tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46799030132127089392024-03-13T00:00:38.104-07:00Amber's RecipesAmberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-55082532521858393932011-10-18T09:23:00.000-07:002011-10-18T09:23:00.225-07:00Squirmy Wormy Pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkunNore-oYe3kFSnStbeYwE4hAdOc46zPGWYd63kVGcSlXcjBL7vZuLgLD1rnnjRcULQuTLVG2OGKOoPhutEM56JoPtUDiO0XW1DZ46EpaSKEeXw5IXqBZAnIeLDp5n6r9j8vAvH32mFI/s1600/DSC04059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkunNore-oYe3kFSnStbeYwE4hAdOc46zPGWYd63kVGcSlXcjBL7vZuLgLD1rnnjRcULQuTLVG2OGKOoPhutEM56JoPtUDiO0XW1DZ46EpaSKEeXw5IXqBZAnIeLDp5n6r9j8vAvH32mFI/s320/DSC04059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A crazy thing happens to hotdogs when you slice them thinly and boil them. They curl up into wormy shapes. It's awesome; and the pink hotdog color is just right, too. No... I don't really want to know the reason why they curl because I am pretty sure it is yucky. I just think it is awesome that they do curl. It makes a perfect focus for our Wormy Pasta.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 30 minutes prep + 2 hours refrigeration<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> <a href="http://www.muellerspasta.com/recipes/homerun-hot-dog-pasta-salad">Mueller's Pasta</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
6 oz uncooked spiral pasta<br />
4 hot dogs, sliced lengthwise <i></i><br />
1/3 cup relish<br />
1/4 cup red or green bell pepper, finely chopped<br />
2 green onions, thinly sliced<br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
1 TBSP yellow mustard<br />
2 tsp cider vinegar<br />
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed <br />
Salt and pepper, to taste<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Slice hotdogs thinly and boil until they curl up. <i>(The hotdogs puff up when you boil them so you need to slice them <b>really</b> thin to get a good worm effect. I was slicing mine into 9ths and felt they could have even been thinner.)</i><br />
2. Drain hotdogs and set aside.<br />
3. Cook pasta according to package directions.<br />
4. Drain and rinse well with cold water.<br />
5. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except pasta, cooked hotdogs, and black beans.<br />
6. Once thoroughly mixed, add pasta, hot dogs, and black beans tossing gently to coat.<br />
7. Chill for at least two hours before serving. <i>(You don't have to refrigerate this pasta if you would like to eat sooner, the flavors will just be milder so you may want to boost them by adding more mustard and vinegar to taste.)</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SFMm6fAQuDD3ruqJAc70WGmOMbSM-6diTZ84SyPs6IdPkwvp18LxwK71A8TnoxxinYcZoWJc_GNeKGWckOAnnq8QsdLTwoDXTh5xnXZYRdAuYFoCZv4chfZJXx_JQ8VykvYk72wsBYN7/s1600/DSC04044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SFMm6fAQuDD3ruqJAc70WGmOMbSM-6diTZ84SyPs6IdPkwvp18LxwK71A8TnoxxinYcZoWJc_GNeKGWckOAnnq8QsdLTwoDXTh5xnXZYRdAuYFoCZv4chfZJXx_JQ8VykvYk72wsBYN7/s320/DSC04044.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12Fekae4YOQhEYH2gG1vwe5evevFtYx1tjgAASnVvrhXLoFhWItVEJujUqwdH0Bf-tzrK3lc-QMrtBpPTLdEqZe0D47Y9yeO3Ba7lmK4ntmaIEsu3zSZMHKDuPoLO03tDQTMw2Fetwime/s1600/DSC04045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12Fekae4YOQhEYH2gG1vwe5evevFtYx1tjgAASnVvrhXLoFhWItVEJujUqwdH0Bf-tzrK3lc-QMrtBpPTLdEqZe0D47Y9yeO3Ba7lmK4ntmaIEsu3zSZMHKDuPoLO03tDQTMw2Fetwime/s320/DSC04045.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6X0P5GVCs-L48KjQa5NkyNxMCe57e3erwXVLwO2SuykUCx7QXtAXMK-1NVieOiXU5HdaFfSjB6KEYV1PaTX855Xiiiblp99YEW9k09enefAy9dB1Gz6y-osGdlW787qEVydwhC2yZXoI6/s1600/DSC04047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6X0P5GVCs-L48KjQa5NkyNxMCe57e3erwXVLwO2SuykUCx7QXtAXMK-1NVieOiXU5HdaFfSjB6KEYV1PaTX855Xiiiblp99YEW9k09enefAy9dB1Gz6y-osGdlW787qEVydwhC2yZXoI6/s320/DSC04047.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ghwE3aHIN7f1FcvP_aYxptsMFMm4jcq8hNKpUXChsy6BDCopZhzOtpXMWmpzDzqoq0m0ed1p_5xRs5zxDzml7Hmi0lPbRZN9h2jZN9wIaCkoz8A6oXueQuMhmX2J6EbdHyV1UFoTgARH/s1600/DSC04050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ghwE3aHIN7f1FcvP_aYxptsMFMm4jcq8hNKpUXChsy6BDCopZhzOtpXMWmpzDzqoq0m0ed1p_5xRs5zxDzml7Hmi0lPbRZN9h2jZN9wIaCkoz8A6oXueQuMhmX2J6EbdHyV1UFoTgARH/s320/DSC04050.JPG" width="139" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-68223898455009011442011-10-17T19:57:00.000-07:002011-10-17T19:57:54.508-07:00Peanut Butter and Jelly - Halloween Style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNfJdhzZhHiLKZGRKrJCcFJ7oS-Mi7Qn5vHguUFlMVCwem2z8spf29PVouX9sgA1qk6Dq3oxn-bZ2vox7fNTIs71EalAR0vFegGZWPumY4sPQzYOsOZHKPEkTuCNdOrrH4jiFtgH0Nc5R/s1600/DSC04264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNfJdhzZhHiLKZGRKrJCcFJ7oS-Mi7Qn5vHguUFlMVCwem2z8spf29PVouX9sgA1qk6Dq3oxn-bZ2vox7fNTIs71EalAR0vFegGZWPumY4sPQzYOsOZHKPEkTuCNdOrrH4jiFtgH0Nc5R/s320/DSC04264.JPG" width="255" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVFY0dtSlhNJIgHbOB4l9iVTqcvnDpSX1KifpHNaYGHdApfJZPi5f_Jcr7OdyWP7WzdF7t52SPFBXJCvT2acHwP3yVkfk-OTHg1gKbe1xo_hksQwT9fR94aH-ImYoOEFO1yEev9AdjCWF/s1600/DSC04267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVFY0dtSlhNJIgHbOB4l9iVTqcvnDpSX1KifpHNaYGHdApfJZPi5f_Jcr7OdyWP7WzdF7t52SPFBXJCvT2acHwP3yVkfk-OTHg1gKbe1xo_hksQwT9fR94aH-ImYoOEFO1yEev9AdjCWF/s320/DSC04267.JPG" width="255" /></a><br />
<br />
This lunch really doesn't require a recipe. It is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut out with a cookie cutter to look like a jack-o-lantern face. I wanted to show an idea of a food that could be made without any extra ingredients or special shopping trips. This is something simple you could do any day of October that will bring the fun spirit of Halloween to your lunch. I made these sandwiches for my boys the day we got down our Halloween decorations from the attic and set them up. It took no extra time from regular lunch preparation but it did a lot to add to the festivities of the day. Your family may not be into PB&J's so substitute turkey on rye instead. Just make it fun and easy to take something you are already eating and give it a new look.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 5 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By: </b>Julia Davis Chandler - inventor of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich<b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
sandwich bread<br />
peanut butter<br />
jelly<br />
cookie cuttersAmberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-66870810447080735852011-10-14T10:56:00.000-07:002011-10-14T10:57:37.442-07:00Happy Halloween Chili Cups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpglmSeBeYJ2A42PYkQO3Uh6TnX-08unC8fJmaCeNMw2z8zIHRXUuIeEyBXOPWRSUA8NL5YTg7TIGVIUk_mK0ZutVzoMqawiTqocJwuvsrmy9BXNwVhhDv3OdZizLquT6fK8y4sF2a5kfg/s1600/DSC04102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpglmSeBeYJ2A42PYkQO3Uh6TnX-08unC8fJmaCeNMw2z8zIHRXUuIeEyBXOPWRSUA8NL5YTg7TIGVIUk_mK0ZutVzoMqawiTqocJwuvsrmy9BXNwVhhDv3OdZizLquT6fK8y4sF2a5kfg/s320/DSC04102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
These chili cups are a mix of several ideas and recipes all mashed together to make a fun presentation with a great tasting chili. You can change the cheese cut outs to be anything from pumpkins and cats like I used to scary jack-o-lantern faces or witches with cauldrons. This chili is mild and has extra veggies thrown in for a healthier meal but if you are running short on time and don't want to make your own chili from scratch you can use your favorite premade chili. Apparently, some stores also sell refrigerated cornbread dough made from companies like Pillsbury but I couldn't find any in my local stores so I made mine from scratch and included the ingredients for you to make them, too.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4-6 <i>(approx. two chili cups each)</i><br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 50 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Chili recipe was from <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/">Taste of Home</a>. Chili cups idea was from <a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/october/site/top-25-halloween-dinners/?index=1">Pillsbury</a> <br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
Chili:<br />
1/2 lb ground turkey<br />
1 tsp minced garlic<br />
1/2 cup chopped onion <br />
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper, any color<br />
1/2 cup diced carrots<br />
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce <i>(or 3/4 cup tomato sauce and 3/4 cup salsa for extra zip)</i><br />
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained<br />
1 tsp chili powder<br />
1/2 tsp cumin<br />
<br />
Cornbread Cups:<br />
1/2 cup butter, melted<br />
2/3 cup sugar <br />
2 eggs, beaten<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 cup cornmeal<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Cook turkey and garlic over medium heat.<br />
2. Add onions, pepper and carrots.<br />
3. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes.<br />
4. Stir in tomato sauce, beans, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.<br />
5. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low.<br />
6. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.<br />
7. While chili is stewing, grease a muffin pan.<br />
8. Beat together butter, sugar, eggs, and baking soda.<br />
9. Mix in cornmeal, flour, and salt until mixture resembles a coarse dough.<br />
10. Press dough into muffin pans along the bottom and sides to form a cup. <i>(Make the bottom and walls of your cups <u>thin</u>. They will thicken and puff up a lot during baking.)</i><br />
11. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. <br />
12. Spoon hot chili into the cornbread cups.<br />
13. Top with cheese cutouts right before serving. <i>(The cheese melts and loses it shape with time so you don't want to do this step too far in advance of serving.)</i><br />
<br />
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margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_zWdauoVu8RDyeWaYypRxiy59s2WVKdun7VMV75N48dIVTCkksn2q25y1orB2xzlcmnX2f-LsZHDsUV_AH4zCpmffcSAEnkbjb4XTw1UG2lf2-LDwqQA5EicehRcwTbC92UuZwFg8b1z/s320/DSC04096.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaJWptFuMkeRXsgKfT7dz0XgtK9TjRIQJDAdlpFTw1lNWrXs1zX9yqaSUJDhjVX8e3rxwkMtDY8qoFCVWtkd9QZvBT68d0qxsPcJeq86xznNls87e3NYyi3hZrAk_P03-ZjGNkTse55eu/s1600/DSC04095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkaJWptFuMkeRXsgKfT7dz0XgtK9TjRIQJDAdlpFTw1lNWrXs1zX9yqaSUJDhjVX8e3rxwkMtDY8qoFCVWtkd9QZvBT68d0qxsPcJeq86xznNls87e3NYyi3hZrAk_P03-ZjGNkTse55eu/s320/DSC04095.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLUjHEWPxQUoAAEHdR6WsoWgxslTVXxYqiJDJ251e7kBiM7HfTfPnz7dtZr61QKFDxtLTKXM274RIOICzgzqbyXj71Ig4E36mdXUl80qjMowGA2FbXs0ngk7u0QH0tKqFcmVXxvOlOb-9/s1600/DSC04099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLUjHEWPxQUoAAEHdR6WsoWgxslTVXxYqiJDJ251e7kBiM7HfTfPnz7dtZr61QKFDxtLTKXM274RIOICzgzqbyXj71Ig4E36mdXUl80qjMowGA2FbXs0ngk7u0QH0tKqFcmVXxvOlOb-9/s320/DSC04099.JPG" width="190" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-24728086996040010652011-10-12T13:15:00.000-07:002011-10-12T13:15:43.367-07:00Jack-o-Lantern Quesadillas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRkUOgJq4OrHf0qX1pj3D2pMqqruA1x4gmCSXtf6gstdSqZPNPAVFtrc7jjCs2nK6e1sJM-z4XXm9fG36MmqAl2kI0cprE88nu90W_AXRuuvLlcW6xxHg88ll7fNPUNOIT6fBQTd0luJW/s1600/DSC04155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRkUOgJq4OrHf0qX1pj3D2pMqqruA1x4gmCSXtf6gstdSqZPNPAVFtrc7jjCs2nK6e1sJM-z4XXm9fG36MmqAl2kI0cprE88nu90W_AXRuuvLlcW6xxHg88ll7fNPUNOIT6fBQTd0luJW/s320/DSC04155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>With only three ingredients, lunch couldn't be simpler, or happier. This smiling jack-o-lantern face is sure to bring a smile to your mealtime. Not only is it delicious but a fun way to bring out the holiday spirit.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4<br />
<b>Start to-Finish:</b> 15 minutes<br />
<b>Recipes By:</b> <a href="http://asweetandsavorylife.com/jack-o-lantern-quesadilla/">A Sweet And Savory Life</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<br />
8 flour tortillas <i>(taco-sized flour tortillas are perfect for kid servings)</i><br />
4 cups shredded cheese<br />
butter<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Using the tip of a paring knife or kitchen shears, cut the face of the jack-o-lantern out of four flour tortillas.<br />
2. Thinly butter one side of each tortilla shell. <i>(This will help the tortillas crisp up and brown nicely when you cook them.)</i><br />
3. Cook the cut jack-o-lantern tortilla over medium heat until toasted and golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.<br />
4. Meanwhile, layer one cup of cheese cheese over each of the four uncut tortilla shells.<br />
5. Cook the uncut tortilla over medium heat until golden brown; cheese side up.<br />
6. Place the cut jack-o-lantern tortilla over the melted cheese tortilla.<br />
