black bottom banana bread

i've been trying to use up ingredients i have around the house, so i baked this black bottom banana bread. i had 3 bananas leftover from banana pancakes i made, and they were really really really ripe. almost rotton, but not yet. i also didn't have ovaltine, and since i was just using stuff i had around the house, i used this 3/8 cups of this chocolate caramel hot chocolate mix ryan bought me from disney world, and 1/8 cup of malted milk. i know, the way i'm describing this banana bread sounds so appealing, right? the end result is soo amazing. i love this recipe because it uses whole wheat flour and i love the flavor and texture of whole wheat, which is something i'm trying to use more of because i have a bag of it i need to finish before i move. also, the bananas, and yogurt make this whole wheat bread moist and not dry and all. ugh it's soo good i'm gonna eat it all.


1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup OVALTINE Rich Chocolate Mix
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray bottom of 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

COMBINE whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

COMBINE bananas, sugar, butter, yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract in large bowl; stir well. Stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Remove 1 cup of batter and place into separate bowl along with Ovaltine; stir until combined.

SPOON Ovaltine mixture into prepared pan; top with remaining banana batter.

BAKE for 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; transfer to wire rack to cool completely. (Bread can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

pecan pie

*notice how the photos have been so much better since i found my camera and i haven't been using my cell phone camera?

I finally baked a pecan pie! i don't know what took me so long to bake one. it's not like i'm scared of pecan pie like i'm scared of yeast. i think it's because i almost never buy pecans, even though i love pecans. i finally got ryan to try a pecan and he said "eh not so bad". BUT he has still not eaten a piece of pie yet! 

i baked the pecan pie because i'm trying to use up everything in the kitchen since i'm moving soon, and i had everything to bake this. surprisingly it was very easy positioning the pecans on the pie, even though they weren't all halves they were mostly quarter pieces and smaller. this pie has less of a corn syrup flavor, that wasn't done on purpose. i didn't want to buy dark corn syrup since i already had a giant light corn syrup i almost never use and i had a jar of molasses melinda had given me when she moved. so there ya go 3/4 cup light syrup and 1/4 cup molasses = 1 cup dark corn syrup. also i used 2 jumbo eggs instead of 3 eggs and it congealed just fine.

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup of dark corn syrup

3/4 cup of granulated sugar

1/4 cup of butter (4 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

4 ounces of pecans, halved

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (either store-bought or homemade)

Directions

In a small saucepan melt the butter and cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine and stir the sugar, the syrup and the vinegar.

Add the melted butter and the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into an unbaked pie crust.

Place the pecans on the top of the mixture and crust. Start on the edge and work your way inside.

Then take a fork and push down slightly on each pecan so it is in the mixture a bit.

Bake at 350 degrees F. until firm, which is about 1 hour.

bacon chive pancakes, rice pudding and a whole lot of brisket

we're planning on moving soon so i quit my job and now have plenty of time to cook. since i've been cooking so much, i keep forgetting to take pictures and updating this, which doesn't matter anyway, it's not like anyone but gillian reads this blog. some of the yummy things i've made are buttermilk pancakes with bacon and chives in them, a rice pudding dessert that is tasty but i keep forgetting to save room for and i'll explain why...it's all the briskets fault. ryan brought home a 5lb brisket the other day. he was going to cook it but had some work to do so i made it. it was my first time cooking brisket and i'm excited because it came out so good, i can't wait to see what it'll taste like when i'm more experienced. so i've been eating brisket everyday ever since, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. today i made brisket breakfast burritos, with bbq sauce, salsa and sour cream to garnish. holy crap that way yummy! i was so happy no one else was in the room when i was eating it because i'm sure i looked somewhere between a national geographic show, a hot dog eating contest, and the end of every epic meal time episode. basically, it was really messy and i was just shoveling the food into my mouth, and i'm sure i used up a whole roll of paper towels in the process. it was this clip of me eating a salami hero in the bronx zoo times 1000. it was so tasty i wish i could share with everyone, but instead i'm just going to ear it all my myself. btw here is the rice pudding recipe i used if you wanna make some dope ass rice pudding:


3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm.

green tea ice cream

i wanted to make green tea ice cream, and it was a last minute decision to serve that over brownies. it was a good decision. usually i bake my own brownies, but since this was last minute, i just grabbed a pre mixed box of brownies and baked them. now the green tea ice cream, was very easy to make and it was really tasty. the only problem was i should have went with my gut instinct and ignored one part of the recipe. the recipe said to whipped the heavy cream and fold it into the rest of the mixture, then freeze it according to your ice cream manufacturers directions. i've never heard of whipping cream and then putting it in an ice cream mixture, so i should have just put the heavy cream in without whipping it. what happened was the whipped cream froze in chunks in the ice cream mixture so it taste like frozen whipped cream instead of ice cream. i know that sounds good but the texture was all wrong, and the ice cream was chunky instead of smooth. so don't do that EVER when making ice cream. i think this recipe was trying to fuck with me.


