tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58453633315143649022024-03-21T21:10:47.541-04:00Soup's OnKentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-36169574152611287282010-07-13T16:38:00.000-04:002010-07-13T16:38:21.692-04:00Epicurious Events!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey folks. I apologize for another week of nary a post. I thought that I was feeling better, but turns out, not so much. So I haven't really done a ton of cooking. I did put together a few items for the graduation party this weekend, and I will share those recipes with you, hopefully tomorrow. And also share the copy-cat Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich recipe that I mentioned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did, however, want to give you all a head's up that <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/">Epicurious</a> is going to hold the </span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/community/events/farmersmarkettour"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3rd Annual Epicurious Farmers' Market Tour from July 30-August 21st</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in different cities around the country. It doesn't look like there are any close enough for me to make it, but I would love to hear about your experiences if any of you get to go (especially if you go to the one in Boston; one of my favorite cities)!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the lineup:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">San Francisco - </span><a href="http://www.cuesa.org/markets/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - July 20th & 24th</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chicago - </span><a href="http://www.localharvest.org/daley-plaza-farmers-market-M1972"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daley Plaza Farmers' Market</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - July 29th</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Minneapolis - </span><a href="http://www.farmersmarketannex.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Farmers' Market Annex</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - July 31st & August 1st</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boston - </span><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/copley-square-farmers-market-boston"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Copley Square Farmers' Market</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - August 6th</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boston - </span><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/city-hall-farmers-market-boston"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">City Hall Farmers' Market</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - August 9th</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New York City - </span><a href="http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Union Square Greenmarket</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - August 16th, 20th & 21st</span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-76092405849305446562010-07-05T23:17:00.001-04:002010-07-05T23:18:11.783-04:00Patriotic Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAQxS1j82C1B5sfw80TYMz9YpwtzNj7gt_TUI32M0xJPoFUCe_Tltph6-uqSJ69MRfVvvbVYPB2RdWRiWlxLZ6nksNlFDQyrCp9g0Ku2hGpbi0VKwGwqhe5qTpqclHhIfET1XixbTf1YI/s1600/Berries+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAQxS1j82C1B5sfw80TYMz9YpwtzNj7gt_TUI32M0xJPoFUCe_Tltph6-uqSJ69MRfVvvbVYPB2RdWRiWlxLZ6nksNlFDQyrCp9g0Ku2hGpbi0VKwGwqhe5qTpqclHhIfET1XixbTf1YI/s320/Berries+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I haven't been feeling 100% for the past few days which has kept me from doing much cooking (hence an entire week without a recipe and nary a post, for which I apologize). We did make the copycat recipe of Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwiches for dinner Friday night, and I will be sharing the recipe and results hopefully tomorrow. I had plans for a few different Fourth of July-inspired foods to make over the weekend, and due to whatever bug I picked up, I just couldn't talk myself into it. I did want to do <em>something</em>, however. I ran across this idea for </span><a href="http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/2010/06/red-white-and-blue-strawberries.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Red, White & Blue Strawberries over at Oopsey Daisy</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. They're really easy and very cute!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-hE0TpTej1gOker0JgKz_5jKXqDwlwgJWyghY782DNyirCXKucjEUED0qAYNOT77LOGbWRcNEBhJPykvAOK35lV9fleL54wjCAdvYYqg_wxWUiDYh5Ce3oOAkfNSL59qbjktuM2lxipn/s1600/Berries+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-hE0TpTej1gOker0JgKz_5jKXqDwlwgJWyghY782DNyirCXKucjEUED0qAYNOT77LOGbWRcNEBhJPykvAOK35lV9fleL54wjCAdvYYqg_wxWUiDYh5Ce3oOAkfNSL59qbjktuM2lxipn/s320/Berries+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I poured some "4th of July Blue" colored sugar (picked up in the Dollar Spot at Target) in a small bowl, and then inserted toothpicks into the cap-end of about 1 pint of fresh, clean strawberries. Then I melted half a bag of Ghirardelli white chocolate chips and 1/2 T. of shortening in the microwave, stirring at 30 second intervals. I dipped the strawberries 2/3-3/4 of the way in the melted chocolate, and then set them on waxed paper to set. Once set, I used the back of a small spoon to smooth a very thin coat of chocolate on the bottom 1/4-1/3 of the strawberries, and then dipped that in the colored sugar. Originally, I dipped straight from the chocolate to the sugar, but it was causing a little "bubble" or roll around the middle where the sugar stopped. This worked out a lot better asthetically. Taste-wise - run wild however you want!</span></div>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-15274210442636488032010-07-02T09:27:00.000-04:002010-07-02T09:27:52.481-04:00Aloha Friday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://islandlife808.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/aloha-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://islandlife808.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/aloha-banner.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Aloha Friday everyone! And a long-weekend Friday, at that! I have a fun question for you to kick off the Fourth of July weekend. If you'd like to join in the fun, as well, post a question on your own blog and then leave the link over on the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2089052394"><span id="goog_2089052392"></span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><a href="http://islandlife808.com/memes/aloha-friday-141/">Aloha Friday</a><span id="goog_2089052393"></span> page at <a href="http://islandlife808.com/">An Island Life</a>. It's a great way to find some new favorite blogs!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">My question for you:</div><div style="text-align: center;">What is your favorite meal or dessert to cook or bake for the 4th of July?</div><div style="text-align: center;">My answers: </div><div style="text-align: center;">Grilled pizza; a Red, White and Blue Trifle; and Taco Salad! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Leave your answer in the comment section below and have a great weekend! :)</div>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-54795597223626027552010-06-25T17:02:00.000-04:002010-06-25T17:02:13.676-04:00Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops & Crash Hot Potatoes<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"MMmm, pig" is a phrase that gets uttered around here quite often (other related phrase: Everything's better with bacon!). I hadn't catered to the pork craving in awhile, so last night I made Parmesan-Crusted pork chops and served crash hot potatoes on the side.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've had the pork chop recipe for years, and don't remember where it came from, though I think it might have been featured on a Food Network show at some point. The <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/">crash hot potatoes come from The Pioneer Woman Cooks</a> (Ree Drummond); you will find lots of lovely, tasty, hearty recipes over there - take some time to browse around.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I started the potatoes first, since they take a little longer than the chops. I boiled some baby red potatoes; while they were doing their thing, I prepared the baking sheet by liberally drizzling it with some olive oil (you will want to be very liberal; it keeps them from sticking)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-aOGpF41CXei5Oo1mbEmtpCEj-1vYgl7x38C-auLL-4-qUjnftxNF8FkWk1rhPor8iWRTqOB0Xihh8-Q3YL1E7xQIxcGNIAdSbiFbwkTLwpXno6kBJAywpy_B0ZU2NSw8lXk3Qm-7GEk/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-aOGpF41CXei5Oo1mbEmtpCEj-1vYgl7x38C-auLL-4-qUjnftxNF8FkWk1rhPor8iWRTqOB0Xihh8-Q3YL1E7xQIxcGNIAdSbiFbwkTLwpXno6kBJAywpy_B0ZU2NSw8lXk3Qm-7GEk/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once the potatoes were ready, I set them on the baking sheet</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDpLjHdlHHNT_LCgbs2QpGAF_cBKEsS0adRtBaYjfYBSD3RxYApimAED-4IIh_MTJqU7jQXxgATEdylzmRZgPEtrzOBwIwdRyjlLAmlkW3GynDp1i1nrnbxoZmBkPqQViWPkOewPMzIbI/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDpLjHdlHHNT_LCgbs2QpGAF_cBKEsS0adRtBaYjfYBSD3RxYApimAED-4IIh_MTJqU7jQXxgATEdylzmRZgPEtrzOBwIwdRyjlLAmlkW3GynDp1i1nrnbxoZmBkPqQViWPkOewPMzIbI/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From there, I used a metal potato masher to squish the potatoes down a little bit (not all the way), and then turned the masher 90 degrees and pressed down again. You don't want to mash them, but make them look a little bit like a potato cookie</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXUDOK2fdA500Y-etu5Nw2Ob2BInR2g2rB7ojTNhX4SUewvGTr_X0EHP5Y_BZxGtd4ALMVhOHmaRkyybhEyUiueCN5G4xNXVaz6o-WEmb4D7LMYoEU_tTGx3fdSW4EfA4IRsJHIr_3PK7/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXUDOK2fdA500Y-etu5Nw2Ob2BInR2g2rB7ojTNhX4SUewvGTr_X0EHP5Y_BZxGtd4ALMVhOHmaRkyybhEyUiueCN5G4xNXVaz6o-WEmb4D7LMYoEU_tTGx3fdSW4EfA4IRsJHIr_3PK7/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then I brushed the tops with some more olive oil, sprinkled them with some kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh herbs (I had chives and rosemary growing in my container garden, so those are the ones I used; feel free to use whatever you have on hand)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw2_NSAuuLDO5hHbkpaCWiRFDPzGcJXDFnTYngGR_iqZSHLCanFSy52CAT59WOcSZK39LiL289YXP5DMiAUfhOAygVuV11qGxycFTxA9gmPEcB7c8qdt3FJKdT8sjOX6q_1g4qaRGeAiK/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw2_NSAuuLDO5hHbkpaCWiRFDPzGcJXDFnTYngGR_iqZSHLCanFSy52CAT59WOcSZK39LiL289YXP5DMiAUfhOAygVuV11qGxycFTxA9gmPEcB7c8qdt3FJKdT8sjOX6q_1g4qaRGeAiK/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those get put on the top rack of a 450 degree oven.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After the potatoes were in the oven, I turned my attention to the pork chops. First, they get pressed into grated Parmesan cheese</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVK9DCXwGXJQx03FG0CeYLijXl42xT4Db4z3NIrcwPz0fpvjNg07w9Z14FZFEynAfWMzNfPZLOIwaSq1I-l9-TnjWnkPWhOcAiiPPwI3mObgY_cEIz792uiWZK_I5wojfZTzWdW1I17XDM/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVK9DCXwGXJQx03FG0CeYLijXl42xT4Db4z3NIrcwPz0fpvjNg07w9Z14FZFEynAfWMzNfPZLOIwaSq1I-l9-TnjWnkPWhOcAiiPPwI3mObgY_cEIz792uiWZK_I5wojfZTzWdW1I17XDM/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then they get a dip in an egg bath</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92m8rGpms_tTOJJZnNNZdXs6_d3-Zug9He28yxDNAvcVCD0Zvu2wt8KPoLTijfkqzbX4c_RNZr58N5W1d5bry9xcjla1g_EUXfAbpm09IAxT-t4BJIYZcukM2g8KTd4yTfuaaPCU9MyRz/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92m8rGpms_tTOJJZnNNZdXs6_d3-Zug9He28yxDNAvcVCD0Zvu2wt8KPoLTijfkqzbX4c_RNZr58N5W1d5bry9xcjla1g_EUXfAbpm09IAxT-t4BJIYZcukM2g8KTd4yTfuaaPCU9MyRz/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then they finally get pressed into some Italian bread crumbs</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEP5uVMQoI_ntztKA7VYErm7c_ONyh4FfwEsCqlaZPufLoz9_HAT_9eXDO2E9cwsU0ZHJl6SN6Csde6w7s8XbSG6mdCKiWHAOFdHL6PV4dLkcuyy-1NUqG6dS4e7mt6OqOzy-8WcBHRME4/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEP5uVMQoI_ntztKA7VYErm7c_ONyh4FfwEsCqlaZPufLoz9_HAT_9eXDO2E9cwsU0ZHJl6SN6Csde6w7s8XbSG6mdCKiWHAOFdHL6PV4dLkcuyy-1NUqG6dS4e7mt6OqOzy-8WcBHRME4/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Swirl some EVOO into a skillet and brown on each side for about 6 minutes per side, or until a golden brown (mine are a teeny bit past golden. Oops.)