Chocolate-Red Wine Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups dry red wine

Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Whipped cream, for serving

Raspberries, for eating

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes longer. Working in two batches, alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine, until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack; let cool completely. Dust the cake with confectioner’s sugar and serve with whipped cream and raspberries.

In my humble opinion, this is one of the best chocolate cakes I've had recently. I didn't make it the first time I had it, so I'm really hoping that the one I made today turned out... It's dense and perfectly moist with a hint of wine... delicious. I'm going to serve mine with blackberries, since it was all I could find, but I think raspberries are the better choice. It's one of those cakes that is pretty easy to make, but seems somewhat impressive. I copied the picture and the recipe from this website.

PS After tasting the one I made, all I would say is to make sure you don't overbake it... at all. I ended right at 30 min, and it was about 1-2 min over what it needed. But, I tend to like things slightly doughy. Other than that, it was delicious.

Mini Mushroom Tarts

4 slices bacon
1 lg onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. butter
salt and pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried parsley
1 pkg refrigerated pie dough
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Fry bacon, reserving all the fat. Crumble and set aside. Saute onions in reserved fat over medium-low heat until caramelized, about 20 min. Set onions aside with bacon. Melt butter in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add coarsely chopped mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley, and saute until mushrooms are done. Drain excess liquid, and combine mushrooms with bacon and onions. Stir together until well-mixed and chill. When mixture is chilled, add cheese and mix well again. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Cut out 2 1/2-inch rounds from pie crust and place rounds in mini muffin pans. Fill as full as possible with mushroom mixture and bake for about 15 minutes or until crusts are golden. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 56 mini tarts.

I came up with this for the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party we're going to tonight. I guess I don't know if they'll be a hit there, but Kirk and I have tested several of them and we approve. I had several tablespoons of mushroom mixture leftover, and we broiled it on top of some bread we had. It was pretty tasty!

And I'd like to dedicate this recipe to Rhonda. HAHAHA!!!

Whipped Shortbread with Chocolate Ganache

Shortbread:
2 cups butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 cups flour
1 cup cornstarch

Beat butter at medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add dry ingredient, beating constantly until well blended. Dust hands with cornstarch and roll into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and press lightly with floured fork. Bake at 300 F for about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache:
1 ounce bittersweet baking chocolate
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 powdered sugar

Heat cream in saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Add sugar and stir again until smooth. Using a spoon, place a bit of chocolate in the center of each baked cookie and let cool.

So, next time I will not press so much with the fork, since they got pretty flat. Also, I suspect the dough would be easier to handle if it were chilled for an hour before forming it into balls. I made up the chocolate part, and I just added the sugar until it tasted good so I'm not sure it was exactly 1/4 cup. My problem with the ganache was that there was a good bit of melted fat, which I assume came from my heavy whipping cream. Maybe light cream would work better. Either way, I was pleased with how these looked and how they tasted too.

Granny's Caramel Apple Cookies

This is for all you poor souls out there who have never had or made Granny's wonderful apple cookies...

1/2 c. shortening

1 1/3 c. brown sugar

1 egg

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. peeled, diced apples

1/2 c. milk

1 c. nuts (optional)

Cream together shortening, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy. Mix dry ingredients together separately, add to creamed mixture gradually. When well blended, stir in milk and apples. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 8-10 min. or as done as you'd like. Frost when cool. (You could skip the icing, but why?)

Caramel icing:

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. brown sugar

Cook together until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add:

1 1/2 c. icing sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 Tbsp. light cream or milk

Beat together and spread on cooled cookies.

Instant Oatmeal Mix

18 oz (2 1/4 c.) quick oats
3.2 oz (about 1/3 c.) dry milk
1/3 to 1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 to 1 c. raisins
2 tsp. cinnamon
salt to taste

Mix together and store in an airtight container. To make: combine 1/2 cup of mix and 1/2 cup water or milk in a bowl. Microwave on high for about one minute. Makes about 16 servings.

