Party in the Pantry!

FOOD FUN!!!

2011-04-03T18:11:00.017-04:00

For my 40th birthday my sister, who shares the birthday with me, arranged to have my family meet me at Jungle Jim's for the day because she knows what a Foodie I am. My whole family has an appreciation for good and wholesome food thanks to my mother, so they, like me, were more than happy to explore the world of new and fabulous foods.

And since I'm a sharer, I'm sharing the fun with you!

So, we start with the Dragon Fruit. Looks like a kiwi, doesn't it? It cost $6.00 for this one big guy but I didn't care...I needed to experience the flavor. It claims the flavor of a kiwi/pear combo with a sweet and crunchy texture, but the one I tasted was very mild. Very pleasant, but very mild. It has a very high water content and is high in Vitamin C.

They recommend removing it easily from the skin, cutting it up and placing it back in the skin for serving purposes, which is adorable. If served at a party, it would definitely be the most unique and talked about entree'!

Passion fruit is one of my favorite flavors! The sweet tartness of the seeded syrup makes my toes curl in a happy way. It's a delight that should only be enjoyed when you have the time and presence of mind to indulge and appreciate. Jeni's introduced me once to a passion fruit ice cream that I fell head over heels in love with and then she stopped making it. Beans! :(

Check out the Rambutan....the hairy, hairy Rambutan. Looks like a sea urchin, doesn't it? What's so fascinating about this hairy little ball is the pearl it protects inside.

Just take a knife and gently cut around the middle of the belly and pop off the top to reveal the pearly goodness. It's like a grape without the skin.

As beautiful and elegant as it appears, the taste is not as sweet as the average grape. It's taste is pleasant and mild and absolutely worth the tasting....for the novelty of it, if for nothing else.

When we had our Funky Fruit Tasting Party we could not locate these, so we ate them out of the can.....NOT the same. I was super excited to find these and cut them open. As you can see, they have one almond-sized seed in the center. Don't eat it!

Longans are another fruit at the Funky Fruit Party we couldn't track down at the time, so I was eager to slice these acorn look-a-likes open and reveal the "grape" impostor inside. Again, the everyday grape probably wins for best flavor, but if you happen upon these little nuggets, you must try them!

They have an intriguing looking seed inside them as well. You've got to work for this food, people.

I couldn't resist the Meyer Lemons because I'm a lemon lover! They're just sooooo beautiful!

I bought three chocolate bars and the one below was my FAVORITE!

Vosges is a little pricey, but zoom in on that caramel oozing out and tell me you wouldn't give up six dollars out of your wallet to taste it!

This is what you're looking for.... ♥

These were just a few of the marvelous wonders that we found. Check out a Jungle Jim's near you and enjoy some foodie fun!

A Very Fortunate 'Mistake'

2011-03-24T09:58:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered why people call chocolate chip cookies 'Tollhouse Cookies'?

I have, many times. I wonder why all kinds of things are called what they are...why do you ask? My mind can be a confusing place sometimes...but I like it there! :)

So as I was pondering what to do with the kids on this icy morning (since school has been canceled), I went immediately to the most obvious choice...bake cookies! Who doesn't love cookies? And it's a win-win, because the kids can be involved and they really enjoy it! However, as I was considering what kind of cookies to make, and (of course) chocolate chip came to mind, I started wondering again (for the 874th time) why people call them Tollhouse Cookies.

What did we ever do without Google, people? It is by far one of the most important tools in this house. And no, I am not kidding. So I took some time to do a little research, and guess what? I'm going to share with you the reason chocolate chip cookies are so often referred to as Tollhouse Cookies!

Apparently, a woman named Ruth Wakefield (and her husband, of course) operated a New England lodge called the Tollhouse Inn, so named because the house was originally a "toll house" where travelers stopped to pay a toll for using the highway. While their horses were being taken care of, they enjoyed a home cooked meal in the toll house. Anyway, one evening she was preparing to make her favorite treat, Butter Drop Do cookies, and though the recipe called for baker's chocolate, she had none. Can you imagine? I would be in a state of distress! HaHa! So what did Ruth do? She had a bar of semi-sweet chocolate, a gift from Andrew Nestle of the one and only Nestle Chocolate Company...so she chopped it up into small pieces and used it in place of the baker's chocolate. Although she expected the chocolate to melt into the cookie like baker's chocolate would, it didn't. Oh, of course the morsels softened up a bit, but they didn't disperse and become part of the cookie.

She served the cookies to her guests, and before long, the word was out about these amazing cookies! The recipe was published in a local paper, and soon was featured on the Betty Crocker radio series, "Famous Foods from Famous Eating Places". Eventually, Mrs. Wakefield cut a deal with Nestle and offered to let them print the recipe on their packages of semisweet chocolate in exchange for a lifetime supply of their chocolate! What a deal, eh? Yes, Mrs. Wakefield, I think we'd have gotten along just fiiiiiine.

And as you all know, the Nestle Tollhouse Cookie recipe has become the most popular cookie of all time. Talk about a VERY fortunate mistake!

So there you have it! Now you (and I) both know why chocolate chip cookies are referred to as Tollhouse cookies! Or maybe it's the other way around, since they were called Tollhouse cookies first. Oh well, no matter! They are still the most scrumptious cookie in my book!!!

It's a Citrus Tasting Party

2011-03-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

It's Food Tasting time again and this party's theme was Citrus. Our wonderful and beautiful host was Miss Jen and she did a stellar job!

She not only arranged to have us taste a variety of oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, but she also had some citrusy desserts for us to indulge in between tastings. She decided that as much as we strategize to add cheese to every tasting party, cheese does not go with citrus, so she filled our bellies with dessert instead. How's that for a brilliant plan?

So...I'm going to cover the citruses first and make you wait for the desserts.

Pictured center stage up above is the Blood Orange, which had a very distinct flavor - a wine flavor, as a matter of fact. We were all very impressed with it's rich, deep color and it's unique flavor. It definitely stood out next to the Navel Orange which tasted like good ol' orange juice. I can't say that the Cara Cara wowed us much with it's flavor, but Clementines are always yummy.

The White Grapefruit, shown above, was the runaway winner in it's category, which shocked most all of us. The Rio Star was expected to be the favorite, but the White was new to all of us and stole our hearts. That's not to say we didn't appreciate and enjoy the Rio Star and Pink, but the White Grapefruit was the dark horse. What does that mean for you? That means you should go out and introduce yourself to the White Grapefruit and see if you can make a new friend, like we did.

The Meyer Lemon was also a big winner with it's sassy tartness, but deliciously, sweet twang. When tasting the lemons I chomped down hard because I adore the bite of a good lemon and the way my face contorts when the juice explodes in my mouth. The rest of the girls took small, little bites of the juice to avoid such facial contortions. The regular Lemon was just that...great and wonderful, but the Meyer was outstanding! The Meyer Lemon would be perfect for freshly squeezed lemonade on a hot summer day.

The Meyer is native to China and is thought to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. It has a little bit of an orange hue to it, so keep that in mind when looking for them.

We also tasted a Minneola, which was very mild like a tangerine, and the Pummelo, which was nice, but not knock-your-socks-off good, so that's all the attention we're giving them here because it's time.......

........TO TALK DESSERT!

Jen served us Frozen Orange Yogurt that she made herself with the help of her handy-dandy Cuisinart ice cream maker.

It was light, mild, citrusy, and a little bit tart......it was perfecto and it was only the beginning!

She also made in her Cuisinart, a Frozen Meyer Lemon Sorbet that everyone nearly died over. I've never see Anne look so blissful as she sat quietly in her chair, eyes closed, happily spooning the sorbet into her mouth. She left us momentarily and took up residence in La-La Land. I'm sure plain lemons would have tasted just fine in this recipe, but around these parts we don't settle for "just fine", so we strongly recommend that you use Meyer lemons if you too, want to take a trip to La-La Land.

Now, it's no secret that Jen and I are Jeni's Ice Cream snobs, but I'm telling you right now, Jeni's lemon sorbet had NOTHING on Jen's Meyer Lemon Sorbet.....just saying!

Oh...and check out the stunner down below. This was the finale and wow, did it create a stir! An Elegant Citrus Tart with a toasted coconut crust, a buttery orange curd as it's filling, and freshly peeled and sliced citrus segments as it's topper. How beautiful is that?

I must tell you that I was super nervous that I wouldn't get a picture that did this masterpiece justice, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I think it's beauty and elegance pops from the photo, but sadly for all of you, you actually had to be there to taste the flavor.

The flavor was light, divine, and unlike any other dessert I've had. It should be served to royalty. I know I felt like royalty when I ate it.

While everyone was swooning over the tart, Jen gave each one of us a little "take home" jar of the Buttery Orange Curd. We love her. :)

There was wine at this party too...white wine, that is. There are no pictures because I was busy drinking it, but if truth be told, there wasn't a lot of wine drinking happening at this tasting. We were too busy eating desserts and citrus.....happily.

An Elegant Citrus Tart

2011-03-15T10:00:00.003-04:00

Want to impress your friends?

Of course you do!

Then let us implore you to make this tasty treat for your next get-together! This citrus tart was the dessert on the cover of Southern Living that caught my attention and demanded (yes, DEMANDED) that I take that magazine home so I could replicate all of this sweet citrusy goodness for our citrus party.

The crust is surprisingly simple and the addition of coconut really makes it something special. The original recipe called for coconut extract to be added, but I left it out simply because I didn't have any and didn't want to go buy it. And guess what? It didn't need it at all! It's fabulous without...you can take the entire food-tasting group's word for it!

You will need to make the Buttery Orange Curd for this delectable delight, but no worries! The most time consuming thing about this recipe is cutting the pretty sections of fruit for the top, which is totally worth the time. Check out a quick tutorial here!

Citrus Tart
by Southern Living

1/3 c. unsweetened dessicated coconut

2 c. all-purpose flour

2/3 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. cold butter, cut into pieces

buttery orange curd

9 assorted citrus fruits, peeled and sectioned (I used white grapefruit, oranges, and Rio Star grapefruit)

Preheat oven to 350. Bake coconut in a single layer in a shallow pan 4-5 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Let cool completely.

Pulse coconut, flour, and powdered sugar in a food processor 3-4 times or until combined. Add butter and pulse a few more times until crumbly. With the processor running, gradually add 3 Tbsp. water and process until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Roll dough into a 10 inch circle, about 1/4" thick, on a lightly floured surface. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the excess dough and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 40 minutes.

Spread buttery orange curd over crust and top with lots of pretty citrus sections!

Buttery Orange Curd

2011-03-10T16:33:00.001-05:00

You've all read about our tasting parties, right? Sheri always does such a fantastic job of documenting and photographing them, don't you think? Oh what fun we have, and what wonderful foods we get to taste! This past month, I was the host and the theme was CITRUS! Sheri's love for all things lemon is very well documented, and I love all things citrus too...so I knew this was going to be fun and easy! Now that I've piqued your interest, let me just assure you that Sheri's write-up of the citrus party will be posted quite soon, I'm sure...and then you too can enjoy!

Soon after we decided that the theme for the next party would be citrus, I was sitting at taekwondo practice watching the kids, when I saw the January issue of Southern Living sitting on the counter in a pile of magazines. I grabbed it immediately, because it was featuring "the season's brightest citrus recipes". The angels were smiling upon me at that moment, let me tell ya! I pulled not one, but two recipes from that issue to throw into the menu for the party, and let me just tell you that both recipes were unbelievable, and yes, we are going to share the both with YOU!!!

When I first saw the recipe for this Buttery Orange Curd, I knew I was going to make it without a doubt! See, it has become kind of 'thing' at our parties that someone always brings something to share...a favor of sorts. I was instantly inspired to make it and put it in cute little jars for my guests to take home...a bit of sunshine in a jar! And it was an added bonus that it was also an ingredient in the other recipe that I tried for the party...which I will share very soon!

Truly, folks...this recipe goes together so quickly and is just so.....buttery. And orangey. And yummy.

Try it! Make some for your friends, or better yet, make some for someone you want to be your friend!! They'll never be able to resist! And if you DO make some for your friends, put it in little canning jars and print off these totally cute, totally free printable jar toppers from Wendolonia. She's super creative, and has lots of cool crafty things on her blog! Your friends will be so impressed!

Buttery Orange Curd
by Southern Living

2/3 c. sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 1/3 c. orange juice

1 large egg, slightly beaten

3 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. orange zest

pinch of salt

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a 3 qt saucepan. Gradually whisk in orange juice and egg. Bring to a boil and keep it boiling, whisking constantly, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from heat; whisk in butter, zest and salt. Place heavy-duty plastic wrap directly on curd to prevent a film from forming and chill 8 hours. Spread on scones, english muffins, or toast...serve on top of sliced strawberries...use it to make some panna cotta or to make the next (secret) recipe we're going to share, or just eat it with a spoon. Yes, it's that good!

Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Orange Cornmeal Cookies

2011-02-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me what chefs and bakers throw in a bowl together to create dinner and dessert. When I peruse recipes and read an ingredient list that doesn't "add up" I cannot help myself from reading the entire recipe because I need to know how they plan to make it work.

I have learned over the years that everything works together....EVERYTHING! I added a Granny Smith Apple to soup last week for Pete's sake and it was fantastic, so in my world...in my kitchen...anything goes!

When I saw this cookie recipe in a magazine and the title read "Lime and Cornmeal Cookies" I was like...."Of course!" ;)

It was late evening when I came upon this little gem, so bright and early the next morning I was in the kitchen creating this weird cookie. The recipe gave permission to substitute orange juice and orange zest for the lime, and since I had no lime at the time, I went with orange.

Delicious!

The recipe suggested drizzling melted chocolate over the orange cookies, but I felt the chocolate dominated the delicate taste of the cookie, so I went with the icing instead.

These cookies are refreshing and delightful. You could eat seven of them in one sitting and still go back for more.....or is that just me?

I made them one week later with lime and orange for comparison purposes and I personally prefer the orange. My "taste-testers" loved them both and made it clear that they would be perfectly happy if I made either of them again.

Orange Cornmeal Cookies

1-1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Cornmeal
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Sugar
One Egg
One Tablespoon Orange Zest
One Tablespoon Orange Juice Concentrate
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat gently. Add vanilla, orange juice and zest. Then add flour and cornmeal and mix until a nice dough forms.

Roll into a ball and chill for at least one hour. Roll into a log and chill in fridge for 4-8 hours. Slice 1/4 inch thick slices and place on baking stone. Bake for 11-12 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

When cooled, drizzle with icing.

Andouille and Red Wine Soup

2011-01-30T00:01:00.002-05:00

We've all had those small moments in our lives when we are so proud of ourselves that we can't help but jump up and down and give ourselves a high five. And when these priceless moments happen to us, all we really want to do is share that joy, that pride, that excitement with someone...anyone who will listen.

My moment came last Thursday evening when I decided that I wanted soup for dinner. I didn't have any sort of plan or recipe, I just knew I wanted soup.

So......

When I found one, lonely, red potato, I decided to put him out of his misery and chop him up in little pieces and saute' him in a puddle of olive oil. Then I chopped up 4 stalks of celery, smashed 4 cloves of garlic, and threw them in the puddle as well. I placed a lid on top and let them mingle.

When I opened my fridge again, I noticed a big ol' Granny Smith apple staring me in the face. My first thought was..."Nobody puts apples in soup....that's weird." But before I knew it, I was cutting the apple and adding her to the pot as well. "Weird is good." I thought to myself.

"What do I do for protein? I could use beans, but I don't like beans....unless they're the green, string bean variety." And then I remembered that I had just purchased Cajun Style Andouille Smoked Sausage links, so beans were out and meat was in. Protein....CHECK!

Drinking red wine while cooking is always recommended, and since I already had a bottle in my hand........OOPS......a half a cup of it fell into the pot. I didn't want to use the whole bottle in the soup, so I poured in some beef broth.

I added some thyme for additional flavor, some diced tomatoes for color, and in a moment of mature, grown-up behavior I opened a can of White Northern beans and allowed a few fifty beans to drop into the soup. It felt good and bad all at the same time. It was hard to do, but I've got to learn to like beans....I've GOT TO!

When I couldn't find or think of anything else to add to my "souped up" soup, I placed the lid on top, turned the heat to low, and walked away for a couple of hours.

Tick...tock...tick...tock...

I returned to the kitchen at 8:53 PM wearing a proud smile on my face as the delightful aroma tickled my nose. I had a good feeling about this! I removed the lid, stirred the pot, grabbed a ladle, scooped it up, filled my bowl, found a spoon, loaded it up, took a whiff, took a taste, and....

Shazam!

MY moment.

.....that tiny little moment of accomplishment, of a job WELL done, of beautiful magic performed.

It. Was. Amazing! And even though no one was there to high-five me, I did a little dance, sang a little song, and laughed to myself over my apparent brilliantness. (Yes, it's a word)

Now, as we all know, most soups taste better the second day, but what I'll tell you about this little number is that on the night of it's conception, there were so many flavors bouncing around on the palate that it was like happy food fireworks. I could taste the wine, I could taste the apple, I could taste the Andouille, and I could even taste the beans - the wine-soaked beans, that is. Turns out, I kind of like drunken beans. Who knew?

The next morning, I decided to relive the experience of the night before and heat up the soup for breakfast. Only now, the soup had a different flavor. It was still very good, but as with most soups, all the flavors merged into one and the "wild party" from the evening before had simmered, the pandemonium had subsided, and even though I was enjoying the same flavors, somewhere in the magic of the overnight hours, they had become one brand new flavor.

I recommend eating the soup the night you make it and eating it again the next day and have yourself two different parties....you won't be disappointed!

(Thanks for letting me share this moment with you!)

Andouille and Red Wine Soup

6 Ounces Cajun Style Andouille Smoked Sausage
Olive Oil
One Medium Red Potato, finely chopped
4 Stalk Celery, finely chopped
4 Large Garlic Cloves, smashed
One Granny Smith Apple, finely chopped
14 Ounces Diced Tomatoes
7.5 Ounces White Northern Beans
One Teaspoon Thyme
1/2 Cup Red Wine ( not dry )
2 Cups Beef Broth

In a good size skillet or pot, saute' potato, celery, garlic, and apple. Add thyme, sausage, tomatoes, and red wine. Cook for a little while longer. Then add broth and beans. Let simmer on stovetop for at least 2 hours.

Shazam!

Savory Chicken Soup

2011-01-23T00:09:00.003-05:00

Who doesn't think of soup when it's 3 degrees outside?

In my world, traditional chicken soup means carrots, celery, noodles, and of course, chicken. But I didn't want Grandma's chicken soup. (Love ya, Grandma.. ;) I wanted something unique, pasta-free, and pleasantly piquant.

I stumbled upon this recipe and liked it, but it called for fresh ginger root, a touch of turmeric, and bean thread noodles. I had none of these in my kitchen, it was 3 degrees outside, and I wasn't leaving my house, so a little bit of improvisation was now on the menu.

I also noticed that the recipe failed to mention zucchini - clearly an oversight - zucchini goes in everything....duh-uh!

So, as my onions and garlic were bathing, blending, and softening, I peeked into my rack of tantalizing spices and chose some personal favorites.....garam masala, smoked paprika, and powdered ginger. I didn't measure anything....I just sprinkled each flavor until I stopped. How's that for precise?!

I added the zucchini and all the other good stuff and then mixed it in with the chicken and broth and let everyone get to know each other.

When I returned an hour later, I poured myself a bowl, dropped a little cloud of Greek yogurt on top, and indulged in the goodness.

Side Note: When I eat my minestrone soup that has a little kick to it, I like to add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. It gently diffuses some of the heat and adds another dimension of flavor.

When I had it for lunch the next day, the flavor was much more complex and the heat index had risen a twinkle or two. Even though I feel that I have already achieved perfection with this little medley, next time I'll probably sprinkle even more of the garam, paprika, and ginger and BAM...kick it up a notch!

Savory Chicken Soup

1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Sprinkle or two of Ginger Powder
Sprinkle or two of Garam Masala
Sprinkle or two of Smoked Paprika
10-12 Twists of the Black Pepper grinder
One Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
One Quart of Chicken Broth
8-10 Ounces of Cooked Chicken Pieces
One Medium Zucchini, petitely chopped

Drizzle some olive oil in a hot skillet. Add the onion and garlic and saute' until softened. Add chopped zucchini, soy sauce, ginger, garam masala, paprika, and black pepper. Saute' a few minutes more. In a separate pan pour in chicken broth and chicken. Add skillet ingredients to the broth and chicken and let simmer on stove for at least an hour.

As with most soups, this tastes best on the second day.

It's a Chocolate Tasting!!!

2011-01-16T00:01:00.002-05:00

How does that picture grab you? The official winner of our Chocolate Tasting Party....Mr. Lake Champlain, Dark Chocolate, Rum Caramel. Can't you just taste it?!? It was the third chocolate to touch our lips and it was love at first bite. I knew from the reaction of the ladies that we already had our winner.

The chocolate was 54% cocoa - so not super sweet, and the rum caramel was delicate but utterly divine. The best part was when you took a bite and the caramel filling spilled into your mouth while thin whispers of luscious lava drizzled down your chin.....ahhhh..... let's say it all together now.... "whispers of luscious lava drizzling down your chin...." (insert happy face)

Are you there with me in that happy place?

Okay...before I lose you for good here, let's back up for a second to the actual beginning of the party, where Teri made her grand entrance holding not bottles of wine, but a pot of chicken bathing in a savory Mole' sauce.

What's Mole'?

