Rumbly Tumbly Treats

Layered Red Velvet Cheesecake

2011-11-26T21:38:00.000-08:00

So for Thanksgiving, I decided to attempt a layered red velvet cheesecake. I hadn't made a layer cake before and ever since I had tried the cake from the Cheesecake Factory, I knew I had to make this cake. Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect occasion to make it. I looked for some recipes and came across the one on Erin's Food Files.

The cake turned out great. I was pretty impressed with myself. It looked really good and tasted amazing. I will definitely be making this cake again! I liked the cream cheese frosting, it wasn't too sweet which was something I worried about. It was the prefect match to it all. I was also thrilled that for the first time, my cheesecake didn't crack! Even though it was the center layer and no one would see the cheesecake itself, I was so happy that it did not crack and it was soooo yummy. My hubby approved and he loves cheesecake. It took a lot of restraint for him not to devour the cake before Thanksgiving. I will be using this cheesecake recipe again.

Layered Red Velvet Cheesecake
From: Erin's Food Files
Cheesecake adapted from Martha Stewart
Red velvet cake and frosting adapted from Apple a Day

For the cheesecake:
1 1/4 pounds bar cream cheese (20 oz), room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

For the cake:
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. buttermilk
2 TBSP (1 oz.) red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. confectioners' sugar

1 bar white or dark chocolate (Optional for decoration), I used Ghiradelli

Directions:
For cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.

Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely, then level.

Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

Assembly:
Place bottom layer on cake stand. Remove cheesecake from freezer, unwrap, and remove from metal bottom, then peel off parchment paper. Place cheesecake layer on top of the bottom layer of the red velvet cake. If the cheesecake is wider than the cake, and it is necessary to to trim it, wait approximately 10 minutes for the cheesecake to soften, then trim it with a knife. Place top layer of cake on top of the cheesecake, and coat with a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to act as the crumb coat. Be careful not to get any red velvet crumbs in the bowl of frosting! Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes, then frost with as much of the remaining frosting as necessary. Top with shaved white chocolate and/or shaved dark chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This cake doesn't have to stay in the fridge until IMMEDIATELY before serving, so don't worry if you have a 30 minute lapse between the refrigerator and serving.)

Egg in a hole

2011-09-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Growing up, Papa Bear's grandma made him an egg in the hole for breakfast. He showed me how to make it for Baby Bear. It is really quite simple and very good.

First, butter both sides of a slice of bread.

Take a shot glass to cut a hole out of the middle.

Place the buttered bread in the pan.

Crack an egg and place it in the middle of the hole (hence, the egg in a hole).

Cook on one side a minute or so. Carefully flip the bread and egg over.

Cook until egg is done. Serve with syrup and enjoy.

Mmmm, yummy

Cinco de Mayo Margarita Cupcakes

2011-05-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

I decided to make cupcakes for the end of the year meeting with my students. Since it was Cinco de Mayo, I whipped up Margarita cupcakes (a recipe I had been dying to try) and red velvet cupcakes. The Margarita cupcakes are really easy since it starts off with a boxed cake base. It was pretty good. All my students loved them. The cupcakes were devoured. There are recipes out there with tequila, but since they were for students, though they are college student, I thought I would be a responsible adult and keep that out for this run.

Margarita Cupcake + Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
From: Hostess with the Mostess

Cupcakes:
1 box white cake mix
8 oz margarita mix (liquid)
2 oz tequila
1 oz Grand Marnier
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp grated lime zest

Lime Buttercream Icing:
8 Tbsp butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp lime juice (approx 2 fresh limes)
1 Tbsp margarita mix
1 tsp lime zest
4-5 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350º and prepare muffin pans.

2. Combine margarita mix, tequila, and Grand Marnier in a large glass and stir well. (I did not use tequila or Grand Marnier, I increased the margarita mix to 10 oz)

3. In large bowl, combine cake mix, egg whites, lime zest, vegetable oil, and margarita mixture from step one. Stir ingredients together, then beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for approximately 2-3 minutes.

4. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pans. Fill each cup/liner about 2/3 full.

5. Bake at recommended temperature on cake mix box (usually 325º – 350º) for 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Icing:
6. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, lime juice, margarita mix, and lime zest. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

7. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and continue beating until smooth. If icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time.

8. Spread icing generously on each cooled cupcake* or use a pastry bag to frost.

Holiday treats 2010: Peppermint Bark

2010-12-14T23:31:00.001-08:00

I had always wanted to try making peppermint bark. I love peppermint and chocolate, it is such a great combination. The recipe looked easy enough. It has been quite busy this holiday season and I needed an easy treat to make and give as gifts. Now was a great time to give it a try.