2 egg yolk
2 tablespoon dry green tea
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 vanilla pod
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp boiling water

take green tea and soak in boiling water with the tbsp of sugar for 10-12 minutes.
in a saucepan put in the vanilla and milk and bring to a gentle boil, the pour this mixture over the tea. let stand 5-6 minutes.
beat the egg yolkd with the 1/4 cup sugar in a separate bowl, then strain the milk mixture into it.
transfer to a saucepan and gently heat until mixture is thick, stirring constantly. leave to cool. (whip the heavy cream and fold into the cooled tea mixture: WARNING IGNORE THAT COMPLETELY AND JUST ADD THE HEAVY CREAM TO THE COOLED TEA MIXTURE) then transfer to an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

fastest cinnamon buns take 2

i baked about an hour ago and had to write about these babies immediately. that's how good they were. i used this recipe before, and i put more love into it this time. fo realz, it says they're fast cinnamon buns because they don't have any yeast in them, but it took me like a half hour to roll out the dough just right (also because i suck at rolling dough) and trying to get the dough to form into a rectangle shape is a bitch. about 2/3 of the rolls are made w the cinnamon sugar mixture and 1/3 of the rolls with pecans added. i only cut 9 rolls instead of 12 because i wanted the rolls to be bigger. i added 4oz of cream cheese into the glaze mixture and added a little more milk so it was more of a frosting than a glaze. i think that's what made them so magical. ryan ate almost all of them already. i'm glad i made 3 with pecans so he won't eat them on me. pecans are like the garlic to his vampire.


3/4 cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat) (i used sour cream)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
For the filling:
3/4 oz. (1-1/2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup (4 oz.) chopped pecans
For the glaze:
2-1/2 oz. (scant 2/3 cup) confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 Tbs. cold whole or low-fat milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
(i added 4 oz of cream cheese and more milk)
Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. (i used a regular 9 inch round pie pan)

Make the dough:
In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle.

Make the filling:
Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and pat gently into the surface. Sprinkle the nuts over the sugar mixture.

Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open.


With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Set the pieces, cut side up, in the prepared pan; they should fill the pan and touch slightly, but don’t worry if there are small gaps.


Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 28 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the pan and remove the springform ring. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate.

Make the glaze:
In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tbs. milk, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. It should have a thick but pourable consistency, so add up to 1 Tbs. more milk if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.

fig newton sweet bread

i baked a loaf last week and ryan and i did not like it at all. gillian liked it, but she may have just been trying to be nice about it. it was a blueberry grits loaf. i love blueberry and grits and loaf, and the grits taste amazing before i baked it into a loaf, but i just was not feeling the results. so, i decided to bake another loaf. this time it's a fig newton sweet bread loaf. it is soooo good and def makes up for that last loaf. if you love fig newtons you HAVE got to try this. i never thought about baking a loaf with cookies in it. ok, maybe i THOUGHT about it, but i didn't think it would work. i know fig newtons are just fruit surrounded by a cookie layer, but maybe i can try other cookies in this loaf like oreos or chips ahoy. or those keebler fudge stripe cookies. mmm those fuckin keebler fudge stripe cookies...anyways this loaf is da bomb. even though there is only 2 tablespoons of butter in the swirl, the cake itself taste pretty buttery. dunno how that happened but butter = yummy.


1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients together. Put in a loaf pan.

Filling
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
10 Fig Newtons

Crumble together and swirl into the batter with a knife to marbleize. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour 45 minutes. (the recipe states to bake 1 hour 45 minutes but i think it actually meant 45-1 hour cuz i baked it for 1 hour and that was more than enough time)

chocolate chip olive oil mini muffins

this was my first time making mini muffins, and this recipe will definitely be used again, but in different variations. i really liked the cake part. it was sweet but not too sweet and because i know the secret ingredient, i could taste the olive oil slightly and that gave it a nice flavor. this recipe gave me exactly enough batter to make 24 mini muffins, which ryan and i ate all of them in only a couple of days.

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup flour

1/4 cup chocolate chips, if desired

1. Beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric beater until thin and pale. Add the olive oil, baking powder and salt and beat again until combined. If desired, add chocolate chips. 2. Fold in the flour and pour into a mini-muffin pan (or cake/loaf pan) sprayed with nonstick spray.3. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown (40 minutes for cake/load pan.)

green chile casserole topped with fried egg and dollop of sour cream...

...for breakfast. when did i get so new mexican?

rum custard pie

i had a potluck to go to and i wanted to bake something easy. i should have chosen to bake something quick & easy, because i got called into work in the morning, and when i got out i only had an hour to bake something, which is how long this pie took to bake. it was tasty but because i couldn't wait to cool it down, serving it warm just wasn't the right way to serve it. either way, everyone ate some and i didn't have any leftover.

1 prepared pie crust

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs (i used 3 eggs because the farm fresh eggs we buy are huge)

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup light rum

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

whipped cream, for garnish

powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350º.

2 On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crust.

3 Roll pastry into a 12-inch circle.

4 Press pie crust into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, crimping edges, if desired.

5 In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined.

6 Add evaporated milk, water, rum and salt.

7 Beat at low speed until combined.

8 Pour mixture into crust.

9 Sprinkle top of pie with nutmeg and cinnamon.

10 Place pie onto a rimmed baking pan with a depth of 1/2-inch.

11 Add hot water to baking sheet coming halfway up the pie plate. Be careful not to get any water in the pie itself.

12 Bake for about 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

13 Garnish with whipped cream and powdered sugar if desired.

shrimp quiche

i made this as a fast dinner. we have a huge bag on tiny shrimp so i took a couple of cups and sauteed them in olive oil and garlic. i used chedder cheese and some feta. ryan and i enjoyed it so much we ate 3/4 of the quiche in one sitting.

1 (9 inch) baked pie shell

4 ounces small, cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup light sour cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spread shrimp evenly across the bottom of the pie crust. Sprinkle cheese over the shrimp.

Stir sour cream, green onions, salt and pepper into the beaten eggs; then pour mixture evenly over the shrimp and cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

oatmeal whole wheat quick bread

wanted to make a loaf of bread to eat with dinner. this was fast and easy to make (i made it in the toaster oven) and i've been eating it toasted with butter and honey for breakfast/snacks everyday.

