20 Paws 4 Feet

Chocolate Crunch Brownies

2011-10-09T21:00:00.000-04:00

Making brownies was not on my agenda today. But as I was looking through recipes, came across this one from a friend from our wedding shower over 2 1/2 years ago now. It sounded like it would be a great treat and I just needed one ingredient to make them. So, I hopped on my bike (my new favorite thing to do), rode up to the grocery store, put the marshmallow fluff in my basket and rode back home.

This was such an easy recipe and oh my gosh, are these good brownies. Make them now, you will not be disappointed! The brownie part itself is a nice light cake texture and paired with the fluff and crispy chocolate topping, it is a total winner. Must wash it down with a glass of milk because they are sweet and chocolatey. Yum.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 7 oz. jar marshmallow fluff
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups rice cereal

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar; add eggs.
2. Stir in cocoa, flour vanilla and salt.
3. Spread into a greased 9x13x2 baking pan
4. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean in the center.
5. Allow to cool, spread marshmallow fluff over the cooled brownies
6. In a small sauce pan, melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly.
7. Remove from heat, stir in the cereal. Spread over marshmallow layer.
8. Chill before cutting. Store in refrigerator.

Beef Nacho Casserole

2011-09-01T13:46:00.000-04:00

This recipe is another recipe I received thanks to All Recipes email. It caught my eye as something easy to make and simple ingredients that we always seem to have on hand. I made it tonight and it is definitely something we will be keeping in the rotation. I did make a few small tweaks based on some of the suggestions from the reviews which I noted in the ingredients.

1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 cups chunky salsa
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (I used Mexicorn to add some more kick)
3/4 cup creamy salad dressing (e.g. Miracle Whip)
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used taco seasoning)
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups Colby cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring to crumble, until evenly browned. Drain grease. Remove from the heat, and stir the salsa, corn, mayonnaise and chili powder into the beef. In a 2 quart casserole dish, layer the ground beef mixture, tortilla chips and cheese twice, ending with cheese on top.
Bake for 20 minutes uncovered in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and dish is thoroughly heated.

Cheddar Beef Enchiladas

2011-08-23T19:37:00.001-04:00

Enchiladas are a favorite dish over here and it had been a while since I had made them, so I decided to find a recipe for one that I could use some ground beef with. I found this recipe on All Recipes and decided to make it. I did alter some of the ingredients based on what we prefer, but it was a keeper! Super easy to make and I love that it splits in half perfectly to freeze for a later date.

This is the non-cooked freezer version. I forgot to take a picture of the cooked one before we ate it all!

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 cup water (I actually used 2 cups since I cooked the rice when I the seasoning was added)
2 cups cooked rice
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (I used enchilada sauce...just our preference)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted (I used cream of mushroom, again our preference)

Directions

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Cook and stir until liquid is evaporated. OR, you can add the rice uncooked after the meat is cooked and drained, along with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for around 20 minutes.
Spread about 2 tablespoons of refried beans, 1/4 cup beef mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dishes.
Combine salsa and soup; pour down the center of enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake one casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Cover and freeze remaining casserole for up to 3 months.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream Frosting

2011-08-21T21:33:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine posted how she had won 2nd place in a contest at Nino Salvaggios for her Strawberry Cupcake recipe and I just had to get the recipe and try it out. It is amazing! She did a great job and it was pretty easy to make as well. I can see this becoming a summer staple in our house!

Makes 24 cupcakes

Strawberry Cupcakes

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2¼ cups sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
1 cup milk
2½ cups finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg white one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions alternating with the milk, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries with a spatula.

Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling each about ¾-full. Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pans a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
1½ cups fresh strawberries (8 oz.), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped
4 large egg whites
1¼ cups sugar
3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Puree until completely smooth. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. (I didn't have a candy thermometer and just watched it and mine turned out OK!)

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!) Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

**For the frosting, I usually ½ the recipe and it is enough to frost all of the cupcakes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

2011-08-15T20:42:00.000-04:00

I had been saving an email I received back in the spring from All Recipes.com that contained all strawberry and rhubarb items. I love that combination, but the timing was not good for baking. I was 9 months pregnant and not in the mood to bake!

Here we are, 4 months later with a 2 month old baby boy who allowed me to make this coffee cake while he napped. I was finally able to get to Eastern Market last week for their Tuesday Market Day with Miles and picked up the strawberries and rhubarb to do some baking.

This cake was pretty easy to make and is really good! It is super moist and am looking forward to making it again to do a better job cutting the butter into the topping.

This isn't my picture, but this is what mine looks like (courtesy of All Recipes). The rhubarb filling is a thin layer so it doesn't over power the cake. Yummy.

Here is the recipe..enjoy!

Ingredients

Filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 (10 ounce) package frozen sliced strawberries, thawed (I used fresh)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cold butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold butter or margarine

Directions
1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan; stir in rhubarb and strawberries and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until thickened, about two minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and let cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.

3. Combine 3 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Stir egg mixture into flour until just moistened. Spoon two-thirds of the batter into prepared pan; evenly spread on the cooled filling, then cover with remaining batter.

4. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour, and cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over the batter. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Yarn Wrapped Wreath with Felt Flowers

2011-06-05T22:11:00.001-04:00

I am not the "crafty" type, however, I have been eye-balling wreaths like this on Etsy for close to a year but never made the decision to buy one due to price. I have been wanting a new spring/summer front door decoration and I decided to take the plunge this morning and attempt this wreath.

I Googled a couple blogs for directions and thought it looked easy enough. Heck Fridays had both a post on making felt flowers as well as wrapping the wreath. I printed off some JoAnn's coupons and off I went.

Total cost of making this wreath was right around $10.00 in total. I did have to buy a hot glue gun because the one I had went missing, but I was shocked at the end cost once I totaled it all together.

14 inch straw wreath - $2.99
120 yards of yarn - $1.97 (I found a color I liked in the Clearance section)
4 9x12" squares of felt @ .34 cents each - $1.36
Spool of ribbon - $3.79

The most time-consuming part was wrapping the wreath with yarn. Since I picked a thicker yarn, I just wrapped it once. Heck Fridays did theirs twice, but I didn't want to spend another two hours wrapping it twice...I thought it looked fine one time around with keeping it pretty tight when wrapping.

I did experiment with trying out the two different flowers like Heck Fridays had, but the long petaled ones looked awful when I tried them, so I stuck to the roses. I followed the directions and before I knew it I had the amount I wanted for one side of the wreath.

I made a few different sizes of roses and was surprised how easy they were to make. I ended up not even tracing the swirl and just free-handed it and I think mine came out pretty well!

All in all, it took me about 3 hours to do and I am pretty happy with the end-result!

Chocolate Sheet Cake (a.k.a Texas Sheet Cake)

2011-02-14T14:10:00.000-05:00

I grew up having this a lot at family parties, where I knew it as Texas Sheet Cake, so I was happy to find a recipe that seemed like its twin in the Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook by Ree Drummond. I brought this into work today as a birthday treat celebration for my manager as well as a Valentines' Day goodie.

This was so easy and didn't require any crazy ingredients. I had everything on hand...which was awesome! I love it when I don't have to grocery shop in order to make something.

Here is the recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website, which has lots of great step by step pictures to follow. I also stole her picture, because I love the aqua plate!

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.

Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan (12x18) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-01-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

I had the urge to bake something this weekend, so I look through my new Barefoot Contessa cookbook I had gotten for Christmas from Steve, How Easy is That? . I love a good cupcake, so I wanted to try Ina's recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. It really was simple to make and I had all the ingredients at home, so I fired up the mean green Kitchen Aid mixer and got to baking. Ina did not disappoint yet again. This frosting is soooo good. There was some leftover and I considered just eating it plain right then and there, but decided to just throw it in the fridge for something else I can make later...maybe some pumpkin muffins from a pre-made mix thanks to Trader Joes.

This recipe made only 15 cupcakes which is a good amount. I am planning on bringing some into work to share with my team as a early Valentine's Day treat!

Cupcake Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 extra large eggs at room temperature

Frosting Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I told you this frosting is to die for)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Cupcake Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa power, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.

In a electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute, until light. Add the eggs one at a time until combined.

With the mixer at low speed add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir with a rubber spatula to be sure batter is mixed.

Scoop batter into the muffin cups with an ice cream scoop or large spoon (almost 3/4 full). Bake for 25-30 minutes (**I am not sure if it was the foil liners I used or my Williams Sonoma Gold Touch muffin pans, but mine were ready about 23 minutes in**), until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool completely and top with cream cheese frosting.

Frosting Instructions
Place cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until just combined. Don't whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-01-06T18:30:00.000-05:00

I have had this recipe since November 2008 and never had a chance to make it. It is from the first issue of the Food Network Magazine and is their attempt to copy the Cheesecake Factory's pumpkin cheesecake. I was very excited to make this for my family's Thanksgiving, but June Bug had other plans. I was so sick for 48 hours straight, there was no way I could have made this! So I decided to make it for my family's Christmas Eve celebration.

Everyone loved it and it was relatively easy, but time consuming, to make. I have made a cheesecake before, but this one required the pan of water to bake it in, which the one I made previously did not. That was my only complaint with this recipe. That part was kind of a pain. Another side note, I am sure sure if I didn't press the crust enough or if my springform pan was 9" rather than the 10" they recommend, but I had some extra batter. I apologize for the low quality picture...It was one I took with my phone and I never went back to take one with my real camera later!

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I chopped them up in my food processor)
2 3/4 cups sugar
Salt
2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
6 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I just used Pumpkin Spice for this)
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves (again, just used the Pumpkin Spice for this)
Whipped cream (optional)
Toasted pecans (optional)

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325.
2. Brush a 10" springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter in with the graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the pan in foil and place inside roasting pan.
3. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla, 1 teaspoon of salt and spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.
4. Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out...this is what they say, I had to. I was pouring water all over the inside of my stove) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is loose, about an hour and 45 minutes.
5. Turn the oven off after the hour and 45 minutes, and open the door briefly to let some of the heat out. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack.
7. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
8. Bring the cheesecake to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove from the springform pan to serve.
9. Add whipped cream and toasted pecans if desired.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

2010-12-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

I don't sing, (outside the privacy of my own car or a kareoke bar in Asia after a few Tiger beers or sake bombs) but I do like to spread cheer putting up Christmas lights outside! I was able to get them up on a warm-ish November day and I am glad I did before the super cold arrived!

A new house, a new challenge with lights. There is no outside plug, so I had to run a long extension cord from the side of the house to the front. It is bright orange for now (since that is what we had), but I would like to look for a green one if I can snag it post-holiday for 50% off.

The set of two pre-lit trees I got at Target around mid November. I saw in the weekly ad that they were on sale for $30 for the set and Steve had gotten a $5 gift card for buying body wash or something, so I got my two cute little trees for $25! We placed them in my planter pots with dirt because I learned early on, they blow over really easily with the wind. I had purchased some "old fashioned" bulb lights last year (you know, the orange, white, red, blue, green big glass bulb ones? I love them because they take me back to our Christmas lights as a kid) and put those on our little holly bushes.

Looks pretty cute if I do say so! In fact, our neighbors directly across the street must have thought so too because they bought the same pre-lit trees and put them on either side of their door last week!

Because I had the extra strands of lights and I thought it would be fun, I decorated two of our larger bushes in our backyard. It is nice to look out and see some Christmas cheer as we sit in the family room every night.

The stockings were hung by the mantle with care...

2010-12-06T08:45:00.001-05:00

I cannot express how happy I was to move into a house that had a fireplace and a great mantle! It is already kind of full with all the stockings for our 20 Paws, so when June Bug is here next year, we will have to make some room! The question will be...will it be a green stocking with a red cuff for a boy or a red stocking with green trim for a girl? Hmm...

I found the glitter trees and "Be Merry" stand at a Hallmark near my work 50% off last post-Christmas sale and I just love them. They are my new favorite piece of decor.

The glass jars on the right are what I had my gourds in for the fall. I put some inexpensive bulbs from Target in them for the holidays to add some balance to the mantle.

Across from the fireplace is our couch. I found the large red snowflake pillow and green reindeer pillows at Target and the long "Ho, Ho, Ho" pillow at Pier One this season. Love them all!!

I was lucky enough to inherit a some of a Christmas village that my dad had painted in ceramics nearly 20 years ago from my grandparents, as well as purchasing some of my own over the years. However, having cats and putting these under the tree never worked out so well, so they have been in boxes for at least 5 years. I was very excited to have room to display them this year and am looking forward to adding on with some post holiday deals this year. Steve spotted a casino and beer garden and would like to add those to our "city". Oh boy. :)

Christmas is here...our trees!

2010-12-05T14:44:00.000-05:00

I had a weekend back in mid November where I had a ton of energy, didn't feel nauseous and was motivated to decorate. So our decor has been up for about 3 weeks now and I have been really enjoying decorating our new place.

I had forgotten about some of the deals I had found post Christmas last year and was giddy with excitement going through my boxes this year. We finally have a house big enough to put out all my stuff! Well, except for the ornaments. I need a bigger tree!

I had to make some decisions as to what was hung this year and what didn't make the rotation. My parents have gotten me an ornament every year since I was born and on top of working at a Hallmark for 5 years of my teenage life, it equals a lot of ornaments.

We have two trees up this year. Our main tree in the living room and a mini tree in the family room that has the 20 Paws ornaments...of course they all have their own!

I will post our trees today and other parts of the house this week.

Benny in his favorite spot...knock on wood, there has been no ornament casualties this year!

Close up of the top of our tree.

Tree with lights on

Tree without the lights on

The tree for the 20 Paws

Apologizing for the blogging hiatus but...

