Dutch Babies

We love Dutch Babies at our house. They are so easy and quite delish. We put powdered sugar, cinnamon, and syrup on them most of the time. However, when we want something a little more dessert-y, we follow our friends' Ryan and Holly and sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Very tasty.

Even my very picky 3-year old will eat this

Which is good because this...

...is what he normally eats for dinner!

The rule for Dutch Babies is very simple:

For every ONE egg, you use 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup flour. We like to use no more than 4 eggs for a big 9x13 pan because we don't like it too custard-y. I will even get my small 1/2 sized bread pan out when just Riley wants these for lunch and use 1 egg only.

Directions, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put some butter in a baking dish and put in oven to melt while mixing other ingredients. Beat eggs for a good minute or so until frothy, then add flour and milk and beat until very well mixed. Take pan out of oven and pour egg mixture over melted butter--do not mix, just put directly into the oven for about 15-minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle powdered sugar and cinnamon on top, then cut and eat immediately.

Chap Chee Noodles

I found this yummy recipe that I thought I'd share. The recipe calls for cellophane noodles, but I have no idea what those are or where to get them, so I made it with Bean Threads...I wouldn't recommend it. The flavor was so delish though that I'm definitely making it again. I think it would be great over steamed rice. So, next time, I'm going to omit the noodles all together.

 

Chap Chee Noodles (or rice!)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
~Combine ingredients in a bowl for a marinade

1/3 lbs beef top sirloin thinly sliced
~Add to marinade and let sit for 15-30 minutes. I used just thinly sliced cheap steak cuts instead of top sirloin and it was fine.

Cook meat in about 2 Tbsp veg oil and add:
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1/4 lbs napa cabbage thinly sliced
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
~cook until veggies are softened then add:

3 oz cellophane noodles, soaked in warm water
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
~cook until heated through

New Favorite Cooking Blog

I just found this cooking blog that one of my friends had a link to on her blog...was that confusing?!?!...anyway, I went to check it out and I love it. Try her recipes, they are terrific.

http://thepioneerwomancooks.com/2008/02/pan-fried_ribeye_steak_heaven_in_a_skillet.html

Just Another Side Dish?

Okay, so we have all made baked potatoes, nothing fancy here, but these just looked so delicious that I had to take a picture. Yum!


Add some butter, slt/ppr, a drizzle of ranch dressing, shredded cheese, bacon, green onion and some sort of green veggie and you have a super delicious dinner.

Turkey Pot Pie

I had a turkey in my freezer bought after Thanksgiving and I needed to use it. So, for leftovers, I made a turkey pot pie that was really good. I thought I'd share the recipe. (there technically isn't a recipe, but these are pretty good approximations of what I did...feel free to tweak whatever you want.)



Turkey Pot Pie

1 smallish onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced

Saute these in butter until softened.

2 cans chicken broth
2 smallish red potatoes, diced

Add to veggies and bring to a boil; reduce to simmer and allow potatoes to soften.

2 cups shredded turkey
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour

In a separate pan, coat turkey in butter and flour and allow to heat through; add to veggies. Bring to a boil.

1/2 cup milk

Add to veggie/turkey mix and heat.

Add some frozen peas just before putting into your pie crust.

You will need to add some cornstarch/water mixture to get the thickness you want.

Put your pie crust in a greased pie plate and fill with filling. Top with another pie crust and crimp down sides. Cut a couple of slices through the top of the crust to let the steam vent.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15-minutes, then turn down the heat to 350 and cook another 15-20 minutes.

Mac & Cheese

This is one of our family's favorite comfort foods. This mac & cheese is so creamy and delicious that it almost melts in your mouth.

 

Mac & Cheese
-2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
-1/4 cup butter
-3 TBSP flour
-1 tsp salt
-1 1/2 cups milk
-2+ cups shredded cheese

Cook macaroni to al dente, set aside. In saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt and cook for about one minute. Add milk and cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Stir in cooked pasta and cook on low for 5-10 minutes.

