Dream Nursery

So it's official, we're expecting a baby boy!! I'm 21 weeks, due in January. In honor of this occurrence, I'm posting my dream nursery.

Here are the dream components I wish we could afford.
Let's start with the crib/bassinet....

#1 choice-the Stokke Sleepi crib that begins as a circular bassinet

Moves to a full crib and toddler bed

And finally to 2 bench seats. Loving this, except it's around $1000 and so I'll keep dreaming.

#2 choice for crib is the mini alma crib, a euro style that can actually fold and I love it's modern look and vibrant color. It's $400, which leads me to what we're actually be getting...

Something off of Craigslist, bassinet or co-sleeper. We'll see what's available.

Next is the coolest nursing chair ever called The Womb Chair.

I love the generous armrest for baby while feeding. A danish eye candy piece, this retails around $3,000. But isn't it gorgeous?

And danish style wardrobe for baby clothes, just neat composition in this chest.


And for toys, or anything really is a new fantastic find called Via Toy Box.
It's the superman of kids rooms. It's a table,

It's a Toy chest,

It's a dresser

Isn't it great? Yes!!!

And last is just a cool add-on that one dad made after asking around to see what the perfect crib would intail and the number 1 thing was a pull-out mattress for easy sheet changing.

It's Very cool and I also love that it's on casters.

I'm sure more will come to me, but for now, that's the "cool stuff" that's caught my eye. Mostly Modern furniture with great color and clean lines. We'll see what I can come up with.

8 to 5 Sandwich

Ingredients:
French Baguette
Avocado
Cream Cheese
Lettuce
Bacon

Directions:
-Take a section of baguette (about 6-8 inches long) and slice it length wise.
-Mash the avocado and spread one piece of the sliced baguette with it.
-Spread the other slice of baguette with cream cheese.
-Add bacon and lettuce between the slices of bread.
-Enjoy a little bit of heaven.

One note. In Greece, they would mix the mashed avocado with some mayonnaise. It was yummy and salty and creamy. But for whatever reason, I've skipped this step for years.

Cool kids room idea with lamp shade

How cute is this kiddie room swing?

This is an amazing room designed around the lamp shade.


In daylight....



At night when the magic covers the walls...


Wall blocks to match the patterns.

Kerrie Cakes

Kerrie's Healthy, Yummy Waffles

1 C whole wheat flour
1 C white flour
1 T baking powder
¼ t salt
2 C milk
2 eggs
½ C oil

Heather's Foccacia

This is like the foccacia they give you at Macaroni Grill - perfect for dipping with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Not too tough to make, either!

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

1 C. warm water

(mix and let sit until bubbly)

Add:

1 t. salt

2.5 C. flour

Mix well then knead for 10 minutes, or put in food processor for 15 seconds so it's nice and mixed. Place in covered oiled bowl and sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down, let dough rest for a few minutes. Divide dough into 2 flat rounded loaves, place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with 2 T. melted butter and 1 T. coarse dried salt and 1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (totally optional). Let rise for about 45 min. or until doubled. Preheat oven to 450. Bake 9-10 minutes or until light brown.

Mixed Green Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Salad:
4 C spring green salad mix
1 C sliced strawberries
1 C mandarin oranges
4 T Parmesan cheese
8 T toasted and sugared pecans

Raspberry Vinaigrette:
¼ jar raspberry jam or preserves, use seedless
1 C honey
½ C Dijon mustard
½ C champagne raspberry vinegar
½ C olive oil
1 C dry white wine, to taste
1 C fresh raspberries, optional

1. For dressing, combine all of the ingredients save the fresh raspberries in the container you intend to store the dressing in. Either shake very well or use a handheld blender to mix the vinaigrette. Add the fresh raspberries and refrigerate when not using.
2. For Salad, place 1 C spring greens on 4 salad plates. Divide the mandarins, sliced strawberries, Parmesan cheese, and pecans equally over each plate of spring greens. Drizzle about 2 T raspberry vinaigrette over each salad.

Refrigerate dressing and keep for up to 10 days.

Toasted and Sugared Pecans

The five spice powder used here can be found in most grocery stores in the Asian food section.

3 T butter
2 C chopped pecans
3 T sugar
1 T five spice powder

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. When melted, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chopped pecans.
2. Sprinkle the sugar and five spice powder over the pecans and stir to combine. Toast the pecans in the saucepan for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If pecans begin to burn before time is up, reduce the heat to low

Makes 2 Cups.
Keep pecans in air-tight container for 1 week.

Poppy Seed Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Salad:
4 C hearts of Romaine lettuce
2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 C mandarin oranges
¼ C sliced red onion, less than ½ of a small red onion
4 T Parmesan cheese
8 T toasted and sugared almonds

Dressing:
1 C sugar (can be reduced)
1 t dry mustard
2 T chopped onion
1 t salt 1/3 C cider vinegar
1C vegetable oil
1 T poppy seed

1. For dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender, or use a handheld blender, and blend until fairly smooth.
2. For salad, place 1 C Romaine lettuce on 4 salad plates. Distribute the chopped kiwi, oranges, red onion slices, cheese, and almonds evenly among the 4 plates. Ladle about 2 T dressing over each salad.

