7.15.2011
Slacking
My apologies to those who follow. Since Chris left, I haven't been cooking like I usually am. I am eating a lot of sandwiches, soups, salads- simple and easy stuff. I promise I'll try and get a few posts in this weekend!
7.12.2011
Boston Cream Cupcakes
There were a lot of things I experienced for the first time when we moved down south to Mississippi. One thing I wish I could experience more, is Dunkin Donuts. In Montana, I never lived in a town with a Dunkin Donuts. They have thick delicious chai, and the best Boston Cream donut in the world. Talk about a perfect breakfast. I hate the fact that it takes me 15 minutes to get there, so I don't go there as often as I want.
After today, an emergency trip was almost needed. Alex fussed all day, refused to nap, and hated my general being today. He wanted nothing more than to stand and scream at me, sit at scream at me, screamed at me in my arms, and even managed to scream at me with mouthfuls of oatmeal and peaches..For that, he earned himself a couldn't-come-too-soon- 7 o'clock bedtime, and mama earned herself a tasty treat.
I did a quick search online to figure out what I wanted to make myself, since running to the store today (or Dunkin Donuts for that matter) was obviously out of the question with a screaming baby hyena in my midst. I was suprised to discover I had all the ingredients to make these ooey-gooey delights in my pantry and fridge. Chances are, you will too. This means there is no excuse. Although, if you live in my area, please come get some from my house- I cannot have 11 more of these in my presence... my sanity and wasteline are begging you!!!!! Please, come get one...
I have broken this cupcake down into three parts (three different recipes).
Vanilla Cupcake ( you can use a boxed mix if you want, but I went from scratch )
Ingredients:
* 2/3 cups butter, softened
* 3/4 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
* 3 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Do:
* Cream together butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, until light and fluffy
* Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, then add the flour. (Add in small amounts- I managed to make it snow in my kitchen in the middle of July... one POOF was all it took to cover myself, my son, and my entire kitchen in a soft blanket of flour!)
* Place in cupcake pan (either with liners or grease and flour) and bake until tops spring back slightly- about 18 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.
Vanilla Pudding Filling
Ingredients:
* 1 package Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding
* 2 cups cold milk
* 1 tablespoon vanilla
To Do:
* Follow directions on pudding box. (Mix milk with vanilla pudding powder). Add in extra vanilla extract if you want more of a vanilla punch!
* Let sit in fridge for 5-10 minutes, or until thick.
* To fill cooled cupcake: Stir pudding, and add it to a plastic bag. Cut hole into cupcakes and pipe the filling into the cupcake.
Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
* 1/3 cup half and half (you can use whipping cream too if you'd like)
* 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
To Do:
* Cream the butter in mixing bowl until its smooth
* Add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar to the butter, alternating with the half and half and vanilla
* If you want a darker chocolate, add more cocoa powder- but keep in mind you may need to add a little more half and half in order to keep it a creamy consistency!
* To Forst Cupcake: After they are filled with vanilla pudding mixture, frost with chocolate frosting. Place frosting in a plastic bag, and snip the end of the bag for fancier piping!
Enjoy these perfect-donut-substitutes! But beware, the sugar crash is inevitable- and its rough!
After today, an emergency trip was almost needed. Alex fussed all day, refused to nap, and hated my general being today. He wanted nothing more than to stand and scream at me, sit at scream at me, screamed at me in my arms, and even managed to scream at me with mouthfuls of oatmeal and peaches..For that, he earned himself a couldn't-come-too-soon- 7 o'clock bedtime, and mama earned herself a tasty treat.
 |
| Better than a Donut |
I have broken this cupcake down into three parts (three different recipes).
Vanilla Cupcake ( you can use a boxed mix if you want, but I went from scratch )
Ingredients:
* 2/3 cups butter, softened
* 3/4 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
* 3 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Do:
* Cream together butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, until light and fluffy
* Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, then add the flour. (Add in small amounts- I managed to make it snow in my kitchen in the middle of July... one POOF was all it took to cover myself, my son, and my entire kitchen in a soft blanket of flour!)