7. Serve with salsa or other favorite dipping sauce.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiT_FMhPG-sJoHpN3wX8_MMSmTlpLOx6c7pAiRdYmSNs4JX8c86s1Cp-vRBVa5UDsZrfC5FLT6wszzXL_-i2FnKAnxT4hgCgQIGnr6Vm2ETLbi9toVwZgVbV_V_KH0H90m54YCnnl5mo4g/s1600/DSC04148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiT_FMhPG-sJoHpN3wX8_MMSmTlpLOx6c7pAiRdYmSNs4JX8c86s1Cp-vRBVa5UDsZrfC5FLT6wszzXL_-i2FnKAnxT4hgCgQIGnr6Vm2ETLbi9toVwZgVbV_V_KH0H90m54YCnnl5mo4g/s320/DSC04148.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeFUeh3s-BkEctYrAQTOXNRQsdRAdnnj8yEbNbNYF7DrbhbwGABNm4_3DlQjtQ0i-leP5tjldLLDlAt3h8W4TFXUzNMFjMG-PxYyL6SZvcBZH7tlqugip4ADYDKvhJQQUkGFZG_r8_C_6/s1600/DSC04149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeFUeh3s-BkEctYrAQTOXNRQsdRAdnnj8yEbNbNYF7DrbhbwGABNm4_3DlQjtQ0i-leP5tjldLLDlAt3h8W4TFXUzNMFjMG-PxYyL6SZvcBZH7tlqugip4ADYDKvhJQQUkGFZG_r8_C_6/s320/DSC04149.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwuSO8ScShU2SIxn2okYPDBtXFEtwBp4_xcp4eAEovByko0wxTEpQz5yBB9E7iHj5TgMDDb1lhGelKFffe4i82H7pOVvSslgjOMt1K1kBPiZz3FspvKfWzvcSMjCKyy7B9WCx5xpGYZgw/s1600/DSC04152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwuSO8ScShU2SIxn2okYPDBtXFEtwBp4_xcp4eAEovByko0wxTEpQz5yBB9E7iHj5TgMDDb1lhGelKFffe4i82H7pOVvSslgjOMt1K1kBPiZz3FspvKfWzvcSMjCKyy7B9WCx5xpGYZgw/s320/DSC04152.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIa9Y9AIj1uJBfgD3JZbas8tbDJ6JoWXt3jER35ODkTnLzmLaODvPVuwUXsZu0iTo89rIzKw2HdHCzejzRBHD9CgqyPicjG6v90VgGTAixLagN4Lp4SAn1jzPNRxqJDIMrQxYZ_GINjS1j/s1600/DSC04146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIa9Y9AIj1uJBfgD3JZbas8tbDJ6JoWXt3jER35ODkTnLzmLaODvPVuwUXsZu0iTo89rIzKw2HdHCzejzRBHD9CgqyPicjG6v90VgGTAixLagN4Lp4SAn1jzPNRxqJDIMrQxYZ_GINjS1j/s320/DSC04146.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjxvs-smgn7sttRmCjuMWx967QhKThMVKPKIaFvootLR7bhAOCODycpBGrDI0PybIYOkFGutI0FaKStKUf85pJIFCG7KWvYdvB2t3fviHRkEUnW5wPWstHmQ6ix56SdchR_yveEFGwouC/s1600/DSC04150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjxvs-smgn7sttRmCjuMWx967QhKThMVKPKIaFvootLR7bhAOCODycpBGrDI0PybIYOkFGutI0FaKStKUf85pJIFCG7KWvYdvB2t3fviHRkEUnW5wPWstHmQ6ix56SdchR_yveEFGwouC/s320/DSC04150.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRkUOgJq4OrHf0qX1pj3D2pMqqruA1x4gmCSXtf6gstdSqZPNPAVFtrc7jjCs2nK6e1sJM-z4XXm9fG36MmqAl2kI0cprE88nu90W_AXRuuvLlcW6xxHg88ll7fNPUNOIT6fBQTd0luJW/s1600/DSC04155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRkUOgJq4OrHf0qX1pj3D2pMqqruA1x4gmCSXtf6gstdSqZPNPAVFtrc7jjCs2nK6e1sJM-z4XXm9fG36MmqAl2kI0cprE88nu90W_AXRuuvLlcW6xxHg88ll7fNPUNOIT6fBQTd0luJW/s320/DSC04155.JPG" width="190" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-57984513140566853972011-10-11T06:37:00.000-07:002011-10-11T06:37:00.053-07:00Mummy Dogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnYeqz-DCcxdU8KLO1a9u85CPdgzLGkhdxppa549DLWIRf91hfz-mQwjEpX2f70X_dKGGrCL3T5lhc9QfffkW8dOQrV5X4zwX8EKiYzN3sj1y3z50GgNSJJXUk0C1s7kpvAjbcJE1FNDi/s1600/DSC04040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnYeqz-DCcxdU8KLO1a9u85CPdgzLGkhdxppa549DLWIRf91hfz-mQwjEpX2f70X_dKGGrCL3T5lhc9QfffkW8dOQrV5X4zwX8EKiYzN3sj1y3z50GgNSJJXUk0C1s7kpvAjbcJE1FNDi/s320/DSC04040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Surprisingly delicious! I am not a fan of hotdogs but of course my boys love them so these had to be in our line-up of Halloween lunches. When I made them the first time I only made enough for the boys and my husband, thinking I would probably enjoy eating something else more. But after my husband asked for seconds I was interested and I tried one. They were surprisingly delicious. <i>(I have decided it is because they are baked with cheese. Everything is better baked in cheese, right?)</i> I have since made them again and made enough for me to share in the lunchtime fun, too.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 5 adults (2 hot dogs each) or 10 kids (1 hot dog each)<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 50 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> <a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/crescent-mummy-dogs/d52a57d7-ab8a-4a1c-8dae-f9f90d03b912/">Pillsbury</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1 (8-oz) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or refrigerated seamless dough sheet<br />
2 1/2 slices American cheese, quartered<br />
10 hot dogs<br />
Cooking spray<br />
Mustard and ketchup, if desired<br />
<br />
<b>Directions: </b><br />
<br />
1. Heat oven to 375°F.<br />
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough, separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles, and press perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough, cut into 4 rectangles.<br />
3. With knife or kitchen shears, cut dough into long, thin strips. <i>(The thinner you can make the strips, the better your mummy looks when it is cooked.)</i><br />
4. Slice cheese slices into quarters.<i> (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half. You want them about the same dimensions as your hotdogs.)</i><br />
5. Wrap thin strips of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog.<br />
6. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face."<br />
7. On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down).<br />
8. Spray dough lightly with cooking spray.<br />
9. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot.<br />
10. To make an orange dipping sauce; combine equal part ketchup and mustard, mix well.<br />
11. Serve mummy dogs with orange dipping sauce.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1uFLKkxuQFSBKnmk1mlLfjP-wpWCzgxqmc0c3tQoZzOuThwGFDah7cvEnlmADQ9fWkxEfT0b0K4NLavaaavEYIv_wPcH9tgqOpqgTeYTvjaS_0_kHAUPuhfCXsvNRqhyphenhypheneVNiQxvBYXiv/s1600/DSC04022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1uFLKkxuQFSBKnmk1mlLfjP-wpWCzgxqmc0c3tQoZzOuThwGFDah7cvEnlmADQ9fWkxEfT0b0K4NLavaaavEYIv_wPcH9tgqOpqgTeYTvjaS_0_kHAUPuhfCXsvNRqhyphenhypheneVNiQxvBYXiv/s320/DSC04022.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWs_5ITTsKmpYayp4RWCzT1bqmoaSpsj4_dFMVlphYYOHEDYbNLQk3Q2yrD7AV8soMRk3NzK3U1aaDlw3jTYuNeRN5xKYixnW6GJkwKGaRSxHHA_s1ZOwBuhzDH0XmU9wVvqDvcDztNQf5/s1600/DSC04024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWs_5ITTsKmpYayp4RWCzT1bqmoaSpsj4_dFMVlphYYOHEDYbNLQk3Q2yrD7AV8soMRk3NzK3U1aaDlw3jTYuNeRN5xKYixnW6GJkwKGaRSxHHA_s1ZOwBuhzDH0XmU9wVvqDvcDztNQf5/s320/DSC04024.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gf2mvX7yPbi7MMeMStZ4-l6L60CBkXGfh0WN4xGwMoPm-CzKL68NotDJWZDtSwMyE5MLosK4dFlIpc4jKHkiru46PZ6ymrN0Hk1JAGLLXHIbdi1PglVyDX8IDkHvoZ1o0zaXvjxNCBob/s1600/DSC04025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; 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margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XGEIJtq4fDJe8zgH7pMYK0NRFKQ8sH83VLvJCOuFQQWHhyphenhyphenV8L7djQk4Bioni2b5ALWmkCAbqdWRteGfAKp9DwXzHNjiandQ9aDCkubez8CKrs6WQ_r0TOtvdM-g3xJt5caFPxiMQyDqs/s320/DSC04028.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-JrJoWTF6DQBtJRxq5y31aMeW3jBbAgH-hMrQWS7jWn7sS1EXql1o-zIvhRpYgGvYtPvOk0iKsLTzPM1incSJGEVd755MgoXyGp4pm789TEfkZJi6xOh4f99CsCI2_3MzOqpzL6znTUP/s1600/DSC04030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-JrJoWTF6DQBtJRxq5y31aMeW3jBbAgH-hMrQWS7jWn7sS1EXql1o-zIvhRpYgGvYtPvOk0iKsLTzPM1incSJGEVd755MgoXyGp4pm789TEfkZJi6xOh4f99CsCI2_3MzOqpzL6znTUP/s320/DSC04030.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTsHIhrrDGKidu0xgEnDu7UI57o2j27_axz2P6PjWwQMlrsZLHQomv3g-YWzmVG2pl4l-svtTHyoC3wGhBzwOd8XiZxM9_ldPU_JtErExbpOwb7xtsUDa90_QbaQ-q7Qwmr30LXSggaOp/s1600/DSC04031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTsHIhrrDGKidu0xgEnDu7UI57o2j27_axz2P6PjWwQMlrsZLHQomv3g-YWzmVG2pl4l-svtTHyoC3wGhBzwOd8XiZxM9_ldPU_JtErExbpOwb7xtsUDa90_QbaQ-q7Qwmr30LXSggaOp/s320/DSC04031.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbZmCgO02Rw1GS4OuLna6VZRbJm40w1gKO5HWmIkP8UBiXP1ifumYSD2x3TX0iowGxasIL_rwiT-6IUK17pEe3zzOsnlq5qYN0h142WH0UAEu4Eh4n64yNaGhtXUP7Dkzjlxg0BdmjLIt/s1600/DSC04032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbZmCgO02Rw1GS4OuLna6VZRbJm40w1gKO5HWmIkP8UBiXP1ifumYSD2x3TX0iowGxasIL_rwiT-6IUK17pEe3zzOsnlq5qYN0h142WH0UAEu4Eh4n64yNaGhtXUP7Dkzjlxg0BdmjLIt/s320/DSC04032.JPG" width="139" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-64517142305757293652011-10-10T13:26:00.000-07:002011-10-10T13:35:35.125-07:00Mac and Cheese Coffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPDNxmK10C7IfHhgjktelSFmTdAj-pO0drpGsm_EGiQ29E4Bxh_Igc71iOIWbDHVYMNnqJTJi7LXpcAIsyJ79ZN_MLbeGeYH7mo9VoBqbjiHry_tllELd9o4OJXp0lrAX2c-ThGYvNP39/s1600/DSC04139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPDNxmK10C7IfHhgjktelSFmTdAj-pO0drpGsm_EGiQ29E4Bxh_Igc71iOIWbDHVYMNnqJTJi7LXpcAIsyJ79ZN_MLbeGeYH7mo9VoBqbjiHry_tllELd9o4OJXp0lrAX2c-ThGYvNP39/s320/DSC04139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A creepy spin on a classic favorite; bread hollowed out to resemble a coffin and a plastic dollar store find make this Halloween lunch extra special. If you are short on time you can use boxed mac-and-cheese or even your favorite frozen variety. I found a garland with four skeletons strung along it at my dollar store which was perfect for my family of four. But if you can't find them at your dollar store I have also seen the skeletons sold at megamarts such as Target and Walmart. I included a bread recipe that will give you four mini loaves that are ideal for this purpose but you can also just pick up small loaves of bread at your local bakery to shorten your time in the kitchen and get your little gremlins fed faster.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 1 hour 30 minutes (45 min prep time + 45 min bake time)<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Betty Crocker's Cookbook<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
2 cups elbow macaroni <br />
2 TBSP onion, finely grated<br />
3 TBSP butter, divided <br />
2 TBSP all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided<br />
1/2 tsp pepper, divided<br />
2 cups milk<br />
3 cups American cheese or cheddar cheese<br />
4 <i>mini</i> loaves bread <i>(small loaves approx 6 inches long. For a recipe to make your own mini loaves <a href="http://amberbrunson.blogspot.com/2011/10/amish-bread.html">click here</a>)</i><br />
4 plastic skeletons<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven at 375°F.<br />
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.<br />
3. Grate or cube the cheese.<br />
4. For the white sauce, in a small pot melt 2 TBSP butter.<br />
5. Add the flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper, whisking briskly.<br />
6. Add milk; cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.<br />
7. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more.<br />
8. Place half the cooked macaroni into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish.<br />
9. Sprinkle with half the grated onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and half the cheese.<br />
10. Repeat with remaining macaroni, onion, salt, pepper, and cheese.<br />
11. Pour your white sauce over the casserole.<br />
12. Dot with 1 TBSP of butter.<br />
13. Cover and bake 30 minutes.<br />
14. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.<br />
15. Meanwhile, cut the very top off you bread loaves and hollow out the bread on the inside to resemble a coffin and lid. <i>(You can get quite close to the edge of the loaf because you want the "bread bowl" to be able to hold lots of macaroni and cheese.)</i><br />
16. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into the bread loaf coffins and top with a plastic skeleton.<br />
17. Serve of a bed of baby greens or with other green vegetables. <i>(For a particularly gruesome effect a ketchup for blood.)</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBsK_P2Snp4V8a73fknSf1886a96m7M92IQSV9cCbXMNzn1HaflWkpHgwWriyLVy5XzVnba_LWhEZndUEtWW4f4pQatIohYL8Z0jaKnJ4IBJLKOJZeDOeNsxius5yv061168FAuTN1U6r/s1600/DSC04106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBsK_P2Snp4V8a73fknSf1886a96m7M92IQSV9cCbXMNzn1HaflWkpHgwWriyLVy5XzVnba_LWhEZndUEtWW4f4pQatIohYL8Z0jaKnJ4IBJLKOJZeDOeNsxius5yv061168FAuTN1U6r/s320/DSC04106.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGz-cRG5N9VY-8P6aZ-JhmBtT58Hu67aquOrROxwILOK7YiEJHNUG346p8TGIGLAOLhEXhTLuDExrpq044esgFy7zkEyyfo3lGbB1VERMmCMIcBnnOe76_F9urGaLc3cQmjOi9MWmxvAK/s1600/DSC04103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGz-cRG5N9VY-8P6aZ-JhmBtT58Hu67aquOrROxwILOK7YiEJHNUG346p8TGIGLAOLhEXhTLuDExrpq044esgFy7zkEyyfo3lGbB1VERMmCMIcBnnOe76_F9urGaLc3cQmjOi9MWmxvAK/s320/DSC04103.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Cc-9HQo3EqyufBsXqqVT4HG3bt28RJthIh5pwXvICSKMmO5WwbbY924gDYh-1pl49rE6HW-pUReqX-sCATJlo6i8uWaOIFuFi0hwuqD7Fg6nFF810SMNJlynUkhzseLOcbY3OHsLJmJP/s1600/DSC04107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; 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margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl0aIbq0Mxq7rA9LrRt6wVNchZlFjqYFkmkdeNdiF5iZpIhDWVSeZhfirf6MbUhp7O555BpsBiqn2_PtiqVLX7Lmc2zSn7vgz6qz0iYb05njYH6bCOKxPmMQFP6Z89peyZpvrTiCDd9y9/s320/DSC04125.JPG" width="190" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-8501593755031165242011-10-10T06:55:00.000-07:002011-10-10T13:34:55.333-07:00Amish Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3IBGwe-YWMGpdS8vh8xUV9ClbtJzzMWKomx5KEb258HPzxgPEeT6AGr674JONtsCV4o8BwhJEcQWhOP91BDNOjRbThGavplR34yks2At_V6M8hH6XSLmthYEfu4Ua15sphSeU3CWG_8d/s1600/DSC04141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3IBGwe-YWMGpdS8vh8xUV9ClbtJzzMWKomx5KEb258HPzxgPEeT6AGr674JONtsCV4o8BwhJEcQWhOP91BDNOjRbThGavplR34yks2At_V6M8hH6XSLmthYEfu4Ua15sphSeU3CWG_8d/s320/DSC04141.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This recipe produces soft loaves with a dense bread and soft, thin crust. I like that is doesn't need as much advanced preparation as some breads because it only needs 1 hour and 30 minutes to rise. It is delicious with butter and jam and freezes well. I often substitute whole wheat flour <i>(picture above with 100% whole wheat flour)</i> for the white bread flour and the loaves come out fine.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 2 loaves (or 4 small loaves)<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 2 hours and 30 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/amish-white-bread/detail.aspx">allrecipes.com</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)<br />
2/3 cup white sugar<br />
1 1/2 TBSP active dry yeast<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
6 cups bread flour<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast.<br />
2. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.<br />
3. Mix salt and oil into the yeast.<br />
4. Mix in flour one cup at a time.<br />
5. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.<br />
6. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat.<br />
7. Cover with a damp cloth.<br />
8. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.<br />
9. Punch dough down.<br />
10. Knead for a few minutes, and divide into loaves.<br />
11. Shape loaves and place into well oiled loaf pans. (two 9 x 5 pans or four 5.5 x 3 pans)<br />
12. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.<br />
13. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bNrMT0hyphenhyphenwK-mDpl_N7UNUjqLzAdfQi04p5cHBqMnfNGYE9ClWjPycc_qaaUTxu_AEgtNark3ksqnhZQ93mf48WDfspxg3tBbh7b-76nuGrp43GTaSGSkkhwjN8OSzNQTMpOXYXe3RSr_/s1600/DSC04121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bNrMT0hyphenhyphenwK-mDpl_N7UNUjqLzAdfQi04p5cHBqMnfNGYE9ClWjPycc_qaaUTxu_AEgtNark3ksqnhZQ93mf48WDfspxg3tBbh7b-76nuGrp43GTaSGSkkhwjN8OSzNQTMpOXYXe3RSr_/s320/DSC04121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-10827069060613562122011-10-08T06:03:00.000-07:002011-10-08T06:03:00.711-07:00Black Bean Bat Burritos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaYA-hbITaJTXuYDd2Bs7oi5_GTJU6k4mg178syfYf94s8d5z7N5gGebDP8paoa9qHJJbMKa8mDppSyjYJdHubTmgCmHSP7YEWq-rPvR0foDOipPCMwZ7H09EFubnzoN5U8I6JlaTZ8RI/s1600/DSC04075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixaYA-hbITaJTXuYDd2Bs7oi5_GTJU6k4mg178syfYf94s8d5z7N5gGebDP8paoa9qHJJbMKa8mDppSyjYJdHubTmgCmHSP7YEWq-rPvR0foDOipPCMwZ7H09EFubnzoN5U8I6JlaTZ8RI/s320/DSC04075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When my four-year-old saw me making these bat burritos he got very excited because he thought I was making Batman food. I tried to explain to him this was a bat for Halloween but he could not be swayed. He even ran upstairs to get his Batman action figure and show me the logo on his costume to prove to me that this was indeed a Batman Recipe and not a Halloween Recipe. In the end he was right; it does look like the Bat Signal. Two birds with one stone I guess, right? One of the great things about this recipe is you can add pretty much any burrito ingredients you like to the inside and still get the same bat effect with the black beans on top. I choose a simple "bean and cheese" burrito because it suites my children's lunch needs but it is versatile.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves: </b>4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 10 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