Toasted and Sugared Almonds

3 T butter
2 C almonds, slivered or chopped
3 T sugar

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. When melted, reduce heat to medium-low and add the almonds.
2. Sprinkle the sugar over the almonds and stir to combine. Toast the almonds in the saucepan for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the almonds begin to burn before the time is up, reduce the heat to low.

Keep almond in air-tight container for up to a week.

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad:
4 C spring greens
1 ripe pear, use Bartlett or Anjou, quartered and sliced into thin strips
4 T crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
8 T toasted and sugared pecans

Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette:
2 T Dijon mustard
1 ¼ C red wine vinegar
2 T honey
1 C olive oil

1. For dressing, combine all ingredients and blend in a blender or handheld blender. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. For salad, place 1 C greens on 4 salad plates. Place 4-5 pear strips onto each plate. Top each plate with 1 T gorgonzola and 2 T pecans. Spoon about 2 T dressing over each salad.

Butterfly Garden Café Cornbread Pudding

This cornbread keeps well in the refrigerator; just warm in the microwave or reheat in the oven at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes.

1 large onion, chopped
2 T butter
2 T milk
2 large eggs
2-8 ½ oz. boxes corn muffin mix, such as Jiffy
2-14 ¾ oz. cans cream-style corn
4 oz can diced green chilies, drained
chopped pimentos to taste
1 C sour cream
1 ½ C shredded sharp cheddar cheese, optional

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking pan.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until opaque. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together milk, eggs, cornbread mix, creamed corn, chilies and pimentos. Pour the cornbread mixture into the greased pan.
4. Spoon the sautéed onions and sour cream onto th cornbread mixture and swirl throughout, as if you were making a marble cake. Top with cheese, if desired.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes. Let the cornbread cool for 10 minutes or more before cutting.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Butterfly Garden Café Chilled Creamy Strawberry Soup

An incredibly rich and sweet soup perfect for hot summer months. It would also be fun to serve as a dessert.


4 C strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
2 T sugar
1 C sour cream
4 T grenadine
1 C heavy cream

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Top with fresh fruit and mint.

Yummy Brisket

Rub brisket with brown sugar, sprinkle on garlic salt. Cook in a crock-pot all day on LOW.

Sauce:
¼ C teriyaki sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
¼ C brown sugar
1 T ketchup
1 T sugar
1 t garlic powder
1 t ground ginger spice

Combine ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Slice brisket and pour sauce over the slices.

Hint: We usually double the sauce since briskets come as larger cuts generally.

Caramelized Green Beans

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, stem ends removed
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-low. Add green beans; partially cover, and cook, tossing occasionally, until green beans are tender and browned in spots, 30 minutes. Add pine nuts; cook until nuts are toasted, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Helpful Hint

It can take a lot of time to cut off the stem ends of green beans one by one. Instead, gather a small bunch, and remove several ends at once.

Creamy Skillet Chicken

1 Tbsp. Bertolli® Classico™ Olive Oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Vegetable Soup Mix
1 cup milk
1 cup water
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat Olive Oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken, turning once. Remove chicken; keep warm. 2. In same skillet, bring Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Vegetable Soup Mix blended with milk and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 4 minutes. 3. Stir in cream cheese until melted and simmer 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with warm buttermilk biscuits, hot cooked rice or noodles.

Lipton's Cheesy Garlic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp. Bertolli® Classico™ Olive Oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz.)
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In 13 x 9-inch baking dish, arrange chicken and top with tomato. 2. In small bowl, blend Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Savory Herb with Garlic Soup Mix, water and Olive Oil. Pour over chicken. 3. Bake 20 minutes. Top with cheeses and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly cooked. RECIPE TIP: Turn leftover Cheesy Garlic Chicken into a quick and delicious lunch or dinner. Simply heat and serve on hot toasted garlic bread with a balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top. YUM.

Crepe Recipe with Variations

Martha Stewart’s Basic Crepe Recipe:

Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 2 cups whole milk, room temperature, plus more if needed
* 3 large eggs, room temperature
* 2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

Directions

1. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.
2. Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute.
3. Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 or 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

Crepe Variations:

Crepes with Sauteed Bananas and Chocolate:

To the Basic recipe add 4 t sugar. Heat 1 teaspoon butter in skillet over medium. Add 3 peeled and sliced bananas and 1 T brown sugar; cook, stirring occasionally, until bananas are lightly browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Fold crepes into quarters; top with bananas and 2 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate.


Basic buckwheat:
Substitute 3/4 cup buckwheat flour for 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, and add an additional 3/4 cup whole milk. (Makes 40 six-inch or 15 ten-inch crepes. )

Lemon: Spread some fromage blanc or creme fraiche on a large crepe. Sprinkle with a pinch of finely grated lemon zest, and drizzle with honey to taste. Fold crepe in half, and drizzle with more honey. Repeat to make more crepes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, so the balance of sweet and sour can be easily adjusted.


Crepes with Cantal Cheese:
Ingredients
* 1 thin slice of Cantal
* Basic Crepes, preferably buckwheat
* Butter
Directions
1. Place a thin slice of Cantal on a large crepe, preferably buckwheat. Create a packet by folding sides around cheese. Cook, starting seam side down, in a saute pan over medium-low heat with just a touch of butter, until both sides are crisp and browned, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat to make more crepes. Serve immediately.