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients
12 ounce milk chocolate melts
12 ounce white chocolate melts
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
10 peppermint candy canes, crushed, divided

Directions

Line a 9X14 inch cookie pan with aluminum foil.
Melt the milk chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 5 minutes. Do not overheat or chocolate will scorch.
Stir in the peppermint extract. Spread the chocolate evenly in the prepared pan; chill for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, for 1 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the crushed candy canes.
Spread the white chocolate mixture evenly over the milk chocolate. Sprinkle the remaining candy cane pieces evenly over the white chocolate layer. Chill until set, about 1 hour. Break into small pieces to serve.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

I never made cranberry sauce before and actually never really liked cranberry sauce. But others like it and it is a staple for Thanksgiving so I thought I would give it a shot for Thanksgiving. I figured it would be a nice alternative to the canned stuff. It was incredibly easy and actually quite yummy. I may actually like cranberry sauce now.

Cranberry Sauce
From: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
¾ cup water
1 small orange, zested and juiced
2/3 cup sugar, plus more to taste
12-16 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

Combine the water, orange zest and juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.
Stir in the cranberries and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer uncovered, about 15 minutes, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thickened.
Remove from heat and let cool completely. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Store in the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before serving.

Easter Dinner 2010

2010-04-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

Easter Dinner menu

Pot Roast
Mashed Potatoes and gravy
Green Bean and Mushroom Medley
Peach Crunch Cake

I made this pot roast dinner a couple of years ago for Easter. I really like the recipe and have made it again and again and decided to make it again this Easter. Mashed potatoes and gravy always go well with a pot roast. We needed some veggies to go with our meal, so I searched on the internet and found this Green Bean and Mushroom Medley on allrecipes.com. I found a easy dessert to make on Bakerella's website, Peach Crunch Cake. Not only was it easy to make it was soo yummy. Definitely a keeper and to be made again.

Green Bean and Mushroom Medley
From allrecipes.com

1/2 pound fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 carrots, cut into thick strips
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, sliced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Directions

1. Place green beans and carrots in 1 inch of boiling water. Cover, and cook until tender but still firm. Drain.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and mushrooms until almost tender. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in green beans, carrots, salt, seasoned salt, garlic salt, and white pepper. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Peach Crunch Cake
From bakerella.com

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Layer ingredients in a 13 X 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

2010-02-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

I made some appetizers for my friend's birthday. I found this recipe from Pioneer Woman, I love her blog. She even has her cook book out, which I want to get. This was seriously so easy and so yummy!! I will definitely be making this again. And yes, she actually calls it "thingies."

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies
From: Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

* 20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
* 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
* 1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Instructions

Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT).
Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half.
Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).
Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.
Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Salsa Verde Carnitas (pork)

2010-01-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

I love a good crock pot recipe. A friend shared with me this easy recipe.

Salsa Verde Carnitas

Ingredients
3 lbs pork roast
1 onion chopped
1 jalapeno
1 jar of salsa verde
1 cup of chicken broth (optional)

Put onion, jalapeno, and pork roast in the crock pot. Cover with salsa verde and chicken (if desided). Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred and enjoy with tortillas and rice. Yummy!!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2009-12-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

My friend made this wonderful Jalapeno Popper Dip for a pot luck and I had to make it for Christmas. It was sooo so yummy and was gobbled up. Definitely a keeper to be made again.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese
Parmesan cheese

Directions

Stir together cream cheese & mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles, jalapeno peppers, and Monterrey Jack cheese. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish & sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Microwave on high until hot, about 3 minutes OR bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com

Pizza Swirls

2009-12-28T21:32:00.000-08:00

A yummy appetizer. I forgot to take pictures before it was all gone. Definitely something I will whip up again.

Pizza Swirls

Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
1/4 pound Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, sliced
1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar of pizza sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Roll pizza crust dough into an approximately 10x14 inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Layer with thin layer of pizza sauce, Genoa salami, pepperoni, and provolone cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese to within 1/2 inch from edges of the dough. Roll jelly roll style. Seal the edge with a fork.

Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, flip over and bake for another 5 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing into 1 inch pieces to serve. Serve with pizza sauce on the side.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Mac and Cheese

2009-12-28T21:25:00.000-08:00

I made Mac and Cheese for a holiday party dinner. I decided to try a different recipe and I am sure glad that I tried this recipe out. This was definitely a good mac and cheese recipe, much better than the recipe I tried out last year. I think the dry mustard and egg made a difference. I didn't get a chance to get a picture, but it was quite yummy. I will make this one again.

Pioneer Woman’s Baked Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
4 cups uncooked macaroni
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 lb. cheese, grated (I used all cheddar)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Dashes of cayenne, paprika, and thyme (optional) – (I used all three)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook macaroni according to package directions until slightly firm. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly and being careful not to burn. Add the milk to the pot, stir in the dry mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook the mixture for five minutes until very thick. Reduce the heat to low.

