A milkshake you'll need a glass of milk for....

So, there are many things that go together that are more than just fate, but a created purpose. Things like...salt and pepper. Cheese and garlic. Milk and cookies. And the the ultimate pair...chocolate and peanut butter. Yes, God was really thinking of his people when he created chocolate and peanut butter and paired them together.

I had a hankerin tonight. A bad one. One that gave me an idea.

1. I love ice cream.
2. I love chocolate.
3. I LUUUUUUVVVV peanut butter.

How can I work these together? Ummmmm....a milkshake. It was evil. It was delicious. I'm pretty sure I need to run about 10 miles now, but it was worth it!!!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake

Ingredients:
3-4 scoops vanilla bean ice cream
1.5 tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 tbsp. peanut butter

Directions:1. Scoop ice cream into a blender. Add chocolate and peanut butter. (Ignore the wine in the background. It does NOT go well with the other ingredients.)



2. Ignore anyone trying to beg for a taste. (How does she always know when I get the ice cream out of the fridge?)


3. Blend thoroughly.

4. Pour in glass and drink.

5. And then seriously think about running all those calories off. Doesn't matter if you used low-fat ingredients. You need to get your milkshake lovin butt off the couch and go work out! : )

For realz though...it was fantastic! Its thick. Its rich. But its ohhhhhhhh soooooooo gooooooood!

I didn't know girls could grill...

Last night some friends and I welcomed spring by having our first cookout of the season. We eat together all time, but this time we actually got out the old grill and ate outside! It was amazing! It really is too hot to eat outside in the summer, so we have to capitalize on the few mild months we have each year.

Prior to the arrival of my guests, I was far more concerned about creating a tablescape than preparing dinner. (Though, all I had to do was make burgers.) I was going for something that offered a bit of ambiance and elegance, yet was simple and cheap. Basically, I just took a bunch of candles and glass jars and made this.

It worked out pretty well, if I say so myself! And I was able to work "tablescape" into the conversation about 14 times throughout the evening.

After dinner, we gathered around the firepit. This was interesting. Apparently certain people didn't believe that firelogs could be burned alone, instead of being used as starters. I had to show them the package, but I am not sure they believed me.

THEN...a bunch of hubalub went on about cooking s'mores over firelogs, which apparently puts off some kind of chemical. So...I allowed my neighbor to cut down part of a very small, dead crape myrtle in my back yard. It gave him something to do, and provided a cleaner burning fire to roast our marshmallows.

As a side note, we used the bag of candy I bought for work since it had various kinds of chocolate in it. I used Mr. Goodbars for my s'mores, and it was AMAZING!!!!

Prior to all of the fire, and prior to all of the discussions on chemical fires, we ate. I can't just skip over that! Since it was warm, and since we wanted to do warm weather things, we thought grilling hamburgers would be a great idea. So, the emails went round, we divided up responsibilities, and got things ready for a party. I was charged with the task of making burgers. (Okay, it was my idea.) Not a hard task for me. I have made burgers plenty of times in the past.

HOWEVER...a certain male neighbor of mine showed up and asked who was in charge of grilling the burgers. He was a bit shocked when I said I was. He replied, "I didn't know you could grill?" And something along the lines of most girls don't know how to cook meat outside. I mean...who does he think I am? Ha ha! He has eaten at my house enough times that he should know I can probably make a hamburger.

I decided to make a big deal about it in order to give him a hard time for his sexist pig joke. (I said he was sexist. He said I said he was a sexist pig. Maybe you had to be there.) I also wanted him to "eat his words" after he tasted the deliciousness of my burger.

Want to prove the men in your life wrong? Then ladies...make this burger. It was great!

"I Didn't Know Girls Could Grill" Hamburgers

Ingredients:

3 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3-6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons Dale's Steak Seasoning

2 tablespoons Tony Chachere's creole seasoning

1-1/2 tablespoons Season All

Mild Cheddar Cheese cubes (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your grill at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Put beef in large bowl. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, Worcestershire, Dale's, Tony's and season all. Mix ingredients with hands, combining all well.

Take a handful of meat, form it in a ball, and then flatten out.

To stuff with cheese: Take a palm size of meat and flatten out. Layer cheese on top of meat. Take another ball of meat and flatten on top of cheese, covering and enclosing all sides.

Put on grill and cook about 10-15 minutes on each side.

*If your meat is not holding together well, try adding an egg and bread crumbs to help it stick together. Fattier meats tend to hold together better, but the fatter the meat, the more the patty will shrink on the grill.

Another Noodle Bowl

Sometimes I just get a hankerin for Asians foods. I miss having Pei Wei on speed dial and just around the corner from my house. I have since learned to compromise, and am beginning to expand my Asian culinary repertoire. Sunday night I threw together a yummy noodle bowl with vegetables I found laying around the house, and an orange ginger sauce I picked up at the market that afternoon. Turned out great!

