C is for Cooking

stuffing

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:00:06 -0500

This year I hosted Christmas dinner. I did up the stuffing for the turkey and have to share the best and easiest stuffing recipe ever.

First off, when you are at the store, instead of buying that gross boxed up version of stuffing, buy the premade stuffing bread. Sometimes the store’s make them, or you might be able to find Turkey time bread. The bread is pre seasoned.

Ingredients

Turkey time bread
2 large onions
2 large stalks celery
1 package of pork sausage meat
chicken stock

Directions:

Cook sausage meat until well done. During cooking, break up the bread into chunks, slice up onions and celery. Mix all together in a bow, add the sausage and stir well. Before stuffing the turkey, moisten the stuffing with some chicken broth and stuff. if you have left over you can cook separately in a dish

Enjoy!

Me love Stuffing!

Caramel Dip for apples

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:00:05 -0500

I went to my work Christmas gathering and tried the best sweet treat. The good thing about it is you eat apples with it, I even tried strawberries too, which is really good as well, but the dip was created for apples. But don’t be shy, you can try other fruits, such as pears, banana, strawberries, etc.

Apple Caramel Dip

1 pkg cream cheese(8oz)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 container of caramel
1 pkg of skor bits or broken up pieces of skor chocolate bars
apples, sliced

Beat cream cheese with brown sugar until smooth. Spread into a large serving plate on the bottom. Heat the caramel slightly, and spread on top of cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with skor bits or skor chocolate bars(mmmm!) and serve with sliced apples for dipping.

Cereal

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:00:06 -0500

Cereal is a staple in our house. We have cereal everyday for breakfast, and the kids have it every evening too for their bed time snack. However, I just read an article stating that some cereals have so much sugar, you might as well be eating cookies for breakfast.

Our favorite cereals in the house, are Honey bunches of oats, cherrios, life, fruit loops, oatmeal, oatmeal crisp, raisin bran, granola, just right, meuslix. Overall I believe there was just one on the list of cereal with way too much sugar, and that is the fruit loops which have 41.4 percent sugar.

I will have to stop buying that cereal and have the kids stick to the cherrios.

What is your favorite breakfast cereal?

Egg dip

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:10:06 -0500

Have you ever had an egg salad sandwich?

Egg salad is one of my favorite types of sandwiches. This week I attended a party and wanted to contribute an appetizer. I had a tonne of eggs in my fridge from baking week and wanted to use some up. So I decided to make egg salad dip. I did up my eggs like usual, but instead of putting them in a sandwich, I put the egg in a bowl and crisp crackers around the plate and used the egg for dipping and it was delicious.

Here is how you can make it:

Bowl 6 eggs till hard boiled. (10 minutes after water has boiled on low)

Peel shell off eggs, and use a fork to cut up the egg into small pieces. Add mayonnaise and blend until a nice dip texture. Add some salt and pepper to season. I like my eggs plain, but if you want to spice it up, you can add green onion, or celery.

Serve in a bowl with crisp crackers.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you can play around with and create something different?

Try it out if you do, you might just find yourself a winning favorite.

Santa Grahams

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:00:06 -0500

Santa Grahams are fast and easy to make and will keep the kids busy.

You will need 1 1/4 cup frosting, 2 1/2 inch square of graham crackers, 1 cup of mini marshmallows, 6 small red gumdrops, and red cinnamon candies. You will need to tint some of the frosting red for his hat. If you find different candies for the eyes, feel free to use those instead.

Spread the white icing all over the graham cracker. Place mini marshmallows on the face to create his beard. Add gum drops and candies for his face. Pipe on some red icing sugar for his hat, and add a marshmallow at the top for his pom pom. Eat and enjoy!

Christmas list

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:00:00 -0500

Baking update: I have completed some baking and feeling less pressure now that the list is dwindling. The mince meat tarts are done and sitting happily in the freezer waiting for xmas day. The sticky pudding is ready and turned out really well. This was the first time I made it and it was pretty simple although their were many steps involved. The toffee sauce to accompany the sticky pudding is ready to go and awaiting hungry mouths.