Mole' is a Mexican sauce that may contain up to twenty ingredients, including chili peppers and chocolate, which works to tame the heat of the chili peppers. It is not a chocolate sauce per se' as it is just one of the many ingredients and does not dominate.

For us, it was a wonderful way to stabilize our blood sugar with some protein - chicken style - and integrate the chocolate as well. The sauce was hearty, earthy, spicy, deep, complex, robust, and savory. Oh, and did I mention PHENOMENAL, because it was?! Carrie licked her plate clean and asked for seconds....need I say more?!

This sauce would be a wonderful way to serve leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. Had I posted this right after the party actually happened (early November) you could have used it in 2010, but alas I did not, so 2011 it is!

Once the "meal" portion of our party was complete, the chocolate tasting began. Let me just say that through my many hours of research on this subject, the three "rules" of throwing a chocolate tasting party that surfaced time and time again were:

1. Only taste 6 chocolates at a party.
2. Only serve water with the chocolates.
3. Serve bland bread as your palate cleanser.

I respectfully chose to break all three of these rules and I'll tell you why.

1. If six is great then twelve is perfect.
2. We drink wine at these parties, people!
3. Bland bread is for Lenten season and we hadn't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet, so Easter was clearly a long way away. THIS was a party......about FOOD...so I was serving food.

Also, you may notice that many of the chocolates were wrapped in artfully designed paper, which inspired me to remove each of the covers and paste them to a chocolate colored stock paper and have them laminated as place mats. Brilliant, eh? Came up with THAT idea 14 hours before the party.......crazzzzzzzzy, but super cool!

Ok...Ok....Ok.....Let's talk chocolate!

Speaking of creative wrapping, check out Theo's Spicy Chili Dark Chocolate. Jen and I chose this one mostly because it's cover was "coooool" and the idea of chocolate and chili together just sounded like a party. This little delicacy was fun because upon first bite, you notice a hint of orange flavor and you smile. And then, ever so slowly there's this warmth that arises seemingly out of nowhere. You're not even sure if it's real.....maybe it's all in your head, but as it quickly intensifies there's no denying there's a fire blazing in your mouth, rising from the "ashes" of the creamy chocolate. Once the wonderfully wicked flame dies down, your smile returns...."yum....that was FUN... can we do it again?"

So, if you like a little face flush with your chocolate, Theo's got the bar for you.

The next chocolate was chosen because of it's blissful blue, oceanic vibe and our affection towards blueberries. We found the chocolate to be smooth and tasty and the perpetual stumble into blueberry fields most pleasing to our palates. Most everyone was a fan of Mr. Endangered Species. Of course, it must be noted that he was the first chocolate tasted and as with most of our parties, first "bites" are frequently met with great enthusiasm and high praise, mostly due to the sheer excitement of just being at the party, so......

This next guy made the menu because amidst all the long, arduous hours of research I did for this party, the idea of chocolate dipped bacon surfaced quite often and earned rave reviews across the board. I seriously considered making it "from scratch" until Vosges here told me I didn't have to....it was already done.

Mo's Dark Bacon Bar is the perfect chocolate for your next party - a perfect conversation piece!
Teri was not a fan. She likes her chocolate and her bacon but rejects the merging of the two, and we respect her opinion. The rest of us found it very interesting. It took the idea of chocolate covered pretzels or peanuts to a whole new level. It's chocolate covered salt, people and those two things do go together. Chocolate + Salt + Fat = Flavor. If you do the math, you'll see...it all adds up!

I thought it was delicious and fascinating! Check it out at your local World Market.

You see the tiny bits of bacon in there?

Then there's Lindt. Lindt's Intense Orange lived up to it's name. I like intense, so when I bit into this bar of Lindt Excellence and got rocked in the mouth by an explosion of orange flavor, I was not prepared, but I was pleased. I'm not sure he's a chocolate you would overindulge in, but he's a wonderful pick-me-up of chocolate citrus flavor that just may soothe that sweet-tooth craving IF you're one of those people who can eat your single serving size of chocolate and walk away satisfied. I believe I speak for Jen when I say that we have never understood or mastered that theory of single serving satisfaction.

Lindt's 85% Cocoa Chocolate is no joke.....IT IS 85% cocoa, and in our humble opinion, should only be consumed when melted down and fused with sugar. WOW! Speaking of that though....I did use this chocolate bar to make tiny flourless chocolate cakes that were so divine it wouldn't surprise me if they served them in heaven.....probably even for breakfast. Pictures and recipes are for another day..........waaaaait for it!

TCHO was a little pricey and we all agreed he wasn't quite worth his flavor in gold. The description on the inside flap boasted a citrus and sour cream experience and it was there, but oh-so mild. It didn't rock any of our boats and it's $7.00 price tag pretty much sank it. However, it did remind me of a chocolate dip I made once that consisted of sour cream, cocoa, and honey. It was a sinfully smooth, mousse-like dip that balanced the depth of the cocoa and the twang of the sour cream masterfully.....it was good. This bar reminded me of that dip.....and that dip was cheaper to make.

Chocolove was a disappointment as well, but for different reasons. Cherries & Almond in Dark Chocolate....sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

The question of the moment was, "Where's the cherries....where's the flavor?" This was a chocolate bar with no personality. Forgettable and regrettable.

Look Mr. Chocolove, we don't eat chocolate for our health - as much as we want to believe it is good for us on some level - we eat chocolate, despite it's sugar and despite it's calories because we love, love, love the flavor on our tongues, the smell under our noses, the joy in our hearts, and the bliss in our souls. We consume chocolate purely for the heavenly taste of it, so when you sell us your "Choco-LOVE" you waste our time, our calories, and precious moments of our lives we'll never get back......moments that could have been spent with better chocolate.

Shame on you, Chocolove.

I threw in some Milk Chocolate from Newman's Own and the World Market brand and all the ladies turned up their noses at them. Well that may be girls, but sometimes you need to taste them all side by side - ugly next to pretty..rich next to poor...dirty next to clean - simply to remind yourself how good good can be.

I also brought two white chocolates to the table, much to the ladies chagrin. "White chocolate is NOT chocolate!" they all protested. I made them taste it anyway - see paragraph above. Turns out Michelle and Anne discovered that they sort of liked it. I presented them with Lindt's version of white chocolate and Green and Black's version. Hands down, Green and Black was the favorite. Lindt's was intensely sweet and crushingly sugary, but the Green and Black had a nice, clean, vanilla flavor that came from Madagascar vanilla beans. I really liked the Green and Black, myself.

So, my greatest concern/challenge with throwing this party was striking a balance between tasting twelve different chocolates and not having anyone leave my house feeling sick, guilty, or overindulged. I needed a plan......

Research showed that Gruyere cheese is a wonderful compliment to chocolate, so I bought me a slab of that and then Jen found the perfect missing piece to the puzzle....goat cheese with a cocoa rind, otherwise known as Carr Valley Cocoa Cardona. How cool is that?! It was $23 a pound, but we weren't buying a whole pound, so it really wasn't $23 at all. ;)

Both cheeses were amazing, delicious, and worth every single penny. I served them alongside my interpretation of "bland bread"....gluten-free crackers and water crackers.

Carr Valley Cocoa Cardona
worth every penny...

I didn't stop with cheese and crackers. There was that balance thing that needed to be achieved, remember? We needed more palate cleansers, so I served Asian pears, celery, Granny Smith apples, and toasted pecans and toasted walnuts.

You guessed it...they picked it all clean!

I even served up some frozen applesauce at the halfway mark. (A childhood favorite of mine)

And then there was wine. Carrie brought her personal favorite...Ecco Domani, and we toasted to chocolate and friends with the Gnarly Head.

Another successful and fabulous party if I do say so myself. I wish you all could have been there, but we encourage you to have a little chocolate tasting of your own.....now that you know how to do it. Oh, and it was Patty's birthday too! Not a bad way to spend your BIG day, eh?

Explore the wonderful and magical world of chocolate!!

Food Tasting Field Trip!!!

2010-12-22T22:52:00.008-05:00

For our Christmas party we decided to take a field trip to the Market District for wine tasting and food exploration. Upon her arrival, Teri presented each of us with these most fabulous Christmas tree glasses, which we wore throughout the store and brought Christmas cheer to all that were near.

If I were to estimate, I would say that we probably pasted at least 32 smiles on everyday faces that night. Had it been a busier night at the Market, I believe the numbers would have been much higher. Of course, there are always a few faces that belong to grumpy souls and cracking a smile on one of those usually requires alcohol or ice cream, not funky, festive glasses, but you do what you can, right?

After some wine, eating, and discussion over future Food Tasting ideas, we decided to venture out and about.

Carrie and Anne entertained themselves with this teeny tiny pear....lol..

Meanwhile, Jen was getting giddy over finding her favorite Pinot Noir that up until now, she had to have shipped to Ohio. NOW, she's got herself a local dealer for her prized wine.....King Estate.

Oh yeah, and THIS was the entrance Teri made when she entered the wine section. I had my camera ready, because I knew there would be a show when she arrived...and I was right!

And, as Teri would say, "THIS is what Joy looks like!" Teri's joy comes from giving and all of our joy comes from receiving what Teri gives us....lol!

Jen and I would like to take this time to thank "Miss Joy" for her fabulous glasses b/c we have gotten mucho fun from them. We have worn them to family Christmas parties, kid's Christmas parties, friend's Christmas parties. I have greeted many patients over the week with the glasses and they were a HUGE hit! Just three more days to spread the joy and fun with dorky eye-ware..ho ho ho!

Who knew a dollar item from Target could bring such joy to so many people?!

May your Christmases be Merry and Bright and may the New Year be filled with lots of great food and fabulous fun!

Meeeeeeerry Christmas Everyone!!!

Jen and Sheri

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-11-17T17:22:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you that Sheri and I kind of made an agreement that we wouldn't make any more sweets for Party in the Pantry for awhile. I mean, we like to eat healthy foods...REALLY!!!! I SWEAR!!

The problem is, we also really like to make tasty treats. So while I'm in total agreement that I should be cooking lots of scrumptious vegetable dishes, I couldn't help but make these when I saw the recipe in an old Redbook my mom had laying around, and they did not disappoint!! Besides, we all need a treat now and then, right? RIGHT?!?!

So although I am breaking the pact, I implore you to try these. They are moist. They are chocolately. They are peanut buttery. They are easy to make, and use everyday items. But most importantly, they are just plain yuuuuummy!!

**Note: The recipe doesn't call for it, but I added a few chocolate chips to the batter because, well...just because, ok? And I highly recommend doing it!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

1 1/4 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c. light brown sugar

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. smooth peanut butter

2 large eggs

1/2 c. whole milk

peanut butter chips or diced peanut butter cups for garnishing

Preheat your oven to 350 and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat until completely blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lastly, add the milk. Now slowly add the flour mixture and beat until well combined, but be careful not to overmix!

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 c. of the batter and bake 20-25 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when touched lightly. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before icing.

Chocolate Frosting

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/3 c. heavy cream

In a saucepan over low heat, stir the chocolate chips and cream until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and refrigerate 1 hour, or until chilled throughout, but not too firm. Beat the mixture until creamy, about 3 minutes. Spread over cupcakes and garnish with peanut butter chips or broken peanut butter cups. YUMMY!

Pesto, Pears, and Cinnamon Tasting!

2010-10-10T00:01:00.004-04:00

Pestos, Pears, and Cinnamon.....Oh my!

The fabulous Teri offered to host this month's tasting party and she chose Pesto, but she also really wanted to do pears with cheese and wine. Could she do both? That was her question to me. My answer? "Absosmurfley!"

Then she was in Colorado and while visiting a spice shop, noticed there were several different types of cinnamon - who knew? "Can we dip some of the pears in different flavors of cinnamon?" was her question to me. "Ummmm.....YES!"

So on a beautiful fall day we all showed up at Teri's house for a Pesto, Pear, and Cinnamon Tasting Party.

Good News...Bad News

Good News: These Pestos were amazing! The flavors were spectacular, vibrant, and fresh.
Bad News: At this time, the Marvini brand of pestos are only available in Canada. How sad is that?! Why should the Canadians have all the fun? Marvini's been around since 1850 and they still haven't made their way south....What's the hold-up?!!!

Anyway....Teri had the brilliant idea of carefully layering some phyllo dough, "icing" it with the pesto and topping it with freshly sliced yellow tomatoes. She baked it in the oven until the phyllo was nice and crispy and then served them to us one delicious bite at a time. Of course, we also had permission to eat the pesto right out of the container too!

The pesto we crowned king was the Pesto Rosso, which placed first and second in most everyone's hearts. We were dying to know what was in this fabulous garden delight, so Teri read the ingredients right from the container.

Pesto Rosso
Sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, cashews, parmesan cheese, romano cheese, fresh purple basil, fresh garlic, flaxseed oil, canola oil, spices, sea salt, lemon juice.

Pesto Bombay
Fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley), cashew, feta cheese, fresh garlic, jalapeno spices, flaxseed oil, canola oil, sea salt, lemon juice concentrate

Jen had a thing for the Bombay pesto....

Pesto Mediterranea
Red bell peppers, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, cashews, feta cheese, fresh garlic, fresh herbs, flaxseed oil, canola oil, lemon juice concentrate

Patty and Teri were ga-ga over the Mediterranea....

Pesto Traditionale
Fresh herbs (basil, parsley), cashews, parmesan cheese, romano cheese, fresh garlic, pine nuts, flaxseed oil, canola oil, sea salt, lemon juice concentrate

Carrie had a crush on Mr. Traditional with an E.....

Pesto Thai
Fresh herbs (basil, parsley), cashews, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, peanuts, spices, flaxseed oil, canola oil, sea salt, coconut, lemon juice concentrate

Anne liked the spicy Thai...as did I! ( I really loved the Rosso though...)

We also tasted a Pesto Provenzale and a Pesto Azteca.

All of the pestos tasted amazing really. The flavors completely came alive once the pesto touched your tongue. We ooed and ahhed and moaned and groaned like happy, hungry taste-testers.

We liked all the Pestos, but some simply stole our hearts more than others, with everyone choosing different favorites - it's what keeps it interesting! Even though we can't know the exact recipe of these gems, we now have the ingredient list that inspired each concoction, so we are free to experiment at home....and so are you! And until Canada decides to share with us Americans, experimenting is all we can do!

SEE?! Jen gets giddy just thinking about all the experimenting!

As fabulous as the pestos were, it's time to move on to the pears and cheese.
I'm sorry there are no pictures of pears and cheese.....I was too busy eating them to take photos. You know how it is - when you're taking the picture, you're missing the moment. I was caught up in the moment - SUE ME!

Okay, picture THIS:

A perfect slice of Bosc pear, a generous chunk of aged white cheddar cheese, and a gulp of red wine ALL in your mouth at one time having the ultimate flavor-frenzy party! It was even better than it sounds!

We then indulged in another slice of the Bosc, but this time we paired him with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and that too was a party worth attending. More wine please! The aged white cheddar was our favorite partner for the Bosc and lucky us....it can be found at our local Giant Eagle - Black Diamond brand - check it out for yourself.

Then we switched to the Bartlett pear and partnered him with a Fontina cheese and a swanky Merlot....purrrrr...fection!

When Teri appeared from the kitchen with St. Andre - the next cheese to stand with the Bartlett - we were all very excited to see him again. He was one of our favorites from our first cheese tasting and here he was, the Bartlett's newest friend. Teri decided to pop the cork on some champagne and we toasted our old friend.

Turns out, we liked the Fontina with the Bartlett better than we did St. Andre. They simply complimented each other better. We were more than happy to spread the St. Andre on some bread though...ahhhhh.

But wait.....this party's not over! There is cinnamon to taste yet! Pictured below is the Vietnamese Saigon Cinnamon that Teri so generously gave each of us to take home as ONE of our parting gifts. Turns out, it was nearly everyone's favorite....except Carrie...she can be sooo difficult. ;)

Speaking of Carrie, see how happy she is to be tasting four separate varieties of cinnamon?

After we all made little piles of each cinnamon on our plates, we started dragging our slices of pear through the separated spices. Right away everyone was calling out their favorites. Vietnamese Saigon seemed to be Anne and Teri's favorite, while Carrie fell hard for the Ceylon "True". Jen gave props to the Indonesian Cassia, while the Chinese Cassia walked away with the bronze.

So, I have a confession. Remember the "Friends" episode where Rachel gets a baby ultrasound done and Ross is so excited when he sees the baby on the monitor and Rachel acts excited too? Then she finally fesses up that she can't make out the baby, so Ross outlines the baby with his finger and says, "See?!" Rachel looks again and then proclaims, "Oh, I see, I see!" Ross looks at her and questions, "Really?" Rachel breaks down and cries, "Nooooooo!'

THAT is how I felt while everyone was drooling and gushing over the different flavors of cinnamon. I LOVE CINNAMON. It is easily one of my favorite flavors - right up there with lemon and vanilla - and ever since Teri mentioned the idea of adding cinnamon to the tasting, I was stoked!!!

So, here I am with four different cinnamons at a Food Tasting and I can't tell one from the other. Seriously! I kept tasting and I kept quiet until I had to fess up and admit I could barely distinguish one from the other, if at all! BUT, that is why I love these tastings! You never know what's going to happen and there are never any right or wrong reactions to anything!

Did I mention there was wine at the party?

Did I mention there was lots of wine at the party?

If you hang with us long enough you will see a pattern develop. Even though there is wine at every party, Teri's house is seriously stocked with wine and it's only one of the reasons we love her! At this party, not only did we have many bottles of wine to compliment each "course", we had red wine glasses and white wine glasses and champagne glasses....it was divine!

Oh, and then there were the gifts. Teri not only gave us Cinnamon and leftover pesto to take home, but she also gave us this Sugared Pear Soap. Get it? "Pear?"

And Patty took it upon herself to pick apples from a woman's orchard ( with her permission, of course ) because the woman was not collecting them and they were going to waste. She thoughtfully picked a bag for each of us!

And Jen showed up with a laundry basket of gourds! Her and Barry thought they were planting wonderful zucchinis, but look what popped up! Everyone was excited to pick and choose from all the many fun shapes and sizes.

This party went on for hours because we had so much fun. As always, we ate just enough to tease our palates and satisfy our hunger...nothing less and nothing more. Gluttony is not our friend and he is never invited to our parties.

Next month we will be tasting many, many different types of Chocolate AND it is Patty's birthday, so the partying continues.........

Sugar Snap Pea & Mushroom Salad

2010-09-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

Let me just say I LOVE THIS SALAD!!!!
This recipe makes a lot (it serves 12!), which is a good thing, because you're going to need it! Light and refreshing, especially on a hot day, this salad is always a hit at any get-together. Crisp sugar snap peas, tasty mushrooms, and fresh herbs marinated in olive oil and vinegar?

Yes, please!

It goes together in a snap, and then just marinates until you're ready to go. How easy is that?

And let's face it, folks...everyone can always use another veggie dish! How many cookouts, potlucks, and family get-togethers have you been to where the food table is overwhelmed by sweets? I know I've seen more than my share. Give this a try, I know you'll like it!

Sugar Snap Pea & Mushroom Salad

3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
6 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
9 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
8 c. sugar snap peas (1 lb.)
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

Begin by marinating the mushrooms: whisk the olive oil, vinegar, and salt & pepper together in a medium sized bowl. Add the mushrooms, toss to coat, and marinate for at least 45 minutes or up to overnight, stirring occasionally.

Cook the snap peas: fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water and 1 tbsp salt to a boil. Add snap peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain peas and immediately submerge in the ice water. Let sit until chilled, approximately 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Drain the mushrooms and discard all but 1 tbsp. of the marinade. Toss the mushrooms, snap peas, reserved marinade and thyme and serve immediately.

Caramelized Onion Dip

2010-09-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

For all you onion lovers out there, make sure your shoelaces are tied up tight because I'm about to knock your socks off!

This dip isn't exactly Monet in a bowl, but onions weren't born to be pretty - they're planted and grown, chopped and sauteed, for the sole purpose of making the whole world smile!

Do onions make YOU smile?

Caramelized onions are so wonderfully piquant that they alone contribute to the rich flavor of this dip. The Greek yogurt, sour cream, that pinch of cayenne and splash of lemon do play wonderful supporting roles with this spread, but they couldn't pull this off without the onions!

Dip Dip...Hooray!!

Side note: I would be more than happy to testify that this dip smeared on a hamburger fresh off the grill is a truly stellar idea!

Caramelized Onion Dip

One Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Large Onions
(any kind you want; yellow, white, or red)
Coarse Salt
3 Tablespoons Water
1-1/2 Cups Greek Yogurt
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onions with 2 teaspoons salt, stirring often, until caramelized, 35 to 40 minutes.

Add water; cook, scraping any brown bits from bottom to deglaze skillet. Transfer onions with brown bits to a medium bowl; let cool for 30 minutes.

Stir in yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, and cayenne into onions. Sprinkle with cayenne. Refrigerate.

Serve with pita chips, pretzels, rice chips, vegetables............hambuuuuuurgers(?)

Apple Tasting

2010-09-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Here's a re-post of last year's Apple Tasting for those of you joining the party a little late! There's not much time left for apple picking this year, so check out what apples WE loved best and then taste-test your own!

SO!

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what would twelve apples do?

We were about to find out at our seventh Food Tasting Party because we found ourselves 12 different kinds of apples and we bought them all to taste test! BUT, before we started tasting individual apples, we decided we should most definitely have dessert first. Can you think of a better way to start a party than sitting down to a beautiful, luscious, mouth-watering dessert? No? Well then, we're sorry you missed this party!

