you all have a safe & fun Halloween!

Delicious Food Finds & Vendor Rave: Truly Scrumptious Cookies

2010-10-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I threw a baby shower for a dear friend. The baby is her first & she's expecting a girl! Of course, I needed to find the perfect shower favor. Enter Truly Scrumptious Cookies on Etsy. Melissa was an absolute doll to work with & she was able to accommodate my request given a short timeline.

Truly Scrumptious' sugar cookies are intricately decorated & beautifully designed. You must check out her site! How adorable are these? And these? Oh, and these! And just one more for fun, these!

Not only are these cookies gorgeous, THEY ALSO TASTE AMAZING! I'm a sugar cookie snob & these are super delicious!!!

Look how pretty the favors turned out!

Each onesie was beautifully presented in a cellophane bag & adorned with a pink satin ribbon. Melissa packaged each cookie in its own piece of bubble wrap to ensure there would be no breakage while in transport.

Can you see the pretty details? I love the scalloped collar, white snaps at the bottom & the pretty pink roses.

Check out how each place setting turned out.

And finally, here's the glowing & gorgeous mama-to-be opening her gifts.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

I found this on Allrecipes years ago & this is my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. This a FANTASTIC recipe!

BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (Makes 2 dozen)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp hot water

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter & sugars until smooth. Beat in egg & then stir in vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips & nuts.

Using a medium cookie scoop, drop dough onto pan.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are nicely browned.

Enjoy!!!

Sour Cream & Mushroom Chicken

2010-10-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from our church cookbook. The recipe actually calls for chicken thighs, but I didn't have any on-hand. While the recipe turned out really great, I know using chicken thighs will make it so much better (the juiciness, flavor & tenderness can't be beat!)

SOUR CREAM & MUSHROOM CHICKEN (Serves 4)

6 to 8 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless

2-3 tbsp butter

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup, low-fat

salt & pepper to taste

1-2 pkgs fresh mushrooms, sliced

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet, add 2 tbsp butter & saute 2 cloves of garlic for 1-2 minutes on high heat.

Add chicken & brown. Salt & pepper to taste.

Then, place chicken in a shallow baking dish. Save skillet for later.

In the same frying pan, add 1 tbsp butter, 1 clove of minced garlic & mushrooms. Saute for 1-2 minutes.

Next, add in soup & sour cream. Mix well.

Pour sour cream-mushroom mixture over chicken. Cover with foil & bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Serve with brown rice or over mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Starbucks' Oat Fudge Bars

2010-10-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

So, a few years ago, Starbucks sold these AHHHHHHHHHHHHH-mazing oat fudge bars. But then all of a sudden, they discontinued selling them. Boo. I was bummed because I'm not a coffee drinker. Aside from the occasional Frappucino, this decadent dessert would be the only thing I'd buy there.

Earlier this week, these bars randomly popped up in my head & I was totally craving. I found this recipe online & it looked pretty good. The oat-y part is not how I remembered, but it's definitely a good start. Both the hubs & his sister deemed these to be very, VERY good. They especially loved the fudge-y layer.

STARBUCKS OAT FUDGE BARS (Serves many)

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 (14 ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter. Beat the remaining butter with a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs & 2 teaspoons of vanilla.

In another large bowl, stir together flour & baking soda; stir in oats.

Gradually stir flour mixture into wet mixture.

Press two-thirds (about 3-1/3 cups) of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15×10x1-inch baking pan.

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons butter, sweetened condensed milk & chocolate chips. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture.

Using your fingers, dot remaining oat mixture over the chocolate.

Bake in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2×2 inch inch bars.

Some final thoughts:

I didn't have a 15x10x1 pan, so I just used my 9x13 baking dish. If you find yourself in the same situation, I'd use 4-4.5 cups of oat mixture as the base because otherwise you'll have a ton of it leftover for the topping.
Next time for the topping, I'm going to use smaller pieces to "dot" the top. Some of the pieces are a little too big & got a little crunchy. Super tasty, but a little crunchy.
I highly recommend using the fat-free condensed milk (which is also cheaper than the full-fat, name brand stuff) to cut down on the calories.
This dessert is REALLY easy to make & so good!

Zucchini Linguini

2010-09-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from the hubs' surrogate grandmother, Nonnie Fran. While growing up, his grandparents lived far so away & Nonnie filled that grandparent role. Nonnie was a sweet, little old Italian lady with the most amazing recipes. Zucchini linguini was one of them. Serve along side some roasted chicken or broiled fish, and you have one delicious meal!

ZUCCHINI LINGUINI (Serves 4)

8oz linguini, cooked al dente
2-3 tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green pepper, cut in thin strips
3-4 cups zucchini, thinly sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, Italian style
1/2 cup gruyere or swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Veggie prep.

Boil pasta as directed. Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, saute onion & garlic in butter until soft.

Add green peppers & cook 3-4 minutes until slightly soft.

Add zucchini & cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add can of tomatoes & mix well.

Add in pasta & mix well. Add cheeses (leave a little gruyere for later) & mix well.

Bake in a casserole dish for 35-40 minutes at 350.

When done, top with leftover cheese & let melt.

Chicken Mechado

2010-09-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

The other day, I made Chicken Mechado (obviously the chicken version of this recipe). It was soooooooooooo good! I followed Mom's recipe & it came out beautifully!

Check it out!

CHICKEN MECHADO (Serves 4)

2-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
3 potatoes, chopped
1-1.5 cups baby carrots
1 small can tomato sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 can chicken broth

Veggie prep.

Place skillet on high heat & add a little bit of oil. Brown meat.

Next, add the garlic & onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes until soft.

Then add one small can of tomato sauce. Mix well.

Add soy sauce. Mix well.

Then, add the whole can of chicken broth. Cover & simmer for at least 45 minutes. This ensures super duper tender meat.

Once the time is up, add the baby carrots. Cover & simmer another 20 minutes. The sauce will still be pretty thin, but the addition of the veggies will eventually thicken it up.

Next, add the potatoes. Cover & simmer for another 10 minutes.

Finally, add the bell pepper. Cover & simmer just 20 minutes more.

Serve over white rice.

Nothing much happening here

2010-09-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

The hubs was out of town last week, so there was really no need to cook...especially when I have some great in-laws who are willing to cook for me. Thanks Mom & Dad! ;-)

However, now that the hubs is home (so nice to have my little family all back together) & my fridge is stocked for the upcoming week, I'm ready to cook! Look for some new posts later this week!

Until then, check out these beauties that I picked up at the farmer's market.

Can you believe a half flat (six baskets) cost me only $10?! And these beautiful, ginormous berries were deliciously ripe & sweet. Definitely hard to come by so late in the season. YUM.