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Grind oatmeal in a food processor or blender. In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, dissolve honey in vegetable oil then stir in the milk. Combine both mixtures and stir until a soft dough is formed. Form the dough into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

my birthday uncake and my unbirthday cake

...as gillian said. for my birthday i whipped up a fast no bake "chocolate eclair" dessert. the day after my birthday, travis' mom baked up this lovely cake pictured. i had an awesome birthday/birthday weekend.

2 individual packages graham crackers

2 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix (i used 1 vanilla and 1 banana pudding mix)

3 cups milk

8 oz container whipped cream

1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting

Directions

Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Stir well. Stir in whipped cream to pudding mixture. Spread half of mixture over graham cracker layer. Top with another layer of graham crackers and the remaining pudding. Top all with a final layer of graham crackers and frost with chocolate frosting. Refrigerate until serving.

variety of oatmeal thumbprint cookies

i baked a batch of oatmeal thumbprint cookies. i think the end total was about 3.5 dozen bite size cookies. the first dozen i baked followed the recipe minus the walnuts and i used peanut butter and strawberry preserves for the topping. the second dozen followed the recipe with the walnuts using prickly pear jelly melinda had made and the remainder of the cookies followed the recipe minus the walnuts, also with the prickly pear jelly. these cookies taste really buttery and i liked the way all the batches came out, but i think i enjoyed the original recipe with the walnuts the best.

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg, separated

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

About 1 cup fruit jam

Preparation

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Stir or beat in flour and oats until well blended.

2. In a small bowl, beat egg white and 2 teaspoons water to blend. Put walnuts in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into 2-teaspoon-size balls and dip in egg white mixture; shake off excess, then roll in walnuts. Place 1 inch apart on buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. Press your thumb into the center of each cookie to make a 1/2-inch-deep indentation.

3. Bake cookies in a 300° oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

4. Carefully fill each indentation with about 1 teaspoon jam (if indentations have disappeared, make them again with the rounded end of a wooden spoon). Return to oven and bake until cookies are golden brown and jam has melted, about 15 minutes longer. With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool

banana nut ice cream pie

when i bake desserts, ryan says i usually put something in it that he can't eat so i finally decided to make a dessert for him. i altered this recipe a little from the original but it worked out fine. i used cookies n cream ice cream instead of butter pecan because supposedly he's allergic to pecans. i also made a graham cracker crust instead of using a vanilla wafer crust. i made a separate caramel pecan sauce for myself and just used regular caramel on his slices. the pie is really good and i'm sure u can use pretty much any flavor ice cream u want. when u cut into the pie, pull it out the freezer and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes because the frozen bananas make it very hard to cut into. also, wet your knife with hot water before cutting into the pie.

Ingredients

2 medium ripe bananas sliced

1 prepared vanilla wafer crust

6 c. Butter Pecan Ice Cream softened

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbsp. instant banana pudding mix (dry)

1/4 c. butter

3/4 c. caramel ice cream topping

½ tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. crushed pecans

Directions

Slice the bananas and place them evenly over the bottom of the prepared pie crust.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened ice cream, cinnamon, and banana pudding mix. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Spread the ice cream mixture evenly into the crust. Freeze for 4-6 hours.

Immediately before serving, prepare the Warm Caramel Sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over med-low heat. Add the caramel topping, vanilla extract, and crushed pecans. Stir until thoroughly combined and warmed through.

Remove the pie from the freezer. Cut into 8 slices and place on individual serving plates. Drizzle each slice with approx. 2 Tbsp. of the warm caramel sauce and serve immediately.

peach pie

i wanted to bake a dessert that was fast to make and fruity. this is a really simple recipe and it taste like u put more effort into it than u did.

Filling:

1 pre-made (10-inch) pie crust

10 medium size peaches (or 5 medium size peaches &5 medium size nectarines, or 1 large can peaches, or 2 bags frozen peaches)

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Toss peaches and nectarines with lemon juice. Mix in the dry ingredients. Put mixture in pastry shell, dot with butter. Bake for 4o minutes.

coconut fish curry

we have a ton of fish in our freezer so i've been trying to find new recipes to try on fish. i changed this recipe up a lot. i used tilapia and i baked it in the oven with a little but of salt and olive oil. i only used 1 teaspoon of curry, next time i'll use a little more because it did taste like something was missing, but ryan and i like our curry mild. i used 2 teaspoon of sriracha instead of actual red chiles, and i used 3 tbsp tomato paste instead of 2. also i served the fish filleted instead of flaked. i really enjoyed the way it came out and i will definitely be using this recipe again.

2 lb. firm fish (e.g. tuna, snapper, salmon)

Salt to taste

3 T vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 T curry powder

2 T tomato paste

1-2 red chilis or hot peppers

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 C coconut milk

preparation

Season fish with salt. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the fish. Set aside and keep warm. In the same oil, fry onion until brown.

Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute and then add curry powder, tomato paste, chilies, and lemon juice. Mix well and keep stirring so the mixture does not burn. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and stir until it boils. Turn the heat down and add the fish. Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to concentrate and the sauce to thicken to a creamy consistency. Serve hot with boiled rice.

oatmeal pudding cookies

i baked these cookies on easter. i didn't use any raisins because i didn't think it was necessary but i wish i did. they taste like sugar cookies with oatmeal in them which i really enjoyed the taste, but they reminded me so much of the cookies at the cookie house in kings plaza (http://www.kingsplazaonline.com/storedetails.aspx?storeid=115) which have raisins in them. so next time if i'm ever craving cookie house cookies, i'll make these. now i need chocolate chip cookie, chocolate chip cookies with nuts, sugar cookies and peanut butter cookie recipes that taste like the cookie house cookies. reminds me of childhood.

