Sorry everyone

Hi everyone,
   So I'm sorry that there hasn't been a post in a while.  There was Thanksgiving, of which we cooked two since my brother wasn't home for the first, and then I hit the ground running for finals Now that finals are done, I've managed to lose a set of keys and hurt my lower back.  So once I can stand again, (I'm secretly hoping tomorrow) I'm going to start making the dough for the cookies that are coming up.  I'll give you a little preview:
   My great-grandmother's sugar cookies, ginger snaps, a bunch of different kinds of biscotti, some chocolate cookies with peppermint pieces and maybe a few others. 
So once again, I apologize for the delay and I promise to get posting again.  I'll also try and post some of the things we make for Christmas... yummm 
Stay tuned, delicious things are soon to come 

Update

Hi everyone,
  I know it has been a week or so since my last post, but it is coming.  Thanksgiving was a week where I cooked two meals for the family, both turkey and both traditionally Thanksgiving themed.  This week, I'll be working with leftover, Turkey Tetrazzini.  I'm also making sugar cookies to send to my adopted soldier.  I'm thinking about doing some snickerdoodle and possibly homemade gingerbread men, we will have to see.  I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Let me know what you're favorite Thanksgiving dish is, I love finding out what others make!

~ Clem

Beef, Lentil, Potato and Green Olive Soup

So I know the title of this soup sounds unusual, but let me tell you, the salty kick of the green olives makes you want to eat this soup continuously!  I took the recipe from the Taste of Home website, Beef, Barley and Lentil Soup switched out some ingredients that I didn't have, added some that I needed to get rid of and made some delicious soup.  With a great piece of crusty bread, this was ideal for the partially rainy day that was today. 

Beef, Lentil, Potato and Green Olive Soup

1 pound lean ground beef (80% lean)

1 tablespoon onion powder, you can use one small onion chopped, but I don't like onions

1 bag small butter potatoes

1 cup chopped celery (I used giant chunks and took them out since I don't like celery either)

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1/2 cup Bulgar (or Barley)

8 cups water

2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 can tomato sauce (I used homemade tomato sauce, you can used stewed tomatoes)

1 large can drained, green olives

1/2  teaspoon pepper

In a large pot, cook the ground beef until it is done and cooked through.  Drain most of the grease off and put the ground beef in a seperate bowl.  In a little bit of the leftover grease, saute the carrots, celery and onion until soft, probably ten or so minutes.  Add the water, bouillon, salt, chili powder, pepper, potatoes, lentil, bulgar (barley), and ground beef back into the pot.  Make sure everything is in the pot, except the green olives, and cover.  Bring to a boil on medium heat, let boil, covered for about 40 minutes.  Turn off the heat, remove from the burner and stir in the green olives. Serve hot and with warm, crusty bread!

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with Caramel Kisses

So I've never made Peanut Butter Blossom cookies before, but I decided that they would ship well overseas.  Not wanting to make the usual, I decided to substitute Caramel filled kisses for the regular solid kisses.  I'll be honest, these were not my best cookies.  I didn't realize that they were done when the timer went off because they honestly didn't turn brown and they barely cracked.  So as a warning, just take them out when the timer goes off.  Mine were still very good, but not as moist as I had hoped.  I would like to try these one time with peanut butter filled kisses, yummm!  My cookies were delicious though and the caramel was a nice touch!

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with Caramel Kisses

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates Caramel Filled

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoonbaking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.     
Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
 Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet.    Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each
cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 4 dozen cookies.

Recipe from  Peanut Butter Blossoms

Molasses Cookies

I have never made a molasses cookie before, nor have I ever eaten one.  The closest I have come to enjoying molasses was in pecan pie.  Let me tell you though, these cookies have changed my mind.  Slightly crunchy on the outside, soft in the inside and a little bit of spice and sweet, equals a mouth watering and most perfect combination ever!  Not only are they delicious, the house smelled amazing when I baked them.  I followed the recipe found on the Taste of Home website, but I made a few spice changes.  I rolled my molasses cookies in cinnamon sugar and then added more cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves.  Here is the Taste of Home link Mom's Molasses Cookies but my recipe follows.

