Yay! Project Runway started back tonight. I'm SO excited to finally get to watch it. For the first 5 seasons it was on Bravo...which Time Warner Cable didn't carry! So we finally got Bravo earlier this year, and now Project Runway is on Lifetime. Go figure! It was a great episode and some of the dresses were awesome (and some a total wreck). I loved the winning dress. So far I'm rooting for Carol Hannah Whitfield...she's from Charleston, SC, where my hubby and I got engaged and spent our first wedding anniversary. Gotta support the South!
Makes me even more excited for my upcoming trip to NYC (shopping heaven!) and for fall fashion. I've been checking out the fall issues of my fashion mags and deciding on my must haves. Can't wait to go shopping!
On the food side of things, I hope to have some new recipes for you soon. We've been cooking less since it has been so hot and just been doing a lot of tried and true favorites. I hope to get back into the kitchen and try out some new recipes soon!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Roasted Red Pepper Orzo
Another great use I've found for Roasted Red Peppers is this orzo. It makes a great side, or even a good main dish for lunch. I like to double the amount of peppers to intensify the flavor, but it is fine as the recipe states as well. Definitely use good parmesan cheese for this and the previously posted risotto...it will give a better flavor. Enjoy!
1 tsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp onion, chopped
1 c dry orzo
2.5 cups chicken broth
Approximately 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Roasted Red Pepper Orzo
Ingredients:
1 tsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp onion, chopped
1 c dry orzo
2.5 cups chicken broth
Approximately 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
To roast the pepper, I put it under the broiler, and turned it every few minutes until all sides were blackened. Then I put it in a bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and let it sweat for about 15 minutes. After sweating it is really easy to peel off the skin. Seed and chop the pepper.
Heat butter and oil in a pot.
Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes.
Add orzo and toss until coated.
Add broth, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low. Cover and let simmer until broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Stir in roasted red peppers and cheese.
To roast the pepper, I put it under the broiler, and turned it every few minutes until all sides were blackened. Then I put it in a bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and let it sweat for about 15 minutes. After sweating it is really easy to peel off the skin. Seed and chop the pepper.
Heat butter and oil in a pot.
Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes.
Add orzo and toss until coated.
Add broth, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low. Cover and let simmer until broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Stir in roasted red peppers and cheese.
Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Risotto
I love roasted red peppers in almost anything...on pizza, in pastas, on chicken, in sandwiches...you name it. I especially loved them in this risotto. I've started making a number of risottos and they are always so delicious with a creamy texture. This is a great one to not only get that roasted red pepper flavor but to get a few veggies in too thanks to the spinach. We've made this a number of times already and I can't wait to make it again soon. Hopefully the next time I make it, it will be with red peppers from my garden!
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
Optional: a few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 c arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine (or additional broth)
5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (to roast, broil until skin is charred on all sides. Put in a bowl covered with plastic to sweat the skin off. After 10 minutes, peel the skin to reveal your beautiful roasted red pepper)
1 c fresh baby spinach
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Risotto
Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
Optional: a few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 c arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine (or additional broth)
5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (to roast, broil until skin is charred on all sides. Put in a bowl covered with plastic to sweat the skin off. After 10 minutes, peel the skin to reveal your beautiful roasted red pepper)
1 c fresh baby spinach
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
Add shallots and garlic (and red pepper flakes); stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add arborio rice and stir until coated
Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.
Near the end, stir in the spinach and red peppers.
When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese.
Serve immediately.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
Add shallots and garlic (and red pepper flakes); stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add arborio rice and stir until coated
Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.
Near the end, stir in the spinach and red peppers.
When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese.
Serve immediately.
Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Crash Hot Potatoes
I'd seen these potatoes on a number of blogs and just hadn't gotten around to making them. My friend Kati blogged about making them with cheese instead of herbs and we decided that was the way we'd like to try them first (I'm sure we'll do them with herbs eventually). They were delicious! The crispiness of the potatoes was just perfect. These are a great side dish when you want something different than your regular old potatoes.