The cranberry orange biscuit dessert is ready and frozen. On Christmas day it will be thawed out and topped with icing sugar sauce. The dessert is kind of like sticky buns all rolled up and baked together. Really cool.

All that is left is short bread, sausage rolls and my cookie exchange recipe which I hope to have completed this week. Custard will be made on Christmas day so it is fresh and can be topped on the sticky pudding… Yummy!

My baking list is getting shorter!

I have started my list, my things to cook or bake list.

Here is so far what is on the list:

Sausage rolls
mince meat tarts
shortbread cookies
cookie balls for the cookie exchange
millionaire shortbread squares
sticky pudding
custard
cranberry orange biscuit dessert

I am sure my list will grow, but for now this is a start. I will make what I can ahead of time and freeze and then pull out when needed.

Have you started your baking yet?

Mini Meat pies

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:01:06 -0500

MMMM Mini Meat pies… They turned out fantastic. Definitely make these again.

First off this recipe takes a bit of prep, mostly because you have to refrigerate the dough, but I prepped the dough in the morning, refrigerated it all day and then stuffed and baked them at dinner time.

The dough is so good too. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

To make the dough, you will need the following ingredients:

1/2 cup softened cream cheese(I used low fat)
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups flour

Mix cream cheese and butter until blended, add flour 1/2 cup at a time and mix until a dough forms. Knead into a ball and refrigerate at least 1 hour

Filling

1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup minced onions
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
salt and pepper to season
1 beaten egg

Peel one large potato and cut and set to boil. Add meat and onions in skillet and cook until well done. While meat and potatoes are cooking, boil water in a kettle and add 1/4 cup to vegetable bouillon cube to dissolve.

Once meat is done, add vegetable bouillon and spices. Mash potato and add to mixture. Stir until well combined. Cool completely.

Beat one egg in a small bowl. Roll out dough and cut small circles out of, I used a cereal bowl size. Then stuff each circle with meat mixture, brush egg around edges and seal with a fork. Cut slits in the top of each meat pie to vent and brush with more egg mixture. Place on baking pan.

When all the pies are made, bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Serve with your favorite veggies on the side.

Enjoy!

"To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy meals."

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:11:05 -0500

““To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy meals.””

- ~ Benjamin Franklin

baked roll ups

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:21:06 -0500

I made these the other night and they turned out really good. Think almost like pizza roll ups. Almost, but not quite.

Ingredients:

4 large Whole wheat tortilla rolls
cream cheese
grated cheddar cheese
sliced lettuce
sliced pepper
sliced olives
sliced leftover chicken
salsa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay out tortilla wraps. Spread cream cheese on all 4. Then sprinkle with desired amount of grated cheddar. Sprinkle with lettuce, pepper, olives and chicken, top with salsa, roll and wrap in foil. Place on baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes. Unwrap and serve.

Delicious!

Bake sale Sour cream banana bread crumble

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:10:05 -0500

I made this amazing banana bread for a bake sale the other day and it turned out so good. I have made the sour cream banana bread recipe before, but this time I want to change it up a bit to make it a bit fancier and added a cinnamon crumble on top. OMG! It turned out the best banana bread I have ever made!

Want to try it? Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar(I used 2 brown, and 1 white)
3 eggs
6 very ripe mashed bananas
1 16 oz container of sour cream(I used light)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour(I used whole wheat)
3 tsp baking soda

Crumble

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal
4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 7 x 3” loaf pans. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Divide into prepared pans

In a small bowl mix brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon, and flour. Add butter and cut in with a pastry cutter until all dry ingredients are wet. Sprinkle crumble on top of the bread and put in oven. Bake about 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

ME ENJOY CRUMBLE!!!