1 1/4 c Flour

1 ts Baking soda

1 c Butter or margarine;

-softened

3/4 c Packed brown sugar

1/4 c Granulated sugar

1 pk Instant vanilla pudding (4oz)

2 Eggs

3 1/2 c Quick oats

1 c Raisins; optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Baking time: 8 minutes Mix flour with

baking soda. Combine butter, both sugars and the pudding mix in a large

bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Add flour and oatmeal.

Batter will be stiff. Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet about

2 inches apart. Bake for the 8 minutes.

*i followed this recipe and my ovenn was at 350 but for some reason the cookies took somewhere between 16 and 18 minutes to bake.

quick & easy whiskey cake

this cake taste homemade and buttery but the secret is a secret no longer. it's cake mix, pudding mix, whiskey and no butter. it doesn't taste like whiskey it taste more like a pound cake. i cut the walnuts out so ryan could eat some. i'd write more about how awesome this cake is but i'm sleepy from this fresh mango and vodka cocktail gillian made. it's like my chocolate whiskey cake aka narcolepsy cake but it's narcolepsy in a glass. YAAAAWN!

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/3 c. Irish whiskey (i actually used canadian whiskey)

1/2 c. cold water

1/2 c. oil

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

1. Blend all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2. Beat well for about 3 minutes.

3. Grease a 10" tube or bundt pan. fill with mixture.

4. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

5. Set on rack to cool. sprinkle with powdered sugar.

pretzel fried chicken

this is exactly what it sounds like. it's like making a chicken cutlet but instead of breadcrumb it's pretzel crumbs. lately i've been the master of white trash dinners. i made bacon & cream cheese sandwiches with french fries the other night. i'm really starting to feel like rachel ray now.

upside down apple pecan pie

i thought this pie was going to be hard to bake. it actually turned out to be very easy to make and i love it. i misread the recipe so i thought it was only going to use one pie crust, but the two pie crust actually make this a very sturdy pie. i was reading people's feedback on having baked this pie and there were suggestions to use wax paper so the pecans don't stick to the pie pan. i think if you follow the directions, you will have no trouble getting your pie out of the pie pan, and the carmelized pecans won't make your pie stuck to the pie pan. wait exactly five minutes, so the caramel cools off enough where it isn't molten lava but it's still liquidy enough to get it outta the pan. again i used the local pecans from logan, nm that i got at the ranch supply shop.

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup margarine, melted

1 package of pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

6 cups Granny Smith or golden delicious apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a 9 inch deep-dish pie pan, combine pecans, brown sugar and margarine; spread into a single layer. Roll out dough, and place bottom crust over pecan mixture.

In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into crust in pan. Top with second crust. Fold edges of crust over, and flute to seal edges. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Place pan on foil or cookie sheet during baking to guard against spillage. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender.

Cool pie in pan for 5 minutes. Place serving plate over pie, and flip to invert, being careful not to come in contact with molten sugar. If some of the nuts stick to the pan, remove them with a knife, and place on pie. Allow to cool for 1 hour.

hash brown quiche

i made this and it was really good. i suggest you go make this right now. as soon as it came out the oven ryan and i had a slice. then i wanted to reheat this for breakfast the next day n then leftovers for lunch but i left it at home. i called ryan to bring me my lunch and he already ate it all. oh well at least i got a couple of slices. i used pre cut home fries, although this recipe suggest to use shredded hash browns. the home fries were more like a layer instead of an actual crust but it taste just fine to me. i used 1/2 stick of butter instead of 1/3 cup and i left the potatoes in the oven for a bit longer. also used janet's farm fresh milk (milked that morning) and eggs.

3 cups shredded hash brown potatoes

1/3 cup butter, melted

seasoning salt to taste

1 cup diced cooked ham

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Press hash browns onto the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie dish. Drizzle with melted butter, and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown.

In a small bowl, combine ham, onion and shredded cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and a little seasoning salt. When crust is ready, spread ham mixture on the bottom, then cover with egg mixture.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until filling is puffed and golden brown.

sweet cheese pecan bars

i've been finding a lot of pecan recipes that i want to try so i invested in a big bag of local pecans from the ranch supply store. the pecans are from marchbank pecans in logan, nm ($8.75 per lb) and they are so sweet and delicious. definitely a good investment considering the pecans at lowes are like $4 for 6 oz on sale and they are stale. the first pecan recipe i tried is the sweet cheese pecan bars. it's a layered dessert with crescent roll dough, sweet cheese and brown sugar pecan crumble. i like the way it turned out, especially since the cheese is really creamy. i would cut down the sugar in the cheese from 1 cup to 3/4 cup because the pecan mixture has sugar in it so i think cutting down the sugar in the cheese would balance out the too sweet flavor.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cans Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat on low speed until blended.

Unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle; press seams and perforations to seal. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Spread with cream cheese mixture.

In small bowl, mix pecans, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle half the pecan mixture over the cream cheese layer. On lightly floured surface, press or roll out remaining dough into 13x9-inch rectangle. Place over filling. Sprinkle remaining pecan mixture over top.

Bake at 375 degrees F 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly on cooling rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

pork chops with sauce soubise, brown rice and saurkraut

it's what i made myself for dinner. i was skeptical about the sauce soubise because it became clumpy when i was waiting for the rest of the food to cook, but it went really well with the flavor of the porkchops, and my flavor i mean frying it in bacon grease. i also cooked the onions in bacon grease instead of butter. bacon grease makes everything better.

sauce soubise

2 white onions, chopped finely

4 tablespoons butter (two for cooking the onion, and two to make the roux)

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Cook the onions in 2 tablespoons butter until they are very soft (about 12 minutes). They should not brown.