Check out the fabulously warm cinnamon bread topped with apple ice cream, buttery caramel sauce, and Honeycrisp Apple bites that was served as an introduction AND tribute to the all-time favorite fruit - the Apple.

In case you're wondering....it was DEE. VINE!

And the recipe will come in time - after we do a little creative tweaking.....

So! As the ladies licked their plates clean and poured themselves a fresh glass of white wine, we started cutting into Apple number one - the Golden Delicious. As the Big D. was passed around, many were surprised by the great flavor of this yellow delight, because many of us had childhood memories of it being a little on the mushy side with a much milder flavor. We were pleasantly surprised by the first apple of the day, so we were off to a great start!

But then there was the Ginger Gold apple and he didn't really impress anyone, so we won't even waste time talking about him - too many apples, too little time, so we're moving on....

What's the phrase, "Beauty that's only skin deep."? Sadly, that would apply to our most widely grown apple in the world, the Red Delicious - no genetic relation to the Golden Delicious by the way. Miss Red Delicious was hands down, the prettiest of all the apples at the party, with her shiny, crimson exterior, but it only took one bite of this beauty queen to realize that she's just another pretty apple - not sweet, not juicy, not tart, not refreshing - just blah. Sadly, just as we all remembered her to be.

But then, there was the McIntosh Apple. I can personally say that the moment this apple touched my lips, memories of growing up amidst a small apple orchard and our family making gallons and gallons and gallons of apple cider came rushing back. It tasted just like cider. It had a refreshingly tart tint to it, which we all enjoyed as it brought a nostalgic smile to our faces, but in the end, it's tartness was too much punch to make the coveted top three.

The Red Cortland, a relative of the McIntosh, was a pleasant apple also, but once again, it's flavor was not enticing enough to sneak into the top three.

A relative of the Red Delicious, but oh so more pleasing to the palate was the Fuji, which was discovered in Japan in the 1930's. Fuji is always a good idea for your one-apple-a-day and we all enjoyed the flavor from Japan, but only Carrie actually gave it top three honors.

And then there's the most seemingly popular apple, the Gala, which when quizzed, nearly everyone admitted that Gala was the one apple they purchased most on a week to week basis. This hybrid of the Golden D. developed in New Zealand in the 1930's is simply a great apple. Unfortunately, the one we were serving at this party was a little soft and mealy, which is completely uncharacteristic of the Gala, so even though this single apple failed to shine at this particular moment, we all agreed that in our hearts, we knew that as a 'breed' of apple, the Gala was still one of the best.

But then, for the surprise sleeper of the party, an American apple developed in the 1940's - a cross between the Golden D. and Jonathan apple - came the Jonagold. This apple surprised everyone and the consensus was, "Now, that tastes like an apple." and Patty said she could actually taste the Waldorf Salad with each bite she took. This might be the apple you've been overlooking for all these years that's just begging for a taste test. Being that it made the top three of the majority of our apple eaters, we think it's worth a taste.

The baby of the group, the Honeycrisp apple took top three honors for nearly all of us. It was only just introduced in the 90's, but has become wildly popular in that short time simply because it is a fabulous apple. It's crisp, firm, sweet, clean, little tart, and it's most widely known for it's pear-drop flavor. This is a real winner of an apple!

The Braeburn out of New Zealand had a nice solid flavor, but I do believe it struggled to follow in Mr. Honeycrisp's footsteps. Karen, however, found the mild nature of the Braeburn to be more appealing than the ever-popular Honeycrisp. In fact, she awarded the Braeburn top three honors and snubbed the Honeycrisp altogether. Karen also found a new favorite apple of the day for herself in the Golden Delicious. It really impressed her - so much so that she placed it in her top three beside the Braeburn and Pink Lady, which we'll introduce shortly.

And who can forget the apple discovered by chance in the middle of Australia in the mid 19th century by a Grandma named Marie Smith? That's right, we're talking about the tart and sassy Granny Smith Apple. Only Jen and I chose this apple to be part of our top three, but in our hearts, it's a winner all the way. I think when it comes to the Granny, you either love her or you don't.

Speaking of Granny Smith, there is no apple better suited to be draped in caramel for the beloved sweet delight of a Caramel Apple than the Granny. We proved this theory by taste testing it. We melted some caramel with a sprinkle of cinnamon and covered two different apples with it. We then dipped the caramel apple in melted Callebaut white chocolate and sprinkled it with toasted chopped pecans. One apple used was the Granny, seen below, and the other was the hugely popular Honeycrisp apple.

Hands down, without a doubt, and no question about it, the Granny Smith apple stole the show. The tartness of Miss Smith paired with the melt-in-your-mouth caramel and the creamy rich high quality white chocolate was a home-run. The mildness of the Honeycrisp got lost in the caramel, but more tragic than that, the rich caramel flavor was muted by the lack of contrast.

Lesson learned? Granny Smith apples are the only apple that should be wearing caramel. It is what they were born to do!

And let's not forget the Pink Lady apple that's tangy and sweet, very refreshing, and a little crunchy too. She is the proud daughter of the Golden D. and Lady Williams and she took top honors amongst half of the apple eaters.

Since we are a cheese loving group, we also served three new cheeses to munch on between our apple bites. We found these three new cheesy finds at Whole Foods and they were as follows: Manchego, a very popular sheep's cheese in Spain, that mimicked a perfect Parmesan, but left a most desirable aftertaste of creamed butter....yum! Amadeus, an Austrian cheese, whose texture is similar to Havarti and it's taste is similar to Gouda. And "Yes" this cheese was named after the one and only Wolgang Amadeus Mozart. And last but not least, we chose a New Zealand Cheddar for it's piquant flavors and hint of cream. Yes, they were loved by all of us, and No, there wasn't a single crumb left on the plate....

Wine has been making an appearance at our last few parties, and this one was no different. The wonderful cheese lady at Whole Foods helped choose the perfect white wines to compliment our apples and cheese. They were Yard Dog, a wonderful wine out of Australia and

Gazela, a simple, delicate, but crisp white sipping porch wine. Check them out.

What's next?

Squash!!

That's right! Teri is very excited to introduce us to the wonderful and diverse world of squash, and as Carrie so eloquently put it, "We're going to go with Open Mouths and Open Minds!"

So, until then...taste-test some apples of your own and discover some new favorites, because after all, variety IS the spice of life!

Orange Chicken on the Fly

2010-09-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

You have in your kitchen:

2 chicken breasts
a cup of orzo
a handful of toasted pecans
a beautiful zucchini from the garden
fresh cilantro
a tangy lemon
freshly shredded asiago
orange juice
chili powder

WHAT DO YOU DO?!

You create a fabulous chicken recipe on the fly, that's what you do!

Orange Chicken on the Fly

In a wok or skillet, heat coconut oil, roughly 2 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate, and a healthy tablespoon of chili powder, and then add cut-up chicken breasts.

Meanwhile, on the other burner boil enough water for a cup of orzo, then drop the orzo in to cook.

When the chicken has had a chance to start cooking, add the zucchini. You don't want the zucchini to get mushy - you want it to hold it's shape. Salt and pepper to taste.

When the orzo is al dente, transfer it to a medium-sized bowl, add a little more coconut oil, a splash or four of lemon juice, and a generous amount of chopped cilantro.

Pile the orzo onto a serving plate, followed by the chicken/zucchini combo. Decorate with toasted pecans and shredded asiago.

I think this is the prettiest way to display this fabulousness on the fly, but you could toss it all together if you like.

Serve immediately!
( Seriously! Immediately. :)

IF you do not eat this in one sitting, the next day you can add a touch of greek yogurt or sour cream and eat it cold or heated through.

Spicy Yogurt and Cucumber Dip

2010-09-12T00:01:00.001-04:00

What's better than showing up to a party with a dish that no one's had before and everyone's raving about? I don't know.....I can't think of anything. I DO know we all love to experience something fresh and new from the kitchen every once and awhile - a flavor combination we've never tasted before - and if you show up to your next party with this hot little number YOU and your savory little dip could be what everyone's buzzing about at the buffet table.

Of course, as it is with funky dips of this nature, not everyone will like this dip, and that's okay. They can eat the cheese whiz............

Spicy Yogurt And Cucumber Dip
(An Indian-inspired curry dip)

1/2 English Cucumber, peeled and grated
One Tablespoon Safflower Oil
2 Teaspoons Curry Powder
2 Cups Greek Yogurt
1/4 Cup Mango Chutney
One Teaspoon Finely Grated Ginger
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Coarse Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Grate cucumber ( I like to use the the microplane ) and then squeeze between paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook curry powder until just beginning to bubble, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a bowl; let cool slightly.

Stir in cucumber, yogurt, chutney, ginger, cilantro, one teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. refrigerate for at least one hour.

Serve with Pappadams or Rice Chips.

Dip can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Buckeye Candy - The Good Stuff!

2010-09-10T00:01:00.001-04:00

It's Buckeye Time again so we're reposting this little number........