8 flour tortillas<br />
1 (15-oz) can black refried beans <i>(If you can't find prepared refried black beans in your grocery store you can just use regular refried beans with black food coloring to darken the color. Or, if you are feeling super adventurous, you can always make your own.)</i><br />
2 cups grated cheddar cheese <br />
1 (2.25-oz) can sliced olives<br />
<br />
<i>Note:</i> You do not have to use two tortilla shells for each burrito but I liked layering them like a sandwich because it helped even out the <i>tortilla shell to ingredient</i> ratio and the because blacks beans spread easier when they aren't going over the top of other ingredients.<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Using kitchen shears, cut eight tortilla shells to resemble bats. <i>(You will be layering two tortilla shells for each burrito so cut the shapes to match each other. )</i><br />
2. Set aside four tortilla shells for later.<br />
3. Top the remaining four tortilla shells with 1/2 cup grated cheese, each. <i>(If you want to add additional ingredients to your burrito such as salsa, shredded chicken, rice ... this is the time to do it.)</i><br />
4. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until cheese is melted.<br />
5. Top each tortilla shell with the remaining four tortilla shells to make a sandwich.<br />
6. Spread a layer of black beans onto the top of the tortilla sandwich.<br />
7. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds.<br />
8. Top with olives slices for eyes and cheese wedges for fangs.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSdMUg34zmoA7f0oLfOu__baxBUtgeG3Tdp9ujJU1iqbloUW3fTUqv2l0mm2n5V1jR4js8PxP74t4hVpwVDKrMAYatwC1OoGB1c7XgziqxqMbgeMTSHVBcM-FSlGrZJJcI58AtwbxvMbD/s1600/DSC04061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSdMUg34zmoA7f0oLfOu__baxBUtgeG3Tdp9ujJU1iqbloUW3fTUqv2l0mm2n5V1jR4js8PxP74t4hVpwVDKrMAYatwC1OoGB1c7XgziqxqMbgeMTSHVBcM-FSlGrZJJcI58AtwbxvMbD/s320/DSC04061.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIECvLBHVqnELu4cnjHNVxGSMxvbghYTwFuplV4vPbckFq_QuoGxf1BLGor7BGLbm75F072GQi7XjcwlsrXSapMuJ8Qvmy2XK1cO86kF73zIvltpCYXltGvLy6jHwCz1j98prbbEVK__pp/s1600/DSC04063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIECvLBHVqnELu4cnjHNVxGSMxvbghYTwFuplV4vPbckFq_QuoGxf1BLGor7BGLbm75F072GQi7XjcwlsrXSapMuJ8Qvmy2XK1cO86kF73zIvltpCYXltGvLy6jHwCz1j98prbbEVK__pp/s320/DSC04063.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n1pGzSu2tmZQnzHXJENdoXR0-pUFi2QisN9VtdDXCefCO3UZdMdvpDJmFiqmB-6CvkWLlD6PoDFG987bUuwevAjSEgHQGt2vQ9t01GMHnjkxn0JkFveO9cT3BUdssuhLBcRe2Rtus8lt/s1600/DSC04067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n1pGzSu2tmZQnzHXJENdoXR0-pUFi2QisN9VtdDXCefCO3UZdMdvpDJmFiqmB-6CvkWLlD6PoDFG987bUuwevAjSEgHQGt2vQ9t01GMHnjkxn0JkFveO9cT3BUdssuhLBcRe2Rtus8lt/s320/DSC04067.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7WwGnQWHK1fuTQ543i8EPRAIPjIbdF9TtrObR9vZdXnMf_nZgkKhrAYltkY2_t62cJu2nSgz6o6PfGyS8yxxFWhTV9orbljNEN7-cHk31-9ND5It7cDZAhWdyCmWoTv8hwxd_I8YDaHp/s1600/DSC04069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7WwGnQWHK1fuTQ543i8EPRAIPjIbdF9TtrObR9vZdXnMf_nZgkKhrAYltkY2_t62cJu2nSgz6o6PfGyS8yxxFWhTV9orbljNEN7-cHk31-9ND5It7cDZAhWdyCmWoTv8hwxd_I8YDaHp/s200/DSC04069.JPG" width="139" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-33314640999824035382011-10-07T07:42:00.000-07:002011-10-07T12:53:17.651-07:00Mummy Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaY2LDzBKuIeJxURy4Fsj15jRx8QXzIfPtqMKzRf0T4zQ6PeLloRPwyPeZAo0sOSkmH6X5RBm-_C-DtpP8sL9AV0CYPo5yJpqVg_Aid0drO1Xtx4npzts9kV6d5EFacdPPkQeRQYSPQD3/s1600/DSC04012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuaY2LDzBKuIeJxURy4Fsj15jRx8QXzIfPtqMKzRf0T4zQ6PeLloRPwyPeZAo0sOSkmH6X5RBm-_C-DtpP8sL9AV0CYPo5yJpqVg_Aid0drO1Xtx4npzts9kV6d5EFacdPPkQeRQYSPQD3/s320/DSC04012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This Halloween recipe, with its hand-sized portions and quick cooking time, it an easy choice for a busy October afternoon. My preschoolers helped me assemble these dressed-up english muffins and ate <i>almost</i> every bite <i>(the olives were picked off as soon as the pizza hit the plate)</i>; so I can guarantee this meal is kid-friendly. I used a block of mozzarella cheese that I cut into thin strips because I made my own mozzarella cheese this month and really wanted to try it in a recipe but I think the kids would have a lot of fun pre-shredding all the string cheese into strips if you decide to use string cheese for your mummies.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b>10 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b><a href="http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/pizza-mummies-688188/">familyfun.go.com</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
4 english muffins, split<br />
Pizza sauce <i>(use premade sauce or make your own with a recipe from <a href="http://amberbrunson.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-pizza-sauce.html">here</a>)</i><br />
1 (2.25-oz) can black olives<br />
8 sticks of string mozzarella cheese, peeled into strips <i>(or a block of mozzarella cut into thin strips)</i><br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Heat the oven to 350º F.<br />
2. Toast the english muffins until they are very toasty <i>(The muffins will get a little soggy when you cook the sauce on top of them in the oven so the toastier you can get them, the better.) </i><br />
3. On each english muffin, spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce.<br />
4. Set two olive slices in place for the mummy's eyes.<br />
5. Lay strips of cheese across the English muffin for the mummy's wrappings. <i>(Have the strips of cheese premade so that the muffins don't get soggy with sauce while you are trying to prepare them. If you are using string cheese each pizza takes approximately one stick.)</i><br />
6. Bake for 2 - 4 minutes. <i>(You don't really want the cheese to melt too much in this step or you will lose the look of individuals wrappings and just get a big blob of cheese. Remember your english muffins are already toasted so you really just need to soften the cheese here.)</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPEHhgTJVbXctNfCm788CvLhOb9Psss9j-gzpaknzG1xkHSsGsOZI88RbVgDmUdKfGz1nTAw8mhrngY_ac91jGiGIkouTuOiO7qiIU7r6sWNdVJkQ_Gh63pl7bhfx-kWTDhHb4Rdcf5ZW/s1600/DSC03999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPEHhgTJVbXctNfCm788CvLhOb9Psss9j-gzpaknzG1xkHSsGsOZI88RbVgDmUdKfGz1nTAw8mhrngY_ac91jGiGIkouTuOiO7qiIU7r6sWNdVJkQ_Gh63pl7bhfx-kWTDhHb4Rdcf5ZW/s320/DSC03999.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6P1g-Jouof_ezNIKoRVx0erbiq-yWOUoMfY8gYHOaG8xRi6ODtYjYBnC1LgOVeaAHnTwCKn0_uY1soyS1xvL-yOkYBLrKhaUiKLoj8rXV6L-JKloJtEyAtEeutDMuB5gq2-HlKthAQLVO/s1600/DSC03997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6P1g-Jouof_ezNIKoRVx0erbiq-yWOUoMfY8gYHOaG8xRi6ODtYjYBnC1LgOVeaAHnTwCKn0_uY1soyS1xvL-yOkYBLrKhaUiKLoj8rXV6L-JKloJtEyAtEeutDMuB5gq2-HlKthAQLVO/s320/DSC03997.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLfbO9Tud3obL-y-ldZaQdgMFhPyKwJTApwcdYfAz_ySC1Kj5SZUuQZCGUgeDBb4n77yPlt5gmhfaIu7OsHxm6QxL94SOJBwLMO7RauJUNR1NiSRUUqh0rhv4TVMv-nS9Ul0Arsu8XFcZ/s1600/DSC04002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLfbO9Tud3obL-y-ldZaQdgMFhPyKwJTApwcdYfAz_ySC1Kj5SZUuQZCGUgeDBb4n77yPlt5gmhfaIu7OsHxm6QxL94SOJBwLMO7RauJUNR1NiSRUUqh0rhv4TVMv-nS9Ul0Arsu8XFcZ/s320/DSC04002.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhf272g4YkFsQhmm6vcOqdB9VXIBwgODUtsnezxj0QrSNV3aO38n8zjL9dDNbVBGoBhVCJlvw2S8tiVadMSfJ0Kfm3Yh92GRDRf7rNvz6VrecYouZYasSQcvmatCldpJDPZHzAn58J3iU/s1600/DSC04004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhf272g4YkFsQhmm6vcOqdB9VXIBwgODUtsnezxj0QrSNV3aO38n8zjL9dDNbVBGoBhVCJlvw2S8tiVadMSfJ0Kfm3Yh92GRDRf7rNvz6VrecYouZYasSQcvmatCldpJDPZHzAn58J3iU/s320/DSC04004.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3IeUGkDKe_bdhI4Ik78ZrioAPxQlksw7YpByGuOViOGP6i9ryMWNCLgGKwR07YPIUQrbEMO5J_wj-6u9lVe3dCixlGgHBMgEEWHNpK4NiAOWM9UVtixjXVxIZmhLpkVxIp8DmGlHNJo0/s1600/DSC04005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3IeUGkDKe_bdhI4Ik78ZrioAPxQlksw7YpByGuOViOGP6i9ryMWNCLgGKwR07YPIUQrbEMO5J_wj-6u9lVe3dCixlGgHBMgEEWHNpK4NiAOWM9UVtixjXVxIZmhLpkVxIp8DmGlHNJo0/s320/DSC04005.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyysogiJMA9XjGOoWJNvIkD_j2dhdHIfMNlp6QkLA23GxKaBMRSUAmvCM8A1DC7YRlTXXl8GtMlA0GRc6h75t2JYu-wQ7B7pLV4PvOGSyHJp001APh0GFgc-0mg9kzeC4TnfNMjzoyL1-/s1600/DSC04006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyysogiJMA9XjGOoWJNvIkD_j2dhdHIfMNlp6QkLA23GxKaBMRSUAmvCM8A1DC7YRlTXXl8GtMlA0GRc6h75t2JYu-wQ7B7pLV4PvOGSyHJp001APh0GFgc-0mg9kzeC4TnfNMjzoyL1-/s320/DSC04006.JPG" width="190" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-23633386920561216532011-10-07T05:44:00.000-07:002011-10-07T12:52:28.640-07:00Homemade Pizza Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKBNKTCnR2C_ZiXRxtUBsqWQTerJtuhoBK6NyNv1z5jexh4JyetbKaIrhpHSoYgJr-pknODU7R6ubkC45wIzy0uy8PLQwZrcPA_YTZpxRvNdP7R_7wwDApkbSFgxP2vZARHN994udwY2V/s1600/DSC04016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKBNKTCnR2C_ZiXRxtUBsqWQTerJtuhoBK6NyNv1z5jexh4JyetbKaIrhpHSoYgJr-pknODU7R6ubkC45wIzy0uy8PLQwZrcPA_YTZpxRvNdP7R_7wwDApkbSFgxP2vZARHN994udwY2V/s320/DSC04016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b>Serves: </b>7 cups<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 55 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-pizza-sauce/detail.aspx"> allrecipes.com</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
3 TBSP olive or vegetable oil<br />
1 (29-oz) can tomato puree<br />
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes<br />
2 TBSP brown sugar<br />
1 TBSP Italian seasoning<br />
1 tsp dried basil<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. In a large saucepan, saute garlic in oil until tender.<br />
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients.<br />
3. Bring to a boil.<br />
4. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH3hR5_qkaHs9cb0QRxZVXscJSVUW8CKGw8GVqAitrolGLT_qVHvG1zHleoiTEm3_Il57NL86d16dJ42TTc_I4JLsMHk5LQBHa8kqTjfYxha3q1LSCTP9o3PWadt5oU-LiR30AoRWvUzQ/s1600/DSC03989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH3hR5_qkaHs9cb0QRxZVXscJSVUW8CKGw8GVqAitrolGLT_qVHvG1zHleoiTEm3_Il57NL86d16dJ42TTc_I4JLsMHk5LQBHa8kqTjfYxha3q1LSCTP9o3PWadt5oU-LiR30AoRWvUzQ/s320/DSC03989.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jvsSBaNhLETUvBxud0fJLK8PQWOWUL2qfkLyr8-L5iTHkIC8GrTCNF9xJZmiU3d4UwRMXOx6Q5NW0p1V4hEmahL_185ILT-32UIYkpgNVbq2vSvNKVj2HWqU1hgtFliLFmmV8I_XLnx1/s1600/DSC03990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jvsSBaNhLETUvBxud0fJLK8PQWOWUL2qfkLyr8-L5iTHkIC8GrTCNF9xJZmiU3d4UwRMXOx6Q5NW0p1V4hEmahL_185ILT-32UIYkpgNVbq2vSvNKVj2HWqU1hgtFliLFmmV8I_XLnx1/s320/DSC03990.JPG" width="190" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYLXKCEbWJj6x95bx4hD5XmCYUcdgMIYFaxaLAxvbrsaQgWUMo5mccr5QyaXO5gyUeQ60ZMrDTyYs_ZwSl58PUZs3f2DXRB07x7QwovZ5J4IlnpZF3bC_6kT4z-qVICOOGxS2ma-SigXC/s1600/DSC03995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYLXKCEbWJj6x95bx4hD5XmCYUcdgMIYFaxaLAxvbrsaQgWUMo5mccr5QyaXO5gyUeQ60ZMrDTyYs_ZwSl58PUZs3f2DXRB07x7QwovZ5J4IlnpZF3bC_6kT4z-qVICOOGxS2ma-SigXC/s320/DSC03995.JPG" width="190" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-19852009318173165022011-10-06T13:40:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:40:37.786-07:00It's That Time, Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MGQukFu7ccj_qPCPnEfDO4PevTwtjrftfpdODVwUJ0q7MI_b9hSjUutKTWDB0EzvvA4wPohrY9coCHqmnYhodhceMs74IFnNRYzcGD3pK3hVldPupEG_JGwgJi7oRlBd7insKNL6QvZC/s1600/IMG_0917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MGQukFu7ccj_qPCPnEfDO4PevTwtjrftfpdODVwUJ0q7MI_b9hSjUutKTWDB0EzvvA4wPohrY9coCHqmnYhodhceMs74IFnNRYzcGD3pK3hVldPupEG_JGwgJi7oRlBd7insKNL6QvZC/s320/IMG_0917.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>October is here! It felt like it took forever for this month to get here and then, at the last minute, it pounced and a week has already flown by before I have been able to get a hold of it. This year's Halloween recipes are featuring <i>LUNCH</i>. My little gremlins and I have been busy in the kitchen cooking up a storm and we are very proud to present to you thirteen Halloween inspired lunches that celebrate all the fun and whimsy that is the Spirit of All Hallow's Eve. So stay tuned!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-10056629861471642502011-09-03T12:10:00.000-07:002011-09-03T12:21:01.273-07:00Thinking Outside the Lunch BoxYes, I know my little ones are too young to need cold lunches for school but someday they will so it is never too early to get lots of good ideas. Additionally, I have a friend with a daughter who doesn't like the traditional <i>sandwich </i>lunch and I am willing to bet she is not the only one. So I looked up ideas for brown bag lunches you can send to school with your kids that are healthy and can be eaten cold.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXRS-4e_lWaU2H48TXA2Pqx7S3E8bVXN2P32AFoguU_ZUDjRGDG9VP7xNQnDIjJVA9AoQpGc8yK2YxEW3tyIN1RG1hGzR-4Jm5JlQpQA_JDzyYZo1vsMfy89uaZWwACyucVh3fgevXBRd/s1600/Image.ashx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXRS-4e_lWaU2H48TXA2Pqx7S3E8bVXN2P32AFoguU_ZUDjRGDG9VP7xNQnDIjJVA9AoQpGc8yK2YxEW3tyIN1RG1hGzR-4Jm5JlQpQA_JDzyYZo1vsMfy89uaZWwACyucVh3fgevXBRd/s1600/Image.ashx.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>21 Alternatives to Sandwiches</b><br />
<br />
1. Cold Pasta Salads:<br />
Any cold pasta salad your child will eat is a great option to send in a lunch. Just make sure they are filling and loaded with veggies for maximum results. Here are two options I found online that are quick and easy. Plus, I loved the idea of adding nuts to the mix for health fats.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tomato, Mozzarella, and Pasta</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">8 oz. of your child's favorite cooked pasta</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">4 large ripe tomatoes, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">4 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">4 tbsp. olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 clove garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">¼ cup pitted olives</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pine nuts</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Salt and pepper to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, mozzarella cheese, olives, and olive oil. Add cooked pasta. Toss and divide into lunch portions. Garnish each container with pine nuts.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cold Spaghetti Salad</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 cups leftover spaghetti</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 tsp. olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 clove garlic, minced </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup cashews, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Toss. Portion out into two individual containers. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.</span><br />