Small round potatoes (new potatoes, yukon golds, etc--we used baby reds)
Directions:
Crash Hot Potatoes
Ingredients:
Small round potatoes (new potatoes, yukon golds, etc--we used baby reds)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Herbs or Cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 to 450 degrees (depending on how crispy you want your potatoes and if you have other things in the oven). Place desired amount of potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a couple tablespoons of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork (time will depend on size of your potatoes). Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by spreading a thin layer of olive oil over the bottom of the pan. Note, I always line my baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. (Shiny side down.) Remove potatoes from pot and drain. Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may need to cut some of them in half. Place potatoes on baking sheet, leaving space between. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash down potatoes, rotate pan and mash again. Brush tops generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and desired herbs. Roast in oven 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. If using cheese instead of herbs, wait to add that until the last few minutes.
Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks, with cheese inspiration from Kati
Dill Pickles
I LOVE dill pickles. I'll eat them straight from the jar and I love them piled on sandwiches and burgers. I always ask for extras at restaurants. So I was excited when I came across this recipe to make my own. This is the time of year when pickling cucumbers are cheap and plentiful at our local farmers' markets, so I wanted to share this now! I enjoyed these, though I added too much garlic. I love garlic, but I'll definitely scale back on it next time.
Ingredients:
For the brine:
3 cups water
6 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. kosher salt
minced garlic
fresh dill
cucumbers, cut into spears
Directions:
Combine all brine ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well to dissolve salt.
Put several sprigs of fresh dill in the bottom of each jar. Pack half full with cucumber spears. Layer with more sprigs of fresh dill. Finish filling the jar with cucumbers. Sprinkle some minced garlic on top. Pour brine into the jar until it is full and pickles are completely submerged. Put the lid on and allow to refrigerate at least 2 days before eating.
Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Ingredients:
For the brine:
3 cups water
6 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. kosher salt
minced garlic
fresh dill
cucumbers, cut into spears
Directions:
Combine all brine ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well to dissolve salt.
Put several sprigs of fresh dill in the bottom of each jar. Pack half full with cucumber spears. Layer with more sprigs of fresh dill. Finish filling the jar with cucumbers. Sprinkle some minced garlic on top. Pour brine into the jar until it is full and pickles are completely submerged. Put the lid on and allow to refrigerate at least 2 days before eating.
Source: Annie's Eats, adapted from Delicious Meliscious
Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Poblano and Cheddar
My husband and I have discovered that we love poblano peppers, thanks to our trip to Philly last fall. Now we seek them out and have been finding more uses for them. This chicken was a great one! I did overdo the paprika and cayenne a bit when making my crust, so be careful. Ours ended up pretty spicy. I'll definitely be more careful next time. This is a really flavorful way to have chicken though. If you like poblanos, definitely give it a try.
Preheat your broiler and then broil the poblano for a couple minutes, turning it once the skin has blistered and blackened. Alternatively, you can put the pepper right on your stovetop gas burner. After all sides of the pepper look charred, put it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to let the pepper cool.
Preheat the oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and place a rack/cooling rack on top of it. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel the skin off (it should come off easily at this point) and dice the poblano. Slit a pocket into the chicken breasts. Stuff the pocket with the diced poblano and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
Combine the cornmeal with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper to your tastes. Carefully dip the chicken breasts into the egg wash, and then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
Place the chicken on the rack and spray the top with cooking oil. Bake about 20 minutes or until done, turning once in the middle of cooking.
Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Poblano and Cheddar
Serves 2
2 chicken breast halves
1 poblano pepper
1/3 cup shredded or sliced sharp cheddar
1 egg, beaten and mixed with a Tbsp of water (buttermilk would also be great here)
1/3 cup cornmeal
salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne to taste
Preheat your broiler and then broil the poblano for a couple minutes, turning it once the skin has blistered and blackened. Alternatively, you can put the pepper right on your stovetop gas burner. After all sides of the pepper look charred, put it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to let the pepper cool.