Of course, the sugar, raisins, cinnamon and salt are optional. This recipe is from Woman's Day (December 09 issue, page 190), and changed a little by me. I think it's pretty handy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour (I did part whole wheat)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

This is from allrecipes.com and it is so good (duh)! Kirk and I both love that the pumpkin actually stands out really well. We just had this for breakfast with bacon and eggs and I liked it so much I just had to get it on here aqap (that means "as quickly as possible;" only slightly different than the similar "as soon as possible"). Yep, this one's a keeper.

Kim's Italian Enchiladas

Well, I decided to make my experiment into a little date night, so we started with this:

And finished with this:

Here's my recipe:

Sauce:

8 roma tomatoes, halved

3-5 cloves garlic, peeled and whole

1 onion, quartered

5-7 leaves fresh basil

olive oil

salt

pepper

Place all ingredients except basil on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes, adding basil for an additional 2-3 minutes. Blend together in blender.

Filling:

1 lb. spicy sausage

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

16 oz. cottage cheese

1 can cannellini

1/2 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 roma tomatoes, diced

Fry sausage with onions and garlic, drain. Mix all 7 ingredients together.

Cook 1 box (12 noodles) wide lasagna, al dente. Drain. Pour half the sauce into 9x13" pan. Place scoop of filling in each noodle, rolling to form "enchilada" shape. Cover with last half of sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and brown on top.

Ok, despite the poorly written instructions, this actually turned out pretty well. As you can see, I leaned more towards Italian and less towards Mexican. My "Mexican" influences were the spiciness of the meat, the beans, and the shape of the enchiladas. Next time I will make a few changes, such as: Use a high-quality spicy sausage, or else use plain sausage and season it yourself. Make sure not to use old noodles, because they're gross. In fact, it might be fun to make your own or buy fresh. And one last tidbit: The sauce part makes a delicious roasted tomato basil soup.

Italian Enchilada Challenge

Did anyone join us in this challenge? If you did, we'd love to see your results. Just leave a link to your blog in the comments and we'll come visit you. Thanks for playing!

Rhonda's Italian Enchiladas

Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef

½ cup bread crumbs

1 egg

½ cup milk

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp herbes de provence

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (real, please)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper (or more, if you like)

Mix all ingredients together and shape into small meatballs. Bake at 350 until browned and cooked through (15 minutes?). Cool slightly and mix with 1 ½ cups spaghetti sauce.

------

Cheese Sauce:

1 envelope béchamel sauce mix, prepared according to directions

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 cup fromage blanc

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp dried basil

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2/3 cup grated cheese (mozza, or something similar)

Prepare béchamel sauce and then stir in the other ingredients.

-----

6 large flour tortillas

2 ¼ cups grated cheese (mozza, or something similar)

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Herbes de provence

Fill each tortilla with 6-7 meatballs and sauce, 2-3 tbsp grated cheese and a sprinkle of herbes de provence. Roll them up like burritos.

Spread 1 cup cheese sauce in the bottom of a 9x13” pan. Place filled tortillas over the sauce, and pour remaining sauce over them. Top with remaining cheeses and a generous sprinkle of herbes de provence.

Bake at 400F until bubbly and golden.

These were pretty tasty. I asked my family to rate them on a scale of 1 – 10 and they gave an average score of 6. Matthew and I both thought it was like eating a meatball sub, and for us that’s a good thing!

Karla's Italian Enchiladas

Saute until soft:
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. oil

Mix:
3 cups cottage cheese
5 chicken legs, cooked, deboned, and chopped
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
Add the sauteed onions and garlic

18 corn tortillas
28 oz. red enchilada sauce

1/2 - 1 cup Mild cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 F. Dip six tortillas into enchilada sauce and arrange in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the layer of tortillas. Repeat. Top with a 3rd layer of tortillas dipped in sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with cheese, and return to oven until cheese is melted. Serves: 8-10

Oh my. I am ashamed to claim this as my own. At first I was going to roll up the tortillas to bake them, but then I thought "Oooh, I'll make it like a lasagna! Clever!" Not clever enough. It is not the worst thing ever, but it is not delicious by any stretch of the imagination. Here are the problems I (and Kirk) have with it:
1) I only put in about 1/2 tsp. of salt
2) I did four layers of tortillas, which was way too much
3) Italian seasoning does not work with red enchilada sauce
4) I don't really like red enchilada sauce (should've at least used green)

I imagine that if 8-10 people were actually sitting down at my table to eat this (heaven forbid), one would say they like it (bachelor), one would say it's pretty good (don't want to hurt my feelings), two would say it's not too bad (no taste in good food) and the rest would have to admit it's just not good at all. Seriously, don't make this!