<br />
2. Rolled Tortilla Wraps:<br />
Yes, wraps take the bread out of the equation, but they are still quite sandwich-like. So these may not be out of the box enough for some kids but I still felt they were worth mentioning. Here are some fun wrap ideas to get your creative juices flowing. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mexican Wrap</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Go Mexican by wrapping up some grilled chicken with black beans and spiced rice, topped with grated cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream. If your kids like tacos, make them transportable by opting for soft tortillas over hard shells.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Veggie Wrap</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">If your child is a veggie lover make a wrap using grilled zucchini, red and green peppers, eggplant and sweet onions. Spread the wrap with goat cheese, add a little salsa or chutney and top with vegetables.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Chicken Caesar Wrap</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Make up your favorite Caesar salad and put it in a soft tortilla wrap along with strips of sliced grilled chicken.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Roast Beef Wrap</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Layer thin slices of roast beef on a flour tortilla. Spread with mayo and top with lettuce and tomato.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bean Burrito</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Spread refried beans on a soft tortilla, sprinkle with shredded cheese and wrap up. (Serve with a side of salsa for dipping if desired)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Turkey wrap</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and a turkey slice</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fruit Wrap</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cream cheese, apple slices and honey</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Classic PB&J Wrap </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Nut butter and jam</span><br />
<br />
3. Ploughman's Lunch:<br />
A chunk of bread, some fruit, some cheese. Easier than a sandwich and it keeps longer without getting soggy. For best results, cut bread, fruit, possibly cheese on site. Apples, pears, grapes all go well with pretty much any cheese.<br />
<br />
4. Chili and Corn Bread:<br />
Cook the cornbread in muffin tins with liners for easy transportation and serving. Make sure you know your child will eat the chili cold or this is really just a wash of an idea.<br />
<br />
5. Salad and Crackers:<br />
Whether it is egg salad, chicken salad or tuna salad If you serve it alongside crackers it is sure to be a hit.<br />
<br />
6. Kabobs:<br />
This is one of my personal favorites. Your kabobs can either be fruit and cheese or meat and cheese. You could even add a dense bread on there, the possibilities are endless. For fruit kabobs cut melon, apples, pears, grapes, strawberries (or whatever is in season) into big chunks, and spear them on short bamboo skewers alternating the fruit with cheese. You may want to cut the sharp ends snapped off of the skewers for safety. For meat kabobs put cut pieces of ham or roast beef, you could even to hot dog pieces if your child will eat them.<br />
<br />
8. Turkey Strips:<br />
Turkey strips make a great kid lunch recipe that is easy to put together when you’re pressed for time. Cut leftover cooked turkey or chicken into strips and pack alongside a container of cranberry sauce for dipping.<br />
<br />
9. Cheese Quesadilla:<br />
Quesadillas are the ideal kid lunch recipe for cheese lovers. Sprinkle grated cheese on the top of one tortilla. Top with the second tortilla. For cooking you have two options - microwave on high for one minute or place in a non-stick frying pan and cook 2-3 minutes on medium high or until cheese is melted. Flip over once using a spatula. Let cool and cut into wedges using a pizza cutter. Pack with a container of salsa for dipping.<br />
<br />
10. Leftover Pizza:<br />
Ask any kid how they feel about cold pizza and chances are they love it. You can beat the simplicity of this kid lunch recipe idea. Consider ordering or making extra and wrapping a slice or two in plastic for lunches the next day.<br />
<br />
11. Hard Boiled Eggs:<br />
The key here is to plan ahead and boil a few eggs at the beginning of the week so you have a fresh supply on hand. For young kids, shell the egg first and pack it in a sealed bag. Supply some salt and pepper packet. <br />
<br />
12. Pigs-in-a-Blanket:<br />
Wrap a hot dog in Pillsbury crescent roll dough. Bake according to directions. <br />
<br />
13. Cold Hot Dogs:<br />
Like cold pizza, you may be surprised how many kids like cold hot dogs. (After all, they are already cooked.) Just put the condiments and bun in the lunch box and let your kids assemble themselves.<br />
<br />
14. Homemade Lunchables:<br />
Cut up a variety of your child’s favorite meats and cheeses (chicken, ham, Kielbasa, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, etc...) into cubes and pack in a multi-sectioned plastic container. Send along a selection of crackers.<br />
<br />
15. Yogurt with Granola:<br />
Look for granola with little to no added sugar or consider making you own. <br />
<br />
16. Taquitos:<br />
To make homemade taquitos use leftover rotisserie chicken, salsa, cumin, grated cheese. soften tortillas in a little hot oil, fill, roll and bake. Serve alongside avocado slices, salsa, or sour cream.<br />
<br />
17. Stuffed Pita Pockets:<br />
Again these are pretty close to sandwiches so they may not be an option but they are healthy and have lots of variety so they made the list. You can use any ingredients your child will eat but here are two recipes I liked.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nuts and Berries in a Pita</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">3 tbsp. cream cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 tsp. orange juice</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 tbsp. walnuts, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 tbsp. celery, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 tbsp. sweetened dried cranberries</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Lettuce</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 whole wheat pita</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Slice top half of pita. In small bowl, mix together cream cheese and orange juice. Spread on cream cheese mixture. Prepare walnuts and celery and toss in pita pocket along with the cranberries. Add lettuce and wrap up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Apples and Peanut Butter in a Pita</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 whole wheat pita</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">creamy peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">applesauce</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">finely chopped apple, not peeled</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">walnuts </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Slice top half of pita. In small bowl, mix together peanut butter and applesauce. Spread mixture on pita. add apples and walnuts in pita </span><br />
<br />
18. Fruits or Vegetable Salad<br />
These are meant to be served cold so you really can't go wrong with a fruit or vegetable salad. As I was thinking about it the thought occurred to me that really any cold side dish you serve alongside your dinner would go great in a lunch ... cooked carrots with sour cream, cucumber dill salads, potato salad, hmmm ... now I'm hungry.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tomato and Corn Salad</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 large tomato, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">3 tbsp. black beans</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">3 tbsp. frozen corn</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 tbsp. salsa </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Toss and pack in a single portion container</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Carrot, Raisin and Pineapple Salad</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 cups carrots, grated</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup raisins</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup mayonnaise or whipped salad dressing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Combine ingredients. Pack in individual containers.</span><br />
<br />
19. Breads and Spreads:<br />
Obviously, if white sandwich bread and PB&J are out this may not be enough of a difference to fool your kids. But maybe if you change up the type of bread and the type of spread you are using you may be able to trick them into eating a sandwich with a brand new face lift. Two options that come to mind are banana bread with cream cheese and banana slices or cinnamon raisin bagels with strawberry cream cheese and fresh sliced strawberries.<br />
<br />
20. Quiche:<br />
If your kids will eat eggs this is a versatile and very reliable option. The are tons of quiche recipes out there so you can customize one to include meats, cheese, and veggies that your kids like. Another plus for quiche is it can be eaten cold.<br />
<br />
21. Dippers: <br />
Dipping sauces making veggie stick a lot more fun and they add variety to a lunch if you kids wont eat a variety of veggies, they can eat a variety of dips instead. Here are some options I found online:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Home-Style Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1can chickpeas, drained (and rinsed)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">½ cup roasted red peppers, drained (from a jar)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">¼ cup mayonnaise</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 tbsp. plain yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 tsp. garlic powder</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">¼ tsp. pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Using a food processor or blender, process all ingredients until smooth. To ensure that everything is evenly blended frequently scrape down sides. Serve with pita wedges, veggies, crackers or nacho chips.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Chunky Cheese and Apple Dip</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">8 ounces cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup mayo (or whipped salad dressing)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup finely chopped apples</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Combine cream cheese and mayo. Blend well. Stir in cheddar cheese and apples until just mixed. Serve with crackers, celery, bread sticks or pretzels.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Peanut Butter and Cheese Spread/Dip</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/4 cup cream cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/4 cup peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Whip cream cheese and peanut butter together. Serve on crackers or bagels or use as a dip for celery or bread sticks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Spinach Dip</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 pkg. chopped spinach</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 cup sour cream</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 cup of mayonnaise</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 pkg. Knorr vegetable mix</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mix sour cream, mayonnaise and vegetable mix together. Drain and add spinach. Serve with chunks of pumpernickel bread.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Peanut Butter Apple Dip</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">8 ounces cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 cup peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 cup packed brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/4 cup milk</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">4 apples cut into wedges</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar and milk. Mix well. Serve chilled with apples. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pumpkin Dip</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">4 cups powdered sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 pkgs. 8 ounce cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 30 ounce can pumpkin pie filling mix</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 tsp. ground ginger</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2 tsp. ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Blend together sugar and cream cheese. Add pie filling, ginger and cinnamon. Use as a dip for gingersnaps or cinnamon cookies.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Peanut Butter Fruit Dip</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/4 cup unsweetened orange juice concentrate, thawed</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2 cup plain yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Beat together all ingredients until fluffy. Cover and chill. Serve with assorted fresh fruit.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Ideas for Making Lunch Fun:</b><br />
<br />
Tic Tac Toe Snacks:<br />
Pack your child a small piece of paper with tic tac toe grid on it and a snack bag of raisins and sandwich sized bag of Cheerios or round shaped cereal. Encourage your child to keep the game supplies in her knapsack for playing and eating whenever she has the opportunity at lunch or during an indoor recess.<br />
<br />
Mystery Lunch:<br />
For a young child who loves a good mystery, consider wrapping up her lunch items in foil and making her guess what each individual package holds. Add to the fun of this creative lunch recipe by attaching a note or riddle to each mystery package e.g. for broccoli you might want to write, “I am a green vegetable that grows in bunches above ground. I am a good source of iron and fiber.” Make sure any hints are age appropriate. <br />
<br />
Hidden Shapes:<br />
Sometimes how something looks offers greater appeal than ordinary menu servings. When thinking of a creative lunch recipe for young children consider some shape variations e.g. melon balls instead of melon slices, slicing grapes in half, cutting cucumbers into squares and offering up carrot circles instead of ordinary carrot sticks. You can take this idea one step further and include a note that asks your child to count up the number of different shapes that were hidden in her lunch.<br />
