Weekly Menu

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I'm a little last posting my menu this weekend. In fact, I actually did my shopping before I planned everything out. I had a rough idea, however, and plan to make this a livin'-off-the-fat-of-the-land week -- in other words, the freezer and pantry are too full to pack another thing in.

Tonight is our traditional preTrick-or-Treat chili night. We eat it with Fritos or spaghetti -- your pick. So do stop over before you head out for some candy!

Saturday
Lunch: subs and chips
Dinner: Chili (my mom's) with Fritos or spaghetti

Sunday
Dinner: Roasted Cauliflower soup and Dough pretzels

Monday
Lunch: sandwiches and apples
Dinner: Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans

Tuesday
Lunch: tamales (frozen/heated)
Dinner: Cheese ravioli and sauce, bread, salad

Wednesday
Lunch: Wendy's chili
Dinner: Pancakes, bacon and sauteed apples

Thursday
Lunch: soup and grilled cheese
Dinner: Chicken Cordon Bleu, buttered noodles, Mashed Butternut Squash

Friday
Lunch: scrambled eggs and toast
Dinner: Black Beans and Rice, bread

* Tried and true
* New to me


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Soul Cakes

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Make sure you have all the ingredients to make Soul Cakes this weekend -- you don't want to miss this treat.

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Got Pumpkins?

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Be sure to save those seeds.



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Lemon Meringue Pie

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This dessert is a favorite in my house with my husband and all my children (especially my men folk) -- they are all lemon lovers. I can take it or leave it, but the challenges presented in making one keep me interested in creating the perfect pie. If you've ever made a lemon meringue pie, you know those challenges -- creating a filling that holds up and doesn't run all over the plate when sliced, and creating a meringue that neither shrinks up nor weeps like a teenage girl.

This recipe is perfect, but depending on the weather and the temperature in the house, my meringue can shrink and/or weep -- there are some factors that are just beyond my control. These pies are beautiful right out of the oven, but the meringue did shrink a little bit by the time we cut the pies six hours later. The filling was perfect, in flavor and substance, however.

I have noticed, in my hunt for the perfect lemon filling, that lemon meringue pie recipes can vary greatly. Some contain milk, others not. Some call for extract and others only grated peel, and others, niether. Mine is smooth -- I have omitted the peel because my family likes a perfectly smooth filling. And I have included extract because they like it extra lemony. I used a recipe from Taste of Home as starting point for the filling, but the crust and meringue are the ones I always use and have tweaked for my family.

Lemon Meringue Pie
serves 6 - 8

one recipe for a 9" pie crust, prebaked and cooled
(mine can be found here -- bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes)

1-1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1-1/2 c. water
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 T. butter
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 t. lemon extract

4 egg whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
6 T. sugar
1/4 t. vanilla

Pre-bake pie crust and cool.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir 1 cup hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter until melted. Stir in lemon juice and extract. Pour hot filling into crust.

Beat four egg whites with cream of tartar.
Slowly sprinkle in sugar and add extract, beating on high until whites are stiff and glossy and hold their peaks. Spread carefully and evenly over hot filling and push meringue up against edges of crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until peaks are golden brown -- being careful not too brown too much. Cool for at least and hour and then refrigerate to serve chilled or serve at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.

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Chicken and Dumplings

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Sometimes it's not until I try to link to something on my menu that I realize that one of my regular go-to recipes has never been posted here. Last week we had one our family favorites, especially in the winter -- Chicken and Dumplings. I have the recipe on my other blog, Praying for Grace, but it was not accessible in my archives here. So, I am reposting it with a new picture.

This is basically the recipe I grew up with except my mom always used Bisquick to make dumplings. I would rather just use pantry basics to make mine, and Bisquick is not usually found in my pantry. You can make good dumplings (better dumplings) for a lot less by using flour, shortening, baking powder, salt and milk. This recipe is very kid-friendly. I cook my chicken with onion and celery for flavor, but I remove all the vegetables except the carrots before it gets to the table. So all the kids see are fluffy dumplings, carrot bites and tender pieces of tasty chicken.