* Place in cupcake pan (either with liners or grease and flour) and bake until tops spring back slightly- about 18 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.
Vanilla Pudding Filling
Ingredients:
* 1 package Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding
* 2 cups cold milk
* 1 tablespoon vanilla
To Do:
* Follow directions on pudding box. (Mix milk with vanilla pudding powder). Add in extra vanilla extract if you want more of a vanilla punch!
* Let sit in fridge for 5-10 minutes, or until thick.
* To fill cooled cupcake: Stir pudding, and add it to a plastic bag. Cut hole into cupcakes and pipe the filling into the cupcake.
Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
* 1/3 cup half and half (you can use whipping cream too if you'd like)
* 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
To Do:
* Cream the butter in mixing bowl until its smooth
* Add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar to the butter, alternating with the half and half and vanilla
* If you want a darker chocolate, add more cocoa powder- but keep in mind you may need to add a little more half and half in order to keep it a creamy consistency!
* To Forst Cupcake: After they are filled with vanilla pudding mixture, frost with chocolate frosting. Place frosting in a plastic bag, and snip the end of the bag for fancier piping!
Enjoy these perfect-donut-substitutes! But beware, the sugar crash is inevitable- and its rough!
Guest Blogger: Kristin Basiaga
Kristin (Shake) Basiaga (& Bake)
I do love Shake & Bake, but I promise this recipe is just as delicious, in as many steps! Well, almost...
I have always been fairly independent. My parents got divorced when I was a freshman in high school, and while I lived with my dad, his thought of a delicious dinner was Hamburger Helper (not knocking it, I still love it every once in awhile!) However, I have always loved cooking and have loved experimenting with foooooooods. I love easy recipes, and I even love the ones that take a bit more time (and love, the ever special ingredient).
This recipe actually came about by my wonderful Plus 1. I bought a crock pot recently and I swear it has changed my life. How awesome to throw stuff in and let it cook all day?! Whoever invented the crock pot needs to win an award or something. Scott and I were craving some nachos, and Mr. Handsome Pants said, "Why don't you put some chicken and salsa in the crock pot for nachos?'' or something along those lines. And here is how our chicken nachos were started...
The beautiful thing about this recipe is you can alter it however you want!
My ingredients (all two of them...) are listed below, however I have also listed a bunch of suggestions that you can add based on your own preferences!
* 2 skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb or so... I dunno... I usually just guess...)
* 1 can of salsa of your choice
* All your favorite taco/nacho toppings
Other Suggestions:
* 1 package of taco seasoning (add at the beginning if you want more of a 'nacho' taste)
* 1 can diced tomatoes, not drained (add at the beginning)
* 1 can pinto beans (add at the beginning)
* 1 can corn, drained (add at the beginning)
* 1 can green chilies (add at the beginning)
* 1/2 cup chopped onion (add at the beginning)
* 1 package cream cheese (add towards the end to melt, and use instead of shredded cheese)
To begin this delicious meal, get your crock pot out of the closest. Set on a sturdy countertop near an outlet. Plug in. Ok, you all know how to do these things, I am just testing you. Literally just put the chicken breasts and salsa (and any other ingredients you may desire) in the crock pot and turn on LOW for 7-8 hours or 3-4 hours on HIGH. After the chicken is cooked, it will shred very easily. All of the liquid from the salsa and other ingredients that you have added will keep the chicken moist.
After the chicken is shredded, you are almost there!
Now you will want to get your plate ready... put a layer of tortilla chips. I like to add a layer of refried beans in between the chicken and chips. Then, add cheese, olives, avocado, and whatever else your pretty face desires! Delish!
7.08.2011
Guest Blogger: Jaren Rabe
When Kelsey asked me to be a guest blogger I was so excited because:
1.) I have always wanted my 15 minutes of fame and
2.) I love to cook!