Mom's Chicken Adobo

2010-09-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

For years, I've been asking my Mom to write down her recipes. YEARS, I tell ya. But silly me already had one of her recipes for YEARS now & I had never made it. Mom had given me the recipe for her Chicken Adobo for my bridal shower. Yes, the one where I received this great recipe. And this amazing recipe.

To be honest, I always knew Mom's Chicken Adobo was in my recipe book, but subconsciously shied away from it because I knew mine would never turn out as good as hers. Also, I know my Mom doesn't ever measure anything out, she goes just by taste. So, when she wrote this recipe out, I always wondered if she sorta winged it in her head.

Turns out, the recipe Mom had written out for me was pretty spot on. I can't even begin to tell you how easy Adobo is to make. I feel like such a fool for letting this recipe sit untouched for so long.

CHICKEN ADOBO (Serves 4)

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
3 bay leaves
3 cloves minced garlic

Place chicken in a sealable container. Next, combine the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl & then pour over chicken. Let chicken marinate for a couple of hours. Overnight is better.

Once the marinating is done, add a tiny amount of oil to your skillet. On med-high heat, brown your chicken (a few minutes on each side).

Then, pour the marinade into your skillet. Bring to boil then simmer for 2 hours. For the last 30 minutes, I reduced my heat to the lowest setting.

FYI for my non-Filipino food eating readers, the smell of the vinegar might be a little unusual. No worries because you'll get something awesome in the end.

After 2 hours, you'll get wonderfully tender, fragrant chicken. Serve on top of white rice.

As you can see, I like to enjoy my Adobo by shredding up the chicken & mixing it all up. Also notice the high rice to meat ratio. And finally, make sure you have enough sauce throughout. Sooooooo good!

Birthday Presents

2010-09-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Did you know that during your birthday month, you can get a slew of "presents" from your favorite stores & restaurants? I signed my whole family up which means the hubs & the little gal get birthday treats too!

Check out all the "gifts" I recently received in my inbox:

Red Robin - Free birthday burger
Black Angus - Free steak dinner worth up to $19.99
Claim Jumper - Any entree worth up to $18
Islands - Free Kona Pie
Buca di Beppo - Free appetizer & a special treat for dessert
Red Lobster - $5 any two dinner entrees
Mimi's Cafe - $10 off any $20 purchase
Acapulco - Free entree

Chevy's - Free entree
El Torito - Free entree
BJ's Restaurant & Brewery - Free Pizookie

Other neat birthday "greetings" I received:

Harry & David - 10% off any purchase
Bass Rewards - 20% off any purchase
The Children's Place - 15% off any purchase

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2010-09-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

In addition to the Pecan Crusted Chicken, I also made Baked Sweet Potato Fries. So easy to make & so good! Definitely a winner in my book.

BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES (Serves 4)

Vegetable oil

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), scrubbed, peeled & cut into 4-inch sticks, each 1/2 inch thick

3 large egg whites (a scant 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub non-stick baking sheet with oil.

Put sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe container, cover & microwave 2 minutes. Stir gently, cover & microwave 1-2 minutes more until pieces are pliable. Let rest 5 minutes covered.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy, add spice mix & whisk to blend.

Working in batches, toss the sweet-potato pieces in the seasoned egg whites, letting the excess liquid drip back into the bowl. Place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake 10 minutes, then flip pieces over with a spatula. Bake until dark golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Some final thoughts:

I don't make sweet potatoes often so, I didn't know sweet potatoes made your hands sticky when you cut them. Interesting. It also took several washings to rinse the stickiness away.
Make sure to cut your sweet potatoes at the recommended thickness (1/2"). I thought they looked a little too thick & started cutting them thinner. Bad idea because the thinner pieces will burn quickly...and burnt sweet potatoes are gross, right? Right.

Pecan Crusted Chicken Breasts

2010-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've been a lazy bum as of late & haven't been cooking much. Strike that. I've been cooking, but nothing new. So in actuality, I've been a lazy bum in terms of trying new recipes. I have a tendency to make the same things over & over again. Like this. And this. And this. Yes, I'm a creature of habit.

However, last weekend, we were invited to Ari & Olga's place for lunch. Olga made the most amazing chicken & side of sweet potato fries. Everything was sooooooooooo good! And of course, I needed both recipes right away so that I could make them that week. (I told you I like to eat the same things over & over again!) And yes, these recipes will definitely be a part of my repertoire.

PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS (Serves 2-4)

1 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup pecans

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

1 large egg

4 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless (6 to 8 ounces each)

1 tablespoon oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, add walnuts & pulse until finely chopped. Then transfer to a shallow bowl & mix in bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt & pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat egg.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dip each breast into egg white, letting excess drip off, and then into crumb mixture, pressing to adhere.

In a large nonstick ovenproof skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned.

Carefully turn chicken over and put skillet in oven (make sure skillet is oven-safe, otherwise transfer to a baking dish). Bake until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 12-15 minutes.

Final thoughts:

I did all the prep earlier on in the day & then left the chicken breasts covered in the fridge until I was ready to cook them. I highly recommend you do this to because otherwise, you'll have a ton of dishes to wash. But the extra effort is worth it. This chicken is so moist & absolutely delicious!
The original recipe calls for walnuts. I had some on hand, but they were way past their expiration date (I actually put them through the food processor & they just reeked of badness -- gross!) So, I just subbed the walnuts for the fresh pecans I had on-hand & it worked out great!

Crockpot Pork

2010-08-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I don't know the official name of this recipe. So, I'm just gonna call it Crockpot Pork. My mother-in-law made this for dinner one night & I just remember the recipe being super easy! Please note that she also made it with pork chops & browned them beforehand. All I had was pork tenderloin in my freezer, so I used them.

CROCKPOT PORK (Serves 4-6)

2 portions of pork tenderloin
1 can of cream of mushroom soup, low-fat
1 can of cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1 container of fresh mushrooms

Place frozen pork tenderloins in crockpot.

Mix soups & milk together. Then pour over meat.

Cook on low for 8 hours. At hour 5, check consistency of sauce. If too liquidy, mix up 2 tbsp of flour with a little water & add to the sauce. At hour 6, add in fresh mushrooms.

Serve over mashed potatoes or rice. Enjoy!

Some final thoughts:

I was wonderfully surprised at how tender the pork turned out in spite of my frozen beginnings.
While the pork tenderloin was super tasty, I should've have cut it into pieces. It came out long & a bit stringy in the end. It looked a lot like shredded pork. I think pork chops is the best cut for this particular recipe, but it's always nice & convenient to use what you have on-hand.

Easiest Alfredo Sauce You Will Ever Make

2010-08-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

I think I scoured All Recipes for this particular recipe. Seriously, this is the easiest alfredo sauce you will EVER make! It tastes so good & it's super duper quick to make! Maybe 5 minutes at most. Enjoy!

