tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34308793143488921812024-03-13T23:45:08.622-07:00the entertaining kitchenJessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.comBlogger339125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-16978156452466514472012-07-24T11:06:00.000-07:002012-07-24T11:06:52.821-07:00A simple snack from a summer surplus ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you have a vegetable garden you'll understand. If you have a vegetable garden and grow zucchini, you'll very much understand! These summertime veggies can take on a life of their own and take over your vegetable patch! Some people like them raw. My mother slices them and tosses them into her salad. I have to eat my zucchini cooked, preferably grilled. </div>
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A few weeks ago I had Parmesan zucchini fries at one of my favorite restaurants. I wanted to create something like that but healthier. I wanted a Parmesan zucchini fried that wasn't fried. I figured I could easily try to create something similar on my grill pan. And I did. These were simple, delicious and best of all, for me, healthy for the kids and low carb for me!</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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1 large zucchini</div>
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2-3 tbs olive oil</div>
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Parmesan for sprinkling</div>
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<br />Directions<br />Slice your zucchini as uniformly as possibly<br />Rub a very light amount of olive oil on them - enough to prevent from sticking<br />Place on hot griddle or pan<br />Sprinkle Parmesan on the side facing up, after a few minutes flip over so that the Parmesan can brown.<br />Sprinkle Parmesan on the other side, and repeat until both sides are the color you desire. </div>
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(About 3 minutes per side depending on thickness)</div>
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Place on paper towel to drain</div>
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Serve on a pretty plate</div>
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If making for dinner figure 1 large zucchini for 4 people.</div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-83998997080235050612012-07-12T16:02:00.000-07:002012-07-12T16:03:12.160-07:00A Midsummer Night's Dream: Cherry Pound Cake...<b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">When life gives you a bowl of cherries you must make this!</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LeIG3KTXJ-A/T_9WRGYuNuI/AAAAAAABC78/c0EuVvf-OOw/s1600/cherry+pound+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LeIG3KTXJ-A/T_9WRGYuNuI/AAAAAAABC78/c0EuVvf-OOw/s640/cherry+pound+cake.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here she is... fresh out of the oven... sprinkled with powdered sugar <br />
because powdered sugar makes everything look prettier!</div>
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And because my little fingers couldn't keep to themselves and I had to cover up the little dent I had created... You can't tell anymore, can you??!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-efzBOxbe108/T_9WRnMJehI/AAAAAAABC8E/MpizTrFrrJc/s1600/cherry+pound+cake1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-efzBOxbe108/T_9WRnMJehI/AAAAAAABC8E/MpizTrFrrJc/s640/cherry+pound+cake1.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This cake is chock full of moistness... it's rich and dense despite the fact that I had lightened it up some...</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9R_8W9p2YPI/T_9WR-10y6I/AAAAAAABC8I/kxV5P1GsezA/s1600/cherry+pound+cake2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9R_8W9p2YPI/T_9WR-10y6I/AAAAAAABC8I/kxV5P1GsezA/s640/cherry+pound+cake2.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Again my little fingers get in the way... <br />it's hard to shoot a slice of cake when someone keeps nibbling away at it!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kt5a9iDQHE8/T_9WSUlObsI/AAAAAAABC8Q/gjXOhIve9GA/s1600/cherry+pound+cake4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kt5a9iDQHE8/T_9WSUlObsI/AAAAAAABC8Q/gjXOhIve9GA/s640/cherry+pound+cake4.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> had a bowl of cherries in the fridge. The kids are all gone and they are on the verge of being overripe. Some of them already are. But they are all bursting with flavor and I will never get to the bottom of this bowl. My kids are funny about fruit and the minute it becomes anything less than firm the stuff won't pass their lips. And well, I hate to waste anything so I usually toss my fruit into the freezer for future smoothies, or I toss 'em into a mixing bowl with some butter, sugar, eggs, flower... You get the picture!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And I had a craving for a good cherry pound cake. I searched the web and I found nothing I liked... nothing appealed to me. I remembered this fantabulous Eggnog Pound Cake that I have featured here on my blog and decided to use that as the basis for this recipe. But I felt the need to lighten things up a tad, what with it being summer and all... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And so I tinkered and toyed, fiddled and faddled and WOWZA... did I ever do good. Now I have to let you in on a little secret. I replaced some of the fat with a cup of cottage cheese. Yes, cottage cheese! Now, don't wrinkle your noses at me. It works. It works well. Trust me here. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seriously, this one is to go down in the Pound Cake Hall of Fame. Seriously this is like a Celebration Cake... bring it to a party... butter up your new boss... Trying to score some serious points with the cute brown-haired boy in the cubicle next to yours? Bake his this and he </span><i style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">will ask you to marry him right there on the spot!