Creamy White Chili

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cans (15 1/2 oz cans) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz cans) chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large sauce pan, saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately. Serves 7.

Joelle Hochstedler brought us this amazing chili last fall after Mayah was born. It's sooo good; I'm not sure why I waited this long to share it on here! If I remember correctly, last time I made it, I used milk instead of whipping cream. She also brought some very delicious garlic cheese biscuits that went very well with the soup. Don't think about the calories, just eat it.

Overnight Sticky Buns

20 frozen *raw* bread rolls (I make my own and freeze them raw)

1 C brown sugar (I cut back to about 1/2 C, but you can go all the way if you want)

cinnamon to taste

1/4 C instant vanilla pudding powder

1/4-1/2 C melted butter

raisins if you want



Before you go to bed, put the rolls in a greased bundt pan. Sprinkle with sugar, pudding powder and cinnamon. Add raisins if you want them. Pour melted butter over all.

Cover with a damp towel and leave on the counter.

In the morning, bake at 350F for about 25 min. or until centre tests done.

Invert onto serving plate and serve warm.



Note: Last Sunday I made these and didn't bake them until about 1pm. They didn't rise too high and they were perfect.



Another Note: I use the recipe on this blog called Rich Sweet Dough for Cinnamon Rolls (you'll find it under "bread"). I make one recipe (half whole wheat), let it rise in the bowl until doubled, make into small balls, freeze on cookie sheet, throw them in a bag and freeze until I need them.

Recipe Challenge #1

Is anyone out there up for a challenge in the kitchen?

This recipe challenge is the first of (hopefully many) challenges to get us all feeling a little more creative in the kitchen.

The "rules" are:
1. You can't use a recipe...this must be your own invention!
2. That's all the rules.

For this first challenge, your invention will have the title of "ITALIAN ENCHILADAS."

On November 1st, we will post our creations. Anyone who wants to participate can either leave a comment on those posts with a link to your blog, or you can email us your recipe and we can post it for you.

Please join our game...we'd love to have your participation!

Best Beef Stroganoff

16 oz pkg egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound beef, cut into thin strips
14 oz can beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
2 to 3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cold water
8 oz sour cream

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook until slightly tender. Mix in mushrooms, and continue cooking 2 minutes. Place steak strips in saucepan and cook about 1 minute. Mix in broth, wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, thoroughly blend flour with cold water until smooth. Reduce saucepan heat to low. While stirring constantly, slowly pour flour mixture into saucepan. Gradually return to boil while stirring rapidly, until sauce is thick and smooth. Cover saucepan and continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, let cool slightly and stir in sour cream. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

This is from allrecipes.com, with some inconsequential changes made by yours truly. It's really, really good!

Moroccan Tagine

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks*
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth*
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 dash cayenne pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken, onion, and garlic about 15 minutes, until browned.
Mix the squash, garbanzo beans, carrot, tomatoes with juice, broth, sugar, and lemon juice into the skillet.* Season with salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue cooking 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

*This is how the recipe is originally on allrecipes.com. Here are my changes: 1) instead of chicken breast, use 6 (or so) chicken legs (or thighs). Fry them in oil with the onion and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients. After they are fully cooked in the tagine, take them out, take the meat off the bones, and add the meat back into the pot. 2) use whatever kind of broth you want. I used water and 2 chicken boullion cubes. 3) I made it all in a big pot, not a skillet. 4) I always add some cumin.