Add the beaten egg to a small bowl. Take 1/4 cup of the warm sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the egg. Whisk until smooth. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Mix in the cheese, reserving a handful for topping, and stir until completely melted. Add in salt and other seasonings. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Add the drained cooked macaroni to the pot and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish, top with reserved cheese, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly on top.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Pecan Turtle Bars

2009-12-22T22:41:00.000-08:00

For my Christmas baking this year I tried a new recipe, Pecan Turtle Bars. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It looked good and easy to make. I gave it a try and I thought they came out pretty yummy. I packaged them up and gave them as gifts to friends.

Pecan Turtle Bars

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/3 cups butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line 13 x 9 pan in foil.

Combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of foil lined baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumb mixture.

Combine remaining butter and brown sugar in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly. Cook and stir 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.

Bake 25 minutes or until entire surface is bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to allow chocolate to melt; use knife to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into 48 bars.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com

Hot Chocolate Mix

2009-12-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

This year, I made several homemade gifts. I decided to add homemade hot chocolate to my gift. This was pretty yummy to sip on a cold night.

Hot Chocolate Mix

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups granulated sugar
1½ lbs. good quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
9 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups Dutch process cocoa powder*

Directions:
Combine vanilla extract and sugar in a large bowl, let it dry, then break the sugar into small lumps.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the sugar, semisweet and bittersweet chocolate, and Dutch process cocoa powder. Process in 4-second pulses until the chocolate is very finely ground and the mixture is well combined. Store the mix in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Serving Instructions:
Combine 2 tablespoons cocoa mix with 8 oz. of very warm milk and stir to combine until well blended.

*I used a blend of natural and Dutch process cocoa.

This made 12 3/4 cup servings.

Source: adapted from Annie Eats

Toffee Pecan Pie

2009-12-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

I had never made a pie before and I wanted to make a pecan pie for Thanksgiving. There are many recipes out there and I took a little from different ones to create my own. I was very pleased with how it turned out. The toffee bits add an extra crunch, which I love.

Toffee Pecan Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 frozen pie crust
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup of toffee bits

DIRECTIONS
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400º.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, and salt.
3. Cover the bottom of the piecrust evenly with the pecans and toffee bits. Pour in the filling.
4. Bake the pie, rotating it halfway through, until the crust is golden and the filling is set in the middle, about 45 minutes. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes.

Ward's Baked Beans

2009-12-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

We made this amazing baked beans. It was soooo good that I made it for Thanksgiving. The recipe is from Ward. I never met Ward. He was a friend of a friend's dad and he's passed away awhile back. But this recipe has remained and our friend shared it with us. It was so good that I keep forgetting to get a picture before it disappears.

Ward's Baked Beans

1 large can of pork and beans
1/2 package of frozen corn
1/2 package of frozen lima beans
1/2 onion diced
1 jalepeno diced without the seeds
1/2 package of bacon cooked
1 kielbasa sausage

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients and bake for 2 hours.

Quick and easy chili

2009-11-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

I decided to make some chili tonight. I had never made chili that was not out of a can. I was pretty proud of myself since I just kind of put it together by looking at several different recipes. I didn't really measure everything out, so the measurements are all approximations. We gobbled it all up so fast before I had a chance to take a picture. But it was quite good with corn bread.

Easy-peasy Chili

1/4 lb ground beef
1/4 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
minced garlic
adobo seasoning (see below for recipe)
1 can of kidney beans in chili sauce
1 can of Ro*tel diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1. Brown ground beef and drain the fat.
2. Add half of the onions, bell pepper, and garlic to the ground beef and saute until onions are clear.
3. Add adobo seasoning, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
4. Stir and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Top with some chopped onions and cheese.

I had made some adobo seasoning mix for something else a while back, so I used that for the season in my chili since it had everything I wanted to add into the chili. It really worked out well.

Adobo Seasoning
(from Chef Michele's Adventures)

3 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Combine all and mix well. Store in an airtight shaker container.

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

2009-08-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

We were going to a Hawaiian Luau BBQ and needed something quick and easy to bring with us. This fruit salad has pineapple and coconut in it so that fit the bill for a Hawaiian dish. It is an easy peasy recipe and quite yummy!

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 ounce) package orange flavored gelatin mix
1 cup shredded coconut
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the whipped topping and gelatin mix. Stir in the fruits. Chill in refrigerator.

Corn Casserole

2009-01-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

We had another Gourmet Club meeting. I decided to make a corn casserole recipe that I found on Food Network by Paula Deen. It was really yummy and easy to make. Definitely a recipe to keep.

Corn Casserole
From: Food Network

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Gourmet Club Yummies

2009-01-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

Curry Veggies

Salad

My plate with the above dishes and corn casserole and stuffed pork tenderloin.

A nice day in the backyard. Gotta love Southern California winters!

Tortilla Pinwheels

2008-12-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

I love this easy appetizer that can be made ahead of time.

Tortilla Pinwheels

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1 dash of garlic powder
1 (4 ounce) can of chopped green chilies
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of salsa
8 10-inch flour tortillas

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except for tortillas.

2. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the tortillas. Roll the tortillas and refrigerate about 4 hours before slicing into 1 inch pieces.

Rumbly Tumbly Brownie Trifle

2008-12-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

For a holiday party, I decided to make a dessert. I thought I would try something I hadn't made before. I searched Allrecipes.com for different holiday desserts and came across a few different trifle desserts. I adapted a few of them and made my own trifle. It was pretty good.

Rumbly Tumbly Brownie Trifle

Ingredients
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
1-1/2 cups whipping cream
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Prepare brownie mix according to the package directions. Cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares.

2. Beat cream cheese, whipping cream, and vanilla extract in a large bowl at medium speed with a whisk attachment.

3. In a trifle bowl, layer half of the brownies and half of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with chocolate candy on chocolate cookie crumbs (I used Joe Joe crumbs to top).

Cookies!

2008-12-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

I did some baking this weekend. I decided to bake cookies for people at work. I went back to an old favorite of mine that is easy and not totally from scratch. You start with a box of cake mix and you can use pretty much any cake mix flavor you want. I usually do chocolate cake, but I decide to mix it up and I made two varieties: Red Velvet crinkle cookies and French Vanilla Cake butterscotch chip cookies.

1 package of cake mix
1/3 cup of oil
2 eggs
(For the Red Velvet crinkle cookies: powdered sugar)
(For French Vanilla butterscotch chip cookies: 1 cup of butterscotch chips)

Blend cake mix, oil, and eggs.
(For French Vanilla butterscotch chip cookies: blend butterscotch chips).
When blended together, roll into 1 inch balls.
(For the Red Velvet crinkle cookies: Dredge in powdered sugar).
Bake on greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.

A very easy recipe and very yummy.

Gourmet Club for the holidays

2008-12-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

Our gourmet club was simply a holiday theme. Some yummy eats from the gourmet club.

Pumpkin Squash soup

Garden fresh salad (literally the lettuce, pepper, and tomatoes were picked from the garden this morning)

Tenderloin pork with chimacura sauce (this sauce was soooo good), potatoes, and artichoke-spinach casserole.

Butterscotch brownies topped with chocolate ganache

Butterscotch Brownies

2008-12-07T09:41:00.002-08:00

Today we had our gourmet club and being the holiday season, we had a holiday theme. I was in charge of making a dessert. I love to bake so I was quite happy with this assignment. I wanted to try something different from my go-to staples for baking. I had been looking around on the internet when I found on one of my favorite blogs, Bakerella, this recipe for butterscotch brownies. Mmmm, that sounded yummy and different. she got the brownie recipe from VeryBestBaking.com and I used her ganache recipe to give it a little more omph like she did. Here is how it turned out:

Chewy Butterscotch Brownies
From: VeryBestBaking.com

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels, divided
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans since I had some left over from Thanksgiving)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup morsels and nuts. Spread into ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. (I would grease the pan so that it does not stick). Sprinkle with remaining morsels.

BAKE for 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache
From: Bakerella

6 oz. chocolate chip morsels
6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp unsalted butter

In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.
Pour over the chocolate chip morsels.
Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.
Pour over brownies.

MIA

2008-11-18T16:55:00.000-08:00

I realize that haven't posted on this blog in a while. I am so sorry to neglect. I have just been so busy and haven't made anything new or exciting. I know excuses, excuses. But the holidays are coming and that means there is baking and cooking to be done! I love the holiday season, it is busy and crazy but I love to bake treats for family and friends. Holiday baking and cooking starting soon!!! Wohoo!!

Beef, its whats for dinner

2008-08-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I decided to make some beef stew after buying some beef on sale. Yay for sales! I had never made beef stew and was really pleased with this recipe. I made this in the crock pot and came home to some yummy dinner. Gotta love having a reason to use the crock pot!

Beef Stew
adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.

Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Notes:

I put the meat, flour, and seasonings in a ziplock bag and mixed it all up before putting it in the crock pot.
At the very end, I added some gravy mix to thicken up the sauce.

1934 Hershey Chocolate cupcakes

2008-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

My father in law got a Hershey's cookbook with recipes from 1934 and I promised him that I would make something from the book.

We had a family BBQ last weekend and I decided this was a great time to try a recipe from the cookbook. Cupcakes sounded yummy and I found a pink mint frosting recipe to go along with it. The chocolate cupcake itself was quite yummy, however, I think the frosting was a little too minty and took away from the cupcake rather than compliment it. So that was a little disappointing. I will have to give it another try with a different frosting recipe.

Chocolate Town Syrup Cupcakes
From: Hershey's 1934 Cookbook

1/2 cupful butter
1 cupful granulated sugar
1 teaspoonful vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/4 cupful flour (all-purpose)
3/4 teaspoonful baking soda
1 1/2 cupfuls (1-pound can) Hershey's Chocolate Flavored Syrup

Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour and baking soda, and add alternately with the chocolate syrup to the creamed mixture. Pour the batter into paper-line muffin cups, filling each 1/2 full. Bake in a moderated oven (375 degrees) for 20 to 25 minutes.
Yield: About 30 cupcakes.