2010-12-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

This little June Bug has been sucking all motivation to cook and do much around the house these days!

Yes, 20 Paws, 4 Feet will be gaining two more feet come early June 2011! We are so very excited and I am anxious to get some motivation back to cook here in the 2nd trimester! Grocery stores were not my friends for a few weeks and I am still having some meat aversions. The house is decorated for the holidays, so I will get those pictures posted next week.

Fall House Decoration

2010-09-26T08:24:00.000-04:00

The weather has turned here and I couldn't be happier! I like summer when it is a nice 75-80 with no humidity and a nice storm every now and then. We did not have that at all this past summer in Michigan, and I am loving snuggling up under blankets due to the cold air coming through the windows not because of the central air (which I am very grateful to have in this house).

As soon as that chill hits, I start envisioning fall decor. Having a new house to decorate got me reinvigorated from the past year when I was burned out from the house and ready for the move. So, here are some of my new favorite fall things I have put up or planted this month.

Flowering cabbage...my new outdoor fall obsession.

Sunflowers from Eastern Market...love the brown ones.

My stackable designer pumpkins from Eastern Market

Various gourds in glass containers and my Happy Halloween recycled cardboard garland from Etsy Seller CardboardSheek

New Place...2nd Floor

2010-09-23T07:46:00.000-04:00

And finally the 2nd floor of our house, the "living quarters". :)

Our room...with Kiko getting in on the action

Guest room/Steve's xBox room

Our small little bathroom.

The office. This is one room we might paint if we ever feel the need to :) I am not one for white walls.

New Place - Living Room, Family Room, Kitchen

2010-09-21T07:28:00.000-04:00

To continue the tour of our new place, here are some pictures of our first floor which is a living room, dining room, kitchen and family room.

View of the living room from the dining area

Our fireplace! Can't wait to get some fires going this winter

From stairs looking over living room and into dining room

More living room looking into dining area

Dining area...love the corner built ins

View into the kitchen from dining room, looking into family room

Other view into the kitchen from family room

Part of the family room

Kind of dark view into family room. Note Benny in his favorite spot at the patio door!

Our New Place...finally!

2010-09-19T19:28:00.000-04:00

Certain people that haven't been over to see our new place since we moved in May have been asking for pictures, so today, when the sun was shining, the house was clean and new fall decor was put up, I decided to finally take some pictures.

We have been happy so far in our new place. The neighborhood is great, safe, quiet...all the things we were looking for. The animals have finally all settled in and have their new routines here. We think they are all very happy given all the windows to look out of (for the cats) and nice places to walk (for the dogs). There is also an abundance of pigeons and squirrels thanks to the neighbor that feeds both constantly. The dogs like to chase the squirrels and the cats like to eye ball the birds. We also have a resident chipmunk that has taken a liking to our yard and my flower pots. If I could trust my shot, the thing would be dead by now...but they are mighty little and mighty fast. Ahh, nature.

So here is our new home for at least the next couple of years. All of the paint colors were like this from the owners and we got pretty lucky in that regard! They worked well with our "stuff". I am still waiting for my "dream" kitchen, but this is a great house for us for the next few years.

I will post outside pictures today, the rest will come during the week.

Backyard...we love the privacy fence! You also can't see my flowers so well, but there are a lot.

View into the yard from the driveway

Back of the house (deck, sans grill and bench...getting ready for winter!)

White Chicken Lasagna

2010-09-08T08:28:00.001-04:00

This is another recipe I found on Allrecipes.com. It was a winner! I have only made one other kind of lasagna before (Fiesta Lasagna), so I was eager to try out a different one. I love lasagna, but wish it was easy to make it for two...instead of 12! I did assemble this ahead of time and then baked it at another location...still turned out great.

9 lasagna noodles (I used the no bake kind)
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (I used just 1)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water. (You can skip this step if you use no bake noodles)

2.Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.

3.Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

4.Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Shrimp Francesca

2010-08-24T13:36:00.001-04:00

This recipe was delivered to my inbox via All Recipes and we finally were able to try it last night. I loved how quick it was for a weeknight meal. It was very simple too! We ate it with angel hair pasta and we will be making this one again. One thing I would like to change is using fresh shrimp rather than frozen, pre-cooked. The shrimp were a little tougher than I would like...but you buy what is on sale and use it, right?

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen, cooked)
1 (8 ounce) can (8 to 10 count) artichoke hearts in water, drained
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I omitted because I didn't have)
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely shredded imported Romano cheese

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2.Arrange the shrimp in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Gently squeeze any excess liquid from the artichoke hearts, break the hearts into quarters, and arrange in spaces between the shrimp. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and parsley over the shrimp and artichoke hearts; sprinkle lemon juice over the crumbs.
3.Melt butter with garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; drizzle the butter mixture over the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the top with Romano cheese.
4.Bake in the preheated oven until the crumbs and cheese brown lightly and the shrimp turn opaque and orange-pink in color, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

2010-08-07T12:24:00.000-04:00

I found this recipe in my Everyday Italian cookbook by Giada DeLaurentiis I was able to snag on clearance at Home Goods. We both like brussel sprouts and we had some leftover pancetta from another recipe, so this seemed like a good fit for us. It was really good and flavorful. We will definitely be making this one again!

1pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 ounces paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth

Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 10 minutes. Drain. Place sprouts in a bowl of ice water to shock and stop the cooking. Drain after they have completely cooled.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes.

Roasted Shrimp with Orzo

2010-06-14T22:03:00.000-04:00

I have found my new "go-to" dish for a summer salad. I think you all know how much I love Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. Ina didn't let me down with this recipe either. It. Is. So. Good.

I am not one to toot my own horn when it comes to cooking, but this is in the top 5 of things I have made. Ever. I made this for a little housewarming BBQ we had this past weekend and the guests gave it a thumbs up as well.

It is relatively easy to make, just a smidge time consuming with all the chopping and cleaning of the shrimp (if you buy them raw and uncleaned). If there is one thing I really want to learn is how to cut up veggies and herbs really well...you know, like the Barefoot does. I did make it the night before and it tasted great the next day.

This made a good amount for a party. I would not make this for 2, unless you want to be eating it for a few days...which wouldn't be a bad thing.

Kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil, plus some to drizzle over the shrimp
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (for the roasted shrimp)

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well.

Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

New Discovery #2 - Motor City Wine Club

2010-06-04T20:51:00.006-04:00

In my post about our new organic fruits and veggie delivery service, I mentioned how I wish I could find a place to deliver wine. Lo and behold, Steve did! We didn't have to look far, but we did find a place and I wanted to share it with you people out there.

Motor City Wine is located in downtown Detroit, upstairs from our favorite bar Foran's Grand Trunk Pub, on Woodward at Congress. During the winter months, Foran's would host a supper club, which we would gladly partake in. They paired fantastic food with a beer or wine for every course. The wine was provided by Motor City Wine. Each dinner, we would find a new wine that we liked and, of course, would proceed to buy the bottles. Not only was the wine delicious, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Furthermore, the wine was priced at a fantastic value. We quickly became fans of Motor City Wine!

So, we were pleased to find out they were starting a wine club. You can get delivery, but since we are so close, we just picked up this month's allotment. We think it is a great value...6 bottles for $60. We decided on the 3 red, 3 white option since I like white and Steve likes red. They do have an all white or an all red option as well.

They pick the selections for you and since we always liked what they suggested, we figured they can't go wrong with this! Plus, it will expand our wine horizons...trying different kinds we typically wouldn't try searching on our own.

From left to right (winery - location - type):

Vina Alarba - Spain - Grenache
Cristobal 1492 - Argentina - Cabernet Sauvignon
Bokisch - California - Graciano
Paso a Paso - Spain - Verdejo
Domaine du Trillol - France - Corbieres Blanc
Morande Pionero - Chile- Sauvignon Blanc

The Sauvignon Blanc from Morande Pionero is what I had last night with my girlfriends and we all liked it!

I will be sure to keep posting which ones we have tried...who doesn't like great wine for around $10/bottle! We highly suggest you check out Motor City Wine...great people and great wine!

Prost!

Fingerling Potatoes

2010-06-02T20:28:00.000-04:00

This is an easy side dish that whips up in a snap, plus it is delicious! What is even better about the recipe is that you don't have to measure a thing! This is from the Barefoot Contessa's 1st cookbook.

I was able to use our fingerlings from our organic delivery and they were soooo good. Creamy and so flavorful!

1/2 - 1 pound of fingerling potatoes (however many you think you will want)

salt

fresh ground pepper

Place the clean fingerlings into a medium sauce pot and cover with water. Put about a teaspoon of salt in the pan as well. Bring to a boil, then reduce down to simmer for around 15-20 minutes until tender.

Drain potatoes and leave in strainer. Cover with a kitchen towel for around 5-10 minutes to allow them to finish cooking.

When they are cool enough to handle, cut lengthwise and toss with olive oil, fresh cracked salt and pepper to taste.

Sherry Wine Sauce Chicken

2010-06-01T20:36:00.002-04:00

A few of the girls on the Detroit Nest board were talking about a recipe very similar to this one and I thought it sounded pretty good. However, I am a big recipe follower, I can't "wing it" with measurements like some people, so I searched around until I found a recipe that sounded similar that I could follow!

I modified this recipe from All Recipes. It originally served 6, I made it for just 2. We really liked this dish. It had a lot of flavor and was kind of rich! I served it with rice and a side salad with our spinach from Door to Door Organics delivery.

This is my version for 2, not 6. This was so easy. You just mix it all together and bake!

2/3 can cream of chicken soup (I used cream of chicken with herbs because I had it on hand)
2/3 can cream of mushroom soup (I used Healthy Request)
1/3 cup cream of sherry
1/3 of a 16 oz. container of sour cream (I used reduced fat)
2 boneless chicken breasts
4 oz can sliced mushrooms (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
In a 8x8 dish, mix together all the ingredients. Immerse the chicken in the mixture. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Ours took around 50 minutes.
Serve over rice.

We are back! New home, new discoveries!

2010-05-26T14:46:00.000-04:00

The past few months have been a blur for us, so I apologize for the blogging hiatus. We moved to a new home at the beginning of May and absolutely love it! It is great to be able to walk to downtown Royal Oak, the Farmers Market and good friends are so very close. We are all settled in and getting in new routines, which is always an adjustment. I really don't know my way around this side of town too well, but I am getting there. Change is a good thing, right?

Our latest new routine we started was ordering organic fruits and veggies from Door to Door Organics. We received our first "bitty" box today. We are going to try out this size and a bi-weekly delivery for now and see how we like it. One of my good friends does a crop share with some local farmers, which always sounded like a great idea to me, but she never had a say in what she got. What was appealing about this service is you can change your menu up until the day before your delivery. So we swapped out some things we might not like for things we wanted. Great deal, right?

The price is really reasonable and how convenient! Delivered right to your door!

Now, if we can just find a place to deliver wine...and this cucumber lime vodka a friend got me hooked on...

Here is our bounty from Door to Door we received today:

We receive a little over a pound of fingerling potatoes, 4 bananas, a large bunch of spinach, a pint of strawberries, about 8 Roma tomatoes, 2 apples, a mango, 2 cucumbers and 2 avocados. The items we swapped out were oranges, red lettuce and carrots.

Fun Spring Find...Dry Daffodils!

2010-03-31T09:29:00.000-04:00

My world tour has nearly come to an end...thank goodness. Last week I was in Tokyo and Shanghai for work and I have never been happier to be home! I did have a good trip, but nothing is better than your own home, husband and furry kids at the end of the day!

So, after I got home, we needed to go grocery shopping. We decided to go to Trader Joe's for about our once every couple month trip there to stock up. I absolutely love Trader Joe's floral section and this past Sunday was no exception. I am so excited to share my find with you!

I saw daffodils all stacked up on top of each other not in water and thought it was a bit weird, so I read the sign a little more closely and it said "dry daffodils, place in water and they will bloom". I was a tad skeptical, but for $1.49 per bunch, it was worth a shot.

I bought 2 bunches, brought them home, placed in water and they looked like this:

About 24 hours later, they started to open up! I was amazed. This picture was taken last night, so about 48 hours later...full bloom!

Not bad for $3.00! Now, I have a touch of spring on my kitchen table :)

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

2010-03-14T19:05:00.003-04:00

In honor of one of the greatest days of the year, St. Patrick's Day, I decided to attempt a recipe that a former Knottie friend of mine gave me. I have also seen it pop up on a few other food blogs lately, so they must be popular this time of year!

I was also excited to use my new camera as an early birthday gift from Steve to take these pictures! I was really excited to see it had a "gourmet food" setting. :)

These were fairly time consuming, but not overly complicated. I made 19 cupcakes out of this recipe.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness beer
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1-2 tsp. Irish whiskey (optional, I used a smidge less than 1 tsp. of Jameson per Steve's insistence)

Baileys Frosting
3 to 4 cups confectioners sugar (I used about 3 1/2)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 - 4 Tbsp Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream or a combination thereof...I used a small airplane bottle size of Baileys~apx. 4 tsp. and a splash of heavy cream)

Make the cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350.
Line cupcake cups with liners
Bring Guinness and butter to a simmer over medium heat
Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth, Cool slightly
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl to blend
Using a mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend
Add Guinness/cocoa mixture to egg mixture and beat to just combine
Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed
Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
Divide batter among lined cupcake pan, filling them apx. 2/3-3/4 of the way.
Bake in preheated oven until tester comes out clean (recipe said 17 minutes, ours took apx. 22)
Cool cupcakes on rack completely.

