Way Behind!!

So I know I've been slacking. You'd think with the holidays I would have been on here posting a storm of delicious cookies, cakes, brownies, fudge, and whatever sweet made me gain 5 pounds lol. But I didn't. The Christmas season was crazy between family coming and going, having pink eye TWICE, and then trying to wrap and prep a beautiful Christmas. I had ideas of posting all my treats and Christmas cards...but did I? Obviously not.

So first things first... HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2010 was less than pleasant for me and my family. We went through alot of ups and downs, but we got through it safe and sound. 2011 is already turning out to be a wonderful year. I got a job! First one in 8 years, other than doing daycare. I'll get a paycheck and have extra money to get the extra things we desire, along with saving money for school so hopefully I can attend next fall.  I start tomorrow, and its not that I'm nervous about the job, but more about making sure Isabelle is taken care of, and has care for the day I have to stay later, and on the weekends when Nick and I will both work.  But I haven't got my schedule yet, so I'm trying my best to keep it together and set things up now.  Plus now its snowing! Grrr! I'm not a snow driver...I've driven in it twice and that's it. So it will be a learning experience for me I guess. But that's what I'm most nervous about today.

I've come to find a really great friend here the past couple months. The one thing that I truly needed. Hermiston has been less than welcoming as far as friends go. Everyone seems to have their circle, and are too busy to add you to it. That's not to say I don't have friends, but I've been missing that one person that you can count on to listen to you if your having a bad day. I have that with my bestie, Jaime, but she lives 5 hours away and we can't just grab coffee. I'm grateful for all my friends, and to have one near.

Then the hubby has seemed to realize that overtime money would be helpful, and now it would be pretty much extra cash. It wouldn't have to go to bills and groceries with me working, so he's all motivated to get it done lol! He's happy with the Seahawks Wild Card Playoff win, and is proudly loving his Seahawks Man Cave! I'll have to post pics once we're done painting. (Though I have one closet in there full of my stuff lol.)

Isabelle is in her new school, happy as can be. Huge gym, new computers, and cubbies that will keep her belongings separated so there's less risk of lice. Gross right! But its true. So she's busy getting back in the swing of things after the lazy holidays.

Now as for cooking I have wonderful family who obviously supports me in all my endeavors. I received a stack of cookbooks, bowls, loaf pans, springform pans, spoons, tupperware. All to benefit my cooking skills. I've yet to tackle a cheesecake, but I'm going to find the perfect recipe and make it. I'm so excited to start my cooking again, although with work I'm going to start off with a lot of slow cooker recipes, but I'm thinking this would help everyone right now. Everyone needs slow cooker recipes when its cold out (or heck I use mine in the summer too cause I don't want to heat up the house). So look for those this week.

And last but not least. I am doing 365 days of scrapbooking. I'm doing 365 pages, 1 page a day. I'm going to post them, but I'm think probably once a week. I just figured I have a ton of supplies and a million excuses for not finishing a page. So this way I'm motivated.

So that's the catch up, now to get moving on new recipes, and old...and definitely more postings!

A great day to spend in the kitchen!

So I've contracted nasty pink eye, and have to wear my glasses that are too weak, and make me nuts. Lovely. Thank you to my wonderful husband for giving the pink eye to me. Regardless...my daughter went Christmas shopping with her Grandma all day today, while I sat at urgent care (luckily it was empty other than one other poor soul), got some drops, and have began the OCD hand washing the minute I got home. Therefore I figured it was safe to do some cooking. I've been come the cookie lady for Nick and his buddies at work. They were completely bummed I didn't send him with anything today, so I had to make up for it.

I spent the early afternoon making Butter Toffee Crisp, another recipe from my mother in law's cookbook collection. We go there every Monday and have dinner with her, and while we hang out and Nick watches Monday Night Football, I copy recipes from her 100+ cookbook collection. Then I knew I needed to make a cookie that I knew would turn out good. So I went with peanut butter peanut butter cup cookies. Um YUM! With all this baking and candy making, I was sure to look at my toes, while the nurse weighed me at Urgent Care (because when I get weighed I make sure to take off my shoes...that few ounces really makes a difference LOL) I told the nurse not to tell me what it said, since its December and I wasn't planning on being weighed this month. She cracked up. I think she knew the feeling.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. salt

3/4 t. baking soda

1 1/2 c.flour

30-40 peanut butter cups

Combine the first 6 ingredients till fluffy. Then add in the rest of the ingredients slowly. 

