VODKA AND RED BULL CHRISTMAS CAKE!

Yep, it's nearly that time of the year and now is the time to start baking that Christmas Cake. So to help you, here is the recipe for:

VODKA AND RED BULL CHRISTMAS CAKE!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Water
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt
4 Lg Eggs
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Cups Dried Fruit
Lemon Juice
Nuts
1 Can of Red Bull
1 Bottle of Vodka

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sample the Vodka (to check the quality) VERY IMPORTANT!
2. Take a large bowl. Check the Vodka again.
3. To be sure it's of the highest quality, pour one level cup of Vodka and mix with a little Red Bull and drink.
4. Repeat.
5. Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
6. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.
7. At this point it is best to make sure the Vodka is still OK.
8. Flavor with Red Bull to taste.
9. Try another cup - just in case, turn the mixereer off.
10. Break two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in a cup of dried fruit.
11. Pick fruit off the floor.
12. Mix on the turner.
13. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry loose with a drewscriver.
14. Shample the vodka to check for tonsisticity, flavour with a little Bed Rull
15. Next, sshifffft two cups of salt. Or something. Who givesshz a shi*
16. Throw a pinch of Bed Rull over your shoulder.
17. Pick up the can, mop the floor.
18. Check the Vodka (shee steps 3 and 4.)
19. Now shift the lemon and strain your nuts.
20. Add one table.
21. Add a shpoon of shugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.
22. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
23. Don't forget to beat off the turner.
24. Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Vodka and kick the dog.
25. Fall into bed.

CHERRY MISTMAS!

Pasta and Tuna Salad

Yet another delicious recipe from my Uncle Norman. This man really is a wonder in the kitchen. This is a delicious and fresh tasting side dish that you can make on Sunday and have it all week. It's also great for potluck dinners because it feeds a crowd and everyone will want the recipe!

Ingredients
· 16oz Shell Pasta
· 2 large cans of water packed Tuna, drained
· 16oz Mayonnaise
· 10oz Sweet Pickle Relish
· 4-5 Stalks of Celery, diced
· 1C Velveeta, cubed
· 1/4 t salt
· 1/4 t pepper
· 1/2 t onion powder
· 1/2 t garlic powder
· 1/2 t Mrs. Dash (or similar)
· 2T Water


Directions
1. Cook the shell pasta according to package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, add all other ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
3. Cool pasta quickly by soaking it in cold water and ice cubes, then drain.
4. Add pasta to the mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
5. Refrigerate until serving time.

Enchilada casserole

I would have to say the one thing about making enchiladas, is the prep for it, i hated rolling all the tortillas up and having to everything in them, it just got way too soggy and i hated enchiladas, until one day i realized i don't have to make them that way, that's when i decided it should be a casserole. so here it goes, i made it last nite and it was yummy!

1-2 lbs. hamburger
cumin powder
chili powder
cayene powder
red pepper flakes
garlic powder
salt & pepper

pinto beans(2 cans)
bacon
onions
garlic
olives
lots of cheese
tortillas(small size)
enchilada sauce- i like the verde sauce

Saute hamburger in pan, when it's done it will have lots of juice in the pan, then add all the dried seasonings, mix together and you have taco seasoning. i add a little salt & pepper at the end. Cook it till you like it done

Cut up some bacon, onion, and garlic , a sprinkling of chili flakes, cumin. when they are cooked through add the beans until they are heated through.
cut up onions, olives, or any other vegetables you want in your enchiladas, like peppers.

Spray your casserole dish with a non-stick spray, cover bottom of the dish with sauce, layer in tortillas, i put six down on each layers, that way you get lots of them. then start the layering, beans, meat, veggies, sauce, cheese, i usually get 2 layers, it also depends on how big your pan each. i always top it with tortillas, then veggies, sauce and more cheese. you can never have too much cheese for enchiladas, and depending on how much sauce you like, be careful, they do get really soggy if you use too much. It's really good and is really easy, despite how long it looks. enjoy!

Stew and Cornbread

You know how when you cook something, there's usually one certain side dish that just kinda "goes" with it? Last night I made one of my favorite cold weather combos, stew and cornbread with honey butter. Now, I assume everyone knows how to make these things, but I'm going to give you the down low on how I make stew. You can just get the cornbread instructions off the box. And remember, I'm cooking for 1 (this makes 5-6 bowls), you can easily expand this recipe. If you make extra, it's even better the second day, or you can just freeze it.