Orange Ginger Chicken Noodle Bowl

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, cut in chunks

3 cups cabbage, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped in large chunks

1/2 onion, chopped in large chunks

1 small can water chestnuts

2 garlic cloves chopped

1/2 box (or more) whole wheat spaghetti

1/2 bottle La Choy Orange Ginger Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Canola Oil

Olive Oil

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Chop all vegetables. Saute bell pepper and garlic in butter and a splash of olive oil for approximately 5-10 minutes. Once softened, add onion and saute until translucent. Set aside.

2. While bell pepper is cooking, cover the bottom of a large skillet with canola oil and heat on medium high. Pour flour and garlic powder in a bowl or Ziploc bag. Add chopped chicken, and completely coat all sides with flour mixture. Place in oil to fry chicken nuggets.

3. When chicken is completely cooked, remove from heat and place chicken on paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Set aside.

4. Boil water and cook noodles according to directions. Drain and set aside.

5. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and a few splashes of soy sauce, and cook cabbage down, about 5-8 minutes. Add water chestnuts, and cook for about 2-3 more minutes. Add remaining vegetables, chicken and orange ginger sauce. Heat over medium hit, stirring well, for about 7-8 minutes (until everything is coated with sauce and warm).

6. Toss vegetables and chicken with noodles and serve. Yields approximately 4 servings.

Suggested Sides: egg rolls or pot stickers (both can be found in your freezer section at the grocery)

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!

My favorite cookie in town

Bulldog Deli is a local establishment very popular with the kids. And the locals. They have great chips and rotel, potato salad and sweet tea. But they also make these really fantastic cookies called royales. They are chewy, sweet, crunchy and delicious! And it was quite hard to find a recipe similar to it. But...I did find one fairly similar that I tailored to make it work.

Yummy Royale Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer (which I proudly now own thanks to a hand-me-down from my parents), cream shortening and butter. While still mixing, slowly add white sugar until combined. Add brown sugar until combined. Keep mixing until batter is fluffy.

Add one egg at a time, mixing well after adding. Pour in vanilla. Gradually add the dry, flour mixture while still beating. Mix until all of the dry mixture is incorporated.

Fold in chocolate chips, nuts and coconut, incorporating ingredients well. Spoon dough onto cookie sheet and loosely form into a ball.

Bake cookies until lightly browned. Approximately 15-17 minutes. It may help to under cook the cookies a bit to make them softer and chewier. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack.

Yields approximately 4 dozen cookies.

___________________________________________________

One thing I haven't figured out is how to keep your cookies soft. I did cut the flour in the original recipe by 1/4 cup, but after the cookies cooled, they still were crispy. (I prefer really soft cookies, but they still tasted AWESOME!) If anyone has a tip on how to keep your cookies soft, I'm all ears! I thought about adding another egg, or more shortening, but I'm just not sure.

What are your thoughts?

The Art of Being Neighborly

So, I live in a small town. So, I bake things for my neighbors. So, I'm really Southern. So what!

My sister made fun of me tonight because I baked a batch of brownies for my new neighbors. But, the thing is...I like to bake. AND...when you bake for your neighbors then eventually they might do things for you in return. Like move heavy things. Or kill snakes. At least...that's what I hope will happen in result of the brownies.

I had an idea the other night. I wanted some vanilla brownies. But with chocolate chips. And with cinnamon. But I couldn't find a recipe. So I googled a couple of things, and came up with this:

Vanilla Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Brownies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla (I always use Mexican)
3 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10x15 inch pan. (If you don't have 10x15, use a 9x13, but you will need to bake longer.)

2. In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugars, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add 1 egg at a time, continuing mixing.

4. Slowly add flour mixture to batter and beat until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips.

5. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.**

6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. When cooled, cut into squares.


**Watch the brownies as you get near the end of baking. The top of mine started to get a little crunchy, but once it cooled, they cut fine.

______________________________________________

Ummm...these brownies were pretty darn good! Very rich, but good! And I might add a little more cinnamon next time to bring out that flavor. Or some nutmeg. Something to spice it up though.

I think the neighbors were impressed. You know, it never hurts to sweeten them up! I may need their muscles in the future!

Happy cooking!

As American as Apple Pie

I DON'T HAVE TIME TO BLOG!

Correction: Usually at work I don't have time to blog...because I'M WORKING! And since I sit at a computer all day, the last thing I want to do is blog when I get home at night. Plus, I'm usually busy planting, weeding, mulching, baking, etc.

Last night I spent ALL NIGHT BAKING! It was kind of fantastic! I started out by making an apple pie for my new neighbors, then made dinner for me and my bro, followed by 2 loaves of banana bread. It was a long night. (But fun!)

My new neighbors moved in about a month ago, and I am just now getting around to meeting them. (Better than the 9 months it took for me to meet the other neighbors who ended up being introduced to me by a coworker.) They include a momma, a daddy, a three year old girl and a baby girl.

They moved into a house with a very neglected yard that was previously inhabited by a bunch a college kids. Since moving in, they have completely cut down all of the wild mess and are working to make the yard super beautiful. I can't tell you how happy this makes me! Before they moved in, I threatened to spray Round-Up on the yard in the middle of the night. It was that bad. Now its all gone, and its lovely!