ALFREDO SAUCE (Serves 4)

3 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup milk (I used 1/2 cup fat-free & 1/2 cup 2% milk)
1 1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese

Under medium heat, melt butter in a saucepan. Then add minced garlic. Let cook for 1 minute. Then add milk & parmesan cheese. Switch to high heat & as soon as you see the sauce bubble, turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Continually whisk the sauce to get rid of any parmesan bits.

Serve with your favorite pasta.

Some final thoughts:

Make sure you take a fork to your parmesan cheese beforehand (I just used the generic, every day stuff in the green plastic container) & break up any pieces. This will make such a huge difference in making a smooth sauce.
To decrease the amount of fat, I'm going to use a whole cup of fat-free milk next time. I don't think using all fat-free milk will make a difference. There's plenty o' fat coming from the cheese.
I reheated the leftover tortellini this morning (I wasn't in a breakfasty mood) & the alfredo sauce was absolutely delicious. It wasn't oily & fatty as alfredo sauces usually are when reheated.

Lemon Squares

2010-08-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

In addition to Beef Mechado I made earlier this week, I made Lemon Squares for dessert. I got this recipe from an old co-worker years ago & it's the BEST! This dessert is definitely one of the easiest to make. SO DARN EASY! Also, the shortbread-like base is sooooooooooooooooo good!

LEMON SQUARES (Makes 9 bars)

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
5 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Using a mixer, blend flour, butter & powdered sugar thoroughly.

Press evenly into a 8x8 square pan. Bake 20 minutes.

Beat the rest of the ingredients together.

Pour over crust & bake an additional 20-25 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Sift powdered sugar on top after cooling completely. Enjoy!

My First (Really Successful) Filipino Dish!

2010-08-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

So, I've made some Filipino dishes in the past, i.e., Torta, but my dishes NEVER turn out like Mom's! NO NEVER...

...UNTIL THE OTHER DAY!

When Mom came to visit back in June, I took copious notes & pictures of her making one of my all-time favorite Filipino dishes, Beef Mechado. I was definitely craving & I had almost all the ingredients in my kitchen. Please note the few tweaks I made in cooking time. Also, I highly urge you to buy stew meat because then you don't have to deal with cutting up raw meat. That's always a good thing!

Here's the recipe again:

BEEF MECHADO (Serves 6)

3.5 lbs beef stew meat
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
3 potatoes, chopped
1-1.5 cups baby carrots
1 small can tomato sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 can beef broth
1/2 cup water

Veggie prep.

Place skillet on high heat & add a little bit of oil. Brown meat.

Don't be alarmed when a lot of liquid comes out of the meat.

It'll cook off.

And when it does, add the garlic & onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes until soft.

Then add one small can of tomato sauce. Mix well.

Add soy sauce. Mix well.

Then, add the whole can of beef broth & an additional 1/2 cup of water. Cover & simmer for at least one hour. This ensures super duper tender meat.

Once the hour is up, add the baby carrots. Cover & simmer another 20 minutes. The sauce will still be pretty thin, but the addition of the veggies will eventually thicken it up.

Next, add the potatoes. Cover & simmer for another 15 minutes.

Finally, add the bell pepper. Cover & simmer just 15 minutes more.

Serve over white rice.

I was amazed at how good my Beef Mechado turned out. The hubs, little gal & in-laws really enjoyed it. My Mom would've been so proud! I was so proud!!!

A Special Anniversary Dinner

2010-08-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, this was the very first time the hubs & I have been out alone since our little one was born. Although we missed her for those few hours, we definitely savored our time together.

Again, please forgive my horrible pictures. I'm so happy my new DSLR arrived today! WOOT. (And yes, I just confirmed that me & woot don't mix well.)

We celebrated our recent anniversary with dinner at The Ranch House. The Ranch House looks like nothing on the outside...

...but once inside, you'll find a hidden gem with wonderfully lush, verdant grounds.

And check out our table. So pretty, right? You can't see it in the pic, but there was this tiny little stream/waterfall right alongside us. The sound of the water was so serene.

To start, the hubs ordered the Grilled Quail Salad ($12.95). The quail was so delicious & moist. I also adored the toasted sesame oil & gingered rice vinaigrette! And the sprinkling of pine nuts added such nice texture -- such a great way to top it off!

For my app, I opted for the Snow Crab Cakes ($12.50). They were good, nothing special. I like the crab cakes at Suzanne's much better.

For his main entree, the hubs ordered the Tournedoes ($34.95). This was definitely the highlight of the evening. The beef was so flavorful & wonderfully tender. So, soooooooo good.

I got the Poulet avec Brie ($23.95). It was super moist & tasty. But it was a substantial piece of chicken. I couldn't finish it. Can I say, though, that those carrots on my plate were the best carrots I've EVER had. So yummy.

And we ended the night off with the New Orleans Delight ($7.50). The description per the menu: Baked meringue, coffee ice cream, praline sauce & pecans. What a special way to finish our anniversary dinner!

Many thanks again to my wonderful in-laws for this amazing meal & watching our little gal as we enjoyed the evening!

MIA

2010-08-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

My apologies for being MIA lately. Last week, my DSLR died on me & I've been moping around. I feel totally incapacitated without my "big girl" camera. And can you believe she conked out on me right before such a special occasion?!

This past weekend, the hubs & I celebrated our anniversary with a special night out just the two of us -- our very first date night since the little gal was born! Anyway, we had a lovely evening in a fantastic restaurant with the most lush, verdant grounds you will ever see. And the food? Absolutely delicious. I did my best to take pics with my little ol' point & shoot, but they are horrible compared to anything my lovely DSLR would take.

I'll write more about our dinner soon, but you MUST forgive my pictures.

Until then, I'm literally counting the minutes until my new (& very much upgraded!) DSLR arrives this Friday. Yay!!!

Party Chicken

2010-08-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the lack of cooking posts. The hubs was away on business all last week which meant I didn't have to cook. The little gal & I were able to get by on sandwiches for lunch & bumming off my in-laws at dinner. ;)

On Monday we were back to the usual grind & I was happy to be back in the kitchen. Party Chicken requires very little prep, so of course, I was happy to be back! Hehe.

I acquired this recipe from my mother-in-law who has the best comfort food recipes EVER.

PARTY CHICKEN (Serves 4-6)

8 chicken breast halves
2 (2oz) pkgs of Buddig deli thin beef
1 cup light sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom soup, reduced fat
1 handful of mushrooms, optional

Chop beef & place in the bottom of a 9x13 greased casserole dish.

Place chicken breasts on top of chopped beef.

Mix soup, sour cream & mushrooms together.

Slather over chicken.

Bake at 275 for 3 hours (or at 325 for 1.5 hours) uncovered. Once done, the sauce may be a watery due to the fresh mushrooms. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Serve over brown rice & enjoy!

Happy Anniversary to me!

2010-08-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

I know this is supposed to be a food blog, but I couldn't resist sharing such a happy day with you! Care to walk down memory lane with me?