Go Bucks!!!

~~~~~~

For those of you living under a rock, or outside the state of Ohio or Michigan, tomorrow is the BIG game between the OSU Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. Of course, OSU will crush Michigan and as they do that, we'll all be cheering them on while wearing our Buckeye shirts, hats, and of course, our buckeye necklaces.

We wear the buckeyes around our neck because we can't eat them, due to the fact that they're mildly toxic. Instead, we take peanut butter and chocolate and create a candy that we can eat that looks just like a buckeye - smart, eh?

This is the thing, though....these Buckeye candies are super sweet and super horrible for you! It's never stopped us from making them or eating them, but we thought to ourselves, "There has to be a better way...."

And there is!

We posted a recipe not long ago of a family favorite called Peanut Butter Balls - remember them? They're a huge hit among kids and adults alike. As I ate one the other day, I thought to myself, "Wow, these are so good!" And then it happened....the light bulb moment...dipped in chocolate, these could pass as Buckeyes, easy!

Check out the difference in ingredients - but beware - the difference will shock you. This may be our greatest discovery yet!

ORIGINAL Buckeyes: 10 tablespoons butter, 3-1/4 cups powdered sugar, one cup peanut butter, and one tablespoon vanilla.

OUR Buckeyes: 4 tablespoons butter, one cup honey, one cup peanut butter, two cups dry milk powder, and one tablespoon vanilla.

The difference in butter and sugar alone is astounding!

Okay, here it is, the New recipe.....

Buckeye Candy - The Good Stuff!

4 Tablespoons Butter
One Cup Honey (no substitutes, please)
One Cup Peanut Butter
Two Cups Dry Milk Powder
One Tablespoon Vanilla
1-1/2 Cups Cherrios, mildly crushed
(in this recipe we crush the cereal a little because we don't want the O's sticking out and destroying the illusion of the Buckeye, but we don't want to leave them out either, because they add texture and fiber - and we could all use a little more fiber, wouldn't you agree?)

Melt butter and honey over low heat until hot and thinned. Remove from heat. Add powdered milk, peanut butter, and vanilla - mix well. This works the best with a big ol' Kitchen Aid Mixer. Add cereal and mix well.

Roll into any size ball you want - think of a Buckeye, here......

Place in fridge to let them harden a bit. Melt chocolate in double boiler. Take 5-6 peanut butter balls from the fridge at a time so they don't get soft, and puncture them with a toothpick one at a time, dipping them into the chocolate, leaving a bare spot on top - like a Buckeye - and place on a piece of parchment paper to allow the chocolate to set.

Once set, EAT!

Note: The recipe given above is a doubled recipe of the original Peanut Butter Ball recipe. This recipe will make approximately 60 small-medium Buckeyes.

Go Buckeyes!

Beat Michigan!

Blueberry Banana Bread

2010-09-04T00:01:00.003-04:00

Now I know we have posted lots of bread and muffin recipes here on Party in the Pantry. Especially muffins. And we wanted to let you know we apologize.

No, not really. Sorry.

Because here's the thing...muffins and bread are GOOD, people! And you can never have enough good recipes for them in your cooking arsenal. What's not to like? They are a breeze to whip up, they freeze well, and people like them! I like to make a few different kinds to keep in the freezer in case we get impromptu guests, or if I need to shake up the weekday breakfasts for the kiddos. And muffins or breads always do the trick...especially if this is one of them!

This recipe is fantastic, just sooooo good!!! The citrus glaze is not necessary, as the bread itself is quite tasty all on it's own, but if you add it you will definitely NOT be disappointed in the least! So go stock up on blueberries and get to baking!

Blueberry Banana Bread

2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas
1/4 c. buttermilk (I used plain yogurt)
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 tsp lemon zest
1 c. blueberries, fresh OR frozen

Heat your oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. In another bowl, combine all other ingredients except the blueberries. Now, stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture slowly. Gently stir in the blueberries and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray and bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert loaf out of the pan. Cool 10 minutes more.

Now, this bread is great if you stop right here, I promise you. But...if you want to kick it up another notch, you can whip up this little glaze to go on top:

1/2 c. confectioners sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Mix these 3 ingredients up and spread over the top of the warm loaf. Let cool completely before slicing. Oh my, my, my....I don't think you'll want to share this one!

Guess what?!? I made this over the weekend and the batter is enough for one smaller sized loaf AND a pan of 12 regular sized muffins! I just love having options, don't you?

Marinated Green Beans & Roasted Red Peppers

2010-08-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

Have you been reaping the benefits of having a garden? Whether you have a garden, or have been frequenting your local farmer's market, there is no doubt about the variety of wonderful fruits and veggies that are available this time of year. It seems silly not to take advantage, doesn't it? This recipe is one of my favorite summertime recipes, especially when the green beans are in full swing. The combination of garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar is so addictive and refreshing on a hot day! I really hope you'll give it a try...it might be just the thing to liven up a Labor Day cookout!

Marinated Green Beans & Roasted Red Peppers

3 large red bell peppers
2 lbs. slender green beans
3/4 c. olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves
lettuce leaves, for garnishing

Char peppers over a gas flame or broiler until blackened on all sides. Don't be afraid to let those peppers get black! That's what makes the skin come off, peeps! Enclose the peppers in a paper bag and let stand for 10 minutes. Peel and seed the peppers and cut into 1/2" wide strips. Don't be intimidated by this step...the skins practically fall off! Transfer to a large bowl.

Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, no more than 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well, and add to the bowl of peppers.

Whisk oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over vegetables and toss. Season to your taste with salt & pepper. Cover and chill up to 6 hours. Line a large bowl or platter with lettuce leaves if desired, and place the beans and peppers in the center.

Mmmmm Mmmmm Gooooood!!!

Creamy Frozen Fruit Cups or Popsicles

2010-08-20T00:01:00.001-04:00

How do YOU spell summer?

I spell it P-O-P-S-I-C-L-E!!!

Nothing cools you down and pumps you up like a refreshing popsicle on a hot summer day, and since we are still in the midst of summer - ignore the fact that the children are heading back to school soon - there is no time like the present to have a little fun with some frozen delights.

These dreamy creamy desserts were originally made for muffin tins, but the popsicle is clearly the more divine way to eat them. Pick whichever way sounds like the most fun to you and indulge! ( I believe there is more flavor and less calories in the popsicles......don't ask me how that's possible......I just know it to be true in my heart.)

Creamy Frozen Fruit Cups or Popsicles

8 Ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Sugar
One Can Mandarin Oranges, drained
One Can Crushed Pineapple, drained
1/2 Cup Fresh Cherries, sliced, optional (or Maraschino)
8 Ounces Whipped Cream
1/2 Cups Chopped Pecans, absolutely optional

Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add pineapple and oranges and beat slowly until combined. Fold in whipped cream and cherries....and pecans if adding them. Line muffin cups with liners. Spoon mixture into cups.
OR...
Spoon mixture into Popsicle containers.

Freeze!

Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. I know it will be hard to wait the 10 minutes, because it's like torture for me, but it is worth the wait!

Swimming Cucumbers

2010-08-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

Who loves cucumbers from the garden.....raise your hand?

All of YOU?!?! That's what I thought!

This recipe is the perfect way to add some"tang"to the ever-refreshing veggie. It is important however, that one likes the zippy sting of apple cider vinegar because it's what these cucumbers swim in.

This has been a family favorite among kids and adults for many years now, so....

GET PICKLING PEOPLE!

If I haven't sold you on this recipe, check out Jen's favorite way to eat them here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Swimming Cucumbers

One Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
One Cup Water
Two Cups Sugar
One Teaspoon Salt
One Teaspoon Whole Cloves
1-1/2 Teaspoons Celery Seeds
7 Cucumbers, sliced and cut
Two Sweet Onions, thinly sliced

In a saucepan over low heat, warm water, apple cider vinegar, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add cloves, salt, and celery seeds. Place cucumbers and onions in container and pour liquid over them. Store in fridge for a few hours to allow the flavors to mingle and for the cucumbers to soak up the 'tang'.

As with most marination, the second day is best. Also, once all the cucumbers have been eaten, simply cut up more cucumbers and soak them in the same "juice".....the deliciousness will live on! I think they call that...........recycling......

Let's Get Pickled!
Let's Get Pickled!
Let's Get Pickled!

Betty G's Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oatmeal

2010-08-09T00:00:00.002-04:00

click on photo to enlarge, then begin the drooling process

When my childhood friend, Jen came to play for the weekend, she showed up with a perky plate of chocolate chip cookies. I had just gotten home from work and had not eaten dinner, so my resistance to the cookie was super, super low - I ate three. When I got up on Saturday morning and started my day with two more cookies I knew something had to be done, and soon. I hid them. I figured out of sight....out of mind and it worked!

Jen left around noon on Sunday and a few hours later I rediscovered the cookies hidden in the cupboard.

Surprise!!!

It was like Christmas morning in July! As excited as I was to be reunited with them, I was now alone in my house with a plate full of cookies loaded with mucho chocolate chips. I didn't stand a chance. After I indulged in yet another sinful cookie, I knew I had to share them with the world, so I immediately emailed Jen to get the recipe while I crunched on one last cookie (had to be absolutely certain they were blog-worthy). I thought she told me the recipe came from our other childhood friend, Jen, who now lives in Vermont.

When I finally received the much anticipated email, I noticed the recipe was actually Vermont Jen's mother's cookie recipe, which made perfect sense. Betty was always a great cook and baker when we were growing up and everything she made tasted like it just fell from heaven's kitchen. I felt honored to have Betty's recipe in my possession, as I hope now you feel honored to have it in yours!!!

Happy Cookie Making!!!

Oh....and this little number does NOT get filed away under Healthy.... it falls somewhere between Yum Mee! and Oh My!

Betty G's Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oatmeal

1-1/2 Cups Flour
One Teaspoon Baking Soda
One Teaspoon Salt
One Egg
1 1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla
1-1/4 Cups Butter
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Cups Quaker Rolled Oats
2 Cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well until blended.
Add the oats, chocolate, and pecans.

Bake 9-10 minutes for a chewy cookie. Bake 11-12 minutes for crispy.

Below is what crispy looks like.....

Makes 72 cookies EXACTLY!

It's a Funky Fruit Tasting Party!!!

2010-08-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

So, it was time for another Food Tasting Party and half our food tasters were partying elsewhere. Getting all of us together this summer has proven to be a challenge so we expanded our list of party-tasters to men and managed to gather four of them to join Carrie, Shelly, Patty, and I for a Funky Fruit Food Tasting.

Welcome Bob, Chris, Brian, and Brad!!!

There were all sorts of odd, beautiful, flashy, deformed, speckled, horned, and spiky fruit for our eyes to behold, which was fun, but we were there to taste some fruitage, so let's get started!
Let's begin with the star of the show, shall we? But WHO was the star of this Funky Fruit Show?

No one would argue that the Cherimoya was the runaway hit of the party - the only fruit to make it into everyone's top three.

It's velvety flesh is a delicious custardy blend of banana, pineapple, and strawberry. Mark Twain was once quoted as characterizing it as "deliciousness itself". It's said to be considered a romantic fruit that the Incas used as an aphrodisiac and fertility enhancer. I know everyone at our little soiree was feeling the love for the Cherimoya!

As you can see from the dissected photo, there is a plethora of black seeds in this fruit. Much like a seeded watermelon, you have to work for this delicacy. Everybody at the table seemed to agree it was worth the trouble.

Sounds like a "star of the show," right? Well, maybe.

But what if a tropical fruit named Durian showed up at the party by way of our special guest, Shelley? What if the moment it was removed from it's cooler, it's foul odor completely enveloped the room? An odor so repelling that it's banned in most hotels and airports in Asia. And yet, some people find the fruit to be quite fragrant. Some describe this fruit as a rich custard highly flavored with almonds and claim it to be an aphrodisiac as well. Interesting.......

This little porcupine of a fruit received lots of attention at the party. Try as we did to ignore him, his odor demanded our attention. We let him stink up the whole house - saving him for last - before we cut into him. We were all very excited to try this fruit because despite the smell, we had come to the party open-minded and ready to try some funky fruit. Shelley LOVED the Durian and liked it raw as much as she liked it in coconut milk over sticky rice. If she loved it, certainly there was a chance we would like it, right?

Believe it or not, the foul smell tripled in intensity once the first cut was made and the Durian had everyone's attention again.

Cherimoya who?

Ok, let's cut to the chase. Yuk! We all hated it. H.a.t.ed. i.t. BUT, most of us agreed to take more than one bite, because Carried noticed that with each bite, the taste got a little better, but not good enough. Chris posed the question, "The first people to eat this.......how hungry were they that they thought to eat this stinky fruit?" Many more questions followed along with much laughter and discussion.

The "leftovers" were sealed in an airtight bag and given to Shelley to take home. Despite the disrespectful things said about him, her love remained true for the Durian. ♥

So! Who was the star of the Funky Fruit Show? Well, I guess that depends on your perspective. We all gushed over the Cherimoya but we'll never be the same after meeting the Durian, so.....

Those weren't the only two fruits showcased at this party, so we'll just transition from the "stinky" fruit to the Ugli Fruit. The Ugli fruit is just that....ugly. It's appearance is a cross between an orange and a grapefruit that's lopsided, blemished, and discolored. The Ugli fruit is a perfect example of why we shouldn't judged a book by it's cover. Once his peel is easily removed, the Ugli fruit reveals his very sweet and citrus taste inside.

Bonus Feature: NO seeds.
Highly recommend this fruit - kids love it!!

And then there's the Kiwano "Horned" Melon that looks cool, sharp, and horny on the outside. We couldn't wait to cut this guy open, and as you can see, we were not disappointed - sooooo pretty! But guess what? He was all flash and not much flavor. It was like eating the most boring, drab, dull cucumber ever! He was a bit of a disappointment.

But the beautiful Asian Pear did NOT disappoint! As pretty as an apple and as sweet as a pear, this darling fruit was simply refreshing and smile-inducing. Like the apple, once you bring it home from the store it's ready to eat...no waiting around for it to ripen.

What do you think about the plums below?

GOTCHA!

They're not plums....they're called Red Velvet Apricots. Yea....Whatever!!! They look like plums, they feel like plums, they taste like plums, but they're called Red Velvet Apricots. Okay.

My favorite of the day was the Atualfo Mango which boasts a spectacular flavor that melts in your mouth. I've never been a crazed fan of the mango, but this mango could have me running for president of the Maniacs for Mangoes Club. More than half of the party goers gave this "Alfonso" mango (as Chris calls it) top three honors.

Then there was Papaya, Plantains, Coconut, Apricots, Mini-Bananas........all very good.

We did not actually taste-test the Quince, but Patty made a delightful Quince Cherry Crumble that we topped with freshly whipped cream. The quince is similar to the pear and the apple and has an acidic and bitter taste in its uncooked form, so you don't just pick and eat them. You cook them in water until they soften and become much sweeter. They are commonly used in crumbles and cobblers due to their likeness to the apple.

And then there was the canned fruit. You know it's not going to be as good as fresh chilled fruit, but you've got to try it.

The Lychee was a big hit - a pear/grape montage that's refreshing and fun - perfect for a Martini, right Bob?!?! Bob could take any fruit of the day and create a drink by adding rum, vodka.....you name it, to make himself a tasty drink.

Rambutan tasted like it would fit right in with fruit cocktail and many found it's flavor favorable.
The Jackfruit tasted like baby food and Chris did NOT like it. Bob thought it was grrrrreeat!!! Chris's first experience with the jackfruit was in a dish with chicken and curry and he found the lightness and sweetness of the jackfruit a perfect compliment to both chicken and curry. Turns out, he wasn't so crazy about it straight up.

If you want to know more about some of these tropical fruits click here.

Of course there was wine and lots and lots of fun conversation! We look forward to the next party....what will we taste?!?!

Zucchini Patty Pancakes

2010-08-02T00:01:00.003-04:00

Okay! I just found my new favorite zucchini recipe and I owe it all to a lovely lady named Phyllis! She was nice enough to share this gem with me a few weeks ago and then my friend Patty gave me zucchini from her garden last week, soooooo......here we are!

Had I known the flavor would make my heart smile the way it does, I would have been ON IT the very day she placed the sacred instructions in my hands. But, now I know how delicious they are and how little effort it takes to get them from zucchini to zucchini pancake.

You will love the flavor and lightness of this savory pancake as it comes off the griddle, and that love will double in intensity when you re-heat it the next day, because it is one of those special treats that tastes just as good, if not better, the next day.......

Jackpot!!!

Eat 'em with your hands, stack 'em up and cut 'em up with a knife, slather 'em with spaghetti sauce and call it dinner....whatever you want.....the sky is the limit with these perfect little patties!

Zucchini Patty Pancakes

1-1/2 Cups Grated Zucchini (Dry on paper towel)
2-3 Tablespoons Minced Onion
1/4 Cup Parmesan or Asiago, or Romano, or all of them!
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons Mayo
Salt & Pepper

Mix together and drop into hot skillet with olive oil. Cook until set and brown.

Take one more good look at your new favorite zucchini recipe.....

Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce

2010-07-30T00:01:00.004-04:00

Click on picture to enlarge....then lick screen to taste... ;0)

We're halfway through summer and fresh fruits and vegetables are sprouting up everywhere!!! It's a fresh food frenzy out there and it's fantastic, but sometimes you need a little pasta....a little caloric intake, so we mix the fresh basil of summer with the ever-pleasing pasta and we end up with this tasty little number on our plate.

It's light, fresh, and spectacular and the best part is YOU decide how basily it will be. BONUS: The next day it tastes great cold or heats up like a dream.

Call me loco, but I think it's a Basily kind of day!

Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce

8-12 Ounces Pasta of your choice
Olive oil as needed
Pinch of hot pepper flakes
One Medium Onion, very finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3-4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

One Cup Cream
One Cup Chicken Broth

One Medium to Large Batch of Basil, cut in strips (How much do you love the Basil?)

While the pasta is cooking heat the oil in a pan with the hot pepper. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. IF you like your sauce a little thickened, you could add a tablespoon of flour right now.....

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the cream and barely return it to a gentle simmer. Since it is light cream, over cooking can cause it to break. Of course you could use heavy cream and dismiss that anxiety.

Add the basil and additional salt and pepper if needed. Add the pasta, stir to incorporate it into the sauce and serve...topping it with freshly cut tomatoes and Parmesan cheese if you desire.

*** I love tossing chopped cherry tomatoes in with pastas such as these right before serving to punch up that fresh garden flavor!

Spiced Asian Pear Muffins

2010-07-27T00:01:00.004-04:00

At our Funky Fruit Food Tasting Party the other weekend, we taste-tested the Asian Pear and I fell in love. And when we fall in love with some one or some fruit, we find that we just can't get enough, which totally explains my gluttonous behavior this past week.

Then Jen and I had a conversation about muffins and this recipe from years ago popped into my head and I knew I had to make it ASAP with the Asian pear. I made it with such excitement and anticipation that it was only after the first batch was baking away in the oven that I realized I had forgotten to add the salt.

These muffins need salt.

I know this because I added salt to the remaining batter, baked them up and had myself a taste-off.
Yea...these muffins need salt.

These muffins are super moist and fabulously flavored. What's not to love.....there's cinnamon in them people!!!!?

And the truth is, you don't have to use Asian pears - you can use any pear you want - but use the Asian....use the Asian....use the Asian......

Spiced Asian Pear Muffins

2 Cups Flour
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Ginger
One Teaspoon Baking Soda
One Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
One Egg
One Cup Greek Yogurt (or regular)
1/2 Cup Oil (I like Coconut)
3 Tablespoons Molasses
1-1/2 Cups Finely Chopped Pears (Asian if you can)

In a bowl, combine first eight ingredients. In another bowl, beat the egg, yogurt, oil, and molasses until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in pears. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes.

Eat warm...eat cold...eat many!!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2010-07-24T00:01:00.001-04:00

We always seem to have overripe bananas laying around. Do you? I don't fully understand this phenomenon, since it seems like my kids always have a banana in one hand, but nevertheless, I am plagued by brownish bananas. HOWEVER, let me be clear...I do not consider this a problem! Quite the contrary, in fact! The flavor of bananas becomes so much more pronounced as they ripen, which makes these bananas perfect for baking! Also for making protein shakes and smoothies, but that is a post for a different day...

Anyway, this morning the kiddos and I found ourselves with a few brown bananas. Being that we were already finished with breakfast, we didn't have room in our bellies for smoothies, so my daughter suggested we make something fun with them. When I asked her what she meant by 'fun', she yelled,"CUPCAKES!!!". And there you have it...the banana cupcakes were born. Of course, we had to add chocolate chips because, well...we love chocolate and chocolate is FUN!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. mashed banana (about 3 medium)
1 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. mashed banana (1 small)
3 tbsp. butter (softened)
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.

Beat 1/2 c. butter for 30 seconds. Add in sugar and beat until well incorporated. Beat in eggs and 1 cup of mashed banana. When mixture is smooth, mix in flour and baking powder until combined. (I used half oat flour and half white flour.) The batter will be very thick, so don't fret! Stir in the chocolate chips, and then spoon the batter into the muffin cups.

Bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Cool in muffin cups for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting, beat together the powdered sugar, 1/4 c. mashed banana, 3 tbsp butter, and the vanilla until smooth. Spread over cooled cupcakes, and sprinkle with chocolate chips, if it suits you!

Lemon Basil Creme Brulee'

2010-07-17T20:08:00.004-04:00

Who loves Basil?

Who loves Creme Brulee'?

Who thought of marrying them?

Me neither!

The other day, my friend, Michelle brought me a Ziploc plastic bag filled with pure garden gold ...

Basil

Deep green, fragrant, home-grown basil.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

We discussed the obvious uses for this magnificent herb - pesto being the number one choice - but then she mentioned that she had been served a Basil Creme Brulee' at a restaurant once.

Ding, Ding, Ding!

The baking bells were ringing in my head as I googled "basil creme brulee." Since our next Food Tasting Party was this weekend and the subject was "Uncommon Fruits" I decided on this Basil Creme Brulee' because it paired the basil with lemon - which is a fruit - and one of my favorite flavors in the whole wide world.

I know, lemon is not uncommon, but I didn't care - I was already in love with the idea and had already made up my mind. This was going to be the birthday dessert for one of our party guests, Brad who was celebrating his 34th birthday.

Turns out, Brad looooves basil and lemon and he LOVED my Lemon Basil Creme Brulee'!

And he wasn't the only one!

Toot! Toot!

Lemon Basil Creme Brulee'

1-1/4 Cups Heavy Cream
One Tablespoon Lemon Zest
One Tablespoon Basil, chopped
1/2 of a Lemon, juiced
One Tablespoon Honey
4 Egg Yolks
One Tablespoon Sugar
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and slightly foamy. Set aside.
In a medium pot, bring honey and lemon zest to a boil. When the honey has come to a boil add the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add the heavy cream to the honey and let it warm up to boiling point ( or until you see bubbles forming around the edges). Lower the heat and stir in the chopped basil.
Remove the cream mixture from the heat and slowly, gradually whisk in the yolk mixture. Make sure to whisk constantly to prevent hot liquid from curdling the yolks.
Strain the mixture into a large bowl and then use this to fill the ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large roasting pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up their sides.
Bake just until the creme brulee' is set. but still jiggly in the center....about 45 minutes.
Remove ramekins from the roasting pan and allow to cook to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
When ready to serve, sprinkle brown sugar evenly on top of each creme and then using a torch melt the sugar and form a crispy top.

Tortellini Pasta Salad

2010-07-11T00:01:00.001-04:00

I went to a party for food, fun, and friends and this little number was sitting quietly among the buffet of food, calling out to me in a thin whisper, "Try me, try me...I'm fresh, fun, and delicious."

Well, I heeded the call and served myself some tortellini and tomatoes. It did not sit on my plate alone though, it happily shared space with salads, wraps, and dessert - which all pleased my palate - but none stole my heart like the Tortellini. That is why I must share it with you today.

♫ Tor * Ta * Lee * Nee ♫

Tortellini Pasta Salad

2 Family Size Cheese Tortellini Packages
One Container Quality, Fresh, Pesto
2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes, halved
3-6 Ounces Spinach, Torn in pieces
Red Onion, Chopped
Italian Dressing

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortellini for 7 minutes - al dente! Drain and place in large bowl. Add pesto, tomatoes, spinach, and red onion. Add Italian dressing as needed. Do NOT use too much Italian dressing because you really want the pesto to shine with this salad.

That's it! I don't know how I could have made it easier for you. You could make it more difficult by making your own pesto sauce, but I'm sure you would agree that the extra effort would be more than worth it!

♫ Tor * Ta * Lee * Nee ♫

Pepper Sirloin Steak

2010-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

We're sure that being the 4th of July, you all are attending cookout after cookout, celebrating the birth of our great nation. And maybe you're as lucky as we are and have tomorrow off as well!! This next recipe is one of our favorites for grilling season...and we really think you'll like it if you give it a chance.

The first time we made these, Barry came in from grilling and exclaimed, "Holy cow! I don't know what's going on with those steaks, but the flames are all OVER them!" That was when Sheri and I started cracking up and informed him that the 1/2 cup butter they were drenched in might have something to do with that! So watch the flames, folks!

Pepper Sirloin Steak

2 1/2 lb. sirloin steak
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. fresh parsley OR 4 tsp. dried
1/4 c. minced onion
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Lightly score the edges of steak at 1" intervals and preheat grill. Combine butter, parsley, onion, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and mustard in small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, over low heat, until butter melts. Reserve 1/4 c. of this mixture.

Place steak on grill and brush with butter mixture. Cook, basting frequently, 6 minutes per side. Drizzle reserved butter mixture over steak, take a bite, and moan with pleasure!

Frozen Lemon Puff

2010-06-22T01:00:00.000-04:00

5 eggs ( separate 3) - reserve whites
3/4 Cup Really Good Lemon Juice (I use Santa Cruz)
One Cup Sugar
Two Cups Whipping Cream
One Box Vanilla Wafers
Dash of Cream of Tartar
1/4 Cup Icing Sugar

If you love lemon with ALL your heart, then this Puff is for you!
Of course, if you have any affection for the flavor of lemons at all,
you're gonna want to try this too.

The first time I made this recipe, I thought the idea of simply placing vanilla wafers at the bottom of the pan and up the sides as whole wafers without crumbling them and adding butter was absolutely ridiculous! I reread the directions over and over again to make sure I was reading it correctly. When I decided to do as the recipe asked, there were bare spots peaking through everywhere - not a very trustworthy crust as far as I was concerned. But, since I completely trusted the source of this recipe ( Best of Bridge Cookbook), I followed the instructions with blind faith. I ask that you do the same.

First, whisk two of the eggs fast and furiously. Add 3 egg yolks, all 3/4 cup of the lemon juice, and sugar to the beaten eggs and pour in a double boiler - stir constantly over medium heat, until thick. Let this cool down a bit.

Meanwhile, whip the two cups of cream until it becomes ‘whipped cream’. Then, using a spatula, fold the lemon/egg mixture into the whipped cream. Now, pour this lemon cloud of cream into that springform pan that’s lined with the vanilla wafers. Beautiful, isn’t it?

We’re not done yet, though.

Beat the three egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and sugar. Beat again until peaks are stiff. Spread this over the lemon layer and place in the oven under the broiler. Do NOT walk away from the stove! This is no time to get careless. Watch your lemon masterpiece carefully as the broiler lightly browns your meringue in a matter of seconds. It might be wise to keep the oven door open, just so time doesn’t slip away, and you find yourself crying in the corner over the dessert you destroyed.

When you’ve successfully browned your meringue, cover it with foil - making sure it doesn’t touch that meringue - and freeze your Lemon Puff for eight hours or longer. Remove from the freezer at least 1-1/2 hours before serving.

This dessert is light and lemony and luscious! In fact, if I had my way, I would totally give it a more fabulous and suitable name. I would call it "Luscious Lemon Dream Puff"!

You’ll find as you remove the sides of a standard size springform pan that each little wafer serves as a perfect guideline for serving sizes. No pigging out today!

It must be said that for those who typically use Cool Whip or Dream Whip instead of whipping their own cream, Jen and I say “enter at your own risk“, because we can't vouch for the results. It might turn out just fine, but we don’t recommend it. (don’t do it)

Our Vanilla Wafers came from the health food store and they worked great!
(just trying to stay away from the hydrogenated stuff)

Once, I used 3 little mini-sized springform pans to make three smaller "dream puffs". You can make them as big or small as you want or as short or tall as you like, because you don't have to worry about baking time. I love recipes that have creative wiggle room like that!

If truth be told, I'm not a big meringue fan - never understood all the fuss. So, for the baby sized Puff, I punched up the zing factor by making the balsamic strawberries from our Valentine's Day post, drained them a bit and draped them lovingly all over the Puff - talk about adding a little razzle dazzle! It looked so purdy that I used its picture to lead off this recipe instead of the plain Jane Lemon Puff. Sorry Plain Jane. Sorry to all of you. I guess you're just going to have to imagine what the meringue looks like.....

Wow! Blueberry is Beauuuutiful too!

Frozen Lemon Puff

5 eggs ( separate 3 ) reserve whites
3/4 cup lemon juice
One cup sugar
Two cups whipping cream
Vanilla wafers- one box
Dash of cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Whisk two eggs. Add 3 egg yolks, lemon juice, & sugar in double boiler until thick - (15-20 minutes) - stirring constantly. COOL. Whip cream and fold in lemon mixture. Line sides and bottoms of springform pan with vanilla wafers. Pour mixture over wafers.
Beat 3 egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and sugar. Beat until peaks are stiff. Spread on the lemon mixture and brown under broiler briefly. Cover with foil making sure it doesn't touch the meringue. Freeze eight hours or more. Remove from freezer at least 1-1/2 hours before serving. Take off foil immediately.

Barbara Bush's Barbecued Chicken! Again!

2010-05-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

Lordy, lordy, folks...belly up to the bar for this dish, and hurry up 'cause it won't last long!

A few years ago we had a Memorial Day cookout and decided to try barbecued chicken, since Hometown Cooking magazine had just featured this recipe, touted as Barbara Bush's favorite. Now, I should mention that I am not normally a fan of barbeque sauce on anything, much less chicken. I was the kid who asked my dad (every SINGLE TIME) to just grill mine plain, or basted with butter. But once we found this recipe, everything changed. Well, not totally, because I still don't like barbeque sauce much, but homemade barbeque sauce? And on chicken? Oh yeah, I like it. I like it A LOT. And Sheri wholeheartedly agrees. And my hubby? Well, yeah...let's just say that he will eat barbeque sauce on anything and everything, and yet he completely drools over this. So get out your chicken, peeps...it's time to get grillin'!

Barbara Bush's Barbecued Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 lb broiler-fryer chicken, quartered
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 c. water
1 c. coarsely chopped onion
1/2-3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. prepared yellow mustard
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
6-8 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper

Place chicken in a plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For the marinade, stir together 3 tablespoons lemon juice, cooking oil, salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic. Pour over the chicken and close bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, turning often.

In a saucepan, combine water, onion, sugar, butter, mustard, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in ketchup, Worcestershire, 6-8 tablespoons lemon juice, and ground red pepper. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes or until reduced to about 4 cups.

Meanwhile, drain chicken, discarding marinade. In a grill with a cover, arrange preheated coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above the pan. Place chicken, bone side down, on grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 50-60 minutes or until chicken is done. (170 degrees for breast meat and 180 degrees for thighs and legs), brushing often with barbecue sauce the last ten minutes of grilling.

To serve, pass the additional barbecue sauce around with the chicken and just wait for the ooooing and aaaahhhing to begin!

Sausage & Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

2010-05-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

What's better than a nice big breakfast on a weekend morning? Big hearty breakfasts are a staple in my house, especially on Sunday mornings, so I'm always on the lookout for a good breakfast recipe that's easy to make and doesn't need any specialty items. Though the kids always request pancakes of some sort, I like to have a little variety on hand to encourage them to eat some protein. This breakfast casserole really fits the bill on all accounts! The only thing on the ingredients list that I might be missing on any given day is the cottage cheese...but hey, I'll pick some up just so we can make this savory dish!

Give it a try this weekend just for your family, or break it out when you have company...either way, everyone will be impressed and asking for seconds!

Sausage & Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

24 oz. frozen shredded hashbrowns
1/3 c. butter
1 1/2 tsp. beef flavor bouillon
1/2 lb. mild bulk sausage
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/3 c. chopped onion
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. small curd cottage cheese
1 c. mild cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, combine potatoes, butter, and bouillon. Spoon into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish; press on bottom and up sides to rim to form a crust. Bake for 25 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350. In a large skillet, cook sausage & onion, pour off grease, and remove from heat. Stir in the eggs, cottage cheese, bacon, and cheddar. Pour into prepared crust. Bake 30-35 minutes or until set, and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

♫ Sloppy Joe...♫ Slop-Sloppy Joe... ♫

2010-05-04T00:01:00.003-04:00

From the Vault...

Sloppy Joe!
What a simple thing to do with hamburger to give it incredible flavor!

We' re definitely going to share with you a quick and flavorful recipe for Sloppy Joe , but in all honesty, we're sorta using the poor Joe to showcase our most fabulous and exciting new find - skinny buns!

We both HATE the fat buns of the world and have regretfully given up on eating sandwiches almost entirely. It's as if they were no longer a category of food for us to explore, which is sad because there are so many possibilities in the sandwich world. We have been denying ourselves the joy of eating sandwiches because of the big, fat, doughy buns, but not anymore!

These super thin buns are the greatest thing to be discovered in our "food world" since Jeni's Ice Cream! Now, whatever is being sandwiched between the bun can have center stage again, because Mr. Fat Bun is no longer the star of the show. The spotlight is back on the main event - in this case, the Sloppy Joe.

Speaking of Joe, why don't we make some Sloppy-style?

Just throw a pound and a half of ground chuck into a skillet and brown with one cup of onion. When thoroughly cooked, drain completely. Add one cup of ketchup, two teaspoons of chili powder, two tablespoons of sugar, and a swig of worcestershire sauce. Cook this all together slowly until the flavors completely infiltrate the hamburger. Add up to 1/4 cup of water if necessary to get the right consistency and moisture. (I add chopped zucchini sometimes just because I can.)

When Joe is good and sloppy, sandwich him between the ultra-skinny bun, add your condiments, and take a big bite of the new and improved way of eating sandwiches. Fabulous, isn't it?

Also, we would like to take a moment to first of all, thank Arnold who came up with the brilliant idea to re-invent and revive the sandwich for us - we are forever indebted to him. Next, I would like to thank my sister-in-law, Leanne for introducing us to this new and wonderful world of sandwich eating - We love you and your Sloppy Joe!

We were fortunate enough to get these Arnold Buns at our local grocery store and we can only hope and pray that wherever you are in this crazy world, that you can too!

♫ ♫ Sloppy Joe..... Slop-Sloppy Joe.. ♫

What's coming next?!?!?

Breakfast Hashbrown Casserole.... ☺

Frozen Lemon Yogurt

2010-04-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

We've been hard-core lovers of ice cream - the kind that's overwhelmed with rich chocolate chunks, peanut butter and/or fudgey, gooey, good stuff - for most of our lives. But in the last few years, we've found ourselves ordering flavors that involve more fruit and yogurt - flavors that grab our attention with their pep and pizazz.

Please don't misunderstand - we have not abandoned the wonderful world of ice cream, but now that we are in our thirties, we have matured and so has our taste buds. We now have a greater appreciation for the fabulous flavor of Zing!

And zing is what you get with this simple Frozen Lemon Yogurt. It's flavor is so intense and alive, it's practically bursting at the seams.

Warning:
If you don't like lemon that walks right up and punches you square in the face, then this dessert might not be for you. It packs a fabulous punch of flavor that you'll feel throughout your whole body, so if you're not up for that kind of powerful experience, check back in tomorrow and we'll dial it down a bit.

Now, for those of you ready and excited to experience the "Zing Factor" I sure hope you have an ice cream maker. If you don't, you're going to need to borrow your neighbor's. Tell them you'll mow their lawn or watch their dog - whatever it takes! Better yet, promise them some Frozen Lemon Yogurt!

Lemon Frozen Yogurt

Two Cups Plain Yogurt
Six Tablespoons Lemon Juice (preferably freshly squeezed or Santa Cruz concentrate)
1/4 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
One Cup Sugar

Mix those four ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. Place in ice cream maker for 20 minutes. Remove from ice cream maker and place in freezer container and let freeze overnight.

Remove Frozen Lemon Yogurt from the freezer, open the lid, grab a spoon, and prepared to be punched - and like it!