Cyndi Monte Cristo Crepe:
Use the basic crepes already made. Sauté slices of ham in butter (You can also add turkey). Take one open crepe and layer one slice of swiss cheese and then the sautéed meat (you can also add cooked bacon). Fold over the edges. Do this to the amount of crepes you want. Using a heated sauté, non-stick pan, add a little butter and put the crepes into the hot skillet folded side down. Sauté enough to hold its folded form (2 minutes) and then do the other side. Take sautéed crepes, sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle your choice of jam/preserves. I suggest raspberry, the typical monte cristo uses black raspberry.

Jed’s German Pancakes

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 C flour
1 C milk
dash of salt
1 Cube butter (1/2 C)

Directions:
Melt butter in a 9x13 pan in the oven as you are preheating to 400F. While melting the butter, mix the eggs, flour, milk and salt. Pour over the melted butter in the pan, don’t mix. Bake for 20 minutes or so, until the mixture has browned and puffed; the sides need to be risen and browned.

Enjoy with maple syrup, jam, fresh fruit and powdered sugar.

German Apple Pancake

This super-huge pancake is made from a simple batter that is poured over sauteed apples then baked until puffy and golden brown. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• Confectioners' sugar
• Maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beaten eggs, milk, flour, and vanilla, and whisk until just blended, being careful to not overmix. Set the batter aside to rest at least 20 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 450ºF.

In a heavy ovenproof 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are soft and lightly golden around the edges, about 6 minutes.

Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until the apples are caramelized and very soft, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir to melt.

Working very quickly, pour the batter evenly over the top of the apples. Using oven mitts or pot holders, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pancake is golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. Don't be alarmed when you see the edges of the pancake puff up over the top of the pan--this is supposed to happen!

Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the skillet from the oven and serve the pancake immediately, sprinkled with sifted confectioners' sugar or drizzled with maple syrup, as desired.

Yield: 1 extra large pancake

Cousin brett's cheese dip

1 lb SPICY sausage
1 small onion
2 roman tomatoes, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1-8 oz cream cheese
1-16 oz sour cream

Brown and drain sausage in a pan, add veggies and saute until translusant. Add in cream cheese and sour cream, melt and mix. Put in a crock pot to keep warm for serving. Enjoy with chips, veggies, bread or apples.

Authentic Red Sauce

2-3 fresh garlic cloves
29 oz pizza/tomato sauce
3 T olive oil
1 T basil
1 t parsley
2-3 T red burgundy cooking wine
dash of salt (if not already salty)

Heat oil in pan add finely chopped garlic. When it's browning nicely, pour in the sauce. Add the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer 45 minutes to an hour with the lid slightly off to let out a little steam.

Note: We like to add lots of veggies to this sauce to make it super healthy. We like carrots, zucchini, peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes, squash, eggplant, celery, etc. You can add them a little after the garlic to saute or after the sauce has been poured in. Either way, this is a fantastic red sauce.

Olive Garden Alfredo Copycat

Olive Garden Alfredo

1/2 C butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C heavy cream
1/8 t ground black pepper
pinch salt
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 12-ounce box fettucine pasta

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat
2. Add the garlic, cream, pepper and salt, and bring mixture to a simmer. Turn heat down in mixture reaches a rapid boil or it could boil over. You just want a simmer. Add the cheese, and continue to simmer sauce for 8 minutes or until thick.
3. Cook pasta and the spoon sauce over the noodles

Savory Crescent Chicken Squares
	Prep Time: 20 Min Total Time: 50 Min Makes: 4 sandwiches
INGREDIENTS: 1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened 1 tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened 2 cups cubed cooked chicken 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or onion 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon chopped pimientos, if desired 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet 1 tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted 3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and 1 tablespoon softened butter; beat until smooth. Add chicken, chives, salt, pepper, milk and pimientos; mix well. 2. Separate or cut dough into 4 rectangles. If using crescent dough, firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture; twist firmly. Pinch edges to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush tops of sandwiches with 1 tablespoon melted butter; sprinkle with crushed croutons. 3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix 'n Match Mini Cheesecakes

Prep Time:20 min

Total Time:5 hr 5 min

Makes:12 servings, 1/3 of one mini cheesecake each

What You Need

1 cup HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

Make It

PREHEAT oven to 300°F. Mix cracker crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and the butter; press scant 1/3 cup crumb mixture onto bottom of each of four mini (4-1/2-inch) springform pans. Bake 7 min.

BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour one-fourth of the batter (about 1 cup) into each of four bowls. If desired, add one of the Stir-In Ideas to each bowl of batter. Pour over crusts. Place pans on baking sheet.

BAKE 40 to 45 min. or until centers are almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rims of pans to loosen cakes; cool before removing rims. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Stir-In Ideas

For each one-fourth portion of batter, stir in one of the following before pouring batter over crust and baking as directed:
Apple Pie: Stir in 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon. Top baked cheesecake with combined 1/2 cup warmed apple pie filling and 1/2 tsp. brown sugar.
S'Mores: Stir in 3 Tbsp. milk chocolate chips. Top baked cheesecake with 1/4 cup JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows and 1 Tbsp. broken HONEY MAID Honey Grahams.
Citrus: Stir in 1 tsp. lemon, orange or lime juice; 1 tsp. flour and 1/4 tsp. grated lemon, orange or lime peel.
Chocolate Chunk: Stir in 1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, chopped.
New York: Stir in 1/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream and 1 Tbsp. flour.
Cookies and Cream: Stir in 1/4 cup chopped OREO Cookies.
Chocolate Royale: Stir in 2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted.
Peanut Butter: Stir in 2 Tbsp. peanut butter and 1 Tbsp. milk.
Mocha: Mix 1 tsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee granules with 2 tsp. hot water. Stir into batter along with 2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted.
Cherry: Bake mini cheesecake as directed without Stir-Ins. Just before serving, top with 1/3 cup cherry pie filling.