Preheat the oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and place a rack/cooling rack on top of it. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel the skin off (it should come off easily at this point) and dice the poblano. Slit a pocket into the chicken breasts. Stuff the pocket with the diced poblano and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
Combine the cornmeal with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper to your tastes. Carefully dip the chicken breasts into the egg wash, and then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
Place the chicken on the rack and spray the top with cooking oil. Bake about 20 minutes or until done, turning once in the middle of cooking.
Source: Elly Says Opa!
Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies
These cookies are fantastic! They are rich, so you can't eat but one or two at a time, but they are so delicious. I've made them for work a couple of times and gotten rave reviews and recipe requests. I highly recommend trying these, you won't regret it...especially if you love peanut butter and chocolate! It's kind of like a peanut butter smore! I definitely recommend using a tart shaper if you have one to make the cookie cups...it makes it super easy. Luckily I got a Pampered Chef one for Christmas! Enough about my tart shaper though...go make these cookies NOW!
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine peanut butter, sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined. Divide the dough evenly between 24 wells of a mini-muffin pan (I usually have a bit left over, but do so to leave room for the candy). Make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until almost done. Remove from the oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until it is flush with the top of the dough. Top each cookie with 3-4 mini marshmallows. Return the pan to the oven and bake 2-3 minutes more, until the marshmallows have puffed up. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool completely in the pan before removing them. (This is important! I tried removing them while still slightly warm – not a good idea.)
Once the cookies are completely cooled, transfer them to a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream, sugar and water to a boil, then pour the liquid over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk the mixture together until smooth. Leave the glaze to sit until it thickens a bit to your desired consistency, then drizzle over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with mini M&Ms before the glaze hardens.
Source: from Annie's Eats, who says cookies adapted from Picky Palate, ganache from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
24 mini Reeses peanut butter cups, unwrapped
mini marshmallows (I used 5 per cookie)
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
mini M&Ms
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine peanut butter, sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined. Divide the dough evenly between 24 wells of a mini-muffin pan (I usually have a bit left over, but do so to leave room for the candy). Make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until almost done. Remove from the oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until it is flush with the top of the dough. Top each cookie with 3-4 mini marshmallows. Return the pan to the oven and bake 2-3 minutes more, until the marshmallows have puffed up. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool completely in the pan before removing them. (This is important! I tried removing them while still slightly warm – not a good idea.)
Once the cookies are completely cooled, transfer them to a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream, sugar and water to a boil, then pour the liquid over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk the mixture together until smooth. Leave the glaze to sit until it thickens a bit to your desired consistency, then drizzle over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with mini M&Ms before the glaze hardens.
Source: from Annie's Eats, who says cookies adapted from Picky Palate, ganache from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Our new favorite side dish
I never thought I liked asparagus. My parents would try to serve them to me when I was growing up, and I just thought they were gross. They had a stringy texture and the flavor was just too strong. Turns out it wasn't the asparagus...it was just the way my mom prepared them and the size of the asparagus available in my small hometown grocery store. My mom always steamed them and put a little butter on them. Turns out I prefer them roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper (and sometimes a little garlic powder). I also only like the petite asparagus...they have a milder flavor than their thicker stalked counterparts and don't get as stringy. Luckily, the grocery store I generally shop at (Harris Teeter) almost always has the petite ones. We've made these a lot in the past few months (especially if there is a good sale) as a side dish. If you've never much worked with asparagus, here's a tip...remove the woody ends by bending the asparagus...they'll snap at the appropriate place. Give them a try even if you don't think you like asparagus...you might surprise yourself!