Tips: -I like to use sharp cheddar for my mac & cheese, but tonight I didn't have any so we used Colby Jack instead. Any cheese would be good.
-I use closer to 3 cups of cheese because I like it super-cheesy, but the recipe itself calls for only 2 cups.
You be the judge on how much your family likes cheese.

Where's the Spatula?

This morning I was making pancakes for breakfast. I had the pancakes in the pan and they were all ready to be flipped...but there was no spatula in sight. I looked in every nook and cranny I could think of to find it, but to no avail. Finally I said, mostly to myself, "where's the darn spatula?" to which my husband replied, "Oh it's in the car. I used it to other day to scrape ice off the windshield." Uh...we have scrapers for that dear. Men?!?!

For Bacon Lovers

I am a huge fan of bacon. I always keep extra packages of bacon in my freezer just in case because I hate running out of bacon. Bacon adds just the right amount of flavor to make an ordinary meal truly scrumptious. I found this clip on You Tube and just had to post it to honor my favorite "spice". :)

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

We just finished eating some of the tastiest quesadillas we've ever made. Todd even deemed them "restaraunt quality"...of course today was fast Sunday, so that might account for some of the praise. Regardless, I had to share becasue they really are good.

I thawed out some chicken breasts, cut them into small pieces, then marinaded them in BBQ sauce for about an hour. Then I made the onions. The onions are what realy made this quesadilla delicious. I cut a sweet vidalia onion onion into rings and sauted them on low heat with some butter and about 1 TBSP of honey until they were very carmelized (It took about 20-25 minutes). I cooked the chicken with a bit of olive oil until it was done. Then I chopped up some bacon and cooked it until crispy. I cooked some thinly sliced green bell pepper along with the bacon until it was just softened.

 

I wanted a bit more flavor, so I mixed up about 2 tsps on powdered ranch with a little mayo and milk to make this ranch paste stuff. It would have been too potent to put on a salad or to dip veggies in, but a little of this spread on the tortilla was just right.

 

Put it all together and add some cheese and you're good to go! We dipped our quesadillas in a bit of sour cream and it was heaven.

 

New Years Breakfast

 

This morning I made one of my very favorite things...omelets. I guarantee that you have what you need to make one of these delicious beauties. The secret (which maybe isn't really quite so secret) is using a big Tablespoon of buttermilk waffle mix stirred with a little bit of water to your eggs before you beat them.

 

Then just cut up your favorite toppings, add a bit of cheese, and you're good to go. My favorites: green and red peppers, tomatoes, red onion, mushrooms, ham, crumbled bacon, and browned hashbrowns (yes, I put hashbrowns IN my omelet...mmmmm)

 

Make sure you don't put too much egg in your pan, or you won't be able to enjoy your filling, which in my opinion is the best part. After you pour the eggs into the pan, gently lift up the sides to allow the egg to run through so it cooks all the way through. When most of the runny egg is gone, put your topping on one side and fold in half. Cooking with a lid helps to cook the egg all the way through. Flip the omelet over once and cook a little longer, then put on a plate and enjoy.

 

My New Favorite Treat

I got this from a friend of mine who is selling "Tastefully Simple" foods...you know, like Pampered Chef, just food instead of kitchen stuff. I'm not normally one to buy into these types of things, I mean, who has money for stuff you really don't need, but one taste of this sauce made me a believer. I spread it on cream cheese and dip wheat thins into it and it is heaven! It is sweet and spicy and savory all in one. You just don't get much better than this.

 

So Sad

Well, sad news, my camera was stolen...at Chuck-E-Cheese of all places?!?! I mean, what mom--or dad--of young kids has the gall to STEAL at CHUCK-E-CHEESE?!?!? Come on! So, I'm stuck with our old camera that takes pretty crappy food pictures...which is why I haven't posted anything for a while now. So, from now on it's yummy food with crappy pictures...until tax return season that is. One good thing (of many) about having kids...the child tax credit! Thank you Pres. Bush. (I will of course be leaving all other political commentary for some other blog as I don't think politics and food mesh). :)

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I got this recipe from my friend Holly, a fellow food-loving mom. This soup has a yummy homemade taste without a lot of "homemade" effort. Easy and delicious.



Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 cup or more cooked, shredded chicken
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 cup wild rice mix, cooked

~Saute celery, carrots, and onion in butter until onions are golden and veggies have lost their crispness. Add flour and stir-cook for a few minutes to soften the flour "taste". Add everything else and heat through. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

This recipe is totally adaptable too. For example, I didn't have any milk when I made this soup the other night so I just used extra chicken stock.

For the bread I used about 1/2 loaf of Italian bread and sliced it down the middle. I mixed equal parts butter and mayonnaise together along with some chopped green onions. I spread it on the bread and then topped with an Italian blend shredded cheese. Then I sprinkled with a little bit of garlic salt and basil. I baked it at 350 until it looked done...I don't know the exact time. It was really, really yummy.

Orange Chicken

Umm...all I can say is, holy crap this is good!!! This recipe was very easy but sadly, pretty time consuming. It was so worth it though. (Probably just making the chicken wouldn't be too time consuming, but adding the lo mein to it added a lot of extra time. Next time I might just try making it with steamed white rice.) In my opinion, this beats Panda Express...and I don't say that lightly. I got this recipe from "America's Test Kitchen" that airs on PBS. This recipe has made me a test kitchen fan.



Since I am kind of lazy, I'm just going to put the link for you to follow to the actual site...hey, give me a break, I just spent like an hour in the kitchen making this delectable dinner. Seriously, go to the site and try it!

Orange Flavored Chicken

BBQ Pulled Pork

Holly, since you are quite possibly my only reader...:)...this one is for you. I still can't find my camera (much to my husband's disappointment...and mine), so no pictures again. Sorry. This dinner was really yummy. My husband ranted and raved about it, and if you know Todd, you know that he is not one who usually rants and raves. This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen. I sure love that woman!

BBQ Pulled Pork

Dry Rub
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp paprika
1/4 Tbsp cayenne pepper

4-lbs shoulder pork roast

~Press dry rub all over the pork roast; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2-hours.

2 cups apple juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp worcestershire
3/4 Tbsp liquid smoke
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

~Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine liquid ingredients; put roast in a roasting pan with a lid, pour liquid over it, cover with aluminum foil and then the lid; bake for 4-hours. When cooked through, shred the pork.

I ate these on really yummy soft hamburger buns with plenty of mayo, a dollop of BBQ sauce, and a spoon full of coleslaw. It was so good that my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The only thing missing for me was a nice, crisp Clausen pickle!

Fiesta Dinner

This dinner is sure to earn raves from your family and friends. Yummy!!! Sorry that there are no pictures with this one. I was too excited to eat to remember to take any.

Creamy Enchiladas

2-cans green chile enchilada sauce
1-8 oz cube cream cheese
2-chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
Cheese of your choice-I use monterey jack cheese

~In a small saucepan, melt cream cheese with enchilada sauce. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Coat bottom of dish with a thin layer of cream cheese mixture. Get your flour tortillas and fill with chicken, cream cheese mix, and shredded cheese. Roll up and put into pan. When pan in full, top with remaining cream cheese mixture and more cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-minutes. Take off foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

Hot Bean Dip

1-can of refried beans
1-8oz cube of cream cheese
Taco seasoning
Ranch seasoning
Hot sauce
Green chiles
Shredded cheese

~In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add beans and mix. Add taco and ranch seasoning to taste, several dashes of hot sauce to taste, and 1/2 of a small can of green chiles; mix. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded cheese; mix. Put in a baking dish and cover with more shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-minutes. Get your favorite chips and dig in. Yum!