In the ingredients, I have 2 or 3 chicken breasts listed. If you like a lot of chicken use 3, but I prefer more dumpling than chicken, so I use 2.

served with steamed green beans


Chicken and Dumplings
serves 6

2-3 large bone-in chicken breast halves
5 cups water
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 peeled, smashed garlic cloves (smash them with the side of a large knife - don't chop them)
2 stalks celery, halved

6 carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces

6 T. shortening
3 c. all-purpose flour
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, place chicken and water, onions, garlic and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer gently for 30 - 40 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through and tender. Remove chicken from water and set aside. Remove and discard onion, garlic and celery. Strain broth. Return broth to pot. After chicken has cooled, remove skin and bones and break chicken into large pieces (larger than bite-size). Place chicken back in broth with carrot pieces. Cook over medium heat until carrots are tender, but not soft, about 15 minutes. Add more water to broth if necessary -- when dumplings are added you should have about 2 inches of water in the pot around the chicken and carrots. If you have too much water still, you can thicken it with a little flour water, if desired (not necessary).

In a large mixing bowl, cut shortening into flour, baking powder, and salt, until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop dough by large spoonfuls onto simmering liquid (liquid should not be boiling hard, just simmering). Season tops of dough with salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook for 10 minutes longer.

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Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas and Sour Cream Rice

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I've been in the kitchen all day today preparing college boy's birthday dinner. I'll be sure to post the recipe for the awesome Lemon Meringue Pie we enjoyed, which was really good, but the entire day was exhausting. Between last Sunday and today, I think next Sunday we'll have cold cereal for supper.

But before I get to work on lesson plans tonight, I wanted to post this recipe -- the picture of which has been on my desk top since earlier in the week. There seem to be about as many recipes for enchiladas as there are days in the year, and to some degree you gotta know when to say when, but this one was just different enough to earn a spot in my cookbook. The chipotle peppers and adobo sauce turn what is usually a tangy red tomato sauce into a dark rich and smoky sauce. My men folk really enjoyed it, and when I mentioned I would like the enchiladas better with shredded beef, I was soundly rebuked by all the boys who said "don't change a thing."

The Sour Cream Rice was a nice compliment to the enchiladas and would actually, I think, be great with some grilled chicken or fajitas. I thought we had an awful lot of cheese going on in our meal, so I opted to not top the rice with cheese when I baked it. I would however, if I were serving it with grilled meat and a salad. The rice is just a little zippy (spicy), but the enchiladas were fairly hot -- not too hot for the kids though. I served the enchiladas with some guacamole (you kind find a recipe here or here).

Both recipes came from Taste of Home Cooking and I'm posting them here just as I found them, for safe keeping.

Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas
serves 6-8

2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 1/2 T. chili powder
1 small canned chipotle chile in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 flour tortillas (6-inch)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add flour and cook, whisking occasionally, 1 minute. Add broth, chili powder, chipotle and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Make filling: In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, and beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°. (If freezing, don’t place any sauce in baking dish; see To Freeze, below left.) Spoon 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Set aside.

Make enchiladas: Stack tortillas and wrap in a damp paper towel. Warm in microwave, 30 seconds or until pliable. Fill each with a heaping 1/4 cup beef mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese; tightly roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam side down, in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Note: To freeze: Make sauce and enchiladas; arrange enchiladas in baking dish without sauce (so tortillas dont become soggy). Place sauce in an airtight container. Cover dish with plastic wrap and foil. Label, date, and freeze enchiladas and sauce. Use within 2 months; bake without thawing (see opposite page).

To bake from frozen: Thaw sauce in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 450°. Remove foil and plastic wrap from baking dish. Pour sauce over top, and sprinkle with cheese; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes; serve.

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Sour Cream Rice

1 c. uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 c. sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
2 c. shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.

In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, green chile peppers, 1 cup pepper Jack cheese, corn, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

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Source: Taste of Home Cooking


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Weekly Menu

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Monday is my college boy's birthday and we're celebrating with his grandparents on Sunday. He's going to be 20 years old -- I know I don't have to tell you how hard that is to believe. I remember so vividly the days when he was a tiny baby, how could it be that he is a man? Before we sing Happy Birthday, we'll enjoy going through the photo albums and take a trip down memory lane. Dinner, at Geoffrey's request, will include Shrimp Scampi (though I know it won't be half as good without those fresh South Carolina shrimp) and Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert.

On Saturday we're having a little Halloween party with friends. Pizza will be on the menu, but we'll jazz it up with a Halloween theme.