I really like my new neighbors, so I made them an easy apple pie. I hope it tasted good, but here's the recipe:

Traditional Apple Pie

Ingredients:
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2-3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3-4 tbsp. butter, cut into small squares
1 frozen, 9-inch deep dish pie crust
1 flat (rolled) pre-made pie crust (You could just buy the flat kind and put one in a pie plate for the bottom and one on top)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Once preheated, "prebake" bottom crust for about 5-10 minutes. Mix dry ingredients in bowl and set aside. Peel, core and slice apples and set in a bowl. If desired, sprinkle with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Mix dry ingredients with apples and pour into pie crust. Place butter squares on top.

For top crust: Roll out flat pie dough and slice (with pizza slicer or knife) into long strips. Lay strips on top of crust in a basket weave pattern. Pinch top crust to connect to bottom crust. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top, if desired, for a little added sweetness.

Bake at 375 degree for 30-45 minutes.

_______________________________________________

Now, last night I did not use the basket weave pattern. I arranged the strips on top of each other to form a starburst pattern. I know, I should have taken a picture. I have also used a solid piece of dough on the top before, and cut little teardrop holes in it for a design. You can get really creative with your top crust.

I also use a pie crust shield to protect my edges from browning too quickly or burning. These cost just a few dollars, and are available at most home goods stores.

The recipe above was a first for me. I had never made this one before, and I hope it turned out okay. I looked really good! I guess my neighbors will tell me? Or not? Ha ha! However, I do have a "never fail" apple pie recipe that I typically make. It came from the Bell's Best Cookbook (I think in # 1, because I don't have that one, and I have it hand written in the front of # 2.)

In case you aren't from Mississippi, every true Southern cook I know has a set of Bell's Best Cookbooks. They are by the local AT&T Pioneers. I have #2 & #3. My mom has the first 3, and my grandmother has at least the first 2. My mom's books are so used that the pages are stained, falling out and the book is being held together by a rubberband. She's gotten her money's worth out of those! The Bell's Best cookbooks taught me how to cook when I was a kid!!! All of the first recipes I made came from one of them. Its like the Mississippi version of the Joy of Cooking! Trust me! Its a good investment!!!

You can view my Bell's Best Dutch Apple Pie recipe here.

If you want to buy a Bell's Best, go here. I think I need to get # 1 and # 4 to round out my collection...

What's your favorite cookbook?

(Side note...since we are on a cookbook kick, I met with a new vendor yesterday and his company prints a bunch of cookbooks. He asked if I liked to cook, and I said..."Uh...yes!!!" He's going to send me some samples! YEAH!!!! I can't wait!)

The best turkey meatloaf EVER!!!!

Last night I decided to use the leftover meat I had from Saturday's cookout to make a meatloaf. It was already seasoned, and all I needed to do was a few things to make it more loafy. Turned out to be the best turkey meatloaf I have ever made! And...I make a pretty darn good turkey meatloaf! Here's what happened:

Ingredients:
**All of my measurements are estimates. I eyeball the ingredients and feel it out as I go....

1 to 1.5 lb. ground turkey
2 tbsp. Chicken Marinade (Worcestershire)
1 tbsp (or palmful) parsley flakes or 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1.5 teaspoon Cavendar's Greek Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 tbsp horseradish
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped & sauteed
1/2 bell pepper, chopped & sauteed & sauteed
1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped & sauteed
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 to 1 cups shredded mozzarella
4 oz. tomato sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop and saute onions, bell pepper and mushrooms. Set aside. Mix meat, all seasonings, eggs, and bread crumbs. Add sauteed vegetables and mix well.

Transfer meat to loaf pan and form into a loaf. Spread tomato sauce over meat and bake in oven for 1 hour.

Remove meatloaf from oven and top with shredded mozzarella. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Side suggestions: Mashed sweet or regular potatoes, salad, baked or boiled vegetables.

Leftover suggestions: Slice two thin pieces of meatloaf and microwave for 1 minutes. Throw on a slice of mozzarella cheese. Toast two pieces of bread, and spread mayo on each side. Lay on meat and have a meatloaf sandwich. Yum-o!

Trust me when I say this meatloaf was fantstico! LOVED IT!!!!

Happy cooking!

Greek-Style Stuffed Turkey Burgers

This weekend was spring homecoming at the ole alma mater. My brother and sister-in-law came to visit, and we tooled around town, grilled out, and hung at my house. The weather was beautiful, and it was a super fun Super Bulldog Weekend!

Saturday night I invited some friends over for a little homecoming cookout. I was inspired to create a new turkey burger after watching an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on Food Network. They didn't use turkey, I don't think, but some of the same ingredients.

The family helped with the creation, and we ended up with massively large and delicious, and somewhat healthy, burgers.