We ate it with chunks of crusty bread that we dipped into the tagine and scooped it up with. Need I mention how delish it is? It's delish. Now go make it.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Okay, for those of you who think you need a recipe for this and don't trust yourselves... :-)
Here it is:

1 medium-large spaghetti squash
1 large jar spaghetti sauce (or 1 1/2 "regular" size jars) I like to use PC 7-Vegetable Primavera
1 lb ground pork
peppers, onions, mushrooms, any other vegetable you like in spaghetti (zucchini, grated carrots, etc.)
plenty of mozza

Cut your squash in half. Place cut side down on baking sheet lined with tinfoil. Pour some water on the foil to keep the squash from burning. Bake at 350F just until you can poke a sharp knife into the skin. Don't over bake or your kids will not like the squash.
Next, fry the pork with the onions. Add any other vegetables you are using. Then add the sauce.
Jazz it up with some more garlic, basil, salt and pepper, cayenne, whatever you like.

When the squash is cool enough to touch, use a fork and gently scrape out the "spaghetti", taking care not to mush it all up.
Put in a 9"x13" pan and salt it lightly.
Pour meat sauce on top, fold together. Top with lots of mozza and bake until bubbly.

Since you aren't eating any carbs, be sure and serve with garlic bread. You can afford it.

Tres Leches

Cake:
6 eggs
6 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour

Prep: Separate eggs, save yolks and whites. Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and egg yolks, folding in yolks one at a time; in the same way add flour, baking powder and vanilla. Grease 9x13" pan, bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Poke cake all over with a fork while it is warm.

Leches:
(It is best if all of these ingredients are very cold)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 pint whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk

Prep: Mix together first 4 ingredients and pour on cake. Let soak in until all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate for an hour, then mix last two ingredients and pour over cake.

Topping:
1/4 pint whipping cream
6 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Prep: Whip whipping cream until stiff, then gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla. Pour over cake.

My notes: Jose made this cake according to the above directions, and it was really really good. However, the next time I make it I will make some changes. First, use a smaller pan. Not as small as a 9x9, but something in between that and a 9x13 (is an 8x11 a real thing?). It just seemed a little too thin. Second, it was just barely on the dry side, so I would underbake it a bit. Third, for the topping I would use a lot more whip cream and a lot less powdered sugar; it was quite sweet and (I thought) too thin of a layer. And finally, I would like to experiment with adding a coffee flavor somehow. I was thinking of maybe adding cold espresso to the milks (you'd have to cut back on the milks) before pouring them over the cake. All of that to say that if you do indeed make it according to the recipe above, you will probably like it a lot. But if you tweak it a bit you might like it even more.

Orange Bran Muffins

I feel like a traitor to my in-laws, posting this recipe. Until recently, I never made any bran muffins unless they were Jim and Barb's recipe. But, now I found this recipe and it's my new favourite. *hanging head*

It probably makes it worse that it comes from the Nisly cookbook. *shoulders slumping*

But, they're so good, you have to try them. :)

Mix together:
1 1/4 cup wheat bran
1 cup toasted wheat germ (I don't have any right now, so I use bran for this)
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp grated orange peel

Mix together:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup oil
2 cups buttermilk (I use 1/2 plain yogurt, 1/2 milk)
1 cup boiling water
(I usually squeeze in a few squeezes of orange juice from the orange I scraped the peel off of...but the recipe didn't call for that.)

Combine 2 mixtures. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins, filling each 2/3 full. Bake at 350* 15-20 minutes. Batter may be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 month and used as needed.
Yield: 2 dozen muffins

Gran's Breakfast Pockets

Dough:
2 Tbsp yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water in large bowl. Let sit a few minutes, then add milk, oil, sugar, egg, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat well. Add enough flour to form soft dough. DO NOT KNEAD. Cover, let rise for about 1 hour.

Filling:
1 lb. sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-2 cups shredded cheese
7 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 1/2 cup frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed

Fry sausage and onion, drain. Add hashbrowns, eggs, milk and seasonings. Cook and stir until eggs are set. Sprinkle with cheese. Keep warm.