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FeX4ysD7r4hTxvpBU0IJiBAHg9zEOJKDhud3Ke2C4lIvRofZtDvnEYMvLz7jCpGstkMSaGbXsiY-OHrEd0UuFIVItguwcMsmkJ1VNqD41bDagU4nONpmbV8SQeK-Vpn8yd49fxCm4wEt/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FeX4ysD7r4hTxvpBU0IJiBAHg9zEOJKDhud3Ke2C4lIvRofZtDvnEYMvLz7jCpGstkMSaGbXsiY-OHrEd0UuFIVItguwcMsmkJ1VNqD41bDagU4nONpmbV8SQeK-Vpn8yd49fxCm4wEt/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Transfer them to a pan and finish them in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or so. At this point, there were only about 15 minutes left on the potatoes, so I turned the oven down from 450 to 400 and put the chops in the stove with the potatoes. When done, I pulled out the pork chops and put the potatoes under the broiler for just a minute or so to compensate for the turn-down in temp. You don't necessarily have to do that if you find yourself in the same situation; we just happen to like crunchy.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRmVbXZPMvw9BA_BjmuL-kDGrj-6HRh3Hv__8PahZRcb1cUC8itVRyHZ5F_Q3LALa5wA0PqV1TffNakyyHr2sfB2J-HsSOABfxfy0drZkGuTxVgvp9aAsaEMbqn-tE_GmG46HbPBrYyum/s1600/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRmVbXZPMvw9BA_BjmuL-kDGrj-6HRh3Hv__8PahZRcb1cUC8itVRyHZ5F_Q3LALa5wA0PqV1TffNakyyHr2sfB2J-HsSOABfxfy0drZkGuTxVgvp9aAsaEMbqn-tE_GmG46HbPBrYyum/s320/Pork+Chops+and+Crash+Potatoes+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They turned out great (I will be honest; looking at the picture above is making my stomach <strike>rumble a little</strike> growl ravenously) - crunchy on the outside (I'm a firm believer in the crunchy texture and using it liberally in your food) and soft inside. So did the chops. A really nice pairing, to be honest. The pork chops have been in my mix for a few years, and will continue to be so; the potatoes have now joined the list and will be made at least once or twice a month.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Recipes are below:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops</b></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 large eggs</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup Italian bread crumbs</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4 center-cut pork chops</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">kosher salt & ground pepper</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">olive oil for frying</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Preheat oven to 400.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) Set out three shallow bowls or dishes. In one, whisk together the eggs. In a second, put the bread crumbs. In the third, put the grated Parmesan cheese.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Sprinkle the chops with the kosher salt and pepper. Press the chops in the grated Parmesan, coating both sides, pressing to adhere. Next dip the chops in the egg; finally, press the chops into the bread crumbs, coating both sides, pressing to adhere.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Heat about 3 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet. Add the pork chops (in batches, if needed) to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chops to the oven and cook 10-15, until internal temperature reaches about 150 degrees.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Crash Hot Potatoes</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">12 whole new potatoes (or other baby or small round potatoes)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3 T olive oil</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kosher salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Black Pepper</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fresh herbs, finely chopped</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the potatoes (you can definitely use more or less than 12) and cook until they are fork-tender (this will depend on the size of the potatoes).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) Preheat oven to 450. Generously drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil (be generous, so potatoes do not stick). Place the potatoes on the baking sheet, leaving space between.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) With a potato masher*, gently press down on each potato until slightly mashed; turn masher 90 degrees and gently press down again. You want something that ends up looking like a potato cookie.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Brush the tops of each potato with more olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper and fresh rosemary (any fresh herb or combination will work - chives, thyme, whatever you have on hand) to taste.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5) Bake in the top rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.</span></span><br />
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*I tried these once before with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-FN19-Nylon-Potato-Masher/dp/B000IV5902?ie=UTF8&tag=soupso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">a nylon masher</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=soupso-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000IV5902" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, which is what I generally use. It did not work. So I picked up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Good-Grips-Potato-Masher/dp/B00004OCJK?ie=UTF8&tag=soupso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">a new wire masher</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=soupso-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00004OCJK" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, and it worked a million times better. I definitely recommend using the right tool for the job in this particular instance.<br />
<span id="goog_912838268"></span><span id="goog_912838269"></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-36454607604497340712010-06-24T15:00:00.006-04:002010-06-25T17:06:33.387-04:00Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was looking for something just a little different to make as an after-dinner bite/evening snack. Since any time I ask "What would you like for a sweet?" the invariable response is "<a href="http://soupson502.blogspot.com/2010/06/peanut-butter-cookies-two-ways.html">peanut butter cookies!</a>" or "<a href="http://soupson502.blogspot.com/2010/06/chocolate-brownies.html">brownies!</a>". And I love both of them - I really do - but I also like the chance to try something a little new once in awhile. Especially since I've collected an entire box and binder full of recipes I want to try, and the pile is only getting bigger, not smaller. So PBCs and brownies got vetoed last night, and I decided to make some of the Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons that I had stumbled across over at Brown Eyed Baker.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not only are these fairly easy to make, the vote handed down was that they are tasted something like a grilled Almond Joy candy bar, which basically is saying "two thumbs up" (anything hailing from or reminiscent of the Hershey family scores highly around here).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ones I made are tasty, but not overly beautiful, I will admit. I'm chalking it up to the fact that they were my initial attempt at homemade macaroons. The next time around, I will probably make them a little smaller; I think that will help with the over-all shape, as well as how they look after they've been dipped.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All you need to do is mix the sweetened condensed milk, salt, egg white, and vanilla together in a bowl. Once blended, stir in the coconut until well-combined.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next, you will want to line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon or small scoop, drop the batter in small mounds about 2" apart on the baking sheet. Wet your fingers, and use your fingertips to loosely form the mounds into haystacks or volcanoes. Wet your fingers as necessary if they start to get sticky or hard to shape.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSV8wYqY0kJkav4U6hsPWNbnIQfyrAf5Y4dN41dJeUaOG08boXlj_7yunYe9pfhgW1g0PKw8yg1HVA3LmA-aBvGnhTm4lrL65cgqcaeUmoySoJUrB_QAyaLFa_G5royhDvFMDCYBzZAWJ/s1600/Macaroons+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSV8wYqY0kJkav4U6hsPWNbnIQfyrAf5Y4dN41dJeUaOG08boXlj_7yunYe9pfhgW1g0PKw8yg1HVA3LmA-aBvGnhTm4lrL65cgqcaeUmoySoJUrB_QAyaLFa_G5royhDvFMDCYBzZAWJ/s320/Macaroons+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After they come out of the oven, they need to briefly cool on the pan, then finish cooling on a wire rack. Once cooled, they can be dipped in chocolate. Of course, waiting for them to cool before the dipping was proving to be a long wait, so one <i>may</i> have been sampled naked. And <i>may</i></span> have been really, really good.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHMrgWLLkjRweMZhSqj_dKFSHjmaUKBd3oTeQKfzHiEe2ETXAOlrVPwm89bGLJhzRq7GRfRchjeMK8bHMLB9cloOgbeCAyJ4fWj0f1PuI9JmpSW-T8g_JWdH-_nXPkZRD-J0HMy6OZRgz/s1600/Macaroons+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHMrgWLLkjRweMZhSqj_dKFSHjmaUKBd3oTeQKfzHiEe2ETXAOlrVPwm89bGLJhzRq7GRfRchjeMK8bHMLB9cloOgbeCAyJ4fWj0f1PuI9JmpSW-T8g_JWdH-_nXPkZRD-J0HMy6OZRgz/s320/Macaroons+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After they were cooled, they got the dip. And they were really good, too. You can never go wrong adding chocolate. I bet they would also be good dipped in dark chocolate (or even tinted white chocolate, but I will have to try that out to see if it would also be visually appealing).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpaqnLJRjZvX1RWmOm8K9ItU2chzqb0ZyfHkjSq5FKaKvmMDRb1YTtPEu0toFGjudsDiq9G_DUWXhs_ewy-wALaTCRrd8ytHrC7S-IjS4FvXhpeCUm2T20zi59w5Vg_wgRkDjochsVzlG/s1600/Macaroons+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifpaqnLJRjZvX1RWmOm8K9ItU2chzqb0ZyfHkjSq5FKaKvmMDRb1YTtPEu0toFGjudsDiq9G_DUWXhs_ewy-wALaTCRrd8ytHrC7S-IjS4FvXhpeCUm2T20zi59w5Vg_wgRkDjochsVzlG/s320/Macaroons+010.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the recipe, again from originally found on <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/06/19/chocolate-dipped-coconut-macaroons/">Brown Eyed Baker</a>:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 lg. egg white</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/2 tsp. vanilla</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/8 tsp. salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Preheat oven to 325; line two baking sheets with parchment paper.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) In large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla and salt. Stir in the coconut until well-combined.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Space the macaroons about 2" apart. With wet fingers, shape the dough into haystacks. Continue to wet fingers as necessary if they start to get sticky or hard to shape.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Bake one sheet at a time for 15-20 minutes, until they turn a light golden brown.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5) Cool on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes, until starting to set. Use a metal spatula to move the macaroons to a wire cooling rack. Cool for an additional 30 minutes, until they reach room temperature.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">6) Melt 8 ounces of the chopped semi-sweet chocolate. I did mine in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between. You can also melt it in a heat-proof bowl set over a bowl of barely-simmering water. Once melted and smooth, add in the remaining 2 ounces of chopped chocolate, and stir until smooth.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">7) Holding the tips of the macaroons, dip the bottoms and 1/2" up the sides of the macaroons. Scrape off excess chocolate, and set back on the parchment-lined baking sheets to set.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Makes 24-36, depending on how big you make them.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.tidymom.net/"><img border="0" src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k190/tidymom/my%20blog%20stuff/layout%20stuff/Imlovinit_button.png" /></a><br />
