Jolene's Recipe Journal

(originally made 1/2013)

It was super chilly in NH yesterday, Jake had a sleepover last night and I had to drop him off after school.   I wanted to come home to a good smelling house and a nice hearty comfort food meal.    I'd earmarked this recipe to try on the Inspired Edibles blog.   The first thing I had to do was swap it to a crockpot meal, and then I modified a few things to work around our tastes.   This was the end result and it was very very good, and a nice change from our regular beef stew.    The orange made it seem not as heavy, but still comforting.

The orange juice component was a little vague-   dilute it how much?   I had some store brand frozen concentrate, made it as the can directed and just added a cup of it to the crockpot.

No picture of this one, I lack the photography skills to make stews look appealing- be sure to go check out the picture on the blog!   Maybe I'll give it a try at lunch time when the light is better.

* Exported from Master…

Back at Thanksgiving I asked my inlaws if there was anything special they'd like me to make for the holidays.   They both love the Fruitcake Loaves and FIL said that he missed the Date squares MIL used to make for him.    A Google search turned up this recipe.    I followed some modifications I saw in the comments-  I used 2 bags of Sunsweet dried dates, 3/4c water and about a teaspoon of orange extract in the filling.       FIL said they tasted just like he remembered  :)   I did forget to take a picture, will have to do that when I make them next year!


* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Canadian Date Squares


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  8             ounces  dates -- cut up (double per reviews- used 2 bags Sunsweet)
  1         tablespoon  brown sugar (heaping)
     1/2           cup  water (3/4c + orange extract)
  1                cup  all-purpose flour
     1/2      teas…

Spent December knitting my fingers to the bone, then got down to business on the 22nd and started Christmas baking.    I made the old standbys, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin and Sparkle Cookies.    BarbaraBake's Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are a must.  Then I pulled some recipes I really wanted to try, and hit it out of the park with all of it.

First up, Coconut Macaroons.   Big thanks to Kathleen S for sharing the recipe with me!   I worried when they first came out of the oven, they seemed very hard, but they were perfect.


Coconut Macaroons

Beat together til soft peaks appear: 1 egg white, 1 tsp vanilla & 1 tsp cream of tartar.

Stir in 1 bag (14oz) sweetened coconut & 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk.

Using soup sized spoon scoop onto greased cookie sheets.  (I used a cookie scoop)

Bake in preheated 350 oven 20-25 minutes (mine took about 19).  Remove immediately and allow to cool on rack. When completely cool, dip bottoms in melted chocolate or drizzle chocolate o…

Thanksgiving was full of great food here.   As always, the last thing I have for leftovers were some mashed potatoes.   I make them with butter, milk, sour cream, chives, salt and pepper.    I was on my own and thought that I'd make myself some potato pancakes for brunch today.

I saw these on the Just A Taste blog and I scaled them down to make about 4 potato pancakes.   One fell apart in the pan, I should have added a bit more flour to it, it was the last one I scooped.   No scallions on hand, so I added more chives along with my sour cream at the end.

Cheesy, crunchy outside, soft and delicious inside.   Thank you to Kelly for an amazing recipe!




* Exported from MasterCook *

                  Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
1  cup  chilled leftover mashed potatoes, (made with butter, milk, sour cream and chives)
    1/4           cup  shredded cheddar cheese
…

It's been a hectic few weeks.  I've gotten behind in my knitting, but I still need to eat lunch.   I had pinned this recipe from the Life's Ambrosia blog, and it was a perfect little meal for today.  

I subbed 1/3 less fat cream cheese for regular and dried rosemary for the fresh.   Some orange zest would be awesome in this too.    Big thanks to Des for the awesome recipe  :)


Rosemary and Cranberry Spread
 8oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened) 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons dried sweetened cranberries
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (used dried)
fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt

Mix all ingredients until well blended.    Use to top bread, crackers, etc.

Source:
http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2009/11/rosemary-cranberry-spread-recipe.html

Been a looong week.   My friend Pam recommended this one and I thank her kindly! 


Black Forest Cake

Equal parts Cherry Rum, Kahlua and Baileys.


