Thursday, December 27, 2012

I Promise to Eat More Vegetables Salad


So excited to see my first issue of Bon Appetit magazine with the most delicious, mouth watering....salads.  Yes, salads. Oh my goodness, what perfect timing to start off the new year with great looking foods that are soooo good for you.  This recipe is inspired by the mandoline sliced vegetable salads in Bon Appetite, January 2013 issue.  Their salads did not have one piece of lettuce, and neither does mine. 

I Promise to Eat More Vegetables Salad
With a mandoline, thinly slice celery and carrots lengthwise.  I used broccoli slaw mix to save time.  Toss all with Lemon Vinagrette Dressing, like Wegman's and garnish with celery leaves.

mmm, mmm, veggies never looked so good! 

p.s. at 80% off, Bon Appetit is a steal. Save 80% on a 1 year Print & Tablet Subscription to Bon Appetit - Only $17.00 (plus $3 shipping)! Free tote bag + 2 digital Bon Appetit cookbooks - "Small Plates" and "Cocktail Guide" - with every purchase.

If you need a mandoline, Bon Appetite recommends this one:
mandoline




Friday, December 21, 2012

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas with Cupcakes



"What do you give a teacher that is the best teacher in the whole world?", I asked a 10 year old.  Her reply, "Cupcakes!"

"Well OK!"  I said, as visions of baking cupcakes from scratch danced through my head while figuring out when I would have time to make them.

On Pinterest I saw a few cupcake recipes that looked delicious, but time consuming so I decided to start with box cake mixes.  The idea...to take a cake mix and somehow end up with the flavors of white chocolate, raspberry and peppermint with a Christmasy presentation since they would be a gift for a very special teacher. The results were amazingly delicious, and the cupcakes disappeared in a flash.

Christmas Cupcakes

1 Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup skim milk scalded, stir in 16 pieces of white chocolate candy melts stir until melted, and let cool to room temperature
Mix all the ingredients for 2 minutes.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and follow baking instructions on package.  Mine took about 19 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Allow to cool.  yield about 20 cupcakes.

Cut a small hole in the top of the cupcake and spoon in Red Raspberry seedless spreadable fruit.  My only regret with this recipe is not putting more fruit in the cupcake.  I used about 1 teaspoon.


Next, I frosted the cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream Frosting using the Wilton Dessert Decorator Pro.  It was a birthday gift from my dear hubby, it was alot of fun to use and it really can make a gigantic mountain peak of frosting, lol. 

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Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter softened, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint  

Mix all ingredients until smooth. If frosting is too thin, add powdered sugar.  Frost cupcakes, then sprinkle with sanding sugar and top with a peppermint candy.

The cupcakes looked especially spectacular and delicious in the red and white cupcake box.
I hope you make these for your family, or that someone special.  From my home to yours, have a very blessed Christmas.  Now....I'm out for delivery!



Sunday, December 16, 2012

French Toast Two Ways

Mexican French Toast


French toast has been a family staple in our home for many years.  One morning, while eating breakfast out, my husband and I had the most delicious french toast ever.  When my husband complimented the waiter, he told us the secret to fabulous french toast is to add pancake mix to the batter.  What a sensational idea!  I have been doing it ever since.

Watching Patty Cooks on Create TV last weekend,  Patty's sister demonstrated one of their family favorite recipes, "Gypsy Fingers".  Well, I'm not sure I like the name, but the results are spectacular, so I'm calling my version Mexican French Toast. 

French Toast Batter
This is my basic french toast batter mix. In a flat bowl, whip together the following:
3 eggs
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup pancake mix
1 teaspoon brown sugar



Traditional French Toast
For tradtional french toast, I dip both sides of a slice of white bread in batter, then cook on a preheated frying pan lightly coated with spray butter.


Mexican French Toast 
You will need French Toast Batter and:
White bread
filling of your choice
Brown sugar mixture: mix in flat bowl: 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

With a rolling pin, roll white bread until flat, spread about 1 Tablespoon of filling (I used blueberry spreadable fruit) and roll.  Dip in french toast batter, then pan fry until brown.  Remove from heat and roll in brown sugar mixture.

Note: you do not need to cut of the crusts, you don't even notice them after you batter them up.

   

  

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Dog Biscuits

Taking a finger walk through my overstuffed recipe box brings back lots of good memories. Today I spotted this recipe for "Dog Biscuits" that my sister gave me about 25 years ago.  I made the biscuits for our dog, then people started asking for them, and then I sold them at a few craft shows.  The hardest part was rolling out the dough and cutting the biscuits with a bone shaped cookie cutter.  Wow, that was a lot of work for a few bucks.  Once the kiddo's came along, our poor puppy didn't get any more home baked biscuits :(  If you are feeling adventurous, these make great gifts for your canine friends. 

Dog Biscuits

Mix and let sit 5 minutes:
1/4 cup warm water
8 chicken boullion cubes
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
Add:
1 1/2 cup tomato juice

In a seperate container mix:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups wheat germ
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic seasoning

Add the yeast mixture then knead until combined and makes a smooth ball.  Roll dough on floured surface and cut with a cookie cutter.  On greased cookie sheet, bake at 300 degrees F. for 1 hour, turn oven off, then let sit in oven for 4 hours.




Sunday, December 9, 2012

Thick Crust Pizza Dough to Mix in a Bread Machine


My most reliable, go to pizza dough recipe started as my basic bread dough.  This dough is so versatile I also make crazy delicious bread sticks that we call crazy bread with it. Wow, no complaining from this family when pizza and crazy bread are in the oven.

Thick Pizza Crust

In measuring cup mix the following:
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoon active yeast for a bread machine
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Measure dry ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt



Add dry ingredients to bread machine, then add the yeast mixture.  Set the bread machine on dough cycle. That's it!

 Remove from bread machine, roll or hand toss, add favorite ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.


mmmmm....yummy!





Monday, December 3, 2012

Baked Meatballs

I used to struggle with meatballs because they would fall apart while pan frying, or become overly burnt on the outside, yuk.  About two years ago I finally discovered a fantastic meatball recipe to use with a scrumptious Sunday Gravy, but they are extremely time consuming, and are very fatty.  Baking your meatballs is a quick and easy way to reduce fat and also your time in the kitchen.  I found this recipe on Pinterest, so decided to give it a try. If you don't mind a slightly flat bottom on your meatball, this recipe is easy and great.  Here is my version:

Baked Meatballs
1lb lean hamburger
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 small onion, minced
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (I use the squeeze bottle to save time)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper 
1 teaspoon basil

Mix all ingredients with hands. Form into golf ball sized meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with your favorite pasta and sauce or build a meatball sub, yummy!