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline chilitos
Dinner: Pepperoni and sausage/mushroom pizza

Sunday
Lunch: sandwiches
Dinner: Shrimp Scampi, Parsley Buttered Potatoes (or white rice for the kids), Spicy Green Beans, French Bread, Lemon Meringue Pie

Monday
Lunch: leftover pizza
Dinner: Sloppy Joes, baked potatoes, fruit and cottage cheese

Tuesday
Lunch: pasta with Knorr Parma Rosa sauce
Dinner: Chicken Cordon Bleu, buttered noodles, green vegetable, Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

Wednesday
Lunch: Wendy's chili
Dinner: Tortilla soup, cheddar quesadillas

Thursday
Lunch: egg sandwiches
Dinner: Hearty Beef Stew, Spoon bread, ice cream

Friday
Lunch: bagels and cream cheese
Dinner: Eyeball Bites (decorated with a round sliced from string cheese and a dot of BBQ sauce in the center), Monster Mash and Chips, Hallowbean salsa (aka Cowboy Caviar), Halloween Pizza -- cheese, veggie and Mexican variety, tossed salad, Caramel Apples

* Tried and true
* New to me

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Food Geek

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Not me, though, yes, I guess I am. I am referring to Jeff Corwin. But I say "geek" with the utmost in affection.

Last night we watched Jeff Corwin Extreme Cuisine -- the second time I've caught it. I'm not usually one to watch an entire television show, but I had another migraine and decided to camp out on the sofa for the evening. It was just the distraction I needed.

Similar to Anthony Bourdain's show (who I think is a terrific boor -- sorry), Corwin travels around the world to dine on the local fare. Last night he was in Mexico, talking to locals and digging up the finest Mexican delicacies. Among all the shocking things he ate, he munched on ant caviar (yup, ant eggs), cow tripe (yup, stomach), cow head tacos (yup, eyes, nose, cheek and brain), and a horribly repulsive black corn fungus. It was both fascinating and disgusting. My college boy and I texted back and forth our commentary during the show -- great fun I tell ya.

Unlike Bourdain, Corwin is light, and fun, and educational, and down-to-earth. It's like watching my youngest brother on television -- except I can't call him on the phone and ask him "have you lost your mind?"! Extreme Cuisine is on Thursdays at 9 p.m. and I think I'm going to write that on my calendar so I don't forget.

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Cream of Potato Soup

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When Peach came down with a bad stomach virus over the weekend, Doug and I had to cancel plans to dine out with friends, which left me with a hole in the weekly menu. I had planned to get pizza for the kids, but I was not in the mood for pizza when dinner time rolled around. So I moved the Teriyaki Burgers to Saturday (yum!), and left a hole in my Wednesday menu.

With two sick kids (two different viruses!) I didn't want to go to the store on Wednesday, so I had to use what was on-hand. I also wanted a comforting meal, with everyone feeling tired or sick. I really wanted to try Annie's Zuppa, but with no sausage or kale in the house, I kept thinking. Cream of potato soup just sounded so good, so I hunted (thank goodness for the internet when you need a recipe) and found this one. I had all the ingredients (except my white wine was a Gewürztraminer and not a good choice for soup, so I omitted it) and it was so yummy it will be a regular go-to soup recipe for me.

The boys loved it (Peach was still not on regular food), and Doug and I both enjoyed it too. All I added was a loaf of soft, chewy bread that Doug picked up on his way home. It was easy, inexpensive and very tasty. The taste was zippier than most cream soups and it was a little bit spicy -- use less cayenne if that's not a good thing for you. The recipe came from allrecipes.com and I followed it exactly except for the wine. The recipe states that it serves 6, but we got four good-sized bowls with very little leftovers, so double it if you need to feed more than four adult-sized people.

Cream of Potato Soup

1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
5 T. margarine
4 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. whole milk
3 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 t. mustard powder
1 pinch ground allspice
3/4 t. celery seed
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. seasoning salt
2 T. dry white wine
1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 t. chicken bouillon powder

In a large stock pot over medium high heat, cook onion, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley in butter until soft but not browned. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add broth slowly, stirring as you add.

Add milk, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, allspice, celery seed, thyme, seasoning salt, dry white wine, cayenne pepper and chicken granules. Allow to simmer and thicken, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are cooked through, approximately 25 minutes. During cooking, break up potatoes with the back of a spoon.

Source: allrecipes.com

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Braciole

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I mentioned in my menu post that I planned to make Braciole for college boy on Sunday. If you've never had Braciole, it's an Italian dish of beef rolled with herbs and bread crumbs and cheese tucked inside and simmered in tomato sauce. It's one of college boy's favorite dishes and he brought his room mate home to enjoy it as well. When I prepared it I had my camera handy to photograph the steps -- all but the eating!