<br />
Sandwich Filled Ice Cream Cones:<br />
Send your child’s favorite sandwich filling to school in a container along with a spoon and an ice cream cone. Your child can spoon the filling into the cone and enjoy as if eating an ice cream cone.<br />
<br />
Bagel Faces:<br />
Make friendly characters out of bagels by adding with cream cheese (spread to fill hole), black olives (eyes), bell peppers (mouth), shredded carrots (hair), blueberry (nose)<br />
<br />
For other "out of the lunch box" ideas you can check out this great site here were I pulled a lot of my ideas from -<a href="http://www.school-lunch-ideas.com/Creative_Lunch_Recipe_Ideas.html"> http://www.school-lunch-ideas.com/Creative_Lunch_Recipe_Ideas.html</a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-59395667822186238342011-09-02T09:50:00.000-07:002011-09-02T09:50:04.634-07:00Summertime Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr1j7QzlKPG3keOjb4k2dxP-F2Dl_8vGcuK03MfohArzudm1AjJl57ymhYYEmqx0lw45BQUzGLaV-N3_A-91V6h8YbWETPcPUUPOX8YnjCt1UGh5m7X8I_nIMF4sbdUKGgSaF0mWuEoi3/s1600/exps37140_TH1115383D31C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr1j7QzlKPG3keOjb4k2dxP-F2Dl_8vGcuK03MfohArzudm1AjJl57ymhYYEmqx0lw45BQUzGLaV-N3_A-91V6h8YbWETPcPUUPOX8YnjCt1UGh5m7X8I_nIMF4sbdUKGgSaF0mWuEoi3/s1600/exps37140_TH1115383D31C.jpg" /></a></div>This salad is light, delicious, and fresh. Perfect for a Saturday lunch or a side dish to an outdoor summer dinner. I say it serves two to four because 2 people can easily polish off the entire dish even though it is meant to serve 4. The bacon adds a nice saltiness to compliment the sweet vegetables. The dressing is light and doesn't overwhelm the fresh flavors that you want to shine though.<b> </b><i>(Photo from Taste of Home magazine)</i><b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>Serves</b>: 2-4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 35 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Betty Fulks<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
2 cups uncooked spiral pasta (I like to use rainbow spiral pasta)<br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
1 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
1/2 teaspoon sugar<br />
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
1/8 cup sliced green onions<br />
6-8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled <br />
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce<br />
1 cup fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved<br />
1 cup fresh cauliflower, chopped<br />
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped<br />
1 large sweet red bell pepper, chopped<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.<br />
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar and garlic powder; set aside.<br />
3. Wash and chop green onions, romaine lettuce, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, broccoli, and red bell pepper.<br />
3. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water.<br />
4. In a large salad bowl combine pasta, mayonnaise dressing, crumbled bacon, green onions, romaine lettuce, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, and red bell pepper.<br />
5. Toss to mix.<br />
6. Cover and refrigerate until serving.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-77226971928020790262011-04-07T07:41:00.000-07:002011-04-07T07:41:00.460-07:00Black Bean Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoers470BLZ5ff4UZpx0klvQvlnSPxO5fOdH8DcFACXcLBZfFa103YovWNHUcyI1oo2y2SedEKnCJ_H5mUxyjD-Lqj92godaqtN4nJvpvke0rNClvXi5ArordWYC2xleALWWIDMZVcHdYT/s1600/DSC02860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoers470BLZ5ff4UZpx0klvQvlnSPxO5fOdH8DcFACXcLBZfFa103YovWNHUcyI1oo2y2SedEKnCJ_H5mUxyjD-Lqj92godaqtN4nJvpvke0rNClvXi5ArordWYC2xleALWWIDMZVcHdYT/s320/DSC02860.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I have heard about this idea from several places but I was hesitant to try it because I didn't want to potentially ruin an entire box of perfectly good brownies by adding bean puree to it. The verdict was positive all-in-all so I will share them with you but I am still going to see if I can improve the flavor by making my own recipe instead of from a box. <i>(I would like to enhance and deepen the chocolate flavor.)</i><br />
We will start with the batter: The batter doesn't taste like beans, it is pretty good just as batter and it is easy to eat because you know there are no raw eggs in it.<br />
The cooking process: I cooked them just like a traditional box of brownies, no time adjustments or anything. As the brownies cooked they smelled like beans cooking, not brownies; that was disappointing because I wanted that mouth watering brownie aroma wafting through the house.<br />
The final product: The texture is fudgy and moist. Neither my husband nor myself could taste any bean flavor in the final product and we both knew it was in there. I used a dark chocolate brownie mix. I prefer the strong chocolate flavor of dark chocolate so it was surprising when the beans seemed to balance that flavor out and the result was a little bland; lacking any strong flavor at all, bean or chocolate. I ate one brownie that night but did not feel tempted to go back for seconds. I went to bed that night thinking I probably wouldn't make them again. However, the next day I snuck another bite and they were <b>so much better</b>. It was surprising, but truthfully after sitting for a day at room temperature I liked them quite a bit and the texture was even better, too. If you decide to try this recipe I would recommend eating the brownies the day after you bake them for maximum satisfaction.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 9<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish: </b>40 minutes<b> </b><i>(more or less time depending on how long the brownie mix you purchased needs to bake)</i><b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> <a href="http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/">www.idareyoutoeatit.com</a><b><br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1 box brownie mix <i>(I like to buy dark brownie mix)</i><br />
1 (15-oz) can black beans<br />
<i>(or if you are starting with </i>dry black beans<i>: you want approx 1/2 cup dry beans that will turn into 1 2/3 cups of prepared black beans and you will add 1 cup water, blend together and follow the directions below for the bean puree.)</i><br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Rinse and drain the black beans. <i>(Rinse well; it cuts out a lot of the sodium in the beans)</i><br />
2. Then spoon the beans back into their can and fill the can with fresh water.<br />
3. Pour beans and water into a blender and puree until smooth.<br />
4. Add the bean puree to the brownie mix and stir.<br />
5. Pour into a lightly greased baking dish and follow the directions for baking as printed on the back of the brownie mix box.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbgjfSb2yWvlYjyl2bN_VyNJlKA7C7eEBt7C5Hhkmw0B0Yg4L0PCrhLLeLHC8haf084iOaTgU94zVfx0cVtLrp_tacVGamPONoS4Bk5KmmSdLdB6dZJuI9LhLZcmuGJGFeAaqP8FV_3Dg/s1600/DSC02830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbgjfSb2yWvlYjyl2bN_VyNJlKA7C7eEBt7C5Hhkmw0B0Yg4L0PCrhLLeLHC8haf084iOaTgU94zVfx0cVtLrp_tacVGamPONoS4Bk5KmmSdLdB6dZJuI9LhLZcmuGJGFeAaqP8FV_3Dg/s320/DSC02830.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-WbdReBAiXa_FuISt-53_TqxFTrShDuireJqu7pJUQLAwYZE9X2FfrWmq7Ag1zXXTyziDtfkixIfOZoRw-shU1opx7gwuoULF_ttfRTQMVsuJmrj1PpTv_JoGC-cMyCld2LFJJ0BJdHw/s1600/DSC02833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-WbdReBAiXa_FuISt-53_TqxFTrShDuireJqu7pJUQLAwYZE9X2FfrWmq7Ag1zXXTyziDtfkixIfOZoRw-shU1opx7gwuoULF_ttfRTQMVsuJmrj1PpTv_JoGC-cMyCld2LFJJ0BJdHw/s320/DSC02833.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFf0i_c4N6dWGniFCqIvlB7Qd653GpgkiZfaNGAlTrzqJK_STUWQgk6_yJcVMqxcuas5XL6cjlx6WwqyHXxDnyeHoEV5v4k-rT88MzGs8fNAtgy2a-nhgxuz7j5u3rqftYeNxrdahiCpnw/s1600/DSC02834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFf0i_c4N6dWGniFCqIvlB7Qd653GpgkiZfaNGAlTrzqJK_STUWQgk6_yJcVMqxcuas5XL6cjlx6WwqyHXxDnyeHoEV5v4k-rT88MzGs8fNAtgy2a-nhgxuz7j5u3rqftYeNxrdahiCpnw/s320/DSC02834.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx5Y8CKp2ZLO4NnqVD3x13tu0jtre0MoNEe3bwoNtIF5hyphenhyphenrd-4bjHKETEKEjZlHnkERJ_HPZWF3p_EbFL-6g1p9dluZnYdVLj4oMUPkeRVNlJgmz-wfjoUMBjHgS_0RJJVVmd2j-NEF0w/s1600/DSC02835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqx5Y8CKp2ZLO4NnqVD3x13tu0jtre0MoNEe3bwoNtIF5hyphenhyphenrd-4bjHKETEKEjZlHnkERJ_HPZWF3p_EbFL-6g1p9dluZnYdVLj4oMUPkeRVNlJgmz-wfjoUMBjHgS_0RJJVVmd2j-NEF0w/s320/DSC02835.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KK4rm7ioDcFJL9oGQOzt_Gk6vRGI5SkP72oh-zXgkrZKbu5tL9i0bRmU_zLyzW9SixNVQILlcHWeG9oXo7rNkJwyh_TAIbDpoTNK5U3O7FP6u8pia8mdM1Qb9srnnxTT2Dqo6qovU9ec/s1600/DSC02838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KK4rm7ioDcFJL9oGQOzt_Gk6vRGI5SkP72oh-zXgkrZKbu5tL9i0bRmU_zLyzW9SixNVQILlcHWeG9oXo7rNkJwyh_TAIbDpoTNK5U3O7FP6u8pia8mdM1Qb9srnnxTT2Dqo6qovU9ec/s320/DSC02838.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGQTlJSJM0fECpQ-hj4DGgUQgSSMIyClykPHTgdlmw_NFEFYCmf-Lepfs1APDrlWvBK9j2w1YIFvvK4odVGMoHDHMzWxYUOAncQKW5pfPii6-j9UbNq7KqPjTGWPyfDzkY35ym3dslWlO/s1600/DSC02840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGQTlJSJM0fECpQ-hj4DGgUQgSSMIyClykPHTgdlmw_NFEFYCmf-Lepfs1APDrlWvBK9j2w1YIFvvK4odVGMoHDHMzWxYUOAncQKW5pfPii6-j9UbNq7KqPjTGWPyfDzkY35ym3dslWlO/s320/DSC02840.JPG" width="189" /></a><br />
<br />
Idareyoutoeatit.com also shared this fabulous idea for introducing food storage to your friends and family. <i>(All you visiting teachers out there should have a light bulb going off right about now.)</i> An assembled gift basket with a copy of the "black bean brownie" recipe, a box of brownie mix, a can of black beans, a few bananas, and a pint of ice cream. This will be a basket the whole family can enjoy. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNotB6M3p1AYQU64HvPo9BBrBOIm5p8YVz7tiPaY-c2Y_XGkmwcs6qy774OR14JFDROCQvxkCAK6bvECle52VtjGE6SKNMyykfCT0afkQO3w9iSzL20eHN0E7JSkUwLmbVMmdW4Cps6Su/s1600/VT-brownie-kits-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNotB6M3p1AYQU64HvPo9BBrBOIm5p8YVz7tiPaY-c2Y_XGkmwcs6qy774OR14JFDROCQvxkCAK6bvECle52VtjGE6SKNMyykfCT0afkQO3w9iSzL20eHN0E7JSkUwLmbVMmdW4Cps6Su/s1600/VT-brownie-kits-300x225.jpg" /></a></div>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-90887684269003960232011-04-05T06:00:00.000-07:002011-04-05T13:50:49.252-07:00Homemade Chocolate Syrup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcNYFjtDUIAWwAj_OzhMAGJvkijvMdfIQfvVBW9YX0EQ6fflvo6M8WEh8PSHsS8t8l-RohzbaotLA9ELaQoFdpzTXDrY6ZJrqVPImbJToP0wdUiLmA4Ic3ewfNaO0yrRu2hRZ12-Y72uP/s1600/DSC02813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcNYFjtDUIAWwAj_OzhMAGJvkijvMdfIQfvVBW9YX0EQ6fflvo6M8WEh8PSHsS8t8l-RohzbaotLA9ELaQoFdpzTXDrY6ZJrqVPImbJToP0wdUiLmA4Ic3ewfNaO0yrRu2hRZ12-Y72uP/s320/DSC02813.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Yes, it is less convenient than the bottle variety but very tasty and has a deeper chocolate flavor than the off-the-shelf option. I have used this to make chocolate milk for my boys, as an ingredient to bake with, and to pour over ice cream. It is delicious and it a perfect substitute for the name brand. <br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b>4 cups<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b>15 min. cook time + 30 min. cooling time<br />
<b>Recipe By: </b>cdkitchen.com<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1 cup Hershey's Cocoa Powder<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
2 cups water<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
dash of salt<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Combine cocoa, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.<br />
2. Add water and mix until smooth.<br />
3. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat<i> (Stirring frequently, if not continuously)</i>.<br />
4. Allow to boil for one minute, be careful it does not over boil.<br />
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool <i>(Sauce will thicken as it cools).</i><br />
6. When cooled, add vanilla.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-53777787334611823692011-04-03T17:24:00.000-07:002011-04-04T12:41:38.400-07:00Bird's Nests<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2p__RjcEJqvZVmGSVd09I1ctn3TQDwn77Ce_jmckIb4GW8oU54YrPFHrWxYKsSP2f7CFMN_dAj_IANmw9adDWXjpFJlAA8g0peF2usGUOiDC1N4aZkxn7ZVpcSB_8ikjuhn24zAmD1zYS/s1600/DSC02731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2p__RjcEJqvZVmGSVd09I1ctn3TQDwn77Ce_jmckIb4GW8oU54YrPFHrWxYKsSP2f7CFMN_dAj_IANmw9adDWXjpFJlAA8g0peF2usGUOiDC1N4aZkxn7ZVpcSB_8ikjuhn24zAmD1zYS/s320/DSC02731.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
With Easter coming this is the perfect time to share these cute candy-filled, bird's nests. Similar to rice crispy treats, these bird's nest are made with marshmallows, but also have chocolate chips and butterscotch chips to give the nests a warm brown color. A marshmallow chick would make them even more complete. I used Jelly Belly "Cold Stone" jelly beans for the eggs because the colors were just like bird's eggs but any jelly beans or egg shaped candies would work.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 12<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 40 minutes + cooling<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Amber Brunson<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1/4 cup butter, cubed<br />
4 1/2 cups marshmallows<br />
1/4 cup peanut butter<br />
1/8 cup chocolate chips<br />
1/8 cup butterscotch chips<br />
1 cup coconut flakes<br />
2 cups chow mien noodles<br />
2 cups rice crispies<br />
24 jelly beans <i>(approximately 1 cup)</i><br />
marshmallow chicks (optional)<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. In a large saucepan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally.<br />
2. Add the peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.<br />
3. Stir continually for 2 minutes or until smooth.<br />
4. Remove from the heat.<br />
5. Stir in coconut flakes, chow mien noodles, and rice crispies until well coated.<br />
6. Divide into 12 mounds on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. <i>(The mixture will be very warm; greasing your hands with butter will help with the heat and keep the nests from sticking to your hands.)</i><br />
7. Using your fingers, shape each mound into a nest; press an indentation in the center of nest. <i>(For those of you wondering how rice crispies treats could possible take 40 minutes to make ... well, it happens in steps 6 and 7.)</i><br />
8. Fill each nest with three or four jelly beans or candy eggs.<br />
