St. Patty's Day

For some reason, St. Patty's Day makes me want to drink either really strong, dark beer....or whiskey....or green beer. Why? Probably because there is so much advertising going on about beer that I'm being sucked in. LOL!

I'm playing tennis tomorrow...so I won't be going down to the local boozer to get wrecked. (That's Irish talk for going to the neighborhood pub to get really drunk.) Plus, I have to work on Friday...so its probably not a good idea to drink a lot. (Not that I do that anyway....because I'm a grown up. And its just not how I roll.) However....I can bake something!

Last year in honor of the holiday, I made the following treat that can either be eaten at breakfast, or even for dessert. I'm thinking if you took the bread and made a bread pudding out of it, it would probably be really delicious!

This comes from Rachael Ray. Try it out!

Cranberry Soda Bread with Lime Glaze

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1 cup dried cranberries

1 large egg

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Grated peel and juice of 1 lime

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/3 cups milk and the lemon juice; let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cranberries.

Beat the egg into the milk mixture; stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it just comes together; form into an 8-inch round and place on the prepared baking sheet. Using a knife, score a 1/2-inch-deep "X" in the round. Bake until dark golden and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, lime peel, lime juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon milk. Drizzle the cooled soda bread with the lime glaze.

Hey, Sheri....WAKE UP!!!!

I will start this blog off by saying I am not awake right now. Not at all. In fact, I am not quite sure when I have been this tired. Not in a while. But its Thursday, which means the weekend is only 15 working hours away. I think my busy Christmas caught up with me yesterday.

I used to never eat breakfast. I just didn't see the point. I wasn't too hungry in the morning, and why not just wait until lunch. That was until a friend pointed out the benefits of starting your day with a healthy meal. It jump starts your metabolism, helps you wake up, and provides nutrients (if you eat right) that you need in the day. So then I became a breakfast person.

I am not a morning person, by any means. Which means I really, really hate to wake up and get out of bed. In fact, I set three alarms to go off at three different times. Today I slept through the first two and must have snoozed the third in my sleep a few times. This is not out of the ordinary for me. I finally gained consciousness around 7:10 or so...way later than normal. This is really not out of the ordinary either.

Since I am so hard to wake up, and since I am usually not chipper for the first....few....hours, then I am always running late to work. I mean, let's be honest. I just am. That also means I need something quick that I can eat in the car or at my desk. In an effort to be healthy, I decided smoothies would be my option for the next few days. I can make it the night before, pop it in the fridge, and then grab it on my way out of the door. It ended up being quite a delicious breakfast, that I paired with a piece of fruit, and I believe I might have a winner for my morning start.

"Wake up Sheri" Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 fresh banana (Frozen tends to be too hard to blend.)
6-7 frozen strawberries
1-8 oz. cup of fat free Greek yogurt (I used vanilla)

Directions: Throw it all in a blender and press puree. Easy as that!

Like I said, I make these the night before since I'm always running late. I just put it in the fridge in a to-go cup, and grab it as I leave. I also will try to eat an apple or other piece of fruit about an hour or so after I drink the smoothie. Its a great, healthy way to start your day. I also bought a bag of frozen mango, strawberry and pineapple that I am going to mix with vanilla yogurt. Might even try a berry mix with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Yum-o!

Breakfast Burritos

One thing my family loves is breakfast. On the weekends, its one meal we can eat together on the compound. My dad is king of breakfast, and makes the most fantastic pancakes you have ever eaten in your life. Seriously. They are world reknown. : )

Each time my family comes to visit, I like to prepare different things each time. I like to experiement. Sometimes its sweet, sometimes its hearty. So far though, I've had no complaints!

This weekend my brother and I tag teamed and came up with a super fantastic breakfast burrito. It was really easy, fast, and left everyone wanting more. Here's what we did.

Ingredients:
Eggs (1.5 per person)
Shredded Cheese
Chopped bell pepper and onion
Home fries/Hash browns (chopped or quartered, not shredded)
Tortillas (We like the large burrito size)
Salsa
jalepenos
Oil
Butter
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Cook home fries according to directions on package. (We cooked them in a little bit of oil in a skillet.) Chop bell pepper and onion, and saute in oil and butter. Add salt and pepper for taste. Beat eggs in a small bowl and scramble on medium heat. Melt cheese on tortilla.

Assemble burrito by adding eggs first, home fries and vegetables. Top with desired condiments like salsa, jalepenos or salt and pepper.

Roll, serve and eat.

For the love of pumpkin...