Make the filling

Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heat proof bowl.
Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute over the chocolate
Stir until smooth
Add the butter and whiskey (if you choose) and stir until combine
Let ganache until cool until thick, but still soft enough to pipe into cupcakes

Fill the cupcakes

Using a 1" cookie cutter or a corer (I used a corer, it worked like a charm), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down, but not all the way. Aim for around 2/3.

Put the cooled ganache into a piping bag and fill the holes on each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting

Whip the butter in the bowl for several minutes, you want it very light and fluffy
Slowly add the confectioners sugar, a few tablespoons at a time
When the frosting looks thick, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk or cream) and whip it until it is combined.
If the frosting got too thin (it shouldn't, but just in case), you can add a few more spoonfuls of confectioners sugar.

Decorate and enjoy!

RoTel's Southwest Chicken Skillet

2010-03-13T15:32:00.000-05:00

This is yet another successful recipe we recipe we received from a guest at our wedding shower, which is hard to believe was nearly a year ago already. Man, how time flies. Thanks Aunt Lisa for the recipe! We will definitely be adding this to the rotation. We really liked the flavor and I liked the minimal dishes it required to make it!

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch chunks (I used 2 Costco sized ones)
1 cup uncooked rice
1 10 oz. can RoTel Diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 green onions thinly sliced, reserve 2 Tbsp. for garnish
sour cream (optional, but we think it added some good flavor)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in rice, can of RoTel, can of tomato sauce, water, and green onions. Bring to a boil, cover.

Reduce heat to low, cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir the mixture. Top with shredded cheese and the reserved green onions. Cover. Cook 5 minutes more until cheese melts.

Serve with sour cream if desired.

Where in the world have we been?

2010-03-09T08:29:00.001-05:00

Paris and Munich actually! I apologize for my lack of posting, but it has been a very hectic month for us. We listed our house on the market (and have our first offer to be approved, keeping fingers crossed) and work has been very busy. I had to travel to Europe to visit some of my colleagues, and luckily, we had enough frequent flier miles for Steve to join me...so off we went! It was definitely nice to have Steve to come home to every night after a long work day! And I think he enjoyed exploring the cities a bit too.

Since I haven't been posting any new recipes, I thought I would share some pictures of the food we ate over the last week. One thing I love about Europe is the amazing food to be had.

Steve with his first crepe...ham and cheese.

We survived on bread and cheese in Paris...so good.

French Onion Soup

Coq au Vin and Fondue

German Snack Plate

Bavaria at its finest...pretzels and beer

Beef soup

Spatzle...Delight

Prost! Excuse my look of exhaustion, jet lag.

More cheese and pretzel

Another snack plate.

I discovered a new favorite beer...weiss (wheat) and lemon soda...so refreshing!

All in all, it was a good trip. It is always good to be home, but fun to see new places and things. Stay tuned for my trip to Asia in a few weeks...unfortunately Steve won't be joining me for that one!

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

2010-02-09T20:22:00.001-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday was unofficial "Crock Pot" day in our house. We didn't really get a chance to eat breakfast or a real lunch, so I whipped up this dip to munch on until dinner. We had everything in the house, so it was nice and easy.

I got this version of the recipe from my cousin at our wedding shower. It was so easy! And of course, delicious! I have another recipe for this kind of dip here, baked in an oven, not a Crock Pot. Also great!

1 pound shredded or cubed cooked chicken (I boiled 2 breasts and shredded them)

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup ranch dressing

3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Wing sauce (not the regular kind, has to be the wings version)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients in a Crock Pot, heat for around an hour on high until everything is melted. Turn heat to low and keep on low while serving.

Great with tortilla chips or celery.

Note from the original chef...light ingredients are OK, but do not use Fat Free...does not come out as well. :)

Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2010-02-07T19:54:00.001-05:00

Pork -2, Amy - 1. I had written off cooking pork. I tried 2 different recipes for a pork tenderloin and both were disappointments. When I suggested to Steve that I make a pulled pork sandwich for Super Bowl Sunday dinner, he said sure, and I didn't even realize I volunteered to cook pork...the meat that had haunted me! This was a great, simple recipe that was delicious!

I found this recipe on All Recipes.com and since it was a Crock Pot recipe, I thought it would be perfect. It was very easy and didn't require any out of the ordinary ingredients, which I always like! I did add some BBQ sauce and liquid smoke at the end per the recommendations of others on the site and it was great!

I wish I would have remembered to buy some nice kaiser rolls to have with these, but I forgot to grab them at the store. Luckily, I had some regular old boring sesame hamburger buns in the freezer.

I did cut the recipe below in half. The original serves 12. We had enough for 4 sandwiches and probably at least 4 more, which will be great for dinner this week. Here is the original.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, netted or tied
1 (10.5 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
12 round sandwich rolls or hamburger rolls, split

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until it's well browned on all sides.
Stir the soup, ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the pork and turn to coat.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours* or until the pork is fork-tender. (I cooked on high for 6 hours)
Remove the pork from the cooker to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the pork. Return the pork to the cooker. (I didn't have to do this. Mine literally fell apart to the touch at 6 hours in the pot)
Divide the pork and sauce mixture among the rolls.

I did try to remove a majority of the liquid the meat cooked in to cut down on the juicy/messiness. That is when I added about 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce and around 1 Tablespoon of liquid smoke. I let that heat up for another 15 minutes or so and then served.

Baked Ravioli

2010-01-18T20:58:00.000-05:00

My new favorite way to find new recipes is from daily emails I get from All Recipes and Martha Stewart. I file them away and when I am ready to try something different, I look there first. So far, it is working out pretty well. There have been some duds over the last few weeks (which I will spare you), but this one was a keeper thanks to Martha.

It was fairly simple and tasty. One downside, I wasn't thinking very well when I bought the ingredients. It made a lot. I think it could have been cut in half fairly easily, but I didn't put my math cap on to figure it out. Oh well, we have some for leftovers this week and I froze the rest for another day. My favorite part was the baked cheese on top. Yum. I also used a Michigan brand pasta, Pierino, for the first time. Mostly because I had a coupon, but also because I like to support the Michigan economy when I can. I used a mix of cheese and meat. Next time, I will just use all cheese. Something wasn't sitting right with the meat for us.

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
coarse ground salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano or thyme (I used my Italian Seasoning spice)
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (I used Kraft's Natural 5 Italian Cheese blend because I had it on hand)
1/2 grated parmesan

Heat oven to 425.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and season with salt and pepper. Allow the onion to soften, around 5 minutes.

Add oregano (or thyme) and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook it for around 20-25 minutes, breaking up the whole tomatoes with your spoon. Reduce down until it thickens, to about 5 1/2 cups.

While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook ravioli according to package, until they just float to the top. They will continue to cook while in the oven. Drain.

Mix ravioli and sauce together and pour into a 9x13 dish. Spread the cheeses on top. Cook for around 20-25 minutes. Allow for it to cool a bit before serving...it will be hot!

Happy 6 Year Anniversary to Owen and Me!

2010-01-17T11:16:00.007-05:00

Owen and I, a week after bringing him home...so tiny!

I know, now I am really the crazy cat lady. I am wishing Owen and I a happy anniversary.

6 years ago today, I went to the Petsmart in Roseville after weeks of browsing Petfinder to adopt Owen (formerly known as Butterscotch) from Feline Friends Rescue. I was so excited to finally have my own place and have a furry friend to be my companion. My dear friend Kim had 2 awesome cats that I fell in love with, and they really helped make up my mind that I needed a kitty in my life. Little did I know, Owen would be the start of many cats that were part of our home. I loved Owen so much, I started volunteering with the rescue soon after and over the course of 5 years, fostered and placed over 50 cats into their fur-ever homes. It has been a very rewarding experience and I encourage anyone looking for a pet to ADOPT!

There are so many great pets out there that need good homes, especially during these trying economic times. So many families have had to surrender their pets due to financial reasons, shelters and rescues are over-flowing. The great thing about a good majority of rescued animals, they are a "package" deal! They already have some or all of their shots and if you adopt an older animal, more than likely, they are already spayed or neutered!

Obviously, we are big advocates for rescuing animals...we have 5 of them in our house. Call us crazy, but we wouldn't have it any other way. And for me, it all started with my adorable, shy orange tabby that loves sweets (not kidding, he smells a cookie, cake, ice cream, cupcake batter, etc., he comes running to you and he will even lick it!).

Owen will always be #1 in my heart...but don't tell the others that! :)

The Bathroom

2010-01-14T17:35:00.000-05:00

I left the bathroom alone for about the first year and a half. The plastic tiles, painted white were non-offensive for me to deal with. However, over time, some of the ones in the shower started to pop away from the wall and causing water to drip down into the basement. So, it needed to be fixed.

I think this might be the project my dad hated the most. He had to learn how to lay ceramic tile! I did most of the demo work. Great activity after a rough day at work. I think my dad did a great job and I love that his bathroom is updated, rather than having dated colored ceramic tile that so many houses around here have. I hope this is a selling point. It is a little small, but for a 2 bedroom house, how big can it be?

Old walls, vanity, mirror.

Taking the tiles off was the worst. I don't even know what to call this adhesive that was used (that brownish color). We fixed it by putting bead board up on the walls.

Stripped down to the studs to put up proper green board before the tile.

Here it is now. I recently painted the upper quarter of the walls to the beige after we re-drywalled the ceiling (which I don't recommend for anyone...if the walls in this bathroom could talk it would be something like f*$k, Da$n it, S%it) and adding a molding near the ceiling.

2nd Bedroom/Office

2010-01-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, I do not have any before pictures for this bedroom. Luckily, the walls were just white, aside from the wall that had the extra large closet (for this area), that was a huge selling point for me. Houses built in the 1940's were not built for someone with a lot of clothes!

Now, just because only wall had wallpaper on just one wall doesn't mean it was easy. In fact, that was the worst wall of the whole house. When they originally put the paper up, they didn't do anything to prep the wall for it. It was a nightmare.

Originally, when I moved in, I painted this room a moss green and used my bedroom furniture from when I was younger. Once I started a job where I could work from home for all my early morning and late night conference calls, I modified this room into a home office. So co-workers, this is where the "marketing magic" happens. Ha. If only I could add the sound of a barking wiener dog (cough, cough, Olive) to complete the vision.

I also changed the paint from green to this pumpkin color (Greenfield Pumpkin from Benjamin Moore's historical collection to be exact) that my good friend Lisa has in her house...and I adore it. Never thought I would have pumpkin walls, but it works. The desk is Pottery Barn's Bedford Office collection. The bookshelf is also from Pottery Barn.

Kiko wanted in on the blogging in this picture too. :)

The Kitchen

2010-01-10T16:46:00.008-05:00

Overall when I moved in, the kitchen was in fairly good shape. I loved the small, built in shutter blinds in the windows and it had a lot of space to work with. I also like the vintage lights in the side door landing area as well as over the sink. They added some character to the place.

There was wallpaper on the inside panels of the kitchen cabinets and of course, on half of the walls. The cupboards are the originals from the 1940's and with just a fresh coat of paint and updated brushed nickel hardware, they looked OK enough. I wish we had more space, both storage wise and counter wise, but it works. The linoleum is blah. Neutral, but no matter which cleaning product or method I use, there are always areas that look dirty.

Before the market tanked, I was looking forward to re-doing the kitchen to add value to the home, but at this point, we know it will not help. So, you better believe the next house is going to have a great kitchen...with a dishwasher, which we do not have now.

Here are the before pictures. Note the wall paper in the center panels.

And here it is now. You can see in this immediate picture below some of my favorite things in this room: my Green Grass Kitchen Aid mixer (which you can read more about in this post), my green Pottery Barn Buffet (an outlet steal to help us with a shortage of storage), a small ledge shelf with our favorite cookbooks (Barefoot Contessa, Michael Symon and Williams Sonoma Bride and Groom) and the placemats my grandma made for me).

You can see my trusty crock pot working away on Sunday's dinner (pork tenderloin)

The Bedroom

2010-01-08T15:43:00.009-05:00

When I first saw this house, I think our now bedroom was used as a sitting room of sorts. There was an electric fireplace one wall (that sadly, Violet took with her) and 3/4 smokey toned mirrors and paneling on the bottom 1/4 on the other. Of course under that fabulous wall decor, was...wallpaper!!!

Sadly, this is the one picture I have of it.

We ripped out the carpet and re-finished the floors and my parents put up a small crown molding. The only mirror left is the one on the closet door, which is perfect! Although it is tinted so it is kind of dark.

Now, the room is much better. We recently painted it from a beige to this green I had custom mixed to match our new Marimekko bedding from Crate and Barrel. This color green is my new "signature" color. It is fresh and energizing.

Note Kiko in her heated window napper in this one:

A blast from the past...the Living Room

2010-01-03T14:00:00.002-05:00

One of the things I really liked about the house when I bought it was the great layout. The rooms were all pretty evenly spaced and it would be good to work with when putting furniture. The living room was perfect...2 windows, coved ceilings, a great corner to put the TV.

Then there was the Wall O' Mirrors.

From the moment I decided to buy the house, I knew they were coming down. I know, I know, they make a space look bigger. But I just don't like looking at myself that much. Maybe if I was a cast member of "Jersey Shore" I would, but it ain't me babe.

My parents and family hypothesized how we should get them down. We didn't want to break them to bits and have 7 years bad luck! Should we gently pry an edge, then use a piano wire to wiggle them loose from the adhesive? Will they just pop off? What will be behind them? Will it wreck the plaster? Our minds were running wild for about 3 months about these mirrors. And once we did the living room...there was more in the bedroom!