Several years ago, I married the man of my dreams.

So handsome, right?! I am beyond lucky.

Can I tell you how much I loved my dress?! It was the first one I tried on. I think I may have tried a few more afterward, but this was definitely the one.

I felt so beautiful that day.

It was a gorgeous day here in So Cal. Absolutely gorgeous.

I just love this next sequence of shots. In the first, we're being pronounced husband & wife, and the last ends with our first kiss.

The hubs & me years ago...

Everything turned out beautifully!

We were surrounded by our dearest loved ones that day...

It was such a celebration...

And the good times definitely did ensue...

Oh DEFINITELY...

MOST DEFINITELY.

Our cake! (I guess we can consider this a food post after all!)

It was such an amazing day! And thank you to my amazing hubs for our amazing life together! I LOVE YOU!

Photography by Beyond Images.

Delicious Food Finds: Butchi Butchi

2010-07-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure all my Asian friends will know about these delightful, chewy balls of sesame & red bean goodness. I grew up eating these as my Mom is a huge fan!

You can find Butchi Butchi (as Filipinos call it) or Jian Dui at Chinese restaurants. I LOVE it when they're a part of Chinese food buffets because that means I can eat as many as I want! So yum! I also really love the teeny, tiny bite-sized ones as opposed the palm-sized ones.

You can read more about these "sesame seed balls" HERE, HERE & HERE.

Filipino Torta

2010-07-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know if there's a formal recipe for Filipino Torta per se, as you can make it however you like. It's a very simple, but filling meal. You like egg? Scramble some & throw it in. How about shrimp? My mom loves to add minced shimp to her Torta. I love the flavor the shrimp adds to the dish too, but I HATE cleaning shrimp.

Anyway, this is how I make my Torta...

TORTA (Serves 4)

1-1.5 lbs ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
soy sauce to taste
pepper to taste
ketchup to taste

Saute garlic & onion in some oil until soft.

Add in ground turkey. Cook until brown. Then add soy sauce & pepper to taste.

Add in corn. (My mom likes to add minced carrots in her Torta. I would've added some too, but I didn't have any.)

Drizzle ketchup on top & then mix thoroughly.

Serve over white rice & enjoy!

I like to mix the Torta & rice all up! Notice the large rice to meat ratio. What can I say?! I LOVE RICE!!!

Also, if there any leftovers, I like to scramble egg, pour it over the meat & fry them as patties. Serve with toasted Pan de Sal & you have a FANTASTIC meal! We didn't have any leftovers this time, but I will definitely make this soon just so you can see these Torta-egg patties.

Check out this other recipe for Torta. They made it more like an omelette instead of said patties. Looks so yummy!!!

Delicious Food Finds: Brownie a la Mode Funnel Cake

2010-07-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, the hubs was in San Diego for business. And of course, the little gal & I HAD to tag along.

While Daddy was at work, my gal & I were off to SeaWorld for some Shamu & sea lions.

There were also some really neat beluga whales & a bunch of other stuff too!

Aside from watching my little gal ooh & aah over all the marine life, one of my favorite parts to our afternoon there was our delicious food find: Brownie a la Mode Funnel Cake. You can find this delicious treat at Pineapple Pete's Island Treats (which is located in between the Skytower & Sesame Street Bay of Play).

Pineapple Pete's had regular funnel cakes...

...but how could we resist a CHOCOLATE funnel cake?!

We made the right choice, right?! Check out the chocolately funnel cake goodness topped with vanilla ice cream & hot fudge! So yum.

The little gal DEFINITELY thought made the right choice. She enjoyed it immensely...and I did too. :)

What's for dinner?

2010-07-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm making Salisbury Steak tonight. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm.

And to accompany it, I'll also make The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potatoes Au Gratin. Double yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. (I'm also going to try to snap a different picture of them too instead of the blob you see below. Heh.)

What's on your dinner menu?

Aunt Judy's Banana Bread

2010-07-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started dating the hubs, his Aunt Judy has welcomed me with open arms. I seriously lucked out in the in-laws department. I am so blessed by them!

Anyway, Aunt Judy has some great recipes & her Banana Bread is one of them!

AUNT JUDY'S BANANA BREAD (1 loaf)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup bananas, mashed

Cream butter & sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, then blend in bananas. Mix dry ingredients together & add to creamed mixture alternating with buttermilk. Mix in walnuts.

Place in greased loaf pan 9x5. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for approximately 60-70 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Pecan Cookies

2010-07-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my in-law's old neighbor, Kim. Kim gave it to me at my bridal shower years ago. (Yes, the same shower where I got the BEST kitchen gadget EVER. And this is also the same shower where I got this recipe & this recipe. People sure did give me the best that day! Yay for me!)

Anyway, this is probably one of my very favorite recipes for chocolate chip cookies.

FYI, I always halve this recipe. When using a medium sized cookie scoop from Pampered Chef, half the recipe yields 3 dozen.

CHOCOLATE CHIP TOFFEE PECAN COOKIES (Makes 6 dozen)

1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 English toffee bars, chopped
2 pkgs chocolate chips

Beat butter at medium speed until creamy, gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs & vanilla, beating well. Combine flour with baking powder, baking soda & salt. Then, add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in chocolate chips & nuts.

Use a cookie scoop & place onto baking sheet that's either parchment lined or use a baking mat.

Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool cookies slightly on baking sheets.

Just how many pictures can one take of cookies? Apparently very many.

Then, move to wire racks to cool.

FYI, these cookies are best when eaten right away. Anything beyond two days, they get dry & hard. Enjoy!

Actually, this is the best kitchen gadget EVER!

2010-07-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

A ways back, I mentioned that this pineapple slicer was the best kitchen gadget ever.

I lied. Actually, this is the best kitchen gadget EVER!

But that pineapple slicer from Williams-Sonoma is a very close second.

Man, I love my handy dandy garlic press from Pampered Chef. I was also gifted this at my bridal shower back in 2003. My sister-in-law gave me a ton of neat kitchen gadgets from the Pampered Chef catalog & this garlic press came out on top. I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooove this thing. You pop in your clove of garlic (skin & everything) and what comes out is beautifully minced garlic goodness.

Shelling out $16 might seem like a lot for a garlic press but IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY. If you use a lot of garlic in your cooking, go out & buy one now.

Fresh from the ocean

2010-07-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

That evening after the street fair, my in-laws invited us over for dinner to partake in some super fresh & mighty delicious Alaskan halibut & king salmon. My father-in-law just returned the night before from a fishing trip to Sitka, Alaska. After 3 days of fishing, he came back with 40+ pounds of salmon steaks & filets, as well as halibut. This was probably one of the best dinners I've had in a long time.

Fresh halibut baked slathered in a sour cream-mayo-onion mixture. Soooooooooooooooo good!