9. Refrigerate until cool. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqlHprroxrtcho3CdyLkJLkAqbjbSUtWrI19m6nqKHdAXaoytmN0QykomigVIvyeJG_YorEY2521S-lLJhnBSCwIY099FZBzDzjCyTf04R4JsD0TOQR8iGXns7xU_iOGiR_0e1XiwdQWy/s1600/DSC02717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqlHprroxrtcho3CdyLkJLkAqbjbSUtWrI19m6nqKHdAXaoytmN0QykomigVIvyeJG_YorEY2521S-lLJhnBSCwIY099FZBzDzjCyTf04R4JsD0TOQR8iGXns7xU_iOGiR_0e1XiwdQWy/s320/DSC02717.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMt4ptRiuKxN4yXxpIcOpsocSTCNLHAgQYxPSpXM4zopXuqGvbdZnUYDsWVQrvfK_sIFboXkgg59_Si7rVGFUt7_hKGzeBY597ynX1KWWvLxRouadWA8PePw93G5Lcfzl3dXO8FtMSDED/s1600/DSC02718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMt4ptRiuKxN4yXxpIcOpsocSTCNLHAgQYxPSpXM4zopXuqGvbdZnUYDsWVQrvfK_sIFboXkgg59_Si7rVGFUt7_hKGzeBY597ynX1KWWvLxRouadWA8PePw93G5Lcfzl3dXO8FtMSDED/s320/DSC02718.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugWjP8Dr9-FnNlQCcp_fH1a66b72kDdo7T4lIljEI4PFOAasqLnuv9fMcx8c4HH_sjOlmvNmshBk5PCTJRLOH6Fb2Q_3_7hCnTjpUfblgldoJgvuFUcsLoI0kQSo9eYV50e7GO4L50vNB/s1600/DSC02721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugWjP8Dr9-FnNlQCcp_fH1a66b72kDdo7T4lIljEI4PFOAasqLnuv9fMcx8c4HH_sjOlmvNmshBk5PCTJRLOH6Fb2Q_3_7hCnTjpUfblgldoJgvuFUcsLoI0kQSo9eYV50e7GO4L50vNB/s320/DSC02721.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4IqBkJTOSkNWE7KiTw7Zh7mGadORGddPkhmnkcEKx_2pEiadjhBYYGcA4w2Coao_GxqH9Qctqvl_8Ym1-NvzShI4mKjowl3sLz9AUPpM3EAtD8EbSgpM8jq8yX-Bn8hkHzBIt2j5q-8e/s1600/DSC02719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4IqBkJTOSkNWE7KiTw7Zh7mGadORGddPkhmnkcEKx_2pEiadjhBYYGcA4w2Coao_GxqH9Qctqvl_8Ym1-NvzShI4mKjowl3sLz9AUPpM3EAtD8EbSgpM8jq8yX-Bn8hkHzBIt2j5q-8e/s320/DSC02719.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4ms-uoWLQhTQjg4TYR7XzHcwKGlFzgnXNMSyqvz4IW5y3IwHuw996295iZwIAA5e0kMmUlQcn_qG09WnDNEGHe2TRu7oQCBgnrUlDnBr6_OPs5iIG6Ede7veB5OmjECSg3l1yNwI9Hi8/s1600/DSC02722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4ms-uoWLQhTQjg4TYR7XzHcwKGlFzgnXNMSyqvz4IW5y3IwHuw996295iZwIAA5e0kMmUlQcn_qG09WnDNEGHe2TRu7oQCBgnrUlDnBr6_OPs5iIG6Ede7veB5OmjECSg3l1yNwI9Hi8/s320/DSC02722.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlHLuqu6bT6B-pZo71AUFk_GJvcEy9WOUYjOr__3asIZl8Pymh32KUw1CzkXsBNZQdoF4jFeGsbRIy9SdgP-ZEsw2ib9sJNIdQImVh3oRgcqX4ZdnilRdG3bYYC44pgrt12kLut8j4aq3/s1600/DSC02725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlHLuqu6bT6B-pZo71AUFk_GJvcEy9WOUYjOr__3asIZl8Pymh32KUw1CzkXsBNZQdoF4jFeGsbRIy9SdgP-ZEsw2ib9sJNIdQImVh3oRgcqX4ZdnilRdG3bYYC44pgrt12kLut8j4aq3/s320/DSC02725.JPG" width="189" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-33628566258789844272011-03-01T12:55:00.000-08:002011-03-04T15:48:08.698-08:00Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0blzTlTAYaHwkqtYw98TptsaxqcAQmgHIQyEu2pZL7HGxZWDT8KfICKNw6u9Qq7HMeHMINwd1RH1iW28AVcabj1ejeDvjutgQE-6sph6thPTxsZyv-WFGMvSqecRT2SE4FOhk6Yieh5Pu/s1600/balsamic+chicken+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0blzTlTAYaHwkqtYw98TptsaxqcAQmgHIQyEu2pZL7HGxZWDT8KfICKNw6u9Qq7HMeHMINwd1RH1iW28AVcabj1ejeDvjutgQE-6sph6thPTxsZyv-WFGMvSqecRT2SE4FOhk6Yieh5Pu/s1600/balsamic+chicken+salad.jpg" /></a></div>This yummy, light pasta has a lot of deep flavors from the smoky bacon to the fresh basil and the fruity balsamic vinegar. You can prepare it ahead of time, just don't pour on the dressing until right before serving. As a side note: It makes much more dressing than the pasta actually needs but to divide it you would have to get down to a 1/16 of a tsp which just felt silly so I left it where it was and I am warning you now not to just dump it all on the pasta.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 45 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Terry McCarty<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta<br />
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken breast<br />
1 cup chopped tomatoes <i>(about 1 tomato)</i><br />
1/4 cup chopped red onion<br />
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled<br />
1/8 cup crumbled Feta cheese<br />
1/4 cup minced fresh basil<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar<br />
1 TBSP brown sugar<br />
1/2 tsp minced garlic<br />
1/8 tsp salt<br />
1/8 tsp pepper<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Start a pot of water boiling for the pasta.<br />
2. I don't know about you, but I rarely have precooked chopped chicken or crumbled bacon strips in my fridge, so your next step is to cook the chicken and bacon.<br />
3. Meanwhile, chop tomatoes, red onion, and basil.<br />
4. When your pot of water boils, cook pasta according to package directions.<br />
5. Drain and rinse pasta in cold water; transfer to a large bowl.<br />
6. Combine the pasta, chicken, bacon, tomatoes, red onion, and basil.<br />
7. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper.<br />
8. Drizzle dressing <i>(to taste)</i> over pasta salad and toss to coat.<br />
9. Sprinkle with Feta cheese and serve.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fiFkxMbHXiXGjTO6aX3vLe8E8admjuLUy479cenN22ZhU9ymxTnFGLcut5u9kUYsNYPTxVRLLmztx1ifyIN2B_htSn4PsLEa4z1ijKhQqsDqjBLM-nm-o50LvtXQ7GQ0kzAy26d3LtQC/s1600/DSC02648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fiFkxMbHXiXGjTO6aX3vLe8E8admjuLUy479cenN22ZhU9ymxTnFGLcut5u9kUYsNYPTxVRLLmztx1ifyIN2B_htSn4PsLEa4z1ijKhQqsDqjBLM-nm-o50LvtXQ7GQ0kzAy26d3LtQC/s320/DSC02648.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNpZM_GztjeR0cZ-1iZIbdYT5fF2MMS3tAWBNGKzx6kFSNzOSNRHvgXQyZwSS5OwSLqaLthwFWid794bQMOTBFr6BaZPRb0LuPstlsEzrQ7XKkzwO_29BCCS4zPPkp4bmaliRdD5lRue2/s1600/DSC02647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNpZM_GztjeR0cZ-1iZIbdYT5fF2MMS3tAWBNGKzx6kFSNzOSNRHvgXQyZwSS5OwSLqaLthwFWid794bQMOTBFr6BaZPRb0LuPstlsEzrQ7XKkzwO_29BCCS4zPPkp4bmaliRdD5lRue2/s320/DSC02647.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUVQL2bpdjkHurNm8d7OMCKds57o_AR3V8WyOYmDBejVkOjW0eaukcM0-yqIcQkBrPTgzOC0gm4wyn3O6dklhVT1ArdDFfpyIxI7VzLyNonr94OQof5l49ksBmaGnMTKngeVv2UkT0K1z/s1600/DSC02649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUVQL2bpdjkHurNm8d7OMCKds57o_AR3V8WyOYmDBejVkOjW0eaukcM0-yqIcQkBrPTgzOC0gm4wyn3O6dklhVT1ArdDFfpyIxI7VzLyNonr94OQof5l49ksBmaGnMTKngeVv2UkT0K1z/s320/DSC02649.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUwGjq7vGZsxX-KzjpcKWqeyke9lwcv3-X5ytTQFan7gyZfsUzCoHbowubaRewc765BrIn7xKJrn6JYTbWu9waL5pybvAlm27USvL6oOrz1O5FnSq5oePhXa95kRvUhIxUlfC59cNDye8/s1600/DSC02651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUwGjq7vGZsxX-KzjpcKWqeyke9lwcv3-X5ytTQFan7gyZfsUzCoHbowubaRewc765BrIn7xKJrn6JYTbWu9waL5pybvAlm27USvL6oOrz1O5FnSq5oePhXa95kRvUhIxUlfC59cNDye8/s320/DSC02651.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltpk5Sa195l_n038oUUHmKLC7Wu6s7ifVYFWCWfoa7VfoMydKas8RBTgMpNrI4szUFYFYk42f0nFNQTcVL1nnRCr-5cG7IIEpuf7IgRYYGpARGqOWQYOMDtJpZibJNwM9i1_vuM4FijWS/s1600/DSC02650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltpk5Sa195l_n038oUUHmKLC7Wu6s7ifVYFWCWfoa7VfoMydKas8RBTgMpNrI4szUFYFYk42f0nFNQTcVL1nnRCr-5cG7IIEpuf7IgRYYGpARGqOWQYOMDtJpZibJNwM9i1_vuM4FijWS/s320/DSC02650.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb6ojzVKCJ6NObdqJNpScapRQjyy5swNJt6dBb3W_8GhKAtUWvL1SfKidyh42n2OJCjuD5pSy0OiwD12XXhG1ErWMhPgWMskR9CprV3o57IgIy2J7TE89_GrfGNgt0xT4lxozsKU6QlZa/s1600/DSC02654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb6ojzVKCJ6NObdqJNpScapRQjyy5swNJt6dBb3W_8GhKAtUWvL1SfKidyh42n2OJCjuD5pSy0OiwD12XXhG1ErWMhPgWMskR9CprV3o57IgIy2J7TE89_GrfGNgt0xT4lxozsKU6QlZa/s320/DSC02654.JPG" width="189" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-35150615892951788042011-02-22T12:57:00.000-08:002011-02-23T05:50:32.432-08:00Two Chick-Fil-A Sauces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-g83ir_ekr-TL80h0t7iPpswLTVUdprkmy3-6r1ORrYD2TZvjPdnWVFGvxwrHJxaUO8nQ4oS3lVqrgbNfRa2gp4pk_jQmxBdh8mxrcLgsk7K13dQSa082a66hjEHa8RS3ejOEOpmv6ENg/s1600/chick-fil-A+sauces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-g83ir_ekr-TL80h0t7iPpswLTVUdprkmy3-6r1ORrYD2TZvjPdnWVFGvxwrHJxaUO8nQ4oS3lVqrgbNfRa2gp4pk_jQmxBdh8mxrcLgsk7K13dQSa082a66hjEHa8RS3ejOEOpmv6ENg/s320/chick-fil-A+sauces.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The boys and I were invited to a park picnic with our neighbor friends the other day and we got to talking about Chick-fil-A's sauces. All of their sauces are quite amazing but I prefer the Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce and the Chick-fil-A Sauce. Which, incidentally, were <b><i>supposed</i></b> to be the same sauce. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Test group customers could tell the distinct difference between the first, publicly-launched Honey Roasted BBQ and wanted the original recipe created by Hugh Fleming which was launched second to the public and named Chick-fil-A Sauce.)</span> Their sauces are delicious if you haven't tried them; very tangy and smoky ... mmm-mm. Jenn commented that she uses her saved packets as dressing for sandwiches. Genius idea, right? Of course it made me think about their dressings all day and I couldn't wait to use my extra packets on sandwiches, salads, quesadillas, chicken, tacos, veggies, burgers... the possibilities are endless. Then it occurred to me that most likely there are copy cat recipes online for their sauces. And sure enough I found a pretty darn good substitute for their Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce that I have tried and loved. Plus, I found a super easy recipe for the Chick-Fil-A Sauce, which I have yet to try out, but I will share anyways because it only has two ingredients. Now I don't have to wait for my next trip to Chick-fil-A or skimp on using my little <i>0.4 oz</i> packets.<br />
<br />
<b>Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce</b><br />
<br />
<b>Serves: </b>1 cup<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish: </b>25 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Todd Wilbur<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/4 cup honey<br />
1 TBSP Grey Poupon Dijon mustard <i>(you can substitute any Dijon mustard but to get the closest to Chick-fil-A sauce it apparently needs to be the Grey Poupon kind, I used one with horseradish sauce in it because I liked the zippiness and it is what I had in my fridge. Let's face it, if I have to go out to buy new mustard I might as well stop by Chick-fil-A and get some packets of sauce instead.)</i><br />
1 tsp ketchup<br />
1 tsp sugar<br />
1/4 tsp paprika<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/8 tsp black pepper<br />
1/8 tsp garlic powder<br />
1/8 tsp onion powder<br />
2 1/2 TBSP white vinegar<br />
1/2 tsp concentrated hickory liquid smoke flavoring <i>(I substituted with 1 tsp of plain ole BBQ sauce because, seriously, who has liquid smoke flavoring just laying around?)</i><br />
1/4 tsp lemon juice<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
1 tsp water<br />
1 TBSP cornstarch <br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Combine oil, honey, mustard, ketchup, sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small saucepan over <b>low</b> heat until boiling.<br />
2. Stir until it becomes jelly-like and well incorporate.<br />
3. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool, uncovered, for 10 minutes. <br />
4. While the sauce is cooling, whisk egg yolk with water in a small bowl for about 2 minutes or until color is pale yellow.<br />
5. Then, whisk in cornstarch until dissolved.<br />
6. Once sauce has cooled, add vinegar, smoke flavoring <i>(or BBQ sauce)</i>, and lemon juice. <br />
7. Drizzle in the egg yolk mixture in a steady stream while rapidly whisking. <i>(This will create a thick, creamy emulsion that will prevent the oil from separating.)</i><br />
8. Cover and refrigerate until serving.<br />
<br />
<b>Chick-fil-A Sauce</b><br />
<br />
<b>Serves: </b>1 cup<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish: </b>5 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/chick-fil-a-sauce-439315">www.food.com</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1 cup Ken's honey mustard dressing <i>(no brand substitutions or lite versions here, it makes a difference)</i><br />
2 tsp <i><b>smoky </b></i>barbecue sauce<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Combine ingredients.<br />
2. Cover and refrigerate until serving.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-33446440789150844812011-02-18T06:17:00.000-08:002011-02-18T06:17:00.320-08:00cranberry mustard tenderloin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhawuaIhyphenhyphen-6iAmM8ZaIJ3eTs7TnUr9F0kOAgcf-m8-388l3ErmOsgLBPpMpwPJsErtOanIFHnlwJ3UEu3J_l5OgrbUnKZ0c6KAEcUuy_PMXVS0oKwxOePLhd7bQehiLUeeLVycywnSGU8/s1600/exps33052_SCBZ1115473D133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhawuaIhyphenhyphen-6iAmM8ZaIJ3eTs7TnUr9F0kOAgcf-m8-388l3ErmOsgLBPpMpwPJsErtOanIFHnlwJ3UEu3J_l5OgrbUnKZ0c6KAEcUuy_PMXVS0oKwxOePLhd7bQehiLUeeLVycywnSGU8/s1600/exps33052_SCBZ1115473D133.jpg" /></a></div>This recipe is going to be a great one to make come autumn time. The combination of cranberries, mustard, and pork give it a distinctive Fall feeling (and makes your house smell divine). I have made this recipe with both pork and chicken and it always comes out great; must be the sauce. Be sure to boil the sauce down long enough to thicken it and you can't go wrong. I serve this dish over egg noodles.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 4 hours and 30 minutes <i>(slow cooker recipe=4 hours of cooking+30 minutes of prep)</i><br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Taste of Home Magazine<b><br />
</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
1 (1-lb) boneless pork loin roast <i>(I have also made this with chicken breast and it is equally as delicious)</i><br />
1 (14-oz) can whole-berry cranberry sauce<br />
1/4 cup Dijon mustard<br />
3 TBSP brown sugar<br />
3 TBSP lemon juice<br />
1 TBSP cornstarch<br />
1/4 cup cold water<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
<br />
1. Place pork loin roast in a slow cooker. <i>(I am using a slow-cooker liner in the pictures below.)</i><br />
2. Combine the cranberry sauce, mustard, brown sugar and lemon juice; pour over roast.<br />
3. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°F.<br />
4. Remove roast and keep warm.<br />
5. Strain cooking juices into a 2-cup measuring cup; add enough water to measure 2 cups. <i>(Because of all the seeds in the cranberries, straining the sauce is a little time consuming.)</i><br />
6. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth.<br />
7. Stir in strained cooking juices.<br />
8. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. <i>(You really want this to thicken up so it clings to the pork instead of running over it.)</i><br />