Molasses Cookies
3/4 cup shortening

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon reserved for cinnamon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

In a large bowl, cream shortening and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, molasses, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll into 1-1/4-in. balls; roll in remaining sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10-14 minutes or until tops crack and edges are slightly firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 5 dozen.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

My chocolate chip cookie recipe is always asked for!  I took the recipe from Crisco and added a little bit more vanilla and some extra love, and amazing cookies!  I normally make this recipe in quadruple or more and put it in the freezer.  They freeze well and still make great cookies!  Here is the link Chocolate Chip Cookies and then here is my actual recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening

1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2  tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 3/4 cups allpurpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

HEAT oven to 375ºF
Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. I use a little ice cream scoop.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. As soon as they come out of the oven I sprinkle them with just a tiny dusting of salt.  Brings out the sweet taste just a little bit more. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely. 

Pumpkin Spice cookies

So I shipped out my first two packages of cookies to my adopted soldier.  I sent pumpkin spice cookies, molasses, chocolate chip and peanut butter blossom with caramel kisses.  These pumpkin spice cookies I found on the Betty Crocker website, Pumpkin Spice Cookies I didn't make the brown butter icing because I couldn't ship it in my box.  When I tasted the batter, I felt that it needed more spice, so I changed the measurements and added nutmeg.  It tasted EXACTLY like a pumkpin pie.  I had rave reviews.  Here is my recipe for just the cookies. 

Pumpkin Spice Cookies
2/3 cup granulated sugar                                         
2/3cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (from 15-oz can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)                                           
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspon of nutmeg, depending on how much nutmeg you liked.  I used 1/2 tsp

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well blended. Beat in pumpkin and eggs until well mixed. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
On greased cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls. 
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until light brown.

The brown butter recipe is on the link above, but these cookies are great without frosting.

Update

So for everyone who is interested, there will be some fun updates this week, hopefully before I leave on Thursday for a conference.  I adopted a soldier from my friend's dad's unit in Afghanistan and his name is William, so tomorrow morning I'm mailing him cookies... Chocolate Chip, Molasses, Pumpkin Spice and Peanut Butter Blossom with Caramel Kisses.  These recipes will be posted.  Also, I'll be posting lunch for this week, which is Beef, Lentil and Potato Soup with Green Olives... absolutely delicious!  So keep checking back and I'll hopefully have them posted soon.  Until then, have a good Sunday night and let's hope Monday goes by quickly! 

Amazing Black Bean Brownies

Moist, delicious and chocolaty brownies with way less guilt, who doesn't love that?!?!  I'll admit, I was incredibly skeptical when my friend Tree's roommates in Boston gave me this recipe.  I tested one of their brownies that night and fell in love.  I'll admit that people give you a funny look when you offer them a black bean brownie, but once they taste them, they are quickly won over.  These brownies do have to be stored in the refrigerator once they are baked, but they are well worth it.  Please give them a try and you'll love them!  If you want to make them a little sweeter, add about a half cup of sugar to the pureed bean mixture.  Enjoy!

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 c. butter
2 c. cooked black beans.  (use canned beans)

1 c. walnuts chopped

1 Tbsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
1 ½ agave nectar
¼ c. instant coffee, made

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 11 x 18 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with oil.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a class bowl in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes to 2 minutes on high.  Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely.  Place the beans, ½ cup of the walnuts, vanilla, and some of the melted chocolate in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth.  The batter should be thick and the beans smooth.

 In a large bowl mix the remaining ½ c. walnuts, remaining chocolate, coffee and salt.  Mix well and set aside.

 In another bowl, beat the eggs until light and creamy about a minute.  Add the agave nectar and beat well. 

 Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture.  Stir until well blended.  Add the egg mixture reserving about ½ a cup.  Mix well.  Pour the batter in the prepared pan.  Using a mix, re-beat the egg mixture until fluffy and drizzle over the brownie mixture.  Swirl with a toothpick for a marbled effect.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until they are set.  Let cool in the pan completely, then put in the refrigerator.  After an hour, slice into squares.  Make sure to store them in the refrigerator and enjoy!

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

So this recipe was given to me by a friend who is a regular at my gym.  His daughter is a vegetarian and he figured I would enjoy cooking this recipe and he was correct.  It tastes great and you really can't tell that there is not meat in the chili.  It's a little spicy, hearty and the best part is, you can have a huge bowl and still feel good about eating healthy.  I don't like pieces of onions or celery in my chili, so I threw my sauted vegetables in the food processor with tomato sauce (I used tomato sauce and not diced tomatoes because I don't want to have to buy them), worked wonderful.
  Here is the recipe:

½ c. green pepper chopped

½ c. celery chopped
½ c. onion chopped
½ c. carrots chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
 

½ c. barley

½ c. bulgur
½ c. lentils
4 c. water
2 Tbsp vegetable base or chicken if not making it vegan

1 lg can diced tomatoes or tomato sauce

1 lg can tomato puree
1 sm can chick peans
1sm can northern beans
1 sm can red kidney beans
1 c. salsa
2 tsp soy sauce

¼ tsp celery salt

¼ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp onion salt
½ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red paper flakes
½ tsp oregano
1 Tbsp chili power
½ tsp cumin
1 Tbsp sugar

Saute all the vegetables in the first block.  Cook the grains in the water/base.  Combine grains and vegetables in a large pot, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer.  Serve in bowls with bread or crackers and Enjoy!

Food for the coming up week

So everyone, I figured I would just give you a hint of the food that is coming up this weekend.  The main dish is hearty vegetarian chili, the recipe was given to me a regular at the gym where I work.  I'm excited to make it and I'm going to try some alterations to the recipe, so I'll let you know how it goes.  The second, and my sweet treat for the week, are going to be black bean brownies.  I'm really looking forward to these because I have made them before and they are delicious.  I'm making the chili tomorrow and possibly the brownies, we shall have to see.  Until then, have a great night everyone. 

Creamy Brown Sugar Grits

I have made this for breakfast for the past few days and realized I should share the recipe.  I know that the picture doesn't look great again, but I'm not sure how to make grits pretty.  So here's the recipe, you can adjust it to how sweet you like it.  I like mine pretty sweet. 

1/2 c. water
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. grits
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. light cream

                                                                                (Creamy Brown Sugar Grits with Apricot Preserves)

In a sauce pan on the stove combine the milk, water and salt.  Bring to a boil and add the grits, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 10 to 15 minutes.  You can also cook it to your desired thickness, some people like it more like soup, I like mine more like pudding.  When it is close to done, add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved.  Remove from the heat and pour in the cream.  Serve warm or cold, enjoy! 
  You can also mix in nuts (walnuts or almonds would be great), fruit (peaches or raspberries or blueberries, etc) or jelly/preserves (peach or strawberry or blackberry). 

Asian Shrimp and Quinoa

So the picture of this recipe is not so great, but the taste is delicious!  I guess I need to work on my food picture taking.... any tips would be helpful.  However, try the recipe and you will be pleasantly surprised!

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. Apricot preserves
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c. water
1 package garlic flavored quinoa (or use regular quinoa)
1 3/4 cup broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts chopped  (I didn't have carrots or water chestnuts, so I used mushrooms and brussel sprouts. I also used frozen veggies, steamed them in the microwave and then added them)
1 1/4 lbs of shrimp (I used on bag of medium shrimp that was on sale, use whatever you can get cheaply)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine the first eight ingredients in a small bowl. 
In a sauce pan on the stove combine the water and the quinoa.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. 
While the quinoa is cooking, put the shrimp on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until pink.
Remove the quinoa from the heat, add the vegetables, shrimp and dressing. 
Serve warm and enjoy!