Unfortunately, a lot of the recipes I try changing to be my own end up being mediocre so I never make them again. This recipe, my fans, is not one of those. Yes, I called you guys my fans because you will be once you make this dish. It is just a little spicy, uses fresh ingredients and tastes amazing.
ingredients/measurements and the method used to cook it.)
2 whole pork tenderloins, approximately 2 lbs)
2 limes, zest finely grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup honey (the bottle shaped like a bear is usually the best choice)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions (Exactly as I did.)
Trim the pork tenderloins of any excess fat and silver skin. I've
never worked with pork tenderloin that wasn't already prepped for me
so this was super nasty and hard for me to do. The "silver skin" is
the worst part. Wash your hands 4 times after doing this and sanitize
counter twice because raw meat is gross and could poison your family.
Place the zest, lime juice, honey, salt, adobe peppers and minced
garlic in a bowl and stir until honey is not in big globs on the
bottom anymore. Pour the entire marinade mixture into a 1-gallon
resealable bag. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing
as much air as possible and place the bag into another resealable bag
and then place that bag into a bowl and place it in your fridge. The
double bagging + bowl means no raw meat contamination inside your
fridge which could also potentially poison your family. Marinate in
the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through
the time.
(This recipe is based off of a recipe by Aida Mollenkamp. I also
changed some things, so I am giving you my version.)
Combine cilantro (I cut off most of the stems but don't worry about
having them in there), garlic, chile, and 2 cups broth in a blender
and process until smooth; set aside.
Be careful not to get the serrano chile juice onto your zested thumb.
If you happen to get some in there anyways, do not put your hands over
your face in pain because then your eyes and thumb will be on fire.
But I digress.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it
shimmers, add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice
and salt stir to coat in oil and cook until rice becomes opaque, about
2 minutes.
After the rice is opaque, dump everything + the rest of the chicken
broth into a rice cooker and push "white rice" button. If you do not
have a rice cooker, this is what Aida tells you to do:
Carefully pour the cilantro mixture and the remaining 1 1/3 cups broth
into the rice and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce
heat to low so rice is at a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is
tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest covered for
5 minutes.
![]()
1.) I have always wanted my 15 minutes of fame and
2.) I love to cook!
Unfortunately, a lot of the recipes I try changing to be my own end up being mediocre so I never make them again. This recipe, my fans, is not one of those. Yes, I called you guys my fans because you will be once you make this dish. It is just a little spicy, uses fresh ingredients and tastes amazing.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Rice
Roasted Pork Tenderloins
(This is based off of a recipe by Alton Brown. I changed some ingredients/measurements and the method used to cook it.)
2 whole pork tenderloins, approximately 2 lbs)
2 limes, zest finely grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup honey (the bottle shaped like a bear is usually the best choice)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions (Exactly as I did.)
Trim the pork tenderloins of any excess fat and silver skin. I've
never worked with pork tenderloin that wasn't already prepped for me
so this was super nasty and hard for me to do. The "silver skin" is
the worst part. Wash your hands 4 times after doing this and sanitize
counter twice because raw meat is gross and could poison your family.
Zest the limes. Make sure you zest the top layer of your thumb off
while doing so. The tears, skin and blood add to the experience and
flavor.
while doing so. The tears, skin and blood add to the experience and
flavor.
Place the zest, lime juice, honey, salt, adobe peppers and minced
garlic in a bowl and stir until honey is not in big globs on the
bottom anymore. Pour the entire marinade mixture into a 1-gallon
resealable bag. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing
as much air as possible and place the bag into another resealable bag
and then place that bag into a bowl and place it in your fridge. The
double bagging + bowl means no raw meat contamination inside your
fridge which could also potentially poison your family. Marinate in
the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through
the time.
When it is about an hour away from being ready to cook, start the rice!