This cake is guaranteed to take you places... trust me!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Equipment</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and large bowl)</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">12-cup Bundt pan, or tube pan </span><br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Ingredients</b><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2 sticks unsalted butter</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 cups (525 g) granulated sugar</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">4 eggs</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 cups (339 g) flour</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1 tbs </span><a data-bitly-type="bitly_hover_card" href="http://www.andreasrecipes.com/2007/11/05/how-to-make-vanilla-extract/" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;" title="Andrea Meyers - How to Make Vanilla Extract"><span style="color: black;">vanilla extract</span></a><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2 cups of cherries, pitted and cut into small pieces </span></span>Powdered sugar for sprinkling, optional<br />
<br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><b style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Preparation</b><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1. Preheat oven to 325° F/165° C.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2. Cut butter into chunks and cream. Gradually add sugar. Add eggs one at a time then vanilla.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3. Blend well and add the flour. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">4. Stir in the cottage cheese, start on low and then high to break up the curds.<br />5. Carefully fold in the cherries, mix slowly and thoroughly </span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">5. Pour into prepared pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 90 minutes.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">6. Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. Also good with a scoop of ice cream on the side.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;" /><br />
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</i>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-5115876932816695372012-07-09T09:55:00.000-07:002012-07-09T12:34:10.330-07:00Simple Caesar Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Property of The Entertaining House and The Entertaining Kitchen</td></tr>
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I'm a salad girl. I love a good salad. They're filling and refreshing, require little prep work and not much required for cleanup either. In fact, in my opinion, the salad is as good as it gets. It's a well rounded, well balanced meal when you add beans, fish, chicken or meat for protein. It's not heavy or filling and nothing beats a summer supper the way salads do. Add a nice crispy baguette, and we are set to go!<br />
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I cooked dinner with a friend last night. We made grilled chicken Caesar salad. My friend grilled the chicken and I made the dressing. He was about to use dressing from a jar. Gasp! Can you imagine? I quickly intervened and explained that no Caesar dressing will ever taste as good as one made from scratch. I've tried many over the years and I have finally found one that's a winner every time! And, since I'm always watching my girlish figure these days, I look out for recipes that are not laden with too much fat or too many calories. This recipe calls for mayonnaise, which I prefer as I am leery of feeding my children raw eggs. Also, I use light mayo to lighten it up a tad.</div>
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I've adapted this recipe from I don't know where and while I've given proper measurements, as a rule I eyeball everything... last night I added more Worcestershire and some extra cheese... Tear off a few pieces or Romaine and taste as you go along... I'm not really a recipe follower... Recipes, like rules, need to be bent some times!</div>
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Caesar Dressing</div>
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Ingredients:<br />
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3 cloves of garlic, minced - I prefer to mince mine by hand - I find too much of the good stuff gets left behind when you use a garlic press</div>
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1 tbs Dijon, heaping - of course<br />1 tbs Worcestershire sauce - or two!<br />
1 tbs sherry or red wine vinegar -I'm heavy handed here too!<br />
2 tbs mayo</div>
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Juice of 1 large lemon</div>
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1/2 C olive oil<br />
1/2 Parmesan and more for sprinkling<br />
Freshly ground pepper to taste<br />
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Some people like to puree their dressing. Not I! I love the texture that the cheese and the minced garlic give the dressing.</div>
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If you have a large jar like an empty mayonnaise or pickle jar use it. </div>
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Into the jar place all your ingredients.</div>
Shake well. Taste...<br />
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Wash and clean your Romaine lettuce, place in a large salad bowl and add the dressing. Mix well, taste. If more dressing or more pepper is needed add it now. Add croutons and or freshly grilled chicken or shrimp if desired...</div>
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Bon Apetit!</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Edwardian Script ITC'; font-size: 36pt; line-height: 115%;">Jessica<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-59611309470451253242012-06-24T10:02:00.002-07:002012-06-24T10:02:16.755-07:00Fusili with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms<div>
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I needed to get something on the table for the children's dinner. I was heading out. I needed something easy. And relatively fast. And something that I could create using the few items I had in my fridge... I am in serious need of groceries! I had this vision of caramelized onions and pasta.<br />
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On Thursday evening I went to meet cookbook author Jenny Rosenstrach and listen to her read excerpts from Dinner a Love Story, her newest cookbook based on her website of the same name. (More on that later.) As I was quickly perusing the recipes and listening to her talk the words caramelized onions kept playing in my mind... It just sounded like such a fabulous combination and why hadn't I thought of it. I didn't have the ingredients, whole wheat pasta, spinach, mentioned in her recipe, so I decided to take the onions and go another route... I wasn't exactly sure what that route would be as I grabbed a large Vidalia from the veggie drawer.</div>
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Water, in a pot, a box of fusili on the counter, an onion in one hand and a chef's knife in the other... I started to chop, then tossed the small pieces into a pan, a little olive oil, a little butter... and then watched as the butter and oil blended together and the onions start to become translucent... I searched my spices and decided to add some sweet paprika and some sea salt... the onions turned a pretty red-orange color as they continued to sweat... I needed something else. In the fridge I spied a package of sliced mushrooms and decided to toss them in as well. Mushrooms are hit or miss in this household. They were large enough to be picked out, if necessary. The onions and mushrooms, the sea salt and paprika ... I took a bite before adding the pasta to the mixture... the flavors blended perfectly as they danced on my tongue... the pasta went in... Something else was needed... I poked around the fridge, played a little eeny meeny miney mo with the Parmesan and the Goat cheese. I picked the Parmesan and sprinkled a generous amount on to the pasta, and mixed well... and star was born!</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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1 lb fusili<br />
1 large vidalia or sweet onion</div>
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1 container, mushrooms (I used Baby Bella)</div>
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2 tbs butter<br />
2 tbs, approx, olive oil</div>
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1+ tsp paprika, or to taste - I prefer more, you may prefer less<br />
Freshly ground sea salt to taste</div>
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1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan</div>
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Cook pasta per directions on container, meanwhile in a large saute pan add the olive oil and butter over medium high heat, when the butter has melted and blended with the oil add the onions and turn flame down slightly. Add paprika and stir well. Add salt, stir well and taste. When onions begin to get translucent add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 more minutes until mushrooms get nice and soft. Add the pasta and the Parmesan, mix well and serve!</div>