Ingredients:

1/2 bag baby carrots

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 nice sirloin steak, cut into chunks

24 oz V8 vegetable juice (it's about 1/2 of the big jug)
2-3 stalks of celery
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, diced (or 1T onion flakes if you prefer)
3 bay leaves
1/2 t sweet basil
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t marjoram
1/2 t parsley
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1/4 t chili powder
1T brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Directions:
1. Add V8 juice and about 1 C water in a large stock pot and turn heat to medium
2. Add the spices, celery, garlic, onion and brown sugar
3. Add Carrots, Potatoes, and meat
4. Reduce heat after meat appears thoroughly cooked
5. Continue cooking on lower heat so all the flavors can blend
6. You may need to add water as necessary to keep it juicy

It's the spices that really make this stew special. If you don't have them on hand, I really must insist that you buy them. I use these same spices when I make a roast. The spiciness of the stew with the sweetness of the cornbread is true comfort food.

Homemade Cocoa Mix

OK. I hope you're ready for the most valuable recipe I own. This recipe was handed down to me from my mother and now, I am handing it down to you. And I demand that you use it. If you don't... there will be terrible consequences!

When I was a kid, children played outdoors in both summer AND winter. Mothers would bundle their little darlings in snow pants, stocking hats and warm woolen mittens and then shove them out the door calling, "Come back when it gets dark!"

Later, when the Eskimos returned home, Super Mom would fix them a nice hot cup of cocoa and serve it along with buttered toast. And that is the best treat a freezing youngster could have.

This recipe is the very same one that Super Mom uses. I personally guarantee that once you try it, all other hot cocoa will be drastically inadequate.




Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
From: "Super Mom"
This is the best hot cocoa I've ever had.

Servings:
75

Ingredients:
2.5 lb Nestle Quik Powder
1# Coffee Creamer
1 8qt box dry milk
1C Powdered Sugar
4t Cinnamon
1pkg Mini Marshmallows

Directions:
Mix all ingredients (except mini marshmallows) in a very large bowl or Rubbermaid container.
To serve add 1/3C mix to 1C hot water.
Top with Mini Marshmallows.

Footnote:
Makes a swell gift. Just package the cocoa in a nice tin or jar and include the recipe and the instructions for serving and BAM! you have a lovely gift for anyone who appreciates delicious chocolate flavor. One batch is quite large so you will have plenty for sharing, or not.

black bean salsa dip

er something....I have a pot luck at work tomorrow....here are my dilemmas....
1. I bought brownies to make and they turned out NOT quite as well as I had hoped.....
2. I am poor and cannot afford to go back to the store and buy something else....
So I was left to rummage through the miscellaneous ingredients that riddled my cupboards and refrigerator...I came up with this....
1 pkg liptons spanish rice
2 cans black beans (rinsed)
1 can whole kernel corn
some homemade salsa
1 container sour cream
some sprinkles of mexican cheese( you know the cheapie stuff)
mix....eat....
I hope it turns out ok....I'll let you know!

Vegetable Cheese Soup

Crystal's dad gave me this recipe and so I figured, with colder weather coming soon, it would be a nice one to share with you! There's nothing like a steaming bowl of soup to warm you from the inside out!

Vegetable Cheese Soup
From: "Uncle Norman"

Ingredients:
1 qt chicken broth
1C chopped yellow onion
1C chopped celery
2 & 1/2 C peeled & diced potatoes
1 pkg frozen California Blend vegetables
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 to 1 pkg Velveeta
1t black pepper

Directions:
In a large stockpot, simmer chicken broth, onion, celery and potatoes for 10 minutes.
Add California Blend vegetables and simmer 10 more minutes.
Add 2 cans cream of chicken soup (unprepared) stir until smooth consistency.
Add Velveeta chunks and stir until melted.
Add Pepper.

Footnote:
Probably the best soup ever. But then again, anything with a brick of Velveeta in it is bound to be good!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

So this is really good and I wanted to share......


1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
3/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder


HEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients; spoon into 9-inch quiche dish or pie plate.
BAKE 20 min. or until heated through. Serve with TRISCUIT Reduced Fat Crackers and assorted cut-up fresh vegetables.

Keep the creamy, cheesy flavor of this popular dip by preparing with both Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses instead of 2 cups mozzarella cheese, and using 3/4 cup KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise. These simple tweaks will save 50 calories and 5.5 grams of fat per aserving when compared to the traditional recipe! ( I use these ingreedients and it still rocks!)