<a border="0" href="http://www.toddlerawesome.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4624788364_8f66dc4d57_o.jpg" /></a>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-1817616286210640852010-06-20T12:54:00.002-04:002010-06-30T09:44:52.084-04:00Banana Nut Crunch Muffins<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #990000;"><i>First let me say Happy Father's Day to my Dad and my Grandfather! And Happy Father's Day to all the other Dads out there! </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Muffins are such a great food. They're a portable breakfast-in-your-hand that require no utensils, and sometimes double as a late-night snack. What I didn't realize until I baked these <i>particular</i></span> muffins, is that muffins can also fill your kitchen full of a scent so wonderful that you temporarily forget that other foods exist and declare that you want to smell this coming from the kitchen every morning for the rest of your life.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I first made these muffins a couple of weeks ago, and they quickly jumped to the list of "you must make these every week. Every day is also acceptable". But I didn't actually get a chance to make another batch until Friday night (I get the urge to bake at what some may consider to be very random times of night). I had a few bananas left over from the frozen chocolate-covered bananas (a nod to snacking at Walt Disney World) I'd thrown together a couple of nights previous, and I couldn't just let them go to waste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-kTnUiw9oMFK-qwPRIjAvQEwY949HBgQHS_5d-z2MCFfB52qFq9g4soB0ewO2qTCXuOr3dqdkAxa7gK7OICNgbfSJSj49C6gblPk4HRyYaFnBjBSOOFTq7lW3YTtlLIBW3Z4QoFN9lfq/s1600/Banana+Nut+Muffins+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-kTnUiw9oMFK-qwPRIjAvQEwY949HBgQHS_5d-z2MCFfB52qFq9g4soB0ewO2qTCXuOr3dqdkAxa7gK7OICNgbfSJSj49C6gblPk4HRyYaFnBjBSOOFTq7lW3YTtlLIBW3Z4QoFN9lfq/s320/Banana+Nut+Muffins+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In a second bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, brown sugar, egg, canola oil, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5p_ZmQF-Z5KQKFX_94nu-2rZHjch_cs2yCP5th55pCGYO0tN_jaGHYRBrqNd9rf1eqM3fYDZAv3QGxK_bIl0ZViWL-vKzCFGRFsoDberNADUlQ8rBRblrYxGAU7Zsm0cJz700P5fD5wV/s1600/Banana+Nut+Muffins+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5p_ZmQF-Z5KQKFX_94nu-2rZHjch_cs2yCP5th55pCGYO0tN_jaGHYRBrqNd9rf1eqM3fYDZAv3QGxK_bIl0ZViWL-vKzCFGRFsoDberNADUlQ8rBRblrYxGAU7Zsm0cJz700P5fD5wV/s320/Banana+Nut+Muffins+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE898SZXAso0OkuAAgyjP9o61aCpuh4KiF2hqPjxhdfPE0u4lKQYBpiDnZIjdjBl2IwmTEcKo6SnUQv2HBe8ud-zccNIFhAQKdk7G6tX9ZRpG1S-86s8_M8x9hkUVHWfYsQU1eKfO8ow0D/s1600/Banana+Nut+Muffins+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE898SZXAso0OkuAAgyjP9o61aCpuh4KiF2hqPjxhdfPE0u4lKQYBpiDnZIjdjBl2IwmTEcKo6SnUQv2HBe8ud-zccNIFhAQKdk7G6tX9ZRpG1S-86s8_M8x9hkUVHWfYsQU1eKfO8ow0D/s320/Banana+Nut+Muffins+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In a third, smaller bowl, make the crumb topping by combining brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and whisk together. Add in butter with your fingers until mix resembles cornmeal</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJsnfQ9JDHH98jWmFWZfjBiwac5NIm5KV-Z8ec-GTeDXUD6-rrUGkzWpDRMgdNLfg7j7YCmn50PcNVMCRvTxYIf1xxD-iGhLS7AYXJFolFdLDijg1E3WkYQfBfGMrqr5OYniRqK_fIz1M/s1600/Banana+Nut+Muffins+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJsnfQ9JDHH98jWmFWZfjBiwac5NIm5KV-Z8ec-GTeDXUD6-rrUGkzWpDRMgdNLfg7j7YCmn50PcNVMCRvTxYIf1xxD-iGhLS7AYXJFolFdLDijg1E3WkYQfBfGMrqr5OYniRqK_fIz1M/s320/Banana+Nut+Muffins+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Grease jumbo-cup muffin pan(s) and fill about 1/3 of the way full of batter. Sprinkle some of the crumb topping over the batter, then sprinkle with a few chopped walnuts</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqBYPfyrOszl5HKoPYRxM2Oc0B0-kUxmS4jGyKo7yYTFK1YIiqHoCYY8c16RTuma-dwrsdbUOaJPB1U9GwO1MM7uNnndaq231rK683AuJqdv3wvWK96TrVedXiHCmLcqap7dzIHXek1Fj/s1600/Banana+Nut+Muffins+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqBYPfyrOszl5HKoPYRxM2Oc0B0-kUxmS4jGyKo7yYTFK1YIiqHoCYY8c16RTuma-dwrsdbUOaJPB1U9GwO1MM7uNnndaq231rK683AuJqdv3wvWK96TrVedXiHCmLcqap7dzIHXek1Fj/s320/Banana+Nut+Muffins+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Top with batter until cups are about 2/3rds full. Finish by generously sprinkling (there will be plenty) with more of the crumb topping and additional chopped walnuts</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcl3HEevcPd5qYYw4mewJskddtMhiO6n1WvHjm79xpIBkEZEkjK3OzAOh4BdHVclCWK5juaFtzqghyYT3J0iTx0UlTiHSaLPPOGPp55uHQvK-eMaUmGSOdnP4hpGXPQNhNO3LpLxBj9wRX/s1600/Banana+Nut+Muffins+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcl3HEevcPd5qYYw4mewJskddtMhiO6n1WvHjm79xpIBkEZEkjK3OzAOh4BdHVclCWK5juaFtzqghyYT3J0iTx0UlTiHSaLPPOGPp55uHQvK-eMaUmGSOdnP4hpGXPQNhNO3LpLxBj9wRX/s320/Banana+Nut+Muffins+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out cleanly. Let cool briefly in pan(s) before removing to a rack to cool</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GJ6pbnSJkhwyciRORo7QUIbLWSJ8BGhwGlankC4FKZK0AdKR8hyphenhyphenPh75k2L9EPqZ0AbJNd8JYbW4zp7Tk2uTDmKriaRmZiQyAMC3ukArcCnTBVY7NoimjulnBDOCW6USlqUQGI-wKPlk5/s1600/Banana+Nut+Muffins+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GJ6pbnSJkhwyciRORo7QUIbLWSJ8BGhwGlankC4FKZK0AdKR8hyphenhyphenPh75k2L9EPqZ0AbJNd8JYbW4zp7Tk2uTDmKriaRmZiQyAMC3ukArcCnTBVY7NoimjulnBDOCW6USlqUQGI-wKPlk5/s320/Banana+Nut+Muffins+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Here's the recipe (adapted from one for<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Banana-Crumb-Muffins/Detail.aspx"> Banana Crumb Muffins on Allrecipes.com</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Muffins:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 1/2 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3 ripe bananas, mashed</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/4 cup packed light brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 egg, lightly beaten</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/3 cup canola oil</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. cinnamon</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Topping:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2T flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/4 tsp. cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1T butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> 1/4 cup chopped walnuts </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1) Preheat oven to 375. Grease jumbo-cup muffin tin(s).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2) In large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a second bowl, beat together the bananas, sugar, brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3) Prepare the crumb topping: whisk together the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. With your fingers, work in the butter until mix resembles cornmeal.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">4) Fill muffin cups 1/3 full of batter (I used a cookie scoop to obtain a relatively consistent size); sprinkle with the crumb topping mix, then sprinkle with chopped walnuts.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">5) Finish filling muffin cups to about 2/3rds full. Generously sprinkle the tops with more crumb topping mixture and then more chopped walnuts.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">6) Bake for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean (you may see a little bit of banana, just use your judgment). Cool briefly in pan(s), then remove to wire rack to cool.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Makes 8-12 muffins, depending on how full you fill your cups and how big your muffin tins are.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Interested in more bananas recipes? Click the button below!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.foodista.com/food/QKMBXGNB/bananas" style="-moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 2px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 2px; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 2px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 2px; background-color: #6d6d6d; border: 5px solid rgb(80, 80, 80); color: white; display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; overflow: hidden; padding: 4px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0pt; width: 200px;" title="Bananas on Foodista"><img alt="Bananas on Foodista" src="http://cf.foodista.com/static/images/widget_logo.png" style="border: medium none; float: right; height: 25px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; width: 70px;" />Bananas<img src="http://dyn.foodista.com/content/embed/z1.png?foodista_widget_QKMBXGNB_AAAAAAAA" style="display: none;" /></a> </span><br />
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<img src="http://itsablogparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ItsABlogPartyweb.jpg" alt="It's a Blog Party"></a>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-33208761105165682372010-06-16T17:48:00.001-04:002010-06-16T17:48:28.896-04:00Peanut Butter Cookies Two Ways<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Are you in the mood to bake?" was the question posed to me last night after dinner. Well, <i>duh</i>. The reason for the question? A request for peanut butter cookies, a staple around here.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfx8llWQabNhkWdd37mqOhinbV34VdHZmXc-54bK-TQ5UNzIuMtP-Kp8Wkbye1Donx2SQJW5dO7UKFP54obgPSgBFbWLeVyDyx7KisfymF3bbcQADpaOCVEhSxHtRFosLxOzRlPbwCNS5/s1600/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfx8llWQabNhkWdd37mqOhinbV34VdHZmXc-54bK-TQ5UNzIuMtP-Kp8Wkbye1Donx2SQJW5dO7UKFP54obgPSgBFbWLeVyDyx7KisfymF3bbcQADpaOCVEhSxHtRFosLxOzRlPbwCNS5/s320/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Peanut butter cookies are especially great in the fact that they bake up fast, so the wait time for something sweet is fairly minimal. They also fairly fast to pull together, and the ingredients are always on hand.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I started mixing up the cookies (I got the recipe awhile back from my Mom - I'm starting to see a trend this week), first putting the sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaU5lIfzHkPKWDwXPs6ntREgiuQ8eGb0WJgVJXnmMvrIWnzQTy3Jtn7y_1t5tM1Rm9oQ64xJApoot0zajQ4-AdhgR3id0NaxnvZztUj9Zj5M-eNsQYb8FDcQ7vxk-x2EUfnU5rs7VxqwS/s1600/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaU5lIfzHkPKWDwXPs6ntREgiuQ8eGb0WJgVJXnmMvrIWnzQTy3Jtn7y_1t5tM1Rm9oQ64xJApoot0zajQ4-AdhgR3id0NaxnvZztUj9Zj5M-eNsQYb8FDcQ7vxk-x2EUfnU5rs7VxqwS/s320/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">then whisked them together</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xRIF0Z_R3gBnXevUOzNFKt92CxH3LriDcaImrNM3JqOBqY3xVN7AjRBmTo2ftpiGXuZjFRJk5HxDXQXdSxf7cu7aB9LVfkycQ6SwiWp0BKAywd54UpBk7uBvFhUpXxDRHZQM0dO78Y6Y/s1600/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xRIF0Z_R3gBnXevUOzNFKt92CxH3LriDcaImrNM3JqOBqY3xVN7AjRBmTo2ftpiGXuZjFRJk5HxDXQXdSxf7cu7aB9LVfkycQ6SwiWp0BKAywd54UpBk7uBvFhUpXxDRHZQM0dO78Y6Y/s320/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from there, I beat in the eggs, peanut butter, milk and shortening</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdcTatdDolak8RkayWBszE5fyv4SVD9rdjghsPbRaHynauFw9nYcY4wpb4KhiPS2cXax_6qypn7B6utE7Xsd8edIUwMMOP8t1_BVv2JQFo2JrwL0O8IlNWtblUlHM42yvON4OoemcfKKt/s1600/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdcTatdDolak8RkayWBszE5fyv4SVD9rdjghsPbRaHynauFw9nYcY4wpb4KhiPS2cXax_6qypn7B6utE7Xsd8edIUwMMOP8t1_BVv2JQFo2JrwL0O8IlNWtblUlHM42yvON4OoemcfKKt/s320/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I rolled the dough out into balls and used a fork to press them down slightly (some of them got a crisscross pattern, some didn't) and put them on my extremely well-loved, well-seasoned Pampered Chef stone. Then I sprinkled them with some sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kcdHLIyIuBwBNP7P_-eedSQk0VjQKytDVkr9R-tJ2vYAu18fv1tY1mkXOxhEq-0CC7c9RWacjZzk2g6-c2YAGkL3qmoRkonEwReo3HfQrz1GPc5THxAFj4m9UHLL73UoInK4ZzdwG7VV/s1600/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kcdHLIyIuBwBNP7P_-eedSQk0VjQKytDVkr9R-tJ2vYAu18fv1tY1mkXOxhEq-0CC7c9RWacjZzk2g6-c2YAGkL3qmoRkonEwReo3HfQrz1GPc5THxAFj4m9UHLL73UoInK4ZzdwG7VV/s320/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I baked them for 12 minutes, let them cool slightly, the moved them to a rack to finish cooling.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhvb3Z16RsPfXwZyXmOMWmsXG6fxUtaN9EuzoHw4rG8icBDeSpzrcmi3YIHetaWr84Sq-P-4ntdN4yy_WL97x2bdl6rijOz9kTB3Oj8SJzIE1cg5W8-1Mcw2-zKaszF1Sh9MY5Xhvwftz/s1600/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhvb3Z16RsPfXwZyXmOMWmsXG6fxUtaN9EuzoHw4rG8icBDeSpzrcmi3YIHetaWr84Sq-P-4ntdN4yy_WL97x2bdl6rijOz9kTB3Oj8SJzIE1cg5W8-1Mcw2-zKaszF1Sh9MY5Xhvwftz/s320/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By the time I got to the end of the dough, I didn't have a "full" batch left to put in the oven. I also was thinking "hmm, what goes well with peanut butter". Well, pretty much everything. But chocolate especially. So for the last few cookies, I chopped up a Heath bar, and added them to the cookies. I did this two ways. For half of them, I pressed the chopped toffee onto the top of the cookie. For the other half, I mixed the candy bar pieces into the dough, then proceeded as with the first batches of cookies. They turned out like this</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh9Zy5mAz1HiZWeOFWlJiD-HIsR7Id7m-SL1kXYbWDfRasDYNbacSegAcIILwjKDP_Orc4h47pmCH1PFWQ4hdvsvnd7MoJSHxLxOKpksoiPxUpm3smu_gFeAck4bvbkmD7ebkxlfHJTEl/s1600/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh9Zy5mAz1HiZWeOFWlJiD-HIsR7Id7m-SL1kXYbWDfRasDYNbacSegAcIILwjKDP_Orc4h47pmCH1PFWQ4hdvsvnd7MoJSHxLxOKpksoiPxUpm3smu_gFeAck4bvbkmD7ebkxlfHJTEl/s320/Peanut+Butter+Cookies+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not quite as strong of flavor as I would have hoped for, but they were tasty!