******

BUT, what if you didn't want the fun to end there? What if you had a brilliant flash of genius? What if you grabbed a box of Vanilla Wafers and smeared a large glob of your newly created frozen yogurt between two of them and created a mini sandwich of zing? How cool and absolutely delicious would that be?!

Just imagine what it would feel like to hold the mini zing stingers between your fingers....YUM.MEE!

Do you know what else tastes great between two of these organic vanilla wafers? The smooth, creamy filling from the Sensational Lemon Roll Jen made me for my birthday. I used the filling as an icing for a lemon layered cake I made for my nephew's birthday. When I had some left over, I gently spooned some of it between two of the wafers and froze them. They were deelish!!!

Coming Soon..... A Fabulous Pastistio

Italian Fontina Cheese Ice Cream

2010-04-12T00:01:00.002-04:00

So here's the story with this ice cream.....

Italian Fontina cheese - when eaten straight off the knife - tastes foul. And when I say foul, I mean it has a strong flavor that's sharp and sorta moldy. So, when I made the custard portion of the ice cream, which tasted wonderful, and THEN took my first bite of the Fontina - Yick! Yuck! - it took some serious trust on my part to add this unpleasant element to my already delicious custard base.

Luckily, my friends at the cheese counter at Whole Foods had forewarned me that the cheese had a bold and "distinct" flavor. I took comfort in the fact that they were not surprised that I was using it in ice cream....but rather intrigued, which led me to believe that somehow the unsavory flavor of this cheese was going to be miraculously transformed into delicious flavor at some point during the preparation process, which means there was going to be a little bit of kitchen magic happening.....

I whisked in the cheese until it was smooth and then took my first bite.......not too bad. After it had chilled in the fridge overnight I tasted it again....not bad at all......kinda yummy. And then I ran it through the Cuisanart and turned it into the delectable Italian Fontina Cheese Ice Cream you see above. I don't when the "Abracadabra" moment took place exactly, but I do know the Magic happened!

Delicious!

Of course, it was a BIG hit at the Cheese Tasting Party as everyone raved about the marvelous texture and exquisite flavor. I, myself remained dumbfounded that the stinky quality of the cheese - that I could actually taste in the ice cream - is what gave this culinary delight it's perfect flavor......Magic!

It was only after we had thoroughly enjoyed our ice cream, that I let Carrie serve up the Fontina cheese to be taste-tested. And just as I suspected, everyone hated it! They couldn't bring themselves to believe that the unpleasantness of the Fontina could be hidden in the ice cream, let alone be responsible for the splendid flavor, but eventually they came to believe.............. in Kitchen Magic!

Fontina Cheese Ice Cream

3 Cups Whole Milk
3 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
4 Ounces Fontina Val D'Aosta cheese....
rind discarded and cheese coarsely grated
One Teaspoon Vanilla

Special equipment:
Instant-read Thermometer;
Ice Cream Maker

Bring milk just to a boil in a 1-1/2 to 2 quart heavy saucepan. Whisk together eggs, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then add hot milk in a slow stream, whisking. Pour custard back into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, then add cheeses and vanilla, whisking until cheeses are completely melted and incorporated. Cover surface of custard with a round of wax paper and chill until very cold, about 4 hours or overnight.

Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.

Let soften at room temperature 20 minutes before serving, if necessary.

**The original recipe gave me the option of using either Danish Fontina or Spanish Mahon. I chose Fontina because we had already showcased the Mahon at our first cheese tasting party, and I wanted to explore new cheeses. Our Whole Foods did not carry Danish Fontina, but it did carry Italian, which is what I used.

As I was leaving Whole Foods after picking out my cheese, this shiny bag caught my eye and it seemed like the perfect topping for the ice cream. Turns out, I was right. It was a huge hit as an ice cream topper. Of course, it's fabulous for simple snacking too.

MORE Cheese and Wine!!!

2010-04-09T00:01:00.001-04:00

It's been nearly a year since our last Cheese Tasting and we collectively agreed that that was too long, so in an attempt to rectify this snafu, we promptly scheduled another one, at which time Carrie eagerly offered to host.

Carrie did NOT disappoint as she chose interesting, diverse, and delectable cheeses. But before the actual tasting festivities began, she spoiled us with a stunning appetizer designed, we believe, to initiate the drooling process.......mission accomplished.

Normally, when we enjoy a new entree' at one of our parties we tease you with a delicious photograph, like the one above, and then we make you wait a few days for the actual recipe, but today this appetizer is so easy and truly divine that we are going to share it with you right now!

You're Welcome!

Pecorino Heaven

Pecorino Heaven is what I have named this little number because that's precisely what it is. In order to get to heaven you need to score yourself some Pecorino Tuscano cheese from Tuscany, Italy. (We recommend you travel there - for obvious reasons - to buy this cheese, but if that is not possible, Whole Foods does carry it.) You are going to slice it into nice thick slices and place it in a baking dish. You will place it in a 450 degree oven for 6 minutes - just to soften it up a touch - and then remove from oven.

You will then proceed to lovingly drop walnuts over the now relaxed Pecorino and follow that up with a healthy drizzling of honey. You will serve immediately and wait for applause...don't worry...it will come!

Once we were all happy and prepped for fun, Carrie started bringing out the cheeses one by one for our tasting enjoyment and expert reviews. The first cheese up was Quadrella di Bufala - also an Italian cheese - made from Buffalo milk with a rich and slightly sweet and tangy flavor. This cheese made us think of Brie, due to it's deliciously creamy paste-like texture.

Carrie had set the table with pears, grapes, crackers, nuts, and dried cranberries and we chose the cranberries as the perfect partner for the Quadrello di Bufala. Anne, a wonderful and new friend to our party placed this cheese in her top three favorites of the day. Sadly, as much as we enjoyed this sister-of-brie cheese it did not rank as high for the rest of us, mostly because the other cheeses were just that good!

Cheese number two was Neal's Yard Isle of Mull Cheddar from Scotland. This cheese was interesting because at first, second, and third bite none of us would have guessed this cheese a cheddar - we would have guessed a Parmesan. I think we all enjoyed it and were happy to have met this Scottish gem, but again it didn't knock our socks off like some of the others.

Which brings us to Cheese number three, Bavaria Blu. As it's name suggests, it is a Blue cheese from Upper Bavaria. This cheese was very good. It was super creamy with the perfect blue cheese flavor. We decided that it tasted best when paired with nuts and crackers. This cheese scored a medal due to it's surprise factor....we were pleasantly surprised by how creamy and good a Blue cheese could be!

How do you feel about 'smoked' cheese........because we're moving on from Blue cheese to Smoked cheese with a Carr Valley Cheddar Applewood? The smoked quality set this cheese apart from it's cheddar brothers in a big and bold way. I thought this cheddar, hand-rubbed in paprika, tasted fabulous with crackers, but Carrie registered her vote for the walnuts. Jen just liked it... period.....which is why she awarded it a silver medal. We all agreed that Jen's medal winner would be a perfect addition to any salad.....

Next up: Kerrygold Stout Cheddar. Kerrygold, the Irish cheese crafters that produce Blarney and Dubliner are known for mixing cheese with stout and/or whiskey.....sounds like something the Irish would do, doesn't it? This cheese, once in contact with one's tongue, can be felt up and down the spine....in a good way. This cheese was savory and spreadable and earned top honors among some of the tasters due to it's impressive and unique flavor.

And then the Sartori Bellavitano Raspberry was brought to the table and life was forever changed for each and every one of us, except Anne. I think the Bavaria Blu changed the course of Anne's life, but for the rest of us, this Bellavitano cheese was magic - it was love at first bite!

This premium cheese had a unique Parmesan flavor and a creamy Cheddar texture that was made electric by being soaked in New Glarus Raspberry Tart Ale, which brought out the fruity notes of the cheese. It was as if we had walked through the pearly gates of heaven once more. For many of the taste-testers, Mr. Sartori ran away with the gold. Teri personally crowned the Sartori Bellavitano with the medal because she was so impressed with the uniqueness and delight of this contender - it surprised her and made her smile - she likes that! :)

Patty, who had just attended a party with lots of cheeses, brought a Triple Cream Brie as a bonus cheese for us to try. This brie was super-duper creamy and almost tasted like butter. It wasn't so impressive when partnered with the fruits and nuts, but it was magic when spread on a cracker, so I imagine if spread on a hearty English muffin, it just might taste like bliss on bread.

Remember the Pecorino Heaven from the beginning? Well, none of us girls were ready to end this party, so we asked, "What about the Pecorino Tuscano? Is there any of that cheese left? We really should taste that without the adornment of walnuts and honey!"

Carrie had indeed saved some of the Pecorino for tasting which rallied an applause from the table, "More Cheese!" Of course, it was sublime and made everyone happy, but I'll be honest, as good as it was, I really loved it when softened.

Oh, did I mention the wine?

Carrie had three lovely bottles on the counter primed for consumption, but then the force, we affectionately refer to as Teri, came roaring in with not only Easter treats for all of us, she also brought wine. Not just any wine, but wine in a box! Teri knows her wine and she assured us that this wine would surprise us. This little box housed the equivalent of four bottles of wine for the low, low price of $15.00 conveniently found at World Market. Every time one of us would get up to pour our first glass and take our first sip, we could not help but exclaim, "That is good wine!"

There was one more cheese...one more surprise, but that will have to wait for another day. But as always, we present you with a photo of the deliciousness. Carrie had asked me to whip up some ice cream using a Danish Fontina Cheese, and I happily agreed to take on the task.

As always, it's not just your basic vanilla ice cream....there's a twist - a pungent and yummy twist - that we will share with you soon....stay tuned!

Carrie did a phenomenal job with this tasting and we had so much fun - as always! We were very happy to have Carrie's friend and fellow food lover, Anne join our party and hope she had fun as well. Our next party is CHOCOLATE and it's coming up soon - can't wait!

After chocolate, the Food Tastings we are gearing up for are:
1. Pestos
2. Exotic and Unique Fruits
3. Onions
4. (?)

Now go get yourself some cheese and wine and indulge as you wait for the chocolate!

Banana Split Cheesecake

2010-04-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Jen!

In honor of Jen's big birthday I wanted to make something exceedingly delicious and completely brand new. With the weather being so spectacular it had me dreaming about summer. And what's more summer than a good old-fashioned Banana Split?

I served this at Easter brunch and adults and kids alike were begging for more. As crazy as it sounds..it tastes just as wonderfully perfect and refreshing as the real banana split. I don't know which would be more fattening, but who cares.....it's her birthday....and birthday calories are null and void!

Of course, the calories will add up for those of you at home, but I'm here to tell you it's worth every single additional pound on the scale!

Banana Split Cheesecake

Crust:
One Cup Chocolate Cookie/Wafer Crumbs
2 Tablespoons Sugar
One Tablespoon Butter, melted

Filling:
4 (8-ounce) blocks Cream Cheese, softened
8 Ounces Sour Cream
1-1/2 Cups Sugar
3 Mashed Ripe Bananas
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs

Toppings:
1/3 Cup Canned Crushed Pineapple in juice, drained
1/3 Cup Strawberries or Cherries
1/3 Cup Chocolate Syrup
1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans, toasted
16 Maraschino Cherries, drained

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of a lightly greased 9-inch springform pan.

To prepare filling, beat cheeses and sour cream at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1-1/2 cups sugar, banana, flour, and vanilla; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition.

Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 325° for one hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Cheesecake is done when the center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool cheesecake to room temperature. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. Top each serving with pineapple, strawberries or cherries, chocolate syrup, pecans, and one cherry.

Note: It's your banana split, so top it off with the toppings of your choice. I like lots of pineapple, sour cherries, and a dab of melted dark chocolate........ :0)

Golden Roasted Caulifower with Pecorino Romano

2010-04-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

My kids are normally pretty good about eating vegetables. Seriously...peas are their favorite! No one ever believes me, but it's true. Peas get requested every single day around here, which is why I've been on the hunt to find some new ways to prepare veggies that don't get a lot of requests. One of those veggies is cauliflower.

Now, Sheri and I have no issues with cauliflower. We've mashed it into "fake" mashed potatoes, like the South Beach dieters do, we've made soup with it, we've thrown it into our Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas and our Oven Roasted Veggies. Cauliflower is just gooooood, man! But the kids? Yeah, they don't like it so much. So when I was perusing Once Upon A Chef and saw this recipe (along with the assurance that her kids gobbled it right up), I was game!

Let me just tell you that this could not be easier. Wash up your cauliflower, dry it off, cut it into florets, sprinkle it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, roast it, and sprinkle it with Pecorino Romano. It's just that easy. And super tasty, too!! Give it a shot...we promise you won't be disappointed!

Golden Roasted Cauliflower with Pecorino Romano
by Once Upon a Chef

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
a few sprigs of parsley, chopped

Set rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat evenly.

Roast cauliflower florets on a baking sheet, stirring a few times to promote even browning, until tender and golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; you want the florets to develop deep golden spots. If it looks like they're getting too dark, turn oven down to 425.)

Sprinkle with grated cheese, then taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with parsley.

Little Orange Muffins

2010-04-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

We like muffins. A lot. There...I said it.

In our house, muffins are a staple. On Saturday or Sunday mornings, I generally feel that a "bigger-than-usual" breakfast is in order, and that is typically when I have the most time to do something a little creative. It's a great time to try out a new pancake recipe, breakfast casserole, quiche, breakfast burritos, or anything else you might think of trying. My kids have really begun to enjoy weekend mornings, and it's not because of the cartoons!

I found this recipe in the box for my new Pampered Chef mini-muffin pan, and thought it sounded tasty...not to mention, EASY!!! So we gave it a whirl, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint! They came together in no time flat, and the fact that they were mini muffins just added to their allure. My daughter kept exclaiming at how "cute" they were! Well they WERE cute, but they're pretty yummy too...so try 'em soon!

Little Orange Muffins

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. orange zest

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a mini-muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well.

In another bowl, mix butter and sugar until well blended. Add the egg and whisk until smooth. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Add the flour mixture gradually, and stir until ingredients are moistened, but be careful not to over mix.

Using spoon, fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake 12-13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in the pan for 3 minutes and remove. Cool slightly.

If you want a light topping for the muffins, you can dip the tops in melted butter and then dip in sugar. They're great with or without, so try them both ways!!

Minty Mushroom Ice Cream

2010-04-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

The more you expose yourself to new and exciting foods, the more you realize how many seemingly incompatible foods actually compliment one another beautifully. A few examples of this might be cayenne pepper in chocolate, pumpkin puree in lasagna, fresh basil in a lemon cake or mayonnaise in a chocolate cake. At first, you might be hesitant to give these odd couplings a taste, but if you open your mind and give them a chance, you just might discover a brand new flavor sensation.

With that said, we need you to check any reservations you have about mixing mushrooms and ice cream together at the door and open your mind to the possibility. Ironically enough, we did make a joke while making the Italian Stuffed Portabellas about how ice cream and Portabellas should never share space in the same sentence, but we were just setting the stage for this unique and Oh-So fascinating recipe.

We will be using mushrooms, however, we will not be using Portabellas – their flavor is too distinct and we are looking for the more subdued fungi flavor. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how the mushrooms play off the bitter chocolate and how well they infuse with the peppermint and vodka. The best way to describe the unique flavor of this gourmet ice cream is Indescribable!

Minty Mushroom Ice Cream

2 Cups Whipping Cream
1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
3 Cups Sugar
1/2 Pound of White Button Mushrooms – no exceptions
4 Ounces Bittersweet Dark Chocolate, shaved or finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Vodka (Optional, but recommended)
One Teaspoon Peppermint Extract

*****
1/2 Cup White Button Mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Vodka

We know the list of ingredients seem a bit disjointed, but trust us, each one plays an important role in creating the flavor of this gourmet delight. Hang in there with us!

Pour the whipping cream into a chilled bowl and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Add ricotta cheese and continue to mix. Add sugar and do the same. Set aside.

Run mushrooms through a food processor until "shredded." In another bowl, mix those mushrooms, chocolate, peppermint extract, and vodka together –tossing to coat.

Slowly fold mushroom mixture into creamed mixture. Pour into ice cream maker and follow instructions – usually twenty minutes. We highly recommend not eating the ice cream straight from the maker, but rather, pouring into a freezer container and freezing overnight.

While ice cream is setting in the freezer, place 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms in a bowl and pour 1/4 cup vodka over them. Let soak overnight.

When you remove the ice cream from the freezer, scoop into dessert bowls and garnish with shaved chocolate and vodka soaked mushrooms. Enjoy!

April Fooooooools!

NEVER EVER let anyone convince you to put mushrooms of ANY kind and ice cream together in the same bowl– it’s a sin! And as we’ve said befo re, they shouldn’t even share space in the same sentence! And vodka soaked mushrooms?!?! Really???

We Hope You Get To Make A Fool Out Of Someone Today!
But Beeeeeee NICE!

Baked Rice with Butternut Squash

2010-03-28T00:01:00.002-04:00

I drove my caboose out to Jen and Barry's house last weekend and Jen and I made a stellar dinner together with the help of a glass or two of wine. We happily cooked up some fabulous new recipes..this being one of them. I had cooked the squash earlier in the day, so when I showed up at the house I was able to whip up this very tasty rice dish in no time at all, while Jen was working her magic on a savory cauliflower number and a peppery and buttery marinade for the steaks Barry would later grill to perfection.

When the cooking and grilling was complete and wine glasses were refreshed, we all took our seats at the table. Ahh...everything smelled sooo good!

Now, Mr. Noah loves his steak but he took one look at my new rice dish and was adamant that he didn't like it before he even tasted it, so we sold it to him as cheesy rice. Was it a lie? Well, there was some cheese in there - only 1/4 cup, but we used that 1/4 cup to convince him to try it. And guess what? He liked it...he really liked it!

We think you'll like it too!

Baked Rice with Butternut Squash
found at cookinglight.com

One Butternut Squash (about 1-1/2 pounds)
2-1/2 Cups Less-Sodium Chicken Broth
One Cup Water
One Tablespoon Chopped Fresh or One Teaspoon Dried Rubbed Sage
One Teaspoon Olive Oil
One Cup Diced Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
One Cup Uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice
1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
1 Teaspoon Chopped Fresh or 1/4 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Touch of Oil
1/4 Cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan Cheese

Okay...you have two options:

Place squash in crockpot and add one cup water. Turn on high and let it roast for 3 hours. Remove from crockpot and peel off the skin. Remove seeds. Set squash aside.

Place squash on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until tender; cool. Peel squash; cut in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bring broth, water, and sage to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 6 minutes. Add garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash, broth mixture, wine, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place rice mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish lightly coated with oil and cover. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Stir mixture gently. Sprinkle with cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Add liquid if too dry. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.

Best when served immediately.

Salmon Patties

2010-03-24T00:01:00.001-04:00

Growing up in a Catholic family, we dutifully observed the no-meat-rule on Fridays during Lent. We ate a great deal of fish and mac and cheese - much to my delight - as these were my all-time faves. But we also ate our fair share of salmon patties. Whenever I peered into the kitchen and noticed them on that night's menu, I can't say I was too excited - nothing glamorous about salmon patties. Yet, by the time they got to the table and then my plate and then my mouth, I was always amazed by how good they were.

I've realized that as an adult, I don't eat much salmon from a can anymore. Instead, I enjoy the succulent taste of fresh salmon. But then last week, my sister Amy, who has five spunky and magnificent children sent me this tasty little number along with rave reviews from all the kids...even the temporarily picky four-year old, Zach. So, I decided to try them myself and was impressed with their sinfully savory flavor. I forgot how good they could be!

So, if you're observing the Lenten tradition, these just might be the perfect Friday night dinner for you and your family.

Baked Salmon Patties

14.5 Ounce Can Salmon
Milk (see directions)
One Cup Bread Crumbs, divided
1/4 Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Butter or Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Onion, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Red Pepper, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Celery, finely chopped
1/3 Cup Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Hot Chili Sauce (or as desired)
One Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Chives
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Dill Weed

Press the liquid from the canned salmon into a measuring cup. Add enough milk to measure 3/4 cup. Flake the salmon into a large bowl, removing any large bones. Whisk bread crumbs and Parmesan Cheese together in separate bowl. Set both bowls aside for now.

Gently saute' onion, pepper, and celery in butter until softened, but not browned. Whisk in the flour until smooth and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the milk mixture while continuing to stir and cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the salmon, lemon juice, hot sauce, chives, dill, and 1/2 the bread crumbs. Refrigerate until firm. (You may do this a day in advance up to this point)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're using a stone dish, you're ready to go. Otherwise, line a shallow baking sheet with foil and lightly oil.

Divide chilled salmon into 8 portions forming patties. Place remaining bread crumbs in a shallow plate. Coat both sides of the salmon patties with crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes or until considered done.

Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges if desired.

Now..........wait for Easter!

Three Cheese Mac and Cheese

2010-03-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

If you thought Mac & Cheese was made by Kraft and came in a box, we hope by now you've realized that Mac and Cheese is SOOOO much more. In fact, after a little research into how to create the BEST mac and cheese we found that the secret is to combine Cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan cheese.

But which Cheddar...which Swiss? There are so many to choose from! When it comes Parmesan, Reggiano is the clear winner. But to help us decide on the Swiss and Cheddar we took a trip to the cheese counter at Whole Foods and shared with the nice "cheese" gentlemen our dream of creating a Gold Medal Mac and Cheese. They were MORE than happy to let us sample the cheeses, which allowed us to choose with our taste buds how sharp we wanted our Cheddar to be and how deep of a flavor our Swiss would possess.

Below are the cheeses that were chosen to create our self-awarded Gold medal Mac & Cheese. Use what we did or taste-test for your own cheese...it's as much fun as eating the end product!

Three Cheese Mac and Cheese

4 Cups Dried Penne Pasta
4 Tablespoons Butter
¼ Cup Flour
2-½ Cups Whole Milk
2 Teaspoons Dry Mustard
8 Ounces Cheddar Murray Bridge Australian Cheese, grated
4 Ounces Swiss Emmenthaler Cheese, grated
4 Ounces Parmesano-Reggiano Cheese, grated
½ Teaspoon Salt or more
½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Cook pasta until very firm. Pasta should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper.

Pour in drained, cooked pasta and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

(We used the Parmesan on top with an additional sprinkling of bread crumbs...just for fun!)

One bite of this and you'll be saying, "Kraft who?!?!"

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

2010-03-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the truth is.....we've been mesmerized by the sunshine, distracted by the beautiful blue skies, and totally slacking on our job of getting fabulous new recipes to you. Actually, we did just make a fabulous meal together which gave us four new recipes to pass along to you, but we don't have them ready for you just yet, so we're re-sharing one of our favorite cookies in case you missed it the first time. These should keep you very happy for awhile....

What do they say - there is an exception to every rule?

This recipe is one of our exceptions to the rule of never using boxed mixes. BUT, in our defense once you taste these cookies and then your spouse tastes them, and then your children taste them, and your parents taste them, you will all be so in love with them, you will understand why this has become an exception to the rule.

AND, these cookies are the easiest cookies you will ever make that look like they came straight from the bakery. We assure you, that when we figure out a way to make them without the box, we will share that recipe with you too. Until then....

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

One Box of Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Oil
2 Eggs

Filling
4 Ounces Cream Cheese
One Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Cup Sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, oil, and egg until completely blended. Then roll the batter into little balls and place on a cookie sheet or stone one inch apart. We hate to be picky about the size of each little ball, but each one must be the exact same size, so when it comes time to finding them the perfect partner to make a sandwich with, we don't have complete chaos. Of course, if you like your sandwiches a little wild and crazy, then roll each ball into whatever size you choose!

As these bake for 10-12 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar to make the creamy filling.

As you pull the cookies from the oven, you will notice them flattening a bit and by the time you remove them from the stone they should be completely flat - perfect sandwich material!

Once the cookies are cooled, we begin the sandwich mating process. We start by choosing a cookie from the crowd. Then we search through the sea of remaining cookies for their perfect other half. Once we are happy with our match, we make the union official by bonding them with a little cream filling. For those of you with busy lives and more important things to do, you might just grab a random cookie, then another random cookie, and smoosh them together with some filling. That's cool too!

Now for our favorite part - the wiggle room factor!

If you like peanut butter with your chocolate, just add a little bit of peanut butter to the cream cheese filling and you have a wonderful chocolate peanut butter taste.

If you like the flavor of orange with Chocolate, or the ever-popular cherry flavor, drop a few drops of Orange Oil or Almond Extract in with the filling and create another wonderful flavor.

OR, you could separate the filling into three small bowls and make three different flavored cookies from one single batch! Like Magic - three cookies at once!

Also, choose your size when it comes to the cookie. You can make them as big as monster cookies or as cute and petite as the ones pictured above. However, if you're bringing them to a party, we highly recommend the smaller version, because they will disappear faster than cheese on a mousetrap!

Noodle Zuider Zee!!!

2010-03-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

How many times have we said "Trust us...this is soooo good?"

Certainly, you trust us by now and know that we will not lead you astray when it comes to matters in the kitchen. This recipe is no exception. In fact, it may be the biggest surprise yet!

My younger sister and her husband used to work for Boystown in Omaha, Nebraska where they were Family-Teachers to eight teenage girls. Many of the young ladies had rarely sat down to a table for a family supper. They were most accustomed to boxed meals, pop tarts, and hot-dog casseroles. Amy and Eric were more than happy to change that for them. They introduced the girls to many wonderful nutritious and hearty meals, but have always marveled at the fact that this recipe was the most requested dish.

The ingredients are few, but well chosen. Each one adds it's own flare and plays very well with the others. The flavor is unique, surprising, and robust....trust us!

Noodle Zuider Zee

One Pound Sausage
8 Cups Finely Sliced or Shredded Cabbage
One Apple, diced
8 Ounces Spaghetti
1/2 Cup Water
One Teaspoon Salt
Dash of Pepper

Brown sausage in skillet, stirring to separate into small pieces. Pour off any drippings in excess of 1/4 cup. Add cabbage, apple, water, salt and pepper; cover and simmer until cabbage is just crisp and tender. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti and drain in colander. Add noodles to cabbage, apple, and sausage mixture. Stir together. Heat together.

Serve happily!

Note: I've used several different types of sausage for this recipe and the type of sausage used is crucial to the flavor. If you're going to use turkey sausage be certain it is seasoned well because it needs to be flavorful. Our family has used seasoned hamburger also and it works, but it definitely gives the dish a different tone.

Second Note: I usually add an additional apple. I choose a Fuji or Jonagold or Honeycrisp and then I throw in a Granny Smith for giggles.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes...AGAIN!

2010-03-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know we've posted this one before, but it bears repeating...they are sooooo good! And they're on my mind, because I'm getting ready to whip up a batch right now. A perfect start to a rainy Saturday morning!

The first time I ate these pancakes I was in Indiana visiting my brother's family, on a Saturday, in the fall, and it was sunny outside. I remember the details of that day because food does that to me. I remember sitting in the dining room when a wonderful smell entered the room. It smelled like baked sweetness. I said, "What is cooking in the kitchen?"

"Cottage Cheese Pancakes" was the reply.

What?!

These pancakes were so moist and so wonderful with just a hint of sweetness that maple syrup for me, was not a necessity. ( Jen, The Pancake Master is totally freaking out right now because warm maple syrup is a no-brainer in her book and I'm sure most of you would agree.) All I'm saying is these pancakes did not need it. Call me crazy, but I like to first taste the cake and then assess the need for added sweetness.

What's even better is the speed at which these pancakes can be made. If you can't whip up this batter in the time it takes to heat up your skillet or griddle, then someone should light a fire under your butt, because I can throw all the ingredients together and blend them into the perfect batter and still be staring at the stove waiting for the temperature to be just right. This is a feat anyone can accomplish, so challenge yourself!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Four Eggs
One Cup Cottage Cheese
1/2 Cup Oats
One Tablespoon Vanilla
One Teaspoon Almond Extract (optional, I suppose)
Milk (optional)

Drop eggs, cottage cheese, oats, vanilla, and almond extract into your blender. Blend until all oats are dust. Done!

I have made this recipe for years using 1/2 cup oat flour instead of oats, but the rest of my family makes it the original way with the rolled oats. Choose your own path...

As far as I am concerned, the ingredient most responsible for the flavor in these pancakes is the cottage cheese, which is probably why the pancakes are named after him, but choose your cottage cheese wisely. Low fat, low quality, poor tasting cheese will result in low fat, low quality, poor tasting cakes. Choose your best cheese....

Milk is optional because you can add it if you feel the pancake batter is too thick. I have never used it myself. These pancakes have a crepe quality and I have never seen the need to thin them further.

The vanilla and almond extract really makes this recipe sing! Do NOT deny yourself !

Wow! For such a simple recipe, there sure is a lot to say.....

Mom's Special Meat Sauce

2010-03-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up, my dad wasn't a fan of anything spicy, so in turn, neither were we kids. Or rather, we didn't know that spiciness existed. When I started going to other kids' houses for dinner, I was always surprised when their moms served spaghetti. It was never anything like what MY mom served!! And although my tastes are now quite varied and diverse, I still love this ultra-thick spaghetti sauce with all my heart. It is comforting in so many ways, and pleases even the pickiest kids because it is mildly sweet and not spicy. It also makes a very large amount, so we usually use half for dinner, and put the rest in a large ziploc bag and freeze it for later. I love getting two meals out of one!

Mom's Special Meat Sauce

2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 lb. sausage
1 large can stewed tomatoes
1 can Campbell's tomato soup
2 cans tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 medium onions
salt & pepper
2 tbsp. sugar

Brown the ground beef, sausage, garlic, and onions in a large skillet. Add the tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato paste, and salt & pepper to taste. I always thought the addition of Campbell's tomato soup was weird, and I tried a few different substitutes. But do you know what I found out? There is no substitute! Nothing tastes quite the same...and I'm not sure that I want to know what that means, but I love this recipe anyway!!!

Ok, back to the recipe...add 2 tbsp. sugar to the sauce and simmer for 2-3 hours. I know you won't want to add the sugar...I never want to either, but it does tone down the acidity of the tomatoes, so try it! I really think you'll like it!

Monkeybread...Not just for monkeys!!

2010-02-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

Now I just want to begin by saying that I'm quite sure you've had monkeybread before. It's probably been around for centuries...well, at least as long as poppin' fresh dough has been around, anyway. But sometimes a recipe is so good that you only allow yourself to make it for "special occasions" and in doing so, you hardly ever make it because maybe "special occasions" don't come around as often as they should.

Yes, I am familiar with this scenario. It happens to me all the time.

And it leaves me wondering...just what constitutes a "special occasion"?

And more importantly, "Why don't I make monkeybread more often?"

Well I don't have a plausible reason, but listen up folks...things are going to change around here! From now on, I declare that monkeybread will be a staple in my house! Yes, I love it that much.

And I'm sure you do too, so what are you waiting for? Make it for the ones you love this weekend! It's the perfect Saturday or Sunday breakfast item to go with some fluffy scrambled eggs and tasty sausage. The gooey, buttery, stickiness is divine...the cinnamon sugar, to die for! Three cheers for monkeybread!!

Monkeybread

(3) 10 ct. tubes of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, not the flaky kind
1 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2-3 tsp. cinnamon
chopped pecans

First, lightly butter the inside of a bundt pan and preheat your oven to 350. Now, open up those tubes of biscuit dough and cut each biscuit into quarters. Next, take a large-sized ziploc bag and put 1 cup of sugar and 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon in it, seal it, and give it a good shake to combine. Next, throw those quartered biscuits in there and shake those too, so that the pieces are all coated in cinnamon sugar goodness. Don't worry if they stick together...it's no big deal, I promise. Take all of the coated biscuit pieces out of the bag and put them into the bundt pan. I usually sprinkle my chopped pecans in randomly with the pieces. You can leave them out if you're not a nut person, like my hubby...but I personally like the nuts! The bigger, the better! I'm not sure what this says about me.

Now, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together over medium heat, stirring. When it's all melted and combined, pour it all over the biscuit pieces. Really let 'em soak it up! It will be worth it, I promise!

Now bake it for 35-40 minutes, until it's a nice, golden brown. Let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes before inverting it onto a plate...you really want the dough to soak up all that gooey goodness! After you invert it, grab a timer and see how long it takes to disappear!

Southern Potato Soup

2010-02-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

There's nothing better on an arctic February day than a warm bowl of potato soup and that is why Karen, our fabulous hostess for this month's Potato Tasting Party, served it as the grand finale. It was soothing and savory and Oh, soooo heavenly! Moans of happiness and complete satisfaction could be heard all around the table as we blissfully slurped our soup.

If you've been looking for a great winter potato soup, congratulations, your search is over! We have for you, the best of the best right here!

Eat with our blessing!

Southern Potato Soup

8 to 10 Slices Bacon, diced
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Diced Celery
One Cup Diced Onion
8 Green Onions, thinly sliced
1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
3 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Half-and-Half
4 Large Baking Potatoes, baked, peeled, and diced
One Teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
8 Ounces Sour Cream
8 Ounces Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Sliced Green Onion for garnish, optional

In a Dutch oven or large kettle over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and pour the bacon drippings into a cup. Put 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings back into the pan along with the butter, chopped onion, and celery. Cook, stirring until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the sliced green onion and flour until blended. Stir in chicken broth; cover and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened and vegetables are very tender.

Stir in half-and-half, diced potatoes, salt, pepper, and cheese. Continue cooking until cheese is melted. Blend about half of the soup in batches until smooth. Add the blended soup back to the pot and add sour cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup is hot. Serve the soup garnished with bacon and extra sliced green onion, if desired.

And hey, if you like chunks of potato in your soup, don't blend it all!

Potato Pancakes and Sauerkraut

2010-02-16T00:01:00.002-05:00

Hey! Food Alert!

Today is International Pancake Day!!

How 'bout that!? And it just so happens we have a pancake recipe for just this ever-so-special occasion! It's not your everyday pancake - there's no maple syrup involved - but who wants an ordinary pancake on such an extraordinary day such as International Pancake Day!?

Remember our Potato Tasting Party??......

As promised, here are the wonderful and savory pancakes we first tasted at the Potato Party last weekend. They weren't heavy but they were filling, which is a wonderful kitchen trick. I believe Patty brought this recipe home from Germany, which totally explains the sauerkraut!

GenieBen Sie!
(enjoy)

Potato Pancakes

3 Medium Red Potatoes, cut in pieces
One Medium Onion, chopped
3 Eggs
Olive Oil
Sour Cream
Sauerkraut

In blender or food processor, blend first 3 ingredients until smooth. Cook in oil in skillet at low heat until browned on both sides. You want these pancakes to cook slow so the potatoes get a chance to warm all the way through.....so patience will be required. Top with warmed sour cream and sauerkraut.

That's it! All done! Short and sweet...and delicious!