This recipe is a process and not a short one. It's also messy -- so don your apron before you get started. I recommend having every thing in place before you begin (mise en place), because once you start, you don't want to have to touch kitchen cabinets or drawers (I did wash before I handled the camera).

This recipe is based on the one found in Cooking with My Sisters by Adriana Trigiani. It's the first recipe for braciole that I ever tried and I've modified it a little for our taste.

Braciole
serves 8 to 10

4 lb. top round steak, 1/4 inch thick cut into 4x6 inch slices (mine were thicker this time, but they were all the grocer had available -- that just means more pounding for me)
2 c. chopped Italian parsley
1/2 c. chopped basil
1 c. seasoned bread crumbs
3 T. minced garlic
1 1/2 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (at the price of Parmigiano-Reggiano, I just use the stuff in the green can)
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
⅓ c. olive oil

big pot of sauce (my recipe can be found here)


In small bowls, combine the parsley and basil, set aside; combine the bread crumbs and garlic, set aside, place the Parmesan cheese.
Cut your cooking string -- about 2 feet for each piece of meat.



With your meat mallet, pound the meat to tenderize it and thin it out -- being careful to avoid making holes.


These were not quite as thin as I like, but they were as thin as I could get them without making huge holes. Try to find thin pieces to begin with and then you don't have to pound them to smithereens!


Sprinkle each piece of meat with the herb mixture -- making sure you have enough for each piece.
Then sprinkle with bread crumbs, and then cheese. Salt and pepper goes on top of the cheese.


Roll the meat, tuck in the ends, and secure with twine.



Brown the meat in olive oil over a low temperature and turn it gently.



Transfer meat to pot of basic spaghetti sauce and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, or until tender.

Bye bye baby.


To serve, remove the meat from the pot and place on cutting board. Remove the twine and let the meat cool for five minutes. Then cut in 2-inch slices, like a jelly roll and arrange on a platter by itself or with other meats from the sauce.

Adapted from: Cooking With My Sisters

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Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

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I have been puttin' off and puttin' off this post. I've taken pictures twice and trashed them once. Why, because it's such a complicated dish? Bah! No. Because it's just not very pretty. Poor, sad, red-headed stepchild -- Sausage Gravy and Biscuits.

But it's appearance does not make it any less enjoyed in my house. In fact, regarding the Mmmm factor, it's way up there, with all four children and a husband Mmmmming all the way through their breakfast.

So, I'm breaking down and revealing it in all it's ugliness. If you can disregard it's appearance, Sausage Gravy is darn near perfect. It's cheap, it's simple, it's filling, it's comforting, and it's tasty. My recipe is the way I like it, but make this dish your dish. If you like lots of black pepper, like me, pepper it up. If you like some sage, add sage. The sausage, flour and milk are the basic ingredients. Dress them up to your taste.

Below the gravy recipe is my favorite biscuit recipe. If you have a favorite, just use yours.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
6 servings

1 lb. bulk pork breakfast sausage (I use Bob Evans Original)
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 c. milk -- give or take a few tablespoons
black pepper, to taste

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat.
Crumble sausage up in the pan -- as much as you can crumble soft, sticky sausage.
Cook until browned and completely cooked through. Remove from skillet.
Now, if you have fat left in your skillet -- estimate about how much is there and add enough butter to make 3 tablespoons. (The Bob Evans sausage I use does not leave any fat so I use all three.)
When butter is melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk into butter for about a minute over medium high heat. Turn heat down to medium and slowly add about 1/2 cup milk, whisking to combine with flour into a smooth sauce. Add more milk as necessary to keep it fluid, but not at all runny. (You might not use all the milk -- just add a little at a time. It all depends on how hot your pan is and how long it simmers.) When gravy comes to a boil, add the sausage back in and stir, then lower heat to medium low. Add black pepper to taste -- I like mine really peppery, but just add and taste and stop when you like it. Usually sausage gravy doesn't need salt, but this depends on your brand of sausage. Add salt if needed. Add thyme or sage or onion powder if you want to jazz it up. Add a tablespoon of milk as needed to keep it fluid, but not runny. Keep warm until biscuits are ready.




Buttermilk Biscuits
makes about a dozen

3 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
⅔ c. shortening
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening. Add buttermilk and stir into a soft dough. Knead dough on floured surface and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter (or squares if you like squares -- no matter). Place on a baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

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Weekly Menu

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Last Sunday, my college boy Geoffrey texted me to ask how to make Braciole. He apparently had a hankering for this, one of his favorite dishes, and I laughed out loud knowing the size of his 5 x 5 foot apartment kitchen and the work involved in making this Italian dish. I promised that if he came home the next weekend, I would make it for him. I think he's bringing his roommate, so we'll have a big family meal. He requested Pumpkin Roll for dessert, so I guess I have my work cut out for me. I'll be sure to post the recipe for Braciole next week for anyone who would like to try it.