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My ALL TIME favorite Banana Bread recipe is one I found a year or so ago. It's Emeril Lagase's. It's super banana-y and has a richness from both butter and sour cream. (I saved a few calories using light sour cream!) But trust me when I say you have not had banana bread until you have had this banana bread. The original recipe called for walnuts and I used them but I'm really not a nut person so I left them out of this batch. And I was putting all the ingredients into the mixing bowl, I realized that, gasp, I was out of vanilla. So I decided to add some cinnamon in swirl form to compensate. It was fantastic! </div>
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Ingredients<br />
8 tablespoons/1 stick of butter<br />
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)<br />
1/2 cup sour cream (Plain or Greek yogurt works too)<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1/4 cinnamon sugar, you won't use all by any means</div>
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2 cups flour<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder</div>
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Directions</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.<br />
Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter or a non-stick spray</div>
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Beat the bananas, sour cream, eggs, butter and sugar in an electric mixer.<br />
Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and mix well. </div>
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Pour approx 1/3 of the mixture into the loaf pan, and coat well with cinnamon sugar. Repeat in 2 more layers, adding cinnamon sugar each time.<br />
Bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 55 minutes. </div>
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Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.</div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-30014615338948843042012-06-13T06:59:00.000-07:002012-06-13T06:59:08.271-07:00Peanut Butter and Jelly... It's not just for sandwiches anymore!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I saw this awesome recipe and then I had to totally change things because that's just what I do... and from it came another awesome recipe. These are really good... rich from all the peanut butter... and you'll need a tall glass of cold milk, unless you are like me and can't stand the stuff, in which case a nice cup of coffee or a cafe au lait or cappuccino compliments quite nicely as well!</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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2 2/3 cup oats<br />1 cup flour</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)</div>
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1 tsp of vanilla extract</div>
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1/2 cup of lowfat milk</div>
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3/4 cup of peanut butter, your favorite brand. Here I used Skippy Chunky All Natural</div>
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1 jar strawberry jam. I used Smucker's seedless strawberry.</div>
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Directions</div>
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Preheat oven to 350</div>
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In your mixer cream together butter, sugar and vanilla<br />Then add oats, flour and milk. Mix on low speed initially, then you can turn up the speed.</div>
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Spread mixture onto a greased 9x13 baking dish using a rubber spatula</div>
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Empty the contents of the jam into a small saucepan, turn on low to medium and stir, until the jam starts to liquefy, then pour over the bar mixture and using the rubber spatula, spread the jam all over the top.</div>
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Place the pan into the oven for about 25 minutes.</div>
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Remove and let cool thoroughly before cutting. The jam will be too hot and the peanut butter bar will be too crumbly. These need some time to set.</div>
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Perfect for an afternoon snack or even breakfast! </div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-54288196341829086322012-06-08T06:30:00.002-07:002012-06-08T06:30:55.498-07:00Let the children play... in the kitchen!Food and cooking have been such an integral part of my life. I was surrounded by fabulous food and aromas in my childhood kitchen. I ate what my parents ate and was exposed to all sorts of cuisines from a young age. Nothing was held back. There was no "kid food" in my house. I ate what my parents ate. Right down to the liver and the onions. And even though I hated liver and onions I still had to try them! I encourage the same with my children. The more flavors and spices and textures the better. They may not like everything they taste but they are always willing to give new things a try. And I love this.<br />
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As I grew into my teens I began to experiment more and more in the kitchen. Food was not only meant to be eaten, but I saw it as art... It was something I could create to be visually satisfying and it was something I could create to delight my taste buds. There was nothing about cooking I didn't love. I rarely followed recipes. I'd use cookbooks as guidelines, but then I would stray here and there... tweak here and there... add more of this, less of that, eventually creating my own dish. I was at home, happy and comfortable in the kitchen.<br />
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I cook when I am happy. I cook to entertain and to please others. Unlike many I do not cook and cannot cook when I am unhappy. And that's probably why this blog has been so badly neglected over the past year or so. Now I cook but am so busy with all the other aspects of life that I rarely have time to document... I vow to get better about this, because I do enjoy it so.<br />
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And now my children enjoy it so as well. Especially my boys.<br />
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The other day I decided to use some chicken to make sandwiches for lunch. I tossed the breasts into a pan that was coated with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkled some sea salt, paprika and garlic powder onto the breasts as they cooked away.<br />
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Meanwhile my boys were getting busy as well pulling from the fridge some Parmesan, lemons, garlic and basil. They were determined to make some pesto. They had no recipe. They didn't need one. They had the proper ingredients. And they added, blended, added some more, tweaked here and there, added some more, blended and and tweaked until they got their pesto just the way they wanted it!<br />
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<br />And they came and found me with a spoonful of it and I have to say it could very well have been the best pesto I have ever had! This one was nut-free. No pine nuts - no nuts of any type. Alexander even told me that he'd added a secret ingredient. I took another taste and couldn't put my finger on it. I thought maybe he was kidding, but then he said that he had added some "Papa-rika"! And that "Papa-rika" was a perfect touch! There was indeed a lingering kick to the pesto.<div>
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My kitchen looked very much like a science laboratory when they were done. My work was cut out for me, indeed, in terms of cleaning out their mess... but I'll do it all over again. I certainly won't stop my boys from playing in the kitchen!</div>
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I'm not sure of their exact measurements or ingredients, but I can guestimate by what I tasted and what was left for me to clean up!<br /><br />
Please note measurements are estimated here and not at all acurate. I encourage you all to do as they did and play with your food!<br />
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2 cups packed basil - stems removed<br />2 lemons, juiced<br />3 - 4 cloves of garlic, pressed<br />1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil<br />3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated<br />Sea salt to taste<br />Paprika to taste<br />
Place the above ingredients in a blender or mini chopper and puree until desired consistency is reached!<br />
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<br /></div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-21135413137664659762012-06-06T03:46:00.001-07:002012-06-06T03:46:54.050-07:00What's for breakfast...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Strawberries are in season... this is perhaps my favorite recipe for them!</div>