~~~~~~~

Did you notice there are no seasonings mentioned, such as salt and pepper? That's because such seasonings threaten to mess with the flavor of the sauerkraut and we don't want to mess with a flavor as distinct as sauerkraut. As our good friend and naturopath, Patty reminds us regularly, it is important to get protein at every meal, so adding a little turkey sausage to the kraut would be a great way to make this a balanced breakfast.....or lunch...or even dinner.

All we can tell you is that it was a solid hit at our Potato Tasting Party so we are highly recommending that you try some potato pancakes of your own.

We are confident that you will come up with many different variations of this recipe, as possibilities of toppings and seasonings are endless....Impress yourself!

Celebrate this day RIGHT by eating pancakes for dinner!

You say Potato, We say Potata!

2010-02-15T00:01:00.003-05:00

That's right, it's Food Tasting Time again and this month we're tasting potatoes. If you think they all taste the same, think again.

Karen was our fabulous hostess this month and she started us out with some stellar Potato Pancakes, with a little help from Patty! We all came hungry and ready to eat, so they were gone in a flash. Once those little "appetizers" were gone, it was time to move on to the main event - the tasting.

We started with the sweet variety, which was the Garnet Yam (pictured above) and boy did the girls like this one!

"It's so sweet and moist...tastes like candy!"

Which is exactly why I didn't like it. I have this weird thing about my potatoes being sweet. I could tell the flavor was good, I'm just not comfortable with a sweet potato.

Bake, roast, boil, steam, candy, scallop, or mash this beautiful garnet yam - whatever your heart desires - you won't be disappointed if sweet yams are your thing.

Next, we sliced up a Jewel Yam, (pictured above) which was also well received, but everybody was quick to point out that it wasn't as sweet as the garnet. It was described as a much earthier yam. Three of the girls were still crushing on the garnet, but Patty liked the earthy quality of this sweet yam and put it at the top of her "Love List."

This Jewel can be baked, broiled, or fried to make crunchy chips, grated or steamed. They're perfect for flavoring cakes, breads, and muffins.

And then, we tasted an actual sweet potato. Compared to the two yams, the "sweet" potato didn't taste so sweet, which was why I liked it! For everybody else, this potato could not compete with the yams, but I liked it as much as I can like a sweet potato.

By the way, are you wondering how we went about tasting these potatoes? Well, Karen baked each one wrapped in foil to keep the peels nice and moist. She simply sliced each one and allowed each of us to sample a slice. Some of us ate the potato pure, while others chose to dab our slice with a touch of butter. It was important to all of us to get a true sense of the flavor of each potato.

With that said, our desire for a true tasting served us well when it came to tasting the potato simply called, "the white potato." We were all a little stunned by the complete lack of flavor in this potato, whose boring name seemed quite appropriate considering it's lackluster flavor. I think I speak for all of us taste testers when I say this potato was "blaaaah."

Moving on.....

Bouncing back from that tasteless little spud, we moved on to the Russet Potato. He's a good potato for mashing and his flavor was much more appealing and evident than the white's. We all agreed we had a good well-rounded flavor for your average potato.

And then there's the Red Potato - who doesn't love the Red Potato? His flavor was the best in my book. Because of the low starch content, they hold their shape well after cooking - which makes them perfect for potato salad. Patty, who helped make the Potato Pancakes we ate before the taste testing began, noted that the red potatoes seemed to work better than the average white potato because they had less moisture, which worked best for the pancake batter. Karen also chose red potatoes for the fabulous soup she served as the party's finale. Most of us agreed that red potatoes are the best choice for dicing and roasting.

For all you diabetics out there or those of you concerned about glycemic indexes, our next potato, the Yukon Gold is the lowest on the glycemic scale. We all agreed it tasted the most similar to the red potato, so that made it a winner in our books. Actually, as everyone made out their "Love List" the Yukon took second place behind the Garnet Yam for most of the testers, so there you go!

Yukons are considered medium starch and medium water, so perfect for mashed potatoes. Many argue that they are the better choice for mashing than the Russet, but who's to say, right?

Overall, the Garnet Yam was a big hit, so you might want to check that out the next time you hit the grocery store. And as far the traditional potato goes, Yukon seemed to be the favorite, so do with that information as you please!

As we mentioned earlier, Karen closed this party out with a heavenly Southern Potato Soup. It had wonderful flavor and healthy chunks of potato throughout. Don't worry, the recipe will follow in the next few days, as will the Potato Pancakes, because we know you're dying to try them.

And as always, there were drinks! Teri, our favorite wine connoisseur hooked us up with some wine, but not just any wine. She reasoned that since our party started early this Sunday....11:00 a.m......we should drink Champagne Wine. What a brilliant idea! I don't know why that's brilliant....it just sounded like fun!

So, as you can see below, she choose one red and one white. I preferred the white and Carrie drank the whooole bottle of red! Kidding! But she really did like it a lot!

The Ravenhurst is local to Ohio and really tasted like red wine mixed with champagne - go figure! The white wine was not as obvious about the crossover taste, but it was light and refreshing. I don't remember which one Teri liked better, but I do remember she had two glasses at her place setting and they were both filled with each of the wines......one for each hand.....

Did you notice that there was no mention of Jen during this party? That's because she was visiting her home away from home - Disney World- which is the only excuse acceptable for missing a Food Tasting Event! She loves her Mickey Mouse and all his friends, but we missed her here. No worries, she will be attending the next event.

What's next, you ask? Well, ever since our first Cheese Tasting in April of last year, we've been salivating over the thought of having another cheese party because that world is so vast that it will take many, many parties to eat them all...and I assure you, we are ALL up for that task!

Yellow Squash and Cornmeal Pancakes

2010-02-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

Who wants squash for breakfast?

YOUR kids?

Really?

Seriously?

Wow! You've got some special kids there! For all the other parents and kids out there.....

I know we said we're not always looking for ways to hide healthy foods within average foods, but when the opportunity presents itself - as it does so often with squash - it's just so hard to ignore.