Craisins Salad

Ingredients

• 1 head red leaf lettuce
• 1 head green leaf lettuce
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1 (8 ounce) package craisins
• 1 cup sliced almonds toasted
• 1 recipe Craisins Salad Dressing (see below)
• SALAD DRESSING
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• 1 cup salad oil

Instructions

In blender mix all dressing ingredients, except oil. Add oil and blend again.

Break red and green lettuce into pieces. Shred iceberg lettuce. Toss together with the other ingredients just before serving. Pass dressing with salad.

Sweet Basil Carrots

12 medium carrots, peeled
3 T butter
2 T pure maple syrup
1-2 t fresh basil
½ t salt

Steam carrots for 10 minutes, until tender but not mushy. In a saucepan melt butter, then add syrup, carrots, basil and salt. Stir well to coat the carrots and serve warm.

The Best Most Addicting Salsa Ever

The Best Most Addicting Salsa Ever

1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can white, whole kernel corn (rinsed & drained)
2-3 large tomatoes - diced
2 ripe avocados - pitted and diced
small bunch of green onions - finely chopped
small bunch of cilantro - finely chopped
1 packet of Good Seasons Zesty or Regular Italian dressing (prepare as directed)

Add vegetables to prepared dressing, mix thoroughly.

Serve as a dip for chips. Once you have one bite, you won't be able to stop!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas by Guest Chef Summer

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas by Guest Chef Summer

3+ large skinless/boneless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cube butter
1, 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 small can green chilis
flour tortillas
1 pint whip cream
1 cup monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Boil chicken and cut up 2-3 chicken breasts. (Can do this the day before and refrigerate). Saute onion in butter. Add 1 pkg cream cheese and 1 small can green chilis. After cream cheese melts, mix in chicken. Drop chicken/cheese mix in flour tortillas. Put in 13x9 pan. Pour pint of whipping cream on top. Add 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.Great to top off with the black bean salsa dip!

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
• Salt and cayenne, to taste
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 pound smoked ham hocks
• 1/2 pound boiled picked pork meat
• 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over, soaked and drained
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 10 cups chicken stock, or water
• 4 cups cooked white rice
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, and bell peppers to the saucepan. Season the vegetables with salt and cayenne. Saute the vegetables for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables start to wilt. Add the bay leaves, thyme, ham hocks, and pork meat and saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the beans, garlic, and stock or water. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 2 hours, uncovered. Add more stock or water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. Use a wooden spoon to mash 1/4 of the mixture. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender and creamy. Add more liquid if it is too thick. The mixture should be soupy, but not watery. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. To serve ladle into bowls with rice. Garnish with green onions.

Yield: 8 servings

Crispy Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole fryer, cut into 8 pieces
• Essence
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Season the chicken pieces with Essence. Pour 2 cups of the buttermilk over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Place the chicken in the refrigerator and marinate for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain. Season the flour with Essence. In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining buttermilk. Dredge each piece of chicken in the seasoned flour. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the chicken pieces back in the seasoned flour, coating each piece of the chicken completely. Carefully lay the chicken in the hot oil. Fry the chicken for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Yield: 4 servings

Emeril's Challah

Challah

Ingredients

• 2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup warm milk (100? to 110?F on an instant-read thermometer)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 large eggs
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm milk in the bowl of a standing electric mixer. Stir with a wooden spoon and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, until the surface appears foamy.

Stir in the melted butter and 3 of the eggs and stir until thoroughly combined. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and place the mixing bowl on the mixer.

Sift the flour and salt into a medium mixing bowl.

With the mixer running on low speed, carefully add 31/2 cups of the flour, one cup at a time, until a soft, sticky dough is formed. Be careful to stay clear of the rotating paddle! Add the remaining flour in 1/4-cup increments. You may not need all of the flour. To know whether you have added enough flour, test the dough by turning off the mixer and touching the dough with your finger. It should remain slightly sticky and not at all dry. If itís getting dry and very stiff, do not add any more flour.

Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and allow the paddle to knead the dough until the dough is very smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Grease a large mixing bowl with the oil and add the dough to the bowl. Turn the dough so that it is coated with oil. Then cover the dough with plastic wrap or a clean, damp kitchen towel, and let it stand in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 11/2 hours.

Punch the dough down with your fist before turning it out onto a clean work surface, and then divide it into 3 equal portions. Using your palms, start in the center and work outward, rolling each portion of dough gently against the work surface with even pressure to form a rope about 20 inches long. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Press the 3 ropes together at one end to seal. Lay the 3 ropes next to one another, with the sealed end farthest away from you. Begin braiding
the loaf by crossing one of the outer ropes over the center rope. Continue to braid by crossing alternating outer ropes, one at a time, over the center rope. When the ropes are completely braided, press the ends of the 3 ropes together and transfer the loaf to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Tuck the pinched portions of the ends under slightly so that they are not visible. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean, damp kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place until loaf has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat the oven to 375?F.