You can layer ingredients in a shot glass, or shake and pour into a martini glass.  I also added a splash of French Vanilla Coffee creamer because I overpoured the rum a little. 


Just imagine this is a full glass, ok?  like I said, long week!

Been a long week and we were looking for something to unwind with while we watched Game 6 of the World Series (Yay RED SOX!).   

Started with an 8oz glass, tilted sideways and poured a stream of Hershey's syrup as I twisted it.   When set down, it will run down the sides of the glass.   In a shaker, add a shot glass each of Kahlua, Baileys and Vanilla Vodka.   Add ice, and shake.    Dump into the prepared glass and enjoy.     Also good blended with some vanilla ice cream, or you can add a splash of cream.

(originally made 2/2007)

Good morning everyone. Had some kiwi I wanted to use up this morning, had marked this recipe in L&T to try. I used my new KA hand mixer, made it super simple. I did the mixing in a 4cup pyrex so that it was easy to pour after :) I halved the recipe, Jake and I both enjoyed them for breakfast.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Kiwi Smoothies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 kiwifruit -- peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium ripe bananas -- cut into 4 pieces and frozen
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup (8 ounces) fat-free plain yogurt (I used Lemon)
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon almond extract -- optional (I used vanilla)

1 1/2 cups crushed ice

Place the fruit, yogurt, honey and extract if desired in a blender; cover and process until combined. Add ice; cover …

(originally made 2004, no longer make due to family allergies)

This is a take on a salad served at TGIFriday's. 

Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup corn flakes -- finely crushed,
1/4 cup pecans -- finely chopped
cooking spray
Glazed pecans
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Water
10 pecan halves
Salad ingredients
1 cup romaine lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup Craisins
11 ounces mandarin oranges -- drained
1/4 cup croutons, seasoned
2 Tablespoons fat-free honey…

(originally made 2004)

I roll chicken in breadcrumbs before baking, skipped the cooking spray.  The directions don't say it, but I secure the rolls with toothpicks to keep them from unrolling during cooking.

* Exported from MasterCook *

                         Italian Chicken Rollups


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  4                     boneless chicken breasts -- 4 oz each
  1           teaspoon  dried basil
     1/4      teaspoon  salt
     1/4      teaspoon  pepper
  4                     part-skim mozzarella string cheese sticks -- (1 - ounce)
                        Cooking spray
  1                cup  garlic-and- herb tomato sauce

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to ¼-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

2. Combine basil, salt, and pepper; sprinkle half of mixture evenly on both sides of chicken.

3. Place 1 string cheese sti…

Gingerbread Pancakes
(originally made 9/25/2006)

There's a local sugar shack that has a restaurant, and they serve the BEST Gingerbread pancakes. I found this recipe on the net, but found them to be blah. I noted "smell good in bowl, just ok after being cooked, double spices if tried again" .


* Exported from MasterCook *

Gingerbread Pancakes


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/4 cups bisquick baking mix, reduced fat
1/2 cup milk
3/8 cup apple butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg

Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or electric griddle to 375ºF; grease with cooking spray, vegetable oil or shortening. (Surface is ready when a few drops of water sprinkled on it dance and disappear.) Stir all ingredients until blended. Spoon batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle. Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook unt…

(originally made 12/2009)

MIL called with a last minute request for me to make fruitcake for FIL.  There could not be any alcohol or nuts.     I got some great ideas from the TOHbb, but I had the ingredients on hand for this one I got from myrecipes.com.

I was also make him a pumpkin pie  & Pink Elephant popcorn, so I wanted him to be able to reserve some of the goodies.   I baked this in my mini loaf pan rack, it made 5 mini loaves... Sort of.    I obviously overfilled them and it crawled all over the oven floor!  Had a little difficulty getting them out of the pan, but once I did they cooled and wrapped very nicely.  FIL kept one out and stuck the rest in the freezer, and said it's delicious.


* Exported from MasterCook *

                              Fruitcake Loaf


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1                cup  all-purpose flour -- divided
  2               cups  Dried fruit m…

(originally made in 2006)

Substituted 11.5 oz of Ghiradelli chips and for remainder used Nestle semi sweets.  Recipe turned out much more like fudge than brownies.  Very rich. 