Mint Buttercream Frosting
From:Big Oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 cups powdered sugar sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon all natural peppermint extract

1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract, beat until combined.
3. add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Notes:

I halved the recipe and used 3 cups of powdered sugar for a thicker consistency.
I think I might have put a little too much mint extract by accident.
I added red food coloring to make it pink.

Spanish Gourmet Club

2008-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday we had another one of my gourmet club get togethers. The theme for this time was Spanish cuisine. I studied in Spain for 2 months when I was in undergraduate school so I was very excited to have some yummy Spanish food.

I decided to make Tortilla Espanola, also known as Tortilla de patatas or in English, Spanish Omelette.

Tortilla Espanola
recipe adapted from here.

1/2 pint of olive oil
5 medium (40 oz each) baking potatoes, peeled, sliced and lightly sprinkled with salt
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 eggs
Salt

Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch skillet and add the potato slices carefully, because the salt will make the oil splatter. Try to keep the potato slices separated so they will not stick together. Cook, turning occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander, leaving about 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes, and stir to coat with the egg. Add the egg-coated potatoes to the very hot oil in the skillet, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until mixture is half set.

Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelette away from the hand holding the plate (so as not to burn your hand with any escaping oil). Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and slide the omelette back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook until completely set. Allow the omelette to cool, and then cut it into wedges. Season it with salt and sprinkle with lemon juice to taste (optional).

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Other dishes served at the Gourmet Club:

Tapas (appetizers):

Beef empanadas

Vegetable empanadas

Seafood paella

Beef Tenderloin Asturias (It was so yummy that I almost forgot to take a picture)

And for dessert, we had bread pudding (it is not Spanish, but it was absolutely delicious! Another yummmy dish that I almost forgot to take a picture of.)

Cucumber and Chops

2008-07-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

My neighbor just started growing a vegetable garden and since my father-in-law has been watering and watching his house, we were fortunate enough to partake in the fruits (veggies) of the garden. We had some fresh cucumbers and I decided to make a cucumber salad. To go with the cucumber salad, I decided I wanted to make pork chops. I came across this wonderful recipe from Adventures in Home Cooking blog for onion baked pork chops. Father-in-law and Mr. Bear happily devoured the yummy dinner.

Rumbly Tumbly Cucumber Salad

Ingredients
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste
Salt and pepper

Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Combine the vinegar, water, and sugar until sugar dissolves. Stir in dill, salt, and pepper, cover, and refrigerate until cold. Be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least 1 hour.

Note: Recipe measurements are all approximations.

Onion Baked Pork Chops
From: Adventures in Home Cooking

Ingredients
4 pork chops
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix
1 egg, well beaten
2/3 cup bread crumbs
2 T. olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.

Combine soup mix and bread crumbs. Dip chops in egg and then in bread crumb/onion mixture, coating well. Place in a shallow pan.

Drizzle olive oil onto pork chops. Bake 30 minutes, turning once.

Notes:

The original recipe called for 2 eggs but I didn't need 2, instead I beat a little bit of milk in with the egg.
The original recipe also called for butter but I omitted the butter (we don't need the extra calories and it turned out just fine without it).
Also, i didn't have to bake for as long since they were thin pieces of pork.

A different spin on cornbread

2008-07-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

My gourmet club met this past weekend. The theme was summer/BBQ. We had great food and wonderful company. Tons of fun!!

I made a salad recipe that I had never ever heard of let alone made, a cornbread salad. You never know how things will turn out when you try a new recipe, especially when you are not quite sure how it should taste. This recipe was definitely a keeper. It is always a good sign when others ask for the recipe. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe: I halved the recipe, used black beans instead of pinto beans, excluded the bacon, and used pre-made ranch dressing.

Cornbread salad
from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package cornbread mix
1/2 bottle of ranch dressing
1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (11 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained

Prepare corn bread according to package directions. Cool, crumble, and set aside. (I crumbled about 1/2 of the prepared cornbread)

Place half the crumbled cornbread in the bottom of a large serving dish. Top with half the beans. Layer the beans with half of the tomatoes, green bell pepper, and green onions. Sprinkle with half the cheese, corn, and the salad dressing mixture. Repeat the layers. Cover, and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Other dishes from the Gourmet Club:

Some appetizers

Bean dip

Beet salad

Gazpacho Soup

BBQ Chicken (with a very good dog watching closely).

We also had some delicious ribs (not pictured). I also forgot to take pictures of the yummy desserts. Next month's theme is Spanish.

Summer Pasta Salad

2008-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, we had a BBQ pot luck at work to celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. Pasta salad is an yummy and easy dish to make. Perfect for a pot luck since you can make it the night before, which makes it taste even better. My measurements are not exact, mostly for taste and looks.