These were yummy and filling. The cornmeal gave the cakes a little extra weight, which is nice when you're trying to start your day out right.

Yellow Squash and Cornmeal Pancakes

3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour (or Oat)
1-1/4 Cups Yellow Cornmeal
2-1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
One Tablespoon Sugar
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
One Egg
One Cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Oil ( We love coconut)
* One Medium Sized Yellow Squash, grated

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cornmeal, and salt. In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, oil, and squash. Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and stir lightly until just barely moist.

Bake these cakes over low to medium heat and then serve with butter and maple syrup.

* Squash Note: I find the quickest and easiest way to grate the squash is by using a Microplane grater - only the greatest kitchen utensil EVER! Just cut the ends off the squash and start grating...peel and all!

Chicken Piccata Al Limone

2010-02-06T19:51:00.003-05:00

I don't loooooove chicken, but if I'm looking over a menu and I spy an entree' that describes tender chicken breasts bathed in lemon and decorated with capers, it's hard for me to think of ordering anything BUT the "lemonized" chicken.

Turns out, making this wonderful dish at home is simple, quick, and just as tasty. The lemon does not overwhelm the bird, it just gives the chicken a subtle touch of fabulous zing...and who doesn't like a little zing?

Chicken Piccata Al Limone

4 Chicken Breasts
Plain, (all-purpose) Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
One Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/3 Cup Dry White Wine
One Cup Chicken Stock
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Capers, rinsed
One Tablespoon Finely Chopped Parsley

Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until an even thickness. Lightly dust each side with flour.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan. Fry the chicken over moderately high heat for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Season and transfer to a warm plate.

Add the wine to the pan, increase the heat to high and boil until there are just 3-4 tablespoons of liquid left. Pour in the stock and boil for 4-5 minutes, or until it has reduced and slightly thickened. Add the lemon juice and capers and cook, stirring, for one minute. Taste for seasoning, then return the chicken to the pan and heat through for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with parsley and serve at once. Garnish with additional capers.

Enjoy!

This chicken was so beautiful I couldn't decide which picture to use....the one in the skillet or the one on the plate, so I'm giving you BOTH!

Hot Chicken Casserole

2010-02-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Ok peeps, here's the dealio...it just doesn't get any easier than this!

A perfect dish to make ahead of time if you need to come home and just throw dinner right in the oven, the perfect potluck dish, or a nice meal to take to that friend who just had a baby...this one fits the bill for sure! It makes enough for a small army, so we normally bake one 8"x8" pan, and freeze one 8"x8" pan for later. Or, if you have a large group to feed, just pour it all right into a 9"x13" pan and bake it!

One of our favorite ways to eat it, especially in leftover fashion, is to put a big scoop on top of a piece of whole grain toast, sprinkle with a little bit of cheese, and bake it just long enough to get the cheese melted and a little brown...it is soooo good!!

Hot Chicken Casserole

3 Cups Cooked Chicken
2 Cups Chopped Celery

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise (Miracle Whip not accepted)
One Can Cream of Chicken Soup
One Can Mushrooms, drained
One Can Water Chestnuts, drained
1/2 Cup Cashews (optional)
2 Tbsp. Chopped Onion
One Tablespoon Lemon Juice
One Teaspoon Salt
One Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
One Can French Fried Onion Rings (opt)

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into 9”x13” pan. Top with cheddar cheese and onion rings. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Seriously folks, you CAN'T mess this up!!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

2010-01-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Ever since the Squash tasting party, I've eaten more than my fair share of Butternut Squash Polenta. Recently, I decided that I should find a new way to get this delicious and nutritious squash into my diet and what better place to start than Mac and Cheese? As good as Mac and Cheese is, super nutritious it is NOT - it's basically a yummy tasting filler-food. But Butternut Squash has many wonderful healthy qualities to contribute to the all-American favorite food and nobody - especially the children - will have any idea it's in there - unless you tell them, of course, and why would you do that?!

I don't necessarily make it my mission to hide healthy food in my dishes, but when it's as brilliant and delicious as this one is, I'm all about it!

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

One Pound Macaroni, such as Tubatini or Mini Penne Rigate
Salt
One Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
One Medium Onion, finely chopped
One Teaspoon Dried Thyme
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Cups Chicken Stock
One Medium Butternut Squash, cooked
OR
One (10 ounce) Box Frozen Cooked Butternut Squash, defrosted
One Cup Half-and-Half or Cream
2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
1/2 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
Black Pepper

Cook pasta until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat a medium heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and finely chopped onion. Cook the onion in butter and oil 1 to 2 minutes, then add flour and cook together 1 to 2 minutes more. Whisk in stock. Then combine with butternut squash until warmed through and smooth. Stir in cream or half-and-half and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in cheese in a figure eight motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg, and pepper.

Drain cooked pasta well and combine with sauce.

Butternut Squash cooking note: You can buy the 10-ounce package of butternut squash in the frozen vegetable section of your grocery store, OR I like to place an actual medium sized squash in a crockpot with a cup of water and cook on high for three hours. The squash comes out perfectly perfect. Just cut in half, separating the top from the bottom, then peel the skin away with a knife and scoop out the inside seeds. Many times I cook the squash days ahead. Choose your own path.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake!!!

2010-01-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

Do you want to be the most popular girl at the party?

If you do, you don't have to show up in the trendiest outfit or funkiest shoes to get anyone’s attention. In fact, you can even leave your personality at home, because you won't need it to be the hit of the party when you show up with this little number.

No dessert I've ever made has received as many accolades as this one has. So, if you want to knock off someone’s socks today, dust off that springform pan of yours and get baking.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

CRUST:
1-1/2 Cups Chocolate Wafer Crumbs
(I like Paul Newman Alphabet Wafers)
1/4 Cup Melted Butter

FILLING:
1/4 Cup Semi-Sweet Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup Whipping Cream
3 (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, softened
One Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Baking Cocoa
3 Eggs
One Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

TOPPING:
1-1/2 Cups Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup Whipping Cream
One Teaspoon Vanilla

Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press into 9-in greased springform pan. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes. Cool. Reduce heat to 325.

Over low heat, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth; add cream and mix well. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs on low until combined. Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set.

For the topping, melt chocolate chips over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in cream and vanilla and mix well. Spread over the filling. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen and then remove the sides of the pan. Stand back and take a good look at the beautiful masterpiece you've created.

*******

I made this cheesecake for the first time when our family had a dessert making contest at Christmas one year. It competed against Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Pretzel Cheesecake, and Praline Cheesecake. I only mention this because…...I WON FIRST PRIZE!!! And it’s been a winner ever since!

Even after making this cheesecake for many years, the one frustration I've had is with the topping. I typically make my cheesecake days before an event for convenience, which works really well. The problem I've had is that the topping cracks under the knife every time I attempt to cut a slice. I have tried tweaking the topping to make it do what I want, but getting the perfect slice has been unobtainable – until now!

Now, I bake the cheesecake, freeze the cheesecake, de-thaw the cheesecake, and THEN I make the topping - which takes like three minutes - and pour it over the top an hour or so before serving. This way, the topping has set, but has not gotten hard – so NO cracks in the top when slicing.

This is the model dessert for the Making Food Disappear theory. I cut this into bite size pieces and brought it to a 30th birthday party where there was lots of fabulous food and two beautifully decorated cakes. I strategically placed my cheesecake bites on the bar where a group of men had gathered and then I walked away. The plate was picked clean in ten minutes! Ta-Da! Making Food Disappear!

Reindeer Munchies!

2010-01-10T00:01:00.004-05:00

This yummy little snack shows up every Christmas at our homes. It is highly addictive, very easy to throw together, and makes great gift jars for teachers, the postman, the UPS man, the bus driver, the swim teacher...you name it. Everybody loves Reindeer Munchies! It's one of those snacks that you keep coming back to until the bowl is empty. But here's the great thing...you can make it any time of the year! Sheri just dubbed them Reindeer Munchies one Christmas to be festive...and they've been called that in our families ever since. So even though Christmas is over, please try these...you won't regret it!

We prefer to use the cereals listed, which can always be found at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and other health food stores...or sometimes at Kroger, Giant Eagle, or Meijer in their Natural Foods section. OR you can certainly substitute any other cereals you like...you KNOW how we feel about winging it! Feel free to make it as written below, or add things you think might make it even better. We like to add dried apricots, cherries, or cranberries to ours for a little zing...but it's perfectly perfect as the basic recipe as well.

Reindeer Munchies

1/2 Box Barbara's Puffins Corn Cereal
1/2 Box Vanilla Almond Crunch Cereal
1/2 Cup Brown Rice Syrup or KaroSyrup
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter
One Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Cups Pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Mix cereals in a 9x13 pan. Combine syrup, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and baking soda and pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat.

Bake one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool. When cool, break into pieces, and enjoy!

Red Chicken Curry

2010-01-07T14:19:00.007-05:00

Do you like your chicken hot? Your bird a little spicy? Your poultry full of fire? Us too!
This recipe is quick and easy and sure to warm your tummy on a cold winter day. The curry paste, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper make this a piquant chicken dish, but don't worry, there will be no eye-watering while eating - we don't believe in that sort of nonsense. No, this dish has the perfect amount of warmth and flavor.

And to make this dish super special and unique we're cooking the chicken IN coconut milk. Why? Because it's super healthy for you and it's something different, that's why. Dessicated coconut, coconut oil and Coconut Milk are all truly good for you, so be not afraid.....use them!

Red Chicken Curry

1-1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste
1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
2 Tablespoons Sugar
12 Ounces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, sliced or cut into 2-inch pieces
Crushed Red Pepper for garnish AND for heat
Green Onion, cut for garnish

Heat a wok or large skillet and add the oil. When the oil is hot, swirl the oil around the wok until it is slightly coated, then add the garlic and stir-fry for 10-20 seconds, or until the garlic begins to brown. Add the curry paste and ginger and stir-fry for a few more seconds, then pour in coconut milk.

Cook the coconut milk mixture for 5 minutes, or until the milk has curdled and thickened. Stir in the sugar. Add the cut chicken and cook 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked sufficiently.

If the sauce is thinner than you would like, scoop out 1/3 cup of the sauce and stir in one tablespoon cornstarch - mix well. Add back to the wok/skillet and continue stirring until sauce thickens.

Feel free to serve over rice or pasta, but I personally like to serve it over the Butternut Squash Polenta. Sprinkle a small amount of crushed red pepper on top for fire!

Garam Masala Chicken and Mushroom Soup

2010-01-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, we posted this recipe before, but it's so good it's worth repeating AND it's like FIVE degrees outside so soup is definitely in order. And then there's the holidays...we've both been busy having fun and haven't had time to post new recipes, so you get soup! Good soup, that is.....

We have no idea what you’re going to think after reading the list of ingredients below, but we're going to beg you to try this recipe because we can almost guarantee that you have never made or tasted a soup like this one before.

Its flavor is so unique and divine that you will most certainly impress your friends with it. We love to make it for others and watch them take a small soup bite, then another, maybe one more, and then say, “Oh my – that’s good – what’s in there?”

Toot Toot!
(that’s us tooting our own horn)

Let’s start by freaking out over the amount of butter that’s going into the saucepan and get it over with. It is what it is and it will all be worth it in the end! With that said, drop all six tablespoons of butter into the pan over medium heat. As it slowly melts, add the garlic and garam masala (more on this spice down below). Then lower the heat and add the crushed peppercorns, salt, and nutmeg.

To really get things going, add the chicken, mushrooms, leeks, and corn. Cook these guys for about five to seven minutes or until chicken is cooked through – stirring constantly.

When that’s done, remove from the heat and transfer half the mixture into a food processor or blender. Add the water and process for nearly a minute.

WARNING:
This soup is going to look a little nasty right about now, but you’ve got to hang in there with us. I mean, you can see from the photo above that this soup isn't real pretty when it's all dressed up and posing for a picture, so it shouldn't be a big leap to think it would be super ugly during the prep phase. But trust us, when we say the beauty lies deep, deep below the surface within the flavor and we're almost there.....

Pour the "less than esthetic" puree back into the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

To make the soup look prettier and taste a little bit richer, lower the heat and add one cup of light cream and stir it in. Grab a ladle, a bowl, and a big old spoon and dig in, because this soup tastes best when straight from the stove, piping hot, with a little garlic bread on the side.

Did we tell ya?

Toot Toot!

Garam Masala is an Indian spice that can be found alongside everyday spices in most of your local grocery stores. It is comprised of a variation of black pepper, cloves, cardamon, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This is a spice that definitely steals the show in anything we add it to. It’s what makes the flavor of this soup so unique. We highly recommend adding Garam Masala to your seasoning rack because it won't be the last time you see him...

One day, the leeks in the produce department looked so pitiful that we couldn't bring ourselves to pay good money for them, let alone eat them, so we used scallions instead. Totally doable...

Garam Masala Chicken and Mushroom Soup

6 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Garlic
One Teaspoon Garam Masala
One Teaspoon Crushed Black Peppercorns
One Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg
8 Ounces Chicken, Skinned and Boned
One Medium Leek, sliced
Generous One Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1/3 Cup Whole Corn Kernels
1-1/4 Cups Water
One Cup Light Cream
One Teaspoon Crushed Dried Red Chilies, to garnish (optional)

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat slightly and add the garlic and garam masala. Lower the heat even more and add the black pepper, salt, and nutmeg.
Cut the chicken pieces into very fine strips and add to the pan with the leek, mushrooms, and corn. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Transfer half of the mixture into a food processor or blender. Add the water and process for about one minute.
Pour the resulting puree back into the saucepan with the rest of the mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and stir in cream.
Serve Hot.

Stroganoff Meatballs

2009-12-23T00:01:00.002-05:00

Comfort food, comfort food, comfort food.

That's the name of the game around this time of year....at least, as far as we're concerned!! Nothing warms up your belly quite like a dish such as this! We found this recipe in one of our favorite cookbooks..."The Best of Bridge", and once again, we were not disappointed. Not in the least. We've seen the kids try to lick their plates when we serve this! Of course, anything with the word stroganoff in it is alllllll goooood according to us!

The recipe goes together quickly, and the sauce is AMAZINGLY yummy! Your kids will like it, and it makes enough for leftovers. What's not to like? Serve it with a big leafy salad or some lightly steamed broccoli and you've got yourself a nice, solid meal!

Stroganoff Meatballs

Meatballs:
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
salt & pepper to taste

Sour Cream Sauce
1 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. ketchup
(2) 10 oz. cans consomme, undiluted
2 c. sour cream

To make the meatballs, combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and roll into balls of desired size. Place on edged cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, drain, and set aside.

To make the sauce, brown onion in butter. Add the flour and mix well. Add ketchup and comsomme, cooking slowly until thickened. Add sour cream, then meatballs. Place in a casserole dish and keep warm in a 250 degree oven until serving time. Serve over broad egg noodles.
So, so, soooooo gooooooood!!!!

Rosemary Skewers

2009-12-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

It's that wonderful time of year...the time of year when you can bust out all of your "extra-special" recipes for all the fun parties you'll be attending. Every year, we look for a new, special appetizer because we get bored easily. Yes...sad but true. We don't like to make the same things over and over again, no matter how amazing they might be. There are just too many recipes out there that need their time in the spotlight, and we figure we're just the gals to do it.

This appetizer made it's debut for our Bunco holiday party. I came across it in a BHG special holiday edition featuring appetizers and drinks for holiday parties. It had everything I was looking for...simple ingredients, quick to put together, wonderfully festive-looking, and cheese. You will never disappoint people with cheese. (Well, unless they have a dairy intolerance...but that's beside the point!)

Needless to say, these babies were a hit! And even better...they look like you really fussed over them, when really they went together in no time! Try these out for an upcoming party, folks...and watch your guests mentally RSVP to your next party before you've even planned it!

Olive-Pepperoni Kabobs

(12 ) 5-inch rosemary stems
(12) 4x1 inch rectangles of thinly sliced provolone
(12) 2-inch diameter rounds of thinly sliced pepperoni
(12) pitted kalmata olives

Begin by stripping the leaves from the rosemary stems, leaving 1 inch of foliage at one end of each stem. Fold a piece of provolone and thread it onto the skewer, then a piece of pepperoni, then an olive on the end. Serve on a decorative plate...that's it! How's that for easy?

How to Make Food Disappear

2009-12-19T00:01:00.004-05:00

It's Christmastime, which means lots of parties and lots of food. Here is your quick reminder on how to make the food you bring to a party or serve at your own magically disappears. Learn how to bring an empty plate home every time!

If you were at a party and a waiter approached you with a tray of Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake slices in the typical, triangular shape, like the one pictured above and right behind him was another waiter with a tray of single-bite square pieces of that same cheesecake, like the one pictured below, which would you choose?

Seriously.

I'll answer for you. You would choose the bite-size portion. You many want the whole slice, but you most likely will not commit or indulge in a whole slice. Now, if the choice had been between a normal slice and no slice at all, then you may have deliberated a bit...

"Omigosh.. That looks amazing! I would really love a piece of that cheesecake, but I don't know that I should. I'm not really hungry, but it's calling out to me. It looks soooo delicious... If I could just have a bite or two........"

Don't tell me you haven't had this conversation with yourself at a gala or family gathering or holiday party, because we've all been there. But, once a small, bite-sized piece of something divine is placed in front of us, our first thought is, "I'll just have one." And then we have two!

If you want your food to disappear at a party, make the food petite. Whether it's cookies, brownies, carrot sticks, zucchini bread slices, meatballs, or cheese on a tray - Shrink. It. Down!
Whatever it is you're selling, make it a size no one can say no to. No one wants to make a commitment to eating another large meatball or monster cookie, but I challenge you to find a live, breathing human - or dog - who can pass up that last little runt of a brownie on the plate.

What you really want is for people to be disappointed when your culinary "creation" is all gone. Actually, I personally prefer that they're a little devastated. If they only got one taste of the indescribable goodness, they'll dream of the next time they can experience that goodness again. You will have created a fiery frenzy around your food that will still be blazing long after the party is over.

Sure, it may blow up your ego - everybody raving about your culinary wizardry, but the real winners here are the ones you are cooking for. When you give them just one morsel of something delicious, you are helping them to treasure the moment, savor the flavor, and appreciate the magic.

Save them from overindulging because nobody ever feels good about that! Help your family and friends get the most enjoyment from your food by creating the best possible experience for them.

Apply the same theory when hosting a dinner party at your home. When it comes to the dessert, NEVER, EVER serve anyone - especially the person you most want to impress - a second piece of dessert. Even if they beg - don't do it. It's not as if you're letting them go hungry - they're just wanting more of the Deelish-Dish. Let them go home, crawl into bed, and dream sweet, sinful dreams about the wonderful experience they just had. Leave them wanting more and they'll be back. And when they do sit down at your table again, they'll be primed and ready to savor every single, magnificent bite, because NOW they know the magic is only for a moment - and then it's gone!

Poof!

Key Lime Cheesecake Bites with Raspberry Drizzle

2009-12-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

I, Sheri love Key Lime! I love it almost as much as I love lemon! But the flavor is so fabulously intense that "less is more." I choose to serve this cheesecake as mini-bites because the single bite demands that you stand up and take notice of it's marvelous flavor. If you had an entire slice on your plate you would be thinking of the next bite and the next.........but this way, each and every sinful bite gets the oo's and ahh's it deserves! And remember, you can eat as many bites as you want!

The whipped cream and raspberry drizzle not only adds beauty to this cake, but it's the delicate sweetness that soothes the wickedly, wonderful sour of the key lime.

Are you feeling wicked today?!!

Key Lime Cheesecake Bites with Raspberry Sauce

Crust:
1-1/4 Cups Fine Crumbs Graham Crackers
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter

Filling:
2 (8 ounce) Cream Cheese, room temperature

One Cup and 2 Tablespoons Sugar
3/4 Cup Fresh Key Lime Juice (about 1-1/2 lb Key limes) or bottled (we use Nellie and Joe’s)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
One Teaspoon Vanilla
2 -1/2 Tablespoons Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

Whipped Cream:
One Cup Whipping Cream
One Envelope Whip It
One Teaspoon Vanilla
Sugar to sweeten to your liking

Raspberry Drizzle:
One Bag Frozen Raspberries
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
4 Tablespoons Sugar
One Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Making the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F and butter bottom of springform pan.

Stir together crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well or just use a food processor, then press evenly onto the bottom of pan. Bake crust in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes and cool in pan on a rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Making the Filling: Beat cream cheese at medium speed until fluffy, then beat in sugar. Add lime juice, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in flour and salt at low speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until just incorporated. Then add eggs all at once and mix just until incorporated.

Pour filling into crust and set springform pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake cake in middle of oven until set in center, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool completely in springform pan on rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.)

From here you could treat this as a normal cheesecake - running a knife around edge of the cake and removing the sides of the pan - OR you could let it cool in fridge over night, then remove the sides of the pan and cut cheesecake into little square, bite-size pieces and place on a serving plate.

Then in a mixing bowl, beat one cup whipping cream, an envelope of Whip It, and some sugar and vanilla extract to taste. Using an icing doohickey thing or just a sandwich bag with a hole cut in the bottom, give each "bite" a generous dollop of cream.

Yesterday: Make a raspberry sauce by placing a frozen bag of raspberries in a pan. Take a glass with about 1/4 cup of water, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 4 tablespoons sugar - mix until mixed and add to raspberries. Cover and heat over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until raspberries break down and sauce thickens.

Then remove from heat and push sauce through a sieve to remove all the seeds. You are left with a beautiful, tasty, and smooth raspberry sauce.

Let cool overnight!