The rest of the week is pretty simple. I've noticed my grocery bills going up and up each week. Last week I had several budget meals on the menu, so I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm going to try to cut back on the weekly supplies, while stocking up on some loss leader basics that I can keep in storage.



Saturday
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Pizza

Sunday
Dinner: Braciole, Spaghetti, Sauce, Chopped Italian Salad, Bread, Pumpkin Roll

Monday
Lunch: leftover spaghetti
Dinner: Mexican Chicken Stuffed Shells, Mexican rice, cabbage salad

Tuesday
Lunch: Lunchy Munchy Corn Dog Muffins
Dinner: Chicken and Dumplings, fruit

Wednesday
Lunch: Muffin tin munchies
Dinner: Teriyaki Burgers, baked potatoes

Thursday
Lunch: quesadillas
Dinner: Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes, garlic bread

Friday
Lunch: soup and sandwiches

* Tried and true
* New to me

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Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

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If given a choice of a dozen different cookies, I will almost aways choose a cookie that is crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. The chocolate chippers I grew up with were not soft like many other people's childhood cookie. They were crisp all around with just a bite of chewy in the center. I suppose I like what my mother fed me.

But every once in a blue moon I want a nice soft comforting cookie, and this recipe is the perfect choice. The other day I had a cookie in my my head, but could not find a recipe. It was a caramel cookie, soft, sweet and buttery. But after searching for at least an hour for a good recipe, I gave up. I just wasn't in the mood to create. I remembered that I had a cup of pumpkin in the refrigerator left from sending a Pumpkin Coffee Cake to Doug's coworkers earlier this week and decided to go for a soft pumpkin cookie instead. A modification in the icing recipe gave me a little of that flavor I was looking for in a caramel cookie. The base recipe came from allrecipes and I modified to our taste.

My kids loved these cookies, especially my college boy (of course I delivered him a plateful) who loves all things pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

makes about 36 cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt

2 T. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. half & half (or milk)
1 t. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Add in flour, powder, soda, salt and spices. Mix until combined.
Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven until lightly browned. Cool cookies.

To Make Icing: Place butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
Cook until butter begins to brown lightly -- be careful that you do not burn it.


Place powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and add butter and vanilla. Whisk until combined and slowly add half & half until you get a thick, but spreadable consistency -- add more half & half, or milk if necessary.

Frost cookies with a thin layer.

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Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Creole Shrimp and Sausage Stew

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One of my favorite lines in Julie & Julia was when Julie says she read somewhere that it's a show of poor manners to say "Yum" while you're eating. And then she bites into a pork chop and says, "Yum." I laughed because I do that all the time -- such a boor I am.

I'm afraid we had a show of really poor manners the night I made this stew dish, because there were many "yums" all around the table. It was a five thumbs-up meal -- absolutely no complaints. This is a mildly spicy dish, (but not too spicy for any of us, including the kids) with the spice coming mostly from the canned tomatoes and chilies, and the Tony Chachere's I added. I found the recipe at myrecipes.com, and followed it pretty closely, but with a few changes. I am posting it as I made it. I served mine over white rice, but brown would be nice if your gang will eat it.

Creole Shrimp and Sausage Stew
serves 6 to 8

2 T. olive oil
1 c. chopped bell pepper (I used half red/half green)
2 c. sliced turkey smoked sausage (I used Butterball and I used the entire package -- just a little over 2 cups)
2 large cloves garlic, crushed or minced
small can chicken broth
1 t. Tony Chachere's
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (I used Rotel)
1 lb. peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained


Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add bell pepper, sausage, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until bell pepper is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth, spices, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in shrimp and beans; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until shrimp are done. Serve over rice.

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Source: Adapted from myrecipes.com

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Chocolate, Pretzel, Peanut Butter Thingies

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I'm in the mood for something sweet, how 'bout you?

College boy was home last weekend and I was trying to think of something sweet that I could send back with him. Since I had sent those Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chippers the week before, I was thinking that these Chocolate, Pretzel, Peanut Butter Thingies would be nice. What do you think of that name? I saw them at Stephanie's Kitchen, and she calls then Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites, which is no better than Thingies, if you ask me. So, Thingies they are.