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Peanut Butter Cookie recipe:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup shortening</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup peanut butter</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup granulated sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup packed light brown sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 eggs, well beaten</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 T milk</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups flour</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. baking soda</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Preheat oven to 350.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) Whisk together the flour, both sugars, salt and baking soda.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Beat in the eggs, milk, peanut butter and shortening until dough pulls together.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Roll into small balls and place on baking sheet. Press down slightly with tines of a fork. Sprinkle with sugar if desired (you can also roll the balls in sugar prior to placing them on the baking sheet).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5) Bake for 12-14 minutes until cookies start to brown. Be careful not to over-bake; cookies will continue to cook a little while cooking.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Makes about 5 dozen cookies.</span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-44634048626677436712010-06-15T12:34:00.000-04:002010-06-15T12:34:36.461-04:00Tomato Tortellini Soup<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've been wanting to try this particular soup recipe for awhile. I found it in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taste-of-Home/dp/B00006KYZ9?ie=UTF8&tag=soupso-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Taste of Home</a></span> magazine, and since the day I tore it out, I've said "Oh, I'll have to make that this week". Well, last night finally became "this week", and I decided to try it as something different for dinner. It's very easy to put together, so if you need to make dinner at the last minute, or you're just a little worn out from a long day, this is a good one to turn to.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=soupso-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00006KYZ9" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Start by cooking your cheese tortellini (I used wheat; we love wheat pasta and that also happened to be all they had at the store) </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqqRkBGZMqkElHAO5S_Gf4wSLkpcGzQiXPUkryGZQg9LvG_i2duOs1B1dAmHoNR_iyxWel8fubiAuQc-KT_0LKMcU6knrBJFfoj-WTPQf1d1eWnV7r5FfqMEgVAMnZjWCW21d-0Lvbm2f/s1600/Tortellini+Soup+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqqRkBGZMqkElHAO5S_Gf4wSLkpcGzQiXPUkryGZQg9LvG_i2duOs1B1dAmHoNR_iyxWel8fubiAuQc-KT_0LKMcU6knrBJFfoj-WTPQf1d1eWnV7r5FfqMEgVAMnZjWCW21d-0Lvbm2f/s320/Tortellini+Soup+002.jpg" width="238" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">according to the package directions (or if you are the Super Woman that I dream to be someday, cook your freshly-made cheese tortellini until ready)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFM-0OvQazauXF815dj6w67vBcVo2AlAurrOCnVFKjFM4V6Fz5WklWRi4IZid-JevG8-lMKRpYtIc-aaRiucV5d9IX1l-8_x5rt-Ayr2qGsbWc8LT9igHkE_RWx0kwz0DGFfAYBKYbb7N/s1600/Tortellini+Soup+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFM-0OvQazauXF815dj6w67vBcVo2AlAurrOCnVFKjFM4V6Fz5WklWRi4IZid-JevG8-lMKRpYtIc-aaRiucV5d9IX1l-8_x5rt-Ayr2qGsbWc8LT9igHkE_RWx0kwz0DGFfAYBKYbb7N/s320/Tortellini+Soup+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and then drain the pasta</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjSsvdT1okb-f92XuOw3gdPOv20SOoF6hX_j286TTDiKlSJCdx2y3S6h2xr_zkiIgmwQ9IzvQ1BirH78KcrFjd2tJWa-t1IvYfRnt8hBQA1SzIHXSRkcwAZ5JIP7TlGmRgrXYTfLA6VBF/s1600/Tortellini+Soup+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjSsvdT1okb-f92XuOw3gdPOv20SOoF6hX_j286TTDiKlSJCdx2y3S6h2xr_zkiIgmwQ9IzvQ1BirH78KcrFjd2tJWa-t1IvYfRnt8hBQA1SzIHXSRkcwAZ5JIP7TlGmRgrXYTfLA6VBF/s320/Tortellini+Soup+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While the pasta is cooking, you can start on the rest of the soup. In a dutch oven or soup pot, mix together low-sodium tomato soup, 2% milk, half and half, vegetable broth, chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, and kosher salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpyzAWzwkR8hLnE_S5jVeOagEYxrdvRTVoUhCMrodQ-S8f6SnmdoMrG4FjXwU2OiGxKhWTu8ve6jWiqSmvxCsDTg0y91jHkWun-vXu6rtBX5kshRfTFD0Qf5cWp-bqPo8ewno9v0grYnH/s1600/Tortellini+Soup+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpyzAWzwkR8hLnE_S5jVeOagEYxrdvRTVoUhCMrodQ-S8f6SnmdoMrG4FjXwU2OiGxKhWTu8ve6jWiqSmvxCsDTg0y91jHkWun-vXu6rtBX5kshRfTFD0Qf5cWp-bqPo8ewno9v0grYnH/s320/Tortellini+Soup+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and heat over medium-low. Once the pasta has cooked and drained, add it to the soup mixture, along with some shredded Parmesan cheese. Once it's heated through, serve!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlaSLdVfVrOKZF6wGMWM6undjZsiIaGPPuT6cmNkzX-hlN_ObEdgtUSXafOxSYvoVNqd5ndAwauuXJUxZwvHMkDO9hZ-9PNtGWiqxkrUlal_osV2llngrYYNckO1kBo4BhdHy6t1POU31/s1600/Tortellini+Soup+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlaSLdVfVrOKZF6wGMWM6undjZsiIaGPPuT6cmNkzX-hlN_ObEdgtUSXafOxSYvoVNqd5ndAwauuXJUxZwvHMkDO9hZ-9PNtGWiqxkrUlal_osV2llngrYYNckO1kBo4BhdHy6t1POU31/s320/Tortellini+Soup+007.jpg" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I garnished with a little fresh black pepper, some fresh basil from my container garden, and some grated (since I was out of shredded) Parmesan.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the recipe:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 (9oz) pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cans low-sodium tomato soup</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups vegetable broth</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups 2% milk</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups half and half</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. onion powder</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. garlic powder</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. dried basil</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus more for garnish</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) In soup pot, combine everything but the shredded Parmesan cheese and tortellini. Heat through.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Add cooked tortellini. Stir in the cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My suggestion for you - double the tortellini. It was good the way it was, but would be even better with more of the pasta. Also, next time I might try replacing some of the 2% milk with whole milk, or some of the half and half with some cream, to make it even creamier.</span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-84965585244701766302010-06-14T13:51:00.000-04:002010-06-14T13:51:13.647-04:00Makin' Whoopie... Whoopie Pies, that is!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have been craving whoopie pies for a few weeks now. And every time I would mention them, I'd get a few strange looks and the inevitable question - "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoopie_pie">What's a whoopie pie?</a>". When you grow up with something, it's easy to forget that there are parts of the country that don't have the same things you do. And whoopie pies is one of those things. They're traditional to New England and I grew up in Maine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I decided to make some. And while there are plenty of recipes floating around out there, I wanted my Mom's. I'm nostalgic like that. So I called her and asked her to have my dad email me the recipe, which he did. I thought. Now, I love my Mom; I truly do. But sometimes, she makes me want to pull my hair out. Just a little. I had mixed up and started baking the "cake" part of the whoopie pies. While the 2nd batch were in the oven, I started mixing up the filling. But it didn't look right; not even close. Actually, it didn't look close to anything other than gross. I had been a little skeptical when I didn't see confectioners sugar anywhere on the list. So, I called my Mom to find out if perhaps Dad had skipped a line when typing it up for me. Nope, that was the full list. I said, Okay, so what did I do wrong? She didn't know. You know why? Because she'd never made that filling before. I put my head down on the counter. Mom, I asked for your Whoopie Pie recipe, why would you send me a filling you hadn't used? Well, she thought because it called for egg whites, I wouldn't want to make it since "people are scared about that kind of thing these days". First, I'm not scared of egg whites (maybe I should be, but hey, I'm not). Second, though, I have meringue powder that I could substitute. Sigh. So she gave me her own filling recipe, which sounded much more like what I remembered (confectioners sugar - check!). Then she asked how "that" whoopie recipe turned out since "it sounded like a lot". Again, head on the counter. Mom, was this not your whoopie pie recipe? Turns out - no. Why? Because it "went with the filling"; apparently, her recipe called for 2 egg yolks, and the 2 whites went into the filling. Double sigh.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So you can see how while my mother is wonderful, she also causes me some consternation on occasion. I still love her, though.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The main question - after all those tribulations, how did they turn out? Answer - not bad. Not exactly how I remembered them, which wasn't surprising, considering I'd probably never eaten <i>those</i> before. But they did taste like Whoopie Pies, which is what I wanted. And there definitely are dozens of recipes and variations out there, so it wasn't like they were going to be a disaster, just because they weren't <i>hers</i>. (Still. The next time I ask for one of <i>your</i> recipes, how about sending me <b><i>yours</i></b>. Pretty please?)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I started by adding the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, sugar, flour, salt and baking soda) to one bowl</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSnDLqVnTWMRjSuKF3MWjnkoUwJZANC-3p8aeN3gBTzHmRNb-cJ2WgCBon9OFpWRHxSj6l29REILYkbpxEUIhoJPLPn5oqDG2EHG0qv2e4CSdj_oKsO-sTyY6wQzJbSKFfiMcuweOe1_o/s1600/WhoopiePies+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSnDLqVnTWMRjSuKF3MWjnkoUwJZANC-3p8aeN3gBTzHmRNb-cJ2WgCBon9OFpWRHxSj6l29REILYkbpxEUIhoJPLPn5oqDG2EHG0qv2e4CSdj_oKsO-sTyY6wQzJbSKFfiMcuweOe1_o/s320/WhoopiePies+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and then whisked them to combine</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPMZQJFTQIvRRjnytRwn_Bd_ABJTVqOqleXJOeBb4JXu0Wc0iPrgBLY2jly3lgHLmtUC7wSMOoQewepfLp6rrEI7rMDUJVyN3bTABW5NUMS7hJyCm5LA_Jw2ZSCqGQthuQ17tD0hyp1bs/s1600/WhoopiePies+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPMZQJFTQIvRRjnytRwn_Bd_ABJTVqOqleXJOeBb4JXu0Wc0iPrgBLY2jly3lgHLmtUC7wSMOoQewepfLp6rrEI7rMDUJVyN3bTABW5NUMS7hJyCm5LA_Jw2ZSCqGQthuQ17tD0hyp1bs/s320/WhoopiePies+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I then whisked in the vanilla, milk and eggs</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3ZX66HZQ9EgGMan9_nxKOQZCb6OY2NTT4l802YJSIIFP4ga92z8AN0ZSynu0yQrJAocwPj3Sc8XOILX3STn4kq0BgmGdUXyEeXjnXkYHLm5rY-Tyw_LhLf3hp4NxGMiycqf0kB8gsBbG/s1600/WhoopiePies+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3ZX66HZQ9EgGMan9_nxKOQZCb6OY2NTT4l802YJSIIFP4ga92z8AN0ZSynu0yQrJAocwPj3Sc8XOILX3STn4kq0BgmGdUXyEeXjnXkYHLm5rY-Tyw_LhLf3hp4NxGMiycqf0kB8gsBbG/s320/WhoopiePies+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">then beat in the shortening until combined</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVwC9Q8D8Fu_LgvSbPW-W3-5otuTmLGXYB4-WfvURhvX55MKqHknUvT5s2PCIWeauq5ZFXonc_qnjZ9enyiKsWfoBUGZjdhuTK9BMJRpCZtqq7_6N-bC4kkBXQhvosvl4Fn1YQh1_9cR5/s1600/WhoopiePies+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVwC9Q8D8Fu_LgvSbPW-W3-5otuTmLGXYB4-WfvURhvX55MKqHknUvT5s2PCIWeauq5ZFXonc_qnjZ9enyiKsWfoBUGZjdhuTK9BMJRpCZtqq7_6N-bC4kkBXQhvosvl4Fn1YQh1_9cR5/s320/WhoopiePies+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I