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Category Archives: Food

Baking: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies by Betty Crocker

What does one take to a Cinco de Mayo party?  I was certain someone else would bring 7-layer dip and more than enough tortilla chips (I was right) so… dessert?  I sure as heck wasn’t going to make flan and the idea of frying churros scared me a little.  But Betty Crocker saved the day (love her!) when a fun Cinco de Mayo recipe email popped up in my Inbox with the recipe for this tasty goodness.  Everyone loves cookies!

I was worried though…one of the ingredients is Mexican Hot Chocolate tablets…what in the world?  But, what do you know, they are in every grocery store around here, who knew!  Easy recipe that makes awesome chocolate-cinnamon cookies.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tablet Mexican hot chocolate drink mix (from 19-oz package)
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1 egg
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
2. In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter and hot chocolate tablet over low heat, stirring constantly.
3. Place cookie mix in large bowl. Stir in melted butter mixture and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set (do not overbake). Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Store covered at room temperature.

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2012 in Food, Holiday, Recipes, Reviews

 

Cooking: Creamy Ranch Chicken

Creamy Ranch Chicken by Better Homes & Gardens

Delicious!  Everyone will love this dish, I promise.

Ingredients

6 slices bacon
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ranch dry salad dressing mix
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3 cups dried medium noodles
1 tablespoon finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings.

2. In the same skillet cook chicken in reserved drippings until tender and no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over the chicken in the skillet; stir well. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in bacon. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Serve chicken mixture with noodles; sprinkle with Parmesan. Makes: 4 servings

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2012 in Bacon, Food, Recipes, Reviews

 

Pancakes!

(via My Life in Beta)

 
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Posted by on April 20, 2012 in Art, Food, Recipes

 

Cooking: Lentil Stew with Sausage and Potatoes

Lentil Stew with Sausage and Potatoes (Real Simple)

Exotic and tasty.  Evren was surprised he liked it because “it didn’t look that great.”

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
2 cups brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
10 small red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1/2 pound turkey kielbasa, diced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small bunch arugula or watercress, tough stems removed; coarsely chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and curry powder and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the broth, bay leaf, and lentils and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the potatoes, cover, and cook until the potatoes and lentils are tender but not mushy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the kielbasa in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown on both sides. Set aside and keep warm.

When the stew is cooked, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, arugula, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the stew among bowls and top each with the kielbasa and Feta.

 
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Posted by on April 15, 2012 in Food, Recipes, Reviews

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Sour Cream-Poppy Seed Cake by Kraft Foods

To glaze or not to glaze, that is the question.  Either way, this is the perfect lemon poppy seed cake!  Yum!

1 pkg. (2-layer size) lemon cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup poppy seeds

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

BEAT all ingredients except poppy seed in large bowl with mixer on low speed just until moistened, stopping frequently to scrape side of bowl. Beat on medium speed 2 min. Stir in poppy seed.

POUR into greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.

BAKE 50 to 55 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 min.; loosen cake from side of pan. Gently remove cake from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

 
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Posted by on April 14, 2012 in Food, Recipes, Reviews

 

Strawberry Season 2012

Bright and early on Good Friday and we were some of the first at the strawberry fields this year.  We brought home 6.5 pounds of bright red strawberries.  Delicious!

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Last year we remembered that it was very windy and the sand kept getting in our faces.  It must’ve been hotter because I remember being all sticky and sweaty when we left.  But this year… it was perfect.  The weather was lovely, it wasn’t windy, there were plenty of strawberries… Ayla said, “I didn’t even have anything to complain about this time.

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2012 in Ayla, Evren, Food, Holiday, Jenn, Photos

 

Auto Museum, Mar 2012

Ayla had a weekend of sleepovers and trips to the movies so I decided to treat Evren to a different kind of museum…

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All the photos and some more detailed descriptions are posted to flickr.

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2012 in Art, Food

 

Cooking: Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli from The Barefoot Contessa

(via The Amateur Gourmet)

Ingredients
4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2012 in Food, Recipes

 

Baking: Shortcut Carrot Cake

Shortcut Carrot Cake by Kraft Foods

I’m not sure where the alleged shortcut is… but this cake was tasty!

Ingredients
1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix
3 large carrots, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Directions
HEAT oven to 350°F.

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package; stir in carrots, pineapple and 3/4 cup nuts. Pour into 2 (9-inch) square pans sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP.

STACK cake layers on plate, spreading frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2012 in Food, Recipes, Reviews

 

Drinking: Old Fashioned

Old Fashioned

My brother ordered this drink when we went out to dinner at Maximilen’s in Seattle and I promised to try it the next time I went out.  I love it!  Perfect sipping drink.  Thanks Dave!

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2012 in 101 in 1001, Food, Jenn, Travel

 
 
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