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Strawberry Bread</div>
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Perfect for breakfast... or great with a cup of tea in the afternoon...</div>
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for recipe click <a href="http://doodlebugkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/01/strawberry-tea-bread.html">HERE!</a></div>
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You will not be disappointed!</div>
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<br /></div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-43808451434690080762012-06-03T07:44:00.001-07:002012-06-03T07:59:00.506-07:00Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I goofed. I made a mistake. I failed to follow through with direction. My intent was to make a blueberry crumble, but I lost focus when I was chatting with a friend this morning. I make the cake and got it in the oven. It baked to a beautiful golden brown. And then as I realized what I had done, I knew I needed to think fast. What goes divinely well with blueberries? Why lemon, of course! So my lemon glaze was as good if not even better than the cinnamon crumble.</div>
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And it's even healthier. Think of all that butter I didn't use!</div>
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Preheat oven to 375</div>
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You'll need:<br />1/4 cup of low fat yogurt or sour cream<br />1/2 cup of sugar</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1 tsp (I always use more!) vanilla</div>
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Cream the above together in a mixer</div>
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add 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp baking powder</div>
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and 1 cup of lowfat milk<br />Mix well in blender<br />add 1 pint of washed blueberries<br />Mix carefully</div>
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Grease a tart tin (pie tin would work as well)<br />pour batter into tin and bake in oven for 50 minutes<br />(Bake 1 hour in pie tin)</div>
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When the cake is ready to come out, make a lemon glaze by adding the juice of 3 lemons to 1 1/2 cups of sugar. When the lemon glaze is well mixed, drizzle it over the the top of the blueberry cake. I like to poke holes in the top to allow the lemony mixture to seep through. What you have is an incredibly juicy treat!</div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-77816617326908649022012-03-17T06:11:00.000-07:002012-03-17T06:11:07.640-07:00What's for dinner: Chicken in salsa, spicy chick peas and asparagus in feta vinaigretteChicken in salsa is one of our favorite ways to cook chicken. Like many of my recipes it was born from an idea I got while perusing another recipe. I wanted to cook chicken one night and was stuck between two recipes. One recipe was for a baked chicken with lemon and olives. The other one had something to do with marinara sauce. I liked the idea and thought about merging the two recipes together. But I had no marinara sauce and didn't really have the patience or the desire to whip one up from scratch. What I did have, what was staring me in the eye from a shelf in the pantry was a jar of salsa. I looked at the recipes, I looked at the salsa. A new recipe was born!<br />
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<b>Salsa Chicken</b><br />4 chicken breasts, trimmed, filleted and cut in half<br />1 large jar of mild or medium salsa<br />1/2 can of pitted olives, or 1/4 cup of pitted Kalamata olives<br />2-4 tbs good olive oil<br />garlic salt, sea salt and ground pepper to taste<br />
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This could not be an easier meal to cook on a week night or even at the end of a long weekend day. I have a thing with chicken. It simply must be browned. I cannot eat pale chicken. So while I bake this in the oven,<br />
I do brown the chicken on the stove before hand. I am careful about the mess I create and the clean-up involved since it inevitably falls back on me to clean up the mess that I've created. I lightly sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder on each piece of chicken. The chicken then gets sauteed for a few minutes each side for a nice golden, brown color. From there it goes into a shallow, oven safe baking dish, that has already been filled with the salsa. I place each piece of chicken (1 breast cut into 4 pieces) in the salsa and place the dish in the oven at 375 for anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes. The chicken will not over-dry. The salsa will keep the meat nice and moist. If you are worried, feel free to cover the top of the dish with aluminum foil or such.<br />
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Once the chicken has all been cooked and placed into the oven, place the chick peas, into the already hot pan. They will pick up some of the flavor and turn a pretty brown color. Season with cumin, garlic powder and sea salt to your liking. (Taste as you cook to see how you prefer to adjust the flavors.)<br />
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<b>Spicy Chick Peas</b><br />
2 cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed<br />
cumin, garlic powder and sea salt to taste<br />1 -2 tbs good quality olive oil<br />
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When the chick peas are cooked, remove from heat and place into the serving dish you plan to use. You can always reheat in the microwave if necessary.<br />
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In the same pan, add the olive oil. (You can boil or steam the asparagus) fill halfway with water and add 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil. Place the asparagus in the pan and cook for 3 - 5 minutes. While the veggies are cooking you will prepare the Feta Vinaigrette. The asparagus should be tender enough to pierce through easily with a fork. When the asparagus is cooked, drain the hot water and plunge them into an ice bath for about 30 seconds. Removed the asparagus and drain to dry on a kitchen towel.<br />
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<b>Asparagus with Feta Vinaigrette (from <a href="http://www.thenaptimechef.com/">The Naptime Chef</a>)</b><br />
2 pounds fresh asparagus, peeled and trimmed<br />3 tablespoons red wine vinegar<br />2 tablespoons Dijon mustard<br />1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper<br />1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt plus more as needed<br />2 tablespoons good quality olive oil<br />1/2 cup ( 2 oz) crumbled feta cheese<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xD7FhSX_IMY/T2IZcFbYrZI/AAAAAAABCCg/v2bC5RE2PdU/s1600/Naptime+Chef+asparagus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xD7FhSX_IMY/T2IZcFbYrZI/AAAAAAABCCg/v2bC5RE2PdU/s400/Naptime+Chef+asparagus.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asparagus in Feta Vinaigrette</td></tr>
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Bon Appetit!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Edwardian Script ITC"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jessica<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-47907609126044965422012-03-12T04:11:00.001-07:002012-03-12T04:11:59.438-07:00Apple Pie Pancakes<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="400" src="https://instagr.am/p/ICXZ8-DjZQ/media/?size=l" width="400" />
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Ingredients:<br />Serves 4<br />
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3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, seeded<br />4 tbs granulated sugar or brown sugar<br />1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />Juice from 1 lemon<br />
1 box of your favorite pancake mix or your favorite pancake recipe<br />
<br />
Pancakes are a family favorite here. I make batches and serve them up and freeze them up. Truth be told I prefer the boxed variety (Aunt Jemima) over the home made. I really can't taste the difference. And they're a bit easier to make. (Everything's in the box. If the recipe calls for milk I'll make buttermilk.) My toppings can range from sliced bananas or strawberries or fresh, plump blueberries. Sometimes I cook the fruit inside. Sometimes I cook it and toss it on top. These baked apple like pancakes are a favorite of ours.<br />
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To serve 4 people, to generously cover 6 - 8 nicely sized pancakes, you'll need 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, seeded and cored, thinly sliced as though you are making an apple pie.<br />
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Place apple slices in a large bowl or dish and cover with about 4 tbs of brown or granulated sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Cover dish with plastic wrap and shake so that the mixture covers the apples well. Pour the lemon juice over the apples and let sit a few minutes.<br />