lined baking sheets with parchment paper and started dolloping out the batter to make the cakes. Because they will become "sandwiches", it's nice to have them uniform, so I was using a scoop. The first batch, I used heaping scoops because if you're going to have Whoopie Pies, they might as wellbe big ones. <br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd57MtZYzapSS_9_DcCUs3tbUkQfoF9ieJ1r6-6S4lJ5S8uxRqmFCx61VhibN1BFuU-XgGMgiQPYEweD_c9vtON2cHo6xw7vrVcV2T8iS9_N9y7TauHC8j9QHnir36FcA_OeMLOEFvBo9/s1600/WhoopiePies+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPd57MtZYzapSS_9_DcCUs3tbUkQfoF9ieJ1r6-6S4lJ5S8uxRqmFCx61VhibN1BFuU-XgGMgiQPYEweD_c9vtON2cHo6xw7vrVcV2T8iS9_N9y7TauHC8j9QHnir36FcA_OeMLOEFvBo9/s320/WhoopiePies+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They turned out a little flat, though, when I baked them. I guess they were a little <i>too</i> big and spread some. (This is also where I started to question the recipe even before I had called my mother, since hers were always puffier)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2NjMwF3_aZKnWNj6wwI8fN3tZUg4YHPg_AII1gCGcNM0Lmh8yjOrRrwx_aOo_xLFpXQVuouR2rzs7J42sqhMdgydexb5-wYErAIHVXpyb4v5e4EhOUfNAVraC7FM-iPa0AxhSXhSn-r_/s1600/WhoopiePies+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2NjMwF3_aZKnWNj6wwI8fN3tZUg4YHPg_AII1gCGcNM0Lmh8yjOrRrwx_aOo_xLFpXQVuouR2rzs7J42sqhMdgydexb5-wYErAIHVXpyb4v5e4EhOUfNAVraC7FM-iPa0AxhSXhSn-r_/s320/WhoopiePies+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So the next batch, I made a little smaller by scrapping the scoop up the side of the bowl to make a level scoop-full</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfn9VphQG5muVbNk79Wtpju83mr6Cq49hejWKJesbsiwAZv1WB4rx0JWEdMlcMO65L2qerBVtWJ0IzOP8r_nugljaPXJXTxHGt0n5kKAt2n7PZ757TqGg9WHcb-QkJIYvEhMgll_d-C8H/s1600/WhoopiePies+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfn9VphQG5muVbNk79Wtpju83mr6Cq49hejWKJesbsiwAZv1WB4rx0JWEdMlcMO65L2qerBVtWJ0IzOP8r_nugljaPXJXTxHGt0n5kKAt2n7PZ757TqGg9WHcb-QkJIYvEhMgll_d-C8H/s320/WhoopiePies+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These did round up better, so I finished out the batter using this method. Then I made the filling. Which I threw out. And then re-made using the new (correct) recipe. I don't have pictures of this part, and I apologize. Between the call and the head on the counter and the sighs, I forgot about the camera. But after mixing up the new filling, I laid out the cookie/cakes, flat side-up</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G2xDSSPJabEQI3toqGjFdHcr5D7vf88PAMt8VehhwhqWFmP9-lw6KFnpU_AJtYR-90B_FkipFfj5eWLjOkyZf87yfy1yLuCi_crbj9krNlvetXZlURj5yrJbzTVe-RzWkcmSHZp4ZHyK/s1600/WhoopiePies+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G2xDSSPJabEQI3toqGjFdHcr5D7vf88PAMt8VehhwhqWFmP9-lw6KFnpU_AJtYR-90B_FkipFfj5eWLjOkyZf87yfy1yLuCi_crbj9krNlvetXZlURj5yrJbzTVe-RzWkcmSHZp4ZHyK/s320/WhoopiePies+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and spread one side with the filling</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hS8NK_u2O6W9R648beKLCn-Y6zepNXVwoQothngaWCArjAqXSwWoFLmiNgKHL_E1dBVdGDfhTDPdYJRem2E7hAqUTSBgXgyEI0NskEzj86sWMXW69LaSSaFI-0TrGg9s8-AcWWRMIw3V/s1600/WhoopiePies+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hS8NK_u2O6W9R648beKLCn-Y6zepNXVwoQothngaWCArjAqXSwWoFLmiNgKHL_E1dBVdGDfhTDPdYJRem2E7hAqUTSBgXgyEI0NskEzj86sWMXW69LaSSaFI-0TrGg9s8-AcWWRMIw3V/s320/WhoopiePies+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and then topped it with one of the other cookie/cakes to make a sandwich</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcZMWyZmWxjJrl1iBFaXL60UCP-kMN8tFEzUs0AUK1jufvAUTn4AnTz-nRKq_PuRnL9J9Dy-dSmZPfN89P7oPDIktDX-YzBxYFYayi-PHij42uGR9T-sv12OgUgxfSTnpG58GfONxL8Av/s1600/WhoopiePies+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcZMWyZmWxjJrl1iBFaXL60UCP-kMN8tFEzUs0AUK1jufvAUTn4AnTz-nRKq_PuRnL9J9Dy-dSmZPfN89P7oPDIktDX-YzBxYFYayi-PHij42uGR9T-sv12OgUgxfSTnpG58GfONxL8Av/s320/WhoopiePies+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the second one, I tried just putting a big scoop of the filling on one half, topping with another half, and smooshing it around a little until the filling spread to the edges. Worked just as well and was much faster.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are the recipes I ended up using:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whoopie Pies</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the cakes:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> 2 cups sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4 cups flour</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup cocoa</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp. baking soda</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups milk</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2/3 cup shortening</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 large eggs</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp. vanilla</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the filling:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups confectioners sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup shortening</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. vanilla (more or less to taste)<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Preheat oven to 350. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) Whisk in the milk and vanilla, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the shortening until combined.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a scoop, portion out by even scoop-fulls.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes on the sheets before transferring to a cooling rack.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5) Make the filling: Beat the shortening and vanilla into the confectioners sugar until smooth. Depending on the amount of filling you like, you may want to double this; I ended up doing so.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">6) Spoon some filling between two cakes and squeeze gently until the filling spreads to the edges.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recipe makes about 24 whoopie pies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of these days, I will make another batch with both halves of my Mom's recipe and see what the results are. And a red velvet whoopie pie is on my list, too. But these are okay until then :) </span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-11786434171083967512010-06-11T17:31:00.000-04:002010-06-11T17:31:55.889-04:00Individual Homemade Pizzas<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last night I was kind of wiped out from a long day, and just didn't feel like pulling too much together in terms of dinner. I decided to make some individual homemade pizzas. They're quick and easy, and when you make individual ones, everyone gets to customize them to their own taste, so they're a crowd-pleaser.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I started with some dough from a batch I had previously mixed up (a very basic flour, water and yeast recipe). After I let it proof a little, I rolled out the individual crusts and pre-baked them in a 475 degree oven for 4 minutes each.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCF6p5xpRZ05r_5F31qTuwCqiRRcmMKWCkh2P5HU8DNf2D0IQMxrTGuTGTdYDmM5HBANFIJf2az3qGgf8F4CFglE3uzKTm7-xfpUotz8jLnNgxNDTmY1udKB0P2a-p8Pmjjla2URS7e-6/s1600/Pizzas+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCF6p5xpRZ05r_5F31qTuwCqiRRcmMKWCkh2P5HU8DNf2D0IQMxrTGuTGTdYDmM5HBANFIJf2az3qGgf8F4CFglE3uzKTm7-xfpUotz8jLnNgxNDTmY1udKB0P2a-p8Pmjjla2URS7e-6/s320/Pizzas+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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From there, I loaded up with sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, and some fresh oregano and fresh basil from my container garden. Threw them back in the oven, with the temperature nudged back down to 450, for about 7-8 minutes each.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypSnR064jDEAcYPU4EE-UXONY6Z-OhyOuuvyyrpoLwYXGgMn2eIniKfhOuRDHGFSBuXkOtHnenOV_MY56c05RkZGLmdMgwqF3VgFXssw_4FhsgnK_VlfOfXQIx0Fdz8s22XRGyjImUDFq/s1600/Pizzas+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypSnR064jDEAcYPU4EE-UXONY6Z-OhyOuuvyyrpoLwYXGgMn2eIniKfhOuRDHGFSBuXkOtHnenOV_MY56c05RkZGLmdMgwqF3VgFXssw_4FhsgnK_VlfOfXQIx0Fdz8s22XRGyjImUDFq/s320/Pizzas+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sadly, there is no "baked" picture to share with you; the batteries in my digital camera died just as I was trying to take the final picture, and I just didn't feel like waiting for them to charge before I could eat!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Again, very simple meal, but good for those nights that you just don't have the time (or energy) to get to fancy or creative.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This weekend I plan to create a small baking storm; keep an eye out for the results :)</span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-52138798251468016362010-06-09T16:41:00.005-04:002010-06-09T16:46:48.486-04:00Quick and easy (tasty, too!) brownies<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last night there was a craving for something sweet in the air, and considering that I'm always in a baking mood, I decided to whip up some brownies to satisfy that craving (hey, can't let a sweet tooth go untreated, right?). I had also been wanting to try something new, so after reading through multiple brownie recipes, I settled on a slightly modified version of <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brookes-Best-Bombshell-Brownies/Detail.aspx">Brooke's Best Brownies</a> from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">allrecipes.com</a>. The best part was all the ingredients were already in the pantry, so no need for a quick run to the store.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They turned out to be quite tasty - nice and fudgy with a slightly-crackle top.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I started out melting the butter in my <a href="http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=211&catId=123&parentCatId=123&outletSubCat=&viewAllOutlet=">Classic Batter Bowl</a> (I am a Pampered Chef junkie from way back) to minimize the dishes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ10l2pdqnmrpYEbG-dGR4EjyliwTxL_sBHCIVzXN2HnmPre-Jjt84cl-PZI_4VmOAh-QmjzU-KHuapAObxYHMRxCxc2xTQYGR-WwV3tEFP7CBBIsqjIK2IepovowcfxGQKG02_4x0cr07/s1600/Brownies+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ10l2pdqnmrpYEbG-dGR4EjyliwTxL_sBHCIVzXN2HnmPre-Jjt84cl-PZI_4VmOAh-QmjzU-KHuapAObxYHMRxCxc2xTQYGR-WwV3tEFP7CBBIsqjIK2IepovowcfxGQKG02_4x0cr07/s320/Brownies+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Then I added in the sugar and vanilla and mixed (by hand) until combined.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrlR3ydcBPuveqtK2Sj6AK5ZEuM_4GgOH_Mo1EILyflop2Tbb2-ll5Sb_wbEIANNKNkspi6tEnOgAQfmV2ryU0iNnUHh8G4DBog0CCHfGcf87VzvPbE288S-LWvWF4IA8sEVBeZY0Caxu/s1600/Brownies+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrlR3ydcBPuveqtK2Sj6AK5ZEuM_4GgOH_Mo1EILyflop2Tbb2-ll5Sb_wbEIANNKNkspi6tEnOgAQfmV2ryU0iNnUHh8G4DBog0CCHfGcf87VzvPbE288S-LWvWF4IA8sEVBeZY0Caxu/s320/Brownies+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then, using a whisk, I incorporated the eggs one at a time</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr9iWDMVTI4My2Z8wkYHS793YuAMFlOXKBOXqJLWccTDHZ32AfTaOkf75b_azyGF3ycNv_oLlzJhoB1WrrgjFvvXvPggcmvId3pUD_aIkhfIom5OG23to6j-93aTXh7gNHAZN1pUcDu2a/s1600/Brownies+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr9iWDMVTI4My2Z8wkYHS793YuAMFlOXKBOXqJLWccTDHZ32AfTaOkf75b_azyGF3ycNv_oLlzJhoB1WrrgjFvvXvPggcmvId3pUD_aIkhfIom5OG23to6j-93aTXh7gNHAZN1pUcDu2a/s320/Brownies+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">until well blended. Next, I whisked together the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a large bowl</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG18wMjkCyeNEgT3arki0jgpRMBfhNwAXreQljt6LSB3XHTOYXQERTGRJMMwE15ZGw_OQ9xzHhpS_pzwTmEolJ8rtVTouubqn7JcSNSuMRj3iN5E8iLiqpJ0QnmRC_iXaRCvtVU6Yj1ugM/s1600/Brownies+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG18wMjkCyeNEgT3arki0jgpRMBfhNwAXreQljt6LSB3XHTOYXQERTGRJMMwE15ZGw_OQ9xzHhpS_pzwTmEolJ8rtVTouubqn7JcSNSuMRj3iN5E8iLiqpJ0QnmRC_iXaRCvtVU6Yj1ugM/s320/Brownies+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I then slowly poured the sugar mixture into the flour mixture, stirring with a spatula, until all ingredients were combined (but not over-mixed)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgC8rJrOxsz7p7PvW3Z2EBlzDSnbxTZBU2t49Dc5LmhZaQF8QG5o-IDsW21spRme16A73QduZuUsRh761JKvMrKEGWU2AY0AkZRiOVdF-g6-E10TY2mDvvOTIZpiB1PRq-YP6ttj_vVH0P/s1600/Brownies+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgC8rJrOxsz7p7PvW3Z2EBlzDSnbxTZBU2t49Dc5LmhZaQF8QG5o-IDsW21spRme16A73QduZuUsRh761JKvMrKEGWU2AY0AkZRiOVdF-g6-E10TY2mDvvOTIZpiB1PRq-YP6ttj_vVH0P/s320/Brownies+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From there, I poured the batter into a lightly greased 9x13" pan, spread to the edges</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisd50H7O0gHuGmmE2Rl5K7mp6CjsqkLF3qxVzCOrSUeqrU4LiVDBeGB8pDndubpiPzw0Ur8JYCvFC94AETWaDlNbBX84nPvfzJKdiq24ukjy1T_ROGC1unR6FsN7zBgRhJohKkMI3Itd_3/s1600/Brownies+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisd50H7O0gHuGmmE2Rl5K7mp6CjsqkLF3qxVzCOrSUeqrU4LiVDBeGB8pDndubpiPzw0Ur8JYCvFC94AETWaDlNbBX84nPvfzJKdiq24ukjy1T_ROGC1unR6FsN7zBgRhJohKkMI3Itd_3/s320/Brownies+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> and baked. Fortunately they don't take too long to bake, because that scent wafting through the place was almost too much to bear! The finished product was worth it, though</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SEd_WU7jN8VNiVBOBtmH7OjD9KegSurCTtuUy25hs3uVcTZbfkmrYlk_jkU4QPo3AZy4ZRgLTr4KlCPGmZQiN_cH0hyC5wBQ5ccCaeWer004o0rh_WwZQcSyzLaYSUsg9YJ7Uw9sY9-d/s1600/Brownies+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SEd_WU7jN8VNiVBOBtmH7OjD9KegSurCTtuUy25hs3uVcTZbfkmrYlk_jkU4QPo3AZy4ZRgLTr4KlCPGmZQiN_cH0hyC5wBQ5ccCaeWer004o0rh_WwZQcSyzLaYSUsg9YJ7Uw9sY9-d/s320/Brownies+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The original recipe I used as the basis for this were called "Best", and I don't know that these are the best brownies I've ever tasted in my life; they're a fairly basic recipe. But what they definitely WERE, were fudgy, yummy, chocolaty, mouthfuls of goodness. And they definitely hit the spot.