They took it away...

Can you believe that they would do this to our precious chocolate. i couldn't believe it. now everytime i go to buy chocolate i am going to check. because i am a chocolatier. i love it, but i didn't notice, or did i just not pay attention. goes back to learning how to love your food. but, that's another blog...

chicken alcatta

so i made this up yesterday it's between chicken alfredo and chicken picatta. both very delicious, i may say, super easy and delicious.

chicken, grilled or baked or boiled. ( i boiled 5 skinless boinless chicken breasts, because i was in a hurry, also added salt and pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, to the water. doesn't matter though)

garlic
shallots
veggie broth or chicken broth
capers
mushrooms
artichokes
parsley
alfredo sauce
cream of mushroom
water
salt and pepper
noddles

cook the chicken, add it to a dutch oven or what you have sautee with olive oil and shallots, sweat the shallots, add the mushroonms, when they are done add the garlic. cook these until the oil is gone, then deglaze the pan with broth or even wine, preferrably white. or water works too
when that has cooked down to 1/3 of what you have, then add the cream of mushroom soup, alfredo sauce, salt, lots of pepper, capers artichokes, parsley, basil if you life. i use fresh herbs, much better.when the noodles are done add then into the saucce, add about a cup of the starchy noodle water. stir together, eat and enjoy with bread or salad!

Bizarre foods

I have been randomly catching this show lately on the travel channel, that i have become very intrigued yet horrified by. I don't even really know when its usually on but they seem to have reruns on late at night when i am up. Its "bizarre foods with andrew zimmerman". I don't know if any of you have seen it before, but its pretty cool. The guy just travels around to different countries, and even just different areas of the U.S. and seeks out whatever weird random food they have thats sort of culturally specific. its interesting to see something that is a delicacy somewhere that i wouldn't even poke with a stick. I cringe a lot while watching it, because this dude will eat pretty much anything. So yeah, this is not a recipe, i was just curious if anyone has ever caught this show, and to say that you should if you can.

a salad from my backyard!

we have a garden that brian does an excellent job maintaining. :-) i take care of the flowers around here.
Anyway he made a fabulous salad that came almost entirely from our garden.

lettuce
green onion
cucumber
avacado- we got it from the neighbors tree
baby bela mushrooms
Ramono Ceasar Dressing- from trader joes
grated parmesean cheese- from trader joes

slice it, dice it, mix it all up...and then enjoy the super healthy flavor explosion. sorry i'm not super specific with directions. i am not the cook in the household and i'm pretty sure you all can figure out the amounts that will work for you.

bean salad

I came up with this salad, be cause costco ran out of the one i like, and i always have the ingredients handy!

1 can kidney beans
1 can of green beans
1 can of garbanzo beans
( rinse all of these under cool water and strain)
1/2 sliced red onion
dressing:
olive oil
red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar is another great option.
crumbled feta cheese
chopped olives, green or black, or any fancy olive. your choice!

erins' potato salad

this is my take on a healthier and yummier version of potato salad. if you are partial to what you grew up on, do not try this. but, it's really delicious and a change of pace, and boy will you fool the peeps.

potatoes of any kind, diced and boiled just to partially done, i believe we all know how to do this.

chopped black olives
parsley
celery
capers
sweet pickles
dill pickles
red onion
( chop all these ingredients, use the amount and you believe would be sufficient to your potatoes)

dressing:
non fat-plain yougurt( greek style) if you want it creamier, put into a fien sive or a flout sack towel, strain over a bowl. after a couple of hours, squeeze out any remaining water.
sweet pickle juice, honey, or sweet rice wine vinegar, you can use all or just one, depending on the taste you like. or if needed a sugar substitue as splenda, or plain sugar. experiment
digon mustard
salt and pepper
lemon zest
lemon juice
this recipe is great on a really warm evening with your favorite bbq item. enjoy!

c-c salad

i am adding this recipe for those who have recently gotten your tahini paste, something else to use it in, other than hummus. i haven't tried this recipe yet. so if you do let me know. i am researching some vegetarian options for my life. so i got this recipe from a veggie cook book from my dad.