Christmas cookie exchange

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:07:05 -0500

I always participate in a cookie exchange at Christmas time. I bake one type of cookie and end up with 10 different varieties of cookies. It is a win win with everyone.

This year, I am making a really easy cookie. However these treats are not low fat and are pure chocolatey goodness, but it is only once a year. A little indulgence once a year is OK.

Chocolate Cookie balls

Favorite type of cookie(ground down)
cream cheese
milk chocolate

Directions:

Using your favorite cookie(I used chips ahoy and oreos) ground down cookies in a food processor until fine. Reserve 2 Tbsp of crumbs for topping. Add cream cheese, about 1/2 cup worth or enough to create a cookie dough with the crumbs. Mix until a nice dough forms. Roll dough into 1” balls and place on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Melt chocolate in microwave safe dish until smooth. Using 2 spoons, dip cookie in chocolate, place on wax paper and sprinkle with a pinch of cookie crumbs. Refrigerate until hardened and store in a tupperware.

Enjoy

love that pizza

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:26:05 -0500

Who doesn’t love pizza. We love pizza in this house and we have pizza at least once a week, and sometimes more.

What can be better than dough slathered in sauce and cheese and topped with your choice of toppings…

In our house we make our own pizza. We do enjoy eating pizza out and finding a great pizza, but our homemade pizza rocks too!

To start off, we make the crust, let is sit for the day and then top it off with all our favorites, bake and eat. We use a stone to bake on, to try to get the crisp authentic feel from our pizza. Here is how we do it.

Dough ingredients:

2 cups flour(1/2 cup whole wheat, 11/2 cup all purpose)
3/4 cup+2 T warm water
1t salt
1t sugar
1T olive oil
2 t active yeast

Mix, knead and let sit in a warm place for a few hours. Stretch out to size of pizza you want and let sit some more to rise, this way you will have a nice fluffy crust.

Add your sauce, and toppings. Bake at 450-500 degrees for 10 minutes. We bake ours on a stone surface, but you could even use a metal pizza pan.

Slice, eat and enjoy!

Me love Pizza!

chips and dip

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:46:06 -0500

Artichoke dip is one of my favorites. However, those store bought varieties are chocked full of bad fats. Here is one I made the other day that is really good and way better for you. Another bonus is it is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 can of artichoke hearts in water
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Pour into an oven safe dish, and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Then put under the broiler for a few minutes to brown.

Serve with chips, bread, and fresh vegetables.

Shephards pie

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:00:05 -0400

Doesn’t that look delicious… I made a Shephard’s pie the other day and it was really good. Here is my recipe and how I threw it all together.

Ingredients:

Extra lean ground beef
2 minced onions
2 cloves minced garlic
salt, pepper and italian seasoning to taste
1 cup shredded light cheddar cheese
1/2 cup tomato sauce(homemade)
5 large potatoes - peeled and quartered
2 tbsp milk
2 cups frozen vegetable mix

Directions:

Boil potatoes and vegetables and let simmer until soft. While vegetables are cooking, cook beef in a fry pan with onions, garlic and seasoning. When meat is cooked, add tomato sauce and stir for 2 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup grated cheese and stir until melted. Spoon into a pie plate.
Drain vegetables and layer over meat mixture. When potatoes are done, mash with 2 Tbsp milk and layer over vegetable mixture. Top with remaining cheddar and put in oven. Bake at 350 for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Cut, serve and enjoy. I ate this with some ketchup on the side and it was delicious.

apple torte is the new and improved apple pie

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:00:06 -0400

OMG! This is better than apple pie and a tie with apple crisp. This is one of my new favorites to add to the recipe file.