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's my tweak on the recipe:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup butter, melted</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 1/2 cups granulated sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 T vanilla extract</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4 eggs</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/2 cups AP flour</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) Combine the melted butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until well-blended.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt in separate large bowl. Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the flour mixture, stirring well to fully incorporate the ingredients, without over-beating. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool before cutting (if you can wait that long, and let's be honest - who can?)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Again, these are fairly basic brownies, but that's kind of what is so great about them. In about 40 minutes from start to finish, you'll have tasty homemade brownies to share with your family. Or not to share; don't worry, I won't tell if you don't!</span></div>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-85026749458648742152010-06-03T13:01:00.001-04:002010-06-03T16:02:42.010-04:00Is there anything better than fresh bread?<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love bread. I seriously could probably live on bread alone (though with the existence of cupcakes, who really wants to live on just bread?). My grandmother is an amazing bread maker. I grew up spending weekends in her kitchen learning how to make bread from scratch. She would make her bread and rolls - enough to feed a <strike>small</strike> <strike>large</strike> enormous army it always seemed - in her "big people" pans, and I would get to make my bread and rolls in little kid-size pans. We made everything from white bread to oatmeal bread to dinner rolls to orange-glazed goodness. It would take the better part of a Saturday, even though we started at the crack of dawn (pre-dawn, when she was baking without me underfoot; I don't think my grandmother has slept much past 5 a.m. ever in her life). But the payout was always worth it - the scent of bread baking is a gift from heaven. We'd chat and bake and when they were all done, we would of course enjoy a slice or roll, fresh and hot - so hot they'd be dripping from the pat of butter that instantly evaporated on contact. Once everything was cooled, she would portion every thing up, and then make her deliveries. Family, friends, neighbors - everyone was a beneficiary of my grandmother's kitchen. They still are to this day.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So you can see where my love of bread was born. Sadly, with college and then jobs, I got too busy to dedicate a day to baking bread. Fortunately, my gram always kept (and keeps) my mailbox full of the good stuff a few times a year. But the "domestic goddess" bug had been nipping at my heels for the past few years; I was itching to get back into the kitchen and start cooking, baking and creating. I realized that it's important to make time for the things you really love doing. So I started reading food blogs, magazines (<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-magazine/package/index.html">Food Network Magazine</a> and <a href="https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/RM/TOH/TOH_RealFood_Free_Subscriptions12_w-gift_w-new.jsp?cds_page_id=72927&cds_mag_code=TOH&id=1275582753280&lsid=31541132292024012&vid=2&cds_response_key=IJLMA01T&cds_to_id=TOHSUB">Taste of Home</a> are two of my favorites), gathering recipes from friends and family and looking for new things to try. You've been able to see a few of my creations here on my blog (more are coming, I promise; if anyone knows how to cram an extra hour or three into a day, that would be great, thanks).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With some of this newly-rediscovered culinary confidence and courage, I decided to try my hand at a few loaves. I would love to have had a chance to do a few practice runs first with my gram in her kitchen, but logistics (Kentucky to Maine = a long trip for bread) nixed that idea. So, after some reading and research, I just jumped in with some Artisan loaves; French Boule, to be exact. And that jump was met by a hard, crunchy outer-layer landing, followed by a light-as-air secondary landing; in other words, yummy goodness.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are some pictures of some of my loaves, both white and wheat: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RC6v3WUoAIUYVSEROuyZypj1RbyNVgVexMXXHY2nwmukQuMrPPMdrO99Skw8Xi15IBLdKlbbAeBAgTN4dM6sv97gemQ70ut0Z1nRC5PgcZ-vwUQLRyhXSYewZQmrAh-jSQxqnub7_JzC/s1600/Boule1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RC6v3WUoAIUYVSEROuyZypj1RbyNVgVexMXXHY2nwmukQuMrPPMdrO99Skw8Xi15IBLdKlbbAeBAgTN4dM6sv97gemQ70ut0Z1nRC5PgcZ-vwUQLRyhXSYewZQmrAh-jSQxqnub7_JzC/s320/Boule1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5nVgLJiG_drU3o47a4_rPAHdFSAep6Dtrz-cKnZgHOZnq3jJeTv8ydwkV5TduHQ-aeaoabt1ehrQBv7_vdaVHO71AZNO0bCQrbVn1WxX-EyNJetlxaQ-q2o5UTzDug9C_KG_6OM6tyF0/s1600/Boule3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5nVgLJiG_drU3o47a4_rPAHdFSAep6Dtrz-cKnZgHOZnq3jJeTv8ydwkV5TduHQ-aeaoabt1ehrQBv7_vdaVHO71AZNO0bCQrbVn1WxX-EyNJetlxaQ-q2o5UTzDug9C_KG_6OM6tyF0/s320/Boule3.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPcLdB8hF6xdt2B9Tj4N2IOJirZu-FZXactEdUg3TKDA_zUKkUWSYwKcwyPUzg-vZ2R4lZvh-yNyKDKvDaUhftnlqh7ZGA81OwUe538yF_KXMQ5knIPhC_RwUpWbUVYh3PivHUyySafej/s1600/Boule2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPcLdB8hF6xdt2B9Tj4N2IOJirZu-FZXactEdUg3TKDA_zUKkUWSYwKcwyPUzg-vZ2R4lZvh-yNyKDKvDaUhftnlqh7ZGA81OwUe538yF_KXMQ5knIPhC_RwUpWbUVYh3PivHUyySafej/s320/Boule2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have a few more I plan on trying over the next few weeks, including using some of these doughs for homemade pizzas, some quick breads, cinnamon rolls, and much more. I'll continue to share them as I try them :)</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hope you enjoyed!</span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-48983039821459177222010-06-02T11:19:00.001-04:002010-06-02T11:20:32.592-04:00McCormick Recipe Inspirations!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over the past couple of weeks, I've had the opportunity to do some testing for the new McCormick Recipe Inspirations that you can now find in your local grocery store. Thanks to <a href="http://gather.com/">Gather.com</a> and <a href="http://www.mccormick.com/">McCormick</a>, I was provided with four packets of Recipe Inspirations and was asked to prepare the recipes and share my results. The four Recipe Inspirations I tried and reviewed were:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978234976">Garlic & Lime Chicken Fajitas</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978244197">Apple & Sage Pork Chops</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978266852">Rosemary Roasted Chicken & Potatoes</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978266870">Shrimp & Pasta Primavera</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is a picture of the chicken & potatoes to whet your appetite while you read them:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2l922sM30Qqvymvu6glI03vfssz0NTnsthpCf4JfHxzcAvJVzeEaD77FU79jDnzmv4VPfn0X3Qhyeqpe-svWhxfOZOeTV7EOxmoZ92Ik9Esh2tf0KdQs7LjSAyXL9Gfc2w8y5sunFvsKf/s1600/Rosemary_Chicken+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2l922sM30Qqvymvu6glI03vfssz0NTnsthpCf4JfHxzcAvJVzeEaD77FU79jDnzmv4VPfn0X3Qhyeqpe-svWhxfOZOeTV7EOxmoZ92Ik9Esh2tf0KdQs7LjSAyXL9Gfc2w8y5sunFvsKf/s320/Rosemary_Chicken+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let me know if any of you try them (they have other Recipe Inspirations, as well) and what you think!</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Coming up later today - my new bread obsession. Stay tuned!</span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-27014790927435291752010-05-21T17:21:00.001-04:002010-05-21T17:23:03.772-04:00EatingWell Cookie Contest - you could win Cooking.com gift certificates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/sites/default/files/newsletters/cookiecontest6th_annual.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="http://www.eatingwell.com/sites/default/files/newsletters/cookiecontest6th_annual.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe? Give it a healthy make-over and submit it to <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/">EatingWell</a> for their 6th Annual Holiday Cookie Contest. Here are the guidelines:</span></div><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Replace as much of the all-purpose flour as possible with other whole grains, such as whole-wheat flour, white whole-wheat flour or oats.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">EatingWell recipes do not use margarine or other partially hydrogenated oils.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">We recommend limiting butter to about 1/2 teaspoon per cookie. You can reduce the amount of saturated fat in the recipe by substituting canola or nut oils for some of the butter in the original recipe.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Limit salt in recipes to 1/2 teaspoon or less per batch.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Use all sweeteners (white and brown sugar, honey, etc.) judiciously; less is better.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Steer away from ingredients containing artificial color or flavor. (Use natural versions whenever possible.) </span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The grand-prize for the contest is a $2000 shopping spree from <a href="http://cooking.com/">cooking.com</a> plus a year's worth of dairy products from Organic Valley (over $700 value). Five runners up each will receive a $200 gift certificate from <a href="http://cooking.com/">cooking.com</a>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You only have until June 4th to submit, so if you're interested, </span><a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/about_our_test_kitchen/holiday_cookie_contest/2010_eatingwell_annual_holiday_cookie_contest_enter_to_win?utm_source=CookieBlast_May212010" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">submit your entry here</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. You can also read all the </span><a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/about_our_test_kitchen/holiday_cookie_contest/2010_eatingwell_annual_holiday_cookie_contest_official_contes?utm_source=CookieBlast_May212010" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">additional details and fine print here</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. Good luck!</span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-14714261774451766712010-05-21T14:04:00.001-04:002010-05-21T14:06:17.620-04:00Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese - yes, please!