The kicker was, when I did the walk through the house with Elizabeth 2 weeks before I moved in, Violet pointed out to me the paperwork she was leaving behind for the mirrors, so I would know who to call when they would start to fall down! Turns out she had just gotten them "re-glued" and they would come undone from the wall from time to time. Sigh.

Needless to say, taking them down was the first thing we did when I got the keys.

And if memory serves...it went a lot easier than we thought. We started with the small piece over the hallway and then we kind of shimmied the rest off with various techniques. We did break some mirrors, but who believes in Old Wives Tales? Or maybe my bad luck was the housing market tanking 6 years later? Removing the glue was a bit of a bear. I think we went through many gallons of Diff or whatever that stuff is called and my arm muscles were never more toned than after weeks of scraping wallpaper and glue from every wall of this house.

The room is great now. Where there was once mirrors is our Pottery Barn picture wall. Scalloped window shades were replaced with wide blinds. I found the perfect small sectional for this space and I think it is a pretty cozy room. I would really like to get a great entertainment center, but am going to wait until the next house, since I hope we will have more room.

Here it is today. The color on the walls is Benjamin Moore's Chestertown Buff, part of the Historical Collection

6 Years Ago Today...

2009-12-30T12:53:00.006-05:00

At the tender age of 23, I took possession of the keys to my first home. I remember how excited I was to get in there and make it my own. The woman I bought it from had lived here for 35 years and it needed some "freshening up". I spent so much time looking at new furniture, paint colors and I think this is when I can pinpoint my crush on Pottery Barn starting.

About 2 weeks before I got the keys, I remembered my good friend Elizabeth was in town for Christmas and I wanted to show her the place. We went and got some ice cream from Alinosi's and came and knocked on the door of my soon-to-be house. Luckily, Violet (the previous owner) was home and was kind enough to let me show Elizabeth the house in the current state. Elizabeth and my parents were the only ones to see the house that Violet had lived in for 35 years (so they can all attest to the decor)...and I think Violet was convinced I was leaving it exactly how she had it.

We did our walk through and once Elizabeth and I got back into our car she said to me, "It has great bones, but you are changing everything, right?". And boy did we ever.

6 years ago today, we started the labour of love of taking down a wall of mirrors in not just one room, but 2, ripping down wall paper in I think every room, ripping up carpet, finishing hardwoods, ripping out plastic tile from the bathroom and painting....lots and lots of painting. And how can I forget the accordion folding interior doors??? Ahh, the memories.

As I type this post, I can't help but get a little nostalgic and my eyes have some tears in them. We have decided to put this house up for sale to move on with the next phase of our lives together. As much as I love this house, it is time to move on. The neighborhood has changed so much, it has gotten to a point where we no longer feel safe. Also, this goes without saying for those that live in Michigan, but we have also lost so much value, to the tune of 75%, it is just time to cut our losses. We can't wait 5-10 years they are estimating for things to get back to 50% of where they once were. No one ever could have expected this to happen. We did what we were supposed to...invest in real estate, you will always gain value! Ha. C'est la vie. As hard as it is to think about what will come of this house both myself and my parents have put so much sweat equity into, I have to let it go. Who would have thought I would have become so emotionally attached to a house? Oy vey...

Anyways, over the next week, I am planning on taking you through a little journey through memory lane and post the before and after pictures. I wish I had more before ones, but in some cases, you will have to take my word for it. Trust me...there was A LOT of wall paper. Did I mention the kitchen cabinets even had wall paper on them? Luckily, I do have a picture of that! Stay tuned!

Breakfast Pie

2009-12-25T13:21:00.006-05:00

For Christmas, I wanted to make a nice and easy casserole dish for Steve and I to enjoy. I have been finding a lot of good recipes on All Recipes lately, and this one is no exception! It is almost like my quiche recipe, except with potatoes in it. The other added bonus, I had every ingredient in the house already! I love it when that works out.

I was also able to use the "Delay, Bake & Hold" function on the oven so we could have breakfast ready for us when we came home from Christmas morning mass with the Griffiths side of the family.

8 strips of bacon

1/4 cup crushed cornflakes

5 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 green onion, sliced (next time, I might add another stalk or two for more flavor)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 1/2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes

Cook the bacon as you normally would. Reserve around 2 Tbsp drippings. (Steve and I love cooking it in our oven since that is what all the Food Network chefs do. :) ), crumble or cut into small pieces.
Pour the bacon drippings into a small bowl with the crushed cornflakes.
Combine the eggs, milk, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, salt and pepper until blended.
Stir in hash browns.
Pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate.
Sprinkle with cut up bacon and cornflake/dripping mixture.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, remove from the fridge and set out for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 325.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

5 Minute Fudge

2009-12-20T15:15:00.003-05:00

I kind of felt like a failure this past weekend in the baking department. I was all ready to make sugar cookies and break in our new cookie cutters, decorate them and put them into fun little bags for friends and family. Well, the sugar cookie gods were laughing at me after 2 botched batches. I am hanging up my sugar cookie apron for awhile...not only did my cookies burn, but I felt burned too! Sugar Cookies 2, Amy 0.

I did, however, have some success with an easy fudge recipe given to me from a friend at our shower. My wonderful husband, knowing well my bruised baking ego after Sugar Cookie Debacle 2009, told me this fudge was like Mackinaw Island's and that I may have found my calling. Isn't that sweet of him!

I made 2 batches of this fudge and put it into the cute little bags to share with Steve's team and our friends. It literally takes around 5-10 minutes and is so easy!

1 2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

16 large marshmallows

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Line a 8x8 dish with wax paper.

In a medium saucepan, over medium high heat, bring sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt to a boil. Stir constantly for 5 minutes while boiling.

Add the chocolate chips and stir until well blended.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, nuts and marshmallows until well mixed. I left the marshmallows somewhat still intact...some swirled in and there are chunks of them in the fudge.

Pour into 8x8 dish. Cool completely. Cut into squares.

*I would store this fudge in the fridge. The people on Mackinaw say to not store fudge in the fridge, but it was kind of getting melty on my hands when I was cutting it.*

Enjoy!

Crockpot Meatballs over Noodles

2009-12-13T10:43:00.005-05:00

I wanted to throw something in the Crockpot for dinner that was warm, gooey and mindless. I found this on All Recipes.com and thought we would try it. It is kind of like Swedish meatballs, but better. And SO easy. I mean, really easy. No measuring or anything!

The recipe originally called for 24 servings!! I would love to see the size of the Crock Pot you would use for that one! I cut it in half to 12, because that is what took 1 can of each item. So that is what I am listing here. If you want to mess around with the serving size, just follow the link above. This made enough for Steve and I with leftovers...not a ton, but some. It was really good and hit the spot on a cold winter's night!

1 can cream of celery soup (I used Healthy Request)

1 can condensed French Onion soup

8 oz. sour cream (about a cup)

3 pounds frozen Italian style meatballs (I ended up only using 2 pounds)

egg noodles

melted butter

Throw the cream of celery and french onion soup into the Crock Pot, mix well. Add the meatballs. If you choose, you can add the sour cream at this time as well. I followed some suggestions from other readers and added it in the last 3o minutes. I also added 2 small jars of mushrooms.

Cook on high for 3 hours. I cooked ours on low for around 6 and found the meatballs were breaking up a lot when I was stirring it around, so my advice would be to not cook it for too long.

Serve over cooked egg noodles that you can add butter to if you want, I didn't.

Fiesta Lasagna

2009-12-13T10:25:00.003-05:00

This is another great recipe we got from one of our showers before the wedding. I highly recommend brides-to-be to do that...we got so many great options from "trusted" friends and family!

I apologize for not taking a picture...but picture your normal lasagna, just without the red sauce. This was so easy and SO good. It required minimal dishes to be dirtied and since we don't have a dishwasher, this always makes me like a dish that much more!

I invited my parents over to help us eat this, because as much as I love lasagna, I don't like to make it for just us because it is just too much! Between the for of us, we ate about half of it. The other half I froze for another day.

Cook and then drain

1 lb. ground beef (I am sure ground turkey would be just fine too)

1/4 cup chopped onion

If you choose to use regular lasagna noodles, then you should be boiling and then draining those as well, at this point. You will need around 9. I tried out the "no bake" kind this time and boy, were they awesome. I highly recommend them.

Add the cooked meat and onion to a large bowl. Add:

1 can refried beans (14 oz.)

1 can mild chili beans (14 oz.)

1 can mexican stewed tomatoes (14 oz.)

1 cup salsa

1 can green chilies (I used a small can of chopped ones)

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix well.

In another bowl mix together:

1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1 1/c cup Monterrey jack cheese, then divide in half into another bowl.

In one half of the shredded cheeses, add:

3/4 cup cottage cheese

3/4 cup sour cream. mix well.

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan, preheat oven to 350.

Spread appx. 1 cup of the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish.

Layer with 3 lasagna noodles.

Then layer 1/3 of the cheese with sour cream mixture and more meat sauce. Repeat twice. Your top layer should just be meat sauce, not noodles (like I did :) )

Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Uncover and spread 1/2 cup sour cream and remaining cheese. Bake for 10-12 more minutes. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Tis the Season!

2009-12-12T13:14:00.008-05:00

Where did November go? I realize that it is nearly mid December, but I am confused as to where the fall went and how is it already Christmas time?! Things have been a little chaotic in the Horgan household over the last few months. I am really enjoying weekends where we have nothing planned besides spending time together.

I was able to get to get the house decorated for Christmas the weekend of Thanksgiving before I had to head to Boston for the first week of December...and boy am I glad I did it then! I was borderline on even putting the tree up! Gasp! That is a big deal coming from the girl who had her tree up 2 weeks before Thanksgiving her first Christmas in her new house!

So here it is!

I was hoping to get some new tree decorating ideas at Blumz Christmas Open House, but I was out of town. Next year for sure!

I did find these fun things at Pier One that I am hoping to get more off on the 26th once they go on sale.

Eventually, I would like to have two trees. Once in all red, silvers and that kind of grass green color and kind of funky and the other with all the ornaments I have been collecting since I was born.

My mom started this great tradition for us kids to always get us an ornament from Hallmark (that we got to pick out) each Christmas. Then I worked at a Hallmark for around 6 years in high school and college. Needless to say, I have a a TON of ornaments. Most of which, I don't even put up because I don't have enough room. Next house...

Let's hope we keep the amount of ornaments that Benny breaks this year to a minimum!

Awesome and Easy Creamy Corn Casserole

2009-12-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

I volunteered to bring a side dish to Thanksgiving on Steve's side of the family. Since most of the basics were covered, I had to venture out and find something easy and different. I got an email from All Recipes with the Daily Dish, which was this. At the same time, my co-worker was suggesting to make this exact thing! It was meant to be.

This was about the easiest thing ever to make and it was delicious! I didn't take a picture on Thanksgiving, so I stole this one from All Recipes.

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs beaten

1 8.5 oz. package dry corn bread mix.

1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14.75 oz.) can creamed corn

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x9 in baking dish. I used an oval shaped Corningware.

In a medium size bowl, combine eggs, corn bread, the corns and sour cream. Pour into dish.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Pumpkin Cookies

2009-11-29T10:25:00.003-05:00

This will probably be one of the last pumpkin related posts I do this year. I have really enjoyed trying out various pumpkin "inspired" recipes! I made these cookies twice within a week (not for just us, but my manager for a party she was having), but have not had a chance to post them yet.

I got this recipe from my friend Amy and I am so glad I got to try them. They were really good and easy to make.

Amy said they yield about 40 cookies...I made around 24 bigger sized ones. As much as I like cookies, I really hate getting them on the pan.

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin

2 2/3 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup chocolate chips (I used white chocolate)

1/2 cup nuts (I used walnuts)

1 cup rasins (optional, I didn't use)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, egg and pumpkin.

Mix dry ingredients together and sift 2 times. Then add to pumpkin mixture, mixing well. Fold in the chocolate chips, nuts and raisins.

Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Now, I baked mine longer because they were a larger sized cookie. Mine were closer to 20 minutes until the tops and the bottoms were golden brown.

Cool completely. Enjoy!

Simple Artichoke Dip

2009-11-06T08:28:00.001-05:00

My dear friend Lindsay gave me this recipe at our shower and I have been meaning to make it. There is minimal ingredients and prep work and it is so good! It was perfect to bring over to our friends' Katy and Tim's house to hand out candy for Halloween!

Excuse my lack of picture, it was gobbled right up! Trust me, it is a delight!

1 cup mayo

1 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (I used shredded and split it evenly between asiago and parmesan)

2 15 oz. cans of artichoke hearts in water

2 cloves fresh garlic.

Preheat oven to 350.

Drain and chop artichoke hearts

Chop up garlic

Combine all ingredients and place into a uncovered casserole dish (I used a smaller size oval Corningware, I think it was around 1 1/2 quarts).

Top with more cheese

Bake for around 20 minutes until it bubbles. Serve with Triscuits or Carrs crackers.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

2009-11-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

This roll is one of my favorite things about fall. Now that I had all the right tools at my disposal, I couldn't wait to make this! I looked around some websites until I found a recipe that was simple enough for me to fit into my fall cleaning schedule on Sunday (sorry Paula Dean, I will try yours some day!). This one is courtesy of All Recipes.

I think mine came out OK taste wise, but I need to work on the presentation. I ended up using a jelly roll pan than what was bigger than recommended, so it is a little thin. Also, the filling doesn't go to the edges, so there is some non-filling parts. I think if I would have used the right pan size, it would have been perfect.