Cilantro Rice
(This recipe is based off of a recipe by Aida Mollenkamp. I also
changed some things, so I am giving you my version.)
Ingredients:
About 2 cups packed cilantro leaves (I used 2 "bunches" from the store.)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium serrano chile, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 1/3 cups free range chicken broth (free range because it makes you
feel better about killing chickens.)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 minced yellow onion (medium sized)
2 cups jasmine rice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
About 2 cups packed cilantro leaves (I used 2 "bunches" from the store.)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium serrano chile, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 1/3 cups free range chicken broth (free range because it makes you
feel better about killing chickens.)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 minced yellow onion (medium sized)
2 cups jasmine rice
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Combine cilantro (I cut off most of the stems but don't worry about
having them in there), garlic, chile, and 2 cups broth in a blender
and process until smooth; set aside.
Be careful not to get the serrano chile juice onto your zested thumb.
If you happen to get some in there anyways, do not put your hands over
your face in pain because then your eyes and thumb will be on fire.
But I digress.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it
shimmers, add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice
and salt stir to coat in oil and cook until rice becomes opaque, about
2 minutes.
After the rice is opaque, dump everything + the rest of the chicken
broth into a rice cooker and push "white rice" button. If you do not
have a rice cooker, this is what Aida tells you to do:
Carefully pour the cilantro mixture and the remaining 1 1/3 cups broth
into the rice and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce
heat to low so rice is at a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is
tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest covered for
5 minutes.
If you are awesome and have a rice cooker like me, just walk away and
get the pork out of the fridge while your rice cooks itself. Preheat
your oven to 350 degrees. Put both tenderloins and all the marinade
into a casserole dish and place in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Check it after 35 minutes and if it does not register 140 on a meat
thermometer or look done when you cut into it, put it back in for 10
more minutes. After it is done, cut it into slices and let it sit in
the marinade and soak it up while you stir up the cilantro rice.
Garnish the pork with the fresh cilantro before serving and add a side
of black beans if you are feeling up to it.
get the pork out of the fridge while your rice cooks itself. Preheat
your oven to 350 degrees. Put both tenderloins and all the marinade
into a casserole dish and place in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Check it after 35 minutes and if it does not register 140 on a meat
thermometer or look done when you cut into it, put it back in for 10
more minutes. After it is done, cut it into slices and let it sit in
the marinade and soak it up while you stir up the cilantro rice.
Garnish the pork with the fresh cilantro before serving and add a side
of black beans if you are feeling up to it.
My husband said it was his favorite meal of all time so I took a
picture of his plate to capture the moment. I didn't realize I would
writing the blog on this recipe so I apologize for the crappy phone
picture. Trust me, it tastes WAY better than this picture looks!
picture of his plate to capture the moment. I didn't realize I would
writing the blog on this recipe so I apologize for the crappy phone
picture. Trust me, it tastes WAY better than this picture looks!
Editors Note: Jaren, it looks delicious! Shush your mouth!
7.07.2011
Scotcharoos
There are so many things I could say about the person these remind me of most, my uncle Morrie. He had a big belly laugh that reminded me of Goofy. In fact, he was quite goofy in personality. He was the life of the party. He loved the Beatles and a big cold glass of milk. He always got the biggest coffee cup, the last roll/ slice of ham/ piece of pie at dinner. He was the father that everyone deserved, and he was loved beyond words by his family and friends. I think of him often, sometimes I get sad, sometimes I smile. I think about him most when I'm eating a Scotcharoo. They were, afterall, his favorite treat.
Ingredients:
* 1 cup Karo light corn syrup
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup peanut butter
* 6 cups rice crispies
* 1 cup chocolate chips
* 1 cup butterscotch chips
To Do:
* Combine corn syrup and sugar on medium heat on stove top. Do not overcook this, it will make the scotachroos hard instead of gooey- pull it from the heat as soon as it starts to boil and the sugar is dissolved.
* Quickly stir the peanut butter with the corn syrup mixture in a large bowl.