Ingredients:
**All of my measurements are estimates. I eyeball the ingredients and feel it out as I go....
1.5 to 2 lb. ground turkey
2 to 4 tbsp. Chicken Marinade (Worcestershire)
3 to 4 tbsp (or palmful) parsley flakes or freshly chopped parsley
3 to 4 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2-1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2-1 tbsp Cavendar's Greek Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2-1 tbsp ground oregano
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella
EVOO

Directions:
1. Heat grill on high heat.
2. Saute onions and bell pepper in olive oil for about 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute until all vegetables are soft. (About 3-5 more minutes)
3. Mix remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Take palm size of meat mixture and form into a thin patty.
5. Spoon sauteed vegetables on top of patty and sprinkle with mozzarella.
6. Take another palm size of meat and form another patty. Place on top of patty and vegetables, and crimp size to enclose vegetables and cheese.
7. Repeat 7 more times.
8. Grill burgers for about 10-15 minutes per side, or until juice squeezes out clear.
9. Serve on whole wheat bun with tomatoes, lettuce, and condiments.

Side suggestions: Potato salad, grilled squash and zucchini, chips, baked fries, etc.
Wine pairing: Biltmore Malbec or a Syrah

I do have to admit these burgers take a little more prep time than usual, but they were SOOOO worth it! Plus, I had a sous chef, aka my brother, aka grillmaster and master chopper. He cut all of the vegetables in record time and grilled the meat. Okay, he did most of the work. I just figured out the seasonings and put it all together. We were co-chefs. And Lauren helped too. We had three cooks in the kitchen, and actually prepared it quite fast....

I, rather unfortunately, had leftover raw turkey. I bought and mixed too much, and only made 8 burgers. (I wasn't sure how much meat I needed.) So, with the leftovers I made THE MOST AMAZING TURKEY MEATLOAF EVER tonight. I'll make you wait in suspense for that recipe!

After dinner was done, we spent the evening in the backyard taking and hanging out with friends. New friends and old friends, but all great company. It was a perfect spring night, and I can't wait to have many more like it to come!

Happy cooking!

Healthy Springtime Meal...except for the cake part...

Last night a few of my girlfriends and I celebrated J's 29th birthday. It was quite a celebration of life...since we are getting older, much more beautiful, wiser, etc., with ever passing year. It was another perfect day in town, so we decided to dine outside in the back yard. Dinner was full of lots of laughter and conversation, and it was a great night.

Following our meal and dessert, we moved to the other side of the patio and decided to break in my fire pit. That was an adventure in itself. At first I wasn't going to use one of the 2 hour logs...who knew we had that much life to cover in our fireside chat? I first attempted to burn old bills and papers. Well, that didn't go over so well...so I got out the fire log, lit it up, and covered it with the only slightly burned papers, and sat back to enjoy the warmth.

It was a great time! I hope J enjoyed her birthday party as much as I did! I thought it was a blast. In honor of the event, I have posted the recipes for each menu item below. We will definitely have to repeat this night again soon! : )


Grilled salmon

Ingredients:
salmon (amount and size dependent on who you are cooking for)
Colorado Spice Salmon and Trout Rub (**Use your own desired seasonings. This is what I used. It contains BLACK PEPPER, SALT, BELL PEPPERS, GARLIC, ORANGE PEEL, THYME, BASIL, ONION AND SPICES 100% Kosher.)
1-3 twigs of fresh rosemary
EVOO
aluminum foil

Directions:
Create a foil pouch for fish. (Typically I lay two 1 foot to 1.5 foot pieces down and cover with an additional one at the end.) Lay salmon on foil and rub in spices. Lay rosemary on top of salmon, and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Cover fish with additional foil, and fold up sides to create a pouch. Cook on grill for about 10 minutes, flip pouch, and cook an additional 10 minutes. (Cooking time may vary on amount and thickness of the fish.)

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
3 tbsp butter
2 limes
2-3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
EVOO
Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:
Boil 2 cups of water. Add rice, 1 tbsp butter, a dash of olive oil (EVOO), and about 1/2 tbsp or so of Kosher salt. Bring to a boil, cover and let cook for approximately 20 minutes (or until rice is done).

Transfer rice to a bowl and add additional butter, to taste. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes over rice, and add chopped cilantro. Stir and serve!

Squash and zucchini

Ingredients:
2 yellow squash
2 zucchini
2 tbsp butter
salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning, to taste

Directions:
Slice squash and zucchini in rounds of about 1/8-1/4 an inch. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Add butter and seasonings. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling for about 10 minutes, or until soft.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Ingredients:
4-6 oz. fresh baby spinach
6-10 strawberries, sliced
shaved Parmesan cheese
Poppy seed dressing

Directions:
Add spinach in bowl. Top with strawberries and cheese. You can add the dressing and toss...or...to keep the leaves fresh and crisp, let each individual dress their own salad.

**Also good with chopped walnuts and/or sunflower seeds.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Another version can be found here.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
¾ cup oil
¾ cup water
4 eggs
1 box instant chocolate pudding
8 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 tub chocolate icing
powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cake mix, oil, water, eggs and pudding. Once smooth, fold in chocolate chips. Pour into greased/floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 50-70 minutes, depending on how quickly your oven cooks. (Look for the cake to spring back when you gently touch it, and for it to begin pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Transfer cake to plate or cake stand and let cool for about an hour.