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In a non-stick pan add your apple mixture and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Turn heat off or to low and keep on the burner.<br />
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Meanwhile in another pan prepare your pancakes.<br />When the pancakes are ready, place on warm plates. (I like to place plates in oven to warm prior to serving.) Place a generous amount of the cooked apples on top and then drizzle syrup lightly over the top, careful not to add too much. You really need just a small amount.<br />
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A bite of heaven, right?!Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-10187903366600631512012-03-12T03:22:00.000-07:002012-03-12T03:23:38.470-07:00Sauteed Chicken Fettuccine with Creamy Lemon and Olive Pesto<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="400" src="http://distilleryimage2.instagram.com/34c513906bdc11e181bd12313817987b_7.jpg" width="400" />
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This recipe was born from a mistake. Pesto was planned all along, but somehow this version was creamier than the rest. Perhaps because I was not really paying attention, perhaps because I eyeballed instead of following the recipe I usually use... whatever reason, the pesto was less green than it usually is and seemed much creamier. It was outstanding so I'd made a mental note of what I had done. And the good news is there's a ton leftover for another day!<br />
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<b>Creamy Lemon and Olive Pesto</b><br />
<br />
1 large package of basil (close to 1 fully packed cup)<br />
1 1/3 cup of olive oil<br />
4 cloves of crushed garlic<br />
1 cup of pitted or canned Kalamata or black olives<br />
3/4 cup of toasted almond (pine nut or walnut) pieces<br />
Juice and zest from 2 large lemons<br />
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (My use of shredded as opposed to grated, could that be what made this recipe so thick and creamy?)<br />
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste<br />
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I made this is my blender but I should have done it in my food processor. It was too thick for my blender to handle.<br />
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In a food processor add the basil, olive oil, lemon and zest, toasted nuts (optional) and Parmesan. Blend until you get a thick (like a milkshake) consistency. Add the olives and pulse so that they are chopped but you can still see small pieces. When you've achieved the mixture you've desired take a taste and add the salt and or pepper to taste. Admittedly this looked a lot like a Shamrock shake!<br />
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Cook the fettuccine per instructions on your package, drain and reserve a little of the pasta water, a few tablespoons' worth. Add the desired amount of pesto (about 1 cup) to the pasta and mix well.<br />
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The rest of the pesto will keep in the fridge for a week. It freezes beautifully as well.We'll re-use the pesto one night with sandwiches as a substitute to mayonnaise. Also is great tossed into chicken salad!<br />
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<b>Sauteed Chicken</b><br />
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This is my no-fail, standby. It's quick and easy and goes with anything. I use this as a base for many chicken recipes.<br />
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Trim and clean chicken pieces. Filet each breast and then cut each fillet in half. Cover each piece of chicken, both sides, with generous amounts of garlic powder, sea salt and cracked pepper. (If having chicken 2 nights in a row or twice in the same week I will often go ahead and prepare the chicken for the next night's recipe and place the chicken, already seasoned, into a Ziplock bag.)<br />
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In a large skillet, place 1 to 2 tbs of olive oil, and heat pan on high heat. When hot, place as many chicken pieces into the pan as you can fit, leaving a little space next to each piece. Turn heat to medium-high. If the pieces get too brown turn it down to medium. Brown each side and and turn, cooking for a total of about 10 minutes. When thoroughly cooked place on a plate and keep in warm oven until ready to serve. Yield 1/2 breast, or 2 pieces per person and serve with the pasta.<br />
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<b><br /></b>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-71190524727487375922012-02-17T06:08:00.000-08:002012-02-17T06:08:30.714-08:00Pink Soup!<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O7M2VIK7buA/Tz5b1tyOBAI/AAAAAAABB2k/tO1dTIPFd0A/s1600/borscht.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O7M2VIK7buA/Tz5b1tyOBAI/AAAAAAABB2k/tO1dTIPFd0A/s320/borscht.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ntlIoLNxWHA/Tz5b3YvE5oI/AAAAAAABB2s/Fjtb_SQUR1I/s1600/sesame+baguette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ntlIoLNxWHA/Tz5b3YvE5oI/AAAAAAABB2s/Fjtb_SQUR1I/s320/sesame+baguette.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ok so the Pink Soup is Borscht... but before you all stick your noses up at this notion, please hear me out!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">I had never had this soup before. In my mind I saw those Manischevitz jars in the grocery store. All purple-y and stuff. Not really appetizing. I try all sorts of new things. I've always loved sampling new flavors and cuisines. Borscht, however, was never on my list of things to try. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">A few of my girlfriends and I were invited over for a small luncheon after our yoga class the other day. My friend Lisa had prepared a wonderful meal... I noticed something very pretty simmering on the stove. It was pink, nearly purple but mostly pink. She had asked if any of us liked, or had ever had Borscht before. None of us had. A couple even wrinkled their noses at the idea. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">"I want you all to try this," she said. In a motherly way she assured us we didn't have to like it and she wouldn't be offended if we didn't. There were a couple non beet eaters among us. We were instructed to take a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze in some lemon. We hadn't realized that the lemon was for the soup so we all squeezed ours in to our Evian waters!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">We did as we were told. I stirred in the sour cream. The soup was an amazing color. I cut a thick slice of baguette. I took a spoonful... a little earthy... a bit tart... I could taste the cumin and coriander, and very slightly the beets... mostly it seemed like a menage of vegetables. We all scraped our bowls dry! You could hear the silver spoons feverishly scraping against the pottery. Eventually, I ripped off a piece of the crusty baguette and wiped the bowl dry! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">So here is the recipe for Borscht, with a Lebanese twist!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">1 lb. Raw beets (
usually 3 or 4 medium beets)<br />
1 large cooking apple (I use 1 medium granny smith and 1 medium honey crisp or
gala)<br />
1 medium onion<br />
2 stalks celery<br />
6 oz white mushrooms<br />
1tsp. Ground cumin<br />
1tsp caraway seed ( I used fennel seed because it's what I had available)<br />
1/2 tsp ground coriander<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
1/2 tsp thyme<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
Juice of 1/2 of fresh lemon<br />
1 box of low sodium chicken stock 32 oz.) <br />
2 cups water( add a little more water if veggies are not covered) <br />
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Scrub beets so they are clean. Peel any cracked or dirty areas. Chop beets into
2 to 3 inch pieces<br />
Cut onions and mushrooms apple and celery into similar size pieces.<br />
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Add 3 tblsp of olive oil and 1 tblsp of butter in a heavy stock pot, add
veggies and 1/2 tsp salt<br />
Sweat the veggies over medium heat until they start to release juices. ( about
20 minutes)<br />
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Add spices,stock,water and lemon juice, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt<br />
Bring to a boil, then simmer,covered, for 45 min. Or until veggies are soft but
not mushy.<br />
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Usually I cool overnight but if you want to use right away please be careful
when you purée the hot veggies,(remove small opening on top of blender to let
steam escape when blending hot veggies. Hold top of blender tight when blending
hot veggies. <br />
<br />
Scoop or strain veggies into blender or processor and reserve cooking liquid in
stock pot.<br />
You will have to blend veggies in a few batches. After veggies are pureed add
back into reserved cooking liquid and mix to incorporate purée. Taste for salt.