* Add rice crispies and stir until well coated.
* Spreak crispies mixture into casserole dish or other baking dish
* For topping, add chocolate and butterscotch chips in glass microwavable bowl, heat for 30 seconds at a time, and stir, until melted together
* Pour chocolate mixture on top of crispies mixture
* Cover well and let cool in fridge for 10-20 minutes. This will help the chocolate topping cool faster.
* Pull from fridge before crispies get too crunchy- you want these treats to be nice and gooey like regular rice crispy treats!
* Don't forget your glass of milk
 |
| Kicks the pants off regular rice crispy treats |
* 1 cup Karo light corn syrup
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup peanut butter
* 6 cups rice crispies
* 1 cup chocolate chips
* 1 cup butterscotch chips
To Do:
* Combine corn syrup and sugar on medium heat on stove top. Do not overcook this, it will make the scotachroos hard instead of gooey- pull it from the heat as soon as it starts to boil and the sugar is dissolved.
* Quickly stir the peanut butter with the corn syrup mixture in a large bowl.
* Add rice crispies and stir until well coated.
* Spreak crispies mixture into casserole dish or other baking dish
* For topping, add chocolate and butterscotch chips in glass microwavable bowl, heat for 30 seconds at a time, and stir, until melted together
* Pour chocolate mixture on top of crispies mixture
* Cover well and let cool in fridge for 10-20 minutes. This will help the chocolate topping cool faster.
* Pull from fridge before crispies get too crunchy- you want these treats to be nice and gooey like regular rice crispy treats!
* Don't forget your glass of milk
Random Fruit Smoothie
Fruit always sounds delicious to me when I'm shopping. I vow to eat better, I buy it, I eat a few pieces a day, and then I forget its there. That, or I buy way too much of it, completely underestimating how healthy I actually want to eat. Lets face it, more times than not, I'll pick a chocolate chip cookie over an apple. Shame. On. Me.
Today, I found myself in a conundrum- I had an obscene amount of fruit and knew it wouldn't last much longer. Smoothies. Bingo. The best thing about them, besides the fact that they are a satisfying tasty summer-time treat, is that you can basically do any combination of fruits and it'll turn out FABULOUSLY.
I usually make my smoothies with a combination of fruit, yogurt, ice, and juice if its too thick. Today's combination was:
* 1 cup ice
* 1 cup strawberry yogurt
* 1 banana
* 1 cup mixed berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries (left over from the 4th)
* 1/3 cup watermelon liquid (stolen from my bowl of watermelon from the 4th because I didn't have juice in the house- a good idea if you want to cut back on all the sugars in concentrated juices)
I sat on our back porch and sipped it slowly through a straw, enjoying its chilly contrast to the blistering heat we've had here in the south!
Today, I found myself in a conundrum- I had an obscene amount of fruit and knew it wouldn't last much longer. Smoothies. Bingo. The best thing about them, besides the fact that they are a satisfying tasty summer-time treat, is that you can basically do any combination of fruits and it'll turn out FABULOUSLY.
 |
| Berry Banana Breakfast Smoothie |
* 1 cup ice
* 1 cup strawberry yogurt
* 1 banana
* 1 cup mixed berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries (left over from the 4th)
* 1/3 cup watermelon liquid (stolen from my bowl of watermelon from the 4th because I didn't have juice in the house- a good idea if you want to cut back on all the sugars in concentrated juices)
I sat on our back porch and sipped it slowly through a straw, enjoying its chilly contrast to the blistering heat we've had here in the south!
Grandma Ann's Mac & Cheese
The biggest vacations we ever took when I was growing up were up to Glasgow, MT. About as far north as you can get in Montana, and almost as far west as you can go (full of beautiful... beautiful... er... uh... plains), was my Grandma Ann's house, the house my mother grew up in. We used to go for Thanksgiving/Hunting Season every year, and the occassional Christmas, Easter, and summer trip.