3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts * (see my note below)

6 oz. cream cheese softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375
In mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar until thick and lemon colored. Add pumpkin and lemon juice.
In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Fold into pumpkin mixture.
Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour the paper. Spread batter into the pan. Sprinkle with walnuts* (I actually missed this part and added them when I spread out the filling).
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cake springs cake when lightly touched.
Immediately turn out onto a dish towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up into towel, starting at the short end. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy.
Carefully unroll the cake. Spread the filling over the cake to within 1 inch of the edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar if desired.

BBQ Ranch Chicken

2009-11-03T08:05:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to blog this recipe the last 3 times I have made it and finally remember to take a picture tonight! We love this super simple and tasty recipe courtesy of Molly. This is one of our simple go-to chicken dishes we can make during the week with minimal prep work and dishes! Try it...you will love the simplicity and great flavor!

I made this with just 2 chicken breasts, but here is the original:

4 chicken breasts

3/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used appx. 2/3 cup)

3/4 cup ranch dressing (I used appx. 2/3 cup)

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Chopped green onions (optional)

Bacon bits (optional)

Mix ranch and BBQ sauce together and pour over the chicken in a frying pan. Let simmer on medium to high heat for around 20-30 minutes until cooked.

I usually flip them a few times while cooking. I usually have a lot of sauce left over, so I pour some on top. The chicken never gets dry for me, but if the sauce mixture starts to dry out, you can always add some water.

Sprinkle with shredded cheddar, green onions and bacon bits. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2009-11-01T10:47:00.006-05:00

Work has been so insanely busy for me lately, that I have not had enough time to cook and bake as much as I was hoping to this month. So, Friday night, I sat down and looked for some fall recipes to make this weekend since we didn't have a whole lot going on for a change.

Steve and I love to go out to breakfast on the weekend. Last weekend, we went to a place our friends Lisa and Joe recommended in Ferndale (we also call Ferndale the "Breakfast Capital of Michigan"), Club Bart. I was dead set on getting pumpkin pancakes, but decided on an omelette instead. It was delightful. The place looks like a total hole in the wall dive bar, but the breakfast menu was impressive. If you are ever in the neighborhood, go check it out (Elizabeth and Paul...next time you are in town, we will go out to brunch there!). But I digress...

So, I really wanted to make pumpkin pancakes this weekend to make up for not getting them last weekend. I found this recipe on All Recipes and loved it! Full of pumpkin flavor and easy to make.

This made enough for Steve and I to have 4 pancakes each (not overly huge, maybe around 4" across) and we had batter left over for next weekend. I hope it stays good in the fridge!

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. (I used my hand mixer to mix it up well.

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, all spice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. (as I am typing this, I realized I forgot baking powder...whoops. It still turned out OK for us!)

Stir into the liquid ingredients just enough to combine. (Used the hand mixer again)

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium to high heat. We have one of those fancy electric skillets, so I had the temperature at 375 if you have one of those. Pour or scoop batter onto heated griddle, using appx. 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown both sides and serve hot.

I sprinkled them with a little bit of powdered sugar per Steve's request for "presentation". :)

Apple Cake

2009-10-11T11:49:00.005-04:00

I grew up having this often thanks to my mom making it. It is so simple and so good! The hardest part is peeling the apples. Thanks to my Grandma Van for giving me the recipe for our shower!

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs beaten

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups apples, peeled sliced (make them into about 1 inch in size). I used Macintosh

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300.

Combine oil and sugar, blend in eggs. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to oil and sugar mixture. Add vanilla extract, apples and walnuts. Place in greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 1 hour, 20 minutes in a 300 degree oven.

Homemade Applesauce

2009-10-07T10:25:00.004-04:00

My mom had picked up some Macintosh apples for us last weekend, since I wanted to bake apple cake. I had peeled too many for my cake, so I had to figure out in a hurry what to use them for since they were getting brown before my eyes.

I didn't want to make more sweet goodies to lay around the house and I wanted something simple. I Googled a few applesauce recipes and something similar to this one. Simple and quick. And boy was it a delight warm!

Here is my version:

4 apples, peeled cored and chopped (I used Macintosh)

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Add apples and water to pot. Bring water to a boil. Allow to boil at a medium/high heat for around 20 minutes. Add sugar, allow it to dissolve then add the cinnamon. Stir until well blended.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2009-10-02T09:08:00.001-04:00

I have made this recipe we got at our shower from Steve's best friend's wife, Dacia. We love it! It is almost like a wet burrito rather than enchiladas and it is so easy. We have made some modifications which I included here. The modifications started because of what we had in the house and we think it came out fabulously!

Sorry...no picture. It really isn't a attractive dish, it is more like a hot, gooey mexican blob of goodness. :)

8 medium size flour tortillas (I think they are considered burrito size), we use 6 and stuff 'em nice and fat.

4 large chicken breasts (we usually use 3 Costco size)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (we use one cream of chicken and one cream of mushroom...again, this started from having one of each in the house and it worked. It gives it a great flavor)

1/2 cup of salsa (we usually use about a cup of enchilada sauce)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 cooking dish and set aside.

Cook chicken and chop or shred into small pieces.

Mix chicken, salsa (or enchilada sauce), 1/2 cup of shredded cheese together and set aside.

In separate bowl, combine soup and sour cream. Place a spoonful of soup mixture and a spoonful of chicken mixture inside each tortilla (I usually use one heaping spoonful of soup mixture and spread it out on the tortilla and at least 2 spoonfuls of chicken since we are only using 6 tortillas).

Roll up and place seam side down in the dish. Pour remainder of soup mixture over the enchiladas and cover with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let sit out for about 5 minutes before serving so it will set a bit.

Easy Banana Nut Bread

2009-09-30T20:49:00.000-04:00

I love when our bananas get all brown and mushy and you can't eat them...but they are perfect for banana bread! This recipe is from my mom's super old Betty Crocker Cookbook and is a classic, easy and quick recipe that is always a hit! Plus, it makes your house smell so good while baking!

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk

1 cup finely chopped nuts (I omitted this time because we didn't have on hand, and I didn't want to run to the store)

1 cup mashed bananas (appx. 2-3)

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan and line with flour.

Measure all ingredients into a large bowl and mix.

Pour into the greased and floured pan. Bake 55-65 minutes or until a knife comes out clean in the center. Remove from pan and cool throughly before slicing.

Cheez-It/Laughing Cow Chicken

2009-09-29T08:27:00.006-04:00

I got inspired to find a recipe with Cheez-Its as I was munching on a box of them after work. I figured there had to be a recipe out there that used them as a breading for the chicken we had thawed out that morning. I did find one, but it called to deep fry them. Since we didn't have the means or desire to do that, I decided just to bake them at 400 degrees like I do with Laughing Cow chicken. Since the chicken breasts were very thick at one end, I decided to add a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese to each breast and it was a hit!

This is the original recipe for 6 servings. I modified it for 4 on the site and they adjusted the ingredients accordingly.

1 1/2 cups Cheez-It® Original Baked Snack Crackers, crushed (we used Reduced Fat)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon celery salt (garlic if preferred)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese (whichever flavor you prefer) per breast

Preheat oven to 400.

Lightly grease a baking dish. I used a small oval Corningware, a glass 8x8 dish would work too.

Mix together the egg and the milk. Place in a shallow bowl. Crush the Cheez-Its (I use my mini food processor) and mix in the salt, oregano, celery salt (we used garlic). Place in a shallow bowl.

Open up each chicken breast and spread one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese in the middle. Fold back over to original shape.

Dredge the chicken breast in the milk/egg mixture and then roll in the Cheez-It mixture until well coated. Place in baking dish. Cook in pre-heated oven for around 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Keep checking the chicken, ours seemed to take forever, probably because of the thickness at one end. Enjoy!

Chicken Dijon

2009-09-23T18:51:00.000-04:00

This is a yummy recipe that we got from one of our guests at one of our showers. It is a great recipe because most of the ingredients we always have in the house. The downside of this recipe was, no offense to the person that gave it to us, written so confusing, I had to start over 2 times! I will do a much better job for you when I post it! That is also why I don't have a picture, I was so annoyed, I just wanted to eat the thing! It is delicious though. Don't let the name fool you, it is a really light mustard taste. In a way, it reminded me a lemon rice chicken soup from National Coney Island, but not as lemony!

Rice Ingredients

2 cups water

1 cup rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pat of butter

Chicken and Sauce Ingredients

3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 Tablespoons Butter

3 level Tablespoons flour

16 oz. can of chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2-3 Tablespoons dijon mustard

In a medium pot, place all the rice ingredients. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer till all liquid is absorbed (around 10-15 minutes).

Cut up the chicken breasts into strips and cook throughly. I lightly seasoned them with some salt and pepper before cooking. Set aside. The original recipe calls for browning the chicken, then placing it into the butter (next step), but I did it my own way, mostly because I was confused. :) It came out just fine and the chicken was nice and tender and cooked perfectly.

In a medium sized pan, melt 3 Tablespoons of butter until it begins to bubble. Gradually stir in 3 Tablespoons of flour. As you are stirring in the flour, gradually start adding the chicken broth, stirring constantly (like a rue almost) until the broth, flour and butter are well combined. It may be a bit clumpy...that will work itself out.

Add the milk and heat until warm. Then add the dijon mustard, bring to a boil. I was constantly stirring at this point to make sure the sauce was well blended and thickens up a bit.

Add the chicken to this mixture and let it all get warm together for a few minutes.

Serve over cooked rice.

Fall is arriving!

2009-09-22T20:30:00.000-04:00

Well almost! It got really cold here in Michigan, and now the temps are back in the 80's with humidity...ick! I am ready for sweater weather. Call me crazy, but I love our 4 seasons we get in Michigan and I have just come to realize, the more you hate on one specific season (winter), the more awful it is. So I just embrace it...along with my North Face coats and Uggs!

My previous post was about my journey to Eastern Market this weekend. I thought I would share with you what I bought and the touches of fall I have begun to add around our house.

Our front yard has this light post in it, which I always decorate with corn stalks, usually a bale of hay and some pumpkins. I decided to switch it up this year with the mums since I got such a great deal over Labor Day weekend for these at Eastern Market...all 5 for $10! Woo hoo! If I kill them, I won't feel so bad! I bought the corn stalks this past weekend, 2 for $5. Gotta love<>

Next up, the interior. I got two large bunches of sunflowers for $10 total as well. Fresh flowers make me happy, but I don't like to spend a lot on them...which is why going to the Market is so worth it to me!

A small bunch in our living room:

Another small bunch in our newly painted and drywalled ceiling bathroom:

And another big bunch on our kitchen table, with some new placemats from Kohl's! I was inspired to stop by there at lunch yesterday after seeing My Happy House's cute fall table runner. I got these placemats for 50% off! Yay! Thanks for the tip Molly!

Last but not least, my favorite thing so far, my fancy pumpkins I spent at least 20 minutes trying to decide which ones to get at Eastern Market. I wanted ones that stacked just right, but weren't too big for our buffet in the kitchen. I got all 3 of these for $15 and it was so worth it! There were so many different kinds, white ones, green ones, orange with green. I highly suggest you check out your local farmers market for some of these pumpkins. They are great fall decor!

My Love of Eastern Market

2009-09-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I spent Saturday morning at one of my most favorite places in Detroit, Eastern Market. Steve was at a golf tournament, so I got to walk around and enjoy it all by myself.

The Market will forever hold a very special place in my heart, because the morning of the wedding, before heading to St. Mary's for the ceremony, my bridesmaids and I walked around the stalls taking pictures with some of the locals. Those moments were some of my favorites from 05.09.09. There was just this immediate out-pouring of love and joy for me and us. Random cheering, picture taking and just Detroit Love. I specifically recall a woman walking by us and saying "You are the most beautiful thing I have seen in the Market all day." How could you not get warm fuzzies from those random words of kindness?

I now walk through the stalls and remember those moments and I find myself smiling at everyone while being there and just loving being a Detroiter...which I say with pride. This city has had its face shoved in the mud so much lately (some of it much deserved, cough, Kwame), but I have nothing but love for Detroit, which I hope to share with all of you. If you haven't been, I highly suggest you go. It is truly one of the best things the city has to offer.

Here are some pictures from that morning which I just had to share.

Enough of the trip down memory lane...I had a list of things I was looking for and was able to get most of them, with the exception of bananas.

I also broke down and finally bought a little portable, collapsable shopping cart at J.R. Hirt. For as much as we go down there, we waited long enough to get one. It really made walking from one end of the market to the other much easier without having to walk back to the car.

I was so excited to get some fresh, fall decor for the house, of course, for cheap since I was at Eastern Market. Bunches of sunflowers, funky pumpkins and corn stalks for the front yard. Misson accomplished! Fall is on its way!

A bit of a new look, name and "direction"

2009-09-20T18:32:00.002-04:00

You may or may not have noticed that I have changed the name of our blog, from the un-original "Horgan's Cooking Blog" to the bit more original "20 Paws 4 Feet, Our Journey as Mr. and Mrs.". I did this because as much as I loved the idea of having a blog for just our house stuff, I know I can't maintain it...so this blog will now be recipes, home and more! We hope you enjoy it :).

Cheesy Turkey (or Chicken) and Spinach Pie

2009-08-18T08:01:00.004-04:00

I have been meaning to try this recipe from one of my cookbooks for some time, so I was happy I finally had the opportunity last night. It was fairly easy to put together, but a bit time consuming. The end product was really delicious and flavorful! It did make a lot, so I think we are going to freeze the leftovers to save for another day.