Place the remaining egg in a small mixing bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire top and sides of the loaf with the eggwash. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350?F. Continue to bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the top. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let cool before slicing.

Yield: One large (16 - 18-inch) loaf

Chicken Salad

Cyndi’s Chicken Salad

2-3 cooled chicken breasts, cubed/shredded
4 stalks celery
3-4 chopped green onions
1/3-1/2 C toasted slivered almonds
couple handfuls of craisins

Combine in a largish bowl

Sauce:
½ C sour cream
½ C mayo
½ fresh lemon
salt and pepper

Mix together and pour over salad. Toss to coat.

Serve salad on toasted asiago bagels with a slice of provolone, slice of red onion, piece of lettuce and the most important part is to drizzle honey mustard over the fixings.


This is a fantastic chicken salad and when you serve it all together, it’s divine. This recipe was designed to simulate The Baglery’s chicken salad sandwich. Yum.

Small chair

Loving this stool/chair and the overall color/feel of the room

Mexican Green

My second favorite color:




So the question is, is it green or blue?

Key Holders

Falling for Fabrics one pack at a time

There was a post on design mom about charm packs that I investigated and what I found, I loved. They are pre-cut pack of matching assorted fabrics.

Here are some of the fabrics I'm lovin'.
This is Daisy Chain from Amy Butler.


There are a bunch of great packs by Moda. Here are some fun ones.



And then there's other great pieces from noted printers like Michael Miller:




and Alexander Henry.

I adore this owl print. I'm thinking Owl for the next nursery decor. Wouldn't this be a fantastic base?

I'm loving this new-found world.

Mini Greek Meatballs

The cookbook calls these Mini Greek Meatballs, but I think mine are not-quite-mini Greek Meatballs. I use a plastic tablespoon to scoop up just enough meat to make each meatball, and I get 24 meatballs from a pound of ground beef, not 40 like the recipe says. I'm also cooking mine quite a lot longer. If you like Greek flavors, be open minded about the cooking mess, and give the meatballs a try.

Looks are a bit deceiving in this photo, but each of my meatballs is about 1 1/2 tablespoons of meat. If you'd like them a bit smaller, the recipe says to make each meatball about a tablespoon.

Mini Greek Meatballs
(Makes about 24 small meatballs, recipe adapted slightly from The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook.)

1 pound lean ground beef (I use ground beef with less than 10% fat)
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 cup very finely crumbled feta cheese (measure after crumbling finely with a fork)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 2 tsp. minced garlic from a jar)
1 large egg
1 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dish
1 T dried Greek oregano
4 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt (optional, I used a tiny bit of Vege-Sal)
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. Greek seasoning (optional, I used Penzeys)

Preheat oven to 400. Use a food processor to chop the onion very finely, then drain if it seems like there is a lot of liquid. (In the photo I used red onion, but any onion will work.)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, then use your hands to mix ingredients.

Lightly oil a 9 X 13 baking dish. Shape meat into 1 tablespoon size meatballs and place on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, after which time you will see some liquid oozing out. Turn meatballs and bake 10 more minutes. Turn again, and bakd 5-10 more minutes, until meatballs are well-browned and cooked through.

I do want to warn you that the meatballs look like a mess for about 2/3 of the time they're cooking because some of the cheese and vinegar oozes out during the cooking process. If you're patient and keep browning them, all those things nicely carmelize and the finished meatballs are delicious.

Meatballs are delicious served with tzatziki sauce.

Easy Ravioli Bake

This is a great, easy dinner for a weeknight off of the Kraft website.

Ravioli Bake

1 jar Spaghetti sauce (any flavor)

1 can diced tomatoes undrained

1 10 oz can beef broth

1/4 C zesty Italian dressing

2 9oz pkgs fresh ravioli (in refrigerator section)

1 C shredded mozzarella

1-Preheat the oven to 375

2-combine sauce, tomatoes, broth and dressing in a 9x13 baking dish

3-add ravioli and mix lightly

4-Cover with foil and bake 50 minutes

5-Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese, let stand 5 minutes

Serve and enjoy!

Easy White Chicken Enchiladas

Easy White Chicken Enchiladas from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup green salsa
• 4 (6 ounce) packages seasoned cooked chicken cubes
• 2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
• 3 cups white cheese sauce, or queso dip
• 12 (8 inch) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS

This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 6 enchiladas.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly spray an 9x13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Stir together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and salsa until blended. Fold in chicken and shredded cheese. Spread a small amount of white cheese sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly divide the filling among the tortillas, and roll into firm cylinders. Place into prepared baking dish and cover with remaining sauce.
3. Bake in preheated oven until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Some quick notes: a jar of Tostitos Monterey Jack Queso dip (in the chip aisle) works great for the sauce. Also, depending on the size of your tortillas, sometimes a larger baking dish works better. Enjoy!

White Bread

White Bread by Christie Mabey

½ C warm water
2 T yeast
1 T sugar
In a small bowl, soften yeast by sprinkling yeast into half cup warm water intermingled with sugar sprinkles. Stir and set aside to grow (5 minutes).