When I think of my Grandma Ann's house, I think of her stemless glasses, stealing gingerales out of the fridge, rolling down the hill in her backyard, playing G.I Joes, getting squirted by my first grapefruit, the collection of books I learned to read with, her old red car sitting in the driveway, how scary the downstairs storage room was, and playing restaurant downstairs. Yes, the cooker in me came out in the presence of both grandmothers, and we always played restaurant: complete with play-dishes and homemade play-doh. The play-doh was made by my Grandma Ann herself. It was the best. The second she was done making it we would rush to play with the warm, squishy, salty (yes I tried to eat it a few times) mounds of colored goo. It was my number 1 favorite thing that ever came out of her kitchen.
All Grandmas are known for their cooking. My Grandma made this dish everytime we came to visit. It is my all-time favorite comfort food, and I remember it was such a heavenly experience everytime I ate it. I wish I could say I had a knack for making it, but alas, my first time will live in infamy, as I forgot to boil the noodles first, and I doubt I will ever live it down. So, it turns out I'm giving you more than an amazing recipe for mac & cheese today, I'm handing out life lesson: always, always, always... boil your noodles.
Ingredients:
* 16 oz macaroni noodles (about 2/3 of a box) (cooked, a'hem)
* 16 oz of Kraft Deluxe American Cheese (now, it HAS to be THIS cheese. Walmart no longer sells it. You will find it at any other grocery story, sitting right next to the Velveeta- but do NOT use Velveeta- I swear its just not the same- at all. Find the blue box of Kraft, worship the blue box of Kraft, settle for nothing less than the blue box of Kraft! )
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk (more may be needed, keep the jug out)
To Do:
* Boil Noodles. Duh. Drain noodles. Do not used uncooked noodles. Don't be a moron like myself.
* Cube cheese into medium sized chunks
* Mix 2 eggs with 1 cup milk in bowl.
* In casserole dish, combine COOKED noodles, cheese cubes, and the egg/milk mixture. Stir together.
* Top off the casserole with milk until almost to the top of the dish - this will help make it extra creamy
* Bake covered for 35 minutes at 375F
* Take top off, stir, and bake for 10 more minutes
Delicious as a side dish or just sit down with the entire casserole dish and a fork. I'm not even a little ashamed to say I've done it before. Not even a little.
When I think of my Grandma Ann's house, I think of her stemless glasses, stealing gingerales out of the fridge, rolling down the hill in her backyard, playing G.I Joes, getting squirted by my first grapefruit, the collection of books I learned to read with, her old red car sitting in the driveway, how scary the downstairs storage room was, and playing restaurant downstairs. Yes, the cooker in me came out in the presence of both grandmothers, and we always played restaurant: complete with play-dishes and homemade play-doh. The play-doh was made by my Grandma Ann herself. It was the best. The second she was done making it we would rush to play with the warm, squishy, salty (yes I tried to eat it a few times) mounds of colored goo. It was my number 1 favorite thing that ever came out of her kitchen.
 |
| This was my second favorite thing |
All Grandmas are known for their cooking. My Grandma made this dish everytime we came to visit. It is my all-time favorite comfort food, and I remember it was such a heavenly experience everytime I ate it. I wish I could say I had a knack for making it, but alas, my first time will live in infamy, as I forgot to boil the noodles first, and I doubt I will ever live it down. So, it turns out I'm giving you more than an amazing recipe for mac & cheese today, I'm handing out life lesson: always, always, always... boil your noodles.
Ingredients:
* 16 oz macaroni noodles (about 2/3 of a box) (cooked, a'hem)
* 16 oz of Kraft Deluxe American Cheese (now, it HAS to be THIS cheese. Walmart no longer sells it. You will find it at any other grocery story, sitting right next to the Velveeta- but do NOT use Velveeta- I swear its just not the same- at all. Find the blue box of Kraft, worship the blue box of Kraft, settle for nothing less than the blue box of Kraft! )
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk (more may be needed, keep the jug out)
To Do:
* Boil Noodles. Duh. Drain noodles. Do not used uncooked noodles. Don't be a moron like myself.