Delicious king salmon with rub grilled to perfection:

Grilled zucchini & summer squash:

Cabbage salad:

My plate o' food:

And for dessert, Mom made a fresh peach & blueberry pie:

Success!

2010-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Now this is what Chicken Enchilada Casserole should look like! It's the gobs & gobs of shredded cheese that make this dish so delish! Also, make sure you heap on the enchilada sauce on the tortillas -- the added flavor makes a huge difference. Enjoy!

On the menu tonight...

2010-07-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

...is Chicken Enchilada Casserole & Mexican Rice. I'm boiling chicken as I ~~speak~~ write. I'm excited not only for the yumminess, but to also take a new photo. The cheese in the picture below looks really sad. Don't get me wrong, it sure was tasty! But man, the casserole is oh-so-sad looking.

What's on your dinner menu tonight?

Ann Lander's Meatloaf

2010-07-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

When I need to make a meal with little or no prep, this is where I go. I can literally have this meatloaf prepped in 5 minutes or less. Then, all you do is pop it in the oven & dinner is served!

ANN LANDER'S MEATLOAF (Serves 6-8)

2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 (1.25 oz) onion soup mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup ketchup
1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients together except the tomato sauce.

Form into a loaf.

Cover loaf with tomato sauce.

Bake at 350 for one hour. Serve alongside mac & cheese or mashed potatoes. FYI, I often halve this recipe for my little family of 3. When you halve the recipe, there will be PLENTY for dinner & leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches the next day. Enjoy!

Local Street Fair Fare

2010-07-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I convinced the hubs to attend our town's street fair. There were several blocks of vendors selling dresses, puppets, chiropractic services, water softeners, etc. Essentially, the general hodge podge o' stuff as far as street fairs go.

Anyway, I was obviously excited to see what kind of food was available. Once I saw the Argentinian empanada booth, I was sold.

That's a ground beef & olive empanada on the left & a chicken & hard boiled egg empanada on the right. I hate olives, so you can guess which one was my favorite. We also had a cheese, tomato & basil empanada, but the hubs gobbled it all up before I could take a picture. ($6.50 for three)

Right next to the empanada booth was a vendor selling pupusas. What?!?!?! Pupusas??? YES, PLEASE!!! And this was what my $4.99 bought me:

WHAT THE HECK WAS THIS???????? THIS AIN'T NO PUPUSA. There was actually a corn tortilla on top of this (think a double layer soft tostada). I should've demanded my money back as soon as he handed me this plate of nonsense. I was so disappointed. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

FYI, Mr. Vendor, these are pupusas. (Photo credit to fenchurch)

And so is this! (Photo credit to jslander)

And here are some adorably packaged pupusas in a toddler's lunch. So cute! (Photo credit to biggie*)

You can see more pics of REAL pupusas here. Ok, fake pupusa rant over!

For dessert, the little gal & I shared a peanut butter dipped vanilla soft serve cone ($4). It was fantastic! It almost redeemed my major pupusa FAIL.

And in spite of the pupusa upset, I had a great time because I spent the afternoon my two sweet loves.

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Delicious Food Finds: Wetzel's Pretzels Gourmet Bitz

2010-07-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

I love hot, fresh pretzels from the mall. Don't you??? I especially LOVE Wetzel's Pretzels! However, I rarely partake in their deliciousness because I hate paying $3.29+ for just one of their gourmet pretzels. It's a total rip off in my book.

But the other day as my little gal & I were walking around the mall, she asked for a snack. The only place nearby was Wetzel's Pretzels. I went in already knowing I wanted to try their bag o' pretzels because they were bite-sized pieces -- perfect for her little fingers.

We left the store with our bag FULL of warm, almond crunch-coated pretzels. I was totally impressed with how much was inside. Wow.

The pretzels were obviously delicious. And I'm totally getting hungry just thinking about them. Yum. Their Gourmet Bitz are also the most economical item on their menu. Moms with multiple children and/or wives with hungry husbands, I highly recommend you pick up a bag & forego the individual pretzels. You'll have plenty of pretzel bitz for everyone & then some.

$4.29 for a bag of Wetzel's Pretzels Gourmet Bitz

Delicious almond crunchy goodness!

And for an additional $2.99, my gal & I indulged on a small frozen strawberry lemonade. We got the small size, but for $0.30 more, you can upgrade to a large!

Thank you, Hipstamatic, for taking beautiful photos while my DSLR hung out at home. ;)

Egg Puffs

2010-07-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was so impressed with Divo's egg puff thingys that I made some for dinner that night. I love having breakfast for dinner!

EGG PUFFS (Makes 12 puffs)

1 pkg of fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp butter

A handful or so of shredded cheese (any kind)

6 eggs

1/4 cup milk

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Then, saute garlic in some butter.

Add in mushrooms & saute until mushrooms are soft. Salt & pepper to taste.

Spray muffin pan with a little bit of Pam. Divide mushrooms evenly. This recipe will make 12 servings.

Top with cheese. (I used shredded cheddar & jack which added no flavor at all. Next time, I plan on using crumbled feta.)

Scramble eggs with milk, then add salt & pepper. (I did this in a measuring cup so that I could easily pour the eggs into the muffin pan.) Fill halfway until the mushrooms & cheese are barely covered. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown.

Serve alongside buttered toast & hash brown casserole. Such a great, filling meal for any time of the day!

Playdate Fun & Food

2010-07-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my little gal & I had a playdate with some great friends. Our gracious hostess, Divo, and I used to work together. At first, Divo & I were mere acquaintances. But then we totally bonded when we both found out we were pregnant...with girls...who were due just a week apart! Divo & our other friend/co-worker Ann Marie (who was also pregnant at the same time...with a girl...who was due only one month later than our gals!) have been a great support to me these past few years. I've really enjoyed their friendship & am thrilled our girls are growing up together.

Anywho, back to the playdate. We went over to Divo's for some playdate fun, and of course, food! There was lots of fun:

And there was definitely some delicious food. My contribution: hash brown casserole.

Michelle brought assorted pastries. Yum.

A fresh fruit platter courtesy of Joy. Delightful!

Divo made these amazing egg puff thingys with sauteed mushrooms. Amazing. The kiddos (& the parents!) loved them so much that all but one was gone as I was going thru the food line.

Later on that evening, I was totally craving the aforementioned egg puff thingys, so I made some for dinner! :) That post & recipe to follow.

Strawberry Trifle

2010-07-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Belated Independence Day greetings! May God continue to bless our wonderful country.

I had a nice, restful holiday weekend & I hope you did too! Silly me had forgotten to take pics of all the delicious eats I had on Sunday. My in-laws had a fine spread with BBQ tri-tip, potato salad, spinach salad, baked beans & garlic bread. It was soooooooooo good that I left the table with an overly distended belly. I really overdid it...but in a good way of course! ;)

I finally remembered to take pics after I feasted on my dessert. Check it out!