Punch down dough. Roll dough into 14-16 7" circles. Top each with 1/3 cup filling and pinch edges to seal. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

These freeze well. Thaw overnight and warm in 350* oven for 8-10 minutes.

Rhonda's notes:
I've always needed more like 5 cups of flour to get a soft dough. It does need to be really soft, but less than 5 just gives me a batter.
I can't get breakfast sausage here, so I mostly use seasoned hamburger. (I have a mild Moroccan seasoning salt that is great for this...actually tastes like sausage.) For anyone in Mada, I have also used the saucisse de volaille and it was ok.
I tried adding the hash brown potatoes one time and thought they were unnecessary.
Since I don't use the hash browns, I use about 9-10 eggs.
Rather than messing with circles, I cut my dough into squares after rolling it out (16 squares, about 1/4" thick). Then I put the filling on, and pull the corners up to the middle, and pinch the edges. The pinched edges make an X, if that makes sense. Then I flip them over onto the baking sheet, and they are a neat square. Let me know if that doesn't make sense.
I usually give them another 10-15 minutes of rising time before baking.
I'd love to try adding green peppers for me or mushrooms for Matthew, but since the girls eat them too, and I'm not going to make custom food for each of us, I haven't. :)

Grilled Pizza

Step 1: Make your favourite pizza dough.

Step 2: Start your charcoal now, if it takes you awhile.

Step 3: Chop the following, making additions or subtractions wherever you want to:

-tomatoes
-red or yellow peppers
-onions
-fresh mushrooms
-fresh basil
-minced garlic
-feta cheese
-salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (don't chop this, but rather add it!)
Combine everything, and pour a little olive oil over top. Mix it up and set it aside.

Grate a bunch of mozza cheese and put it in a separate bowl.

At this point, you can also open a can of pizza sauce if you are so inclined. We prefer it with a very thin layer of sauce.

Set up a "grilling station" outside by your grill. I brought out a pizza stone and rolling pin so that I could roll each pizza crust as I needed it instead of trying to get them all outside together or having to run back in every time.

When the charcoal is ready (not too firing hot, not too cold, just right), roll out a small pizza. I can fit 3 pizzas, about 6" across on my grill at one time. Roll them out with lots of cornmeal so they are easy to move around and don't stick to the grill.

Put the crusts on the grill and put the lid on. In a couple minutes, check them. Make sure they aren't burning. When they get big bubbles in them, flip them over.
Immediately spread sauce on, if you're using it, and then put lots of the veggie mixture on. Top with mozza. (Trust me, I don't think you'll miss the meat. If you think you will, just add some more cheese.)

Put the lid back on the grill. As soon as the cheese is melted, take them off and EAT THEM. Then make more, until you are either tired of making so many little pizzas, or you're stuffed from eating so many little pizzas.

Sidenote: We had this last night, and we had leftover tomato/garlic mixture. We ate it in omelets this morning, and let me tell you, next time I will make sure there is leftovers!

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

Mix together:
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup + 2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp (heaping) baking soda
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
1 scant tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

In a second bowl, whisk together the following:
1 cup milk
3 beaten eggs
½ cup melted margarine
1/3 cup oil
1 1/3 cup pumpkin (cooked and pureed)

Combine two mixtures thoroughly. Pour into a lightly greased 9”x13” pan and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until the center is set. Serve with milk. (This fed 6 with a little bit leftover.)

I had pumpkin baked oatmeal in a restaurant in Pennsylvania last year and have been thinking of it ever since. This is really close, except I think the restaurant’s version had pecans as well. Mmm. It’s so good.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

3 eggs
4 egg yolks
3 cups whole milk
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
9 cups white bread cubes

4 tablespoons brown sugar

Mix first 10 ingredients together well with a whisk. Pour over bread and stir gently but thoroughly. Let set for 10 minutes. Pour into a lightly greased 9"x13" pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the bread mixture.
Place the pan into a larger pan and pour hot water into the larger pan till it reaches halfway up the smaller pan. (Does that even make sense?)
Bake at 350*F for 45-55 minutes or till puffy and browned. Cool for 15 minutes and serve with the following sauce.