Roasted Asparagus
1 lb thin asparagus, washed and woody ends snapped off
Extra Virgin Olive oil (a tablespoon or two)
salt
freshly ground pepper
garlic powder (optional and to your liking)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (easy clean up!). Toss prepared asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder (if using). Roast in the oven for 10-20 minutes depending on how done you prefer them (I lean towards 20...I like them a bit crunchy). Enjoy!
Source: me!
Roasted Asparagus
1 lb thin asparagus, washed and woody ends snapped off
Extra Virgin Olive oil (a tablespoon or two)
salt
freshly ground pepper
garlic powder (optional and to your liking)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (easy clean up!). Toss prepared asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder (if using). Roast in the oven for 10-20 minutes depending on how done you prefer them (I lean towards 20...I like them a bit crunchy). Enjoy!
Source: me!
Truffle Pie
This pie is OMG good. So rich and chocolately. The fresh cream is so great and the pie is really easy to put together. I've served this for a dinner party and taken it to a potluck. It is a winner and definitely one I'll make time and time again.
Whipped Chocolate Filling
Whipped Cream Topping
Garnish
Directions:
Truffle Pie
Ingredients:
Truffle Filling
2⁄3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1 9-inch prepared graham cracker crust
Whipped Chocolate Filling
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped Cream Topping
1 cup heavy cream
1⁄4 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Garnish
1 1⁄2 ounces milk chocolate
1 1⁄2 ounces white chocolate
1 1⁄2 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate (this is the only kind I used)
Directions:
1. For the truffle filling, in a saucepan, bring 2⁄3 cup cream to a simmer. Place the 6 ounces chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently whisk until smooth. Spread truffle filling over the bottom of the prepared piecrust. Freeze for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for the whipped chocolate filling, in a double boiler or a microwave set on low power, heat the 6 ounces chocolate chips with 1⁄2 cup of the cream until the chocolate is just melted, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature. In a chilled bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup cream until thick. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form (tips curl). Spread the whipped chocolate mixture over the truffle filling in the crust. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Just before serving, for the topping, beat 1 cup cream on medium speed of an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners’ sugar and whip until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie. Using a grater or vegetable peeler, make pieces or shavings of milk chocolate, white chocolate, and semisweet or dark chocolate. Garnish pie with chocolate pieces. Serve immediately.
2. Meanwhile, for the whipped chocolate filling, in a double boiler or a microwave set on low power, heat the 6 ounces chocolate chips with 1⁄2 cup of the cream until the chocolate is just melted, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature. In a chilled bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup cream until thick. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form (tips curl). Spread the whipped chocolate mixture over the truffle filling in the crust. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Just before serving, for the topping, beat 1 cup cream on medium speed of an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners’ sugar and whip until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie. Using a grater or vegetable peeler, make pieces or shavings of milk chocolate, white chocolate, and semisweet or dark chocolate. Garnish pie with chocolate pieces. Serve immediately.
Source: Recipes from the Road by the Deen Brothers, obtained through thenest.com
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
I LOVE THESE COOKIES! So does my husband. I don't know that I can find a recipe that tops these. They are just great. I first made them for New Years lunch and they were a hit. I've since made them for a work party and just because and they turned out perfect every time. I recommend you go make these cookies NOW!
Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper (I recommend the parchment paper). Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Cover dough and chill for 2 hours (this will help make the cookies more uniform but is not necessary). Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool completely on baking sheet (I usually let mine cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to wire racks).
Source: allrecipes.com
Halloween Treats...a little late
My department at work goes all out for Halloween with everyone dressing up and having a good time. This year we did trick or treating at each other's cubes so everyone brought in treats. I decided to do baked treats instead of buying candy and made Pumpkin Butterscotch Mini Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Yellow Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Icing. They were a hit!
Pumpkin Butterscotch Mini Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 (6 ounce) package butterscotch chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. Sift together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl. Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Stir in the butterscotch chips; pour into each cup of the muffin pan to about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.