Spoon out about 1/2 of a tub/jar of chocolate icing into a microwavable cup or bowl. Heat for about 20-30 seconds. (Be careful not to burn it though!) Remove from microwave, stir chocolate, and drizzle with spoon or spatula over cake. If desired, put about 1 tbsp of powered sugar in a strainer, and lightly tap/dust top of cake.

HAPPY COOKING!

Turkey Cheesy Peppery Sausage Dawgs

Today was one of those perfect spring days. It was warm, absolutely beautiful, and I spent the entire day outside enjoying God's creation. Sure...I spent it laboring in my yard with my "remodel" project. But...it was a perfect day.

On perfect days like this, I love to cook and eat outside. So, tonight, I decided to fire up the ole grill and cook some hot dogs. It was the....perfect...way to end a....perfect....spring day!

Ingredients:
Johnsonville Turkey Cheddar Hot dogs
1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
hot dog buns
salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:
Preheat grill. Cook hot dogs for about 10-15 minutes, rotating every few minutes. Saute bell pepper for about 2-3 minutes, add onion and saute about 3 more minutes. Add mushrooms (which are sliced and then slivered) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until soft.

I like to toast my hot dog buns on the grill or in the oven before eating them. Takes about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Dress hot dog bun with desired condiments. Add hot dog and then top with vegetable mix. Eat and enjoy!

Side Suggestions - If you want to go healthy, salad. Or...sauteed or grilled squash and zucchini. Or you can serve baked french fries, cole slaw, baked beans, chips, etc.

Drink - Skip the wine! Go for a light ale! Or sweet tea! : )

Homemade Hot Pepperoni Pizza

Several years ago I quit buying fast food pizza and frozen pizza. There wasn't a rhyme or reason to my decision, but I discovered I could make a cheaper, healthier and more customizable edition at home. For a while, I used store bought, pre-made crusts. However, in the last year or so, I have ventured into the homemade crust realm.

My first few homemade crusts were a bomb. (Not THE bomb. A bomb. Epic fail.) I mean, they didn't taste bad...they just didn't flatten out correctly or have a good consistency. But...then I discovered the cook book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day." This completely changed my homemade pizza making abilities. Since adding this cookbook to my collection, I now keep fresh dough in my refrigerator almost all of the time. That means, whenever I want a homemade pizza, I just have to grab some dough, roll it out, and add toppings. Easy peasy!

Now, out of respect for the authors (who are very kind and always respond to my twitter messages), I am not going to post the recipe I used for my light whole wheat crust last night. Its in the chapter about peasant loafs, for those that check out the book. But...my friend Kim sent me a recipe for pizza dough a while back, and you can definitely use this for your crust.

However...I will say...the bread cookbook is worth it! Seriously! And apparently they just put out a new cookbook on pizzas and flatbreads. I may have to check that one out too! If you want to know the original recipe I used, I will be happy to email it to you. I just don't want to post it online.

Here's the pizza I made last night:

Ingredients:
Approximately 1 lb. homemade pizza dough
1 roma tomato, chopped (or tomato of choice)
1 small can tomato sauce
5-6 thinly sliced pieces of deli pepperoni (I bought this last week for muffulettas. They were sandwich size slices, but turned out well on the pizza)
jalapenos
shredded cheese of choice (mozzarella, Colby, Monterey jack, the pizza blend packet you buy at the store, etc.)
EVOO

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 550 degrees. (I actually set mine on 525 last night, but probably needed to go to 550.)
2. Flour pastry board or other flat surface. Roll out pizza dough to approximately 1/8 inch.
3. Transfer crust to greased pizza or cookie sheet. Spread a thin layer of EVOO (olive oil) on the crust and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
4. Spread desired amount of tomato sauce on crust. Add a thin layer of chopped tomatoes, if desired. (I like the extra texture.)
5. Layer remaining ingredients - cheese, pepperoni, jalapenos, or whatever you choose.
6. Bake in over for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until edges of crust are firm.
7. Slice and serve! Makes approximately 8 slices.

Sides - When I make a pizza just for myself, I usually don't have a side. However, if you are making for someone else or your family, salad is always good to serve with pizza.

Wine suggestion - Had a glass of Guenoc Petit Syrah with my pizza last night. It was yum-o!

Tools of the Trade Tuesday: Good knives make good quesadillas

I will cut you!

Not really though. It was a joke.

Not so long ago, I came home from work one day to discover a package on my doorstep. I didn't order anything. I had no idea what it was. It was from cooking.com. Ooooohhh....something my mom must have ordered for me. Yippee! I love presents, especially when they are unexpected and super especially if they are for my kitchen. I ripped open the box and low and behold, it was a new set of knives.

Was this a joke? Or a hint?

Back story...I used to live with someone who once forbid me to cut things. Not for some domineering "you can't cut things" reason, but for my own safety. I haven't always been so good with the knives. Its a process and I'm still learning. But at one point in my culinary adolescence I was really, really bad with knives.