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Reheat if blended cold.<br />
Freezes well.<br />
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Serve with a wedge of lemon and dollop of sour cream, cracked black pepper.<br />
Delish </span>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-79916196400602705182011-12-25T10:18:00.000-08:002011-12-25T10:18:07.545-08:00Nutella Pinwheels<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/26177241553761622/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="554" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/26177241553761622_7vx2ccmK_c.jpg" width="554" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://instagr.am/p/bjNt7/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">instagr.am</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/entertainingmom/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Jessica</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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My 10 year old was intent on making breakfast on Christmas morning. He wanted to create something resembling a sticky bun... he wanted something cinnamony. He flipped through his cookbooks - Yes, he has several - and found a recipe using puff pastry sheets. It looked delicious and simple enough for him to do alone.<br />
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We had an extra sheet of puff pastry dough... and then I got this idea. An awful idea. I got this wonderful, awful, idea! Wouldn't these be simply divine with Nutella inside?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed<br />Nutella, enough to generously spread over rolled out sheets<br />Confectioners sugar, optional<br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Lay the pastry sheet on your counter, flour side down. Add more flour if desired.<br />Use a rolling pin to roll out pastry dough.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Spread generous amounts of Nutella to the corners.<br />Carefully roll into jelly roll.<br />Cut into 1/2 in slices and place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Place in oven and bake for about 14 minutes until lightly golden brown and puffy.<br />Remove and let sit about 10 minutes before serving.<br />Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a festive look!</span><br />
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</div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-82008219221731105932011-12-13T12:55:00.000-08:002011-12-13T12:56:12.471-08:00Brown Butter Sugar cookie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PKDeDbbQwi0/Tue2Odr7kZI/AAAAAAABBXM/fbmpwtHmKSM/s1600/butter+cookie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PKDeDbbQwi0/Tue2Odr7kZI/AAAAAAABBXM/fbmpwtHmKSM/s400/butter+cookie.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Just a little bit nutty from the browned butter and a little hint of caramel from the brown sugar, this sugar cookie needs no enhancement from any icing... perfectly delectable by itself or paired with a warm cup of tea or coffee.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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1 cup of butter<br />
1/2 cup of light brown sugar<br />
1 cup of granulated sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
2 cups of flour<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees<br />
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Melt butter over medium to high heat until it bubbles and browns. You are looking for a nice golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.<br />
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In your mixing bowl, beat together sugars and the egg, then slowly add the melted butter. Add vanilla, then gradually add the flour until all is well mixed.<br />
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Scoop batter and place on cookie sheet, about an inch apart. Flatten with tines of fork or spatula.<br />
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Bake about 12 minutes... let cool... Enjoy!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7c7267; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-66622794077988208982011-12-12T13:41:00.000-08:002011-12-12T13:47:00.984-08:00Triple Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R3jxUL8czEA/TuZ1KB-_gvI/AAAAAAABBU8/UwmLMtmdMbY/s1600/photo.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R3jxUL8czEA/TuZ1KB-_gvI/AAAAAAABBU8/UwmLMtmdMbY/s400/photo.JPG" /></a> </div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I haven't done much creatively in the kitchen in a long time. But the Christmas season is upon us and our ovens are fired up, the KitchenAid beater is in overdrive and the aromas are putting me in the spirit of the season!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Triple chocolate chip espresso cookies</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 C butter</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 ½ C sugar <br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
2 C flour<br />
1 C white chocolate chips<br />
1 C semi sweet chocolate chips<br />
1 C milk chocolate chips<br />
1 ½ tsp espresso powder (I used grinds)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 tsp baking powder</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mix together sugar and butter til fluffy – add eggs beat together<br />
add vanilla and baking powder – beat<br />
add flour – beat<br />
fold in chocolate chips</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scoop out onto cookie sheet</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Place in preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let cool if you can!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #1f497d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">They are crispy and chewy deliciousness!</span><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-53162945900358994882011-09-05T11:37:00.000-07:002011-09-05T11:37:25.425-07:00Cake Batter Birthday Cake Rice Krispy Treats<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VL24v0qDpe0/TmUTAwrGO1I/AAAAAAABAhE/F-rpKkKiWYY/s1600/cake+batter+rice+crispy+treats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VL24v0qDpe0/TmUTAwrGO1I/AAAAAAABAhE/F-rpKkKiWYY/s400/cake+batter+rice+crispy+treats.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taken with my Instagram</td></tr>
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It's that time of year again... that Birthday time of year! My baby turns 6 on Wednesday and while he is away I am getting all his goodies baked. This way they'll be hidden (in the basement) and he won't go looking for anything! I usually make cupcakes for his class but I wasn't inspired by anything terrible fun or creative this year. Since I also have to bake a cake (he'll have that night with us after dinner) I wanted something that was fairly light and relatively easy. I knew when I came across a recipe for Rice Krispy treats that involved cake mix and sprinkles that I had my answer!<br />
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This recipe could not be any easier, tastier, kid-friendly, mom-friendly!<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
6 cups Rice Crispies<br />3 tbs butter<br />1 bag of marshmallows<br />1 cup cake mix (white or yellow)<br />1/8+ cup sprinkles<br />24 Cupcake liners<br />Non-stick spray<br />
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Directions:<br />
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In a large pot melt the butter, stir in the marshmallows and mix well.<br />Add the cake mix, and mix well<br />Add 2-3 tbs of sprinkles, mix well<br />Add the Rice Crispies<br />Mix well<br />Add another 2 - 3 tbs of sprinkles<br /><br />Spray a small ice cream scoop with non-stick spray.<br />Arrange cupcake liners in cupcake tins and scoop the treats into each liner.<br />I added a few sprinkles by hand to the tops.<br />
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What kid won't love these?<br /><br />What mom won't? In fact there should have been enough for 24 but somehow I ended up with just 23 :-) (It was deelish!)Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-25937808495132094272011-08-29T11:28:00.000-07:002011-08-29T11:28:34.184-07:00Shells with Garbanzos, tomatoes and Cumin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DsF5d3vZLk/TluwQUpPZNI/AAAAAAABAfU/5F04jNhlhHE/s1600/pasta+tomato+chic+peas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_DsF5d3vZLk/TluwQUpPZNI/AAAAAAABAfU/5F04jNhlhHE/s400/pasta+tomato+chic+peas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I was sitting in the pediatrician's office last week and picked up a copy of Rachael Ray's magazine. There was a spaghetti recipe that caught my eye. I noticed that it contained canned tomatoes, chick peas, parsley, cumin, other spices and Parmesan. I made a mental not of these ingredients and created my own version for dinner that night.<br />