1/2 cup currants
1-2 tsp. tahini paste
2 tsps. honey or brown rice syrup( sweetner)
1 tsp. lemon juice
dash of cinnamon
2 c. finely grated carrots
1/2 c. water

soak currants in a 1/2 c.boiling water for and hour or up to overnite. strain, these and reserve the currant water. you will end up with between 2 tblsp. to 1/4. you don't really have to do this other than to rehydrate the dried currants, if that is what you use. and to make them sweeter. the reserved water is used to sweeten the dish, but you can increase the sweeter and just add plain 1/2 c. water to dressing. to accomodate.
use the currant water or plain water, tahini, honey lemon juice, and cinnamon together in either a blender or food processor, until smooth and creamy.
put the carrots and currants together in a bowl, mix in dressing. top with sunflower seeds.

kabobs

I LOVE kabobs....of any kind really...they're AWESOME because you can put so many great things on them...the other night I had pineapple, zucchini, red potato, purple onion, chicken, and green pepper on those bad boys and I'll tell ya what...they were freaking DELICIOUS!

Black bean pizza stuff

I recently found a recipe for making my own pizza dough from scratch, and its so much better than the mix stuff you can get, so i have been experimenting with pizza. It makes enough for two and i am never making two at once so i always have leftover dough. I used some of it last week to make and experimental pizza that turned out really awesome.

Basically, i used salsa as the sauce, then took a can of black beans and just sort of sprinkled them around, as few or many as you'd like. I added some red peppers that i had, some red onion, and some frozen corn. I used mostly mozzarella and i think a little cheddar cheese. It actually came out really well in my opinion.

If you want the pizza dough recipe i used i can put that up too, it came from a little pocket italian cookbook i got at a booksale, pretty basic but turns out really good.

CHIPOTLE ROCKS!!!!!

peach sauce

i used this sauce for going on top of my grilled pork chops. yummylicious!

1/4. chopped sweet onion
1/4. chopped red onion( for bite and color)
2 garlic cloves chopped finely
1/4 tsp ground ginger or 1/2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1 can of peaches or 2 whole peaches
salt and pepper to taste
( if you use fresh peaches, you may want to use cornstarch to thicken the sauce, because the syrup from the can will do this for you and also if you use the peaches in water and not syrup, you still want to add the cornstartch mixture, make sure you mix it with cold water before adding to the sauce).

Heat up a sauce pan on med. high add 1 tbsp. oil, of your choise
add chopped onions, garlic, ginger, you will want to sweat this out, not sauted or browned, just softend enough to go with the peaches. add the chopped peaches, you may saute these depending on the type you used. add the syrpup or cornstartch mixture from the can. salt and pepper to taste. you will want to bring this to a boil. then simmer to till a thickened consistency of your choise, this will concentrate your flavors and be a great addition to your grilled porkchops or chicken, even seafood! enjoy!
p.s. adding fresh herbs, will heighten the flavors of your dish, including basil, thyme even rosemary will be eathy undertones to the sauce, so mix it up and be creative and apples would even work in this!

Another blog about hummus

Just wanted to share that i finally located some tahini and was able to make my own hummus, it was super easy and turned out awesome. although i may have gone a bit heavy on the garlic, which was okay because i love garlic, but for others it may have been a bit much. Also threw in some cayenne pepper and curry powder to give it some kick. Damn good stuff. That is all.

pizza casserole

this is a simple recipe to make. it's fast, easy and you can use as many ingredients as you have on hand or want to use! enjoy

1 can refrigerated biscuits
pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese
romano/parma cheese
veggies of your choice
meat of your choice
additional seasonings, such as salt and pepper, italian seasoning, your taste

cut each biscuits up into 8 pieces, put into bottom of greased casserole dish
top with tomato sauce, homemade preferred, not so runny, i think. then top with your type of meat, i used pepperoni and ground sausaage, shallots,garlic shitake mushrooms, and i saute these all together before in the oven, then top with your favortie type of cheeses, i used romano and parma for added flavor and italian seasoning on top. i baked for 25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly, serve with your favortie salad or by itself! delicioso!!!

broccoli salad

Chopped broccoli florets
shredded carrots
bacon
dried fruit( i used raisin, cranberries, cherries, blueberries and golden raisin) but any that you have or use will be great!
chopped red onion

Dressing:
lemon juice
olive oil
curry powder
salt
black pepper( to taste)

I made this salad and i ate most of it with in a day. it was absolutel the best sald in the whole entire world. i just put up the ingredients and i am not good with measurment,i never measure unless i am baking, so you will just have to estimate. and i actually added shredded romano cheese, but that is optional, just have fun, it's all served cold, except for chopping and cooking the bacon( always chopped the bacon before you cook it, works much better) and the more curry powder you use, the better it taste, because curry and broccoli, it's great, so i hope you all enjoy. oh and i have to give my friend sarah for inspiring this dish! thanks!