If you had a grill you could also grill the shrimp, but since I don't I had to bake them... if you grill them, let me know please!

Upside Down Apple Caramel Cake

So this recipe was from a magazine and it is delicious!  It is like a light cheesecake with an apple and caramel topping.  Imagine a cross between a cheesecake and an apple upside down cake... YUMM!!
You can also use pears and peaches if one of those are better for you.  I used Granny Smith apples again because I like the tart with the sweet, but use whatever makes you happy.

Caramel topping:
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp of lemon juice

 Cake:
3 cups (3 apples, approximately) sliced into thin strips
3 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup, melted butter
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup flour

Spring form pan is easiest, but I imagine you can use a regular round pan, just grease it well!

I put tinfoil in the bottom of my spring form pan and then grease the foil, just to make it easier to get out.  Place the prepared pan on a cookie sheet so if the caramel sauce leaks you don't have a mess in your oven.

Add the first two ingredients, the 3/4 c. sugar and 1/2 c. water together and put on medium heat.  DO NOT STIR!  Let cook for about 20 minutes or so, until it just BARELY starts to turn golden.  Trust me, it seems like it takes forever, but so worth it.  You will see little tiny bubbles, then as it gets hotter, bigger bubbles and then finally it will start to turn light brown. 
At light brown, turn off the stove, and add the 2 tsp of lemon juice.  BE CAREFUL, IT WILL BUBBLE AND SPIT, but just keep stirring, it is worth it!
Pour this mixture, while hot into the springform pan.
Carefully place the apples into the caramel sauce, don't burn your fingers and use a pretty design. 
Meanwhile, while I wait for the sugar to cook,  I make the cake.

Add the 3/4 c. sugar and eggs to a pan and cream them until light and fluffy. 
Add the melted butter, (turn the mixer down since the cake is pretty liquidy at this point) and mix the butter, eggs and sugar together.
Turn the mixer back up and add the cream cheese and flour and beat until fluffy and light white. 
Once the caramel and apples are in the pan, pour the cake batter over the apples. 
Place in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the top is slightly brown.

Let the cake rest for 5 to 10 minutes and then flip over onto a plate and serve... ENJOY!!

Crustless Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is a favorite of mine, but sometimes I want something that tastes the same without the work of making crust, putting it into a pie shell and baking it.  Crockpot to the rescue!  I made this chicken pot pie on a cold fall day and it made the whole house smell amazing!
 Here is the recipe:
6 chicken thighs (I used these because they were on sale and they hold up to the longer cooking time)
1 package small potatoes (also on sale and didn't require much work, but you could use regular potatoes, just cut them in half)
half a bag of frozen corn
half a bag of frozen peas
Carrots (peeled and cut into chunks)
1 onion cut into pieces (large chunks or small depending on your preference)
whatever other vegetables you want to add
26 oz (one box) Chicken stock
quarter of a tsp salt
 half tsp of pepper
4 bay leaves
1 tbsp rotisserie chicken seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
5 pieces of garlic, minced
flour

Add the potatoes, carrots, corn, onion, stock, other vegetables (not peas), salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaves and seasoning to the crockpot.  Lay the chicken thighs on tops of the vegetables and cover.  Let cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 2 or until chicken thighs are done. Remove the bay leaves.  Take out the thighs and bones and shred the chicken.  Before adding the chicken back in, take out as much liquid as possible and add it to a pan on the stovetop.  Turn the stove on medium and slowly whisk in flour, creating gravy.  Taste and seaon with more salt, pepper or whatever is needed.  Add the chicken back to the vegetables, add the frozen peas and the gravy and stir everything together.  Serve with warm bread or rolls or alone.  Delicious and so simple! 
Enjoy!