There is one major difference between Stephanie's Bites and my Thingies -- peanut butter. Because of my son's allergies, I don't ever cook with it. So I subbed Sunflower Butter with perfect results. I've talked about Sunflower Butter before -- I get it at Trader Joe's and it's made just for people with nut allergies, so there's none of that "made in a facility with peanuts and tree nuts." It's perfectly safe.

About the recipe -- I thought the sunbutter part of the little Thingie was very sweet -- too sweet, so I would cut down on the sugar next time. If you're willing to keep them in the refrigerator, which I did, I think they would be great with some natural peanut butter, with no sugar at all. As long as you refrigerate the natural peanut butter, it stays hard. I am posting the recipe just as I found it, however, and you can adjust as you like. There's no science involved here -- just wing it.

Chocolate, Pretzel, Peanut Butter Thingies
makes about 45 sandwiches

1 c. peanut butter
2 T. softened butter or margarine
1/2 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
waffle-shaped pretzels
1 bag good quality chocolate (I used Hershey's milk chips)

Using a mixer, combine peanut butter and softened butter and beat until smooth. Add the sugars and stir to combine. At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go (I did not roll these into balls -- I just plopped a scoop onto each pretzel -- I guess they would be prettier if I had, but what the heck). If not, add more sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll. Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling. Roll each portion into a small ball and set on a cookie sheet. Roll all the balls and then sandwich them between two whole pretzels. When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour (I skipped the freezing step, too. I was in a hurry -- no harm, no foul.).

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted. Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate. When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely. Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

Easy print version

Source: Stephanie's Kitchen

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Green Pea Guacamole

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If you live in an area of the country where you have a good, cheap supply of avocados, I envy you. You could say I'm pea green with envy. Bah! Bad pun.

Kidding aside, if you can grab a decent, reliable avocado from your produce department, you never have to deal with this.



Ugly, eh?

I was pretty ticked when I cut into this avocado last week, but it's really nothing new. It happens all the time. I grab one that is nice and firm, still mostly green, let it ripen on my counter and then when I cut into it, I have a fifty percent chance it will look like this. That's what happens when avocados have to travel across country to my grocery store in Ohio. And for this I paid $1.50. Puh.

When I made Guacamole Burgers last week, I had two avocados. One was sort of o.k. and the other is pictured above -- and I needed to make a big batch of guacamole. What to do? What to do?

I remembered a "technique" that intrigued me and so I proceeded. I had to make sure everyone was out of the kitchen, because if they saw what I was doing, they would have balked (and blabbed). I quickly thawed a cup of green peas under warm water in a colander. Gave them a good shake and then tossed them into the food processor (actually my mini). I turned it on and added a little dribble of water until it was creamy -- not a speck of whole pea remained. I scooped it out into the bowl with my partially good avocado, spooned in some canned tomatoes and chilies, squeezed in the juice of half a lime, crushed in two big garlic cloves, and then salted it. A quick mash with a potato masher and then a taste.

Unbelievable -- there was no evidence of green peas, other than the bright green color.

The true testers though, were my husband and children. I grabbed a bag of chips and poured them in a bowl and set it next to my bowl of guacamole. They fell for it -- no comment on the bright green color. They tasted and declared it delicious. They piled it on their burgers and ate every bite. Success!

After dinner I told my husband what I had done and his only comment was, "That's why it was so green. I was wondering." And then he scooped the last bit up with a chip and ate it.

I will most definitely use this technique again. Not only are green peas more reliable than avocados in term of quality, they are packed with more vitamins and minerals (way more Vitamin A and Calcium) than avocados, and they are much lower in calories and those calories don't come from nearly as much fat as avocados (nutritional values for peas here and avocados here).

Green Pea Guacamole

1 ripe avocado, pit and skin removed
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup Rotel tomatoes and chilies, drained
juice from half a lime
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
salt to taste

Place avocado flesh in a bowl.
Place peas in the food processor bowl with a tablespoon of water.
Process until creamy, adding more water if necessary.
Spoon pea puree into bowl with avocado. Add tomatoes, garlic and lime juice. Mash with a potato masher or a fork until mixed (but leave a few chunks of avocado).
Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Easy print version

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Julie & Julia

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Last evening I snuck out during the football game to meet a friend for a movie. Because this was such a foodie movie, I thought I'd post my thoughts here.

I really enjoyed it.

