12.19.2010
Halloween
Our Halloween dinner complete with spaghetti green pepper jack-o-lanterns and meatballs, grave stone cheese spread and crackers.
What's for Breakfast?
My parents made these a lot for breakfast and it's still one of my favorites. It's fast and easy.
I use Sara Lee's english muffins, toasted, and two scrambled eggs.
Everyone has their midnight crafts they when they're board at 2am. Me? I make food. Last night was chocolate covered pretzel sticks. I had regular (which I decorated with red and green sprinkles), and peanut butter chocolate (chocolate sprinkles, as shown).
I had bought regular almond bark and white almond bark. I was so disappointed because the white chocolate is my favorite. I made the mistake of putting the burner on too high. Needless to say I burned it and messed it all up. Microwaving it works a lot better. Oh well, this way GE and I can go get more and make some together.
12.13.2010
It's That Time of Year!
Get out the boots, your snow pants and mittens and sit down to a Christmas movie with a mug of hot cocoa!
Try making up your own recipe and send it to me, I'll do a big feature on hot cocoa!
Try making up your own recipe and send it to me, I'll do a big feature on hot cocoa!
Give Thanks
So here is our feast from Thanksgiving. We went to GE's dad's girlfriend's house in his hometown and were completely filled up.
The selection included three bean casserole, turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread pudding, stuffing, strawberry cream cheese and pretzel desert and of course pumpkin and apple pies. The strawberry dessert is something I will be singing about forever, and let me tell you, it's worth it.
The selection included three bean casserole, turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread pudding, stuffing, strawberry cream cheese and pretzel desert and of course pumpkin and apple pies. The strawberry dessert is something I will be singing about forever, and let me tell you, it's worth it.
12.03.2010
December 3, 2001
I didn't even make it out of the kitchen ya'll, I had to tell you right away that I MADE MY OWN TORTILLA CHIPS AND GUACAMOLE!!! I know it doesn't seem like a big deal especially since a lot of you have probably already made both of those. But this is my first time making either, no less just winging it through the whole thing! I'm in the midst of taking pictures right now and writing down what I did so pictures and recipes will be up soon!
I sadly forgot to take pictures of the guacamole, but rest assured it looks like any other.
I sadly forgot to take pictures of the guacamole, but rest assured it looks like any other.
9.28.2010
I'll Corn YOUR Dog!
A couple nights ago my mother decided to make corn dogs for dinner.
She used the baking powder biscuit recipe, plus corn meal for the breading, which turned out good.
I'm not so big on the baking powder biscuits because they're always so dry, plus it made the breading turn out very crumbly.
On the up side, it's WAY more healthy than deep frying it like normal.
Baking Powder Biscuits:
1 1/2 whole wheat flour (if eliminating wheat germ use 2 cups flour)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c wheat germ
4 Tbsp. oil
3/4 c milk (if using buttermilk, use only 2 tbsp baking powder)
bake at 450 degrees F, for 12-15 minutes.
NOTE: My mother makes these without the wheat germ and does not use buttermilk. I like the idea of not having so much flour in the biscuits, as I'm pretty sure that's why it's so dry, either that or the baking powder. I think the next time I make them I will use the wheat germ and buttermilk, just to see if I like it better. Also, my mother used all-purpose flower instead of whole wheat.
One of my favorite easy breakfasts that is made with the biscuit recipe is:
Sausage and Cheese Bites
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour (or 2 cups white flour)
1/2 c wheat germ
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp oil
3/4 c milk
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. milk pork sausage.
Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
Cook and crumble sausage. Drain.
In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and cheese.
Add liquid ingredients and sausage. Stir.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes.
She used the baking powder biscuit recipe, plus corn meal for the breading, which turned out good.
I'm not so big on the baking powder biscuits because they're always so dry, plus it made the breading turn out very crumbly.
On the up side, it's WAY more healthy than deep frying it like normal.
Baking Powder Biscuits:
1 1/2 whole wheat flour (if eliminating wheat germ use 2 cups flour)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c wheat germ
4 Tbsp. oil
3/4 c milk (if using buttermilk, use only 2 tbsp baking powder)
bake at 450 degrees F, for 12-15 minutes.
NOTE: My mother makes these without the wheat germ and does not use buttermilk. I like the idea of not having so much flour in the biscuits, as I'm pretty sure that's why it's so dry, either that or the baking powder. I think the next time I make them I will use the wheat germ and buttermilk, just to see if I like it better. Also, my mother used all-purpose flower instead of whole wheat.
One of my favorite easy breakfasts that is made with the biscuit recipe is:
Sausage and Cheese Bites
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour (or 2 cups white flour)
1/2 c wheat germ
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp oil
3/4 c milk
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. milk pork sausage.
Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
Cook and crumble sausage. Drain.
In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and cheese.
Add liquid ingredients and sausage. Stir.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes.
8.05.2010
Announcement
So, I finally made my decision!