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Is there anyone who doesn't love mac & cheese? It's a great comfort food, all warm and creamy and cheesy. When I ran across this recipe in a magazine that crossed mac & cheese with the classic flavors of buffalo chicken wings - I knew I had to try it. So glad I did! This was scooped up quick, with just a little taste left for lunch the next day. Check out the recipe and my notes below.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJePCJGuts6SEbMexgM5ZUiSv2kd0oms2dHeKoMEePNBzSwSmtDBd-ZwAIgCqgM9Ox9EVpbB4mVEDLMkb9CBPa9cRIV7Lv-MUGRwRDhFEWY5sBsrqWamGUEzoeSF-m4CnyPPJYjLNRcVu-/s1600/BuffaloChickenMacNCheese3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJePCJGuts6SEbMexgM5ZUiSv2kd0oms2dHeKoMEePNBzSwSmtDBd-ZwAIgCqgM9Ox9EVpbB4mVEDLMkb9CBPa9cRIV7Lv-MUGRwRDhFEWY5sBsrqWamGUEzoeSF-m4CnyPPJYjLNRcVu-/s320/BuffaloChickenMacNCheese3.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">7 T butter</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 lb. macaroni</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 sm. onion, finely chopped</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 stalks celery, finely chopped</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3 C shredded chicken</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 gloves garlic, minced</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 C hot sauce</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 T flour</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp. dry mustard</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 1/2 C half & half</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 lb. yellow sharp cheddar, cut into 1" cubes</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">8 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2/3 C sour cream</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 C panko</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 T chopped fresh parsley</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Preheat oven to 350; butter a 9x13" baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook for about 7 minutes. Drain.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 more minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Melt 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half & half, the add the remaining 1/4 cup of hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses; whisk in the sour cream until thick, around another 2 minutes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Spread 1/2 of the cooked macaroni in the buttered dish; top with chicken and then the rest of the macaroni. Pour the sauce over the entire thing.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5) Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet and mix in the panko and parsley. Sprinkle over the sauce. Bake until bubbly, 30-40 minutes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbb56D7fGWqv5AdG5kO3FQ6n2KLfSQWk-flgoTxr_itmnoTGqXyUHA2BbZGiIYI4yuslgH2CFQ0siKR-sFcX_btlzcpTnZd5L1dxiBwksMfxEou7kjmwcZGrS0ucmpJ2BwWIxSweE6Xvh/s1600/BuffaloChickenMacNCheese1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbb56D7fGWqv5AdG5kO3FQ6n2KLfSQWk-flgoTxr_itmnoTGqXyUHA2BbZGiIYI4yuslgH2CFQ0siKR-sFcX_btlzcpTnZd5L1dxiBwksMfxEou7kjmwcZGrS0ucmpJ2BwWIxSweE6Xvh/s320/BuffaloChickenMacNCheese1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few things about this recipe. First, as you can probably tell, it's not health food. So you're not going to serve it every night. But everyone needs something creamy and cheesy now and then; this will be it, I promise. Second, when I hit the grocery store to pick up the few ingredients for this I didn't already have on hand, there was no Pepper Jack cheese in the store. At all. I honestly didn't think that was possible, but apparently, it is. So I used Monterey Jack cheese and it tasted fine. Pepper Jack will definitely give it an extra kick, though, and the next time I make it, I will be sure to have Pepper Jack first. Also, use whatever chicken you have or want. I used a rotisserie chicken because that's what the original recipe called for, but next time, I will just boil some chicken breasts and then shred them. It's a little more work but worth it. Also, be sure to use real panko versus breadcrumbs. It gives a nice crunch and adds texture. And last, about the hot sauce - 3/4 cup sounds like a LOT of hot sauce and I was a little scared. But it really didn't end up being overpowering at all. And I actually used a blend of two different hot sauces. I had been to a home show awhile back, and they gave out free bottles of Texas Pete's hot sauce; I had both Original Hot Sauce and the Garlic Hot Sauce. They have a great flavor, so if you're looking for some, you can check out their <a href="http://www.texaspete.com/wing-sauce.html">website</a> and keep an eye out in the store for them. Or even <a href="http://www.texaspetestore.com/">order from them online</a>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let me know if you loved this as much as we did!</span></div>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-18722622888955471642010-05-19T15:03:00.002-04:002010-05-19T15:05:13.203-04:00Cinco de Mayo fun!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I never need an excuse to cook, but sometimes I like one! So when Cinco de Mayo rolled around a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to whip up something more authentic to Mexican cuisine than a taco. After doing a little research, I decided to go with some chicken enchiladas (a recipe adapted from one I found on allrecipes.com), rice and refried beans for sides, and churros for dessert (the churros mainly as a nod to the yummy churros and great memories of visiting the Mexican pavilion at Epcot at Walt Disney World).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is the recipe for the Chicken Enchiladas:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/4 C sour cream</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 tsp. chili powder</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. ground cumin</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 T butter</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 bunch scallions, chopped and divided</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 (1.25 oz) pkg. medium taco seasoning mix</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 C water</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp. lime juice</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. onion powder</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. garlic powder</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5 flour tortillas</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 C shredded mild cheddar cheese</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1suvsMg3hSTt0HlArxvsW30uSNuoW_sldmEMIfS1rAdZkaqb902FqvKv7nqeYC2BQDTIPDdARuoG8O9JtF6jnsTDTgtVswZiVnzKddGGDx73IFoWTU-9vX-cYpRBUDLG6aAbpPb8H0DXX/s1600/Cinco+de+Mayo+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1suvsMg3hSTt0HlArxvsW30uSNuoW_sldmEMIfS1rAdZkaqb902FqvKv7nqeYC2BQDTIPDdARuoG8O9JtF6jnsTDTgtVswZiVnzKddGGDx73IFoWTU-9vX-cYpRBUDLG6aAbpPb8H0DXX/s320/Cinco+de+Mayo+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Place the chicken in a stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover; simmer until chicken is no longer pink (about 15 minutes). Remove chicken from pot and shred; set aside.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the soup, sour cream, chili powder and cumin in a small saucepan. Over low heat, bring mix to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, turn off heat, cover, and set aside.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, green chilies, taco seasoning, water, and about half the chopped scallions (the rest will be for garnish on top). Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and onion and garlic powders; simmer for another 10 minutes, then remove from heat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Stir one cup of the soup mix into the chicken mix in the skillet. Spread the remaining soup mixture across the bottom of a 9x13" baking or casserole dish.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTI-LGE3uxvZ8mu52XjwR5dkRGSF4gBtMk628c3sfF3n6ImMDTyktm2_XMAiWBwN_qM1V6X-EkbvVZ4AEFCtytEy64jNjHa9BKEeUL48sjaaSGKsh57NQTXqpqNmDdLVRd6d5SzgA4lfmX/s1600/Cinco+de+Mayo+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTI-LGE3uxvZ8mu52XjwR5dkRGSF4gBtMk628c3sfF3n6ImMDTyktm2_XMAiWBwN_qM1V6X-EkbvVZ4AEFCtytEy64jNjHa9BKEeUL48sjaaSGKsh57NQTXqpqNmDdLVRd6d5SzgA4lfmX/s320/Cinco+de+Mayo+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5) Fill a tortilla with the chicken mix and sprinkle with a mix of both mild and sharp cheddar cheese.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzA6xjxax6We_tELncNxgakHFBFTQx1L9lz9BakSGFSzvtiD3zDIzZelCMNhesNTYzdKCvmauRJWudaCZOIndjetHFP3CHH3pv3mwGIPh9akUfX3epFzIttsg-bkc2rGV2gIVWD_7UbRit/s1600/Cinco+de+Mayo+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzA6xjxax6We_tELncNxgakHFBFTQx1L9lz9BakSGFSzvtiD3zDIzZelCMNhesNTYzdKCvmauRJWudaCZOIndjetHFP3CHH3pv3mwGIPh9akUfX3epFzIttsg-bkc2rGV2gIVWD_7UbRit/s320/Cinco+de+Mayo+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fold the edges of the tortillas over the mixture in the middle, and then place seam-side down in the prepared pan, on top of the soup mix. Repeat with remaining tortillas to make five total.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">6) Pour enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining cheddar cheeses (should have about 1.5-2 remaining cups). Sprinkle with remaining scallions and bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25-30 minutes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I apologize for the messy, half-eaten finished product picture, but that just proves how good they were! I didn't even have time to take a picture before they were snapped up.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0hkgv-VpnhZQlr4PCg1OsjggQtRk83DO6EVu-SGmrC5i9l2vdZF_Byv5llRvqEuO5XB768zEE6wokHbLnra1bRJgUtFtTaedtHv1NsOWN4VOwnqmycyOIgkP-DvalQiqX0MWvYatiqBS/s1600/Cinco+de+Mayo+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0hkgv-VpnhZQlr4PCg1OsjggQtRk83DO6EVu-SGmrC5i9l2vdZF_Byv5llRvqEuO5XB768zEE6wokHbLnra1bRJgUtFtTaedtHv1NsOWN4VOwnqmycyOIgkP-DvalQiqX0MWvYatiqBS/s320/Cinco+de+Mayo+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I said, I served the enchiladas with Mexican rice and refried beans on the side. It was a very filling and very tasty meal!</span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Can't forget about those Churros! I used the following recipe:</span></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dough: </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 C water</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 T sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 T vegetable oil</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 C flour</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">oil for frying</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sugar Topping:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 C sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp. cinnamon</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) In a small saucepan, mix together the water, sugar, salt and oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat; as soon as the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat, and stir in the flour until it forms a ball (about 30 seconds). Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star or open-star tip (I used <a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?sku=pg_openstartips">Wilton Open Star Tip 6B</a>) with the dough. Using the star tip creates those creases down the sides of the churros that help them brown and crisp more easily. But if you don't have a star tip, or even a pastry bag, you can use either a zip-top plastic bag with the corner cut off, or just roll out with your hand. The results won't be the same, but they'll be edible :) Please BE CAREFUL! The dough will be VERY hot. I recommend using a pastry bag made of parchment paper or a reusable featherweight bag, as the plastic ones may burst due to the heat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) Heat the oil used for frying to about 360 (use a frying thermometer to determine, or use an electric skillet). Pipe strips of the dough into the hot oil. You can make them any length, but I made mine about the length of my fingers, and was able to cook 5 at a time. Fry until golden, then remove to a paper-towel lined tray to drain. Test one (or two, I won't tell!) from the first batch and adjust the heat up or down as needed; you want the outsides to be golden and crispy, but the inside to be cooked through.