Warm Mini Apple Pies

So with the approach of fall, I immediately think apples and I become incredibly happy!  I loooove apples! My friends were also having a get together and I was in charge of dessert.... what could be better?  So I found an amazing dough recipes at http://rainydaygal.com/2010/04/07/mini-strawberry-pies/ .  This was honestly the best and tastiest dough recipe!  I am awful at rolling dough, normally mine has holes in it and looks awful, but this came out PERFECT! 
Dough recipe:
  I used 2 cups of regular flour and it turned out fine (instead of the cake flour)
 butter
eggs
So make the dough following the recipe from rainydaygal and let it sit in the fridge for 20 or so minutes. 
In the mean time you will need:
2 cups diced Granny Smith Apples (I like the tartness)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1tsp of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne (gives the filling a little bit of heat, so they taste warm, even when they are cold!)
1 to 1.5 tablespoons of flour (depending on how much water is in your apples.  I would use 1 tablespoon first, mix it all together and then see if you need to add more.  I like my filling thick, so I normally add 1.5)
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

Peel and dice 2 Granny Smith apples
Put them in lemon juice so they don't turn brown.
Toss them around in the lemon juice and then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, and flour. 
Let that sit.

In the meantime, roll out the dough, about a quarter of an inch thick.  Take a cupcake pan and spray each of the circles with Pam.   Then, take a 3 inch wide mug and cut circles out of the dough.  Push the dough into the cupcake tins, creating a mini pie shell.  Try to make sure that you push the dough as far up the cupcake as you can, this makes a deeper pie and holds more filling.  YUM!  Then fill the pie shells with the apple pie filling.

Cover lightly with foil (so the edges don't burn) and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until very bubble at 400 degrees. 
If you want to get super creative you could make tops for the apple pie and make a covered mini apple pie or make a crumb topped apple pie or even a caramel topped apple pie!  Variations may be coming at some point! 

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

So a few weeks ago I made White Hot Chocolate Cupcakes  (http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/white-hot-chocolate-cupcakes/d714aa0c-013b-4910-866d-02f217702cd7) and posted them to my facebook wall. I had a request for regular Hot Chocolate Cupcakes and so I decided to make them for my friend Jamie's birthday this week.  They taste amazing!!! 
Here is the recipe:
1 Betty Crocker Devil's food cake mix
eggs and oil as called for on the package
brewed coffee (I add this instead of water to the cake because it makes it more chocolately)
cayenne a small pinch
Chocolate Chips
Marshmellows
Corn Syrup  1 Tablespoon
Milk or half and half  1 or 2 tablespoons

So make the Devil's Food cake following the directions on the box, substituting the water for coffee.  ( If you don't like coffee, don't worry, you won't taste it, but the chocolate will be WAY better).
Mix according to package directions and add the pinch of cayenne. (It gives the cupcakes a warm feeling without them being warm)
In the meantime, heat 4oz or so of the chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth and add to the cake mixture.
Ladle into cupcake paper liners in cupcake pans. 
Bake following the time on the cake box about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Let cool! 
In a small bowl, heat about a cup and a half of the chocolate chips, corn syrup and half and half in the microwave for 30 second intervals until it it smooth enough to spread on the cupcakes
Dip the top of the cooled cupcakes in the chocolate and make sure the top is covered.
Put into the refrigerator and let cool for ten minutes.
On a sheet pan, spray PAM on it well!!!
Cut marshmellows in half (I like to make it so they are cut in half and round, looks better) and place on the sheet tray.
Turn the oven on broil and make sure that the rack is in the uppermost slot. 
Place the sheet tray of marshmellows under the broil for 2 minutes, MAKE SURE TO WATCH THEM!!
Take the cupcakes out of the fridge and place them close to the oven.
Remove the marshmellows and using a metal spatula place them on top of the cupcakes, work quickly!
Dust with cocoa power and Enjoy!!!