Rumbly Tumbly Summer Pasta Salad

1 lb package of tri-color rotini pasta
1/2 orange bell pepper chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper chopped
1 tomato diced
1/2 cup green onions chopped
1 can of sliced olives (drained)
1/2 bottle of Italian salad dressing
1/2 bottle of Ceaser salad dressing
1/2 cup parmasean cheese

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse under cold water, and drain.

Mix chopped peppers, tomatoes, onion, and olives together in large bowl.

Combine cooled pasta and vegetables together in large bowl. Pour dressings over mixture, add Parmesan cheese and mix well.

Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Red Velvet Treats

2008-05-14T08:30:00.001-07:00

This weekend I made some Red Velvet Treats for my father-in-law’s birthday, Red Velvet Truffles and Red Velvet Cupcakes. My father-in-law loved the Red Velvet truffles and is convinced that I should go in the candy making business (For Christmas, I made some Oreo truffles, which he raved about to all his friends). He is so sweet, he loves every treat I make. :-)

Red Velvet Truffles
From: http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2007/12/red-velvet-cake-balls.html

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet.
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package or melt chocolate using the double boiler method.
6. Using a toothpick, dip each ball into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper. Decorate as desired. Store in refrigerator.

Red Velvet cupcakes

Since I had bought a second box of red velvet cake mix, I decided to also make some red velvet cupcakes. So I did not make it from scratch this time around, I just didn’t have the time. I did make the frosting from scratch. I used the Sprinkle's cream cheese frosting recipe and that made all the yummy difference. I think Mr. Bear’s cousin really liked the cupcakes :-)

Sprinkle’s cream cheese frosting

8oz. cold cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, firm but not cold
1/8 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Beat cream cheese, butter and salt until smooth.
2. Gradually add confectioner's sugar and beat until incorporated.
3. Add vanilla and beat just until incorporated
4. Don't over mix. It should be creamy and dense like ice cream.

It's all in the cheese: Mac and Cheese

2008-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I decided that I wanted to make mac and cheese for a a family BBQ for my Father-in-law's birthday. So I looked at a ton of different recipes from friends and on the internet. There are a range of ways to make mac and cheese and I finally decided to take a little something from all the recipes I found and created my own. I am glad I did, everyone seemed to love it. I used 4 different cheeses because I love cheese, especially sharp cheese. You can really use any type you like.

Rumbly Tumbly Mac and Cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9 X 13 casserole.

Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the elbow macaroni and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7-8 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Add flour, whisking often until smooth bubbly. Gradually add half and half and cream cheese. Continue cooking on medium heat until sauce is thickened and cream cheese is melted. Add seasonings. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. Add half of the mixed cheese s to the sauce and stir until melted.

Stir sauce into the macaroni. Then add the other half of the shredded cheeses and mix until well combined. Transfer to the buttered casserole.

Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

An Easter Feast

2008-03-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Mr. Bear and I had a low key Easter Sunday with basically just the two of us and my father-in-law.

Easter Dinner Menu
Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
French rolls
Apple crisp a la mode

I almost forgot to take a picture of dinner, so this plate is half eaten, LOL.

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast
From: allrecipes.com

I modified the recipe by adding some veggies and by cutting it in half since it was only Mr. Bear, my father-in-law, and me for dinner. My modifications are in blue italics.

INGREDIENTS
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
2 3/4 pounds pot roast

My additions: salt, pepper, baby carrots, 1 onion, 1 beef bullion cube, and mushrooms

DIRECTIONS
In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water.
Add carrots, onion, and beef bullion cube.
Season pot roast with salt and pepper.
Place pot roast (on top of veggies) in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
Put mushrooms on top of roast.
Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

Gravy

Using the drippings and flour, I made a wonderful gravy to go with the roast and the mashed potatoes. Add flour until you get the right consistency. My father-in-law had two helpings of everything. A great sign, dinner was so yummy!! Now for dessert.

Apple Crisp

I had never made an Apple Crisp or any kind of apple dessert before. I looked around for a recipe and decided to combine a few different recipes. The result was perfect. I was very pleased with my recipe combination, not too sweet and or runny. It was so yummy with some vanilla bean ice cream.

INGREDIENTS
4 cups sliced apples (peeled and cored) - I used 2 large granny smith apples and 1 medium gala apple
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
3/4 cup brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup of oats
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat flour

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
Soak apples in water then drain and place apples in prepared dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
In a bowl, mix the 1/2 cup brown sugar, flour, oats, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples.
Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes, until apples are tender and crust is golden.
Top each serving with ice cream.

Yummy! Two recipes I will definitely use again!

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Low-Fat Baked Chicken

2008-03-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It is easy and healthy for you.