* Exported from MasterCook *

                  Flourless Fudge Brownies- Mrs. Fields


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  6              large  eggs
  18            ounces  semisweet chocolate -- chopped
  2             sticks  unsalted butter -- in tablespoons
  1           teaspoon  vanilla
     1/4           cup  heavy cream
  4             ounces  semisweet chocolate -- chopped

Preheat oven to 425.  Butter 9" pan, line with foil, butter foil.  Set the eggs in a bowl and cover with hot tap water.  In double boiler, melt choc and butter, stirring until smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Transfer to a bowl, and let cool slightly on wire rack.  Beat warm eggs in large bowl and beat on high until triple in volume, about 5 mins.  Fold …

(originally made 7/2004)

Made this over the weekend. Very light and refreshing, plus you don't have to turn on the oven. Great summer dessert!

Five Minute Key Lime Pie
from WW magazine

1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
1 pkg (4 serving size) sugar free lime flavored gelatin
1/4c boiling water
2 6oz containers Key Lime Pie flavor light yogurt
8oz tub Fat-Free whipped topping, thawed

In a large heat resistant bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in yogurt with a wire whisk. Fold in whipped topping with wooden spoon. Spread in crust. Refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

8 Servings, 3 WW Points per serving

(originally made 10/2007)

I left the cool whip OUT of the mixture, instead I put it on the top of the cup and stuck 2 mini chips in as eyes to make Cool Whip Ghosts :)

Dirt Cups


2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed )
15 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely crushed, divided
10 worm-shaped chewy fruit snacks


POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Let stand 5 min.. Gently stir in whipped topping and 1/2 cup of the cookie crumbs.

SPOON into 10 (6- to 7-oz.) paper or plastic cups; top with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour. Top with fruit snacks just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Dirt Cups can also be served frozen. Prepare as directed; freeze 3 hours or until firm.

KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS
How to Crush Cookies
Place cookies in resealable plastic bag; roll with rol…

(originally made 4/2004)

Made these tonight to serve with Citrus Crunch Chicken. Excellent! I peeled the potatoes before I read the whole directions, but they still turned out great. I also used 2T EV olive oil instead of the butter.


* Exported from MasterCook *

                  CRISPY POTATOES W/BACON/GARLIC/PARSLEY



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1 1/2         pounds  red potatoes -- quartered with skin, (about 1 1/2-inch pieces)-- peeled
                        Kosher salt -- plus 1 teaspoon
  3             pieces  bacon -- cut into 1-inch pieces
  1         tablespoon  butter or oil -- (1 to 2)- 2T extra virgin olive oil
  2        tablespoons  chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, used dried
  1       large cloves  garlic -- minced  (1 to 2)
                        Freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes and salt in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat…

(originally made 12/2004)


* Exported from MasterCook *

                     Chocolate Studded Dream Cookies



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2               cups  all-purpose flour
     3/4           cup  Nestle Toll House Baking Cocoa
  1           teaspoon  baking soda
     1/2      teaspoon  salt
  1                cup  butter or margarine -- (2 sticks) softened
     2/3           cup  granulated sugar
     2/3           cup  packed brown sugar
  1           teaspoon  vanilla extract
  2              large  eggs
  1 2/3           cups  Nestle Toll House Swirled Morsels* -- (10-oz. pkg.)

PREHEAT oven to 325? F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup Swirled Morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon ont…

(originally made 7/2008)

Lunch today was a mixed bag, one solid recipe and one thumbs down, but the thumbs down is totally due to my choices in preparing it!    The Chicken Thighs with Thyme and Lemon was good, we gave it an 8.    The Summer Squash Ribbons with Oregano, Basil and Lemon flopped, I had to sub orange juice/zest for the lemon because I got distracted with Jake and didn't reserve the juice/zest when I prepped the chicken.     Wasn't impressed with it, and tried to salvage it by crisping it up on the grill pan when I made the chicken, didn't help.     I may try it again with the correct citrus.   