Except for the gratuitous s*x. Why do they do that? It was so unnecessary. There was a child (roughly age 12) in the row behind me and all I could think was what that child was seeing. What do I care, you ask? It's not my child. I can't help it.

Anyway, other than that, I really enjoyed it. I loved Amy Adams as Julie, and as much as I avoid Meryl Streep movies for her political outspokenness, she made a fabulous Julia.

First, the food. Well, if you have seen this movie you know what I mean. This movie made me hungry for really good food and I was not actually hungry. Artichokes and hollandaise, red wine, yellow cake with chocolate frosting, heirloom tomato bruschetta, red wine, crusty French bread and creamy French cheese, red wine, and, of course, boeuf bourguignon. I "Mmmmed" through the movie. If you have not seen it, don't see it on an empty stomach.

Second, the blogging. I found it mildly uncomfortable watching a movie about blogging. I can't explain why. Possibly, I was afraid I would see something negative that would cause me to think twice about blogging. Fortunately, not so. I found it interesting that Julie wrote her blog in very much the same way as we all do. And she agonized the comments, like I suppose we all do to some degree.

Third, the love. Julie's relationship with her husband was nice. They seemed to be well-matched, but the intricacies were not revealed in the way those of Julia's relationship with her husband were revealed. Seemingly (much of this was supposition) they had a fabulous relationship. I loved how he sat in the kitchen just to be near her, something my own husband has never done. Maybe that has something to with how pleasant she was to be near while she cooked and how not as pleasant I can be in my own kitchen. I think I need to drink more red wine while I cook. Or maybe it was because there was no 24/7 sports channel on television and so, he had no alternate activity.

While much of the focus of this movie was food, most of the depth was brought by relationships. There was not as much actually cooking as I thought there would be. One hysterical scene in which Julia is practicing chopping onions, so as not to be outdone by her fellow (male) students at Le Cordon Bleu, had me in tears I was laughing so hard. I really enjoyed the scenes of her at Cordon Bleu and I enjoyed the scenes of Julie cooking in her own tiny Queens kitchen. I wish that there had been more cooking. But then, I'm a foodie.

I thought that I would leave the movie feeling very motivated to bone up on some French cooking techniques; to try my hand at some complicated French recipes. Alas, I am not at all. I pulled out my only Julia Child cookbook when I got home (one that I promised I'd send to my friend Margaret) and flipped through it while I sipped some hot water and honey. I was actually seeking something to inspire me, but no. Not inspired. It will be in the mail this week Margaret. Go at it.

What I was inspired to do by this movie is cook for those I love, which I do now. We all love our favorite people in different ways, and some of us do it with food. That I can honestly say I have in common with Julia Child. Food is love.

By the by, if you've seen the movie or read the book, yet have not found the blog, the first day can be seen here. Click on the calendar to get to each consecutive day.

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Chicken and Artichoke Saute

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One of the dishes that we so enjoyed this week was this Chicken and Artichoke Saute over mashed potatoes. It was very similar to this dish that we enjoyed a few weeks ago, but slightly different. The thyme created a different flavor, and we all really enjoyed the tastes and textures with some creamy mashed potatoes. I omitted the olives, because I was afraid it would be too much flavor for the kids. I don't think it was missing anything, so I would leave them out again. I cut my chicken breasts into tenders to make it easier to eat -- if you want to do that, just slice each boneless breast into four long, thin pieces. I would probably add more chicken broth next time -- there wasn't as much sauce as we would have liked -- so I have noted the increase below from 1/2 cup to 1 cup.

Chicken and Artichoke Saute

serves 6

4 T. flour
1 T. dried thyme
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 T. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans artichokes (canned in water), drained and halved
2 red peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved (I omitted)
4 T. dry white wine
1 c. chicken stock
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Place the flour, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Flour the chicken a few pieces at a time. Remove the chicken to a plate, shaking off any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large pan over moderate heat. Add the chicken and saute for about 5 minutes on each side (do not crowd the pan -- you made need to cook it in batches), moving around occasionally, until golden brown. Continuing cooking for 10 minutes or until the juices run clear when they are pierced. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Pour off any excess oil from the pan, leaving just a film, then add the garlic and cook for 10 seconds, stirring. Add the artichokes and red peppers, and saute for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the peppers are tender. Stir in the black olives. Add the wine and allow to bubble, stirring, until it has evaporated. Stir in the stock, lemon juice and lemon zest, bring to the boil and cook until reduced by about half. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken back to the pan to heat through in the sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Source: Taste of Home Cooking

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Weekly Menu

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We had some really good meals this week and I hope to be able to post some of the recipes here this week. The kids were particularly pleased with everything I made (o.k. maybe not so much the Pierogies and Peas, but I liked them). This week I'm keeping things a little more simple -- I've proven that my stove works well and now I can relax. For Buckeye football Saturday, the kids requested munchies for dinner and so I am obliging (and then I'm heading off to see Julie & Julia with a girlfriend). Thursday is the feast of St. Theresa of Avila, and though tacos are not exactly Spanish, they are close enough. I'm adding some Spanish yellow rice for authenticity.