Caramel Sauce:
In a small saucepan, mix together:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon rum

Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Makes about 12-15 servings.

I combined 2 recipes from allrecipes.com. Originally, there were mini chocolate chips in the bread pudding, but I didn't add them in and I think it would way too rich with chocolate. It's just perfectly rich without. :)

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Icing

Cupcakes:
Cream 1 cup butter till fluffy. Add 2 cups sugar; cream for 7 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add 3 cups sifted self-rising flour, alternately with 2/3 cup pureed strawberries and 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp milk. (Begin and end with flour.) Stir in 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Bake in paper lined pans at 350*F for 20ish minutes or until done. Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes, then remove and cover with saran wrap till completely cool. Makes 18-20 cupcakes.

Icing:
Beat together 2/3 cup pureed strawberries, 1/3 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla and enough icing sugar to make a soft icing. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

My thoughts:
1. I did NOT cream the butter and sugar for 7 minutes.
2. I did use real butter.
3. I did like this recipe a lot, but didn't think it's the prettiest ever.
4. I overfilled my cupcake papers and it made a big mess in my oven, so don't overfill your papers.
5. Matthew was enthusiastic about the icing, and that means it is not everyday icing. :)

Yogurt

This is how I make one quart of plain yogurt:

-Heat 3 1/2 cups whole milk for 6 minutes in the microwave (or to 180 F)
-Let it cool in the fridge for 40 minutes (or to 110 F)
-Whisk in 1/8 to 1/4 cup dry milk (for thickening)
-Whisk in 1/4 cup yogurt (plain with live cultures)
-Pour into 1 quart jar and close lid tightly
-Place into small insulated cooler of some sort and add enough hot tap water (or 110 F water) to cover the yogurt (not the whole jar)
-Let it sit in a warmish place for 6 to 8 hours, and then refrigerate.

I forgot about it last time, and made it in the afternoon and didn't refrigerate it until the next morning. It was totally fine; it was just a little more sour than normal, but I kind of like it that way anyway.

I know these temps and amounts are flexible and debatable and whatnot, but this is my little system with my microwave and fridge that works well for me. I put the yogurt beside the fridge in the little water cooler jug thing b/c there's heat that comes off the fridge. Also, you could probably use lower-fat milk and a yogurt starter or something. I don't know. This is how I do it!

Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Cake batter:
Cream 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 1 tsp vanilla. Add 3 eggs, mixing well. Add 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt and 1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt).

Pumpkin layer:
Mix together 1 3/4 cup pumpkin, 1 beaten egg, 1/3 cup sugar (white or brown) and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves).

Streusel:
Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup flour, 2 tsp cinnamon and 3/4 cup chopped pecans.

Layer in 9"x13" pan in this order:

1/2 of the batter
1/2 of the streusel
all of the pumpkin
remaining batter (it won't completely cover the pumpkin)
remaining streusel

Bake at 325*F for 50-60 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers.

here, there, and back again

i really wasn't planning to post this story, but robyn thought i should so here goes. i decided to make this cake for our 4th of july bbq with some friends of ours. there were 4 of us there. we each had a piece, and i left a good sized piece with them (about the size of 2 slices). the next night we went to my cousin's house for dinner, and i took the cake there to share. 4 adults plus 1 child each had a piece, and i left another (normal size) piece with them. the next day i had a piece with my lunch but still, there was cake. that night i went out with 2 friends and dropped jose off at one house to hang out with one of the husbands and he took the cake there. he and the husband of my friend each had a piece, and... we left the last piece there. finally the cake was gone. you can do the math to see how many servings it serves.

the weird thing about this cake is that it's quite a lot like a banana or nut bread of some kind, so it's not the normal cake texture. also, they ask for way way way too much icing sugar for the icing. the other thing is that although the link i've posted appears to be the exact same recipe (same magazine, same person's name, same picture of the cake) there are some minor differences from the one i made. so if you choose to make this cake, please keep in mind two things: 1. i want to hear how yours turned out with those changes, and 2. this cake is enormous. beware.