STRAWBERRY TRIFLE (Serves many)

1 (5oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding
3 cups cold milk
1 (12oz) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 pkg angel food cake or pound cake, cut in cubes
4 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Prepare pudding according to directions. Fold in whipped topping.
In a trifle bowl or other glass dish, layer with cake, then pudding, then strawberries. Repeat layers 2-3 times.
Cover & chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Possibly one of the easiest desserts to make & it is soooooooo tasty! Enjoy!

Beef Mechado

2010-07-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, the parental units were in town last week which means I got to enjoy my Mom's cooking. My Mom seriously is the BEST cook! She'll put yours to shame. Yes, them's fightin' words & she can throwdown anytime! I'm that confident in her food. :)

All kidding aside (but really, she is the best cook!), I had her make one of my favorite Filipino dishes: Beef Mechado. Usually, I just let her do her thing in the kitchen. But this time, I wanted to document it so that I would know how to make it myself & also share the recipe with you.

BEEF MECHADO (Serves 6)

3.5 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1.5-2" cubes (you can also use stew meat)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 orange or red bell pepper, chopped
3 potatoes, chopped
1-1.5 cups baby carrots
1 small can tomato sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 can beef broth
1 cup water

The ingredients & food prep with Mom:

Under high heat, add oil to skillet & brown beef. Let cook for 15 minutes.

There will be a lot of liquid from the cooking, but it'll mostly evaporate.

At that point, add garlic & saute for 1-2 minutes. See the bits of garlic in the lower left of the skillet?

Then add the onions. Saute for a few minutes until onions are soft. Mix well.

Add can of tomato sauce. Mix well.

Add soy sauce & let simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

Add can of beef broth & 1/2 cup water. Cover & simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add carrots, mix well. Cover & simmer another 20 minutes.

Add potatoes, mix well. Cover & simmer another 20 minutes. Add another 1/4-1/2 cup water & mix well. You'll want plenty of sauce over your rice, believe me.

Add bell pepper, mix well. Cover & simmer another 15 minutes.

FYI, the potatoes & carrots will be a little mushy. If you like them with a little more form, then decrease the cooking time for each.

Serve over white rice & enjoy!

I actually like to mix everything up together. Soooooooooo good!

Thanks again, Mom, for such a delicious meal!!! It was fun to watch you cook! I love & miss you so much!!!

Mom's Strawberry Pie

2010-06-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last week, my generous in-laws sent me home with half a flat of strawberries. There were so many strawberries, I didn't know what to do with them! Enter Mom's Strawberry Pie.

I've always loved this pie & what a great way to use fresh strawberries! It's so easy to make. Essentially, you make your own strawberry glaze (you know, the stuff you see in the produce aisles?) using cornstarch, sugar, water & strawberry jello. Again, so easy!

I found a very similar ecipe on Allrecipes if you want to print it out.

STRAWBERRY PIE (Serves 6)

1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water

1 (3oz) pkg strawberry gelatin

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Wash & hull strawberries. Slice strawberries using an egg slicer.

Line unpricked pastry shell with foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until slightly cooled.

Mix strawberries with glaze.

Then, place into cooled crust. Refrigerate until set.

Serve with whipped cream or Cool Whip on top. Enjoy!

Delicious Food Finds: Senorita Bread

2010-06-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

If you're ever in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, or wherever there might be large populations of Filipino people & happen to stumble upon a Filipino bakery like Starbread, make sure you pick up a dozen or so pieces of senorita bread. YOU WON'T BE SORRY.

I was introduced to these sweet, delicious rolls of goodness years ago by my Great Uncle Frank (aka Lolo Frank). He would have them at every family party & I just fell in love. Since then, every time my parents visit, they'll bring senoritas just for me. Like I'm talking a huge box with maybe 3 dozen inside. Yes, my parents spoil me. ;)

I'll stick the box in the fridge & take out two at a time. All they need is a quick 15 second zap in the microwave or a light toast in the toaster oven. Add in a cold glass of fat free milk & breakfast is served!

Blue Ribbon Chili

2010-06-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

This chili is the da bomb! (OMG, even when I type that, I feel silly.) Seriously, this chili is pretty darn good! I know I picked this up somewhere on Allrecipes, but can't seem to find the original recipe.

This chili will need to simmer for at least an hour, so plan accordingly. Also, you ~~should~~ MUST serve it with a side of cornbread. The hubs LOVES this chunky chili & requests it often. Enjoy!

BLUE RIBBON CHILI

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1 chopped onion

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 small cans tomato sauce

3 tbsp chili seasoning

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained

1 can light red kidney beans, drained

1 can stewed tomatoes

Saute onion in a little oil until soft. Then add ground turkey & cook until browned.
Add all other ingredients & mix well. Bring to bubbling state & then reduce heat.
Simmer for at least 1 hour.

Disneyland's Sweet Treats

2010-06-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

The other day, my little gal & I were lucky enough to go to Disneyland for a family reunion. Disneyland has always held a special place in my heart. Growing up, it was the destination of choice for every summer vacation with my family. Lots of wonderful & sweet memories were made there. And now that I have a child of my own, I want her to love & experience the magic firsthand! This was her third visit to Disneyland. And each time, she becomes more & more smitten with the place. Love it!

Because my gal is still little & can't ride the thrill rides, we (along with my parents) separated from the big group of family in search of Disney characters & yummy treats.

What is a trip to Disneyland without a requisite stop at the Enchanted Tiki Room for a delicious & refreshing Dole Whip? This lite & dreamy concoction will only cost you $2.75!

After hopping on the Winnie the Pooh ride, we made our way to Pooh's Corner where we found some really neat treats!

Hunny Pot Crispy Treats ($2.75):

Tigger Tails, marshmallows dipped in chocolate ($3.95):

Cheshire Cat tails (I assume the price was $3.95 as well):

A bevy of beautiful caramel, candied & decorated apples were found everywhere from Pooh's Corner to Main Street's Candy Kitchen!

The adorably decorated Mickey apple:

And here's Minnie -- so sweet!

An apple celebrating the 2010 graduates:

And finally, an apple paying homage to the 2010 NBA champions, the LA Lakers:

And the apples in their display case. Looks like the Lakers ones were quite popular!

Other fun, freshly made candies at the confectionary included toffee:

And buttered peanut brittle. I bought a bag for the hubs (only $4) & this stuff is absolutely divine!

More sweet treats to be found:

Some packaged baked goods. Did you know Minnie had her own line of yumminess?

At the Blue Ribbon Bakery, you'll find the fresh stuff like the Matterhorn Macaroon. At only $1.79, you MUST try this!!! It was super moist & delicious. I also picked up one of these for the hubs, who loves macaroons. He thoroughly enjoyed it as well!