Take the raspberry sauce from yesterday and place in plastic sandwich bag. Cut a teeny tiny hole in the bottom corner. Squeeze the bag, letting the sauce drizzle over the dollop of cream.

Ta-Da!

Taco and Salsa Dip

2009-12-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

Everybody has a 'recipe' for Taco Dip, don't they?

But we believe that this is the Best Taco Dip there is and that's why we want to share it with you!

This recipe came together one day when I wanted to make a taco dip for a party in December, and unfortunately, tomatoes are completely tasteless during winter in Ohio. So, I decided to use Salsa as a tomato substitute - but not just any salsa - raspberry salsa.

I chose raspberry because this dip has the 'Oh' so wonderful, but strong flavors of taco seasoning and sharp cheddar cheese and I wanted something hot and sweet to bounce off the intensity and spice of the cheese and seasonings.

My favorite salsa brand is Jose Madrid and it used to only be sold at the North Market downtown, but now Whole Foods and Andersons carries it also - wahoo! Choose your own favorite brand, but know that using a sweeter salsa, even if you don't typically like the fruit salsas, is a huge part of the fabulous contrast that makes this taco dip the best!

One of the other key ingredients used is the beloved herb, cilantro. Nothing smells more like summer than cilantro. The cilantro adds the sunshine!

Taco Dip with Raspberry Salsa

8 Ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 Envelope Taco Seasoning
One Tablespoon Mayonnaise

Beat cheese, seasoning, and mayo until smooth. Spread evenly over one large plate or platter or two regular sized plates.

Generously layer the following ingredients in the order given:

2 Green Onions, cut into tiny pieces
Cilantro, cut into tiny pieces
(I place these two items on top of the cream cheese to help it to stick. If there's too many items layered on the lettuce it just falls off the chip - and that's a crime!)
Raspberry Salsa
1/2-3/4 Cup Sharp Cheddar, shredded - then shredded even smaller
(I place the first layer of cheese over the salsa to keep it from wilting the lettuce)
Finely Shredded Lettuce, preferably field greens with radicchio
One Red Pepper, chopped tiny
One Cup Taco Cheese, shredded - then shredded even further

Serve with Blue Corn Chips

Note: Did you happen to notice the terms and phrases, "tiny" "shred smaller" and "finely shredded"? If you want your guests to swoon all over this dip, you've got to shred and dice and chop everything tiny because there's nothing better than every ingredient that you've stacked on this dip to be collected on each and every chip and each and every bite!

Nothing worse than scooping some dip onto your chip and big pieces of lettuce and friends falling by the wayside and leaving you with half the dip in your mouth and half still on the plate for the next lucky dipper. Chop everything small and your guests will get to enjoy all the dynamite flavor you've created for them.

Note: You may have also noticed that some of the ingredients are missing their recommended quantities - that is not an oversight. We would hate to limit your creativity in the kitchen by giving you precise measurements on this one. Feel your way to the dynamite flavor and make it your own!

White Chocolate Cookies with Pomegranate Jam

2009-12-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

Cookie, cookie, cookie! Everybody loves cookies! It's the number one thing baking in ovens all around the world at Christmas time. Let's see.....there's chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and probably the most popular - the decorated sugar cookie. But if you're one of those plucky bakers always in search of something unique and exciting that will raise a few eyebrows and please a few palates, then you're in luck, because we have the perfect cookie for you!

BUT! If we're going to think outside the cookie box, we want to do it in style, which means cutting no corners. This festive cookie will undoubtedly please the eye, but in the end, it's the palate we most want to impress.

This is a white chocolate cookie...and we know there's no such thing as "white" chocolate, but yet there is such a thing as white chocolate. We've tasted some lousy ones and we've tasted some outstanding ones. We suggest you choose the best one for this cookie. And one of our favorite white chocolates, that in our book, achieves stellar status is Callebaut. We normally find it at Whole Foods, sold in big chunks. It's not cheap, but remember, it's worth it! Just take a walk on over to the cheese counter and kindly request that they cut it down to your size. No problem!

You may have your own favorite brand of white chocolate, but we ask that you don't assume they're all the same - they're not! Choose a delicious white chocolate and you will have a delicious new cookie that kids and adults will love!

White Chocolate Cookies with Pomegranate Jam

1/2 Cup Butter
One Cup Sugar
One Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
8 Ounces and 3 Ounces White Chocolate, Chopped
2 Eggs
2-3/4 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Pomegranate Jam

Melt just 4 ounces of the white chocolate over a double boiler. In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar, baking soda, and salt. When combined, beat in eggs and melted white chocolate.

Beat in flour and add remaining 4 ounces of chopped white chocolate.

Drop 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 7-9 minutes. Let cookies cool.

Over stove, melt the jam. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon jam on top of each cookie.

Over stove, melt 3 ounces white chocolate. Drizzle over each cookie.

Enjoy!

Note: Any jam of your liking can be substituted in this recipe....raspberry, strawberry, blueberry......In fact, you could arrange a variety of different colors of "jammed" cookies and have yourself a dazzling display of flavors.

Note: Once the jam and white chocolate is set, these cookies freeze very well. When removed from the freezer, they can stack on top of one another without sticking to each other.

Bragging Note: Recently, when served at a party alongside five other magnificent desserts, such as Tiramisu, Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Mousse Cups with Raspberries, Pecan Pie, and Key Lime Cheesecake, these little White Chocolate Cookies were the only dessert that completely disappeared. I brought home an empty plate!

Ta-da!

Mission Accomplished!

Penne with Gorgonzola & Walnuts

2009-12-04T00:01:00.003-05:00

Do you go ga-ga over gorgonzola?

Just this morning, did you say to yourself, "Screw dieting!"?

If you answered "Yes!" and "Yes!" then we have just the dish for you!

This pasta tastes best when served in a super-sized soup bowl while it's still steaming hot with a few apple slices on the side for contrast, while you curl up in a blanket in front of a roaring fire, sipping on a fine glass of wine. Are you seeing the picture we're drawing here? Of course, eating it on a simple plate at the kitchen table is perfectly acceptable too - this dish will impress however it's dressed.

So, if you have gorgonzola and brandy in your house right now, this mouth-watering pasta can be yours for the low, low prep-time of fifteen minutes!

And just so we're clear......Mr. Gorgo and Mr. Brandy are the superstars of this show.

Enjoy!!!

Penne with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

14 Ounces Penne (or Rigatoni)
4 Tablespoons Butter
One Cup Gorgonzola Cheese, crumbled
2 Tablespoons Brandy
One Cup Heavy Cream
2/3 Cup Walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
One Tablespoon Freshly Chopped Basil
One Cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook Pasta - we all know how to do that, right? Well, while that's cooking......

Melt the butter in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the gorgonzola cheese and stir until melted. Add the Brandy and cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the cream and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring until the sauce is smooth.

Stir in the walnut pieces, basil, and half the Parmesan Cheese, then add the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Divide the pasta among 4 warmed bowls, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan Cheese.

Take your seat in front of the fire. Smile! Enjoy! Worry about where this delicious bowl of heaven is going to take up residence on your body... tomorrow!

Stay in THIS moment!

Ahhhhhhh....that's goooood....

Minestrone!!!

2009-11-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

Minestrone is ALL about "hodgepodge". In fact, there's no specific recipe for minestrone and barely any rules that need to be followed when making it - and that is music to our ears! Minestrone is all about throwing things together - chunky things, like hearty vegetables - and creating a wonderful flavor one might slurp up with a large spoon on a cold, blustery, winter day.

Sometimes though, in our attempt to create the best flavor we can, we may be tempted to use substances, like MSG, that enhance the flavor of certain foods. The jury is still out on exactly how unhealthy MSG is, but we'll let you google the word and decide for yourself.

We personally prefer to avoid it whenever possible because of the controversy surrounding it's effect on one's body, but even more than that, it feels like cheating when you use it in the kitchen. With today's fancy additives you can make food taste like anything...ANY THING! (Don't even get us started on that subject..) but taking vegetables, fruits, meats, nuts, seeds, spices, etc. and combining them to create a delicious cuisine is the best kind of art there is!

We like to create flavors in the kitchen that come from the actual food themselves - after all, there are thousands of different foods and spices just waiting to show off their "talent". Don't deny them their time in the spotlight!

So, when it came time to serve up some Minestrone, we discovered a very tasty recipe, and it's flavor was off the charts, but three of the ingredients suggested contained high levels of MSG. What?! We felt duped. Anybody can create monstrous flavor with flavor enhancers, but can it be done with real food?

And the answer is YES!

Our soup gets much of it's pizazz from the Italian sausage and crushed red pepper, so choose your sausage carefully, or make your own - just make it super flavorful. As far as beans go, I hate beans - I really hate beans - so the first time I made this soup I did add them, but only because I wanted to feel like a grown-up. I do not, however, find them a necessary ingredient in this soup, but if you're a bean lover, go crazy, bean it up! Add pasta if you want more carbs, but we're pretty wild about the idea of meat and vegetables going it alone.

Our favorite way to make this soup is in the crockpot because you can make it in the morning and it will be ready to eat by dinner, but the stovetop works just as well. As with most soups, this minestrone tastes best on day two and three. Make it tonight, and you'll have a hearty bowl of heaven by tomorrow!

Minestrone!!!

One Pound Italian Sausage
4-5 Strips Bacon, cooked (Oink or Gobble)
One Medium Onion, Diced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
4 Cups Water
One Medium-Large Zucchini, chopped
2 Stalks Celery, diced
2 Large Carrots, diced
2 Cups Beef Broth
One Can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed (OPTIONAL)
One 28-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
One Tablespoon Sugar
One Teaspoon Oregano
One Teaspoon Italian Seasonings
One Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

In a skillet cook sausage with garlic and onion. Drain if necessary, then place in crockpot. Add all other ingredients and let the crockpot do it's thing.

Return hours and hours later to taste your new favorite Minestrone!

~~~~~

As you can see in the photo above, we like to eat our Minestrone with blue corn chips - soooo good together!

Note: In case you were wondering what the 3 ingredients were that contained the unwanted MSG, it was Campbells Bean and Bacon Soup, Bob Evans Italian Sausage, and Swanson's Beef Broth. You can find organic beef broth in the health food section at your local grocery store.

Mini Pumpkin Cakes

2009-11-26T00:01:00.001-05:00

Are you really searching blogs on Thanksgiving morning looking for ideas on what to serve your guests today? Seriously?!

That's okay, we're procrastinators too! We love the thrill, the rush, and the panic of making something totally new, last minute, and hoping it turns out fabulous the first time out of the kitchen. It makes us feel ALIVE!

Well, in case you need a stellar dessert this Thanksgiving weekend, we have a great idea for you - one we came up with at the last minute too. Not long ago, we shared with you our Pumpkin and Spice Muffins that we think taste just like pumpkin roll. BUT, muffins can't be your dessert on a holiday as big and wonderful as Thanksgiving, so this is our idea.......wait for it..........

Little Pumpkin Cakes!

Make a single batch of Pumpkin Muffin batter. Pour half the batter- about 2-1/2 cups worth - into a greased and lightly floured 9x13 pan. Pour the other half into another 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for........um......gee, I don't remember. I know I set the timer for 10 minutes, then a couple more......wow! I can't tell you exactly how long I baked it, but I know I kept a close eye on it. I was thinking it didn't take as long as the muffins did. Sorry! But I'm making these the night before Thanksgiving for Pete's sake - I'm under a lot of pressure here!

Moving on......When they are perfectly baked, remove from the oven and let cool. Using a 79 cent circular cookie cutter, 3 inches in diameter, cut out 12 circles from each pan.

Set one circle on a plate. Top with cream cheese frosting. Lay another circle on top and smear with more cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top for fun. Repeat 12 times!

How fantastic is that?!

Happy Thanksgiving from our kitchens to yours!!!

Maple Roasted Pumpkin Salad

2009-11-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

When's the last time you put pumpkin in your salad?

Yesterday? Really?

Wow! Until we ate it at the Squash Tasting, we never thought about adding pumpkin to our salad before, but that's exactly what makes this salad unique. There are a lot of wonderful flavors in this salad that makes it superb, but pumpkin is definitely the most unusual ingredient of them all!

Even though the pumpkin appears to take the spotlight in this salad, ALL the other flavors blend together beautifully to create the most peculiar, yet spectacular rainbow of flavors.

Not convinced? You don't like pumpkin??! Here's a crazy idea - leave out the pumpkin altogether and substitute apple instead...fresh cut apples. Apples would mingle perfectly with the feta, arugula, toasted pumpkin seeds and toasted garlic and lime dressing. AND... leaving out the whole "roasting the pumpkin" step would make this a quickie in the kitchen. Of course, you may have to rename the salad, but we don't want you missing out on this salad altogether if you have an issue with pumpkins - the dressing is soooo good!

Whichever way you go, go to the kitchen and create this salad for your next dinner - you'll fall in love with the rainbow!

Maple Roasted Pumpkin Salad

1/4 Cup Pumpkins Seeds
One Pumpkin (3-4 pounds) peeled and cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Garlic Cloves, unpeeled
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Course Ground Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoon plus one teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
One Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1-1/2 Pounds Arugula
6 Ounces Feta Cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread pumpkin seeds on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until fragrant and starting to brown, 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

On that same baking sheet (lined with foil - trust us!) toss the pumpkin with 2 tablespoons olive oil, unpeeled garlic, red pepper, salt, and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender - about 30-40 minutes.

Remove garlic cloves from sheet pan. Set aside. Drizzle pumpkin with 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup; toss to coat. Return to oven and roast, tossing occasionally until glazed, about 5-10 minutes more. Let cool.

Squeeze out roasted garlic and mash to a paste. Transfer to large bowl. Add lime juice, mustard, and remaining one teaspoon maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk constantly as you add remaining oil. Set dressing aside.

Add arugula and pumpkin and toss to combine to combine. Serve salad sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled feta.

Serve it up and eat it up and be prepared to be impressed!

Butternut Squash Polenta

2009-11-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

Doesn't look like much, does it? A simple bowl of polenta with a splash of butternut squash? True, it doesn't grab your eye or incite the ever-embarrassing drooling process like a four-layered chocolate cake shamelessly dripping in rich, fudge-like icing does, but this humble side dish promises to warm your belly and soothe your soul with it's very first bite. Don't misunderstand, drooling is a good thing - embarrassing or not, but a soothed soul - now that's something to write about!

When this Polenta was served at the party, it came on the heels of the Maple Pumpkin Salad and the Chile-Roasted Acorn Squash. Both of these fantastic wonders had touches of sweetness and fire, which is what made them ROCK, but it's also what made this charming little polenta number so well-received at the table. It was like a warm, soothing, bubble bath after a night of sassy salsa dancing. Ahhhhhhh.......

So, warm that belly tonight and soothe your soul with this quick and easy Squash Polenta - your family will love you for it. And Hey, no one's stopping you from serving a rich, four-tiered, double chocolate, fudge cake, dripping in icing for dessert - certainly not us! NEVER US!

Butternut Squash Polenta

3/4 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1-1/2 Cups Cooked, Pureed, Winter Squash
2-1/2 Cups Water
2 Cups Milk
1-1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
3/4 Cup Instant Polenta
1/2 Cup Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cook onion in 3 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat until very soft. Stir in squash and stir occasionally for 2 minutes.

Bring water, milk, salt and pepper to a boil in a heavy 4 quart-pot. Add polenta in a thin stream, whisking. Cook at a bare simmer, stirring with a long handled whisk. Turn down heat as needed to avoid spatter. Cook 5 minutes.

Stir in squash mixture and cook another 3 minutes, stirring now and again.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

Eat immediately and SMILE, because it's deliciously fabulous!

It's A Squash Party!!!

2009-11-08T22:50:00.023-05:00

So, does that photo get you in the mood for a squash tasting or what? Totally part of Teri's plan, I'm sure. She sent this as a postcard all the way from Carmel, CA to remind us that squash was the superstar flavor of the month...and YES, that is her in the photo.

And THEN, she emailed us this beautiful fall-like photo of her loaded cart at Lynd's Fruit Farms just to raise the level of excitement!

Mission Accomplished!

With these Food Tasting Parties we have, each food we taste presents a different set of challenges. How one decides to go about setting up their party is completely the hostess's choice. Apples were easy because you just slice them up and take a bite - same with tomatoes - but squash wasn't going to be as cut and dry.

Why?

Because none of us were prepared to bring our own chainsaws and cut up each squash and eat it raw, which meant Teri had to roast them, steam them, or bake them. Of course, had men been invited to this swanky affair, they would have been more than happy to drop pumpkins off Teri's roof and eat the pulp with their bare hands - which is exactly why we leave them at home.

To be certain that each squash's unique flavor was tasted fairly from one squash to the next, Teri added just a teeny tiny pad of butter and a simple sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg to each bowl, so we could get a true taste of each one. With that said, let's get tasting, shall we?

The bowl taking center stage in the photo below, is the ever-popular Spaghetti Squash. As much as we all love using Spaghetti squash as a pasta impersonator, it most definitely got the least amount attention on this day - "Spaghetti who?" It's flavor is mucho-mild and brutally bland, which is how it disguises itself so well as pasta. Pasta's not bursting with flavor - it simply serves as a backdrop to whatever you're serving with it, on it, or tossed all up in it.

Today, the rich, earthy flavor of the other squashes overshadowed this simple, yet normally stellar vegetable. It's okay, Spaghetti, we still love you!!!

Then there was the Butternut Squash, which was a big winner among us girls - especially Teri, who blushed every time she even spoke of the fiery, orange mush - she had it bad. That's okay, we all loved the Butternut too - it was unanimous! We loved it even more, when Teri used it in a Polenta dish she served up later - YUM. MEE!

And then there was the Hubbard. Yeah, we've never heard of it either! But let me tell you this, Miss Carrie's world will never be the same after tasting this funky squash. We thought Teri loved the Butternut with enthusiasm, but our Carrie found True, True Love with the Hubbard. I've never seen her so happy about food....except for when she's eating cheese....we all look happy when we eat cheese though, right?

So, the deal with the Hubbard seemed to be that it kind of tasted like a sweet potato, which right away threatened to eliminate Jen and I as supporters, because we do NOT like sweet potatoes, (so don't go looking for any recipes for them on this blog...), but the taste was considerably milder than the sweet potato, and it actually, kind of, sort of tasted like an everyday white potato too. It was somewhat confusing, really. It had this gentle sweetness with a dense and starchy punch.

Anyway, we liked it. In fact, Teri put it in a pie, and made it face off against the All-American Pumpkin Pie.....we'll get to the results of that "pie-off" later.

And then there was my surprise favorite - the Delicata. I'm not a squash lover by nature - it's a texture thing...I can't help it - but I liked this squash. It had a mild, yet very pleasing flavor. I was very excited to discover the Delicata, and even more excited about it's supercool name, "Delicata". We all seriously liked this 'delicate' wonder!

Last but not least, was the Golden Acorn Squash, which Teri, being the hostess had already tasted and given it the two thumbs down, but Jen liked it. She doesn't like sweet vegetables, so she appreciated the mild flavor of the Golden Acorn, as did Patty. I don't know that any of us fell in love with the Acorn, but we most definitely respect him.

So, the squashes have been tasted so party over, right?

WRONG!!!

The party was just getting started. After all, there was more great wine to be sipped and slurped and we were going to stay until we were all slurped out!

So, now we move on AND start with a salad. I think it's safe to say, no one in the room had ever had a salad like this one. All I'll say is, roasted maple pumpkin bites, roasted pumpkin seeds, and feta on arugula, with lime dressing. Go ahead, take a peak - feta not included - and yes, the recipe will be coming.

OH! And then the Butternut Polenta was served and "Oh my!" heaven in a bowl! That first taste took us back to the best dressed Cream of Wheat we ever had! Can you say, "comfort food?" Jen knew for sure that her kids would inhale this in seconds, which makes it a double winner. And yes, the recipe will be coming.....

It was Patty's birthday the day before our party- I can't remember which one...probably because she paid me to forget, but she did NOT pay me to NOT post the pictures of us surprising her with a goofy birthday hat, bubbles, and banners, but I chose not to post them because she is my friend and the pictures were taken at less than flattering angles with a multitude of oddball expressions, so they'll be for her enjoyment only.

Anyway, Teri decided there must be Birthday Pie, which was a perfect opportunity to have a bake-off. The pie on the left is Pumpkin and the pie on the right is Hubbard. I would love to tell you there was a clear winner, but there was not. We know which pie Carrie chose - Hubba, Hubba! - and Jen liked the Pumpkin, but after that, it was pretty even. Personal taste is what this Pie bake-off came down to...personal taste.

Sidenote: Teri advises eating the Hubbard pie pronto, because if it sits a day or two, it tends to dry out a little bit, and no one likes dried up Hubbard. Just be prepared to eat the whole pie!

And of course, there was wine. Teri wowed us with her substantial wine collection, and being the friends we are, we offered to drink some of it. Jen and I started with a swig of the Azur, until Teri assured us the Hawley was a much better choice...and she was right.

Each wine we tasted was better than the last and each had it's own distinct flavor, so it was fantastic to enjoy all the squashes and entrees with the compliments of each new wine.

Sooooooo, Thank you Teri for a fabulous party, and Happy Birthday Patty!

Until next time!..........

Before we go though, I must tell you that when Jen went to this party, she thought she disliked squash - except for the spaghetti variety - but she happily went with hopeful optimism, as did I. ( I don't love squash myself) When the party was over and we got in the car to leave, the first thing Jen said to me was, "I am so excited. I thought I didn't like squash, but I really liked them all!"

"I. Like. Squash!"

And THAT is why we have these parties....... :)