Best Ever Low-Fat Baked Chicken
From: http://www.recipeland.com/recipe/32827/

4 each chicken breasts skinless, boneless
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated fat free
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon parsley leaves flakes
1/2 cup liquid margarine fat free (squeeze bottle) - I used olive oil instead

Mix bread crumbs, cheese and seasoning in shallow bowl.
Dip each chicken breast in liquid spread, then in bread crumb mixture.
Place each breast on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes on 375 degress or until golden brown.

Yields 4 servings

Gourmet Club

2008-03-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a gourmet club meeting. The theme was New Orleans cuisine, so everyone made something. I was invited just a few nights before so I brought wine to my first club meeting. Our next meeting in May and it will be a Spanish theme. Yummy! I studied abroad in Spain for a summer while I was in college and so I have a few favorite dishes, I only hope I can find a good recipe.

Here are some pictures from the New Orleans Gourmet Club meeting. Everything was soooo good. Great food with great friends, what can get better than that!

Cajun Garlic Barbecue Ribs

Yo Mama's Rice

Jambalaya

Not pictured: crab cakes, bread pudding with whiskey reduction sauce.

Enter to Win!

2008-03-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Check out this food blog. Megan is having raffling off some goodies; a basket of some great spring items. All you have to do is reply to her post and there are other ways to earn more entries, check it out. Don't forget to let her know that sherthebear referred you!

Smoky Joe's Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

2008-03-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

I found this website with a ton of healthy crock pot recipes. I decided to give one a try yesterday and this was a pretty yummy recipe. Mr. Bear even went back for seconds, always a good sign!

Smoky Joe's Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

1 pound well-trimmed beef cubes
3/4 cup each drained salsa and barbecue sauce
1 (1.25-ounce) packet reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix
2 cups frozen corn
2 (15-ounce) cans rinsed and drained black beans (I only used 1 can)
1 (19-ounce) can rinsed and drained chickpeas or garbanzo beans (I used white beans since that was what I happened to have)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro

In a 3- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine beef, salsa, barbecue sauce, taco mix and corn; mix well. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or low 6 to 8 hours, or until meat is tender. Add beans and cilantro; mix well. Cover and let stand 5 minutes for beans to heat through.

Serves 8. Nutrition information per serving: 301 calories; 23g protein; 5g fat; 40g carbohydrate; 35mg cholesterol; 1,002mg sodium; 11g fiber. 4.5 WW points.

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Cottage Cheese and Egg Custard

2008-02-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

I have been looking for a good breakfast that is quick and easy with protein. I found this recipe and decide to try it. It is really yummy with plenty of protein. I make these on Sunday evening and have them for the week. I simply heat a couple of them up in the morning for about 30 seconds in the microwave and have them with an English muffin. Very yummy and healthy breakfast.

Cottage Cheese and Egg Custard
From: http://www.recipezaar.com/278257

Ingredients
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
3 eggs or 6 egg whites (I used egg beaters)
1/2 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese , divided
fresh herbs , such as tarragon, parsley (optional) or chives (optional) or fresh spinach , chopped (optional) - I used chopped spinach

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place cottage cheese and eggs in a blender and run on medium speed for 1 minute or until fully combined.

Add half of the cheddar cheese and blend for 10 seconds.

Pour mixture into a bowl and fold in the remaining cheese and herbs or spinach (if using) with a spoon.

Pour into muffin pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until puffy and starting to brown.

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Mini Turkey Meatloaf

2008-02-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

This was a blog entry from February 20, 2008:

For several years I have been using a turkey meatloaf recipe I got from Shape Magazine back in January 2001. It is a healthier and lower fat take on the traditional meatloaf by making a few substitutions. I never really follow all the actual measurements in the recipe but instead estimate as I mix. This time around I baked my turkey meatloaf in a muffin pan to make mini meatloaves. This technique helps to control portion size and decreases the time needed for cooking.

The recipe from Shape Magazine uses a technique to drain the fat away from the meatloaf by using a baking sheet or baking pan instead of the traditional loaf pan. So instead of the fat being absorbed into the meat as it bakes, the fat is drained away to the side of the pan. Well, the draining away of the fat is lost by using the muffin pan so this would probably slightly increase the calorie and fat content of the mini meatloaves.

When Mr. Bear came into the kitchen to see what was for dinner, he thought I made muffins again and was quite confused when I served him meatloaf muffins, LOL. The mini meatloaves were good and it was nice that they cooked in half the time. We didn't eat the entire loaf like we usually would so there was enough leftover to use with my spagetti sauce for dinner tonight. This mini meatloaf technique was definitely helpful to control portion size, if only I could drain the fat too as with the Shape Magazine technique and then I would have the best of both worlds.

Barbeque Turkey Meatloaf
from: Shape Magazine, January 2001 (pp. 64-67 - I still have the torn out copy from the magazine)

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 egg whites or 1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a 13 X 9 inch baking pan or baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray (or muffin pan if making mini meatloaves).

In a large bowl combine all ingredients (except the 1/4 cup of barbeque sauce).