Rolls the dough into 1" balls and place in greased mini-muffin pan (with or without papers)

Bake at 375* F for 10 minutes.

Take out and place a mini peanut butter cup in the middle. 

Let cool completely in the pan.

*This is the easiest recipe for those of you who rarely bake..simple and yummy!

Butter Toffee Crunch

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter

3 T. water

1 T. light corn syrup

1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans or almonds

3/4 c. chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)

1/2 c. finely chopped pecans or almonds

Cover a 13" x 9" baking pan with foil. 

Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped nuts all over the pan.

Grease a large saucepan with butter on all sides and bottom.

Melt butter on medium high heat. 

Once melted add in sugar, water, and corn syrup. 

Stir till boiling. Turn heat down to medium.

Then clip candy thermometer to side of the pan, and watch carefully.

Let boil/simmer steadily, while frequently stirring.

Watch when temperature get to about 280*, once it hits 290* (I'm going to try 300* next time since mine was a tad soft)

Remove from heat, and pour the mixture over the nuts on the prepared pan. 

Wait 5 minutes while it firms up. Then sprinkle chocolate chips all over the toffee. 

Wait 1-3 minutes till they melt. 

Then spread over the toffee till smooth, then spread the finely chopped nuts on top.

Put in the fridge to firm completely.

Lift up foil and separate slowly from toffee and break into pieces.

Heaven in a Cupcake Wrapper!

I'm going to gloat! These are seriously amazing!!! I couldn't even resist them once I started to take them out of the pan to cool! I got this recipe from my mother in law's recipe collection. This is the best thing I've baked in a while to be honest and I can't see them lasting long in my house lol!  Make sure that you put the 2 T. of cream cheese filling in so that it doesn't cave in like mine. Regardless, the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips are an amazing secret ingredient that takes these above the cream cheese muffins you normally have.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Muffins

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/8 t. salt
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter chips

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in sugar, egg, and salt until smooth.
Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips; set aside.

Muffin dough:
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 T. white vinegar
1 t. vanilla extract

Combine. Then add:

1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Mix together, and spoon into paper-lined muffin cups till about half full. Top with about 2 T. cream cheese mixture. (This seems like a lot but you need it, I didn't and mine sort of cave in). Bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, and then remove them and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
* Spray the inside of the cupcake wrappers with non-stick spray to have moist outsides.

Stuffins!

I got this recipe before Thanksgiving from www.dealseekingmama.com, she has everything from online deals (I've used many of these) to freebies, contests, recipes, and grocery game coupons. The thing is I didn't want to try them for Thanksgiving since it was a new recipe. I rarely want to try something new for a holiday that I have to make everything for. I always try it out before, just in case. One bad recipe will make you do that!

Anyways, this recipe is pretty close to my stuffing recipe, but I did make alterations such as more and different spices and less onion (thank goodness I cut down on that! There was too much already). This recipe is good, it does come out as stuffing muffins, however, here is my complaint. I like my stuffing pretty moist. I seemed to have forgotten what muffins taste like and how the outsides cook to be a bit drier. Now mine weren't really dry, but I didn't like the outside of the muffin. However, I'm betting that if I, or you, tweak and play with this recipe there is a way to get them to perfection. The base recipe is good, I'm thinking I needed to spray more non-stick spray in my muffin cups, and add a bit more stock. However, with that being said, they are delicious and wonderful with a bit of gravy on top :)

Stuffins

Before baked

3 stalks of celery, chopped thin

1/2-1 medium onion, chopped (depends on how much you like onion)

1 T. butter

1 loaf of bread (I used cheap white, but use whatever you like)

3 medium eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c. of milk

3 T. parsley

2 T. sage

1 1/2 T. thyme

3 c. chicken stock (I used about a cup on mine)

salt & pepper

Saute the celery and onion in the butter over medium heat until they turn translucent and caramelize. It pays to take your time with this step, because this is what really makes for a flavorful stuffing.