I love this time of year! Its one of my favorites! You know why?

Because we have football

Because I love the colors and smells of fall

Because it is guranteed that I will have lots of family gatherings

Because family gatherings ensure lots of baking needs

Because I get to change out the decorations of my house for various holidays

Because, because, because, because....

Because of the wonderful things [it] does....

(whoa...Wizard of Oz flashback there...)

But back to loving this time of year. One thing about this time of year is the abundance of pumpkin products available to the public. We have pumpkin coffee, pumpkin creamer, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cake, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin candles, pumpkin....everything. And as a lover of all things pumpkin, I especially enjoy this abundance.

So, last night, I ventured into the love of pumpkin with my baking, and ended up making pumpkin bran muffins. While watching the Cowboys lose. And about the time Romo broke his clavical, I put too much honey in my recipe. They turned out okay though! ; )

These are not sweet muffins by any means, but a somewhat healthier way to bake a muffin. If you don't like bran muffins, you will probably not like these. But I think they are quite tasty and a great way to start my day.

Because the recipe made nearly 2 dozen, I also froze two packages of them for later use. I debated on whether or not to freeze the baked

muffins or the batter, and ended up freezing the bread. If anyone can offer advice on freezing batter, please let me know!

The recipe came from www.verybestbaking.com, a great source for all of your baking needs! And since I called my mother, sister-in-law and solicited help via Twitter and Facebook...I have decided there needs to be a 24 hour help line for baking advice. Food Network, do you think you could take care of that? Because sometimes I have questions that my family cannot answer! Thanks!

Here's the recipe! Enjoy!

BestLife™ Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups wheat bran cereal
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Place rack in the center of the oven. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine bran cereal, water and pumpkin and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, honey, sugar and oil. Combine egg mixture with bran mixture and stir till smooth.

Mix in flours, baking soda and spices. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Put a scant 1/2 cup of batter into each muffin tin. Sprinkle with walnuts and bake for about 20 minutes till tops are brown and a toothpick tests clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Happy cooking!

Dad's French Toast

This morning I woke up, came in the living room, and low and behold, breakfast was not being cooked! That's a shocker at my parents' house. I sat there for a while, and decided to get up and get something to eat. Then my dad interjected,"What do you want for breakfast? I'll cook." I said I would eat oatmeal or grits, but he volunteered french toast. How could I refuse! It was delicious! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
sliced bread of choice (if you have a baguette, that's good too)
3 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
2 tbsp all purpose flour
a splash of vanilla extract
cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat a large cast iron skillet (cornbread pan)that has been lighted brushed with oil or sprayed with pan. (You can use any large skillet, actually. My dad prefers cooking with cast iron whenever possible.) Beat eggs and put in a bowl or shallow dish. Add milk, flour and a splash of vanilla (probably about 1-2 tsp.) Dip bread in egg mixture, coating both sides well. Transfer to a cast iron skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side, until slightly browned. Flip bread and cook the other side until done. Place french toast on plate, and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon or cinnamon sugar. Serve with pancake syrup.


Yummy,yummy french toast! And yes, I am sitting at the table blogging this as my parents are finishing their meal. It was that good!

Happy cooking!

Five O'Clock Friday - Ulitimate Girly Cocktail

Several years ago my former boss won a free wine tasting at a local store in Plano, TX. Since he was such a great boss...he invited the entire harem to join him. We were able to sample several new wines that I have never tried before, and that is when I began building my collection.

One of the most wonderful things we tasted that night was a Moscato di Asti. It is a sweet sparkling white wine with a low alcohol content. Its very similar to a Gewürztraminer, if you have ever tried that. (FYI - Fetzer is a good, cheap Gewürztraminer.) I can't remember the brand of moscato we tried, but I remember it was quite delicious. And during the tasting, the store owner suggested the following cocktail made with Moscato. Its very girly and works great for brunch in place of mimosas.

Try it! You'll fall in love!

Ingredients:
1 bottle chilled Moscato di Asti
1 bottle chilled pomegranate juice
thin orange slices

Directions:
Mix wine and juice together in a large pitcher. (Be careful of pouring the wine! Remember...its bubbly!) Pour into champagne flutes or white wine glasses. Garnish glass with thin orange slice. Serve to your favorite girlfriends and enjoy!

Mexican Fudge

At my old job, we used to have random morning parties for special events. Sometimes it was for a holiday, sometimes a birthday, sometimes just because. On such events, we always requested Suzanne's delicious egg dish. It was sooooooooooo good, and very easy to make. Most definitely a crowd pleaser. So, if you are looking for something for a weekend brunch, I recommend making Mexican fudge. Its great served with biscuits, croissants, or as a stand alone dish.