When I got back to school I will be majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management.
I'm planning on going to Iowa State for this because it's the only school in Iowa that has that major, plus I am also hoping that I can do a minor of Culinary Science along with that.
When I got back to school I will be majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management.
I'm planning on going to Iowa State for this because it's the only school in Iowa that has that major, plus I am also hoping that I can do a minor of Culinary Science along with that.
6.29.2010
6.29.2010
(excerpt from Susie Q blog)
I love looking at the websites for stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, or Lowe's etc.
I love looking at the websites for stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, or Lowe's etc.
GE and I actually like to look at them together, especially cooking things because we cook ALL the time.
While looking at the Lowe's website today, I was trying to keep my focus on what I might really want when I have my own house and had an "ah-ha!" moment. Kids never think about whether their food is going to stick to the bottom of the pan while cooking, or how long paint is going to last. All that matters to them is that it looks cool. Like the Rachel Ray cooking sets that come in orange or green. So pretty!
Of course as I've grown older I've learned that there are more important things than whether you can wiggle your spatula in the air all funny like, or if your juice pitcher is a fun shape. But I just realized how much I want the more important things, the things that will mean something over the long run, than the silly little "princess dream" ideas. I want cookware that will last....forever and cook my food the way I want it to. I want a knife set where the knives blades won't fall out of the handles and they won't get dull fast.
Of course, with a tangent-mind like mine, I start thinking about the rest of the things I want in life, like a relationship that will last forever, and a job where the blades won't fall out and get dull fast (you know what I mean). Funny how simple mundane thoughts like that trigger life-changing thoughts.
6.17.2010
6/5/2010
Saturday night we had GE's friend Brian over for dinner, made up a new shot and went out to a favorite bar for pool and a great band.
Dinner consisted of kabobs, potato salad, and fruit salad, for three people. I will include how we made the fruit salad and kabobs, but our potato salad recipe is off limits.
Next comes the fruit salad, I used one kiwi (quartered and sliced thinly), two bananas (quartered and sliced), one peach (cubed) and sprinkled in a container of raspberries (if you normally wash your berries, be very careful with them because they have a tendency to break open). I combined them in a bowl and used one container of Hy-Vee blueberry yogurt and then mixed it all together.
And our lovely potato salad, just for good swooning measure.
Dinner consisted of kabobs, potato salad, and fruit salad, for three people. I will include how we made the fruit salad and kabobs, but our potato salad recipe is off limits.
These are our kabobs, eight total, including one that was solely meat: We used two 1 lb sirloin steaks from Hy-Vee (they had two different options and we went for what the meat department uses for their kabobs), common mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, red onion and baby potatoes (boiled before put on the skewers)
We grilled them for , at
Next comes the fruit salad, I used one kiwi (quartered and sliced thinly), two bananas (quartered and sliced), one peach (cubed) and sprinkled in a container of raspberries (if you normally wash your berries, be very careful with them because they have a tendency to break open). I combined them in a bowl and used one container of Hy-Vee blueberry yogurt and then mixed it all together.
3/26/2001
I had this recipe as one of my weeklies. But here it is for all of you, just because it was so delicious I had to make it a permanent part of the blog.
here's how our's turned out:
As far as I know we did everything the way the recipe says, I'll have to ask GE to make sure though.
Pizza Success
I made homemade pizza for dinner last night. This is probably the funnest thing to make, especially if you like to play around with dough :).
This is the recipe I used for the crust, so simple but SO delicious and it turned out wonderfully fluffy and tasty too. It was probably the best crust I've had on any pizza so far (next time I'm going to make stuffed crust :D )
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/pizza-dough-iii/Detail.aspx
My changes:
-Quick rise yeast (it's all I had, haha)
-9x13 cake pan, instead of a round cookie sheet or pizza stone (which will be my next investment)
-Baked for about 10-15 minutes passed what the recipe says.
While waiting for the dough to rise, I made the sauce:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/exquisite-pizza-sauce/Detail.aspx
I LOVE just eying measurements while I'm cooking (and honestly, I do it while baking too, although not to the same extent). I didn't follow the measurements completely for the spices (do it to taste, you'll find it works a lot better that way). We love cheese, so I put probably 1/4-1/3 cup of Parmesan in there. We don't like anchovies so we ex-ed that out. No marjoram, and I only had garlic powder, so I just used that (and we LOVE our garlic too so of course I put a little extra in). I didn't have any cayenne powder so I used cumin and I didn't put any red pepper flakes in, although I might next time.
Here's a funny story for you: Don't forget to put the salt in. I was mixing the sauce together and tasting it and kept putting a little more of certain things in because it was missing SOMETHING and I couldn't figure out what. GE, who doesn't put extra salt on his food (just another thing to add the the list of ways he's like my father) takes one bite and immediately says, "Salt, it needs salt."