Meanwhile, toast each piece of bread in the full loaf. 

Chop the toasted bread into cubes (I just ripped it into small pieces-much faster).

Add the celery and onion mixture and dried parsley, sage and thyme.

Salt and pepper the mixture well. Lightly beat the eggs and milk together, and pour over the top.

Pour some of the chicken stock over the top, and start to mix everything together.

Keep adding stock until everything is moistened (wet but no soupy). 

You may not need to use all of the stock.

Give you muffin pans a through coating of non-stick spray, and fill each cup up with stuffing.

Bake at 350* F for about 30-45 minutes (check them and make sure the outsides don't burn).

If you prefer a stuffing that's a little more moist, cover with aluminum foil. 

Yields about 18 stuffins.

*You can also pour a little stock over each muffin after you put the stuffing into the muffin tin for softer stuffins.

Christmas is upon us...which means baking time!!

The cookie recipe I'm about to post is a long standing tradition in my family, on my mother's side. They are called anise drops. The way the cookies are supposed to bake is like a little mountain top, if you look at the picture below, you'll see they have little tops on them, which we call peaks. Every year my grandmother, aunts, mother, and now me try to get the peaks on these cookies. Its nearly impossible, and yet my Great-Grandmother would get them every year, and only once did my Aunt Nancy get them. And then everything changed...I got them the first Christmas we lived here! I had never gotten them before, didn't even know what peaks looked like, but I got them! And to make sure I made another batch a couple days later and got them again!  So now I've gotten the peaks for 3 years in a row! I just pulled a batch out, and gazed at rows of perfectly popped peaks! :)

So why is a peak so important? Well in my family its what you look for when you put a tray of Christmas cookies out, its the one cookie you asked about, its the one cookie I call and wake up my mom at 8:30 in the morning and say "I got the peaks!" and laugh and gloat lol! (Sorry mom). My mom even came down last year and watched how I made them and what I did different, we got the peaks, she went home and tried it and got flat ones. I've come to the conclusion that perhaps the way I make them, combined with the different altitude and dryness of the air might determine whether you get them or not. It also is bragging rights, and a sign of what a good baker you are. I have proven myself now as a good baker at the age of 26! Oh yeah! lol! But I welcome all of you to try and join up in our Christmas tradition and goal of getting the peaks.

I personally didn't like them very much for years, but my husband LOVES them. Luckily the recipe only makes 2 dozen, just enough for him to munch nightly. However once, I started to get the peaks the cookie has a different flavor..and no that's not just my imagination! They are really dense and the anise flavor is lighter. If they are flat, they are more crunchy, to me atleast. Now I love them.

Anise also tastes like black licorice, if you like that flavor you'll like these, if you don't and your partner does, or you know someone who does like it, then you can still make these, because like I said its only 2 dozen. I personally have to make them 2-3 times a month (in December) for my family.

Anise Drops

3 room temperature eggs- beat until light and lemon color, about 5 minutes with the whisk attachment on medium speed (6 on the kitchen aid)

Slowly add 1 cup of sugar, and I do mean slowly, while you keep the medium speed.

Beat that for about 5-7 minutes, or until light in color

Then add 1 t. of anise flavoring

2 cups of flour

1/2 t. baking powder, mixing for a minute or two between each addition.

Continue to beat completed mixture for 2-5 minutes.

Put on greased cookie sheets (I use a cookie scoop); let sit out overnight on the counter.

Bake at 350*F for 12-15 minutes.

Tasty Treat Friday!!!!

Christmas is coming, as I if I needed to tell you, since I'm sure you've seen Christmas items down every isle, and heard the Christmas carols played in almost every store. I decided to start some of my Christmas cookie and candy recipes that are new to me. I haven't made very many candy items before, maybe fudge and caramels, peanut butter balls, but that's not much compared to all the candies out there. So I wanted to try them out before I'm making them for my cookie trays next month. I glanced around my pantry baking shelf and found I had all the ingredients for Mixed Nut Brittle. I've never made peanut brittle, but this recipe seemed so simple that I wanted to give it a try. 

Verdict? SOOOO GOOD!! It was so easy and tastes so good, I wonder why I've never tried to make brittle before! The hardest part is cleaning the bowl and forks that I used to make the brittle, because as soon as the sugar mixture begins to cool, its hardens. So be prepared to soak your dishes a bit.