In a saucepan, melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter and incorporate the flour, stirring over low heat for two minutes.

Gradually whisk in the milk, blending well after each addition. Cook the sauce over low to medium heat until it thickens and comes just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked onions and heavy cream.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups sauce.

skinny omelette 'tostada'

made this (http://whatdidicooktoday.blogspot.com/2010/08/skinny-omelette.html) for breakfast because we have a bunch of lettuce. this time i kept the omelette flat because it was a little bit thicker since i used a smaller pan. i used sofrito mayonnaise, topped it with lettuce, bacon crumble and feta, then topped that with some italian vinegarette. it was very filling for a breakfast without toast.

creme brulee ice cream

ugh i hate my camera phone and i misplaced my camera. the color of this ice cream is somewhere between a light brown and a bright orange. i think this ice cream isn't as sugary as it seems even though there is a ton of sugar in it. it has a burnt aftertaste so it taste like the first bite of a creme brulee after u crack the sugar and stuff the spoon into your mouth.

2/3 cup Sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar (or more for taste)

1 cup Heavy Cream

1 1/2 cup Milk

4 each Egg Yolks

Pinch Salt

1/4 tsp Vanilla

Melt the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat until it turns a dark brown - I like to make mine as dark as possible with out turning black.

Meanwhile combine cream and milk in a saucepan and heat until mixture bubbles around the edge. When sugar has caramalized, remove from heat and slowly sitr in hot milk mixture. Place back on fire for a short while until caramel has completely dissolved.

Place egg yolks in a bowl, add salt and beat to combine. Temper eggs with some of the milk and then add to the remainder of the milk. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens lightly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Chill until completely chilled. use ice cream maker.

nectarine salad

i was really craving salad so i went to lowe's, the only supermarket in town, and got lowe'd. the term "lowe'd" meaning either they charged me the wrong price for something or what i bought turned out to be expired or rotten, or in this case both. so i was pissed when i realized the prepackaged lettuce i got was moldy and i paid $3 for two nectarines but oh well life goes on. i was craving salad so much and was in a bad mood cuz it's that time of the month and when i'm craving something i wanna eat it and i want a lot of it. i was happy i was craving salad and not tray of brownies. ryan was nice and went and got me fresh lettuce and i made a huuuuge fuckin salad! and it was da bomb. it was lettuce topped with carrots, nectarine, walnuts and feta cheese and a quick dressing made with olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, a lil bit of sugar and a dash of salt & pepper. it was damn good. imma be making another one today and THASSIT!

yogurt chicken kebabs & pizza

these are the last couple of dinners we made. last night we made pizza and the night before i used this chicken kebab recipe and made a bunch of alterations to make my own recipe. i basically marinated the chicken in this recipe (replacing the turmeric with cumin), left the same amount of seasoning but doubled the amount of lemon juice and tripled the amount of plain yogurt, let the chicken marinate overnight, then threw it all in a pan instead of grilling it. then i left the sauce thicken, and served it over brown rice and salad. yumms!

1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (preferably thick Greek-style)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add chicken, stirring to coat. Marinate, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.

If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. When charcoal turns grayish white and you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack for 3 to 4 seconds, grill is ready (medium-hot). If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-high.

While grill heats, drain chicken, discarding marinade, and thread chicken pieces about 1/4 inch apart onto skewers.

Lightly oil hot grill rack, then grill kebabs, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until chicken is just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.

strawberry banana yogurt muffins

i usually love strawberry banana yogurt, but we had purchased this different brand and it was actually pretty bad. how can you fuck up stawberry banana yogurt? i dunno, but it taste super sugary. since we had a bunch of them left, i didn't wanna just chuck them so i found this yogurt muffins recipe. the muffins are really moist and the sugary flavor works well with the muffins. the only thing i would change is the crumble. there was an excess amount of crumble left and the crumble that it did make had way too much flour, so i would cut the flour from 2/3 to 1/3 cup next time but leave the same amount of brown sugar and butter. this recipe makes a half dozen muffins and they should have big muffin tops. yum!

For muffins:

1 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

less than half cup sugar

Zest of one orange

1/4 cup melted butter

between 1/3 and 1/2 cup low fat peach yogurt

5 tablespoons milk

For crumble:

2/3 cup of flour

1/4 cup of butter, softened

1/4 cup of brown sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease 6 muffin cups.

Step 2

For muffins, in a mixing bowl mix all dry ingredients. In separate bowl combine yogurt, milk and butter then stir into flour mix until smooth. Pour batter into greased muffin cups.

Step 3

For crumble, combine flour and brown sugar; then add butter and work with your fingertips until crumbles are formed.

Step 4

Top muffins with crumble and bake for 20-25 minutes or until ready.

lemon curd cheesecake pie

i love baking pies. they're pretty simple, just make a filling, throw it in the pie crust, throw the pie in the oven and then it's done. this one had to be refrigerated overnight, i almost didn't want to wait. it's very lemony because of all the lemon ingredients (curd, juice, extract, peel) but it's not overwhelming in lemon flavor. it's just right and the whipped topping is a nice touch. i also made an orange vanilla iced tea using green tea. that's pretty refreshing. can't you tell i'm ready for spring?

Lemon Swirl Cream Cheese Pie

Best of Show, Amateur: Kate Stewart Rovner, Plano, Tex.