Not so much anymore. I'm actually getting faster with my chopping and cutting, especially when I use my new super awesome knives my mom gave me. The set she sent was a trio of Rachael Ray Furi knives. I had always wanted some of these knives, but don't think I ever told mom that. And I don't think my mom actually knew how crappy my knives were. I think she just ran across the item and thought I could use them.

Oh, could I!

These are incredibly awesome knives. Seriously. Incredible! The shape of the handle, rubber grip, and blade all work so well together. In fact, they have increased my cutting ability by 40% probably! Okay, so I'm just making that up, but they really do help me cut, chop, slice and dice better. I can even manage onions with these knives since I am able to cut them faster than with an ordinary, dull blade!

Maybe that's saying something about my knife collection though. I think they all need to be sharpened, with the exception of my new Rachael Ray knives. I don't know how to do that though.

I never thought investing in high-end cutlery was a big deal until I actually owned a nice set of knives. But if you do a lot of cooking, like myself, having a good quality knife set is important.

These knives are great. I recommend them to you. That's why they are on my blog. I will also share a recipe that I made last night with the help of these great knives.

Shrimp Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (with awesome Rachael Ray knives)
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 cup (or so) of medium peeled shrimp (I buy frozen from the grocery. You just thaw and pull off the tails.)
1 tbsp butter or margarine
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. each of Ground cumin & Chili powder(Or fajita or taco seasoning)
shredded Monterey Jack
flour tortilla shells (burrito size)

Directions: Thinly slice the bell pepper and onion in strips. Add to skillet and heat on medium high with olive oil. Cook until tender (about 4-5 minutes). Add shrimp and butter to skillet. Season with desired amount of cumin and chili powder (or taco/fajita seasoning if that's what you have). Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, but be careful to not overcook/burn the vegetables.

Lay tortilla on plate and cover with desired amount of cheese. (I use a lot!) Add shrimp and vegetable mixture on top. Fold tortilla in half, and return to skillet. Cook on medium high for about 3 minutes. Flip tortilla to other side and cook for an additional 3 minutes or so. (Just until the cheese is melted.)

Top with guacamole, sour cream, pica de gallo, salsa, etc. Serve with rice and beans or chips and salsa. Makes about 2 servings.

Thank you Rachael Ray, and whoever really designed those knives, for helping me be a better cook!

Happy cooking!

Turkey-Tomato Panini

I forget sometimes when I'm blogging that everything I put on here doesn't necessarily have to have a wow factor. I'm not saying all of my recipes do have that (or any of them for that matter), but sometimes I don't think to post simple and "uneventful" recipes.

Lunch is a very important part of our day. For me, it serves as a one hour of escape from the craziness of the office where I can take a breath and regain energy for the afternoon. Since purchasing my home, I decided that lunch at home is one way I can really save on my food expenditures. So most days I come home for lunch, fix a sandwich and chill out. I have the luxury of doing this since I live so close to my office.

Not only does it save on money though, lunch at home can help save on the waistline. By carefully choosing the types of food you eat, you can actually be living FAR more healthy than if you went out to eat every day. In fact, most of my at-home lunches are right around 350-400 calories. You can't find that at Subway!

A typical lunch for me involves three things - turkey, provolone and Roma tomatoes. This is one of my favorite sandwich combinations. Another important feature of lunchtime at my home is my panini machine. My brother bought this for me a few years ago for Christmas, and little did I know at the time how integral of a role it would play in my kitchen. However, I literally use this thing almost every day! (Thanks, Joey!)

Here's my turkey-tomato panini...or...aka everyday lunch!

Ingredients:

4-6 slices of turkey (or other meat of choice - If you look here, I used leftovers from a turkey breast I baked the day before)

1 slice provolone cheese

3-4 thin Roma tomato slices

mayo, mustard, etc.

OR...Spicy Mayo: 1 tablespoon light mayo mixed with 1-1.5 teaspoons hot sauce

2 slices of bread

Directions: Slap all the ingredients on the bread....place on the panini grill, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip sandwich and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Side suggestions: I love chips, so I usually eat those. But I also like to enjoy a fruit cup or yogurt from time to time.

BBQ Bonanza - Pulled Pork Sammies

I'm always trying to come up with new recipes to try for my family when they come up for football games. This week I was craving bbq, so I decided to try making it from home for the first time. It ended up being really simple, cheap and a definite crowd pleaser. I took the long route with cooking it, though, and let the meat slow cook over night in the crock pot. But, it can be done faster if you desire. However, I think patience paid off with this dish!

Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin
1 bottle of bbq sauce (Or 1 1/2...Pick your favorite flavor)
Optional: onion and bell pepper
hamburger buns (I used wheat.)
Yield: 1 lb. pork tenderloin made about 10 small sandwiches

Directions:
Place pork tenderloin in crock pot. Cover with half of your BBQ sauce. (Or full bottle depending on how much liquid you need.) Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Remove bbq from crock pot and place on plate or in a baking dish. Take two forks and begin to shred the tenderloin. Now you can either return the shredded pork to the crock pot and the bbq sauce that is in there, or you can pour that sauce or new sauce on the pork in a baking dish.