Garlic Rolls

Mix 2 Tbsp yeast in 2 cups warm water. Add 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt together 1/2 cup margarine, 6-8 cloves garlic, minced, and 1 Tbsp dried basil.
Heat till bubbly and pour into large mixing bowl.
Add 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 cup flour (preferably bread flour).
Add yeast mixture and 2 eggs and mix well.
Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and 5-6 cups flour, one cup at a time, till the dough is soft and can be kneaded.
Knead well, place in oiled bowl and cover with a towel.
Let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.
Knead dough briefly, and shape into 30 rolls.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and cover with a towel.
Let rise for 35ish minutes.
Bake at 375*F for about 12 minutes, or until golden.

This is loosely based on the Two-Hour Buns in the RL cookbook. I made these last night for a potluck and got many compliments. They are pretty melt-in-your-mouth, if I do say so myself. :)

Coconut Cream Pie

The original recipe can be found here. The following is with my changes, and really... it's the best coconut cream pie I've ever had.

1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk
1 pint whipping cream
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1/4 c. coconut, toasted

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk plus enough whipping cream to make 3 c. total, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly til you get a nice smooth pudding. Remove from heat, and stir in 1 cup coconut and vanilla extract. Pour into pie shell and chill 2 to 4 hours, or until firm. Whip the rest of the whipping cream and spread over top (it's enough for me but not a hugely thick layer, so you may want more if you're greedy). Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of coconut, toasted, if your heart desires. Note: To toast coconut, spread it in an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Honey Bars

I couldn't stop myself from making these the other day. I tried, but I couldn't.
(You'll have to scroll down a little when you get there to see the recipe.)
And what the author says is totally true. When you first taste them, they're kind of ho-hum, but after you've eaten one you want to eat the entire pan. Go ahead and make a double batch, so that they fit in a large cookie sheet. :-) (And so that no one notices when you eat another one)

Just 2 tips:
*don't use olive oil. I was trying to be all healthy, and the taste really came through. Not so good in bars. There's no redeeming qualities about them anyway, so just enjoy them.
*underbake them. I just crossed the line of being slightly "too done" and the side that was darker was dry and crumbly. The side that was lighter was ooooohhh, good.

Spinach Chicken Pasta

Okay, this is going to taste familiar to you. It's just another twist on the combination of chicken, pasta, spinach, and tomatoes. But it's easy and good.

Saute 2 onions and 2 (or more) cloves of minced garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Add 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been cut into approx. 1" cubes or larger.

When chicken is almost done, add:
1 pkg frozen, chopped spinach
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
basil, oregano, thyme and chili pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Let simmer until sauce is reduced a bit. It will still be somewhat watery, but just serve lots of garlic bread for soaking it up.
Serve over spaghetti or pasta of your choice.

Olive Damper – from Jenny B. in Uganda

Serves 8

2 cups (250 g) self-rising flour

1 tsp salt

1 oz (30g) butter, chopped

½ cup (50 g) shredded parmesan cheese

½ cup (60 g) sliced, pitted black olives

1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

½ cup (125 ml) milk

¼ cup (60 ml) water

1 Tbsp milk, extra

2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese, extra

Preheat oven to 415*F (210*C).

Brush a baking tray with melted butter or oil, and sprinkle lightly with flour.

Sift flour and salt into mixing bowl. Add chopped butter, and mix into flour with fingertips until the mixture is fine and crumbly.

Add cheese, olives and rosemary and stir.

Combine milk and water; add to dry ingredients. Mix to a soft dough with a flat-bladed knife.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly until smooth.

Shape into a ball, and flatten out to a 3/4” (2cm) thick round.

Place dough on prepared baking tray. Using a large knife, score dough deeply into 8 wedges.

Brush with extra milk and sprinkle with extra cheese.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and crusty.

These are delicious, but I’ve never made them. Jenny told me that she found a substitute online for self-rising flour and they turned out fine. (I think it’s flour, baking powder and salt, but I don’t know the proportions.)