Chicken Thighs with Thyme and Lemon

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     1/2      teaspoon  grated lemon rind
  1 1/2           cups  fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
     1/4           cup  chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried thyme -- used dried
  1         tablespoon  olive oil
  2 …

(originally made 8/2006)

Wanted something with a little heat to it for lunch today, hoping to drive away the last of a cold :) This really hit the spot! Jolene


* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken Popper Rollup

24 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts -- uncooked and cut into thin strips
6 Wheat Flour Tortillas -- (96% Fat Free - approx. 15.8 oz. each)
4 oz. Fat Free Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons Minced Jalapeno Peppers
1/4 Cup Minced Onions
2 Tablespoons Fat Free Ranch Dressing

Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain chicken and place into a bowl. Set aside. Wipe out skillet and spray with more cooking spray. Set aside. Mix cream cheese with a spoon until soft. Add jalapeno pepper, minced onion and ranch dressing. Mix until combined well.

Heat skillet over medium high heat. Place 1 tortilla at a time…

(originally made 2/2007)

We eat a lot of chicken. Constantly looking for new healthy ways to prepare it. Had some Italian sausage left from another recipe, and decided to give this a try.

I'd give it an 8 out of 10. It's not a throw together type meal, but the finished product was very good. It got mostly 4 and 5 stars on the CL page.


 Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Italian Sausage and Breadcrumbs

1 Italian sausage link (4-ounce)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 slice sourdough bread (1 1/2-ounce) toasted and crusts removed
1 garlic clove halved
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 skinless (6-ounce) boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/2 cup fat-free less-sodium chicken broth

Remove casing from sausage; crumble sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion, and cele…

(originally made 1/2006)


Also made Cheesy Shell Lasagna, which I had to make so many changes it only vaguely resembled the original recipe. Still good though! Little time consuming for a baked pasta dish, but not as bad as making "real" lasagna.



Cheesy Shell Lasagna


 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (used 1lb)

2 medium onions, chopped (1 onion)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up (omitted)

1 jar (14 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce

1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, undrained- (omitted)

8 ounces uncooked small shell pasta

2 cups (16 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream (1/2c fat free sour cream)

11 slices (8 ounces) reduced-fat provolone cheese (1/4c parmesan)

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 mi…

Another baking order favorite...


* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Cappuccino Cheesecake



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2               cups  graham cracker crumbs
  1 1/3           cups  sugar
  6        tablespoons  margarine -- melted
  3        tablespoons  kahlua
  1         tablespoon  instant coffee
  32            ounces  cream cheese
  1                cup  sugar
  2        tablespoons  flour
  2          teaspoons  vanilla
  4                     eggs

Preheat oven to 325.  Mix crumbs, sugar and marg, press into bottom and up 2" of sides of 9" springform pan.  Bake 10 mins.  Beat cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla at med speed until well blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing at low speed until just blended.  Combine kahlua and coffee, blend into cheese mixture.  Pour into crust.  Bake 55 to 60 mins.  Run knife around edge, cool before removing sides of pan.  Ref…

This was the first recipe I ever tried Panko in, now I probably use it weekly   :)  



* Exported from MasterCook *

                         Cajun Oven-Fried Chicken


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     1/3           cup  lowfat buttermilk
  1         tablespoon  cajun seasoning
     1/2      teaspoon  salt
  1                cup  panko
  1 1/2         pounds  skinless boneless chicken breasts
                        Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dip chicken, one piece at a time, into buttermilk mixture; dredge in panko.

Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until done.

Yield: 4 servings
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002

Super simple, delicious.   Originally made back in 2001.


* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Breaded Ranch Chicken



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     3/4           cup  cornflakes -- crushed
     3/4           cup  parmesan cheese
  1           envelope  ranch-style dressing mix
  8                     boneless chicken breasts
     1/2           cup  butter -- melted

In ziploc bag, combine cornflakes, cheese, and dressing mix.  Dip chicken into butter, drop in bag, shake to coat.   Place in greased 13x9 dish.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 mins or until juices run clear.

Source:
  "Taste of Home April/May 2000"

First made in 2002, recipe given to me by a coworker.

Black Dog Brownies
Serving Size : 36

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound unsweetened chocolate
1/4 pound semisweet chocolate
4 cups sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
8 eggs
1 cup nuts -- chopped, Optional

Preheat oven to 350.
Butter half sheet pan, line with parchment. Sift flour and salt, set aside. Melt butter and chocolate. Add 2c sugar, stir until combined. Remove from heat, add vanilla. Pour into bowl.