2 C flour 3 ½ C hot tap water
½ C dry milk (optional) ¼ C oil
1 T salt ¼ C honey
½ C brown sugar 6-7 C flour

In a mixing bowl stir together 2 C flour, dry milk, salt, and brown sugar. Mix in hot water, oil and honey. Add in yeast. Mix in 5 C of flour one cup at a time, then add additional flour by the ½ of a cup until dough leaves sides of bowl and comes to a ball. Remove dough from bowl and put in a teaspoon of oil in bottom of bowl. Roll dough ball in oil and cover with a cloth, let rise for about 1 hour, or until double in bulk. Punch down and form into loaves (4 standard loaves, 36 large cinnamon rolls). Rise a second time for 30 min. and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Turn out of pans, cool.

Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread by Christie Mabey

This bread requires an electric mixer that has a dough hook.

In a mixing bowl jog together:
4 C warm water
3 C whole-wheat flour
1 T salt

Add and mix until smooth:
1/3 C oil
1/3 C honey
2 T SAF yeast
2 T dough enhancer

Add remaining flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball (from 6-7 C whole wheat flour). Knead for 12 minutes. Form into loaves (3-4 standard loaf pans). Let rise until double in bulk (about 30 minutes). Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Turn out of pan to cool. Enjoy!

Bean Soups

Huber Bean Soup

2 Qt cold water
1 Qt chicken broth
½ t pepper
1 meaty ham hock
6 oz. diced ham
2 t. salt
1-28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2 C. onion
2 C. celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
Dash of Tabasco (optional)
1.5 lb. bean mix (beans, lentils, barley and rice)



Glend’s Bean Soup

1 Lb. dry beans (black)
1 ¾ lb Ham hock
1 onion, sliced
1carrot, quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered
1 Bay leaf
2 whole cloves
1 clove garlic, minced
couple drops Tabasco
1 ½ t salt
1 T vinegar
lemon, thinly sliced
sour cream
chopped parsley

Soak beans overnight in 2 qt. water.
Add more water, ham hock, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, cloves, garlic and tobasco.
Simmer until beans are tender (couple of hours).
Take out ham and cut off meat.
Puree beans and veggies in blender.
Put meat, salt and vinegar back into soup blend and heat until boiling.
Serve hot.

Mexican Corn on the Cob

Allison’s Mexican Corn on the Cob

Boil corn for 8 minutes with lime (cut in ½).
Broil for 6-8 min, baste with melted butter every 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.
Squeeze lime over corn.
Baste with sour cream/milk mixture. About 3 T sour cream to a squirt of milk.
Sprinkle with chili powder (1 t) and salt (1 ½ t).
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or Mexican cheese.

Makes about 6 ears of corn.

Heidi's Bagels

Heidi’s Best-Ever Bagels

2 C warm water
2 T honey
1 T yeast
2 t salt
5 C all purpose flour
1 egg white
desired bagel toppings (cinnamon sugar, asiago cheese, salt, poppy seeds, etc.)

Let yeast melt into warm water and bubble (5-10 minutes). Add honey, salt and flour. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Auto knead in bread mixer for 10-12 minutes. Dough should be heavier than regular bread dough. Let rest and rise until double (45-60 minutes).

Take out and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll into balls. Poke thumb in middle to create hole and twirl dough around finger until you have bagel shape. Let rest on lightly floured surface for 10+ minutes. Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to boil. Add 3 T sugar. Place bagels in boiling water for 1 minute, flipping once.

Place on large cookie sheet with parchment paper covered with ground cornmeal. Preheat oven to 400. Brush bagels with whipped egg white. Sprinkle toppings immediately onto wet tops of dough.

Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes, or until golden.
Yields about a dozen large bagels. I often double the recipe and have a stash to put in the freezer for quick morning grabs.

Santa Fe Wraps

Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad Wraps from Lori

4 C torn romaine lettuce
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Grilled Southwestern Seasoned Chicken Breasts Strips
1 large tomato, chopped
1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
½ C Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
¼ C Ranch Dressing
¼ C Chunky Salsa
8 Flour Tortillas

Toss lettuce, chicken, tomatoes and corn in large bowl; sprinkle with cheese.
Combine dressing and salsa. Pour over lettuce mixture; toss to coat. Spoon evenly onto tortillas; roll up.

Makes 4 servings, 2 wraps each.

Greek Ham Wraps

Nelsons Greek Ham Wraps

6 T mayo
2 T minced fresh basil or 2 t dried basil
6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
6 lettuce leaves
3 C juilienned fully cooked ham (1 ½ pounds)
1 can (4 ½ ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
6 T crumbled feta cheese
6 green onions, chopped

Additional green onions, optional
1 C water, optional

In a small bowl, combine the mayo and basil; spread over each tortilla. Top with lettuce, ham, olives, feta cheese and chopped onions; roll up.

Can use additional green onion tops softened one minute in boiling water to tie around wraps.

Makes 6 servings.

Broccoli Slaw

Simper Broccoli Slaw

Chop 1 bag broccoli slaw
Add some chicken chunks
Green onion
Radishes
1 T cashews or 1 T slivered almonds
1 T rice noodles (crisp asian noodles, not chow mein)
Combine and dress with Paul Newman’s light soy ginger

Yum!