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I like to cook vegetarian dishes a couple of times a week. The kids don't mind and they loved this one!<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 can chopped canned tomatoes, 8 oz<br />
2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed<br />
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced<br />
1 handful fresh parsley, chiffonaded<br />
2 tsp (or more to taste) cumin<br />
2 tsp (or more to taste) ancho chili powder<br />
1 tsp (or more) sea salt to taste<br />
1 tsp (or more) pepper to taste<br />
2 tbs capers<br />
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese shredded or grated<br />
Olive oil to drizzle<br />
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In a large pan pour a small amount (1 or 2 tbs of olive oil) and and turn to med high, when the oil is hot add the garbanzos and saute until lightly browned. Turn heat down a little add the garlic and mix well. Add the cumin, chili powder, sea salt and pepper. Mix well so that all the spices are incorporated. For those of you who want more kick add another teaspoon or so of the cumin and chili powder. Stir well. Add the tomatoes and capers, stir and let sit over low-medium heat.<br />
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Meantime bring a large pot of water to a boil. When ready add your pasta (shells) and cook per directions on package.<br />
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When pasta is ready drain and return to pot with a little bit of the pasta water remaining. To the sauce add the parsley, and the Parmesan. Mix well and then pour the mixture over the pasta. Toss taste to see if salt and pepper are needed and serve!<br />
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Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-71181140997265286612011-08-28T19:13:00.000-07:002011-08-28T19:21:17.976-07:00Flourless Deep Chocolate Cookies<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-21V0VkZG9t4/Tlr1xCoRdLI/AAAAAAABAfE/vBRZWQgeZH4/s1600/chocolate%2Bflourless%2Bcookie.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-21V0VkZG9t4/Tlr1xCoRdLI/AAAAAAABAfE/vBRZWQgeZH4/s400/chocolate%2Bflourless%2Bcookie.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><br />
I've had a chocolate craving late. My children are thrilled. This latest inspiration came to me via Pinterest. The cookie called to me. First in a whisper, then in a bloody loud shout. I went to the pantry to see if I had all the required ingredients: confectioner's sugar, powdered cocoa powder, vanilla. That's all. And then the egg whites in the fridge I knew I had as I had just been to the grocery store. I love that this recipe is adapted from King Arthur flour and yet there isn't a trace of the stuff in them! <br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees <br />
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In the bowl of your mixer add<br />
2 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar<br />
1 cup of Dutch-process cocoa powder<br />
3 large egg whites<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
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Add all your ingredients to the bowl and mix well.<br />
Using a spoon or small ice cream scoop place them on to a greased cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart.<br />
Due to their lack of fat these cookies do stick. I found that they even stuck to the Silpat a tad.<br />
Bake in oven 10 -12 minutes.<br />
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Options<br />
The recipe as it stands is fat free. The recipe as I prefer it isn't!<br />
I added 3/4 cup of peanut butter and chocolate chips. I would like to make the next batch using mint chips. My kids want to use white chocolate chips. If you like nuts you could add them as well.<br />
If you add these add another 2 minutes to the cooking time. Let the cookies cool when you remove them from the oven. They will be gooey but chewy. I actually liked them better the next day!<br />
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<div style="clear: both; text-align: CENTER;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-68657208967004427022011-08-02T10:25:00.000-07:002011-08-02T10:25:34.679-07:00don't overlook the basics... tomato sandwiches<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/91795927/" target="_blank"><img 554'="" border="0" height="400" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/91795927_pLammMT3_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="float: left; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;">Source: <a href="http://instagr.am/p/JKKq_/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">instagr.am</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/entertainingmom/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Jessica</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div></div><br />
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It almost seems too simple to write about - the tomato sandwich, after all anyone can slap together some finely sliced tomatoes, some mayo and a couple of slices of bread. Perhaps. But sometimes we overlook the fact that sometimes simplest is best. It's hot outside. The sun is scorching, you're hungry but you want something light. You don't really want to cook. You're not in the mood for a salad... Enter the tomato sandwich. Perhaps you like your tomatoes sliced on white bread. Perhaps you like a rustic, chewy whole grained variety. Perhaps you like it toasted. Or not. Whether mayonnaise, cream cheese or a flavored cheese spread like Boursin, toss on a few thinly sliced tomatoes, shredded basil, a dash of salt and pepper and suddenly you have a simple sandwich that's pure delight!<br />
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Our tomatoes are sweet and sublime. I think I'm enjoying these tasty fruits morning, noon and night!Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-34115558745757357492011-08-01T17:38:00.000-07:002011-08-01T17:38:18.427-07:00Open-faced Cuban Sandwiches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PROM9NU_2pg/Tjbtjg-bq9I/AAAAAAABAYU/10xcxZ2s_ao/s1600/open+faced+cuban+sandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PROM9NU_2pg/Tjbtjg-bq9I/AAAAAAABAYU/10xcxZ2s_ao/s400/open+faced+cuban+sandwich.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
There's no such thing as a regular sandwich in this house. I don't do regular. Never have. Regular insinuates boring. Run of the mill. I like to kick things up a notch. Sometimes my kids accuse me of messing with something... "Why can't you ever leave ________ alone?" my daughter often whines... Because I can't. I just can't. Because I like to create. And make a mess. It's like painting. I'm not a stay within the lines kind of a girl.<br />
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It was lunchtime and the boys were hungry. Somehow we managed to devour about $50 worth of deli meat in just a couple of days. What was left was some Black Forest ham and some cheese... Swiss, American and Smoke Gouda. I had some rye bread. The good rolls were all gone.<br />
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I knew that if I slapped together some ham and cheese together on some bread my boys would take a few bites and walk away. They love Cubans but I didn't want the mess of cleaning the stove top grill... or pan. (I am lazy!) I decided that I would make a sort of open faced version of their favorite sandwich. It turned out to be, I think, even better than a Cuban!<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
4 slices of good bread - Rye, Semolina, Italian<br />
4 - 8 slices of good quality ham such as Black Forest<br />
4 slices of Swiss Cheese<br />
1/4 pickle spear per sandwich, cut into pieces<br />
Good quality mustard, mayonnaise<br />
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Directions:<br />
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Place bread in toaster and toast lightly.<br />