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Mix together the sugar and cinnamon; roll the drained churros in the mix. If you happen to have a small paper bag, like a lunch paper sack, you can put the cinnamon-sugar mix in the bag, drop in the churros, and shake.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I would strongly consider doubling this recipe - you're going to want more!</span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-83813393349377003942010-05-19T12:03:00.002-04:002010-05-19T12:04:37.492-04:00Cookware sale - take a peek!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A quick break from cooking. ideeli.com has <a href="http://www.ideeli.com/events/18383/latest_view">Farberware Millennium cookware on sale</a> for up to 65% off. There are some decent deals. But the part that was most exciting to me was one of the Paula Deen items that is included in the sale: a <a href="http://www.ideeli.com/events/18383/offers/290819/latest_view/320171">19 piece kids' baking set</a>.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.images-production.ideeli.com/attachments/13224263/PAU-4e1v-001_550x550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.images-production.ideeli.com/attachments/13224263/PAU-4e1v-001_550x550.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Getting kids into the kitchen early is so important! It's great for their development, for bonding, making memories, teaching lessons, and so much more. This little set is pretty adorable, and on sale for $18, which is less than $1 per piece.</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you're not already an ideeli member, you can </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.ideeli.com/invite/raven3517" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">sign up here</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> - don't worry, it's free! They do have an "upgrade" option if you want to be able to shop the sales early, but I've never bothered with it. Free works for me :) Check the sale out early if you're interested - stuff goes really fast!</span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-44838075925994233602010-05-13T18:25:00.006-04:002010-06-08T20:08:15.556-04:00And they're off! Derby party snacks.<div style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I recently attended my first Kentucky Derby party, and it was a great experience. Every detail had been thought of to make this party great: TVs to watch the races, race sheets to read up on the horses, Derby hat contests, race tickets, door prizes, Derby decorations and lots of food and drink! Everyone also was asked to bring an appetizer or dessert to share and we were asked to bring an appetizer. It took me awhile to decide on something, but I finally settled on these <b>Tomato Bacon Cups.</b></span></div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroTLx0OEedVjqe1BAyeRJ_2pAPYOsEYb7s8MXuTYXBQYhZkSfT37jpYhxF7qAP7fzrGsQN1DXouBeZSwcA9k2bfSMfRdbmRZPhGfgtpCN_86cznJjwWID6h6Zbw-aZkBovnfOzjCgO5n6/s1600/TomatoBaconCups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroTLx0OEedVjqe1BAyeRJ_2pAPYOsEYb7s8MXuTYXBQYhZkSfT37jpYhxF7qAP7fzrGsQN1DXouBeZSwcA9k2bfSMfRdbmRZPhGfgtpCN_86cznJjwWID6h6Zbw-aZkBovnfOzjCgO5n6/s320/TomatoBaconCups.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here's the recipe:</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">8 slices bacon</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1 tomato, diced</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1 sm. bunch scallions, finely chopped</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">3 oz. shredded Swiss cheese</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1/2 C mayo</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1 tsp. dried basil</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1 (16 oz.) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1) Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan (two if you have them, it'll go faster). I hit each cup with a very quick shot of cooking spray.</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">2) Cook bacon until crispy over medium heat in a skillet; you'll need to crumble it, and it will be easier than if it's chewy. Add the bacon to a bowl; mix in the tomato, onion, cheese, mayo and basil.</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">3) Separate each biscuit into it's natural halves; cut each half into quarters. Roll each quarter into a ball and then use a rolling pin to flatten into a little disc. Place the disc into one of the muffin tin cups; press into the bottom and up the sides of the cups, making a little mold. Fill each of the biscuit cups with some of the mixture (for me, it was a couple of teaspoons each). You could conceivably roll out all the discs, then go back and fill at the end; when I tried that, though, I found the biscuit was loosing it's shape and I had to re-form/re-roll again, anyway. So I found it easiest to go one by one. Whatever works for you!</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">4) Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cups are golden brown.</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The first few I made, I feel like I used too much biscuit dough (you can sort of tell in the picture above). Originally I had been cutting each biscuit half into thirds; that's when I switched to quarters, and it worked much better. Unfortunately, I guess my battery was low, because the pictures of those batches didn't end up on my camera.</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">These went over really well; so well, there weren't any left over to bring home from the party! But I did snag one to test before taking (what if they were horrible?!) and I thought they were really good. Just for something different, I might try cheddar cheese in a future attempt, or even some of those flavored mayos to give it a little something different. Either way, I'd definitely take them to another get together, for sure.</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Let me know if you try this, and how it turns out for you!</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">(If you need a mini muffin tin, check this one out - the one I used for this was a Wilton one)</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=soupso-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000SABX12&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> </span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-63935848556810265522010-05-13T17:17:00.001-04:002010-06-08T20:07:53.359-04:00It's been awhile...<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay, so it's been <strike>awhile</strike> forever since I last posted, and I'm sorry! It's been a little busy around here, and I haven't had as much time for blogging as I would have liked. But I'm recommitting myself to finding the time to do so. I've been very busy in the kitchen and I want to share some of the really great things I've found and tried recently. I'm going to back up a little bit so that I can share a few things with you that I've cooked over the past couple of weeks, and then we'll be current going forward.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks for those who are still hanging in there with me and checking in now and again!</span></div>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-18274297610099151552010-02-06T22:01:00.002-05:002010-02-07T14:28:07.141-05:00Who doesn't like cookies?Tomorrow will be a new soup (likely something hearty and warming since half the country is buried under a blanket of snow), but today I wanted to share a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I tried recently. It's a modified recipe of what's probably considered "standard", but the modifications make such a big difference! Soft and chewy in the middle with a slightly crisper edge, and the top crackles open just like cookies you get in a bakery.<br />
<br />
1 C butter, softened<br />
1 C sugar<br />
1 C light brown sugar, packed<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
3 C all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp. baking soda<br />
2 tsp. hot water<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
2 C semi-sweet chocolate bits<br />
1 C semi-sweet chunks<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 325 F.<br />
Cream together sugar, brown sugar and softened butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. In a separate small bowl or dish, dissolve the baking soda in the water. Add to the batter, then add the salt. Stir in the flour and chocolate bits and chunks (actually stir - don't use a mixer). Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop uniform balls of dough; roll briefly between your palms to form balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes. They may not look completely cooked, but as long as the edges have a light brown tinge, they're done. Let them cool on the cookie sheets for about 5 or 6 minutes before removing to racks or other container.KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-58438287587192625802010-02-01T11:12:00.003-05:002010-02-02T13:53:06.220-05:00Week One - First Take<a href="http://soupson502.blogspot.com/2010/01/week-one-corn-chowder.html">Yesterday</a> I posted our first weekly soup recipe. We made it for dinner last night and the vote was - YUM! We did deviate from the posted recipe slightly as we went through the cooking process. First, we cooked 6 slices of bacon in the bottom of the soup pot until it was crispy and then removed to drain on a paper-towel covered plate. Then we sauteed the onion and celery in that instead of butter or oil. The only other change we made was to add an additional can of creamed corn; it looked like it could be just a tiny bit more thick. We then crumbled up the bacon and sprinkled on top with the shredded Colby cheese, some fresh ground black pepper and a couple of "Texas Toast" croutons. Served with some sourdough bread on the side, it was a very filling, very tasty dinner!<br />
<br />
We had it again for lunch today, and it was still just as good!KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-77299792007532476172010-01-31T12:37:00.001-05:002010-06-20T12:59:26.137-04:00Week One - Corn ChowderThe first soup we're going to try is a corn chowder recipe.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-style: italic;">Ingredients:</span><br />
1 C chopped celery<br />
1 C chopped onion<br />
1 (32 oz) carton reduced-sodium chicken broth<br />
3 C potatoes, peeled and cubed<br />
1 can whole kernel corn<br />
1 can creamed corn<br />
1 (2.5 oz) pkg country-style gravy mix<br />
2 C milk<br />
8 0z Velveeta, cubed<br />
2 T butter<br />
salt & pepper to taste<br />
shredded Colby cheese, green onions, croutons, etc for garnish<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Directions:<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In a large soup pot, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion; cook until soft and tender, about 5 minutes.<br />
Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.<br />
Stir in both cans of corn; return to boiling. In a small bowl, dissolve gravy mix in the milk; stir into the boiling soup mixture. Add Velveeta and cook over low, stirring until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br />
<br />
Garnish with shredded Colby cheese, green onions, croutons, or whatever you might like.<br />
</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"></span></span>KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845363331514364902.post-29835821925443922362010-01-31T10:32:00.000-05:002010-01-31T12:36:05.571-05:00Welcome to Soup's On!I love to cook and bake, and am always looking for new recipes and things to try. For 2010, we've decided to try one new soup each week. So each week, I will post the new recipe here. After we try it, I will post the results on how it turned out for us and share our reviews - what was good and not so good, tips on prep, possible modifications for the future. I'm hoping that some of you will choose to try it, as well, and let us know how your families liked them. And if you made any changes that you thought were great, please share those, too!<br /><br />In addition to the weekly soup, I will sometimes share some additional recipes that are new to us that we try. Again, I'd love any comments on how they worked for you, or what changes you might have made.<br /><br />The recipes will be ones shared from friends and family, our own creations, and maybe even a cookbook or two. If you have any great soup recipes that you would like for us to try and then post (with proper credit, of course!), we'd be happy to! Just send me a message with the recipe, and we will add it to the list.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy the soups and making them as much as we are!KentuckyCookinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463879029517962814noreply@blogger.com0