9. Serve pork and sauce over egg noodles.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbrFPHHnB2uTtHgo8ScussS6Kj3U9ZVjCLdo7d9qfABs7U2Dk5lNdNBmBMZ0tYGnC_a5KV8l20haOrUOpKM0LNAeqrEDu-EHWDzgRyQoxc-WsxzacOYSKCRp08iJPgCYm9phg7E9z2zWs/s1600/DSC02440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbrFPHHnB2uTtHgo8ScussS6Kj3U9ZVjCLdo7d9qfABs7U2Dk5lNdNBmBMZ0tYGnC_a5KV8l20haOrUOpKM0LNAeqrEDu-EHWDzgRyQoxc-WsxzacOYSKCRp08iJPgCYm9phg7E9z2zWs/s320/DSC02440.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6EzwQApg1DskHTA-tLafCnFEgT-e0rZ3s8rH73XU8ENd_SN1gb143FUu3NagFYcrpeqSGM_BGIzJGhgPOwuSBYbNhSb5252u3SSW6EuqUynFV7dWVdhjS_XT86b7olIxnE0ALY5NRpDC/s1600/DSC02442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6EzwQApg1DskHTA-tLafCnFEgT-e0rZ3s8rH73XU8ENd_SN1gb143FUu3NagFYcrpeqSGM_BGIzJGhgPOwuSBYbNhSb5252u3SSW6EuqUynFV7dWVdhjS_XT86b7olIxnE0ALY5NRpDC/s320/DSC02442.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPLNNdr3RNTCp9FyJOsojJwSJNdHcWSvYNhiyZF0gf6bNSB2ipKnnzM_EJQ4KEYVgsmzlCBv4sD1xTyqro3O04FHuRrSi_Y2tjYybXK1ZpvIwUv-uUOxCbr0l-UxiHZmp98Z_GCHhld5e/s1600/DSC02444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPLNNdr3RNTCp9FyJOsojJwSJNdHcWSvYNhiyZF0gf6bNSB2ipKnnzM_EJQ4KEYVgsmzlCBv4sD1xTyqro3O04FHuRrSi_Y2tjYybXK1ZpvIwUv-uUOxCbr0l-UxiHZmp98Z_GCHhld5e/s320/DSC02444.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPPvxzcVOB1kAlQnqvsqr_njVTZ6Lwy2s9yb3cuiLGzf8_oNFvuWc3yCvdrJGLKA3wwgHP-EoY3Jj0AScZLEh8yfvTAL7YDxuEXyGiBa24viKcpbIILS6fMR78naFISxrjYVtCQwwa8Ko/s1600/DSC02447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPPvxzcVOB1kAlQnqvsqr_njVTZ6Lwy2s9yb3cuiLGzf8_oNFvuWc3yCvdrJGLKA3wwgHP-EoY3Jj0AScZLEh8yfvTAL7YDxuEXyGiBa24viKcpbIILS6fMR78naFISxrjYVtCQwwa8Ko/s320/DSC02447.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRaPfsF7F8KZPFi2Vad6qwD3ArYWR_Qny1kL6ZLBc53Nr-6zH0m3djgXAJa-hvpBgnDi6Aev666P0YCx5r0LJEf65PFEqcDtq2QrzLfvtrkFXYrqPtMqonrdAvtpLttY6Uc1otkPRotbz/s1600/DSC02448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRaPfsF7F8KZPFi2Vad6qwD3ArYWR_Qny1kL6ZLBc53Nr-6zH0m3djgXAJa-hvpBgnDi6Aev666P0YCx5r0LJEf65PFEqcDtq2QrzLfvtrkFXYrqPtMqonrdAvtpLttY6Uc1otkPRotbz/s320/DSC02448.JPG" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_V6GVe6Jc8zrWHe-maaFJXQvfmt9ka3t7xHpbPUZF9Hd9UfBpaNPTP2MKIMoErvRm6puGc2OTYvVLgw8GBr2FfzC80YKbM1kn-EwmXOVOZrij0xmMzJgM5BfFKf5bKTfs2YkL14gFZX9/s1600/DSC02449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_V6GVe6Jc8zrWHe-maaFJXQvfmt9ka3t7xHpbPUZF9Hd9UfBpaNPTP2MKIMoErvRm6puGc2OTYvVLgw8GBr2FfzC80YKbM1kn-EwmXOVOZrij0xmMzJgM5BfFKf5bKTfs2YkL14gFZX9/s320/DSC02449.JPG" width="189" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-73264502047823726742011-02-16T13:09:00.000-08:002011-02-16T13:09:36.908-08:00Tomatillo Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsUAVAlUDm40Mb0rqHUpbluQTUhKI3hOGLpecEzk-16U4t1PwXg7bxxt_vKbdDklOQZIg9HoG5B_N3XfuxzNp9N85bYYcjVDOm_lacpBy8mV9cb8dhyfuQZiXCmj1IsDOIl60I3CJK3Dc/s1600/DSC02339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsUAVAlUDm40Mb0rqHUpbluQTUhKI3hOGLpecEzk-16U4t1PwXg7bxxt_vKbdDklOQZIg9HoG5B_N3XfuxzNp9N85bYYcjVDOm_lacpBy8mV9cb8dhyfuQZiXCmj1IsDOIl60I3CJK3Dc/s320/DSC02339.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This was my first recipe using tomatillos, to be frank, it was not what I expected. I thought tomatillos would be more like green tomatoes... they are not. And maybe it was just the ones I bought so I can't speak for all tomatillos. But they were sticky on the outside and smelly on the inside and textually they were much more fruit-like than the tomato. I thought the strange smell would be in the food after I cooked it. Gratefully, it wasn't there. It came out mild and flavorful and very delicious with a tangy-ness to it I really liked. I would definitely make this recipe again but I would do so with much different expectations and much more confidence that I am not making and smelly, sticky mess in my kitchen for nothing; because I know how good the end results are.<br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 4 servings<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 30 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Audrey Kinne<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves<br />
4 slices provolone cheese<br />
1 medium onion, chopped <br />
1 TBSP olive oil <br />
6 tomatillos, husks removed, chopped <i>(time process is time consuming and sticky)</i><br />
1/4 cup lime juice <br />
6 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped <br />
1 garlic clove, minced <br />
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro <br />
1 tsp ground cumin <br />
1/2 tsp salt <br />
1/4 tsp pepper <br />
Hot cooked rice<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Prepare all your vegetables and ingredients by washing, cutting, and measuring. <i>(I recommend this as the first step because the recipe moves fast once you start cooking and the prep work takes some time.)</i><br />
2. Set your oven to broil and adjust your oven racks so the top rack is 8-10 inches from the heat.<br />
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.<br />
4. Broil the chicken on the baking sheet for 4 - 7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170°F.<br />
5. Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese and cook 1 minute more.<br />
6. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in olive oil until tender.<br />
7. Add tomatillos, lime juice, jalapenos, and garlic and cook 3 minutes longer.<br />
8. Stir in cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper.<br />
9. Serve tomatillo mixture and chicken with rice.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-35159383621809890782011-02-12T05:58:00.000-08:002011-02-12T05:58:00.265-08:00Homemade Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkuAFGiJaH6kzxrfOvRVBUvskadqkIK3Kh0GP_qx78YyQcpSnrSORx4mVmHsfDvfOOvpSXbGzYAua19nDrt8xdqmvKV3SIn34vD20KgxyNSkbYcPjCVcJncHqZrqfM9cwsstlfi_XV_-8/s1600/DSC02383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkuAFGiJaH6kzxrfOvRVBUvskadqkIK3Kh0GP_qx78YyQcpSnrSORx4mVmHsfDvfOOvpSXbGzYAua19nDrt8xdqmvKV3SIn34vD20KgxyNSkbYcPjCVcJncHqZrqfM9cwsstlfi_XV_-8/s320/DSC02383.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This recipe was easy and produced fantastic results. I would recommend it to anyone to try <i>(read my important info at the bottom of the post). </i>I made this recipe because I had heavy whipping cream in my fridge leftover from holiday season desserts that was just going bad. It was a cost-effective, money-saving move on my part that also happened to be a learning experience. I have used my butter to bake with, fry with, grease a pan, and spread on toast. It tastes, looks, and smells, exactly like store bought items.<br />
<br />
<b>Makes:</b> approx. 9 oz butter (just about two sticks) and approx. 2 cups buttermilk<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish</b>: 25 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe by:</b> <a href="http://cimarronfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2011/01/more-butter-and-pictures-too.html">Prepare Every Needful Thing</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1 quart heavy whipping cream<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Basically, when making butter you agitated, churn, or mix your cream until you can no longer do so because it has separated from the milks and turned into a solid. </span><br />
<br />
1. Pour whipping cream into a mixer<br />
2. Whip on 8 speed for 20 minutes.<i> (You might want to stop every few minutes to scrape down the sides of your bowl. I did it 4 times during the process just to keep all the cream at the same stage.)</i><br />
3. While beating you will get to the soft-peak stage.<br />
4. Then the stiff-peak stage.<br />
5. Then the cream will start to turn from white to a pale yellow.<br />
6. You will start to see the cream turn grainy.<br />
7. Then it will begin to look wet on the top. <i>(That is the liquid being squeezed out as the fats and proteins coagulate.)</i><br />
8. When it starts to look like bread crumbs turn your machine down a bit because it will start to spit liquid at you. <i>(I turned mine down to 6.)</i><br />
9. The last step happens very quickly; you'll go from bread crumbs to a big chunk of butter in your whip attachment zipping around in a puddle of buttermilk. <i>(It takes about 5 seconds so be alert.) </i><br />
<i>You are going to want to have everything set out where you need it </i>before<i> you start handling the butter because your hands are going to be covered in grease and you wont want to be riffling through your cupboards for a Tupperware container.</i><br />
10. With clean hands, squeeze all of the butter solids to get any remaining buttermilk out. <i>(When I first read this step of the instructions I imagined squeezing room temperature butter and it made no sense to me that it would work. But the consistency is like play dough so you will be able to wring out the liquids.)</i><br />
11. You can put it in a container in the refrigerator at this point, but I've read that it can still have buttermilk in it and that can tend to make it go rancid, so many places suggested to wash it. I filled my mixed bowl with cold water <i>(if you use warm you'll melt the butter)</i> and then kneaded it a few times under the water. Pour off the water, and repeat until you feel like you've gotten most of the buttermilk out.<br />
12. You can now either strain off the buttermilk and save it or you can just pour it down the drain. I choose to save mine and make buttermilk pancakes for breakfast. So worth it!<br />
<br />
<i>Important information you should know:</i> This is not cost effective way to get your butter unless there is a great sale on heavy whipping cream or you have some leftover cream from another recipe you are trying to use up. I buy Land-o-Lakes butter, it has no artificial ingredients or preservatives so you aren't making the butter any healthier by making it yourself. Butter can be bought on sale and stored in the fridge or freezer for long periods of time without spoiling. Unopened in the refrigerator about 2 months, freezer about 1+ year. The homemade butter I made lasted about 2 weeks in my fridge before it started to go bad. It probably has something to do with the effectiveness, or lack thereof, at getting all the buttermilk out. Buttermilk last 7 days in the fridge. Many food storage suppliers offer a powdered butter product that can be reconstituted with water. Powdered butter is shelf stable for 5 years and costs approximately $20.00 for a #10 can. Canned butter is shelf stable for 15-20 years but it is more expensive at $6.00 per can and the can is the size of a tuna-fish can. Some people "can" their own butter but it is not a proven method because of the bacteria risks involved.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgGaHpewsTRo7GhyKRJpz_grhNh9Jw-zskj8nAS0o1IvBtUp3Z5MUN0tQIBuDQMmYhYeyQAIHP2QpINPaT0P3CWj7jd_Mdbbz_N45I4C9cMYFUxUPqsNCFOzG3EeWxOM1wbsuLk1vT3Hf/s1600/DSC02363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgGaHpewsTRo7GhyKRJpz_grhNh9Jw-zskj8nAS0o1IvBtUp3Z5MUN0tQIBuDQMmYhYeyQAIHP2QpINPaT0P3CWj7jd_Mdbbz_N45I4C9cMYFUxUPqsNCFOzG3EeWxOM1wbsuLk1vT3Hf/s320/DSC02363.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghV4fSwsnQAzJf7y5aciwLd2P4CIWy0nvzfo5jHG582HDUcHIX0Ejg6OXTuPNShNshzHxcWvrT1s_PYLaJYEFemLZT_HAUyy1GhzeD3dsLg6CYv1vW09UWPTbxZrr1JCMRlLVaKSKt6pvV/s1600/DSC02369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghV4fSwsnQAzJf7y5aciwLd2P4CIWy0nvzfo5jHG582HDUcHIX0Ejg6OXTuPNShNshzHxcWvrT1s_PYLaJYEFemLZT_HAUyy1GhzeD3dsLg6CYv1vW09UWPTbxZrr1JCMRlLVaKSKt6pvV/s320/DSC02369.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OhrI8JlA-DvgO_RX5HCIjQivophqSZd3FlgFRnRhBbVIjYBbh78oMhRZD60zQwt1S7GQUHye19k3_bdsuqZfcJncjBjDH6_dFtGbloJCoVPLsM2FYm214DTrUMzlThFJz41-CwppIThB/s1600/DSC02372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; 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margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDy-yENihcEeUXy38jrzk5O6kzTIZyYDlUSNvHW4cTSwDm8wqBYrAsQNEpnhP010V7jNm_0i9BwHgPrw2JUcklcIvpX2Ufzzx1HKzbP8F65Ya0uVaGDRFQyHRVwHuwvC90ZyZ6-qCRLs3/s320/DSC02375.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjiTDlnR8Ibhyv0S0VjnOiThQ1PdIJcLZzvTucvEgIrbwXoU0IFzR3P1IbzdUv4KA9b9TDHzwQ8Sw3-SAOQJwIaFRnL5lGyV7CvpCqDL8TlMWkmiFCOzrZOOodgTtj1PqLG9_b6S4ufcJ/s1600/DSC02379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjiTDlnR8Ibhyv0S0VjnOiThQ1PdIJcLZzvTucvEgIrbwXoU0IFzR3P1IbzdUv4KA9b9TDHzwQ8Sw3-SAOQJwIaFRnL5lGyV7CvpCqDL8TlMWkmiFCOzrZOOodgTtj1PqLG9_b6S4ufcJ/s320/DSC02379.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj162IeWo0NMZHWA2KtmrDT43vq9Uv_qvFqnskZSJvzZGM8MOHFL_8Uej6fOy-T4o67P3EbsPpYfejamtSIQFS5I24yHMTUhq2UFbYRjAsz16zce-ffTFF8-ETvY6FI9e8raliS_tWfkuar/s1600/DSC02377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj162IeWo0NMZHWA2KtmrDT43vq9Uv_qvFqnskZSJvzZGM8MOHFL_8Uej6fOy-T4o67P3EbsPpYfejamtSIQFS5I24yHMTUhq2UFbYRjAsz16zce-ffTFF8-ETvY6FI9e8raliS_tWfkuar/s320/DSC02377.JPG" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm3ylTKArWe6az7ZekLwN80mRw-Ir9qV-_jFebO-2YZK8bSC2coc8Ovale2rUfO3LvdGD8duDFFvTpfnv4jowB_puqlW2-Eq-zMqAH4sZmLnHxJ0d327AJRAuauEcQ6kKAoNi8pbKu3kx/s1600/DSC02387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm3ylTKArWe6az7ZekLwN80mRw-Ir9qV-_jFebO-2YZK8bSC2coc8Ovale2rUfO3LvdGD8duDFFvTpfnv4jowB_puqlW2-Eq-zMqAH4sZmLnHxJ0d327AJRAuauEcQ6kKAoNi8pbKu3kx/s320/DSC02387.JPG" width="139" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-9210882073704842402011-02-10T20:18:00.000-08:002011-09-02T09:57:29.295-07:00Granola Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV17aMVzwBUuwYG3wWm3CXdSdxRAuIzkgR8aGiVPD9-NsLClCxDV-59nXv4hQaGlS7YgVh-mHoglojwqBcLNb6pgiQflCjQSVa3t8R3SGahbTgFVGa7_C7WsJ1PQ57r7UPPQh7cVpskWVW/s1600/DSC02508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV17aMVzwBUuwYG3wWm3CXdSdxRAuIzkgR8aGiVPD9-NsLClCxDV-59nXv4hQaGlS7YgVh-mHoglojwqBcLNb6pgiQflCjQSVa3t8R3SGahbTgFVGa7_C7WsJ1PQ57r7UPPQh7cVpskWVW/s320/DSC02508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
These are delicious <i>and</i> made from shelf stable ingredients. Plus, they are a great way to get your kids to eat wheat germ. Wheat germ is one of the most nutritional products available. It contains 23 nutrients and has more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain. Wheat germ is very high in protein. It contains around 28 percent protein and has more protein than can be found in most meat products. The human body needs protein in order to repair tissue damage and to help minerals and nutrients reach our cells. You can change up the nuts and dried fruit with anything you have on hand making these really versatile. My boys aren't a big fan of nuts or dried fruit and they ate these like they were cookies. These are a chewy granola bar not a crunchy one.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Serves:</b> 18 bars<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 15 minutes<br />
<b>Recipe By: </b>Amber Brunson<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
2 1/2 cups rice krispies<br />
2 cups rolled oats (can use quick cooking oats)<br />
6 TBSP wheat germ<br />
1/2 cup dried fruit (I did half dried apples and half dried cranberries)<br />