Mexican Fudge

Ingredients:
1 dozen eggs
1 lb Monterrey jack cheese with jalapenos
1 lb cheddar cheese

Directions: Mix eggs in a mixing bowl and set aside. Add a bit of milk & salt & pepper. Grate cheese and layer in bottom of 9X12 pan sprayed with Pam. Pour eggs over the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Don’t let it get too brown on top.

Cranberry Raisin Bread

Decided to start the Thanksgiving baking a little early this year. I needed something to do while my dad watched bloody, murder shows on TV. (I could go watch TV in the other room by myself, but this is family time...)

So, I was reading a Taste of Home magazine that my mom picked up and stumbled across this bread recipe. I decided it would be a great Thanksgiving morning treat since we usually have to leave early for our Thanksgiving trip to Laurel, and because my parents usually are busy prepping food before we leave.

One new thing I got to experience while making the bread was using a pastry blender (pictured above). I have never used one before, but my mother skilled me in the art of using a pastry blender to cut butter into your batter. It is a very useful tool, and I'll be very happy to accept the gift of my mom's extra pastry blender that she offered.

Anyway, the bread is in the oven right now, and smells fantastic. I'll have to update you later on how it turns out. I sure hope its as yummy as it smells!

Step 1: Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup cold butter (1 stick)

1 egg

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tsp. grated orange peel (Which we didn't have, so we didn't use.)

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries (Fresh is best!)

1/2 cup golden raisins (We used regular.)

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, orange juice and peel. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and raisins. Transfer to a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan.

Step 2: Streusel

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. cold butter

Directions: Combine brown sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3: Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tsp. orange juice

Directions: For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over bread.

A weekend family food affair….

Last weekend, half of my family came to town for the annual spring homecoming festivities. This was the first time my parents, brother, and sister-in-law have come to visit since I have gotten settled. Since we anticipated a large crowd over the weekend, I decided to plan out as many meals as possible to have at home. Here are some recipes from the weekend:

Friday night

Yummy Meatloaf
Served with: Mashed potatoes, asparagus, and rolls.
Dessert: Pineapple Pie….which ensued the following conversation

Dad: Sher Sher, this pie is really good!
Me: Thanks, dad. It was Mamaw Speed’s recipe.
Dad: Really?
Me: Yeah, mom gave it to me last summer.
Dad: (turning to mom on the couch) How come in 34 years you have never made this for me?
Mom: I have made it before! You just don’t remember….
Dad: I would have remembered this pie. It’s really good!

So, an instant family favorite! It’s a great pie to freeze and keep just in case company is coming over! Good summer treat! And, I make it with all fat free or low fat ingredients, so it’s really not bad for you!!!

MOVING ON…..

Saturday morning

PULL APART CAKE

3/4 c. chopped pecans
3 tubes biscuits
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar

Spread pecans evenly on the bottom of Bundt pan. Cut each biscuit into 6 to 8 pieces. Roll each piece in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Toss pieces on top of pecans. Melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Pour over the pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. While still warm turn upside down on cake plates.

Served with pigs in a blanket and lots of coffee!

Saturday Lunch – At the famous barbeque joint – The Little Dooey

Saturday Night – Grilled polish sausage with sautéed onions and bell peppers, baked beans and chips. (Fast, easy, and delicious!!!!)

Sunday Breakfast
Mary B’s frozen biscuits (SOOOOOOOOOOOO good! You can get them at Kroger!)
Served with: bacon, scrambled eggs, grapes and more coffee!!!!

Fun weekend! Though the weekend was really about homecoming, baseball and the new video board, having good food just made it even better!

Happy cooking!

Bully's Best Banana Bread

Apparently I am a banana bread genius. Actually, I am not, but I can follow a simple recipe and end up pleasing tons of people. I have made three loaves of this banana bread in the last week, and they have disappeared faster than I can say "Does anyone want some banana bread?" Try it out!

Banana Bread (From my alumni cookbook at MSU)

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar (or make it low-fat with Splenda)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup oil
3 tablespoons buttermilk (I always use low-fat.)
3 bananas, mashed
½ cup chopped pecans, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 9/5/3-inch loaf pan; set aside. Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add sugar, eggs, oil and buttermilk; stir to blend. Fold in bananas and nuts (if desired). Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cooking time will vary with each oven. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Yields 1 loaf.