Breakfast pizza!!

OK...so I made this with a client and it ruled!

A breakfast pizza..pre-heat oven to 350.get those cresent rolls, place them on a cookie sheet, lay them flat, stir up some scrambled egg mix, pur it on top, brown up some sausage in a skillet. Bake the flat rolls with the egg mixture poured on top for about 20 minutes, about 15 minutes into it, place the browned sausage, and shredded cheese, I used colby jack on the pizza, then place back in oven for about 5 more minutes.
It totally rocks with some hot salsa, I didn't have red hot with me or that would have been ideal! You dont have to put those on it tho, its good without any sort of sauce thing. The eggs come out spongey....so good, you can reduce the fat by using low fat cheese, and cresent rolls. I had some cut up cantaloupe and grape juice with it. I ate 3 pieces...not a good thing, I so had to nap afterwards, good thing I had a break between peeps!!

Quesadilla madness!

i have decided that you can take pretty much anything, put it between two tortillas, fry it up in a pan, and it will be pretty awesome. I made a pretty kickass spinach quesadilla the other day, which was just thawed spinach and mozzarella/cheddar cheese. Tonight i made a breakfast one, just scrambled a couple of eggs, then threw them together with some bacon bits and cheese, throw that between a couple flour tortillas, use some fat free cooking spray and brown each side in a pan, make sure everything is all melty, deliciousness. I have made taco ones before with my leftover taco meat, just throw in some cheese and maybe salsa or whatever. Basically, the possibilities are endless. Good stuff.

ustael?

So where is Brian? I invited him and he never showed, different email perhaps? He needs to get on here and tell me how to make my own sangria!

Turkey veggie hobo burgers

I just made some deliciousness. I was going to just take some veggies and cook them in foil in the oven, which i have been all about doing ever since kristen made that when we went camping (see, you're a cook). So i was seeing what i had available, and remembered that i had just bought some garlic and herb marinade, which i figured would kick ass with this. So i cut up a couple of carrots and potatoes, a small zucchini, and some red onion, threw that in a bag with the marinade and let it set for a little bit. Then i remembered that i had a half pound of white ground turkey breast in the fridge that was going to go bad if not used soon. I made a couple of patties out of that, separated the veggies and made two little foil pouches and put one patty in each, cooked them at 350 for about half an hour, flipped it over and cooked another half hour. It turned out quite good but i think next time i will either marinade the turkey burgers for awhile as well or cook them for a shorter time because they came out a little dry, when you use the all white meat that seems to happen. Pretty damn good and healthy as well though. You could very easily make this and use any kind of veggies or marinade you choose and it would be good.
Also i refer to these as hobo burgers because that was something my mom always made when i was growing up, which consisted of a ground beef patty, carrots and sliced potatoes cooked in foil together. So this is kind of like a healthier version on that. I used get so sick of those, but its funny because now that i am older i find myself craving that sometimes. Its funny how you develop a taste for things that you were raised on, that you didn't really think you liked very much when you were younger. Is this true for anyone else?

Black Bean Hummus

I have not made this, i actually just randomly found it on the internet, but i am intrigued. I definitely want to try it because i love me some black beans. I just need to find some damn tahini paste, why must it be so elusive? Why?!


* 1 clove garlic
* 1 (15 ounce) can black beans; drain and reserve liquid
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 10 Greek olives


Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add black beans, 2 tablespoons reserved liquid, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add additional seasoning and liquid to taste. Garnish with paprika and Greek olives.

turkey taco, seasoing, and blabbing

HEY

Does anyone know how to make crab salad?? I bought some at the deli...its so yummy!! I guess I can google it huh?!! ok...well then.

I made some yummy tacos I used ground turkey instead of beef! I had homamade taco seasoining...better than the package, and you can store it!

Taco Seasoning: I used:
6 tsp. chili powder
5 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cayenne pepper, and curry

mix it all up and stick in an airtight container!

The tacos are pretty basic, I used whole grain shells, I love them! 1 lb. ground turkey, I just sprinkled the seasoning to taste, after meat is well cooked.