Beat eggs and 2c sugar together. Slowly pour half into chocolate mixture, stirring constantly. Whip remaining egg mixture until doubled in volume (3 mins). Fold into chocolate mixture. Fold in flour mixture until combined. Spread into pan, sprinkle with nuts if desired. Bake at 350 for 25-35 mins…

First had this one at my baby shower in 2003, quickly became a favorite:


* Exported from MasterCook *

                               Berry Salad



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     1/2           cup  vegetable oil
     1/4           cup  white vinegar
     1/4           cup  sugar
  1         tablespoon  poppy seeds
     1/4      teaspoon  paprika
     1/4      teaspoon  salt
  6             ounces  fresh baby spinach leaves
  4               cups  sliced strawberries

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, paprika and salt.  Combine strawberries and spinach in serving bowl.  Drizzle dressing over salad, toss to combine. 

Source:
  "Recipe from Colleen, served at my baby shower"

This is my most basic crockpot beef stew.   No idea how long I've been making it, but it's over 10 years.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Beef Stew- Crockpot


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds beef stew meat -- 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon A-1 Steak Sauce
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
4 carrots -- sliced
3 potatoes -- diced
1 onion -- chopped

Put meat in crockpot. Mix flour, salt and pepper and pour over meat, stir to coat meat with flour. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. Cover, cook on low 10 to 12 hours (on high for 4 to 6 hours). Stir thoroughly before serving.

Source: unknown

(originally made 11/2007)

Was in the mood for chili laast night, and this recipe was in a recent issue of Cooking Light. Since I am the only one who eats it, I can use whatever ingredients I want and also dial up the heat as high as I like it!

It was definitely more liquidy than I would normally like, and it needs the addition of more heat. I used brand new chili powder and it gave it enough flavor, but overall the whole recipe lacked OOMPH!

I don't cook with beer often, DH only buys it once in a blue moon and this bottle had gotten pushed behind the condiments and forgotten :) I could definitely detect the flavor of the beer in this, it wasn't overpowering but it definitely was a "note" in the mix that seemed a little strong.

Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10, with definite room for improvement! I split the remainder into serving size containers, will experiment and see how it can be tweaked to my liking.



Beef and Beer Chili


Amount Measure …

My sister and I used to go to a restaurant in Portsmouth called Banana's, and we both loved their coconut steak tips.    This was supposedly the recipe, we had to scale it back for home use.   Not sure when I originally made this, the restaurant has been closed for a quite some time.

Use 1 LARGE can of coconut milk.  Also added flaked coconut to marinade, maybe 1/4c. 


* Exported from MasterCook *

                       Banana's Coconut Steak Tips


  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  32            ounces  creamy italian dressing
     1/2         pound  brown sugar
  8             ounces  soy sauce
  1                can  coconut milk (use large can)



Description:
  "Scaled for home use   :)" *


Original Recipe

1 Gallon Creamy Italian dressing
2lbs brown sugar
1 quart soy sauce
4 cans coconut milk

for approximate 25 to 30lbs tips.




Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0

(originally made 2006)

I used a BC spice cake mix, omitted the cinnamon.    Big hit with Jake and Tim!   Didn't even need the frosting.


* Exported from MasterCook *

                             Banana Cupcakes



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1            package  plain yellow cake mix -- (18.25 oz)- used spice cake mix
  1 1/2           cups  mashed bananas (3 or 4)
     1/2           cup  water
     1/2           cup  vegetable oil
  3              large  eggs
  1                tsp  cinnamon (omitted)

Place the cake mix, mashed bananas, water, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/2 cup of batter (for the large cups) or 1/3 cup batter (for the regular cups) i…

(originally made 5/2005)

Did a search earlier looking for banana bread and came across this recipe posted by Nycangeleyes on 10/7/2003. I made it as posted but baked it in a 9x9 square pan for about 35 mins. DELICIOUS. Very moist and good. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!