Place meatloaf mixture in the center of a baking pan and shape into a loaf by hand (or place small loaves into muffin pan). Spread remaining barbeque sauce evenly over the top of the loaf. Bake for 1 hour and let stand for 5 minutes before draining fat and slicing (for mini meatloaves you only have to bake for 30 minutes).

Nurtition Info per serving (2 1 inch slices): 190 calories, 16% fat (3.5 g; 0.9 saturated), 41% carbs (17.7 g), 43% protein (18.7 g), 0.7 g fiber.

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Crock Pot Yummy!

2008-02-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

This was a blog entry from Feb. 15, 2008:

The crock pot is such a great kitchen item for busy families. It is so wonderful to come home from a long work day and have dinner ready and waiting for you. I have a programmable crock pot by Rival that I received as a wedding gift and I have used it several times. My friend shared one of her favorite crock pot recipes with me and I finally tried it. Mr. Bear loved it and ate it all up. Definitely an easy yummy dish! Thanks Bryn!

Crock pot salsa chicken

Ingredients:
4 Frozen Chicken Breasts
1/2 a packet of Taco Seasoning (or you can make your own Taco Seasoning)
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup (I used 99% fat free)
1/2 a jar of salsa

Spray crock pot with some non-stick spray and then put all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Top with sour cream (we used low-fat) and cheddar cheese (we used 2% cheese). Eat with flour tortilla or tortilla chips.

It is a very yummy meal. Nice and easy for the working woman!

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Enchiladas and Cottage Cheese

2008-02-24T19:13:00.000-08:00

This was a blog entry from Feb. 3, 2008:

I tried a new enchilada recipe today. I found this recipe on http://www.allrecipes.com/ a while back and have been meaning to give it a try. I had extra cottage cheese that I needed to use pretty soon, so I figured it was a good time to give it a shot.

Cottage Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
from http://www.allrecipes.com/

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - boiled and shredded
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups cottage cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce (I used 28 ounce can)

DIRECTIONS
1. To Make Meat Mixture: Heat oil in medium skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, onion and green chile peppers and saute until browned, then add taco seasoning and prepare meat mixture according to package directions.
2. To Make Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl mix sour cream with cottage cheese and season with salt and pepper; stir until well blended.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. To Assemble Enchiladas: Heat tortillas until soft. In each tortilla place a spoonful of meat mixture, a spoonful of cheese mixture and a bit of shredded cheese. Roll tortillas and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with any remaining meat and cheese mixture, enchilada sauce and remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

A few suggestions: use extra enchilada sauce and put sauce on the bottom of the baking dish too. From making enchiladas in the past, I have learned that you want to make sure the sauce covers the enchiladas while baking so they don't get dry. I used low-fat cottage cheese and sour cream to make it little bit lower in fat and my own little taco seasoning mix (also from http://www.allrecipes.com/).

The Muffin Woman

2008-02-24T19:10:00.000-08:00

Here was a blog entry from Jan. 31, 2008:

The last couple of weeks, I have been on a quest to find a yummy healthy muffin recipe. I tried a blueberry muffin recipe last week and I did not like muffins at all, they were dry and dense, almost like a scone but not very good. That was a bummer since I used fresh yummy blueberries. So my quest continued for a new recipe.

Last night, I tried a banana muffin recipe and I am quite happy with the muffins, they are very tasty and better yet, I am able to use bananas that are overly ripe and will end up getting thrown out, so I am not wasting any food.

Whiz-Bang Banana Muffins
From: http://www.bellybytes.com/recipe/muffins/muffin01.html

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup quick-cooking oatmeal
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Nonstick cooking spray or shortening
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large ripe banana, cut up (I used 2 medium ones)
I also added ¼ cup of chopped pecans since I happened to have them

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. Lightly coat muffin pan with cooking spray or grease with shortening.

In a blender container combine milk, egg, and oil. Cover and blend smooth. With blender running, add banana and blend into mixture. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full.

Bake in the 400 degree oven about 20 minutes (I baked for 15 minutes) or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 10 to 12

(Nutritional facts per serving from the website: Calories: 132 , Total fat: 4g , Saturated fat: 1g , Cholesterol: 22mg , Sodium: 162mg , Carbohydrate: 22g , Fiber: 1g)

I think they turned out very yummy! I think next time I try ½ all-purpose flour and ½ wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil, and maybe a little vanilla extract to make it even better for you. I will also bake at 375 degrees instead. I think 400 was too high and so luckily I checked after 15 minutes rather than letting it go to 20 minutes as the instructions suggested.

Welcome to Rumbly Tumbly Treats!

2008-02-24T19:08:00.000-08:00

I started a blog a while ago and have been including my recipes within that blog. I figured why not start a cooking blog for the yummy recipes I have been trying to share with others. So here we go with Rumbly Tumbly Treats: Yummy Treats for the Rumbly in your Tumbly. :)