The amount of sauce fits perfectly with the dough recipe, which of course makes me a happy camper. Our toppings consisted of pepperoni, sausage (we'll try Italian sausage next time), red onions and mushrooms.
Delicious!
This is the recipe I used for the crust, so simple but SO delicious and it turned out wonderfully fluffy and tasty too. It was probably the best crust I've had on any pizza so far (next time I'm going to make stuffed crust :D )
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/pizza-dough-iii/Detail.aspx
My changes:
-Quick rise yeast (it's all I had, haha)
-9x13 cake pan, instead of a round cookie sheet or pizza stone (which will be my next investment)
-Baked for about 10-15 minutes passed what the recipe says.
While waiting for the dough to rise, I made the sauce:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/exquisite-pizza-sauce/Detail.aspx
I LOVE just eying measurements while I'm cooking (and honestly, I do it while baking too, although not to the same extent). I didn't follow the measurements completely for the spices (do it to taste, you'll find it works a lot better that way). We love cheese, so I put probably 1/4-1/3 cup of Parmesan in there. We don't like anchovies so we ex-ed that out. No marjoram, and I only had garlic powder, so I just used that (and we LOVE our garlic too so of course I put a little extra in). I didn't have any cayenne powder so I used cumin and I didn't put any red pepper flakes in, although I might next time.
Here's a funny story for you: Don't forget to put the salt in. I was mixing the sauce together and tasting it and kept putting a little more of certain things in because it was missing SOMETHING and I couldn't figure out what. GE, who doesn't put extra salt on his food (just another thing to add the the list of ways he's like my father) takes one bite and immediately says, "Salt, it needs salt."
The amount of sauce fits perfectly with the dough recipe, which of course makes me a happy camper. Our toppings consisted of pepperoni, sausage (we'll try Italian sausage next time), red onions and mushrooms.
Delicious!
6.16.2010
Cookie Eureka!
Short post for today:
I made chocolate chip cookies today because I've been craving them lately and I was reading the recipe they have for them on the bag of chocolate chips (actually chunks, I like chunks better). Nestle's recipe says to soften the butter and so I did and I will continue to do it every time I make these.
The cookies turned out beautifully!
3 cups unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter/ margarine
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 oz pkg chocolate chips
1) In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda,and salt; set aside.
2)In another bowl combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.
3) Beat until creamy. Beat in eggs, add flour mixture mix well.
4) Add chocolate chips, bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Now the only issue I have with these is that they taste a little to flour-y. Any suggestions?
I made chocolate chip cookies today because I've been craving them lately and I was reading the recipe they have for them on the bag of chocolate chips (actually chunks, I like chunks better). Nestle's recipe says to soften the butter and so I did and I will continue to do it every time I make these.
The cookies turned out beautifully!
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter/ margarine
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 oz pkg chocolate chips
1) In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda,and salt; set aside.
2)In another bowl combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.
3) Beat until creamy. Beat in eggs, add flour mixture mix well.
4) Add chocolate chips, bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Now the only issue I have with these is that they taste a little to flour-y. Any suggestions?
5.21.2010
Hank-moms
After reading my blog, I had a question from a friend about what a "Hank-mom" is. It's a nickname for all my favorite TV celebrities that I get some of the recipes and information for my blog from. Couldn't even tell you anymore how the actual expression came about, as far as I can remember "Hank" stands for "hankering" but that's pretty much all I can tell you.
Here's a few of my favorites:
Paula Deen
Samantha Brown
Alton Brown
Ina Garten
Anthony Bourdain
Rachael Ray
Giada De Laurentiis
Jose Garces
Here's a few of my favorites:
Paula Deen
Samantha Brown
Alton Brown
Ina Garten
Anthony Bourdain
Rachael Ray
Giada De Laurentiis
Jose Garces
Recipe 3: Chicken Pot Pie
Here is another recipe from my "Hank-mom" Ina Garten, gotta love chicken pot pie:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-pot-pie-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-pot-pie-recipe/index.html
4.09.2010
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
This has been a favorite of my families since before I can remember and you'll see why one you make it yourself! It just oozes chocolate.
Travel Enlightenment
For my own information passed on to you, this is the list I will be using for going through each country:
If anyone has any requests as far as specific cities or any other questions, please leave comments! I would be happy to help!
Recipe 1
I love watching the food network and travel channel and today there was a recipe from my "Hank-mom" Ina Garten.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/peach-and-blueberry-crumbles-recipe/index.html
Also, check out her recipes for Lime Meringue Tart and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/peach-and-blueberry-crumbles-recipe/index.html
Also, check out her recipes for Lime Meringue Tart and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.
4.06.2010
And We're Off Like a Turd of Hurtles
The goal of this blog is to discover the ins and outs of the world and all it's amazing places.
I love watching the Travel Channel and Food Network, which is where I get a good portion of my information from.
I love watching the Travel Channel and Food Network, which is where I get a good portion of my information from.
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