Source: ...and a cookie for dessert
Pumpkin Butterscotch Mini Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 (6 ounce) package butterscotch chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. Sift together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl. Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Stir in the butterscotch chips; pour into each cup of the muffin pan to about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.
Source: ...and a cookie for dessert
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 c. shortening (I subbed butter)
1.5 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar + milk and let stand for 5 minutes, which is what I did)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin pan with paper liners (can also be done in 2 round cake pans or one 13x9 pan). Let butter and eggs stand at room temperature for 3o minutes. Stir dry ingredients (except sugar) together and set aside. Beat butter and shortening on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add vanilla and sugar, beating until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir pumpkin into buttermilk, then add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pur into prepared pan(s). Bake 35-40 minutes for 13x9 pan, 30-35 minutes for 2 round pans or cupcakes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove and cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tsp vanilla
approximately 6 cups powdered sugar (I only used about 3 as I don't like super sweet frosting)
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually add additional powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency.
Source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, courtesy of my friend Gina
Yellow Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting
I shamefully admit to using a boxed mix for the cupcakes. I had one that needed to be used. I did make the frosting though.
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder (I used a mix of regular and Hershey's special dark cocoa)
3 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternate adding sugar and milk until you reach desired consistency. Stir in vanilla.
Source: my mom
Pesto Cream Sauce
Last summer, I picked up a basil plant at my local farmer's market for a mere $2.50. If you've ever bought fresh basil at the store, you know a package is around $2 or more. So this was a great deal. I planted it in a pot on my back deck and it really flourished until around the end of October when the cold got it. I will definitely be getting another one as soon as it gets a bit warmer, as it was great to be able to walk out the door and grab as much fresh basil as I needed. One thing we used it for was this pesto cream sauce to top some pasta. I adapted a pesto recipe and then decided to make it into a cream sauce. It was pretty tasty and I would certainly make it again.
Pesto Cream Sauce
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 oz grated fresh parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
pinch of salt
Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over med/lo heat, about 5 minutes or until you can smell them toasting. Wash and dry the basil leaves and place them in the bowl of your food processor. Add the toasted pine nuts and pulse until you have a coarse paste. Add in the grated parmesan and garlic cloves. Pulse again until all ingredients are uniform. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add the salt if needed. This will make approximately 1/3 cup of pesto. Transfer your pesto to a small saucepan and heat it on medium heat. Add about 1/2 cup of cream. This can be adjusted to your tastes...you can add more or less cream depending on how strong you want the pesto flavor to come through.
Source: adapted from The Pampered Chef Basil Walnut Pesto
Rocky Road Bread
I found this recipe on one of the blogs that I follow and thought it sounded interesting, so we gave it a try. I thought it was fairly tasty and my husband thought it was just OK. It is something that needs to be eaten fairly quickly...after a couple of days it wasn't as moist. If you like rocky road, you might just like this.
Rocky Road Bread
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup toasted almonds (I used pecans instead, as that was what I had on hand)
¾ cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup chocolate chips, lightly dusted with flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease well a 9x5x3” loaf pan. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in mini marshmallows and toasted almonds; mix well. Combine milk and beaten egg; pour into flour mixture and stir just to moisten. Fold in chocolate chips. Turn into prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out onto wire rack to cool.
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights
Fall 2009 Fashion Week
This past week was Fall 2009 Fashion Week in NYC. Due to the economy, a lot of designers scaled back their shows and moved them to more intimate venues around the city rather than show their collections under the tents at Bryant Park as usual. There was still plenty to see though and it was easy to tell that some of the trends that are already in place will continue into fall. Keep buying feminine pieces with ruffles and boyfriend cardigans, as both were seen coming down the runways. There was also lots of big jewelry. The colors were somewhat somber, given the economy and that it is fall after all, but there were definitely pops of purples, royal blues, deep orange, red and even some neon yellow and pink. As with most fashion weeks, not all of the ready to wear things coming down the runway were something any of us would ever wear, but some collections did include items that could be translated into the normal life of a twentysomething woman. You have to remember that most of this is what inspires the designers who create the clothes for you and me though, so I think it is always worth a look. I thought Zac Posen's collection was particularly wearable as is, especially if you had a need for a gown for an event. Speaking of which...J. Mendel, Badgley Mischka and Oscar de la Renta put out some absolutely gorgeous gowns. I won't be surprised if we see some of them on the red carpet at future award shows. What I didn't think was at all wearable...the handbag hats by Isaac Mizrahi. Not sure what he was thinking. 