Nonstick cooking spray

4 oz. cooked angel hair pasta

3 eggs

1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayo

1/4 cup fresh snipped basil (I did a rough chop) or 1 Tablespoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

14 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken (this was about a breast and a half for me, Costco sized)

1 10 oz. packaged frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/3 cup chopped bottled roasted red sweet peppers

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a 9" deep dish pie plate or a 2 quart square baking dish with cooking spray (I used my round, 2 1/4 quart Corningware and it worked perfectly), set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together eggs, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, basil, garlic salt and crushed red pepper until well combined. Stir in cooked pasta, turkey or chicken, spinach, cheese and roasted red peppers. Spread mixture into prepared dish. (if you are using a pie plate, it will be very full)

3. Bake uncovered, in the pre-heated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until edges are slightly puffed and golden. Let stand on a wire rack for 10 minutes prior to serving to cool.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Sweet Potato Fries

2009-08-17T09:09:00.002-04:00

I had bought some sweet potatoes at Trader Joe's this week and I was anxious to try them out. I knew I wanted to make some fries out of them and I will be attempting them mashed this weekend or next week.

I found this recipe on All Recipes and again, was very happy we had everything in the house! Based on some of the comments su

ggested by others on the site, I omitted the microwave with water part so they wouldn't get soggy.

(I had to put a picture of the potatoes while I was prepping. I just loved the color of the fries with the bowl and my spatula. :) )

I didn't follow the measurements on seasonings exactly. I kind of eye-balled it to taste and they were yummy! We gobbled them right up with our brats!

4 sweet potatoes cut into large French Fries (I used 3 small/medium ones and it was perfect for the 2 of us)

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper

pinch of salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss cut potatoes with Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, salt and pepper and olive oil.

3. Arrange fries on a baking sheet in a single layer.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once, or until fries are crispy on the outside.

Finished product! So good with ranch...:)

Pretzel Jello

2009-08-16T09:26:00.003-04:00

I have made this recipe, which I got from a fellow Detroit Knottie's food blog, twice now, both with rave reviews! It is so easy and I think a great summer dessert dish. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures as the finished product is always consumed somewhere I don't have my camera with me!

2 cups coarsely chopped pretzels (I use the stick kind)

3/4 cup melted butter

3 Tablespoons of Sugar plus 1 Cup

1 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese

1 small carton of Cool Whip, thawed

2 6 oz. boxes of Raspberry Jell-O

2 10 oz. packages of frozen raspberries

2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix pretzels, butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar and press into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar together until creamy. Add Cool whip and blend into all mixed together. Spread on cooled pretzel crust.

Mix together Jell-O and water. Add frozen raspberries until slightly jelled. Spread on cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until set.

Cheesecake Cupcakes

2009-08-14T09:00:00.003-04:00

I volunteered to make a dessert for a little gathering my manager was having for some co-workers and their spouses. I wanted to make something really great, but it is so hard to bake during the week lately!

My mom suggested making cheesecake cupcakes since they were so easy and delicious and she was right!

(sorry, no pictures, I put the final touches on at my manager's house)

3 8 oz. packages cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

3 eggs

Nabisco Vanilla Wafers

1 large can of and kind of pie filling (I used cherry)

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream all of the ingredients (except wafers) together and beat for 5 minutes. No less than 5 minutes. Put wafers in the bottom of cupcake papers, rounded side down. Fill papers about 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 for 18 minutes, no less. Let cool completely. (I actually made mine the night before and stored them in the fridge until serving). Top with fruit pie filling...I used 2-3 cherries on each cupcake.

Makes around 20-24.

Campfire Potatoes

2009-08-13T08:50:00.004-04:00

My very kind and generous co-worker gave us some fresh potatoes and onions from her garden, so we wanted to make something with them to compliment our steaks we were grilling that night. I remember my mom always making some potatoes on the grill that were wrapped in foil and delicious, so I tried to find my own version.

I found this recipe on AllRecipes and liked that I actually had everything in the house! And you don't need a campfire...just a grill. Oh, and it was delicious and very flavorful. Next time I make it, I will add the cheese on at the end so it doesn't bake into the foil like it did this time.

I altered this to make a smaller serving size on the website...here is the original.

5 potatoes thinly sliced

1 onion, sliced

6 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cups cheddar cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup chicken broth

1. Preheat an outdoor grill

2. On a piece of heavy aluminum foil, appx. 20x20 inches, places the potatoes and onion. Dot with butter.

3. In a medium bowl, mix cheddar cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Sprinkle mixture over the potatoes.

4. Fold edges of foil. Cover potatoes with chicken broth.

5. Seal foil tightly and place on prepared grill. Cook 35-40 minutes over medium heat.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

2009-06-23T21:54:00.005-04:00

Steve asked me to bake something for his team meeting where they celebrate whomever's birthday it is that month. Yes, his work team. Of grown adults. I would rather celebrate with a nice cocktail...but to each their own. I jokingly asked if he wanted me to make clown cupcakes or those cupcakes in ice cream cones since I was having a flash back of elementary school, but he assured me that wasn't necessary.

As we were in Costco (one of my favorite places to shop) this weekend, I found a Barefoot Cookbook I didn't have yet, Barefoot Contessa at Home. It was just $20 and I was thumbing through it, came across the recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting that looked yummy. Steve said make it, so we got the book and I made these tonight.

They are delicious! The cupcake recipe itself is kind of involved, but it is worth it. At one point, when alternating the wet and dry mixes into the main mix, the cupcake batter was looking like an Irish Car Bomb shot gone bad...but I kept the Mean Green Kitchen Aid 'a goin' and it all came out great in the end.

The frosting is so light and creamy and not over-powering. I was also pretty excited to use more of our new kitchen gadgets, a sifter and my cake decorator!

This recipe said it made around 14-15 cupcakes. When I made them, it yielded 23. Nothing like having these left over to munch on!

Cupcake Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 tablespoons brewed coffee

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup good cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes (our oven took 20 minutes exactly), until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Lonestar State Cheesecake

2009-06-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

When we went to go complete our registry at Williams Sonoma, the sales associate was really pushing the springform pan I had on my registry but chose to not get. She claimed it was the best thing they had in the store, so I caved. I like to bake and I had never tried a cheesecake and this Kaiser pan would allow me to do that.

I got this recipe off the Food Network website, from a cook I have never watched before, Sunny Anderson. It seemed easy enough and it was getting high ratings, so I gave it a whirl. Plus, I got to use some new kitchen gadgets...springform pan, food processor, Kitchen Aid mixer and a mandoline slicer (for the strawberries)!

I am not one to brag about my mad skillz, but this was a pretty gosh darn good cheese cake. Creamy, not too rich and simple to make. Again, this got a resounding "yum" from my parents and hubby, so that made me happy!

Note: You do need a 9" springform pan to make this recipe.

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (original recipe called for cinnamon, I opted for regular)

6-8 tablespoons butter, melted (I used 8)

4 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar plus,

2 Tablespoons

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups sour cream

1 pint blueberries

1 pint strawberries, sliced (you could probably use what ever fruit strikes your fancy)

Heat oven to 325.

In a food processor, blend graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until moist, but not wet. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. In a large bowl, using an electric beater, combine cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the lemon juice until light and smooth. Slowly mix in the eggs until well blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 55 minutes or until the center sets. (Our oven took about 60 minutes)

Turn oven off and remove the cake.

In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and remaining vanilla. Spread this over top of the cheesecake and return to the warm oven for 30 minutes. Remove and then let cool to room temperature before removing the springform. (I actually let the cheesecake get to room temperature and then put in the fridge for 4 hours until post-dinner...came out great).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss together blueberries and sliced strawberries with remaining sugar.

Serve slices of the cheesecake with the fruit as a garnish.

Barefoot Potato Salad

2009-06-21T19:48:00.003-04:00

Shocker...another Barefoot Contessa recipe, from her "Barefoot at Home" cookbook. We were having my parents over for Fathers Day BBQ and I wanted to make a potato salad to accompany the steaks we were grilling. Steve really likes potato salad with a mustard taste and I love potato salad with dill. This seemed like a happy medium for both of our taste buds and I got to use herbs from our garden. Both Mom and Dad gave their "yum" of approval...and my mom is not a huge dill fan!

What I also liked about this recipe is that it seemed just about right for 4-6 people. Sometimes the Barefoot seems like she is making food for a small army, but we only have a small Tupperware left of this!

3 pounds small red potatoes

Kosher salt

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk, milk or white wine (I used 1% milk)

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons whole-grain mustard

1/2 cup chopped dill

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red onion (we used shallots)

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel, Allow the potatoes to steam for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the mayo, milk (buttermilk or wine), Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten (as the salad sits, you may need to add more dressing). Add the celery, onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

Toss well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Sunburst Lemon Bars

2009-06-18T21:30:00.003-04:00

My co-worker gave me this recipe so I could use my Kitchen Aid for another recipe. It is really easy and I had all the ingredients in the house...an added bonus! This is a great dessert for summer, light and refreshing. It was also the first time I got to use my Williams Sonoma Gold Touch 9x13 rectangle pan and it was everything I hoped for! Ha!

A bit of advice...don't make this too late at night if you want to finish it up before you go to bed. You have to wait for it to cool completely before you frost it. That really bummed Steve out!

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

Filling:

4 eggs slightly beaten

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup lemon juice

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 to 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Heat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients. With your paddle attachment, blend until crumbly. Press mixture evenly in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake crust at 350 for 20-30 minutes until light, golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine all filling ingredients, except the lemon juice. Blend well. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour mixture over warm crust. Return to oven and bake an additional 25-20 minutes or until top is light, golden brown. Cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine all the frosting ingredients. Add enough lemon juice to desired consistency and taste, blend until smooth. Spread over cooled bars. Yields about 36 bars.

Basic Yummy Quiche

2009-06-16T09:36:00.009-04:00

My mother-in-law gave us this recipe at one of our showers so I decided to make it this past weekend. We had a big day of yard work planned (specifically, cleaning up tons of helicopters from our front yard), so I wanted a big breakfast to "power us up" for the day ahead. My girlfriends had gotten me a bunch of baking things, including a quiche/tart pan and I was excited to put it to use!

This was so easy and yummy! It is even great leftover! This recipe is meant to be a base. You can add whatever meats, veggies, etc. in it that you want...I just wouldn't add more than 2 otherwise it might not fit in the pan!

1 pre-made pie crust (my mother-in-law uses the ones already in a dish, you can also put the crust in a pie pan if you do not have a quiche pan)

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

12 bacon slices (I used more like 9) or 1 cup of ham chopped up

1 small can of mushrooms (can also use onions, green peppers, whatever you wish to taste)

4 eggs

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup half and half

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup cubed swiss cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (you can use cubed too)

Preheat oven to 425.

Spread crust out into pan. Spread the softened butter onto the crust and put in the refrigerator to chill.

If you are using bacon, fry up the bacon, drain and crumble. Set aside.

Mix together the eggs, cream, salt and nutmeg with a wire whisk. Stir in cheese and other desired ingredients (mushrooms, onions, etc.).

Remove pie crust from fridge and spread out the bacon on the chilled crust. Pour egg mixture on top of that.

Bake 15 minutes at 425. Turn oven down to 350 and bake for 35 minutes. When a knife comes out clean in the center, it is done. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2009-04-14T22:00:00.006-04:00

At our shower, we got 3 different recipes for a buffalo chicken dip. One of our showers was the same day that my bachelorette party was happening, so Steve was on his own for dinner. He ended up making this dip for himself for dinner! He loved it and I loved the leftovers and have since made it for my brother, sister-in-law and my parents...all who thought it was yummy! An added bonus is that I got to use our new Corningware portable to bake it in! Yay!

We plan on trying out the other two recipes...one of which is for the crock pot! Thanks to Katy for this great recipe...Andrea and Jennifer, yours are on deck!

1 1/2 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 oz. Franks Hot Sauce (I used 2 oz. and used the Wing version)

16 oz. Ranch Dressing

1/2 c. chopped celery

2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil chicken, when completed. Shred the chicken with a fork. Mix with the Franks sauce once shredded.

Over medium heat, combine ranch and cream cheese and cook until cheese softens and mixes.

In a 9x13 size dish, layer the Franks covered chicken evenly. Pour dressing mix over the chicken. Layer the celery and top with the cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips (Scoops work really well).

BBQ Ribs in a Crock Pot

2009-04-14T21:43:00.003-04:00

We have been MIA from our kitchen for awhile...reverting back to old standards and frozen quick meals from Trader Joe's! I am anxious for the wedding planning and execution to soon be done so I can dig into all our new cookbooks and try out new recipes!

This recipe is from my grandma. At our showers, we included a recipe card for everyone to bring back completed with them at the shower. We got some great recipes! This one was quick, easy and delicious!!!

3-4 pounds spare ribs

salt

pepper

onion (I just used a medium sized yellow one)

16 oz. jar of BBQ sauce (any flavor you like)

Heat up your broiler. Cut the ribs into serving size pieces. Rub salt and pepper on both sides. Place ribs on broiler pan. Broil ribs for about 10-15 minutes or until they start to brown.

Slice onion, place in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the entire jar of BBQ sauce on top. Place ribs on top of sauce and onion and then stir all around so the ribs get coated. I kind of stood the ribs up on their sides to maximize the sauce coverage. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. The ribs will be just falling off the bone...delicious!!!

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

2009-02-10T11:33:00.004-05:00

I wanted to make an easy breakfast dish that I could just throw in the oven for Steve and his friend Joe on Sunday. I knew they were basically going to be doing "dude things" all day and might be feeling a little rough on Sunday. I made it Saturday night and threw it in the oven on Sunday. This was so easy and yummy! I think it would also be very easy to cut in half as well.