Very Berry Pie

Nordfelt Christmas Crepe Recipe

Nordfelt Crepe Recipe

1 C milk
1 C flour
½ C water
4 eggs
½ C melted butter
1 pinch salt
1 T sugar

Mix all ingredients in processor/blender until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat pan until medium.
Pour ¼ C batter on skillet.
Cook for a minute or two and turn over.

Makes 10 crepes.

Mandy's Cinnamon Pull-Aparts aka Monkey Bread

Mandy’s Cinnamon Pull-Aparts
Aka Monkey Bread

Spray/butter a bundt
Sprinkle bottom with cinnamon
Add 15 or so frozen rolls
Dice and sprinkle 1 cube of butter over the rolls
Sprinkle ¾ - 1 cup brown sugar
Sprinkle small package of butterscotch pudding (the bake and serve pudding)
Top with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cover and rise over night
Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Can add pecans or almond pieces if desired.

Note: This was a tradition at every sleep-over. Mom would make this the night of party and then we’d have it for breakfast the next day.

Glenda's No-Bake Cheesecake

Glenda’s Cheesecake (no-bake)

Ingredients:

2 ½ C Flour
1 ¼ C margarine or butter, softened
2/3 C Brown Sugar 1st (bottom) and 4th (top) layers
2/3 C chopped nuts, we use walnuts

12 oz Cream cheese, softened
1 C powdered sugar
2 pkg. Dream Whip (found by the jello/ 2nd layer, on top of crumb crust pudding mixes)
Milk (amounts according to Dream whip pkg.)
Vanilla (amounts as Dream whip pkg. instructs)

1 Danish Dessert (also by the jello and we
use strawberry, but raspberry 3rd layer, on cream cheese filling
is also yummy.)
1 pkg. frozen berries (matching the flavor
of your Danish dessert)



Directions:

Cream brown sugar and margarine. Add flour and nuts. Press into a 9x13 pan and bake 12-15 minutes at 350. Take out of oven and cool. When cool enough to handle, crumble the baked mixture. Leave ½ of mix in pan and save ½ in a bowl for later.

Cream powdered sugar and cream cheese. Prepare 2 pkgs of dream whip as listed on the box. Combine together and spread over crumbles in the pan. Place in freezer.

Prepare Danish Dessert as instructed on the package using mix and similar frozen berries. Spread cooled Danish Dessert over the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle saved crumbs on top and chill.

Hints: I usually just use 16 oz. of cream cheese for filling. This dessert is hard to maintain. Meaning, it needs more than refrigeration but if placed in the freezer, the Danish dessert part becomes icy and hard to eat. So, I usually make the Danish part close to serving time and try to avoid freezing it before serving. If you have to freeze it, you can always microwave it for a few seconds at 50% of the power level.

Sorry this is all so complicated. It’s actually not as hard as it’s sounding and it’s definitely worth it!

Almond Chocolate Cake

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CAKE Serves: 8

Cake
8 1/2 Ozs Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
6 lg eggs, at room temperature, separated
2/3 C sugar
1/3 C sifted unbleached Flour
1 1/4 C Almond Flour
9 T unsalted butter

Ganache Icing
5 ozs bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 C heavy cream

Making the Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter the bottom (but not the sides) of a 9x2 inch round cake pan. Then, line the bottom of the pan with a round parchment or waxed paper.
2. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally, in a double boiler over hot (not simmering) water. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk the yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale yellow and thick, about one minute. Whisk in the melted chocolate.
4. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the whites until stiff. In 3 additions, fold the whites into the chocolate mixture, leaving a few wisps of whites visible.
5. Sift the flour and fold in. In 3 additions, fold in the almond flour. Transfer 1 cup of the batter to a bowl, add the butter, and fold just until combined. Add to the batter and fold until completely incorporated.
6. Pour into pan and smooth the top. Bake until the sides of the cake have risen but the CENTER LOOJKS SLIGHTLY UNDERDONE, about 20 minutes.
7. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to release the warm cake. Place a baking sheet over the cake, invert together with the pan, and rap the sheet on a work surface to unmold the cake.. Place a wire rack on the cake and invert to turn the cake right side up. Cool completely (the center may fall slightly.)
8. Slide an 8-inch cardboard cake round or tart pan bottom under the cake and transfer to a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

Making the Ganache:
1. Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let stand 1 minute. Whisk well until smooth.
2. Pour the ganache on top of the cake, smoothing the icing over the top and sides with a spatula.
3. Refrigerate until the glaze is set, about 30 minutes. (The cake can be prepared up to a day ahead, covered with a cake dome.)
4. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.

Earl Grey Chocolate Tart

EARL GREY CHOCOLATE TART

Pastry dough
This is a delicious, easy to make dough. But if you would rather you could use Pillsbury ready made dough.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons almond flour (you can purchase almond flour at some grocery stores. If you can't find it, just grind whole blanched almonds in a coffee grinder or food processor.)
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1 cup cake flour

1. In a mixer, beat the butter, confectioner's sugar, almond flour and the egg yolk on medium speed until just mixed.

2. Slowly add the flour, at low speed, until the dough begins to clump together (you made need more or less flour).

3. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl a press into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and begin to roll it out until it is about 1/8 inch thick and about 12 inches in diameter. Loosely roll the dough around a rolling pin and place it into a 9 1/4 inch round tart pan. (We used a springform pan.) Make sure you press the dough into the corners. Pierce the bottom with a fork several times. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (We left the sides of the tart ragged, we liked the informal look - and besides it was easier!)