Anyway, if you'd like to check out all of the collections in depth, I'd recommend checking out Women's Wear Daily and Style.com. They seem to have the best round up of photos and reviews from the week. If you'd like to see the Pantone report that predicts the top colors for fall, you can check that out here. I particularly like the Majolica Blue. In fact, I already own a cocktail dress in almost that exact shade. I think the American Beauty is also quite lovely.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Fashion Post #1--Wardrobe Basics
It has been a long time coming, but here it is...my first fashion post for the "style" part of the blog name. I figured for my first post, talking about fashion basics would be a good idea. Wardrobe staples would be the best term for it and is what every woman should have in her closet (sorry guys...I'll have to touch on you in another post). There are different lists that float around, but I think Tim Gunn's (of Project Runway fame...thanks Time Warner for FINALLY getting us Bravo) list is great.
1. Little Black Dress
2. Trench Coat
3. Classic Dress Pants (black, navy or gray)
4. White Shirt
5. Jeans (dark preferred)
6. Cashmere Sweater
7. Skirt (something versatile is best)
8. Day Dress
9. Blazer (fitted)
10. Sweat Suit Alternative (read: sophisticated casual outfit)
When he presented this list for In Style, he also added Trend Items, though recommended not spending so much on those. I agree. If it is going to be out of style in a season, it is not worth spending a lot on. The top 10 though, are worth investing in. Buy the best quality you can afford so it will last. I'm happy to say that I own all of these items, though I hate my current trench (and got an unremovable stain on the sleeve) so I'm looking to replace that in the next few months. How about you?
I also have a few other things I consider wardrobe staples that aren't on Tim's list: black heels, a pair of dress boots, party shoes (such as strappy metallic heels), comfy and stylish flats, good quality fitted short and long sleeved tees in basic colors, black and white camisoles, and good bras. How about you? What else do you consider a wardrobe staple?
1. Little Black Dress
2. Trench Coat
3. Classic Dress Pants (black, navy or gray)
4. White Shirt
5. Jeans (dark preferred)
6. Cashmere Sweater
7. Skirt (something versatile is best)
8. Day Dress
9. Blazer (fitted)
10. Sweat Suit Alternative (read: sophisticated casual outfit)
When he presented this list for In Style, he also added Trend Items, though recommended not spending so much on those. I agree. If it is going to be out of style in a season, it is not worth spending a lot on. The top 10 though, are worth investing in. Buy the best quality you can afford so it will last. I'm happy to say that I own all of these items, though I hate my current trench (and got an unremovable stain on the sleeve) so I'm looking to replace that in the next few months. How about you?
I also have a few other things I consider wardrobe staples that aren't on Tim's list: black heels, a pair of dress boots, party shoes (such as strappy metallic heels), comfy and stylish flats, good quality fitted short and long sleeved tees in basic colors, black and white camisoles, and good bras. How about you? What else do you consider a wardrobe staple?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Happy Belated Blogiversary to me!
Well it has been just over a year since I started this blog and I've enjoyed getting to share recipes with the world. I promise this year I'll try to keep the blog a bit more current and will expand into the style portion of the name. Thanks to everyone who has read my posts over the past year and I hope you'll stick around for 2009 for lots more yummy recipes and my fashion musings. Happy New Year!
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