* Cube cheese into medium sized chunks
* Mix 2 eggs with 1 cup milk in bowl.
* In casserole dish, combine COOKED noodles, cheese cubes, and the egg/milk mixture. Stir together.
* Top off the casserole with milk until almost to the top of the dish - this will help make it extra creamy
* Bake covered for 35 minutes at 375F
* Take top off, stir, and bake for 10 more minutes
Delicious as a side dish or just sit down with the entire casserole dish and a fork. I'm not even a little ashamed to say I've done it before. Not even a little.
Brownie Cookies
I do not have a cool story about these. The fact that they are chocolate chip brownie cookies should speak for itself. They are 'cakey' like regular brownies, but they don't fall apart and leave you with a bunch of crumbies (crumbies- F.R.I.E.N.D.S. reference. Anyone? Seriously? Ok...) Just make them. They are amazing.
Ingredients:
* 2/3 cup crisco
* 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 1/3 cup cocoa powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 cups chocolate chips
To Do:
* Mix ingredients together in a giant bowl. I'm sure you'd benefit from doing the time-old-tradition of mixing all wet ingredients together, then all the dry ingredients together, then adding them together- but why bother- they are all ending up in the same place: your stomach!
* I do 'drop cookies' with these- make each cookie about 1 tablespoon in size. Place them on a cookie sheet.
* Bake each batch for 7-9 minutes at 375 F.
* Be careful to not overbake these- they are supposed to be ooey-gooey!
Bonus tip: Having a bad day, or feeling like you need to put on a few extra pounds? Heat one (or two or three) up in the microwave for 30 seconds, top with a scoop (or one or two or three) of vanilla ice cream and some caramel syrup (or chocolate syrup or nuts or all of it) for a brownie sundae! No, mother, I haven't done this lately... ok... I have. Worth it.
7.05.2011
7.01.2011
Chocolate-Banana Ice Cream Pie
Its National Ice Cream Day!!!!!
In my book, that deserves a big 'ole 'WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!' I did my part today to contribute to this ever-so-important-all-American holiday: with great honor, I took my spoon to a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey, and savored every minute of it. Did I eat the whole pint? Thats for me to know, and for you to assume that I did. If a pint won't satisfy your need to honor this day properly- make this: |
| Seriously. |
Ingredients:
* 60 vanilla wafers (about 2/3 of a box) The other 1/3 is for you to eat while you are waiting for all those layers to set!
* 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
* 2 medium bananas
* 1 pint vanilla ice cream (I used Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey for more banana flavor and the walnuts gave it a nice crunch.)
* 1 pint chocolate ice cream ( I used a Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie because, well, why not)
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar (I used regular granulated sugar)
To Do:
* Pulse the cookies and butter in a food processor. (I smashed mine in a bag- I have anger issues.)
* Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 in. springform pan. (I just used a pie plate. I think my previously mentioned anger issues stem from not having a springform pan.)
* Slice the bananas and arrange them in a layer over the crust. Freeze until the crust sets, about 20 mins. Meanwhile, let the vanilla ice cream soften at room temperature.
* Spread the vanilla ice cream evenly over the banana layer. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
* Let the chocolate ice cream soften at room temperature. Spread over vanilla layer evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, another 2 hours.
* Remove the pie from the freezer 20 minutes before serving.
* Beat the cream and sugar together for a delicious homemade whipped cream. Spread over the pie before serving. (I added my whipped cream and threw it back into the freezer for a bit to harden it up and it still tasted great!)
The recipe also calls for toasted coconut in the crust and for topping, but I omitted it since we are not huge coconut eaters. The recipe suggests 1 cup for the crust (pulse it together with cookies and butter), and 1/4 cup extra for topping the finished product.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)