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap from the dough and bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool completely in the pan.

Filling

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup Earl Grey tea leaves (I use decaffeinated)
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (use Callebaut/Ghiradelli-high end)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tea. Let stand for 3 minutes. Strain the cream into a bowl. Try to allow time for as much cream as possible to drip through but do not press the tea. This will result in a bitter tasting filling. Return the cream to the sauce pan and reheat to a simmer.

2. Place the finely chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. Pour the simmering cream over the chocolate and let stand for about 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the honey and the butter. Pour the mixture into the tart shell and refrigerate until the filling sets, about 1 hour.

3. Serve chilled. If you like you can add vanilla ice cream, or fresh whipped cream.

Garlic Roll Bundt

Tennisa’s Garlic Rolls

Spray/butter a bundt pan.
Sprinkle garlic salt and grated parmesan cheese over the bottom and sides.
Add around 15 frozen Rhodes rolls or equivalent.
Dice a cube of butter and sprinkle the bits over and in between the rolls.
Sprinkle more garlic salt, Italian seasoning and parm cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap to keep moisture in and let rise 8-10 hours.
Cook 30 minutes at 350 F.

Tips: I don’t use the whole cube of butter, more like ¾ of the cube. If it raises too quickly, put the pan in the frig until time to bake off.

Simperly Perfect Punch

Simperly Perfect Punch

6 oz frozen orange concentrate
6 oz frozen lemonade concentrate
11/2 C Sugar (I only use 1 C sugar)
1 t vanilla extract
1 t almond extract
10-12 C water

Raspberry Cream Cheese Chocoalte Pie

Chocolate Cream Cheese Raspberry Pie

This recipe came from a friend who has the uncanny ability to throw things together and create sheer delicisiousness. Thanks to Brandy.

Topping:
1 pkg. frozen raspberries
2 c. whipping cream (prepared, I use fresh, homemade whipped cream)

Filling:
1-8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
I like to double this.

Crust:
1 pkg crushed graham crackers
15 chocolate stuffed oreos
1 stick butter

Directions:
Use crackers, oreos and butter to make a crust in a pie tin. Freeze solid.
Combine filling ingredients pour over crust and refrigerate to set up.
Top with raspberries stirred into fresh whipping cream (prepare this right before serving).

Best dessert ever!

Roasted Carrots with Agave-Balsamic Glaze

Haven't tried it, but it looks fantastic.

I used to buy "baby" carrots, but in recent years I've come to prefer whole carrots, especially if they're sweet organic carrots. I cut the smaller ends of the carrots on the diagonal, and halved the larger ends vertically before cutting them on the diagonal. You want pieces that are the same thickness.

While the oven preheats, brush the carrots with the agave-balsamic mixture. I sprayed the pan with olive oil to keep the glaze from sticking.

After 20 minutes I turned the carrots and brushed on a bit more of the agave-balsamic mixture. I turned them again after ten minutes, then cooked ten minutes more for a total cooking time of almost 40 minutes. Watch them carefully the last 10 minutes.

Roasted Carrots with Agave-Balsamic Glaze
(Makes 4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from Susan's honeyed carrots)

1 lb. carrots peeled and cut into diagonal pieces the same thickness (One pound is about 8 medium carrots. You can also use "baby" carrots, but I think whole carrots have more flavor.)
1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T Agave Nectar
olive oil for spraying roasting pan (or use non-stick spray)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F/220C. Peel carrots and cut off ends. If carrots are thin, cut into same-size diagonal slices. If carrots have a thicker end, cut off thick part and cut it vertically, then cut into diagonal slices. Carrot slices should be close to the same thickness.

Mix balsamic vinegar and agave nectar with a small whisk. Spray flat roasting pan with olive oil or non-stick spray, then arrange carrots in a single layer. Use a pastry brush to brush about 2/3 the agave-balsamic mixture on the carrots.

Roast carrots about 20 minutes, then use a metal turner to turn them and brush with remaining agave-balsamic mixture. Roast ten minutes more, then turn again and check for doneness. Continue to roast until carrots are fork-tender and lightly browned, not quite ten minutes more for me in my toaster oven. Watch them carefully during the final roasting time because they can go from nicely browned to overly done fairly quickly. Grind over desired amount of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.

Lemony Greek Pilafi

Don't be put off by the package directions for cooking time that is much shorter than this recipe indicates, trust me and cook it the length of time that is recommended.

Really Lemony Greek Pilafi
(about 4 servings)

1 cup Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (not instant)
2 T olive oil (or 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil)
1 tsp. salt
3 T lemon juice (or more)
3 C chicken stock

Use a heavy pan with a tight fitting lid. Saute rice in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add salt and lemon juice and saute 1 minute more. Add chicken stock carefully so it doesn't splash up on you, let it come to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest you can get it and still keep the liquid boiling and cook 30 minutes without peeking at all.

After 30 minutes you are allowed to peek to see if all the liquid is absorbed. If not cook a few more minutes until it has. I find it usually takes 35 minutes, but I can't keep myself from peeking after 30 minutes.