Then top your taco with the things you like, I used 1/2 an onion and cooked it with the turkey, lettuce, shredded cheese, green taco sauce...yum...It went well with some ginger ale green tea....everyone should try it. It may be ginger ale, but it rox!! OK....this is pretty simple, its just a taco substituting beef for turkey. There you go for those who have bugged me about posting this, I posted the taco...enjoy, and make your own seasoning its fun, you can mess with the ingrediants to...if you dont want it spicy take out the curry and cayenne pepper.

yummy chicken stuff

so i'm really not that great at writing up recipes but here this goes....

some skinless, boneless chicken breast (as much as you want) I chose 3 (chop them up)

1 can green beans

1 can whole kernel corn (as opposed to 1/2 kernel)

some chopped up onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

about 1/4 cup or so sour cream

make some stuffing (according to directions on box)

mix everything but stuffing together in a baking dish

add some shredded cheddar cheese on top

put the stuffing on top of that (after its cooked)

put foil over dish, place in oven @ 350' for like 45 min to an hour....

then eat it! but watch your tongue...its hot!

chicken salad

I made this yummy salad for dinner last nite with french onion soup. yummo!

Salad greens
radishes
green onions
mandarin orange segments
celery
carrots
parsley
Sliced up all the vegetables, thingly
Dressing: tarragon vinegar, orange zest, olive oil , salt and pepper to taste
mix this or shake it up.

6 chicken thighs or 3 breast, boneless, skinless
Cut these up into strips, salt and peper, cook in pan,kind of like you are stir-frying. Then i mix dijon mustard, honey, the tarragon vinegar, in with the chicken when it's almost cooked through. it makes a nice coating and helps it crisp up a little. i then mix this in with the salad, dressing and some strips of cheese like parmasean or pecorineo something that is sharp, but will not melt on you. also it would be good with sliced almonds!

more hummus

Spicy Hummus: Quick Chickpea Spread Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: Curry in a Hurry







1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 rounded tablespoons tahini sesame paste, found in both dairy and dry specialty foods sections
A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground coriander
1 clove garlic, crushed
Coarse salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
Pita breads, grilled and cut into wedges for dipping

Combine beans, tahini, oil, pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in food processor bowl and grind into a smooth paste.

OK....I so did not make this, I stole it from Rachel Ray, I do plan on making it for Easter tho, this is a spicy one (yay) and then I will make a non-spicy one....it will truely be a test to see how much I rock at hummus. Im planning on making it from scratch. I have to make 2 kinds. There is like a spinache one I would like to try...hmmm...its all about the hummus in 2008....im cheesy...

Cinnamon Rolls

My grandmother has a very awesome easy and delicious recipe for cinnamon rolls that i have just recently made myself, and they turned out quite well.

Use one loaf frozen bread dough, let thaw to room temperature.

Mix together:
2 T. Melted margarine
1/2 Cup Packed brown sugar
1 T. Honey or syrup

Spread this in the bottom of a 9 by 13 in, pan

Roll out thawed dough to 9 by 13, will need to stretch it with hands.
spread 3 T. Soft margarine over dough, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp Cinnamon (i used more cinnamon and a little less sugar)

Roll dough from long side and pinch ends, cut into 12 slices and place in pan over mixture. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let cool a couple of minutes and flip over.

If you like them to be super goey and awesome, i would recommend doubling the mixture that you spread in the bottom of the pan.

hummus, the truth...

We all love hummus, it's creamy, tasty, healthy? Well, i always figured anything that is containing beans and olive oil, should be good for me. just like avacados are good but fattening( the good kind), but stil fattening. hummus is nutritious, is lower in fat content than other dips. it does have 50 calores and 3 grams of fat per 2 tbls,so it's easy to overeat this, the tahini paste has most of the fat, so omiting this will help, but the taste? i will still enjoy this yummy dip, but i will need to control my intake along with any other dip, but i will also remember that is is healthy! so try to portion before you sit down and mow down with veggies!

Deer lasagna?

I have heard this weekend of deer lasagna..now maybe I am the only one that enjoys deer meat every year, but this is interesting, im going to see what it consists of, make it, and Kelly, since you are the only one that lives near me, you are welcome to come try it with me. Well you all are of course! I wonder if it's chewy....hmmmm....