Lemon Curd

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes

Vanilla Wafer Crumb Crust

1 1/2 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

3/4 cup almonds, finely ground and toasted

2 teaspoon lemon zest

pinch of salt

7 tablespoons melted butter

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened

2/3 c sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Reserved lemon curd

Garnish

1/2 c heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

About 12-15 fresh raspberries

1 lemon, cut into thin slices and quartered

Prepare Lemon Curd: In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Whisk in eggs and butter. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently for 7 minutes or until curd is thick. Remove from heat and use a food mill or sieve to strain curd into a small bowl. Remove 1/2 cup of lemon curd, reserving remaining lemon curd. Press plastic wrap directly onto surfaces. Cool 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with Crisco No-Stick spray.

Prepare Vanilla Wafer Crumb Crust: In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to toss together vanilla wafer crumbs, almonds, lemon zest and salt. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture onto bottom and sides of prepared pie plate.

Bake for 12 minutes on bottom oven rack. Remove from oven and set aside.

Prepare Cream Cheese Filling: In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat at low speed until incorporated. Beat in sour cream, vanilla, and lemon extract. Beat in reserved Lemon Curd. Pour into baked crust. Dollop remaining 1/2 cup Lemon Curd onto Filling and swirl into Filling with a small knife.

Bake for 30 minutes or until center is nearly set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Cool for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Prepare Garnish: In a chilled, medium mixing bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand-held electric mixer, starting at lowest speed and increasing gradually each minute, until stiff peaks are formed. Using a #32 tip, pipe whipped cream decoratively around border of pie. Decorate with fresh raspberries and lemon slices. Refrigerate until serving time.

hot and sour shrimp soup with lemongrass

got this recipe from the ultimate soup bible cookbook. i love that cookbook. only thing i changed was i added some leftover angel hair pasta i had and removed the mushrooms. soup was light and yummy. i also made a mac & cheese casserole with tuna and tomatoes topped with sharp chedder and breadcrumbs as a side.

pesto!

last weekend melinda brought me a bunch of fresh herbs from out of town. she gave me fresh and frozen lemongrass, mint and what i was most excited about...basil! it's funny how little things like fresh herbs that i can't get at the local supermarket can make me so giddy. i used the mint to make feta & lamb meatballs, i'm still trying to figure out what to do with the lemongrass but i'm thinking some kind of soup, and with the basil i had to make pesto. while making the pesto, grinding everything up in the food processor, and the basil smelled amazing, i looked out my kitchen window and got to catch a beautiful sunset. the kind of sunset where the sky turns bright orange, pink, and red. i'm sure those happen all the time here in new mexico, but i always seem to miss them! i served the pesto with parsley meatballs (i'm not lying when i say i'm obsessed with making meatballs) and angel hair pasta.

walnut pesto

2 cups packed basil leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup grated parmesan

2 tbsp softened butter (optional: good to add if you're making the pesto to use with pasta)

add everything to food processor except olive oil. process then drizzle olive oil over and continue to process.

oatmeal pancakes

i'm probably a bit obsessed with baking or cooking with oatmeal. i have a giant canister of oatmeal and i'm not afraid to use it! in almost anything...same goes for cornmeal. these pancakes were pretty good. the secret is soaking the oats in buttermilk overnight. that gets them moist and make the pancakes nice and soft. if you follow the recipe you should get exactly 12 pancakes. i halved the recipe because i was only making it for myself and got 6 pancakes, i ate 3 and have leftovers for breakfast tomorrow.

2 cups dry oatmeal

2 cups buttermilk

2 medium eggs

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

This is best started the night before, making it a good weekend breakfast. Get out a large bowl. In it combine the oatmeal and buttermilk. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, take the bowl out of the refrigerator. Add the eggs, oil, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat well with a wire whisk. Fry the pancakes on a hot well oiled griddle or skillet. Use about 1/4 cup batter per pancake. When the top side is bubbly and puffed up, and the underside is brown, turn the pancake. Brown the second side and transfer to a plate. Continue until all of the batter is used up.

cream tart

again my camera phone takes horrible photos. this is a slice of cream tart i made. it's like a brownie pie with a crispy crust topped with chocolate whipped cream. it's da bomb if i do say so myself. the recipe suggests to bake in a 9 inch springform pan but i baked it in a regular pie dish and it worked out fine. instead of using irish cream of whipped cream in the tart mix i substituted the white chocolate mocha creamer.

tart

1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup Irish cream liqueur or whipping cream

2 eggs

Topping

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Dash salt

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Additional unsweetened baking cocoa, if desired

White chocolate curls, if desired

Heat oven to 425°F. Remove crust from pouch; press in bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Place chocolate chips in medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on High 40 seconds. Stir; microwave 5 to 15 seconds longer or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool 3 minutes.

In large bowl, beat condensed milk, liqueur, eggs and melted chocolate with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Pour into cooled baked shell.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 20 to 30 minutes longer or until center is set. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Refrigerate 2 hours.

In medium bowl, beat all topping ingredients except additional cocoa and chocolate curls with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread topping over tart; sprinkle with additional cocoa and garnish with chocolate curls. Store in refrigerator.

irish cream brownies

i found this recipe and my intention was to actually make irish cream brownies buuuut then i went to the supermarket and found a white chocolate mocha creamer so i decided to try that. then i realized i had some raspberry coulis from the eton mess leftover so i used some of that too. so for the brownie recipe i used 1/4 raspberry coulis and 1/4 white chocolate mocha creamer instead of all irish creamer. the results came out da bomb because who good does white chocolate, raspberries and fudge taste together?!

Brownie

6 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup liquid Irish cream coffee creamer (can substitute creamer flavor)

Frosting

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened

3 tablespoons liquid Irish cream coffee creamer

Heat oven to 350°F. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in sugar and cocoa. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add baking powder and baking soda; mix well. Alternately add flour and 1/2 cup coffee creamer, mixing well after each addition.