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline
Dinner -- Buckeye football game-day munchies: Kansas City Hot Wings, Mexican Layer Dip, Stuffed Mushrooms, Bacon-Wrapped Chipotle Shrimp
Sunday
Lunch: Bagels with roasted tomato cream cheese, and turkey
Dinner: Bavarian Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, Poppy Seed Rolls, Lemon Chess Pie

Monday
Lunch: Quesadillas
Dinner: Reubens, waffles fries, pickles

Tuesday
Lunch: Chicken Soup with Stars
Dinner: BBQ Beef baked potatoes (I have some BBQ Beef from this post in the freezer), salad, Cinnamon Apple Puffs

Wednesday
Lunch: muffin tin munchies
Dinner: Turkey Noodle Soup, Asiago Cheese Bread

Thursday -- Feast of St. Theresa of Avila
Lunch: Sesame Noodles
Dinner: Chicken Tacos, yellow rice, Cinnamon Ice Cream (traditional Spanish dessert)

Friday
Lunch: Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
Dinner: Scrambled eggs and biscuits

* Tried and true
* New to me

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Stromboli

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When I put Stromboli on my menu last week (college boy's choice), I went to link to it and then realized that I had never posted the recipe. I can't imagine how I missed it, since it's one of my children's favorite dishes -- right up there with pizza. And since it's as easy to make as pizza (maybe easier), I'm not sure why I never posted it.

I'm fixing that today with the recipe for Pepperoni Stromboli and a Veggie Stromboli (down at the bottom) which I usually make for myself when I make pepperoni for the family. You can stuff a Stromboli with just about anything, however, and I have used sausage, peppers and mushrooms, and chicken and peppers for stuffing as well. But, really anything goes here -- BBQ beef, taco meat, Mexican pork or chicken. It's all good!

I don't usually brush the tops of my Stromboli with egg white, but if you like a shiny crust, go for it. It gets eaten far too fast at my house to worry about shiny crust.

Stromboli
(as written, makes one Stromboli)

1 pkg yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 T. sugar
1 T. vegetable oil
1 t. salt
3 to 3 1/4 cups flour
2 -3 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 t. minced garlic
8 oz. package pepperoni, quartered (just stack 'em and cut 'em)
6 oz. shredded mozzarella or pizza blend cheese

pizza sauce or marinara sauce (homemade or canned), heated to steaming


Combine water, yeast and sugar.
Let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.
Add 1 c. flour, oil and salt and mix with dough hook until dough forms
(or if mixing by hand, with a spoon).
Add remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time,
kneading at low speed until a smooth elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes, in mixer
(or if kneading by hand, turn onto floured surface
and knead until smooth and elastic).
Place in a greased bowl, turning once.
Cover and let rise at least one hour, until doubled.
Punch down proceed with stromboli.

With each piece, roll out a rectangle about 8 inches by 24 inches.


Dot with garlic (it doesn't take much, so don't be surprised by how little you have -- see my picture?).


Place pepperoni down the center of the bread dough.


Top with shredded cheese.



Then, fold one side of the dough over the center and then the other side. Pinch to seal down the length of the dough.



Place, seam side down, in an almost circle, on a greased cookie sheet or pizza pan.
Make small slits in the top for the steam to escape. Let it sit on the stovetop while you heat the oven.



Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, until top is golden brown.
Let cool for a few minutes, cut in wedges and serve with hot sauce.





For a veggie version of the Stromboli, just use whatever veggies you like. I used about 1/2 an onion, sliced, half a bell pepper and half a red pepper, sliced, about 8 button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced, and two cloves garlic, crushed.



Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small saute pan.
Add onions and peppers and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until peppers get a little bit soft.
Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms are soft, but not really done.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, Cool for about 5 minutes and if there is any liquid in the pan, soak it up with a paper towel.
Then follow the directions for the Stromboli, placing your veggies down the center of the dough, topping with cheese, folding, sealing and baking. Don't forget to slit the top.

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