Artichoke-Spinach Lasagna

I have yet to make this myself, but here is the recipe as emailed to me by my mother, and it was delicious when she made it (of course!)



9 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped (I used the already chopped)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 Tblp. Chopped fresh rosemary (didn’t use)

1 (12 oz) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

1 (10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained & squeezed dry

1 (26 oz) jar tomato pasta sauce

3 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

1 (4 oz) pkg herb and garlic feta, crumbled



Preheat oven to 350 F. spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles & cook for 8 to 10 min. or until al dente; drain.

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray & heat on medium high. Sauté onion & garlic for 3 minutes or until onion is tender crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.

Spread ¼ of the artichoke mixture in prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle ¾ cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.



Bake, covered, in preheated over for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Welcome to crazycatlady!

I would just like to take a moment to welcome meghan to the world of blogging :)
And also, i am very interested in this chicken pot pie recipe you spoke of...

Marinated baked chicken

This recipe is super dooper easy and yummy.

Ingredients
Bone in chicken breast
soy sauce
Italian dressing
garlic salt
oinion salt

6 (or however many you want) Bone in Chicken Breast (I leave the skin on because it keeps it moist)
Mix together 1/2 c. soy sauce and 1/2 c. Italian dressing. Set aside 1/4 c. mixture for basting.
Put chicken in plastic bag with marinade. Mariade four hours or overnight, occasionally flipping bag. Put chicken in a pan and throw away remaining marinade. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and onion salt. Bake at 350 for 45 min. to 1 hour, occasionally basting. That's all! YUM!

So i know you say you are no chef tasha, but i recall not too long ago you were making a bunch of totally awesome cheesecakes for your school thing. That is one thing i have never even attempted to make. You should pick out your favorite that you made and put up the recipe!

new waldorf salad

So i absolutely love a quick salad for any meal. especially when it involves fruit and veggies, which i can never get enough of. so i added some new things, to an old favorite, which was served at every family get together.

1 apple, cored and sliced
1 oranged, peeled, and sliced
grapes, halved-use as many as you like
2 celery stalks
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup toasted pecans-chopped or whole
lettuce cut up

dressing:
low-fat mayo or i prefer low-fat yogurt
orange peel
lemon juice
honey-warm in the micro for 15 seconds, it pourts better
cinnamon
salt and pepper-to taste

Chop up all the vegetables squeeze lemon juice on them, then add in the dressing, then chill for at least an hour and enjoy!
If you want a thicker consistency for yougurt, put it in a cheese cloth, tie up into a ball and but over a strainer in a medium sized bowl, over nite in the fridge. it will be like the consistency of sourcream, which is good, because after it sits in the frige for a while, it gets a little runny,so you are basically drawing out all the water.

photographic evidence

So yes i am a dork with no life and i took pictures of my food. I then proceeded to eat this things, and they were delicious.

Spinach, the uber food.

So i have been on a spinach kick lately. I got some frozen spinach and i just thaw out a little bit at a time and put it in stuff. For example, I've been really digging making omelette's with it. I just mix some of the chopped thawed spinach in with the egg and cook it that way, and just put some cheddar cheese in the omelet, and its damn good. To make it healthier i usually only use one yolk, regardless of how many eggs i am using, and just use the whites of the rest.
I also made a pretty good, cheap and simple cracker spread type thing with spinach. I got some fat free cream cheese, and mixed in some spinach, and some diced up carl buddig lunchmeat (i used the beef kind), and threw in a little garlic and onion powder. Its not too shabby, and basically everything in it is low calorie and fat. I also bought some lowfat crackers to eat with it, which aren't near as good as the regular kind, but they are decent if what you're putting on them is good.

On the subject, my mom makes this very kickass spinach artichoke lasagna which i must get the recipe for and put on here.

Creamy Black Bean Salsa

This is a super awesome dip (i know alicia can testify to this), and its mostly healthy stuff. I suppose you could make it lower fat by using non or lowfat sour cream and mayo, which i have never tried, but i honestly think it would be just as good that way, since all the veggies mostly make the flavor.

1 15oz can of Black beans, drained and rinsed
1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise(i use salad dressing because i hate mayo)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp fresh parsley (i have never used this in it because i always forget to get it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper

------------------
Combine beans, corn, peppers, onions, and parsley in large bowl.