Spread batter into greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Combine all frosting ingredients in medium bowl; mix until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. Sprinkle with decorator sugar. Cut into bars.

feta & spinach kugel

this was a good recipe. i should have added some salt to flavor it more. it taste good topped with sour cream but that's my suggestion for everything (it's gillian's fault!). no photo because i'm lazy and it'll probably be a horrible looking photo anyways.

One 12-oz. package fettucini

1 medium sized onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

One 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

3 large eggs

One 8-oz. package feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain. Saute' onion in oil until brown and crispy, stirring constantly. Combine onion and remaining ingredients except for noodles in a large mixing bowl. Add noodles and mix until well blended. Pour mixture into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 to 45 mins. Serves 8.

v-day dessert

although it's not valentine's day yet, i found a nice no bake easy dessert recipe for v-day. the reason it's good for valentine's day is only because it's red. it's raspberry coulis eton mess. of course i changed a few things from the following recipe. first, i didn't add any vanilla into the whipped cream because i like my fresh whipped cream simple, just cream and sugar. i also cut down the sugar in the whipped cream. second, i didn't fold the meringue crumble into the whipped cream, i just topped it with it instead. i imagine if i folded the meringue in and let it sit, the meringue would get mushy. also i could only purchase a 12 oz bag of raspberries, so i cut down the sugar. i cut it down to probably half because i thought it would be too sweet. oh also straining the raspberry to remove the seeds was kind of a pain in the ass. the final outcome of the dessert was pretty tasty andnot to filling, which is great to serve when you're serving a big meal but have a sweet tooth. i think i'm gonna eat it all by myself.

Ingredients

For the Eton mess

400ml whipped cream

3½oz sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 ready-made meringue baskets, crumbled

For the raspberry coulis

14¼oz frozen raspberries

5¼oz sugar

Preparation method

For the Eton mess, place the whipped cream, sugar, vanilla extract and crumbled meringue into a bowl. Lightly fold all of the ingredients together, taking care not to over-crush the meringues. Leave to one side while you make the coulis.

For the raspberry coulis, place the raspberries and sugar into a blender. Blend to a smooth consistency. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve.

To serve, spoon a small amount of the coulis into the bottom of each of four tall glasses. Top with the Eton mess mixture and another spoonful of the coulis. Layer the ingredients until the glass is full and finish with a topping of coulis.

malted vanilla & graham cracker ice cream

ok i take horrible photos of food for this here blog. actually i only have a camera phone and it sucks. this actually looked very nice in person and had a bright yellowish hue. anyways, when i found this recipe i had to make it. i used fresh raw milk & eggs from a local farm. it was relatively easy to make, but between the cooling down & ice cream making process, it probably took somewhere between 6 & 7 hours to be ready. it was well worth it. when adding the graham cracker to the ice cream maker it disintegrated the cracker chunks into flecks, so it gives it the graham cracker flavor, but not the crunch. i would suggest keeping some extra crackers & crumble them up for a topping when serving. this ice cream would probably taste good sprinkled with some salt too. it kind of reminds me of cookies & cream ice cream but instead of chocolate, it's honey. yum! i doubled the recipe to share but i might eat it all!

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup white sugar

One 4-inch vanilla bean, split and scraped (optional)

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch kosher salt

1/3 cup malt powder

3 graham crackers (plain, cinnamon or chocolate covered), crumbled

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the milk, cream, 1/4 cup of the sugar and, if desired, the vanilla bean seeds and pod (now empty) in a small pan and cook over low heat, whisking from time to time, until it is warm, about 175°F.

Place the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the vanilla extract and salt in a small metal bowl and whisk until completely mixed. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk mixture to the eggs, whisking all the while. Continue adding the milk to the eggs, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have added about 1 1/2 cups. Slowly, whisking all the while, return the now milk and egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the pan and continue cooking until it just begins to thicken or reaches about 185°F. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Strain into a metal bowl and discard the solids. Gradually add the malt powder, whisking all the time. Set the mixture aside until it reaches room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until it reaches 40ºF, about 3 hours. Transfer to an ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

When the ice cream is just beginning to come together but has not hardened completely, add the graham crackers and process for about 5 more minutes.

coriander beer quick loaf

i'm still too worried about baking bread with yeast in it thanks to this i love lucy episode so i found a quick loaf recipe in which the only yeast in it is beer. the recipe calls for caraway seeds but i hate the taste so i used coriander. i really liked the way that taste but next time i'd cut it down to 2-3 tsp instead of 4 tsp. i served the bread with the homemade fish chowder i made using the ultimate soup bible recipe book http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Soup-Bible-Anne-Sheasby/dp/0760774498. this time i think i used a little less potatoes so it wasn't as thick but it was still tasty. i also add two strips of bacon so give it a more smoky flavor. yumm!!

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup butter

4 tsp caraway seeds

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup beer

How to make it

In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.With pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in caraway seeds.

In separate bowl, beat together eggs, buttermilk and beer; add to flour mixture all at once, stirring with fork to make soft dough.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface; knead lightly about 10 times. Shape dough into oval to fit into greased 9 x 5 -inch (2L) loaf pan.

With serrated knife, cut shallow slash lengthwise down center.

Bake in center of 350*F (180*C) oven for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until golden brown and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from pan; let cool on rack.

Makes 1 loaf, 12 slices.

quick rolls

wanted to make quick rolls to go with dinner tonight. next time i need to make these plumper.

1 ¾ cups bread flour

¼ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg, beaten light

1 tablespoon corn syrup

¾ cup milk

¼ cup corn oil

Instructions

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Stir in the corn oil and corn syrup.