1/2 cup chopped almonds (I did half sunflower seeds and half chopped almonds)<br />
1/4 cup honey<br />
1/4 cup dark Karo<br />
4 TBSP brown sugar<br />
2/3 cup peanut butter<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
1/2 cup chocolate chips <i>(optional: if you choose to include these please note that they will melt down when you pour in the hot ingredients and will add a chocolate flavor but not solid chocolate chips in the bar)</i><br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. In a large bowl, mix together rice krispies, rolled oats, wheat germ, dried fruit, chopped almonds, and chocolate chips(optional).<br />
2. Over medium heat mix honey, dark Karo, and brown sugar.<br />
3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.<br />
4. Remove from heat.<br />
5. Add peanut butter and vanilla.<br />
6. Pour over dry ingredients.<br />
7. Press into a 9 x 13 pan.<br />
8. Allow to cool, cut into bars.<br />
9. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. <i>(They will dry out quickly, 2 days, if they aren't airtight sealed. Individually wrapping makes them an easy grab-n-go option.)</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGX3DfwCwqoeNl2yEiaNVXTECzAz4QtUX5eM0zbyQ3dZYQaeWwj8T9KFwRjqXHDMKcRuER5gAwLt2-NEls79xZf7vCfWDcrpXyzPja_sA52epgy21ULRAS-Qc2YoPQRiFn2QEsSUcrLu8/s1600/DSC02501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGX3DfwCwqoeNl2yEiaNVXTECzAz4QtUX5eM0zbyQ3dZYQaeWwj8T9KFwRjqXHDMKcRuER5gAwLt2-NEls79xZf7vCfWDcrpXyzPja_sA52epgy21ULRAS-Qc2YoPQRiFn2QEsSUcrLu8/s200/DSC02501.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP4yRY40V7UmBAJwjXCSLZadWjZLRplrT1CVv9IPuv6ilqduPolXD34NPQEIuKrKjHHSe3k42deFWXRzGIw8dz6-NBwFQ3KQz1zF2Ttz7mWUByKvskwid-1gwT3Jkdk48VaJAgKbcxemn/s1600/DSC02504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP4yRY40V7UmBAJwjXCSLZadWjZLRplrT1CVv9IPuv6ilqduPolXD34NPQEIuKrKjHHSe3k42deFWXRzGIw8dz6-NBwFQ3KQz1zF2Ttz7mWUByKvskwid-1gwT3Jkdk48VaJAgKbcxemn/s200/DSC02504.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJEso7-eEhF_dAfaT6s_ofK7snw-_kL8jybrvB5GLNQyPBRsiLrp_mTUD6nSVQCFCCOXRSx9zDAoXz8FPg0Cq1sOsU8FymB_UDOv_VWj4gkBQUbdw6tgNKpT6qCtKageX1n_tBwvgjMLk/s1600/DSC02505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJEso7-eEhF_dAfaT6s_ofK7snw-_kL8jybrvB5GLNQyPBRsiLrp_mTUD6nSVQCFCCOXRSx9zDAoXz8FPg0Cq1sOsU8FymB_UDOv_VWj4gkBQUbdw6tgNKpT6qCtKageX1n_tBwvgjMLk/s200/DSC02505.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaqeuLh8fMDAlxXr9zCEj9moMudqpTOF3tCwRNtC2yCh7T0GccnSUBQfByEUn9_weRGyyAkZV9ZpApgcSpX-37h0vzKMG_fMjGIY4HzWY2-QCIeOJ8hheYFZ09BJIK3rotw29r_CMVGuc/s1600/DSC02506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaqeuLh8fMDAlxXr9zCEj9moMudqpTOF3tCwRNtC2yCh7T0GccnSUBQfByEUn9_weRGyyAkZV9ZpApgcSpX-37h0vzKMG_fMjGIY4HzWY2-QCIeOJ8hheYFZ09BJIK3rotw29r_CMVGuc/s200/DSC02506.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Post Update:<br />
These granola bars hold their shape pretty well and can be cut with cookie cutters into fun shapes for cute party snacks and holiday treats. This little brontosaurus made an appearance at a dinosaur-themed playgroup I hosted. They were a healthy and fun addition to lunch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fbZK2wTn0gzyzWXIL83MbhMC0T1r_kwMeHQAZ3cb8EgP1cpQhAi0rPrWHf707UvmLKXWqB-n6m9PAYSYx8Wiqm6cvwtB6Vqj7Bf-KRCIS3yxPE3LYQeKXi0NrvuEU3Mp6HKkyAr1X9aX/s1600/DSC03017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fbZK2wTn0gzyzWXIL83MbhMC0T1r_kwMeHQAZ3cb8EgP1cpQhAi0rPrWHf707UvmLKXWqB-n6m9PAYSYx8Wiqm6cvwtB6Vqj7Bf-KRCIS3yxPE3LYQeKXi0NrvuEU3Mp6HKkyAr1X9aX/s320/DSC03017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-30943811312086276992011-01-29T07:12:00.000-08:002011-01-29T07:12:00.128-08:00Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVGDE6TqHVRrSuW4Kqg_Z1VBp4VGy_fwB2piWnOyukYXe0q4udD28bJVmQM4FpUQl6TzUdCzMfvDv6P_r3brrhKlYoMA0a5FP-TwPSn2m1daVDi6ajG_wYApNSIBvbk_7Lh-ihec9i_o-/s1600/DSC02331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVGDE6TqHVRrSuW4Kqg_Z1VBp4VGy_fwB2piWnOyukYXe0q4udD28bJVmQM4FpUQl6TzUdCzMfvDv6P_r3brrhKlYoMA0a5FP-TwPSn2m1daVDi6ajG_wYApNSIBvbk_7Lh-ihec9i_o-/s320/DSC02331.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
These pretty little cheesecakes are a perfect solution for entertaining. The recipe makes enough for a crowd and the convenience of a cupcake liner means everyone can help themselves to as many as they would like. Believe me they will be going back for seconds. The tart raspberry swirled through the cheesecake batter breaks up the rich sweetness of cheesecake and the pretty raspberry and mint leaf garnish add an elegant flare. <br />
<br />
<b>Serves:</b> 32 cupcakes <i>(just short of three dozen)</i><br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> <span style="background-color: white;">5 1/2 hours </span><i>(1 hour prep and cook + 4 1/2 hours of cooling and refrigeration. This isn't something you just throw together last minute; it requires some forethought.)</i><b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Original recipe by Martha Stewart but I made some modifications of my own<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
For the crust:<br />
2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs<br />
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted<br />
4 1/2 tbsp. sugar<br />
<br />
For the topping:<br />
6 oz. fresh raspberries <i>(Equals one small pkg of raspberries, so if you want any raspberries to garnish with you either have to buy more or keep some out of the blender.)</i><br />
2 tbsp. sugar<br />
<br />
For the filling:<br />
4 pkgs cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
1½ cups sugar<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
4 large eggs, at room temperature<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.<br />
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.<br />
3. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.<br />
4. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened.<br />
5. Press graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. <i>(One packed tablespoon of mixture for each cupcake. Don't press too hard or it will be a solid mass you can't bite through at bottom of your cheesecake.)</i><br />
6. Bake until just set. <i>(5 minutes.)</i><br />
7. Transfer to a cooling rack.<br />
8. Meanwhile, make the raspberry puree by combine the raspberries and sugar in a blender.<br />
9. Process until smooth, then pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.<br />
10. To make the cheesecake batter, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy.<br />
11. Mix in the salt and vanilla.<br />
12. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.<br />
13. Assemble the cheesecakes by adding 1/8 cup of cheesecake batter, 1/2 tsp of raspberry puree, and another 1/8 cup of cheesecake batter. <i>(You are creating a sandwich here.)</i><br />
14. Dot another ½ teaspoon of the raspberry puree over all of that. <i>(You dot on the final puree to make the swirling patterns easier and more even.)</i><br />
15. Then use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.<br />
16. Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.<br />
17. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. <i>(They will look quite puffed initially but will return to normal quickly.)</i><br />
18. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(step by step pictures from annies eats.net)</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPeu3yRJSlBZSbvHNz7q0fbdvJ7ez-23FDeIWY7vIE-yiKoFPPRtGcXuX0KZ1vK2Jj94Y_7CPrN-aUGUh5p30NNvbXuGeDDhmmYIkHIwSYzyWcJQWF02fXGT6tUOa3CkE2leV9tHt3EWP/s1600/crust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPeu3yRJSlBZSbvHNz7q0fbdvJ7ez-23FDeIWY7vIE-yiKoFPPRtGcXuX0KZ1vK2Jj94Y_7CPrN-aUGUh5p30NNvbXuGeDDhmmYIkHIwSYzyWcJQWF02fXGT6tUOa3CkE2leV9tHt3EWP/s320/crust.jpg" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-qrF19twrUa30XSFKE10DCC_4mL6j7nu1CkwRW8KNIj25pHqimGAs574vvCMRJpt8Hc8JUldn63FqMvn5TQF4ONs0WT8OqSvj8K9WiQ9l_0zEP-j-dABBEykVmwHoC0IRpOmazsXeZmx/s1600/Batter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-qrF19twrUa30XSFKE10DCC_4mL6j7nu1CkwRW8KNIj25pHqimGAs574vvCMRJpt8Hc8JUldn63FqMvn5TQF4ONs0WT8OqSvj8K9WiQ9l_0zEP-j-dABBEykVmwHoC0IRpOmazsXeZmx/s320/Batter.jpg" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5eD2LLKwmBYMM8RXf3byHrWlh5niCLydISn8CQBmEVVfHBems1rmnTvv8FT_t3KqBFaxSvyyoYYf1ZjT7qiTRDsNodgITend892-7Sepc5G1UnZCFIGDs1Z-Och6j9Jj3fcI9166Y4nb/s1600/dots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5eD2LLKwmBYMM8RXf3byHrWlh5niCLydISn8CQBmEVVfHBems1rmnTvv8FT_t3KqBFaxSvyyoYYf1ZjT7qiTRDsNodgITend892-7Sepc5G1UnZCFIGDs1Z-Och6j9Jj3fcI9166Y4nb/s320/dots.jpg" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Rp8fqGq6bluFPhkmEIjH4kekUVNEbRKX5yJhoXAGLagHHbENu7dZZwgDHhVAhasvM2N6LDv1ncq-fLV5KfCiCjKaQRshiJEyxWGmpyEaxyPEsXcaywWkkOq7o6uBu0lrNCyLgU6jmLS/s1600/Swirling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Rp8fqGq6bluFPhkmEIjH4kekUVNEbRKX5yJhoXAGLagHHbENu7dZZwgDHhVAhasvM2N6LDv1ncq-fLV5KfCiCjKaQRshiJEyxWGmpyEaxyPEsXcaywWkkOq7o6uBu0lrNCyLgU6jmLS/s320/Swirling.jpg" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvENqqeEeY-8Tx21T3e-i2zLiMcP2o8sZdy_4zKwVYxWli-e6McekFDjGFZrCkTBMSTBR0PMa-yahbg68svDtcBaJ5mGIoHAgbUBDAEKtNqOM1tvutTk84uRwkXZf4M6YrQTiA3KK4pl7g/s1600/baked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvENqqeEeY-8Tx21T3e-i2zLiMcP2o8sZdy_4zKwVYxWli-e6McekFDjGFZrCkTBMSTBR0PMa-yahbg68svDtcBaJ5mGIoHAgbUBDAEKtNqOM1tvutTk84uRwkXZf4M6YrQTiA3KK4pl7g/s320/baked.jpg" width="189" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfOlIP0hL8eU542NpyFi81lrCfKDP4VuhPb51xt30VQ_KsOFMn9W721pfO71kp2JGRcVWMtZ_jKAblEBw38F7fc7600bpRu9-RroqowgS1osCHRQNN6WNp4a6SJxWxhd_-oiNV1u7tcM_/s1600/finished+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfOlIP0hL8eU542NpyFi81lrCfKDP4VuhPb51xt30VQ_KsOFMn9W721pfO71kp2JGRcVWMtZ_jKAblEBw38F7fc7600bpRu9-RroqowgS1osCHRQNN6WNp4a6SJxWxhd_-oiNV1u7tcM_/s320/finished+pic.jpg" width="189" /></a>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-4695502934868487742011-01-27T07:49:00.000-08:002011-01-27T07:49:00.718-08:00Chicken Avocado Casserole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5II-L1l6j8PvTrhPgGhgOLyn7ZCT1D4P6fXYExhks2SX87mZLYqIGGhxTvSQmwtdeB6vRbJfm1kM0cixUzzuKg-aa1HJOjRsmtcKeZE5uTuL6265Bgjpd558_UC-mTvE8YAV-BF5OezS/s1600/DSC02322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5II-L1l6j8PvTrhPgGhgOLyn7ZCT1D4P6fXYExhks2SX87mZLYqIGGhxTvSQmwtdeB6vRbJfm1kM0cixUzzuKg-aa1HJOjRsmtcKeZE5uTuL6265Bgjpd558_UC-mTvE8YAV-BF5OezS/s320/DSC02322.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Toasted almonds and creamy avocado with a rich gravy sauce and chicken. I served this dish over angel hair pasta. So GOOD!<br />
<br />
<b>Start to Finish:</b> 45 minutes<br />
<b>Servings:</b> 4<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Morton's Kosher Salt with modifications by Amber Brunson<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<br />
3 TBSP butter, divided<br />
1/2 TBSP olive oil<br />
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves<br />
1/8 cup flour<br />
1/2 cup whipping cream<br />
1/2 cup chicken broth<br />
1/4 tsp Kosher salt<br />
1/8 tsp ground black pepper<br />
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />
1 dashes hot pepper sauce (optional)<br />
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed<br />
1/4 tsp dried basil<br />
½ cup chopped almonds, toasted<br />
1 or 2 avocados <br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Preheat over to 350° F.<br />
2. Melt one TBSP of butter in large skillet.<br />
3. Add olive oil and swirl together with the butter.<br />
4. Add chicken and sauté until chicken pieces are browned and juices run clear. <i>(Turn pieces while sautéing for nice even color.)</i><br />
5. Place chicken breasts in 8x8 baking dish and set aside.<br />
6. Melt remaining 2 TBSP butter until foamy.<br />
7. Stir in flour, and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly.<br />
8. Slowly add whipping cream, chicken broth, Kosher salt, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, hot pepper sauce <i>(optional)</i>, and herbs.<br />
9. Continue stirring and cooking until smooth and thickened.<br />
10. Pour the sauce over the chicken.<br />
11. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.<br />
12. Meanwhile, toast almonds.<br />
13. Sprinkle almonds over chicken and sauce, bake an additional 5 minutes.<br />
14. Peel and slice avocados lengthwise and place over chicken before serving.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679903013212708939.post-51933183491391909502011-01-26T11:54:00.000-08:002011-02-13T18:26:14.457-08:00Bean Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdX05I-xPK9cHF_vF5ydJsjfGqBIpzXsKKyXJSkW0ffHzkLQqJuwecCOweyHdqCCdhKrW1w1NEVtf5QtW3oIGWwqa3dugeuyT2v03UKwyGDMO7gp-4GeCSOgGrCHfKYIW0oiHA_TMRCFR/s1600/BlackBeanSoup-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdX05I-xPK9cHF_vF5ydJsjfGqBIpzXsKKyXJSkW0ffHzkLQqJuwecCOweyHdqCCdhKrW1w1NEVtf5QtW3oIGWwqa3dugeuyT2v03UKwyGDMO7gp-4GeCSOgGrCHfKYIW0oiHA_TMRCFR/s1600/BlackBeanSoup-300x300.jpg" /></a></div>This recipe makes the cut! It has everything I want in a food storage recipe. It is shelf stable but, if you have the means, you can spice it up with fresh vegetables and meat. It is delicious just the way it is and it is a nice hearty meal. For three days in a row I ate this soup for lunch with a buttered, rolled-up flour tortilla and I loved it. To dress up this soup with fresh veggies, dairy, and meats I think it would be great with shredded chicken, tortilla chip noodles, cheese, and avocado. Garnish with some sour cream and cilantro and you have just turned "food-storage bean soup" into "every-day tortilla soup".<br />
<br />
<b>Serves: </b>4<br />
<b>Start-to-Finish:</b> 6-8 hours (slow cooker recipe)<br />
<b>Recipe By:</b> Amber Brunson<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
1/2 cup dry pinto beans<br />
1 cup dehydrated carrots <br />
1/2 cup dehydrated onion <br />
1/4 cup powdered milk <i>(can substitute 1/4 cup sour cream if you're making it fresh)</i><br />
<br />
1 cup salsa or taco sauce <i>(I used mild but next time I would probably use medium because it takes a lot of heat to give the beans any flavor at all)</i><br />
1/2 cup potato flakes <br />
1 tsp salt<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
<br />
1. Rinse pinto beans and soak in water overnight.<br />
2. Drain all the water, rinse beans thoroughly, and place in crock-pot.<br />
3. Add dehydrated vegetables to crock-pot with beans.<br />
4. Add fresh water enough to cover all the vegetables and beans.<br />
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the beans are fully cooked and soft.<br />
6. Add the powdered milk, potato flakes, salsa, and salt.<br />
7. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth.<br />
8. Serve with warm tortillas.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13377875693843052701noreply@blogger.com2