Jolene


Banana Crumb Muffins



1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups (I used 12), or line with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. In …

(originally made 3/2006)

Excellent, definitely does not need full amount of oil.   I also tossed in a handful of 1" pieces of asparagus.   Delicious!

* Exported from MasterCook *

                          Baked Cherry Tomatoes



  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1              quart  cherry tomatoes -- especially Sweet 100's
  1            handful  garlic cloves -- peeled and sliced
  2        tablespoons  snipped chives
     1/4           cup  extra-virgin olive oil
                        juice of 1 lemon
                        black pepper in a mill
                        kosher salt

Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, add the garlic and chives, and toss. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes, followed by the lemon juice. Toss again, season with several turns of black pepper, and place in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst open and the garlic is tender. Remove …

Had planned on grilling burgers, but the temps have dropped rapidly here in New England.    Jake wasn't here, so I took the opportunity to make something that Tim and I would enjoy.    I had ground beef and bacon, so this recipe from the Fake Ginger blog was perfect.  

As usual, I had to take a few liberties:   minced dried onion for the fresh, left the jalapenos out of the mixture and just used them to top mine.   I dialed back the hot sauce, next time I'll up it another teaspoon.    My spices were whole, and I measured 1 1/2t of each into the grinder and then ground them.  I had a jar of Ragu Traditional open in the fridge I wanted to use up.    Only had dark brown sugar on hand.   Spread sub rolls with butter and put them under the broiler until golden brown.

We loved these, and I definitely will be making them again.   The mixture would be great over nachos, pasta or as a base for chili.     I bet it would be a good candidate for freezing also.     Thank you so much to Aman…

I knew I was taking a risk with this one, but we eat so much chicken and I'm always looking for a new way to make it.  I saw this recipe on BarbaraBakes, and used it as a jumping off point.    I've got one person that claims to hate vinegar and one that claims to hate soy.     I used the zest and juice of one orange, plus a little bit of orange extract at the end.   I doubled the rest of the ingredients so that I could reserve some for use at the table.     I'm lazy, so I bought chicken tenderloins instead of cubing up the chicken.  

The result- Tim and I loved it.  Jake not so much.   Grilled chicken can still be a challenge with him, and he wasn't having a great day to start with.    We'll be covering up the grill for the winter soon, but I look forward to putting this one into the menu rotation next year.

Huge thanks to Barbara, I've gotten so many winners from her blog, and she is one of the nicest people!    :)   Go to the site and check out her beautiful…

Baking served two purposes today:  using up some apples and warming up the house!   this recipe comes from Virtually Homemade and I made minimal changes- I only had dark brown sugar, vegetable oil and regular milk on hand.    A phone call sidetracked me and I forgot to add a little vinegar to my milk to make it a better sub for the buttermilk.    These would be nice with some cinnamon chips or caramel extract in place of the vanilla.

I packed my topping on a little too tight, it's fairly crisp along the edges, next time I'll use a lighter hand.   These are a great little taste of fall, and I'm sure we'll tear through them in no time.    Thanks to Liz at Virtually Homemade for sharing this recipe!




* Exported from MasterCook *

                            Apple Pie Muffins

                        Ingredients for the Topping:
     1/2           cup  brown sugar (used dark brown)
  6        tablespoons  all purpose flour
     1/4           cup  unsalted butter -- melted
  …

(originally made 10/21/2013)

Getting cooler here in New England and I've started looking for heartier, comfort food-type recipes.    I had a few roma tomatoes left from a trip to the farm, and some gnocchi in the freezer, so thought that I'd make this recipe up for dinner tonight.  

I only used about 10 slices of bacon, the remainder of a package.   The canned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes I ran through the food processor, along with the paste and sugar.     Neither of my guys like chunks of tomato.   It looked a little skimpy, since I was doubling the gnocchi, so I added about 1/4c of tomato sauce.   Got distracted and forgot to add the cream/yogurt, we didn't miss it.  Next time I might stir in a little ricotta. 

I baked this in a 13x9, for 10 mins at 400, then flipped the broiler on to brown up the cheese on top.   Thank you Alida, this recipe certainly is "Simply Delicious"!



* Exported from MasterCook *

             Baked gnocchi with bacon, tomato and mozzar…