Mix togetheer the egg and milk and add to the dry ingredients.

Turn out onto a floured board and pat to one-fourth inch thickness.

Cut in rounds and crease each one. Brush with a little corn oil.

Transfer to an oiled pan and bake from 20-25 minutes in a hot oven, 400 degrees F.

oatmeal kolaches

decided to make kolaches because i have so many different preserves in my fridge. well actually i have 3 homemade and 1 store bought, but that's a lot more than i usually keep at a time, which is usually 1. i finally finished the apricot preserves, which lasted me forever even though it was really really delicious. i also used the prickly pear jam melinda made me for the rest of the kolaches. i really enjoyed the kolaches cuz the were relatively easy to make, even though the dough was a lot more moist than it probably should have been when i was trying to roll it out. ryan thought the dough needed a little bit more sugar and he thought they were bland, but i thought they were tasty and kind of reminded me of scones.

1 3/4 cups biscuit mix

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1 cup rolled oats, quick or regular, uncooked

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

confectioners sugar

6 tablespoons thick preserves, any flavor

Put biscuit mix into mixing bowl. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and sugar.

Combine egg, milk and vanilla extract; add to dry ingredients. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough onto lightly floured board. Knead lightly several times. Roll dough 1/2-inch thick and cut out 3-inch rounds with floured cookie cutter. Place on greased baking sheet. Press a deep indentation in center of each round with back of floured spoon or thumb. Fill each with 1 teaspoon of preserves. Bake at 400 degrees F until done and lightly browned, about 10 or 12 minutes. More preserves may be added after baking. Sprinkle with sifted confectioners sugar.

toasted oatmeal crepes

i've been wanting to make crepes for a while and i stumbled upon this toasted oatmeal crepe recipe. the batter was thicker than usual for crepes, but everything placed together taste really good. i'm digging toasted oatmeal. i chose to use yogurt instead of whipped cream of ice cream. this would make a good sweet breakfast.

1/2 cup rolled oats

Crepes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

3 eggs

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Sautéed apples:

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Calvados

Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Vanilla ice cream or yogurt (optional)

Preparation:

Toast the oats, stirring frequently, in a dry skillet set over medium heat. The oats are done when they are lightly browned and have a nutty aroma. Remove the oats from the skillet and set them aside to cool.

To make crepes:

Process the flour, butter, sugar, eggs and salt in a blender until the mixture is smooth. Add the milk 1/3 cup at a time, until the batter is a liquid consistency. Set batter aside for 20 minutes.

Melt a little butter in a crepe pan or large skillet over low-medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of batter to the pan and swirl until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter. Cook the crepe for 1 minute, or until the crepe is slightly moist on top and golden underneath. Loosen the edges of the crepe, slide the spatula under it, and then gently flip it upside down into the pan. Cook for 1 minute and transfer the cooked crepe to a plate to keep warm.

To make sautéed apples:

Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the apples and confectioners’ sugar to the pan and sauté them for 5 to 7 minutes, until they turn golden and tender. Sprinkle the Calvados over the apples and carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match. Stand back and allow the flames to go out.

To assemble the crepes, arrange the sautéed apples and whipped cream or ice cream in a warm crepe. Sprinkle the apple mixture with a spoon of toasted oats and fold the crepe. Garnish the top of the filled crepes with whipped cream and toasted oats.

This toasted oatmeal apple crepes recipe makes 8 to 10 servings.

fish chowder

cooked another soup from the soup bible. it was pretty easy to make, but took a little longer than anticipated. basically you make your own fish stock, whisk in some milk & mashed potatoes and re add the flaked fish. it was so good. gotta buy the book for the recipe.

catering and apricot-mango nectar lemon cake

today was my first catering gig since may. the class i'm catering for is about half the students now so i have to work on my portions. i decided to make meatballs because that's what i made for the first gig last year. so it was meatballs with pasta & vodka sauce and an apricot-mango nectar lemon cake. usually i don't make cake mix cakes but there's just something about lemon cake mix i love.

1 pk lemon cake mix

1⁄4 c sugar

1 c apricot nectar

4 eggs

1 c vegetable Oil

1. Combine the above ingredients.

2. Pour the mixture into BUNDT pan. Bake for 55 minutes at 375 degrees.

kahlua cheesecake

ok this is supposed to be kahlua cheesecake but i change the recipe a lot. first of all, i didn't have any kahlua, and i refused to pay $25 bucks for the bottle considering i'd be using just a few tablespoons of it in this recipe. this recipe caught my eye, because of the chocolate & coffee & sour cream inon the cheesecake, and that sounds da bomb to me. so i made it anyway in my own way. i halved the recipe, used a premade graham cracker crust & added a little more coffee. let's just say i took it over to gillian's house and we ate half the pie in one sitting. here is the original recipe:

1 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers

1 cup granulated sugar - divided use

3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa - divided use

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs

1/4 cup coffee, brewed

1/2 cup coffee liqueur

2 teaspoons vanilla extract - divided use

1 cup (8-ounces) sour cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 ounces milk chocolate candy bars, grated

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and melted butter in a small bowl; mix well. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until firm but not browned; cool

Raise oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, mixing well. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in coffee liqueur, coffee and half the vanilla. Pour into the cooled crust. Bake for 30 minutes, or until almost set.

Raise temperature in oven to 425°F (220°C).

Combine sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla in a small bowl; mix well. Spread evenly over the hot cheesecake. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes.

Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Refrigerate, covered, for 8 hours. Carefully remove from pan and garnish with grated chocolate.

Makes 12 servings.