Special Toy Story 3 cupcakes:

"Fancy" cupcakes:

Giant Mickey cookies (which my gal loved!):

Here she is eating an ear:

And finally, my little gal with the mouse that started it all:

Many thanks to the Disney Food Blog for being the inspiration for this post! AJ has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all culinary things in the world of Disney. I encourage you to visit her site soon. She is amazing!

Pioneer Woman's Pasta Primavera

2010-06-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

I love Pasta Primavera for its mixture of fresh veggies, pasta & nice cream sauce! So yummy. Also, throw in some chicken & it's a wonderfully balanced meal all in one dish.

This recipe for Pasta Primavera comes from the Pioneer Woman. FYI, the prep & cooking takes a bit of time, a little over 1.5 hours. However, you can save some time by chopping up your veggies beforehand. With having my veggies already chopped, it took me about an hour standing at the stove from start to finish.

I tweaked the recipe just a tad to suit our tastes & to save me a trip to the store. In my version, you'll see that I added some chicken & omitted a few of the veggies.

PIONEER WOMAN'S PASTA PRIMAVERA (Serves 4-6)

1 pound chicken, cut up into bite-sized pieces (optional)

1 cup Bite-sized Broccoli Pieces

½ whole Onion Diced Finely

3 cloves To 4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped Finely

2 whole Medium To Large Carrots, Sliced On The Bias (diagonally)

2 whole Medium Zucchini, Sliced On The Bias (diagonally)

1 container sliced mushrooms

4 Tablespoons Butter

1 pound penne pasta

First, prep the vegetables. Chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Dice half a yellow onion. Chop 3 to 4 cloves of garlic. Slice carrots on the bias (diagonally), and do the same for the zucchini.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Set aside.
Add in another tablespoon or two of butter & add the chopped onion and garlic together, until they start to turn translucent. Then throw in the carrots. Stir, and add in the broccoli. If you like your veggies with a little crunch, then only saute for a few minutes. But if you're like me & enjoy your veggies slightly softer, then saute for a couple minutes longer. Transfer veggies to a plate.
Meanwhile, add pasta to slightly salted boiling water and cook to al dente.
Add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Add zucchini & cook until desired. Then transfer to the plate.

SAUCE:

½ cup Dry White Wine

½ cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 cup Whipping (heavy) Cream

1 cup Half-and-half

½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

To make the sauce, pour ½ cup dry white wine into the skillet. Then, add the mushrooms & let them soften up. After a couple of minutes (to the alcohol burn off), add ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, a tablespoon of butter and scrape the bottom of the skillet to pull up the flavor left behind by the veggie cooking. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken.
Add 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup half-and-half. Measure out ½ cup grated Parmesan; add to the skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. If your sauce looks a little too thin, then add 1-2 tablespoons of flour. The sauce should be thinner than an alfredo sauce. When you get to that thickness, then thin it out with more chicken broth or half-and-half.
Dump chicken & veggies into the sauce. Add pasta al dente and stir. Top with more Parmesan, salt & pepper to taste.

Serve alongside some garlic bread & enjoy!

Delicious Food Finds from TJs: 12 Grain Mini Snack Crackers

2010-06-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

These are EXCELLENT crackers. I'll often snack on 'em with a stick of cheese. They have a slight onion or garlic taste to them which adds just a wee bit of flavor. Sooooooo good! And for those of you who are into prebiotic stuff, these crackers contain inulin (which helps support the digestive track).

You will LOVE these!

$1.99 for a 10oz box

Serve up some guac alongside...

2010-06-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Put those ripe avocados to good use & serve up some guacamole alongside...

Spanish Rice Bake

Chicken Quesdillas

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

ENJOY!!!

Hash Brown Casserole

2010-06-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

I looooooooooooooooooooooove hash brown casserole! It reminds me of the Cracker Barrel. While I'm not particularly impressed with the food at Cracker Barrel, I do LOVE their hash brown casserole.

As always, this is super easy to make, it's yummy & it'll feed many. In fact, I took it to my Bible Study earlier this week where a group of ~25 ladies gobbled it up. Then, later that night, I made it again for the hubs, little gal & myself. Yes, this recipe is a winner for either brunch or dinner!

HASH BROWN CASSEROLE (serves many)

1 pkg (30oz) shredded potatoes, completely thawed
1 can of cream of potato soup
1 8oz tub of light sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
A few handfuls of French's fried onions

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix all of the above except the fried onions. Place in a lightly buttered 9x13 dish. Cover with foil & bake for 50 minutes.
Then uncover the casserole, sprinkle with fried onions & bake an additional 10 minutes.

Hash brown casserole with turkey kielbasa & salad on the side for dinner. Tasty!

Salad My Way

2010-06-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Another awesome to use avocados: SALADS! I seriously have been eating this salad for 4 days straight now.

Why do I love this salad? Because I can put anything I want in it! This is salad MY WAY:

Lettuce
Avocado
Carrots
Chicken tenders
Croutons

I usually throw in some fresh corn, but for whatever reason, I forgot it this day. And to accommodate the hubs, I'll throw in a handful of grape tomatoes. Soooooooo good!

And let's not forget to top it off with this:

I'm really looking forward to eating this salad again tonight! Yum.

Guacamole

2010-06-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

A good portion of the fruit in our home is the absolute freshest as it comes straight from the orchard. Remember how I told you my-laws used to live on an orchard themselves? Well, their old neighbors from the ranch happen to be very generous with all their amazing fruit. I am so grateful to them because my fruit drawers are always stocked with these beauties.

Oh, and aren't they beautiful?!

So, what do you do with lots & lots of avocados?

First up, we have guacamole. We like our guacamole very simple. Mash up 1-2 ripe avocados, add in a few shakes of garlic salt & serve! The avocados are obviously the star of guac, right? So, why bother with all the other stuff?

Another fantastic way to serve avocados will be up tomorrow! Until then, enjoy your guac & chips!

Chicken Quesadillas

2010-06-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

I don't have a formal recipe for Chicken Quesadillas per se, I just use whatever's in my fridge & throw it all together. I'll let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy!

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

1-2 boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 bag of shredded cheese
Flour tortillas
Guacamole, sour cream & chips on the side

Delicious Food Finds at TJ's: Pizza Dough & Pizza Sauce

2010-06-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Why make your own pizza dough when there's Trader Joe's right around the corner?! Seriously, their pizza dough is pretty awesome. There are three kinds: regular, whole wheat, and garlic & herb. My family is particularly fond of the garlic & herb stuff. The added flavor gives a nice, yummy touch to the pizza.

Their sauce is quite tasty too! I highly recommend picking up both next time you're at the store.

$1.29 for a 16oz portion of pizza dough (any flavor)
$2.29 for a 10oz tub of pizza sauce (enough sauce for 2, maybe 3 pizzas)

Our favorite combo: garlic & herb dough with minced mushrooms on top! YUM.