Mixed Nut Brittle

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup of salted mixed nuts

1 T. butter

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. baking soda

Grease a small baking sheet (I used a square 8"x8"); set aside. 

In a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup, combine sugar and corn syrup.

Microwave mixture, uncovered, on high for 5 minutes; stirring twice.

Stir in nuts and butter. 

Microwave mixture, uncovered on high for 1-2 minutes more, or just until mixture turns golden 

(mixture will continue to cook and become more golden when removed from the microwave)

Stir in the vanilla and baking soda.

Immediately pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet.

Use two forks to lift and pull candy into a thin sheet as it cool (this helps make the brittle crisp)

Cool completely. Break up into pieces.

The mixture will bubble and foam a bit when you add the butter and then again when you add the baking soda. This is completely normal! The only problem with this recipe: Doesn't make enough!! Especially when you are going to give some of it away!

Thanksgiving tips..because if you have a picky mother in law you need all the help you can get!

Thanksgiving is almost here, though after wondering down the isles of the grocery store you'd think it was Christmas next week. I'm super excited about Thanksgiving...and stressed. Even though I've done it almost every year for the past 5-6 years, I always get nervous. I'm notorious for not having my turkey done on time. I always plan for it to be done at a certain point but then I realize its not ready and have to sweat it out in the kitchen constantly checking it, because now all the sides I've so carefully planned to be done at the same time, are done and at risk of becoming cold. How to solve this problem? Put the turkey in an hour or two even, before I'm technically supposed to so that if it needs more time, I'll still be golden and no one will ever know.

Then I'm been trying to make the simplest yet most delicious meal possible. I make my stuffing from scratch, but its an easy recipe that everyone loves. Then I thought about doing slow cooker mashed potatoes, but the recipe I found that was simple I can no longer find, and all the other recipes call for cooking them in a big pot prior and I'm sorry but that defeats the purpose to me. The purpose of the slow cooker is to do it for me. I understand I still have to peel and everything, but not cook them in a huge pot, mash them, throw 8 other ingredients in there with it and then have it cook more..um no. I think I'll stick to the traditional way, although my tip for this is: You can peel your potatoes and put them in a pot of cold water (the pot you will cook them in saves dishes) and then drain out the water and put in fresh water when your ready to cook them. This will prevent them from turning brown and can be done UP TO 24 hours prior. So the night before when you have time to peel, or in the morning before anything else is ready to be prepared.

My next tip that I found was using the slow cooker as your bread warmer. Set slow cooker to lowest setting and place rolls inside. Rolls will stay warm without drying up for UP TO 1 hour. So if your rolls come out of the oven and you still have 30 minutes left before dinner, pop them in your slow cooker till dinner is ready and don't worry about cold rolls, or rubbery ones from the microwave (I think I'll use this tip!)

So there are my tips for now. I'm hoping to stumble across a few others before the big day, but either way I just have to remind myself that I've done it before, its not that hard, and always accept help when offered!!

Tasty Treat Friday!!!

I'm back on track!! Delicious pie just out of the oven! This morning I was wondering what I should make for the treat. You'd think that I would have already figured that out, but no...I have a stack about 20 high of recipes, but I hadn't commited myself to one. That is until I saw the bowl of apples that no one has seemed to want to eat...probably because the mini one has 2 front teeth loose and apples are NOT her friend right now, and for the man of the house..eating an apple would be a shocking event..and lucky he loves me and doesn't want to give me a heart attack!

So what to do with this bowl of apples no one is inclined to eat? My wonderful mom made a suggestion...apple pie anyone?? My dutch apple pie recipe is as simple as it gets. I can remember making this countless times in Nick and I's tiny apartment kitchen. It was so easy for a beginner cook, and it made the house warm and smell divine. There's nothing intimidating about this recipe, and if you bake, the ingredients are usually in your pantry. Plus we still have vanilla ice cream from the peanut fudge pudding cake. Score!

Dutch Apple Pie

2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter (melted)

1/2 cup oats

Filling:

 2/3 cup of sugar

3 Tablespoons of corn starch

1 1/4 cups of water

3 cups of peeled, diced apples

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Set aside 1 cup of mixture for topping your pie.

Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9 in pie plate to make your crust; set aside.

For the filling, combine sugar, cornstarch, and water in a medium saucepan on medium high, stirring frequently,

Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in apples, cinnamon, and vanilla. 

Pour into crust, then top with reserved crust mixture by crumbling the chunks all over the top of the pie. 

Bake at 350* F for 40-45 minutes.

I have redeemed myself!!!

After creating bricks of bread earlier today, I have redeemed myself and made the most delicious cake!!  Peanut Fudge Pudding Cake...amazing!! I was going through my mother in law's cookbooks (she has over 100!) and copied recipes from the slow cookers ones since fall and winter seem to be the time I use mine the most. That's when I stumbled across a cake recipe made in the slow cooker, what could be easier? But how would it taste? Would it be gross and overcooked, or delicious and moist like everything the slow cooker makes? Answer of course was AMAZING!! So here were go:

Peanut Fudge Pudding Cake

1 c . flour

1 c. sugar, divided

1 1/2 t. baking powder

2 T. vegetable oil

2/3 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. boiling water

Coat the slow cooker with non-stick spray. 

Combine flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, and baking powder in medium bowl.

Add milk, oil, vanilla, and peanut butter. 

Mix until well-blended.

Pour batter into slow cooker. 

Combine remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and cocoa powder in small bowl.

Stir in boiling water. Pour into crockpot.

DO NOT STIR!!!

Cover. Cook on high for 1 hr and 20min-1 hour and 30min. until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow cake to rest 10 minutes then scoop into serving dishes or onto serving platter.

Serve warm with chopped peanuts and ice cream.

doesn't look to pretty, but its sooo good!!

This truly was so simple. I, however, got so excited by the sheer smell that I forgot to let it rest for 10 minutes! But it seemed to create this warm fudge sauce that was perfect with the ice cream.  I also used chunky peanut butter, it was all I had, and I actually think I'd prefer it that way. But its your choice. One other thing is I think you could add a little espresso powder to the cocoa powder and sugar mixture to add a grown up twist to it. Ice cream goes perfectly with it, but you could do whipped cream too. Its pretty versatile.

*Note: I saw slow cookers were on sale at Target for $15 this week! For those of you who don't have one! Get one!!

Lovely Smell...bad results....

So today I decided I'd face my nemesis- bread. I had a simple bread recipe and decided to give it a try.
Its Everything Braid Bread. I carefully followed the recipe, doing exactly what it said, measuring as carefully as possible. Taking my time, making sure everything was right. I got through the 1st rise thinking I'm golden! Look at the rise on that! Braided the bread, left it to rise, came back and hour later..nothing...2 hours later..nothing. It was already hard. Rock anyone? You don't really need that tooth right?

So I prayed silently over my rock bread, and thought maybe while it bakes it will magically rise and become beautiful and delicious. Otherwise I'm going to end up with two doorstops.  I slid the oven door shut, with another little prayer, and left the room. The whole time I'm smelling this amazing aroma from all the spices and seeds on the bed, thinking its going to be amazing. It beeps. I slowly walk into the kitchen, and slowly open the oven door as though it the gingerbread man going to pop out at me...and I see it. One flat, lifeless doorstop. It didn't fluff up at all, I think it shrunk. I've made shrinky dinks bread. Lovely.

However, if you are able to produce a lovely loaf of bread then this recipe would be wonderful. Even if you just make your regular white bread dough, then roll it out to 12x8, cut it into 6 long strips, take three and braid, put it on a greased baking sheet, and repeat with the next 3 strips.  Let it rise for about an hour more, brush it with one egg + 1 T. of water, and then sprinkle a mixture of 1 tsp. each of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, kosher salt, toasted onion flakes and dried rosemary. Bake at 400* for 25-30 minutes...tap bread, if it sounds hollow its done. Mine sounds like hitting piece of cherry hardwood. Bummer.

I hope that my horrible experience doesn't deter you from trying this bread. The smell is absolutely amazing.  I would even consider mixing some of the herbs into the dough for extra flavor. Plus if I think about it, this whole failure will actually save me money. No need to buy the dogs chewies this week. We're set now.