18 slices white bread, cubed (I used more like 13)

8 oz. cooked ham, cubed (I bought the small pre-cut cubes)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups diced swiss cheese

6 eggs

3 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon onion powder (I left out because we didn't have it)

2 cups crushed, cornflakes cereal

1/2 cup butter, melted

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Line the bottom of the dish with half the bread cubes. Sprinkle with the ham, cheddar cheese and swiss cheese. Then top with remaining bread cubes.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk and onion powder. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, blend the crushed cornflakes and melted butter. Spread evenly over the casserole.

Bake 40 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Chocolate White Chocolate/PB Chip Cookies

2009-01-15T15:29:00.004-05:00

My manager asked me if I would mind making a dessert for a homeless dinner she was volunteering at and I happily obliged! Then, about an hour later, Steve asked me to make cookies for his team for their "monthly birthday celebrations" where they usually bring in a sweet treat. Looked like I was going to be busy!

I wanted to a cookie that I thought most people would like, but also something unique. I found these on the Food Network website and they sounded simple and tasty. Of course, they are a Barefoot recipe. The original recipe calls for chunks of white chocolate, but I opted to do one batch with white chocolate chips and the other with peanut butter chips. The "test" audiences liked the peanut butter option better, but both were really moist and rich cookies.

The size I made the cookies (which were kind of big-ish), each batch made around 2 dozen.

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 extra large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup good, unsweetened cocoa

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds good white chocolate coarsely chopped (I used a 16 oz. bag of white c.c. and peanut butter c.c.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream the butter and 2 sugars together until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs...1 at a time, and mix well.

Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and slowly add to the chocolate mixture on a low speed until just combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate or chips.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper using an ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten each dough ball slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies may seem underdone...but that is OK) Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

2009-01-15T12:42:00.006-05:00

With my new trusty Kitchen Aid mixer at my side, I can now make all kinds of sweet treats! Although, I prefer to make them and give them to others at the moment! This one seemed somewhat healthy and simple, so I thought I would make Steve a sweet treat on Sunday night.

This pound cake was so easy to make and was very yummy. I got the recipe from my Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics cook book.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter at cool room temperature (which means, leave it out for about an hour)

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 extra-large eggs at room temperature

2 tablespoons of honey

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light. Meanwhile, put the eggs, honey, vanilla and lemon zest in a glass measuring cup, but do not combine. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to become incorporated before adding the next egg.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, add it slowly to the batter until just combined. Finishing mixing the batter with a rubber spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a knife through the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then turn out and place on a baking rack to allow it to cool completely.

Recipe Manager!

2009-01-04T12:54:00.003-05:00

On Friday at work, Steve told me he bought us a present but I would have to wait to get home to get it. I was really curious as to what it could have been and I never expected what it actually was! He bought us this software called 'The Recipe Manager". It manages recipes, had some pre-existing recipes already in it, creates shopping lists based on recipes, measurement equivalents and most importantly for me, calculates nutritional value for the recipe you make!

It is going to take a little bit of manual set up to get it going, but I am excited to start using it. Now, when I post a recipe, I can also post the nutritional information with it!

Cauliflower Goat Cheese Gratin

2009-01-01T13:13:00.007-05:00

One of my co-workers directed me to a blog she had recently found where she got the recipe for an amazing pork tenderloin. As I was checking it out, the most recent entry was for a Cauliflower Goat Cheese Gratin and I was immediately interested. I love Cauliflower and goat cheese and this sounded simple enough...and we had all the ingredients in house, except for the veggies and goat cheese. We decided to make it for our "stay at home" New Years Eve dinner last night and it was YUMMY! It went really well with the filets Steve made for us. It was a great way to ring in the new year!

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 green onions, chopped

3 ounces goat cheese, cut in small pieces (we could only find the Provencal flavor goat cheese crumbles and it really added some great flavor)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Add cream to a small pot with the garlic and bring to a simmer
Turn off the heat and let the cream infuse and cool for about 15 minutes
Toss the cauliflower, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, green onion and lemon zest in a shallow casserole dish (I used a 9x13 because that is all we had)
Season with salt and pepper.
Strain the cream over the cauliflower and top with the pieces of goat cheese. Add another grind or two of pepper to the top.
Roast for 20-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and the sauce has thickened slightly and become golden around the edges.
Remove from the oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

2009-01-01T13:00:00.005-05:00

When I first got my Kitchen Aid mixer a few days ago, I was so excited to think about all the sweet treats I could make in it. What would be first? Brownies? Coconut cupcakes? Scones? Then I started thinking about the wedding dress I need to fit in for the fast approaching date of May 9! I opted to make treats for our 2 weiner dogs instead.

I got this recipe from a fellow Knotties blog...her dog Vernon gave his "woof"of approval and so did Olive and Dexter last night! I was going to get a bit concerned if even our dogs didn't eat my baking!

1 1/4 cup of milk

1 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 tablespoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine flours and baking powder in large bowl.
Mix milk and peanut butter in a large bowl until smooth (I used my mixer with the paddle attachment)
Gradually stir flour mixture into wet ingredients
Knead dough by hand, adding small amounts of milk if the dough is too dry. (I used the dough hook attachment on my mixer)
Roll out dough onto lightly floured surface to about 1/8 - 1/4", and cut into shapes with desired cookie cutters
Bake on cookie sheet for around 12-15 minutes (ours took around 13-14 minutes), the consistency when done is a cross between a cookie and a biscuit.

They do not rise a lot during baking, so you can place them fairly close together on the cookie sheet.

Some things are just meant to be...

2008-12-30T14:11:00.009-05:00

So I have been obsessing over getting a Kitchen Aid mixer for some time. For those of you who follow my blog, I usually blame not having one for some recipes not working right and the one thing standing in the way of me becoming the next Barefoot Contessa. Or for anyone knows what I am most excited when it comes to the wedding is:

Marrying Steve...I am truly the luckiest girl in the world to have him as my fiance and soon to be husband :)
Changing my last name to a nice, 6 letter one, rather than 13 that no one can pronounce
Getting a Kitchen Aid mixer

I originally wanted the Grass Green color exclusive to Williams Sonoma. However, the more I thought about it, I would rather have someone use a 20% off coupon at BB&B if they wanted to buy it for us. So, I registered for the green apple color at BB&B back in August. For Christmas, my very generous parents gave us money as a gift. I asked Steve if I could get my Green Apple Kitchen Aid at BB&B, he said "yes", so we went on the 26th to go get it at the store. Well, as fate would have it, they don't have that color in the store, it would take 2 weeks to come in and to top it off, were on back order till who knows when. I left the store fairly bummed and we just thought, there had to be a reason that didn't work out.

Today at lunch, I had to run to the mall for a few things and I popped into Williams Sonoma to check out some gadgets I wanted to add to our registry. I am walking past the clearance tables and lo and behold, like a gift from god, sat the Green Grass Kitchen Aid I longed for back in August. I thought to myself, "Something has to be wrong with it, it doesn't have attachments or is scratched." It was on clearance for $199!!!! Even cheaper than with a coupon at BB&B!!! I didn't see a box for it and left the store. I texted Steve, and he responded, "Just buy it". And this is just another reason I am marrying him!!!

So, I went back and bought my glorious Green Grass Kitchen Aid mixer for a heck of a deal! It is perfect, came in the box with all the attachments. The clerk said they are discontinuing certain colors, so are marking them down...different colors nearly every day...so I suggest checking it out if you want one!

Oh, and if anyone has any recipes that are perfect for a Kitchen Aid mixer, feel free to pass them along! :)

Mini Beef Wellingtons

2008-12-29T14:35:00.005-05:00

This is a delicious recipe we got at our cooking class. So yummy...I could eat these all the time! Slightly time-consuming, but you can make them ahead of time and leave them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. This was another "fan favorite" at our "Merry Little Cocktail" party!

1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into 2" cubes

1 cup mushroom cream sauce

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 package Boursin cheese (we used garlic and herb flavored)

oil for sauteing

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk for egg wash

Pre-heat large saute pan over medium high heat.
Season beef with your favorite seasonings
Place 2 tablespoons of oil in the saute pan and swirl to coat
Place beef in the pan and sear for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side
Remove from pan and cool completely
Roll puff pastry out to about 1/8" of thickness and cut into 16 3-4" squares, depending on the size of beef; dough must be able to wrap completely around the meat and mushrooms
Place 1 teaspoon mushroom mix in the center of each square, then 1/2 tsp of the Boursin cheese, and top with a piece of seared beef.
Brush the edges of the square with egg wash, and fold around the beef, mushroom sauce and cheese. Seal the edges as best as you can.
Brush the bottom and the top with egg wash.
Place the Wellingtons seam side down on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
Refrigerate the Wellingtons for at least 15-30 minutes to allow the pastry to get cool.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 10-15 minutes
Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve warm

Madeira - Mushroom Cream Sauce

2008-12-29T14:03:00.003-05:00

This is a great sauce we used in our mini beef Wellington's, but could be great as a sauce for chicken, pork or beef or even as a lasagna layer! I love mushrooms so I would love to just eat a bowl of this plain. :)

1 pound mixed sliced mushrooms (use any kind you like), brushed clean of dirt, minced

1/2 red onion, small dice (we used shallots)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup Madeira or Marsala (Steve discovered dry Vermouth is an acceptable substitute, so we used that since we had it and Marsala is pricey)

1 cup heavy cream

Pinch each of nutmeg, cayenne pepper and white pepper

Salt to taste

Lemon juice to taste (just a few drops)

4-6 tablespoons whole unsalted butter, melted

Pre-heat a saute pan over high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until you cannot hold your hand within an inch of the pan surface for 5 seconds
Toss mushrooms and onion together with the butter in a large bowl
Add mushrooms to pan and shake pan only briefly to create an even layer; let mushrooms brown - DO NOT STIR THEM OR MOVE THEM AROUND for at least 1-2 minutes or until they are golden brown on the first side; then shake or stir with a wooden spoon to brown both sides.
Add wine and shake pan to distribute evenly; scrape bottom of pan to remove all brown bits and cook until the wine is cooked off; (at this point, continue cooking mushrooms until all liquid has evaporated; this may take quite a while if the mushrooms were high in moisture)
Add cream to pan and scrape again; bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg to taste, then add a few drops of lemon juice.
Finish with an additional splash of wine if desire

"Upgraded" Pigs in a Blanket

2008-12-29T13:48:00.008-05:00

We learned how to make this in our Mirepoix Retro Cocktails and Appetizers class. I love the classic version, but this "upgraded" version is pretty phenomenal. We got rave reviews on them at our "Merry Little Cocktail" party, so I thought it would be blog-worthy. A little more labor-intensive than the little smokies, but well worth it!

6-8 good quality sausages (we used Aidell's Chicken sausage Portabella Mushroom and Roasted Garlic and Artichoke)
1 box puff pastry dough, thawed at room temperature

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

2 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons milk

Cut sausages in half length-wise, then half again so you have quartered sausages, length wise.
Next, cut each quarter into 3 pieces
If the sausage is raw, saute in a large saute pan over medium high heat, with just a little bit of oil, until almost cooked through; about 5-7 minutes. Cool completely.
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Place a piece of parchment paper on a small sheet tray and put the Dijon mustard on the parchment (spread out, but not too thin); roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown; cool completely.
Spread out thawed puff pastry and cut into strips smaller than the piece of sausage and just long enough to wrap around the sausages once.
Thoroughly mix together the egg whites and mustard; mix the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of milk
Brush the inside of each piece of puff pastry dough with the mustard, place a piece of sausage inside and wrap it snugly
Brush the outside with the egg yolk mixture for all "pigs in a blanket"
Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and puffed

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail and Cocktail Sauce with a kick!

2008-12-29T12:08:00.009-05:00

I love seafood. I also love shrimp cocktail at a party. However, sometimes I have found that some of the pre-done trays kind of leave the shrimp a little rubbery, so when my idol, The Barefoot Contessa, did shrimp in the oven on her show, I was intrigued! I was also delighted with the recipe was in my Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics cookbook!

This is so easy and it saves the hassle of dealing with boiling water...plus the shrimp tastes soooo yummy!

For the shrimp

2 pounds shrimp (12 to 15 count shrimp, I got ours at Costco...already de-veined! Woo hoo!)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and de-vein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt and pepper and spread them in one layer. Toss them around to make sure they are covered with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 8-10 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through. Set aside to cool.

For the cocktail sauce

1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce
1/2 cup Heinz ketchup
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Combine together and refrigerate before serving.

Bay Scallop Gratins

2008-12-29T11:30:00.007-05:00

I have been really looking at my Barefoot cookbooks a lot lately, and came across this one and it sounded right up our alley. Steve and I had a low-key Christmas at home, so we decided to make a nice dinner for ourselves. I love scallops and Steve loves prosciutto and this recipe is a nice combination of them both.

I think the topping would have come out a bit better if a) I would have used individual gratin dishes like the recipe calls for instead if a glass 8x8 dish, b) if I would have broiled them the entire time to get a much crustier top and c) if I had a Kitchen Aid mixer to blend it :). I didn't take a picture, because mine did not look at all like the Barefoot's. Tasted good, but not so appealing to look at. So, here is the photo from the Food Network website.

Makes 3 gratins

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (very important)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Pernod (French liquor, with a licorice smell)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
3 tablespoons dry white wine (something you would drink with dinner)
1 pound fresh bay scallops

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place 3 6" round gratin dishes on a sheet pan.

To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, the shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, Pernod, salt and pepper until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the olive oil slowly, as though making a mayonnaise, until combined. Fold the panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside.

Preheat broiler if its separate from your oven.

Place 1 Tablespoon of wine in the bottom of each gratin dish.

Pat the scallops down with a paper towel so they are dry and distribute them among the 3 dishes. If you could only find sea scallops (which are larger than bay scallops), cut them into quarters before placing them in the dish.

Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the top is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done. If you want the top crustier, place under the broiler for 2 minutes until browned. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley.

Turkey Meat Loaf

2008-12-29T11:09:00.004-05:00

This is one of my most favorite, cold weather, comfort food dishes. This was the first recipe I tried when I got my first Barefoot Contessa cookbook last Christmas and have made it a few times since with rave reviews every time. WARNING - this recipe as is makes the biggest meatloaf you have ever seen. Barefoot says it serves 8-10 and my guess it could serve a small army. I cut it in half recently, and it was still big, but what we didn't eat, we froze and it was still very yummy reheated.

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dry)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
5 pounds ground turkey breast (I told you it was the biggest meatloaf you have ever seen)
1 1/2 cups plain, dry bread crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup ketchup

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium saute pan, on medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme until the onions are translucent, but not browned (appx. 15 minutes). Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs and onion mixture in a large bowl (might need your bath tub if you make a 5 pound loaf). Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees and the meatloaf is cooked through.

A helpful hint, if you place a pan of hot water in the oven as the loaf is cooking, it will prevent the ketchup from cracking.

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

2008-12-29T11:00:00.003-05:00

I have made this recipe a few times from my Barefoot Contessa cookbook and love them. They are a great side dish with turkey meatloaf. The recipe as is serves 6-8, which is a ton. I have cut it down and it is still delicious...even as a leftover!

3 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place potatoes and 1 Tablespoon of salt in a 4 qt. sauce pan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer covered for 25-35 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender, drain.

In a small sauce pan, heat the half and half and butter.

Put the potatoes into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix them for a few seconds on low speed to break them up
**Note: I do not have stand mixer, so I just used a potato masher for this part**

Slowly add 3/4 of the the hot cream and butter to the potatoes, mixing on the lowest speed. The last 1/4 of the cream and butter should be folded in by hand.

Then fold in the sour cream, Parmesan cheese, remaining salt and pepper; taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Our New Buffet!

2008-11-21T09:44:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I went to the Pottery Barn Outlet with my two fabulous friends, Jess and Linds. We kind of went nuts shopping...but there were really great deals! Here is us in the car heading home.

"Go Big, or Go Home.", Lindsay

When we were there, I spotted this awesome green buffet. I kept thinking about it the whole drive home, kept talking to Steve about it and finally over our 2nd dirty martini at the Old Pointe Bar in Grosse Pointe, Steve said "Do you want to go back tomorrow and get it?". And this my friends is one of the many reasons I am marrying him!

So we went back and got it. We love it. It gives us so much more storage and adds a really fun element to the one room in the house I am itching to re-do, but think we will wait for the dream kitchen at the next house.

It was a pain getting the 140 pounds of it into the house, but the end result is worth it! I can just see the Kitchen Aid mixer on it now... (hint, hint)

Celery, Artichoke, Hearts of Palm and Shrimp Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

2008-11-21T08:58:00.006-05:00

Steve actually made this for dinner last night from our "The Healthy Kitchen" cookbook. It was given to me from a lady I work out with and this is the second recipe we tried. It was so good! Super refreshing and light. It would be perfect for a summer BBQ...but was still great in the middle of November in Michigan.

For the salad

2 pounds cooked medium shrimp, cut into bite-sized pieces (we used frozen...it is easier)

14 oz. canned artichoke hearts in water, sliced (about 2 cups)

2 cups peeled and chopped celery stalks, including the hearts

14 oz. canned hearts of palm, drained

1 cup green onions

For the dressing

2 tablespoons of pesto

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons of salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

3 large shallots, minced

1 teaspoon honey

1/8 teaspoon chili flakes

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a big bowl
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and pour over the salad
Toss to make sure everything is evenly coated with the dressing.
Cover and refrigerate until everything is ready to be served.

Easy Apple Betty

2008-11-21T08:50:00.005-05:00

I love to bake. I am a little intimidated by crust for pies, so when I saw this easy recipe for Apple Betty on a fellow Knottie's blog, I wanted to give it a try.

4 cups thinly sliced apples (I used MacIntosh and Empire)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 pound of butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9" pie plate.

2. Mound sliced apples into greased pie plate

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

4. Cut in the butter into the mixture looks like coarse crumbles. (I used my hands for part of this to break up the butter)

Bake for 45 minutes. We served it with one scoop of vanilla ice cream! Yummy.

Laughing Cow Chicken

2008-11-21T08:40:00.004-05:00

I got this recipe from a fellow Knottie's food blog and it was yummy and super easy! It was perfect for 2 people too, which I was relieved about!

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cut horizontally 3/4 of the way through (for stuffing the cheese)

2 wedges Laughing Cow light cheese (one per each breast)

Italian seasoning to taste (I used chicken seasoning because that is what we had)

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (I used seasoned)

Handful Parmesan cheese (I used shredded because we had some left over)

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Open up each chicken breast and spread one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese in the middle. Sprinkle seasoning to taste. Fold back over to original shape.

3. Mix together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish.

4. Spray each chicken breast with cooking spray, then dip in bread crumb mixture to coat. Place on cookie sheet (I used an 8x8 dish)

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Ghosts in the Graveyard

2008-11-02T20:44:00.006-05:00

I thought Steve was reverting back to some elementary school Halloween party when he asked me to make this for Halloween...turns out, he regularly used to make this for work pot-lucks around this time of year. "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R'Us kid" comes to mind! It is yummy and I think I made Steve's fall by making it and having leftovers for him to have multiple times a day!

3 cups of cold milk

2 packages (4 serving size each) Chocolate Instant Pudding

1 tub (12 oz) Cool Whip, thawed

15 Oreo cookies, crushed

Assorted decorations

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with whisk until well blended. Let stand for 5 mins.

Gently stir in 3 cups of the whipped topping and half of the Oreo crumbs. Spread evenly into a 13x9 dish. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate at least one hour. Decorate with candy corn, cookie tombstones, etc.

Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip

2008-11-02T20:36:00.004-05:00

Anything with cheese is good in my book. I also love a good dip for tortilla chips and I wanted something new to try. This comes from the Kraft website and I know I will be making this again. The next time, I will probably keep it in the crock pot so it stays warm, gooey and easy to slop on tortilla chips!

It makes a lot, but would be easy to half it.

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

1 lb. Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed (I used fat free)

1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, un-drained

8 slices bacon, crispy cooked, drained and crumbled (I used only 4)

Combine all ingredients in a microwavable bowl.

Microwave on high for 5 mins or until Velveeta is completely melted and the mixture is well blended. Stir about half-way through to help this process along.

Serve with tortilla chips or veggies.

Hot Broccoli Cheese Dip

2008-11-02T20:28:00.005-05:00

This recipe was very highly ranked on the Kraft recipe site, so I thought I would give it a whirl for our little Halloween gathering. It was really easy and delicious! I actually made it the night before and threw it in the oven when we were ready and I think it turned out great.

1 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese, softened (I used Fat-free)

1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)

1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix

1 package (10 oz.) frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

1 package (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and dressing mix with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add broccoli and 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Mix well.

Spoon into a 9" pie plate.

Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with crackers.

Cream Cheese Crock Pot Chicken

2008-11-02T20:17:00.005-05:00

Since we had our 3rd (and final) wedding prep class with the church all afternoon today, I wanted to make something that wouldn't take much to do when we got home. I got this recipe from a fellow Knottie's food blog and have been wanting to try it. We really liked it and are already thinking of things to add to it for the next time!

3 - 4 boneless chicken breasts (un-thawed or frozen, I used frozen and it worked great)

4 Tbsp. butter

1 packet dry Italian dressing mix

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup (we used the Healthy Request kind)

8 0z. cream cheese (I used Neufchatel, less fat, same cream cheese taste we all know and love)

1/2 cup chicken broth

Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of the crock pot, sprinkle the packet of dressing mix on top of the chicken. Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter and drizzle over the dressing covered chicken. Set the Crock Pot on low and cook for 4-6 hours.

About an hour before you want to eat, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. in a large pan and saute the chopped onion and garlic. Add the remaining ingredients (cream of chicken soup, cream cheese and chicken broth). Stir until smooth.

Add the mixture to the crock pot and cook for an additional hour. We had it with egg noodles...rice would probably be good as well! Enjoy!

Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Casserole

2008-10-08T10:08:00.005-04:00

This recipe came from a Knottie friend TizzyLish. It was super easy and yummy! Next time, I might cut it in half so it doesn't make so much, but I am sure we will enjoy the leftovers!

2 chicken breasts, cooked
1 bunch of fresh broccoli, cooked
1 box Stove Top Sage Stuffing
3 cans cream of chicken soup
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

To cook the chicken breasts, I just boiled them until they were done. I did the same with the broccoli. I am sure you could use frozen broccoli and prepare it as directed on the package...but I decided to make things a little harder on myself and do it the old fashioned way!

Prepare the stuffing as directed on the package.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together the cooked chicken breasts (I kind of cubed them), broccoli and cream of chicken soup. Place the soup mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Spread the prepared stuffing over the top of the soup mixture and then sprinkle cheese as desired on the top (I used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella...it was yummy).

Bake until the soup mixture starts to bubble (around 30 minutes or so) and enjoy!

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

2008-10-06T10:14:00.002-04:00

I love anything I can use a crock pot for. It is my new favorite kitchen gadget! Since the weather has turned colder, I have been craving soup and chili, so I made some super easy chili this weekend that turned out yummy!

1 1/2 pound boneless chicken breasts
2 15.8 oz. cans Northern Beans (drain 1 can, leave the liquid in the other)
1 15.5 oz. can white hominey, drained
1 packed reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 4.5 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 can reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup

Optional
Sour cream
chopped green onions

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the beans, hominey, taco seasoning, chilies and cream of mushroom soup. Mix together and cover. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Top with sour cream and chopped green onions if you choose.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

2008-09-22T09:17:00.003-04:00

I found this recipe in a cookbook my future mother-in-law gave me for Christmas and thought I would give it a try. It was super easy, fast and yummy!

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts (I threw 2 frozen breasts into the crock pot with a can of salsa verde diluted with one cup of water and some various spices on low for 6 hours and it worked like a charm)
1 10 oz. can of red enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
6 6" corn tortillas
Shredded lettuce (optional)
Chopped tomato (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tightly wrap the corn tortillas in foil and cook in the oven for around 8 minutes, until they are warm.

In the meantime, place shredded chicken in a bowl and mix in half of the can of enchilada sauce and half of the amount of cheese.

Place about a 1/3 of the mixture in the tortillas and roll up. Place them seam side down in a 2 quart baking dish. Cover with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes. If you choose, top with shredded lettuce, tomato and sour cream. Enjoy!

Parmesan Encrusted Chicken

2008-09-17T09:18:00.003-04:00

Another recipe I scammed from the Barefoot Contessa. It was so easy, quick and yummy I had to share! I was amazed at how juicy and tender the chicken stayed.

Like everything she does, the recipe is way too much for just 2 people, so I cut it in half. But here is the original.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of water

1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus a little extra for serving

Unsalted butter

Olive oil

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4" thick with either a meat mallet or rolling pin (I used a wrench, since we don't have all our fancy tools yet!). I placed in-between sheets of wax paper before pounding and it worked like a charm.

Combine the flour, salt and pepper on a plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with the water. On a 3rd plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Coat the chicken breasts with the flour mixture on both sides, then dip both sides in the egg and then dredge both sides in the bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of butter and 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2-3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through. If cooking more chicken, add more butter and oil and repeat the cooking directions. I cooked each side for around 4 minutes over medium-high heat and it was definitely cooked through and I am paranoid about cooking chicken!

Roasted Asparagus

2008-08-21T12:13:00.003-04:00

We love asparagus, so we decided to try a different way of cooking it, inspired by the Food Network. Super easy and delicious! It makes the tips nice and crunchy!

1 bunch of asparagus, rinsed, ends snapped off

Olive oil

Fresh cracked salt

Fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Place asparagus on a cooking sheet.

Drizzle olive oil over top. I usually just eye-ball it, but I would guess around 2-3 tablespoons. Crack salt and pepper to taste. Toss around on the pan to make sure the asparagus stalks are covered.

Bake for around 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Outrageous Brownies

2008-08-21T11:53:00.004-04:00

Another recipe stolen from the Barefoot Contessa! These are super rich and moist brownies. I was really pleased with my first attempt at making brownies that didn't come from a box! And just like everything from the Barefoot, it makes A LOT of brownies!

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound, plus 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or regular)
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 13x9x1 inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate in top of a double boiler (I used a large pot of boiling water, with a large glass bowl placed on top). Cool slightly.

Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the cooled chocolate mixture.

Toss the walnuts and 2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips with flour to coat (this prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the tray). Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for around 30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven rack to allow air to escape from between the pan and brownie dough.

Cool throughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares. Enjoy with a nice, cold glass of milk!

Easy Shepard's Pie

2008-06-24T09:12:00.004-04:00

My fiance loves the Shepard's Pie at Foran's Irish Pub in downtown Detroit. Although this isn't as great as theirs, it is a great recipe to hold him over in-between trips!

1 17 oz. package refrigerated cooked beef tips with gravy
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 11 oz. can condensed tomato bisque soup
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 24 oz. package refrigerated mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray a 2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray, set aside. In a large saucepan, stir together beef tips with gravy, vegetables, onion, soup, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Transfer to baking dish.

Place potatoes in a large bowl, stir until smooth. Spoon potatoes into 6 mounds on top of beef mixture.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins. or until heated through and bubbly around the edges. Sprinkle potatoes with cheese. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.