Tomato Salsa

2 14.5 oz cans of stewed tomatoes
1/2 onion finely diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
juice from 1/2 lime
1 tsp salt
1/3-1/2 can green chiles
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

~Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend on low until you reach desired consistency. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 can of corn
1/2 can of black beans
2 tablespoons olive oil

~In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, corn, beans, and olive oil. To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

Lemon Blossoms

This is one of my very favorite desserts. It is so easy, so cute, and so yummy!!!



Lemon Blossoms

1 pkg yellow cake mix
3 1/2 oz pkg instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup veg oil
~Combine ingredients well with an electric mixer until smooth. It kind of makes a cake glue-like consistency. Spray a miniature muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and fill 1/2-way full with cake batter. Bake for 12-minutes at 350 degrees; turn over onto a kitchen towel to cool.

Glaze

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 Tbsp veg oil
3 Tbsp water
~Sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add other ingredients and mix until smooth. Dip slightly cooled cupcakes into the glaze with your fingers. Place on wire racks to let the glaze set. Can dip twice in glaze if you want, but I usually just dip once.

Popovers

Oh the mighty popover. So easy and so delicious!!! They are a big hit at our house with ALL of the family...toddlers included. I cannot emphasize enough how delectably simple these are. In 25-minutes, with very little effort, you have a great dinner.



You can adorn these beauties with just about anything. After they are baked, they have these hollowish centers that are great for stuffing. Amidst our favorites are scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage, butter and jam, honey, powdered sugar and syrup, ham and cheese...you get the idea. Yum!




Popovers

4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a muffin pan. Break eggs into bowl and mix well. Add milk, flour, and salt and mix until just combined. Pour into your muffin cups and fill about 3/4 full. Put into preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DURING BAKING PROCESS!!!

Jello Salad

As my friend Holly puts it, why does everybody love this salad?!? I know that about once a month I just HAVE to have this salad. (I know what you're thinking and no, it is not always THAT time of the month!) I simply can't understand why I crave this so desperately; I'm not a huge fan of Jello, especially cherry flavor, and I detest tapioca. Why then can I practically eat a whole batch of this stuff in one sitting? Try it for yourself and then maybe you can explain it to me?!?!



Jello Salad

2 small boxes of tapioca, Jello brand
1 small box of cherry Jello
3 cups water

~Bring these ingredients to a boil. Put in a bowl, cover and put in the refrigerator to cool. Once cooled combine with one tub of Cool Whip (I prefer the extra creamy kind) and 1/2 to 1 bag of frozen raspberries, thawed. (drain if too much liquid in fruit)

BLT Salad

Well, tonight was my night to try a new recipe. I love trying new recipes...not everyone else in my family loves it, but I sure do. This one is from 30-minute Meals by Rachel Ray and it was yummy. The dressing is especially delicious! (How could it be otherwise when its base is bacon?!?!) I hope I'm not alone when I say that I adore anything with bacon in it. That yummy goodness is just too much to pass up. Even my veggie friends like to stock up on their version of "bacon". (I've tried it and it's pretty good...I'm not sure exactly WHAT it is, but it's good.)



BLT: Beef, Leek and Tomato Salad with Bacon Dressing

Steak-recipe calls for strip steak, but that is expensive, so I just used a cheap cut
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
~Drizzle olive oil on steak and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook on grill or in pan until just done. Let sit for 5-minutes before slicing.

8-slices bacon, cooked
2 small leeks, chopped and washed
~Cook bacon; remove and drain. Cook washed leeks in bacon drippings. (If there is more than 1-2 Tbsp of grease then take some of it out.)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Splash of water
~Put bacon in a food processor and pulse a couple of times. Add other ingredients and puree into a dressing consistency by adding about 1/2 cup of olive oil while food processor is running.

Romaine lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, diced
~Put lettuce and tomatoes into individual bowls; top with leeks and beef. Drizzle dressing over salad and enjoy. To quote Rachel Ray, "Yummo!"