I cooked my tenderloin all night long, and then put it in the fridge until lunch time. I pulled it out of the fridge and heated it with more bbq sauce in the oven at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. Depending on when you are cooking/serving, you can decide on what method works best for you.

Side note: I think it would be really delicious to add chopped bell pepper and onion to this recipe. I intended to do that, but forgot. I am definitely trying that next time.

After your bbq is finished cooking, then just slap it on a bun and you're done. The meat takes a while to cook, but its very low maintenance. Like i said, I cooked it overnight, so I just popped it in the crock pot and went to bed. Its a very low maintenance meal.

Side Suggestions: I made some homemade coleslaw and baked french fries. It would be great with potato salad or just some chips. Also, I provided mustard, sliced onion and jalapenos to dress the sandwiches. Quite yummy!

Never underestimate the bottom-of-the-barrel food!

Sometimes I think my best dishes are the ones where I have to get really creative. I once made a calzone with random leftovers that needed to be cooked or thrown out. I also put an exotic spin on mac-n-cheese with the limited ingredients I had at the time. And on SEVERAL occasions I have made up different pasta dishes because of a lack of choices in my house.

Tonight was one of those times when I was just running out of options. I have been putting off a trip to the grocery because I like to cook what I have before making a big run for food. Tonight things were looking pretty sad. But, on a whim, I decided to go Chinese with my limited resources. The result....an EXTREMELY delicious meal! Here's how it went:

Last minute stir fry

Ingredients:
1 small chicken breast
1-1.5 cups of mixed vegetables (the leftovers I had in the fridge were corn, carrots & asparagus)
1 pack of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Jasmine
lite soy sauce
salt & pepper
EVOO

Directions:
Chop chicken breast in small pieces. Cook halfway through in about 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Add desired amount of soy sauce. (At first, probably about 1.5 tablespoons.) Cook chicken thoroughly. Add vegetables and more soy sauce. (If vegetables are frozen, you will probably want to add them earlier or cook separately. Mine were leftovers in the fridge.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. For the rice, the Uncle Ben's Ready Rice is microwaved for 90 seconds. Pretty easy! Empty rice on plate and top with stir fry.

Side Suggestion: I had two small egg rolls in the freezer that I baked. You don't necessarily have to have a side with this though.

__________________________

This dish was simple, fast, and really delicious. The only seasoning it had was lite soy sauce, with a little salt and pepper. And though I didn't have traditional stir fry vegetables, what was left in my fridge worked very well. It never hurts to experiment every once in a while. You never know what you are going to end up with! Could be the best thing you ever made!

Happy cooking!

Ida-ho! Ida-hi! Ida-like-the-summer-pasta!

Last night Jana and I went to see the movie Julie & Julia, which is based on TWO true stories about one famous and one not-so-famous cook. Being a fan of cooking myself, of course I adored the movie! The film tells the story of two women in their quest to find themselves. It was a great movie to watch with your girlfriends!

In the movie, Julie (the younger character) sets a goal to cook her way through Julia Child's french cookbook for American women who don't have servants. There are over 500 recipes, and Julie spends a year of her life cooking and then blogging about her experience. I wish I could say I got the idea for this blog from the movie, or the book, but, alas, I knew nothing of the story until recently. You can credit the creation of this blog to my mother who requested that I post all of my recipes online.

Anyway, in the spirit of the movie, and after visiting a local farmer's market yesterday, Jana and I decided to blog and cook a new meal. So....here we go with our one-of-a-kind, organically grown, northern Idahoan summer pasta dish.

Ingredients:
1 zucchini squash
1-4 to 1/2 bag of wagon wheel pasta (or whatever you prefer)
1 pint (assorted colors) cherry tomatoes (which, apart from this farmer market, are not NEARLY as yummy)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
rosemary or Italian seasoning to taste
salt and pepper to taste
EVOO (olive oil for you non-Rachael Ray fans)
Parmesan cheese (freshly grated is best, but you can also use the canned kind)

Directions:
Wash and chop all vegetables in nickel size pieces. Add 1/2 of the tomatoes and zucchini to a skillet and saute in olive oil. Add minced garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Saute vegetables for about 10 minutes, or until zucchini Boil pasta according to directions on package. Drain when done and return to pot or pour in a bowl. Add the other half of the cherry tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes. Pour vegetables in pasta. Drizzle with olive oil and mix. Add a salt and pepper to taste and mix in Parmesan cheese.

Side suggestions: Serve with your choice of meat and garlic bread or salad. We grilled chicken breasts marinated in Italian dressing and lemon juice. You can also shredded the chicken and add it to the pasta before hand, or use shrimp!

Wine paring: This is a very light dish, one that is good to serve as lunch or dinner. I would pair it with a light, fruity wine like a chardonnay.

Fish Tacos: Fast and Easy (Just like Josephine)

Need a super quick meal that will wow your family, friends, or coworkers? Need something that want break the bank? Try the fish taco! Its exciting, delicious, and not-the-everyday-ordinary meal.