Combine sour cream, mayo, vinegar, and seasonings, then pour over bean mixture and toss gently to coat.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Herb stuffed flank steak

I made this for the first time today, for dinner. it was a little labor intensive, but well worth it, succulent, i may say so. it's a little different because it has pistachios in it. i found this in a old cook book my dad had at his house.

1 1/2 lbs. flank steak, pounded out thin so as to roll easier.

1/2 large onion, chopped finely,
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1. cup chopped mushrooms( give or take)
fresh thyme, parsley, sage margoram,( i just used thyme and parsley, it's what i had)
poultry seasoning
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs, homemade or store bought
1/4 c. chopped pistashios
salt and pepper to taste
butter and olive oil
1 egg, beaten

First you want to pound out the steak so it's about and ince or inch and half thick. then season it with salt and pepper
saute onions, garlic with butter and oil
add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. mix in chopped parsley, pistachios, bread crumbs, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper to taste and the egg mixture. spread this mixture all over the flank steak. roll up and tie at 2 in. intervals. brown the meat on all sides, add1/4 c.-1/2 c. of either stock, water, or dry wine. cover and bake in oven for 2 hours at 350. Use the sauce to cover with meat, i made it into a gravy by thickening it with wondra milk, and some water to thin it out. you will want to reduce the sauce before you thicken it. and it turns out so tender you don't even have to cut it with a knife. so if you want to try a different taste, check it out. i have been trying to think of something to had that is sweet, because the pistachios are really salty, so i thought that maybe apricot preserves or orange marmelade would be could with a thin layer over the mixture before you roll it up. next time.

homemade hummus!

so this is for the blog currently about the most delicious thing on the planet! hummus! it is so friggen good!

2 cans garbanzo beans( or however much you want to use)
Tahini paste( ground seasame seed paste, it's what makes hummus, well hummus) use what you think is good.
olive oil use what u think is appropriate.
salt and pepper
garlic-either grated, which is less chunkier or finely chopped
and anything else you want to add

I have tried this recipe it's great if you have a food processor and you can just basically put everythink in there and then stream in the olive oil. it's good, healthy, natural and homemade and when you do it your self it's always better. so i hope you all try it!

hickory baked chop

ok...for us meat lovers out there...i love pork chops...any time of year...I have found the best way to bake chops in the oven in the off season.

I love to grill, ususally when I grill them I use some pre-soaked hickory wook to bring out the flavor...yum....anyways...the best way to bring out the hickory flavor by baking is by using the hickory smoked bacon slices! You can either bake it on the chop...which, i dont recommend, the bacon is usually hard to eat like that.
Or you can let it soak in the marinade....I use K'masterpiece spicy hickory...doens't have to be spicy,you can also add spice with curry, onion, garlic, sage, bacon slices, little bit of worsterchire sauce, lemon juice, and a splash of any old beer, or white wine....so good....im hungry...

Put them in freezer bags, and let soak in marinade for about 2 hours or so in refrigerator, place in oven and bake. I re-marinade them when almost done with left over mainade.

Good to have with a salad, potato, lately I've been getting into asparagus with meat..good shit yo!!

oh...and the butter i suggest...it rox....it's flieshman's olive oil butter...can get at wal mart...put some on asparagus...have a beer, and watch ANTM and eat the chop..hehe...yay for meat and beer!!!

Hummus, he didn't even know us!

Heh. So this isn't a recipe or anything, but keenan and i went to the gateway market tonight, which is kind a new fancy "foodie" grocery store in des moines, and i got these black bean and rice blue corn tortilla chips that totally kick ass. They basically taste like your normal blue corn chips, but a bit garlicky, and they have quite a bit less fat. I think Caribbean Bean is the name of the brand. I also got some roasted red pepper hummus to dip them in, which they make at the store i guess and is also quite good. So that is my food recommendation for the day.

food stuffs

So i was thinking about how we all have talked about making some sort of cookbook thing to involve in the bag, and i know we all cook and play around with stuff and sometimes come up with super awesome things or already have really kickass recipes that we could share with each other, so that is what i am making this blog for. And anything goes, even if you want to post that you melted some velveta and pickles together and it turned out awesome somehow, i want to try it. I am interested in random things with no measurements that people just throw together as well. (mostly because thats what i do a lot!) And i know a lot of us are trying to be healthier, so we can share healthy foods and tips on here. And i think it would be a nice thing for asking advice about stuff we don't know how to make. At least one of us might know. So this is my idea, let me know if it sucks or not or if you are game!