Spread a little mustard and mayonnaise on the toast<br />
Add a slice of ham or two to each slice<br />
Place the chopped pickles on top of the ham slices<br />
Add the Swiss cheese on top of the pickles<br />
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Turn the oven on to Broil, High<br />
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Place the open faced sandwiches on a cookie sheet - lined with aluminum foil if desired - and place on top shelf of the oven. Leave for a few minutes as the cheese turns golden brown and bubbles. Watch closely so as not to burn the cheese. Remove and serve immediately!Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-5389035930669059422011-07-30T10:33:00.000-07:002011-07-30T10:33:52.922-07:00Guacamole de los Ninos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zWOh2OCcLd8/TjQ9Xu7CqVI/AAAAAAABAXg/SGAw_L-XWng/s1600/guacamole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zWOh2OCcLd8/TjQ9Xu7CqVI/AAAAAAABAXg/SGAw_L-XWng/s400/guacamole.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My 10 year old is a whiz in the kitchen. He has a knack for what works and what doesn't. Like me, he often prefers not to follow a recipe and go by taste instead. He wanted to make guacamole the other night and so just using the following ingredients he eyeballed what he thought would be the right amounts. I did the chopping, his little brother did the mashing and he did everything else. On a jagged piece of paper I took notes as I am apt to do myself when playing around in the kitchen. I am sure this recipe has been printed with exact proportions but this really did come from the top of his head. I want to add that this was one of the best damn guac recipes I have ever had.<br />
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2 Haas avocados, almost to the point of being too ripe<br />
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped<br />
1/2 small to medium onion - ours was Vidalia<br />
1 lemon, juiced<br />
3 smallish Campari tomatoes<br />
1/8 cup (eyeballed) cilantro<br />
Salt to taste<br />
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Directions<br />
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Cut the avocado in half. Remove pits and skins. Place meats in a medium, deep, bowl. Finely chop the 2 cloves of garlic and add to the avocado. Juice the lemon and add to the bowl. Cut the tomato, keep the seeds but discard the stem, into small bites, add to bowl. Chop the onion finely and add to the bowl. Finally, mince the cilantro and add to the mixture. Using a potato masher, mash all the ingredients until all are well blended. Add salt to taste and refrigerate for at least two hours to let the flavors all marry and settle. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips.Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-23543955918440409432011-07-29T08:22:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:22:40.560-07:00Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aSG7yWD7w3M/TjLMXoPdzMI/AAAAAAABAXc/awAwm6MZm2U/s1600/cinnamon+muffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aSG7yWD7w3M/TjLMXoPdzMI/AAAAAAABAXc/awAwm6MZm2U/s400/cinnamon+muffin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My 5 year old has named these for me. I adapted the recipe from <a href="http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2010/08/02/cinnamon-sugar-crusted-coffee-cake-muffins/">here</a>. She adapted it from Smitten Kitchen.<br />
They sounded good. So good that I had to leap out of bed and try them. Ok, well I didn't leap. I have a slipped or bulging disc so I hobbled. But they were well worth it. I am sure they are disappearing as I type this.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350<br />
Makes 12 regular (not large) muffins<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 egg<br />
3/4 C sugar<br />
1/3 C canola oil<br />
3/4 C milk<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 3/4 C flour<br />
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In a large mixing bowl toss in your egg and sugar and beat well. Add in oil, beat, then milk - streaming it in slowly and beat well. Add your baking soda, cinnamon and flour. When all is well blended scoop into a well greased muffin tin. (I use Pam for all my baking. Or generic)<br />
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Place the muffins in the middle of your 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.<br />
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When the muffins come out, let cool. <br />
Meanwhile melt about 1/4 C of butter. (You will most likely have extra) <br />
Place about 1/4 cup (approx) *cinnamon sugar mixture in a flat bowl or plate.<br />
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When the muffins have cooled slightly roll the tops in the melted butter and then roll them again in the cinnamon sugar. (If you need more use more.) Set on a plate. Repeat until all the muffins have been dipped and resemble the tops of cinnamon donuts.<br />
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Serve while warm and enjoy!<br />
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*To make cinnamon sugar mixture use 1/8 cup of cinnamon to 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. You can add more or less cinnamon to the sugar depending on your taste. I tend to keep this on hand in a glass jar to use on toast or sprinkled over slices of Granny Smith apples.Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-14973594901455723482011-06-23T04:19:00.000-07:002011-06-23T04:19:28.835-07:00the world according to Gorp (cookies)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iNXu-U-DEDI/TgMetEc43_I/AAAAAAABAHc/o_jD5KCqqrQ/s1600/IMG_4478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iNXu-U-DEDI/TgMetEc43_I/AAAAAAABAHc/o_jD5KCqqrQ/s400/IMG_4478.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
School's out. It's been raining. A lot. I haven't spent much time in the kitchen lately - not as much as I normally do. And life has been so busy that I haven't had much time to document the recipes I have created. I will try to be better about this this summer. We've done a little baking, though. Last week I decided to add some Gorp (also known as Trail Mix) to a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies. I purchased an enormous container at the grocery store. It wasn't a fancy brand and the entire container cost me about $10. The mix contained peanuts, m&m like candies, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, raisins and dried pineapple. (I wondered about that last ingredient, but it works well with the rest of the mix!)<br />
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I made my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe and added about 3 cups of the trail mix. I had to bake them a little longer than my original recipe requested as they were so chock full. They were delicious and a perfect mid morning or mid afternoon pick me up treat!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3pf2pCKP3Fk/TgMexHu4n6I/AAAAAAABAHg/_vXxKzrPaJk/s1600/IMG_4484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3pf2pCKP3Fk/TgMexHu4n6I/AAAAAAABAHg/_vXxKzrPaJk/s400/IMG_4484.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Click<a href="http://doodlebugkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/chewy-cranberry-oatmeal-cookies-with.html"> here </a>for my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe. Leave out the fillers and replace with the trail mix!Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430879314348892181.post-25772773306868786592011-06-22T16:59:00.000-07:002011-06-22T16:59:09.688-07:00Nutella + Banana + Nilla Wafers... We need a name!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XW0bVMMnH-M/TgKA7zjIWZI/AAAAAAABAGo/P0Ybw0C8nvI/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XW0bVMMnH-M/TgKA7zjIWZI/AAAAAAABAGo/P0Ybw0C8nvI/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
For this simple and simply delicious little bite of Heaven!<br />
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As simple as it seems.... As delicious as it looks...<br />
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Two Nilla Wafer spread with Nutella. One slice of banana. Sandwich together.<br />
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Are you drooling yet?Jessica Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12026783815905169830noreply@blogger.com3