Ingredients:

2-4 pieces of any type of fish you like - Mahi Mahi (By FAR my favorite, but on the expensive side), catfish (for the southern folks, or a never-fail tilapia. (*Typically it will take 3 pieces of tilapia for 2 people...who eat at least 2-3 tacos a piece.)
cilantro
lemon juice
lime juice
salt & pepper
tortillas
lettuce (I like romaine)
feta cheese crumbles
Tabasco sauce (if desired)
salsa (if desired)
your favorite shredded cheese (if desired)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking dish with foil. Lay fish down flat and cover with 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Sprinkle finely chopped cilantro and a pinch of salt and pepper on top. Bake for 6-10 minutes, based on thickness of fish. (Tilapia bakes really fast!)

Remove from oven and flip fish. Sprinkle with more lemon juice, lime juice, salt, pepper and cilantro. Return to oven and finish baking. Based on thickness of your fish, it should be another 5-10 minutes. (If you want to broil or grill the fish, it can speed up the process.) Remove fish from oven and chop in big chunks. (I usually just take a spatula and chunk it up.)

Then you just dress your taco! I usually lay my tortillas flat on a plate with a bit of shredded cheese on top, and microwave for about 30-45 seconds. Then I pile on fish, lettuce, and feta cheese. I like things hot, so I top with salsa and Tabasco sauce.

Suggested Sides: Spanish rice, black beans, chips and salsa, or refried beans. Also good with grilled summer vegetables like squash and zucchini.

Wine Pairing: If you really want to choose a wine....something like Fetzer Gewürztraminer. You want it to be light and somewhat sweet. Chardonnays are also good. But honestly....try a Corona Light with a wedge of lime! Nothing like beer and tacos! : )

ALSO GOOD - My shrimp tacos!

Mexican Chicken-rific!

One of my favorite chefs that inspires my cooking is Rachael Ray. I love her magazine, and have a collection of recipes that I have gathered in my own cookbook from her. I set out to make her Chicken Salsa Verde Bake tonight, and decided to do a little different take on her recipe. Not that her version didn't sound FANTASTIC...its just that I know I will have leftovers to eat all week, and I don't like soggy chips in my food. (You'll understand when you check out her recipe.) So, I made a few minor adjustments and came up with Mexican Chicken-rific!

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 large chicken breasts
1 small onion
1 green bell pepper
lemon & lime juice
some kind of Mexican seasoning (I use Bolner's fajita seasoning.)
1 can black beans
1 cup fat free sour cream
1-16 oz. jar of salsa verde
shredded cheese
Tortilla chips

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Chop chicken into small pieces and place in large skillet with olive oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with Mexican seasoning. Chop onion and bell pepper and add to chicken in skillet. Add lemon and lime juice to taste. Cook until done. Drain black beans in colander. Add chicken and vegetables to drain. Pour into large mixing bowl and add sour cream and salsa verde. Mix well and pour in 9X13 greased baking dish. Cover (generously) with shredded cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

To serve, crush toritlla chips in a bowl and top with mixture. (Will be kinda soupy, unless you cut back on liquid ingredients.) Would also go great with a fruity white wine (Fetzer Gewürztraminer) or beer with a squeeze of lime.

Terrific Turkey Panini

Several months ago I had a hankering for a hot sandwich. I just love hot sandwiches. Since I go home for lunch most every day, I decided to break out the old panini machine my brother gave me and give it a go. I have been making paninis at least three days a week ever since!

Last night I decided to experiment with my panini for dinner. I was at the grocery store (which is never good when you are hungry) and bought the following items:

1/2 lb. Cracked Pepper Turkey (freshly sliced in the deli)
2 Roma tomatoes
Zesty guacamole dip
A small baby, brie
Romaine lettuce
Sara Lee Homemade Buttermilk Bread
Low-sodium bacon
Honey mustard dressing
Fat-free mayonnaise

And here is what I did:

First I plugged in and pre-heated my panini machine. I cooked the bacon (about 6 slices, but I only used one) in the microwave for about 6 minutes. (Usually one minute per piece.) Sliced one tomato into elongated pieces, sliced small piece of brie, and cut the lettuce into sandwich size pieces. Then I started putting it all together.

1. Spread mayo and honey mustard on each side.
2. Lay tomatoes on one piece and lettuce on the other.
3. Layer with 3-4 pieces of turkey
4. Place Brie and bacon on turkey
5. If desired, top with fresh avocado (which I prefer and they were out of at the grocery) or my supplemental zesty guacamole dip.

Next, I folded the sandwich together and laid it on the panini machine. I let it cook for about 3 minutes on one side, and then flip it to "press" it evenly. Remove and serve with chips, sliced fruit, potato salad, summer vegetables or whatever you desire!

This sandwich was exceptional, I have to say! I really enjoyed it, and might even repeat tonight. (I'm in to easy meals these days.) If you don't have a panini machine, you can always warm it in the oven, toaster oven, or in a skillet. However, if you have space, the Griddler is excellent. It also opens flat and works as an open grill or griddle! (Great for small orders of pancakes!)