APPLE TORTE

Ingredients:

Base: 1/2 cup butter, softened, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/3 cup of raspberry or apricot jam
Filling: 1 8oz package of light cream cheese(softened if brick style), 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla
Topping: 3 cups peeled and sliced apples, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Base: Cream butter and sugar together. Blend in flour and press into the bottom and up the sides 1 1/2 inches of a 8 1/2 inch spring form pan. Spread jam evenly over bottom of crust.
Filling: Beat all filling ingredients together with electric mixer until smooth. Spread evenly over jam.
Topping: Toss apples, sugar, and cinnamon until well coated. Spoon or arrange over filling. Sprinkle with almonds

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake another 25-30 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool slightly and remove pan rim. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Homemade granola bar goodness

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:00:06 -0400

I love these granola bars. This was a friends recipe she gave me and is quick and easy and delicious. Of course, I have modified the original recipe. Below you will find the original recipe as well as my modified version to add a little more to the bars to make them a bit better for you. This was a hard recipe to modify too much as the butter is needed to keep the bars together, although I did cut the sugar somewhat.

Ingredients:

4 cups large flake oatmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Modified ingredients list:

4 cups large flake oatmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup melted butter
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup crushed almonds
1/2 cup raisins

Directions: Add all ingredients to bowl. Stir until dry ingredients are all covered in butter. Place on a parchement sheet lined baking tray and pat down into place. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from heat and cut into squares. Leave on pan until completely cool and remove and store in an airtight container.

Warning: These will not last long, they are so good!

Tuna Wraps

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:05:05 -0400

Tuna is considered a brain food. Canned tuna is fast and inexpensive and fits many budgets. Shops even sell flavored tuna for a twist on the recipe.

To make these yummy tuna wraps you will need

Ingredients:

1 can of Tuna(any flavor you desire)
2 T mayonnaise
diced pickle or celery
whole grain tortilla
lettuce, washed and ready to go
salt and pepper to season.

Directions: Mix up tuna, mayonnaise and pickle until light and fluffy and season with salt and pepper. Lay lettuce on a tortilla shell, top with tuna mixture, roll and serve.

Me eat Tuna wrap!

Thanksgiving pumpkin pie

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:00:06 -0400

What is Thanksgiving with out the traditional pumpkin pie. Buying the pie shells makes this recipe pretty quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:

3 cups canned pumpkin
4 store bought crusts
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
6 large eggs
3 cups of evaporated milk(2 cans)

Directions: Bake store bought crusts for about 8 minutes in oven at 400 degrees. Meanwhile mix pumpkin, sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, eggs and evaporated milk and whisk until well combined.

Remove crusts from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then divide filling between pie shells and bake until center is set about 40-45 minutes. The filling will be slightly loose in the middle but will firm up as it cools. Cool on a wire rack and transfer to refrigerator until well chilled. Serve with whip cream or ice cream or as is.

Chicken Noodle soup

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:05:06 -0400

Now that the weather is getting cooler, time to get back into soups for dinner. I tried one recipe the other week to make vegetable minestrone and what a bomb that was… so this week I decided to make chicken noodle soup and it was so delicious and better so, I have leftovers for dinners or lunches to come.

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts(cooked and cut into bite size pieces)
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cube vegetable bouillon
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 large carrots, sliced
salt, pepper, parsley to taste
alphabet noodles

Directions:

Add all ingredients in pot except noodles. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to low and simmer 2 hours. About 1.5 hours after boil, place alphabet noodles in separate pot and boil till done. Drain water and rinse and then add noodles to soup. Bring back up to a boil and then turn off heat and let sit 10 minutes. Serve in bowls with crackers, bread or a sandwich on the side.

Carrots and Ketchup

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:00:05 -0400

If your children or even yourself love ketchup and want to make it healthier, add about 2/3 cup of purreed carrot to your ketchup bottle and give it a good shake. Your kids will never know it is even there and they will be getting an extra vegetable.

To make Carrot Puree:

Boil carrots until tender. Blend with some of the water to form a nice smooth puree. Mix in with ketchup and shake.

You can do this with many other vegetables and be able to increase the vegetable intake and or cut the fat from your recipes. You can make macaroni and cheese and add cauliflower puree, soups and baked goods with pumpkin, squash, carrot puree and sweet potato. So many options…..