Alicia's Aloo Gobi

I was looking for a new vegetarian recipe and found this one online. I made it last night and it is really good. My changes: I left out the ground coriander and the cardamom because I didn't have any. I also used lite coconut milk to reduce the calories, and added a bunch more cayenne pepper. Next time I may try using broccoli and/or carrots and leave out the potatoes or cauliflower for added nutrition and less starch. We ate it over rice, but they suggested eating it plain with naan. Also, don't be surprised if it looks like there won't be enough sauce. There will be when all is said and done. Whew, ok, here it is:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
2 tablespoons garam masala

Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high heat and add onion. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes, then stir in garlic and cumin. Continue to cook until onion begins to brown. Stir in tomatoes and coconut and the coriander, salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Stir until mixture begins to boil, then put in the potatoes, cauliflower, and garbanzo beans. Blend well. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, 45 minutes to an hour (this will depend on the size of the potato chunks). Sprinkle in the garam masala, stir, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

French Quarter Cheese

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon grated onion
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Combine cream cheese, garlic, and onion. Spread onto a plate, and refrigerate. Combine remaining ingredients in a sauce pan, heating until butter melts. Cover chilled cheese with nut mixture. Serve at room temperature with crackers (wheat thins are great). it makes 10-12 servings.

i had this at hans and joelle's wedding reception, and kirk and i both loved it! when i made it, i only used about half the amount of pecans and it was plenty. also, i used reduced fat cream cheese.

Rigatoni Bolognese

1 box (1 lb) rigatoni pasta
2 medium carrots, halved
1 medium onion, quartered
1 pkg (8 or 10 oz) whole mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp olive oil
3 links Italian turkey sausage (about 10 oz), casings removed
1⁄2 tsp crushed rosemary
1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper
1⁄2 cup white wine (optional)
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes in thick purée

Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water as box directs. Meanwhile, put carrots, onion, mushrooms and garlic in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chopped vegetables 6 minutes. Add turkey sausage and cook, breaking up clumps, 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in rosemary, salt, pepper and wine, if using; boil 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Spoon over drained pasta.

Notes: I just used ground turkey instead of sausage and it was fine. Also, it was a little bland so I added more rosemary and salt and put in some basil. It's very good, but my favorite thing about it is the use of vegetables. This is also from Woman's Day.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Posole

1 can (15 oz) yellow or white hominy, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) Mexican-style diced tomatoes
1 can (10 oz) mild green enchilada sauce
2 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, skin removed
Chopped cilantro (optional)
lime wedges (optional)
Tortilla chips (optional)

Combine hominy, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, carrots, onion, garlic and cumin in a slow-cooker. Add chicken and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 3 to 3 1⁄2 hours until chicken is cooked through and vegetables tender. Skim and discard any fat from the surface.

Remove chicken; pull meat off bones into large shreds. Stir back into slow-cooker. Stir in cilantro, if using. Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips.

Karissa discovered this recipe in a Woman's Day magazine, and it was a splendid discovery indeed. So far we haven't bothered with any tortilla chips. Also, for those not around Spanish-speaking people, it's pronounced poh-SOH-lay. :)

Carrot Muffins

In the Nisly cookbook, Aunt Becky has a recipe for Carrot Bread. I changed it up a bit to make muffins and am very, very happy with the result. I really love the texture, and I think it comes from the idea of finely shredding the carrots. (Like, "Kraft finally shredded cheese....Kraft finely shredded cheese." Anyone else remember that commercial?)

Beat together:

¾ cup oil

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

Mix together in another bowl:

1 cup white flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp soda

½ tsp salt

Add to egg mixture, but do not stir.

Add the following and mix just until everything is combined:

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cup finely shredded carrots (I believe this is the key to the texture of the muffins!)

1/3 – ½ cup finely chopped pineapple and the juice that is on the cutting board after you’re done chopping (I’d guess you could use canned pineapple tidbits or crushed pineapple, if you don’t have fresh)

1/3 cup (or more!) chopped walnuts

Bake in greased muffin pan at 350*F for 12-18 minutes. Do not overbake!! Makes 12 muffins.