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken

2010-06-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Aside from green bean casserole, who knew there were so many recipes that included French's Fried Onions? I didn't!

French's Crunchy Onion Chicken comes from the back of the French's Fried Onion can. You'd be surprised at how moist & tender this chicken is. It is so yummy.

FYI, sometimes cans of these fried onions can be a bit expensive (outside of Thanksgiving & Christmas). So a much cheaper alternative is to pick up a bag of these salad toppers. I got this 3.5oz bag for $1.50, whereas the 6oz can of French's can be $4.99.

FRENCH'S CRUNCHY ONION CHICKEN (Serves 2-4)

2 cups French's Original Fried Onions, crushed

2 tbsp flour

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1-2 eggs, beaten

Place French's Fried Onions & flour into a plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or a rolling pin. Transfer to a pie plate or waxed paper.
Dip chicken into egg, then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet. FYI, I butterfly my chicken breasts & then cut them again. This will leave you with a piece of chicken the size of your palm or smaller. Also, if your chicken is too thick, it'll take too long to cook & then the fried onion coating will burn.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

Delicious Food Finds at TJs: Harvest Grains Blend

2010-06-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

I must thank my sister-in-law (or maybe it was my mother-in-law?) for this delicious food find from Trader Joe's! If you're looking for a more substantial & heartier side than brown rice, look no further. This stuff is so good & you feel healthier eating it! And we all know I'm no health nut!

TJ's Harvest Grains Blend is a nice mix of Israeli-style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans & red quinoa. Follow the directions on the package & you have a delicious side dish in about ~15 minutes. I also recommend you make it with chicken or beef broth for a little added flavor.

More on the chicken I made to accompany this in an upcoming post. Happy Wednesday everyone!

$2.69 for a 16oz bag

Strawberry Cake

2010-06-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Belated Memorial Day greetings to you all! Much respect & gratitude to those who served & continue to serve our great country.

My in-laws are big patriots, as they should be as both served in the Army during the Vietnam War. Every year, we always have a really nice Memorial Day get together. And this year, I was in charge of dessert. My choice for dessert this time: Strawberry Cake.

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law's friend from church. The cake is super moist & super yummy. And the frosting is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I dare you to say different.

Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY CAKE (Serves many)

CAKE:
1 box white cake mix
1 small pkg strawberry jello
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix the ingredients above & then add 4 eggs, one at a time.
Next, add 6oz sweetened strawberries. You can use (1) fresh strawberries, mash them up & add a little sugar, (2) frozen, whole, unsweetened strawberries, mash them up & add a little sugar, or (3) frozen, sweetened strawberries that are thawed. I used #2 because that's what I had on-hand & it was nice to be able to control the amount of sugar (a few sprinkles with a tablespoon). Plus, my little gal had eaten up all the fresh stuff.
Blend well & place in a greased, floured 9x13 pan. Be liberal with the greasing so that the cake will easily come out when cooled.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Let cake cool completely & invert onto platter.

FROSTING:

3-4oz sweetened strawberries (see note above)

1 box sifted powdered sugar

1 stick butter, softened

Cream butter.
Then add powdered sugar a little bit at a time to avoid clumps.
Add strawberries & mix well. This frosting tends to be a little runny, so add the strawberries a little bit at a time. I also throw the cake in the fridge before serving so that the frosting will set.

Enjoy!!!

Basic French Toast

2010-05-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Another great & easy recipe I found on Allrecipes!

French Toast reminds me of when I was pregnant with my little gal. Every morning before work, I would run to the cafeteria before settling into my cube & would order this deliciousness for breakfast. Never fail, I would order either French Toast or Biscuits & Gravy. Oh, to be pregnant again & to be able to eat whatever I wanted & say it was "for the baby!"

BASIC FRENCH TOAST

Serves 2-3

6 thick slices of bread

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

salt to taste

Beat together egg, milk, salt, desired spices & vanilla. (I prefer my French Toast with only cinnamon, I forego the nutmeg & vanilla.)
Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat.
Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture soaking both sides. Place on griddle & cook on both sides until golden. Serve hot.

My Granny's Chocolate Cobbler

2010-05-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

Not my Granny, but this gal's Granny. I don't even have a Granny. I have a Lola & a Grandma.

Anywho, when the Pioneer Woman first featured this recipe on her personal site, I printed the recipe right away. If you love chocolate molten cake (I'm talking to you Jeff! Yes, Sara's Jeff!), then this dessert is definitely for you. This dessert is decadent, delicious & easy to make. Please try it today.

MY GRANNY'S CHOCOLATE COBBLER

Serves 6

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
7 tbsp Cocoa Powder, Divided
1¼ cup Sugar, Divided
½ cups Milk
⅓ cups Melted Butter
1½ tsp Vanilla Extract
½ cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed
1½ cup Hot Tap Water

First stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.
Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. (I used an oval casserole dish. Next time, I'll also place the dish on a sheet pan or cookie dish as it bubbled over just a little bit.)
In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.
Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!
Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set. Let stand for a few minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

Awesome Slow Cooker Beef

2010-05-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Allrecipes & slightly modified it using what I had on-hand at home. I absolutely stand by my previous statement that the crockpot is the best kitchen appliance ever. And this recipe, my friends, will provide further proof that it is true.

As with almost all of the meals I make, this is super duper easy. Toss the ingredients in the crockpot & go! Super duper easy, I tell ya.

AWESOME SLOW COOKER BEEF

Serves 4-6

1 (10.75oz) can lowfat condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75oz) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 pkg onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
3 lbs beef stew meat
1 pkg of fresh, sliced mushrooms
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine soups, water, wine & onion soup mix in a bowl. Mix until well combined. (See photo below.)
Place meat in crockpot. Pour soup mixture on top.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. An hour before its done, add in mushrooms. Salt & pepper to taste.
Serve with mashed potatoes.

Delicious Food Finds: Harry & David's Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix

2010-05-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

Since meeting the hubs, I've come to love breakfast! That is, traditional American fare like waffles, omelettes, etc. Growing up, my breakfasts consisted of rice or pan de sal, served with some kind of stewed or cured meat. My Filipino friends know what I'm talking about. ;)

Anyway, I've also come to like pancakes. I don't love them because they're kinda plain to me. However, the hubs adores pancakes. So, whenever I muster up the energy to make a "big" breakfast, he'll ask for them.

Knowing his love for the pancake, I picked up Harry & David's Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix. Ummm, this mix could change my like for pancakes to love. These pancakes are delicious! I love the added sweetness the chocolate chips bring to the pancakes. It's not super sweet, but just enough to make them interesting in your mouth.

Note that the batter will be runny & the chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the batter. I spooned out the chocolate chips so that each pancake would have its share of yummy, chocolate chip goodness.

$6.95 for a 14oz bag of Harry & David's Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix