tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21152609790148859632024-03-05T09:08:44.751-05:00Kitchen BlissA collection of my culinary adventures including cake decorating, travel and crafts. Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.comBlogger218125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-65251579772683076362016-11-01T09:04:00.000-04:002016-11-01T09:04:03.419-04:00NY Times No Knead Bread and Chef John's Potato and Ham Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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NY Times No Knead Bread and Chef John's Potato and Ham soup - this made for an awesome winter meal, everything tastes better when made from scratch.<br />
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For the bread, I thought there was no way it was going to work because I was using "wet hands" instead of flour, as noted in the steamy kitchen blog, but that made the dough look like a goopy mess. When I reread the original recipe from NY times it said flour and that made the dough much less sticky and I was able to somewhat get it to be taut/smooth for the 2nd rise. Then I also learned on steamy kitchen the Le Creuset pot will work in 450 oven but that's not true, within the first few minutes I heard cracking and popping and it was the top and whatever glue was used to help keep the screw in ... so luckily I had a metal top that fits my Creuset... besides those two issues, and the fact that I had a late start preheating and thus baking the bread (so we were starving and desperate for it to be done after just 45 minutes baking), the bread came out awesome. Sure it could've gone 5 more minutes or cooled 10 minutes but we were slicing into it while it was super hot, and it was 99% done (I had checked with the thermometer and it was ~ 204 when I pulled it out). It was delicious and we all ate the whole loaf (Steamy kitchen said it didn't keep well... perhaps I should have tried it out for myself!). I will make this bread again very soon, no doubt about that... if anything to use up the instant yeast and bread flour I now have.<br />
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So, if you're making this bread in a le Creuset pot - maybe you need all-in-one piece metal top - nothing with a screw holding a knob on or anything like that.<br />
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The soup was absolutely delicious. I used probably double the veggies and meat but kept the liquids the same (and even cut out 1 cup water) because I read it was watery - well my method made it not watery at all, it was thick and delicious after I followed the rest of Chef John's directions. So good. We had some green onions and I sprinkled some cheese and it was kind of like a loaded baked potato soup.. excellent. Made enough for 2 hearty servings and 2 hearty lunches for the next day.<br />
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What a great meal!<br />
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<a href="http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread">Click here</a> for the NYTimes.com No Knead Bread recipe and method.<br />
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<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chef-Johns-Ham-and-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=potato%20ham%20soup&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i8">Click here</a> for the Chef John Potato and Ham soup on Allrecipes.com. Maybe not the most beautiful photo but it was delicious!<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-33937103888304107662016-10-01T10:52:00.000-04:002016-10-01T10:52:09.739-04:00Cute Easy Halloween Cookies<div style="text-align: center;">
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Our neighborhood had our first Halloween party which was a great event that I hope we do again each year. On an open day sometime before Halloween, we held an informal "parade" up and down the block with all the children dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Neighbors participated by passing out candy from their driveways (but this is optional if you thinking about staging a Halloween parade), and then we all gathered in our backyards for a bunch of great fall food and games in the beautiful Michigan fall weather. Honestly, any reason to get into Halloween costumes again is a great idea!<br />
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I made a delicious mulled cider in the crockpot usinga gallon or two of fresh Michigan apple cider and cinnamon sticks, star anise, and whole cloves, and a sliced orange. This was great for kids but adults as well, as we had awesome choices to spike the mulled cider - you can use anything you have on hand, cinnamon vodka, bourbon, cointreau, spiced rum, ginger liqueur, delicious! Needless to say there wasn't any cider left over. Costco sells the heat-proof paper cups which are very handy for serving hot drinks to a crowd.<br />
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I wanted to make a dessert that would be fun for the kids but easy to make, even though I know there's no shortage of sugar during the Halloween season. I just couldn't help myself after looking at all the cute ideas online. We covered peanut butter "Nutter Butter" cookies with white chocolate and put ghostly eyes and "boo" mouths on them. We also made simple chocolate chip cookies with a prominent chocolate chip placed right on top before baking. When you take them out of the oven and the chips are still melty, use a toothpick to draw spider legs coming from the one chocolate chip on top. Simple and cute!<br />
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Our party consisted of a potluck and other fun treats I remember having were apple slice dipping station with various dips (caramel, peanut butter, etc) and toppings (sprinkles, nuts, chocolate chips), popcorn, cupcakes, doughnuts, chips, veggies/dip, cheese/crackers, and all your typical yummy snack food. We had several fun games for the kids - bobbing for doughnuts (doughnuts hanging from strings and the kids need to eat them with their hands behind their backs), pinata, yard games like giant jenga, bean bag/corn hole game, hot potato (using a pumpkin), arts and crafts, etc. Your local grocery store has tons of tiny pumpkins that are great for table decorations (and helps keep table cloths down). What a fun party theme, hope you all have a happy halloween in your neighborhood!<br />
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Thankfully we had beautiful weather for our event because the last 5 years straight have been cold/rainy on Halloween night! Hope you have a sunny Halloween celebration at your house!Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-25874029603837329442016-09-02T16:08:00.000-04:002016-09-02T16:08:13.535-04:00Favorite Pancake RecipeOur family loves breakfast. Probably the most universally loved meal in this house - who doesn't want a big stack of steamy pancakes with maple syrup dripping down the sides in the morning? When your breakfast (or anytime) cravings are for something sweet, but you are in a pancake funk (using Bisquik or something), try this recipe which has become my favorite pancake recipe. It really only takes a few extra steps past using Bisquik but the payoff is worth it. Plus the kids get a kick out of helping add the extra ingredients.<br />
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I found the original recipe on AllRecipes and if you follow those instructions, it is a little tedious and makes a bunch of dirty dishes. I have simplified it (and the results are no less than delicious) for you below. Do you have a favorite pancake or breakfast recipe? Let me know in the comments and we'll try it out! I have tried a few "fancy" waffle recipes and did not find the end product to be worth the hassle, unlike these amazing pancakes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Perfect Fluffy Pancakes</span><br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/162760/fluffy-pancakes/">Adapted from original from AllRecipes.com</a><br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />In a 2 cup sized measuring cup, add:<br />
<b>1 1/2 cups milk</b><br />
<b>4 Tbsp vinegar</b><br />
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It's important to add the vinegar to the milk before doing anything else, let sit for a few minutes - buttermilk will be the result.<br />
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Then, plug in your pancake griddle to heat it up.<br />
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Meanwhile whisk in a bowl the dry ingredients:<br />
<b>2 cups flour</b><br />
<b>4 Tbsp sugar</b><br />
<b>2 tsp baking powder</b><br />
<b>1 tsp baking soda</b><br />
<b>1 tsp salt</b><br />
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Melt:<br />
<b>4 Tbsp butter</b> in the microwave carefully<br />
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After 5 minutes, the buttermilk should be curdled.<br />
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Add to the buttermilk mixture:<br />
<b>2 eggs</b><br />
<b>splash of vanilla</b><br />
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(it should all fit in the 2 cup measuring cup, no need to dirty additional bowls)<br />
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Dump the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and pour in the melted butter.<br />
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Mix gently to combine the ingredients but careful not to overdo it.<br />
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There you have it - when your griddle is ready to go, either spray on some cooking spray or we always use butter to grease the griddle. Pour over your pancake batter and away you go - delicious pancakes are on their way to a plate near you!<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-86249183694316279862016-08-27T16:27:00.000-04:002016-08-27T16:27:53.065-04:00Sassy Summer Cocktails using Elderflower Liqueur My lovely neighbor tipped me off to a hip cocktail ingredient - St. Germain (Elderflower liqueur). She said she loved it with vodka and grapefruit juice in a <a href="http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/bichon-frise-11266">Bichon Frisè</a> (no, not the white puffy poodle). Yum! Shortly thereafter I was able to find St. Germain (there are also other cheaper brands of elderflower liqueur which are worth checking out) and the floral sweet nectar was immediately a favorite of mine. Now I see St. Germain everywhere - my Kroger carries it, Costco was giving away a mini bottle when you bought a bottle of Bombay - so probably it's not new to everyone else, but I am excited to have found it.<br />
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One great use for St. Germain is in a white sangria. I had a few opportunities to make a batch of sangria for a party this summer. Using St. Germain in sangria is a must.try.now situation, it adds floral punch that really makes the drink special. The first time I made it, it was so good, that I toted a bottle of St Germain all the way around Lake Michigan on a road trip "in case I needed to spring into action and make a batch of sangria." The opportunity did arise and no drops of sangria were left behind. This version of white sangria is called Sangria Flora due to the wonderful addition of elderflower liqueur. You can substitute any fruits that you'd like to try, I'm pretty sure it will be wonderful no matter what you try.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Sangria Flora</span><br />
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1 bottle Pinot Grigio<br />
1 1/2 cups St. Germain/elderflower liqueur<br />
2 peaches, sliced thinly<br />
handful of strawberries, sliced<br />
1 cup raspberries<br />
1 orange halved and sliced thinly<br />
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Mix all ingredients together and for bonus flavor: let the flavors marry overnight.<br />
Serve over ice.<br />
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My second fabulous must-try cocktail using St. Germain is the Grapefruit Buck. It's kind of like a moscow mule-meets-bichon frisè. We were out on a fabulous fancy dinner at the Capital Grille for our 10 year anniversary when I saw the Grapefruit Buck on their menu. I'm in love with any drink that has ginger and this was described as "Absolute ruby red vodka, elderflower liqueuer, ginger beer, and lime." It was delightfully refreshing, a little spicy and tart, a little sweet - delicious! This was easy to replicate at home and another fabulous drink to put into a copper mule mug (although the pale pink color is perfectly attractive for a glass). I didn't have ruby red vodka so I improvised:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Grapefruit Buck</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
1 1/2 oz vodka (or gin)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
3/4 oz St Germaine </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
2 oz grapefruit juice</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
3 oz ginger beer</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
squeeze of lime</div>
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Enjoy these elderflower delights!<br />
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Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-48851833276154032792015-03-31T11:31:00.000-04:002015-03-31T11:31:00.184-04:00Chef John's Caramel Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't found a Chef John recipe that I haven't liked. I had never heard of this dish, but apparently it's a common vietnamese dish, and I just happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. I loved it so much that I made it the following week as well, so yummy! It's a very sweet dish but the salty tang of the soy sauce, fish sauce and vinegar balances it out and it's super yummy, great over rice. It was nice to try something easy and a little different, and it was doable for a weeknight meal for sure.<br />
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Definitely watch the video, besides being entertaining, there are some good tips from Chef John about how to make this dish. The second time I made it, I used a little less water, if any, to decrease the time it took for the sauce to reduce.<br />
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<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chef-johns-caramel-chicken/">Chef John's Caramel Chicken on Allrecipes.com</a>Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-7049053418627345022015-03-24T11:22:00.000-04:002015-03-24T11:22:00.161-04:00Kitchen Bliss' Michigan 4-Berry Pie <br />
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We love that <a href="http://www.achatzpies.com/">Achatz</a> Michigan Four Berry Pie that you can get here locally in the metro Detroit area. For Thanksgiving as well as this past Valentine's day, I have worked out my best copy cat version of this delicious combination of cherries, raspberries, strawberries(*) and blueberries.<br />
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(*)I have yet to try the exact berry combination that Achatz uses (Michigan tart cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries) but I've done this twice with sweet cherry/rasp/blue and sweet cherry/rasp/blue/strawberries -- try any berry you like and just keep the quantities the same. This won't disappoint! Next time I will try to remember blackberries, not strawberries! Maybe I can add both and top Achatz by having a Michigan 5-Berry Pie.. especially if I could source them all from Michigan (not happening here in the winter time though!)<br /><br />
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First, I use my favorite pie crust recipe (because it's easy and delicious) - <a href="http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12852-christopher-kimballs-foolproof-pie-dough">Fool Proof Pie Crust Recipe</a>. This makes a double pie crust, so just save the other crust for another pie later by popping the extra crust disc in the freezer, then put in the fridge for a day or so before you plan to roll it out. Also, feel free to use a store-bought pie crust - talk about easy!<br />
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Next, I use my favorite streusel topping - <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/335561/mrs-kostyras-streusel-topping">Mrs. Kostyra's Streusel recipe from Martha Stewart</a> which goes great with a mixed berry tart or pie.<br /><br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/4 c brown sugar<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
6 tablespoons butter, cut into tiny squares<br />
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Mix the streusel ingredients and break up the butter using your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly and when you squeeze it it kind of keeps shape.<br /><br />
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Finally, we have the <span style="font-size: large;">Cherry Berry Filling</span> -<br />
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1 cup + 1 teaspoon sugar<br />
1/4 cup tapioca<br />
pinch of salt<br />
2 cups or 1 package of frozen sweet cherries, thawed and drained<br />
1 1/2 cups raspberries<br />
1 1/2 cups blueberries<br />
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries (or blackberries or more of the previously mentioned berries)<br />
1 teaspoon flour<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Roll out your pie crust and fold over to carefully place into your pie tin and pat it in and trim edges, crimp edges, however you like your pies to look. I used a fork this time on the edges and I saved extra dough to cut out hearts for the Valentine's day theme. Other times I have just folded the extra dough over to make a thick rustic edge which is delicious.<br />
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Sprinkle 1 teaspoon flour and 1 teaspoon sugar in the crust shell and then tap out carefully.<br />
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Mix 1 cup sugar and tapioca and pinch of salt together in one bowl.<br />
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Rinse/mix all the cherries and berries together and sprinkle with the sugar tapioca mix and carefully stir to combine.<br />
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Pour the cherry berry mix into the prepared pie crust and then sprinkle with the streusel topping.<br />
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If using extra pie crust scrapes for decorations, roll out into hearts/etc and place on top of the streusel.<br />
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Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees with a square of foil placed loosely on top for 30 minutes. Check throughout baking time to make sure it is not browning too quickly. If pie filling is not bubbling on edges and topping isn't browned enough, remove foil for an additional 10-15 minutes baking time if needed, checking frequently so that the topping doesn't get overly browned.Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-27989199235467047582015-03-17T11:11:00.003-04:002015-03-17T11:11:33.262-04:00Brown Butter, Sage and Mushroom Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I first found this recipe when eating low carb and looking for new dinner ideas. It is ridiculously good, I made it twice in a row on back to back nights because the second night we were having people over and I couldn't get that soup out of my mind. It's absolutely guest-worthy and if you love your carbs, serve it with some crusty bread (Like the NY Times no-knead rustic bread) and butter on the side or toss in some tiny noodles. Or serve it as a lovely soup course before your dinner. The brown butter and sage -- it's just so delicious. You'll love this easy weeknight soup!<br />
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<h2>
Brown Butter Mushroom Soup with Sage (Low Carb too!)</h2>
As seen <a href="http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2012/12/brown-butter-mushroom-soup.html">on the All Day I Dream About Food blog.</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">6 tbsp butter</span><span style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped</span><span style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">1 lb mushrooms, sliced</span><span style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">4 cups vegetable or chicken stock</span><span style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Salt and pepper to taste</span><span style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">1/2 c</span><span style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">up heavy cream</span><br />
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<div class="h-4 strong" id="zlrecipe-instructions" style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; padding: 0px;">
<b>Instructions</b><br />
In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat until it begins to brown and turns fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sage and cook one minute more.Add mushrooms and stir to coat, then saute until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.Stir in stock and bring to a simmer. Cook 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to food processor or blender (I used my stick immersible blender which I love and makes this so easy!). Blend until smooth.Return to pot and stir in cream. Serve immediately.</div>
<span style="font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span>Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-47435358622791935792015-02-15T14:09:00.004-05:002015-02-15T14:09:49.495-05:00Batman Birthday Cake and DIY No Sew Super Hero Capes<br />
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My son was turning 4 and that's the prime age for loving super heroes! He had asked for a Batman birthday party and that's what we did. I got a few batman decorations but mostly the cake and party favors were carrying the theme. The cake was his favorite (confetti) with mousseline buttercream in blue. I ordered some Fondarific black fondant as well as some white (from Amazon) knowing that in 6 weeks my little guy would be turning 2 so it would come in handy again (for a construction themed birthday cake). It was my first time trying Fondarific and I was pleasantly surprised, 1 million times better tasting and behaving than Wilton fondant. Cheaper too - give it a try. I rolled out some black fondant and free-form cut some buildings/city scapes that I layered to make the lower edge of the cake. I also used the black fondant for a larger oval and the bat shape using a batman cookie cutter (I bought this to make batman cookies for his preschool class since he doesn't even like cake, so no cupcakes for him!) </div>
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I made some yellow fondant out of the white fondant and rolled out the "beam of light" and 4 and smaller yellow oval to finish off the batman logo, as well as the Happy Birthday letters. Finally I cut out tiny windows and used water to stick them on to the black buildings before placing the buildings on the cake. It worked out great. This batman cake was pretty easy to decorate! It was the nicest cake I'd made for my 4 yr old because his birthday is close to Christmas and it's just usually such a hectic time with schedules, work and cold/flu season, so I was happy this cake turned out so great. He didn't eat the cake (who knows why he doesn't like cake), but he loved the black fondant buildings calling it 'chocolate'. </div>
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To go along with the theme, I was looking for non-junky party favor ideas which didn't include a bunch of cheap choking hazards from China. I came across do-it-yourself super hero capes <a href="http://racksandmooby.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-make-superhero-cape-no-sew.html">here</a>. I went to the fabric store to buy very soft fleece in black, royal blue and turquoise, as well as accent colors of red, yellow and white for the badges and lightning bolts and letters. (The original blog post I was following used felt for the badges but you could see the glue through it so I recommend using fleece.)</div>
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I think they turned out great! The only real problem I had was listening to the lady at the fabric cutting counter who told me to get Wonder Under instead of fabric glue. What a stupid mistake.. I followed the directions on the package and it was melting the fleece before it would adhere and ruined a bunch of badges and letters and probably my iron... really annoying when I had plenty to do besides redoing a bunch of this work! I was super ticked at that lady. Anyway, don't use Wonder Under and fleece!</div>
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The next thing I should have changed was skip the whole stick-on or glue-on velcro for the neck closures.. those ripped off all the capes after about the first 10 minutes of use. It would've been cheaper and easier to just snip a hole and tie a black ribbon on each side for the super hero to use as a tie for the cape. I ended up redoing that for my two kids' capes.. you could also try buying velcro which requires stitching, but that doesn't follow the "no sew" rules too well. So, I learned from my mistakes but these capes were pretty fun and an unusually cool party favor. Hard to top homemade personalized super hero capes!</div>
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I also used extra fleece and elastic bands for attempting to make super hero masks in coordinating colors, as I had forgotten I had already purchased some batman paper masks from the store. They looked cute but perhaps next time I'd use a template as they didn't seem to fit a variety of head sizes (we had ages 2 through 6 at the party) very well. The kids were excited for both masks and the cape in the party favor bags.</div>
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-52685287578561051362014-11-15T10:22:00.000-05:002014-11-15T10:22:28.375-05:00Fall Treats - Put it in a Waffle! Apple Waffles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you're in the mood to splurge and add some fall flair into your breakfast, these apple waffles are delicious! My nearly 4 year old decided he only liked plain waffles and refused to eat these (isn't that annoying), but the little guy gobbled them up and I thought they were great. The Husband wasn't here but he will love these, being an apple dessert lover.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Cinnamon Apple Waffles</span><br />
adapted from <a href="http://www.mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=1309">MrBreakfast's Apple Waffles</a><br />
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2 cups flour<br />
3 T sugar<br />
2 t baking powder<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
2 large eggs, separated<br />
1 1/4 cup milk<br />
1/3 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 t cinnamon<br />
1 t vanilla<br />
1 large apple, finely diced<br />
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Wisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in one bowl. Separate the eggs - eggwhites in your kitchenaid mixer with the whip attachment (or bowl you plan to use for whipping), and the egg yolks in a separate bowl (Yes, I know, three bowls have to get dirty and for that I apologize profusely).<br />
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While the mixer is whipping up the eggwhites on high speed (goal is stiff peaks) and your waffle iron is heating up, wisk the egg yolks and add in the milk and stir to combine. Then mix the yolk/milk mixture in with the dry mixture, and don't overmix. Stir in vegetable oil, cinnamon, vanilla and fold in the stiff eggwhites. Carefully stir in the diced apple (I used a large granny smith and it was quite nice having a tart contrast with the sweet maple syrup).<br />
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Scoop into your waffle iron (I spray mine first to avoid sticking), and cook until your preference (The Husband likes soft and I like crispy waffles!) Enjoy with pure maple syrup or a sprinkling of powdered sugar.<br />
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I hope you enjoy, these were really delicious - they look whole wheat/healthy too but it's just the cinnamon. ;)<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-89277108675357953542014-11-15T10:00:00.005-05:002014-11-15T10:27:11.108-05:00Make Ahead Treats for Deer CampWell, it's well into the fall season here in Michigan and I have finally broken the long streak of no baking at our house (really have been good over here!) to do a few things this week. I made several things for The Husband to take up to opening day of Deer Camp - a few new recipes which I think turned out great: <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/worlds-best-lasagna/%C2%A0">World's Best Lasagna from AllRecipes.com</a>, <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dutch-apple-pie-with-oatmeal-streusel/">Dutch Apple Pie With Oatmeal Streusel from AllRecipes.com</a>, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/1090594/muffaletta">Martha Stewart's Muffaletta</a>, and Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos.<br />
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For the pie, I tried a new-to-me recipe for <a href="http://food52.com/blog/8953-cook-s-illustrated-s-foolproof-pie-crust">Fool Proof Pie Crust</a> and since I only made one pie, I really wonder how it all turned out! I couldn't exactly cut a sliver to test it out before sending it along, haha. If the crust is good, I will use it for a cherry berry pie I plan to make for Thanksgiving.<br />
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Most of these things went directly up north with The Husband so I either didn't get a photo or just have a fuzzy snapshot from my phone. For the lasagna, I had a few scraps of the components leftover so I made a tiny one that The Husband and I tried (before popping the main one in the freezer), and it was good! Also for the muffaletta, I made a small one using a sourdough bread bowl (the large one used a large French Boule), so that The Husband and I could share one for lunch before he headed up north. (So the picture of the cut muffaletta is actually the small one!) It was so delicious, I used hot sopressetta, capicola, hard salami, and black forest ham, along with provolone, arugula, and the muffaletta olive spread from Costco (which is utterly delicious by the way!). This is a wonderful make-ahead sandwich for a party or picnic - no mayo so it can sit out, and it is best if it sits in the fridge overnight. Cut into large (or small) wedges before serving. Yum yum yummy yum, and simple!<br />
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For the make-ahead breakfast burritos (I didn't realize you could do this with eggs and that they'd taste good after being frozen and reheated!), I just cooked up 1 lb of breakfast sausage, blotted the grease, and then added onions and bell peppers, and then after those were soft, added 10 eggs and scrambled those. Then I warmed 10 burrito sized flour tortillas and rolled up a scoop of filling with shredded cheese in each one, and wrapped with foil. The 10 breakfast burritos I had a little bit of filling leftover so I made two small fajita sized ones that The Husband and I froze and tried the next morning. With the oven at 350 it really took about 30 minutes for the small ones to heat up, so I would recommend either popping them in well before you need them, or microwaving for a few minutes (Deer Camp doesn't have a microwave so we were testing the oven method). Before eating, top with some salsa! I didn't get a picture but the ziploc bag of 10 foil wrapped burritos is easy to imagine and lots of people have blogged about this using all sorts of add ins like potatoes and rice! Yum! What a nice grab-and-go alternative to all those quick breakfasts that are all sugar and no protein. We will be making these again for sure.<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-92063359736665256072014-10-04T09:54:00.000-04:002014-10-04T09:54:00.446-04:00A Great Beef Stew inspired by Chef John's Beef MerlotBased on one of my favorite sources for recipes, Chef John at Food Wishes, we had a great beef stew last night. I followed his method except first fried about a half pound of bacon and set the bacon aside to add in later. Then, I browned the seasoned beef really well and I started with 6 lbs of fresh trimmed beef chuck. I put the heat on high and even my super huge nonstick pot could get some of the beef a nice golden crust - that's what you want, brown yummy goodness! The butcher man at Kroger was really nice to cut me fresh roasts from the back since they only had one in the meat case. Then he gave me a free 50 gas pts for my "inconvenience".. what a nice guy!<br />
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After I browned the big chunks of chuck beef, I dumped the bacon grease out (leaving the browned goodness stuck to the bottom of my pot) and added fresh olive oil. Then, I threw the roughly chopped 2 onions, a package of carrots chopped into large pieces, and a package of celery hearts chopped into large pieces. I browned all of the veggies for a good while until they were golden browned on some sides. I think I learned that step from Pioneer Woman - she browned her carrots and such before a pot roast. Since all my portions are larger, you can see I was making a double batch in a giant pot, and I am glad I did because honestly there wasn't that much leftover - probably not enough to freeze, I think we will easily eat it in a day or two.<br />
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After the veggies were browned (season with S&P to taste), I started the wine portion of Chef John's instructions - I put in 2 cups of wine (didn't double it but then added another cup later to cook down so I'd recommend at least 3 cups to start). I added 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, chopped, too. I let the veggies and wine cook until the wine was reduced to half. Then I added 3 cups of beef stock and the rest of the ingredients - a bundle of fresh thyme, some bay leaves, a good bunch of halved mushrooms, a tablespoon of flour and instead of more flour, I used 1 packet of onion soup mix. I put the top on and let it simmer for 1.5 hours. I checked it a few times and realized I could add the rest of my beef stock carton (the 4th cup) and another cup of wine, and it was still plenty of time to cook all that liquid down. By the time it was 1.5 hours in, and time to take the top off, there was hardly and liquid but enough to keep going and the meat was starting to get tender - I added the crumbled bacon in. By the end of 2 hours, everything was perfect. Since I was low on liquid, I finished the stew with about a half stick of salted butter which made it pretty awesome. Since we don't usually eat potatoes, I served the stew with mashed/pureed buttery creamy cauliflower with chopped green onions mixed in. The Husband said "this is one of your best". We typically eat low carb but a bit of soup mix or 1 table spoon of flower (6g carbs) doesn't affect us negatively and really made a big difference in the velvety glaze at the end -- instead of soft meat/veggies sitting in brown water. I love Chef John's recipes - so far each one has been excellent. I love his videos and listening to his cheerful and humorous description of how to do the recipes. What a cool job he has! I hope you try his Beef Merlot, it's wonderful!<br />
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<a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2012/11/warming-up-with-beef-merlot.html">Here is Chef John's original recipe</a>. I didn't take a picture but the end product looks just like his except mine had halved mushrooms and crumbled bacon throughout as well. Next time I might try some tomato paste in there but not sure - it was so good as is!Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-85850061874231224422014-06-29T15:28:00.000-04:002014-06-29T15:28:00.094-04:00Middle Eastern Feast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CDOJZSh0oyIMTr2lOVaIZCJ9bO6sdpBcoIhvfISYnHuhdZrZkR0ylrYIZPvxwDLbLzb5zGLWW2Wrlbk3QqpmPwJeG-1-l1qyppRqCmbOS9Na2KLjdju9zzA5mV4LuLIwHKth7W8PMJs/s1600/IMG_20130629_132042_451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CDOJZSh0oyIMTr2lOVaIZCJ9bO6sdpBcoIhvfISYnHuhdZrZkR0ylrYIZPvxwDLbLzb5zGLWW2Wrlbk3QqpmPwJeG-1-l1qyppRqCmbOS9Na2KLjdju9zzA5mV4LuLIwHKth7W8PMJs/s1600/IMG_20130629_132042_451.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our feasts last summer - chicken shwarma, lamb kofta, & grilled eggplant!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Every once in a while, nothing sounds better than a Middle Eastern feast! This is a good menu for entertaining - easy to prep ahead and throw things on the grill, lots of exciting flavors and spices, and very healthy. I often use this menu to entertain when I am not eating carbs but my guests are not low carb - there's plenty of food to satisfy everyone.<br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPi9RHoSgF-wVhf3xeDxSLKa-rZVA8L-2frtfnOhJwdWd133IhQ8eoracu4Rd7cy73LYOtjXlQKMYIqtdAmH5TZn1H-kQwz6cGJqZqOLbjWP2ClVYvmYa7JfRGE-py6HhA8i7JsqEurs/s1600/DSC_0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPi9RHoSgF-wVhf3xeDxSLKa-rZVA8L-2frtfnOhJwdWd133IhQ8eoracu4Rd7cy73LYOtjXlQKMYIqtdAmH5TZn1H-kQwz6cGJqZqOLbjWP2ClVYvmYa7JfRGE-py6HhA8i7JsqEurs/s1600/DSC_0212.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Shawarma spices - you can marinate overnight</td></tr>
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<b>Here's the menu:</b></div>
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<b>Grilled Chicken Shawarma Skewers </b>from <a href="http://theshiksa.com/2012/08/15/chicken-shawarma/">The Shiksa</a> (I skip the second frying step myself and do the skewers on the grill, and I only use boneless skinless chicken thighs - yum!)<br />
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<b>Lamb Kofta Kabobs </b>from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kofta-kebabs/">AllRecipes </a>(this recipe is legit, tastes just like restaurant quality and I simplify by putting all spices/onion chunks/garlic cloves/parsley in the food processor to make a paste & save some time, and then mix that in with the ground lamb).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JxOCp3Ri_xsHgCefI1EPr3cSqO_xK8l-nkkaZ3dZBYYa4LTdxuJbVxfKdrJB4fMq5_w8ReccpZ5m2O-3kqonGLlR-900QXLBdLXc8_7gKsU3yMagr_9wAOGANmpGAbI1ru-Xvt7Ttiw/s1600/DSC_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JxOCp3Ri_xsHgCefI1EPr3cSqO_xK8l-nkkaZ3dZBYYa4LTdxuJbVxfKdrJB4fMq5_w8ReccpZ5m2O-3kqonGLlR-900QXLBdLXc8_7gKsU3yMagr_9wAOGANmpGAbI1ru-Xvt7Ttiw/s1600/DSC_0211.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb mixed with the seasonings for Lamb Kofta</td></tr>
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<b>Grilled Eggplant </b>- Simply slice eggplant into 1/4in slices or so, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill until soft and charred and ridiculously yummy. (Seriously, eggplant tastes 1,000 more amazing prepared this way).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrvwgE8o2YQGpw2F7beiAzqZIAxl2A8H2BWIbMMfOIwuhvcNUBeBqhTHgVsH6MFgE3vvJT2490omE8RnWBf58IygCaLXEfIlO6djHUxBISx_THWBBBUQbPQ6bvA9r-fhetC7yteUM-D8/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrvwgE8o2YQGpw2F7beiAzqZIAxl2A8H2BWIbMMfOIwuhvcNUBeBqhTHgVsH6MFgE3vvJT2490omE8RnWBf58IygCaLXEfIlO6djHUxBISx_THWBBBUQbPQ6bvA9r-fhetC7yteUM-D8/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add some fresh herbs to your hummous, basil-garlic-lemon is so delicious!</td></tr>
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<b>Megan's Hummus</b> - I love hummus on any occasion and homemade always seems to taste the best. I always use my sister-in-law's recipe: In your food processor, puree 1tsp grated lemon peel, 2 T fresh lemon juice, 1 can garbanzo beans rinsed/drained, 2 T tahini sauce, 3 T olive oil, 2 T water, 1 garlic clove, 1/8 t cayenne pepper, and 1/4 t salt. Really puree for a long time to make it super smooth and I always add more lemon and garlic or salt, or make a double batch, etc. Adjust to your liking! I added some lemony basil once and it was fabulous! You can spread it over a plate and sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil and serve with pita wedges, or save in the fridge for 3 days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheb9VUipk43G7utjokYvKwc8QXnWtL0KBfIo7M2jvcOoIlWtFkguzw3T1lA20fwxga6c_0DImCqKpQu1esyudeK-We49QbOB8kk2Q6eC1E197qcYUA_eyoRYA4WewsPw8t5A5SZzocr4U/s1600/IMG_0068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheb9VUipk43G7utjokYvKwc8QXnWtL0KBfIo7M2jvcOoIlWtFkguzw3T1lA20fwxga6c_0DImCqKpQu1esyudeK-We49QbOB8kk2Q6eC1E197qcYUA_eyoRYA4WewsPw8t5A5SZzocr4U/s1600/IMG_0068.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br /></div>
<b>Rice Pilaf (from a box), Sliced lettuce/onion/tomatoes, and Pitas and garlic sauce</b> - I tried making that pure-garlic-yummy sauce that comes with chicken shawarma before and it was a fail, so I just head over to my local Middle Eastern restaurant and buy a large tub and a dozen or so pitas and that takes care of that! I don't typically have time to make my own bread. If anyone knows how to make that garlic sauce, let me know!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0YcGwxzNE_2fobA3XyCzDld_kqkyGMpD0Qk7-iqpejQfYxQtMkwHyuxMIX9_xMe_POiGyfhy4Bhix96FArhXwv03sRXl1yDHWYK6rGrqxzijaR6B6X_ijEZ4GxwmdwIrZUtxRvcMpjk/s1600/IMG_20130629_132047_819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0YcGwxzNE_2fobA3XyCzDld_kqkyGMpD0Qk7-iqpejQfYxQtMkwHyuxMIX9_xMe_POiGyfhy4Bhix96FArhXwv03sRXl1yDHWYK6rGrqxzijaR6B6X_ijEZ4GxwmdwIrZUtxRvcMpjk/s1600/IMG_20130629_132047_819.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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So for low-carb people, just make lettuce wraps with the shawarma and koftas with onions and tomato and garlic sauce - soo good! Eggplant is a great side and my new favorite vegetable to grill. For everyone else, the yummy fresh pitas and rice fills out the meal wonderfully. Instead of just making the same ole barbecue chicken when you have guests this summer, try something different and go middle eastern on the grill! You will not be disappointed.<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-5905295974565755112014-06-24T13:32:00.004-04:002014-06-24T13:32:48.592-04:00Costco Hack: Bubbly Baked Spinach Artichoke Jalapeno Dip<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5S6VWpu5QeJ7r3sgY_zbevBC5bex4vIY2CJRVbrEHzTsQMPDrsoA64vTY9W7dS0qX9noM6wWWipkjztfi3uuZyrD7S1aENtAjtvkEDgsixAokKhFaCWbe6kMaGr-OQcZjTp7YKECZ4Q/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5S6VWpu5QeJ7r3sgY_zbevBC5bex4vIY2CJRVbrEHzTsQMPDrsoA64vTY9W7dS0qX9noM6wWWipkjztfi3uuZyrD7S1aENtAjtvkEDgsixAokKhFaCWbe6kMaGr-OQcZjTp7YKECZ4Q/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yum! I've tried some free samples of the <a href="http://www.laterrafina.com/classic-dips-and-spreads/">La Terra Fina</a> spinach dips and always thought they were pretty good, dip some veggies and crackers in there - they do not disappoint. La Terra Fina even sent me some a year or two ago, but I didn't have any recipe ideas for them nor know if I'd buy them again. True - if I was at Costco and prepping to entertain some guests, it's a good option to pick up a tub and a lot better than the dips I find on the shelves at Kroger. My "pretty good" assessment was related to the dip when it was served cold. Then, months later, one day I read the tub and noticed it said "try warm!"... so I did... it changes my assessment from "pretty good" to "100% addictive." Free samples or not, I highly recommend you try it as a hot spinach dip - yum!! I've made my own dips as well and I will still continue to buy this dip.<br />
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I tried the artichoke/jalapeno flavor as well as the typical spinach/artichoke flavor and it wasn't spicy enough for me. Then, I had a great idea to take my favorite spinach/artichoke flavor and amp it up with chopped jalapenos and bake it with a panko breadcrumb topping...because.. why not? This is really a great semi-homemade Costco hack that anyone can do and be proud to serve as an appetizer. The dip has a crunchy topping, creamy melty center and a zip and zing from the jalapenos. You can taste the the ingredients are real - this is key for a store-bought dip. Tons of flavor and definitely a keeper! I do tend to eat a lot at once and then have awful garlic breath. Worth it! Don't you love dips for appetizers? Let me know if you've found a product or recipe I should try - Kitchen Bliss loves happy hours.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Easy Spicy Bubbly Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">By Kitchen Bliss</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Supplies You'll Need:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 tub La Terra Fina Chunky Spinach Artichoke & Parmesan or whatever spinach/artichoke type dip you'd like</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 package Panko bread crumbs</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 jar of sliced jalapenos</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Directions:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This is super easy and adaptable! Decide how much dip you'll need - decide on the serving dish and scoop out enough dip that will fill the bottom of the dish. Think about how spicy you want to make it and chop up that amount of jalapenos and mix into the dip, and taste periodically until the dip is spicy enough for you. Spread the jalapeno-spiked dip into your serving dish and sprinkle a layer of panko bread crumbs on top. Bake at 400 degrees until brown on top/around the edges and the center is warm. Let cool a few minutes before serving so that it isn't too hot for the first person who dips in! Enjoy!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-89070434540377855612014-04-16T14:54:00.000-04:002014-04-16T14:54:00.138-04:00Twice Baked Yukon Gold Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, Gruyere, and Bacon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3KTNcI2HIpS6abVByEhvg-tB-RoZnirKe2ygnQLDalEDW_vDBYbtevTTgLkJi8CdPqSP43-CfUtSGvQtQG1WK90uW_TbVnxTYhpdpg17R1Wy_2Ztve6OKExan2KLsQ1ibWNRzuEEhok/s1600/DSC_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3KTNcI2HIpS6abVByEhvg-tB-RoZnirKe2ygnQLDalEDW_vDBYbtevTTgLkJi8CdPqSP43-CfUtSGvQtQG1WK90uW_TbVnxTYhpdpg17R1Wy_2Ztve6OKExan2KLsQ1ibWNRzuEEhok/s1600/DSC_0193.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since we have a smoker, we often have people over for a BBQ. The Husband is not a fan of potato salad so that's not anything I'm ever going to make at home (save for a hot bacon german potato salad), so I've looked into other potato dishes, especially ones you can make in advance. The twice baked potato is a perfect match - savory, nice for a special occasion, and you can customize it to your preferences.<br />
<br />
I think I originally got the gruyere and caramelized onion idea from a Cooking Light recipe... I forget what they recommended or what made it "light".. who cares! My version uses yukon gold potatoes, adds bacon, and jazzes up the presentation - my favorite way to dress up a twice baked potato is to turn it on it's end. I saw this somewhere on a blog a few years ago and it stuck in my head. It looks very attractive. You could use very small potatoes for bite-sized appetizers, or I have used medium sized potatoes fully expecting guests to take 2 or more (halves). I love potatoes in any fashion, don't you? Too bad I cut them out of my diet most of the time!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Elegant Twice Baked Potatoes - Yukon Gold, Caramelized Onions, Gruyere, and Bacon</b></span><br />
By Kitchen Bliss<br />
<br />
<b>Base Ingredients:</b><br />
1-2 medium sized potatoes per person, plus 3 extra for filling<br />
butter<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<b>Customizations I have used:</b><br />
gruyere cheese (amount varies per how many people you are serving)<br />
bacon - my preference is to bake in the oven and then crumble<br />
1 large onion<br />
green onions or chives<br />
sour cream<br />
heavy cream or milk<br />
<br />
<b>More ways to customize:</b><br />
Fresh herbs besides scallions and chives - whatever your preferences are, thyme, basil, dill, etc.<br />
Cooked veggies besides onions - broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, leeks, celeriac, fennel, roasted garlic, etc.<br />
Cheese, glorious cheese - parmesan, sharp cheddars, cream cheese, swiss in place of gruyere, pimento spread, gouda, creamy havarti, pinconning, etc.<br />
Sour cream<br />
etc<br />
<br />
Let me know what great combinations you've come up with!<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Bake washed and poked potatoes in a preheated 415 degree oven until fork tender. Let potatoes cool slightly enough to handle them, but still warm enough to spoon out the insides. For the extra potatoes you baked, just peel and set aside in your large bowl.<br />
<br />
For the remaining potatoes - Cut each end of the potato off slightly, in order to make a flat end which will be the bottom of your potato cup - very sturdy! Cut each potato in half. Use a spoon (a toddler spoon is usually thinner and the right size for small potatoes) to scoop out the insides but try to leave a 1/4inch thick shell of skin/potato, so that you end up with a cup. Sometimes I make a mistake and scoop too far and reach the bottom of the cup - have no fear, for minor cup breaches, it really doesn't matter - you will be filling it up with mashed potato soon and it will still probably hold up and look OK. No one is looking at the bottom of these things.<br />
<br />
Great! The hard part is over. You have a big bowl of potato yumminess to be mashed up with whatever toppings you so choose. In the example photo above, I mashed the potatoes with butter, cream, salt, pepper, lots of sharp cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, crumbled bacon, and some sauteed onions. I used green onions cut on a bias and stuck one in the top of each potato for a cute and tasty decoration. Don't forget to salt and pepper your filling to taste - no one wants any bland potatoes.<br />
<br />
The last step is to either put the assembled potatoes in the fridge overnight, maybe with suran wrap on top, or bake them straight away. I would recommend an oven of 375 and bake until warmed through and the cheese is melty. I reserved some shredded cheese and crumbled bacon for the tops for decoration as well. It gives your guests a preview of what deliciousness is inside. After you pull them out of the oven, then top with the fresh herb garnish, if using.<br />
<br />
The first time I made this recipe, which I don't think I have a photo of - I used the Cooking Light version of caramelized onions and used gruyere, as noted <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/caramelized-onion-stuffed-baked-potato-10000001031676/">here</a> (except I added bacon):<br />
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<ul style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 40px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="float: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span itemprop="amount"><br /></span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="float: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span itemprop="amount">2 cups</span> <span itemprop="name">vertically sliced red onion</span><span itemprop="preparation"></span></li>
<li class="hasDeal cboxElement" itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="float: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span itemprop="amount">2 teaspoons</span> <span itemprop="name">sugar</span> </li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="float: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span itemprop="amount">2 tablespoons</span> <span itemprop="name">dry sherry</span><span itemprop="preparation"></span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="float: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span itemprop="amount">1 teaspoon</span> <span itemprop="name">Worcestershire sauce</span><span itemprop="preparation"></span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="float: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 teaspoon</span> <span itemprop="name">dried thyme</span><span itemprop="preparation"></span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="float: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span itemprop="amount">1 </span><span itemprop="name">garlic clove, minced</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient" style="float: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sugar; sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Stir in sherry, Worcestershire, thyme, and garlic; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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I hope you enjoy this recipe - I think the presentation is unique but easy enough, and another great tip is you can make these ahead. Then before serving, bake in an oven until heated through and the cheese on top is melty. I'm not sure if you can freeze ahead, but if some one tries it, let me know. I seem to recall twice baked potatoes do usually freeze well, no?<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-80928305488217758112014-04-02T13:04:00.000-04:002014-04-02T16:14:07.285-04:00Reese's Peanut Butter Brownie Tart - Behind The Husband's Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFSjeFPbLWVggkikjZs3mYJkI7FMB5wKdOJR3BUrpzi04R5nAGhZgHTYimjNrNBPq-pbUBU3-5MNFNmbANO-E3-PNYbIiNbLxZ6PyTc9X1eabJYz9xTkNNixh13J91cNCk5aUWCy20IY/s1600/DSC_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFSjeFPbLWVggkikjZs3mYJkI7FMB5wKdOJR3BUrpzi04R5nAGhZgHTYimjNrNBPq-pbUBU3-5MNFNmbANO-E3-PNYbIiNbLxZ6PyTc9X1eabJYz9xTkNNixh13J91cNCk5aUWCy20IY/s1600/DSC_0099.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Calling all Peanut Butter and Chocolate lovers!!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">We were having dinner guests over and I had plenty to do in the realm of dinner so I wanted a tasty, pretty but easy dessert. I also was in the middle of an unusual situation where most of my cake pans were in boxes and possibly in storage, though I was in my new house already. One thing I did have was my fluted false bottom tart pan. It's pretty big, 10 inches wide and 1 inch deep. I had this idea if I could use a brownie base in a tart pan shape, then I could maybe do some embellishments to make it into something new and special. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I'm not above using box mixes if I feel like it, and my favorite brownie mix is any kind of Ghirardelli. One of their brownie boxes - I usually go for Double chocolate - fills up my tart pan nicely. It baked in about the same time as you would expect a single layer of short brownies to bake - maybe a little less if your tart pan is bigger than your brownie pan, maybe more if vise versa - so keep your eye on it. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I cannot remember the specifics but The Husband was going to be out of town yet we were hosting some of his relatives whom we see maybe once a year. His sister and family and parents were there too so it was a nice group. This was a chance to make something The Husband hates and I never get to make - anything involving peanut butter! I love peanut butter. I know there are tons of people who don't like it. I, however, love love love it. We were having salmon for dinner, and PB/Chocolate in no way makes any sense for dessert, but I didn't care. The Husband was out of town and my mind was made up.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I had never made peanut butter frosting before and selected a recipe and it was ridiculously good. I would use it again in a heartbeat on chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cake... Anything. For this peanut butter lover's chocolate tart, there were two other things I did to push it over the top. First I took several Reese's Peanut Butter cups and placed them inside of the brownie batter which I had just spread into the tart pan. I put in maybe 6 or more, so that every piece when sliced liked a pie, would get some extra peanut butter goodness. Lastly, after quickly piping on a basic design (just using a snipped ziploc bag as my pastry bag filled with the soft peanut butter frosting), I took it to one more degree of delish by adding toppings: some roasted spanish peanuts sprinkled on top, some shaved chocolate curls (use a vegetable peeler on a bar of any kind of chocolate), and a drizzle of Sander's milk chocolate hot fudge dessert topping (which, if you are from metro Detroit, is a decadent splurge just on its own).</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Was it all too much? Probably, but I love chocolate and peanut butter and was sorry I only had a small triangle since we had so many people over. I sent the last piece with our out-of-town relatives instead of hoarding it like a pig (though it did cross my piglet mind). A small piece was great with some ice cream - the Reese's PB cups were taken over by the dark fudgy brownies and rich and sweet peanut butter frosting. Yes, it was sweet on sweet on sweet. Probably wouldn't win any Top Chef competitions due to its lack of balance.. and store bought brownie mix. I'm OK with that! It was delicious and you probably know a chocolate and peanut butter lover as well - I know they will love this easy dessert.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Brownie Tart</span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>By Kitchen Bliss</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 box Ghirardelli brownie mix</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 recipe Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frostin' (see recipe below)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">6 or 8 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Optional Toppings:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Sander's milk chocolate hot fudge topping</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 chocolate bar, such as semi sweet, bittersweet, milk chocolate</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1/2 cup of spanish peanuts</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Directions:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Mix up brownie batter according to directions on box and spread into a large tart pan with removable bottom (10 inches wide, 1 inch tall -- or use a 10 inch springform pan). Unwrap Reese's PB cups and press into the brownie batter in whatever pattern you'd like. Bake according to box, checking early and remove from oven when just set, for fudgy brownies.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Mix up peanut butter frosting recipe. After brownie cools, remove from springform pan or tart pan and transfer to serving plate. Decorate with frosting in any manner you choose and then top with toppings.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; line-height: 18px;"><b>Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frostin'</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Originally from the recipe seen on the </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><a href="http://www.acookingbookworm.com/2013/01/i-pinned-i-made-peanut-butter-cream.html">A Cooking Bookworm</a> blog.</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, softened</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1/4 cup (half a stick) softened butter</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">4 cups confectioners' sugar</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">2/3 cup of creamy peanut butter (do not use 'natural,' the kind you need to stir)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">2-3 tablespoons milk or cream</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Cream the soft cream cheese (nuke it in the microwave for a few seconds, if you forgot to leave it out for a few hours) and together with a mixer. Stir in vanilla and peanut butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar and add enough cream or milk to make it spreadable or pipe-able - whatever consistency you'd like. </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-90786060050916836702014-03-30T15:12:00.001-04:002015-03-17T11:32:36.524-04:00My First Gumbo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was my first time making gumbo, last September. I was really excited to try it - I am not sure if I've had it before so I'm obviously not a gumbo expert, BUT, I kept getting okra from my CSA and I wanted to put the fresh farm okra to good use. This is a great recipe to do that!<br />
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I found out that there is pretty much one recipe for gumbo for every family from Louisiana, so I sifted through tons of recipes online. The gumbo purists seem to agree that there are no tomatoes in gumbo and that you must use file powder (ground sassafras leaves), so I decided to give both of those a "go." I used tidbits from recipes here and there and was really happy with the results overall. I might try it with tomatoes sometime, and definitely will use more creole seasoning to kick it up! I used more oil vs flour than listed below, but it was too oily - I ended up spooning some extra oil (also probably from the sausages) off the top of the soup towards the end of cooking. I adjusted the amount of flour to 1 cup below, which should help, I think.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Kitchen Bliss Gumbo</span><br />
3/4 cup vegetable oil<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1 large onion<br />
4 stalks celery<br />
1 large or 2 small green bell peppers<br />
5 cloves garlic<br />
1.5 large cartons of chicken stock (2 full cartons is probably fine)<br />
4 bay leaves<br />
1 lb andouille style sausage, such as Dearborn brand, cut lengthways and then sliced<br />
2 - 3 Tablespoons creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere's<br />
1 Tablespoon cajun seasoning (I found one without salt, just spices - McCormick brand)<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme<br />
3-4 teaspoons file powder<br />
2 cups sliced okra<br />
1 rotisserie or whole cooked chicken, shredded<br />
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails cut off<br />
1/2 bunch green onions<br />
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rice, for serving<br />
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Cook the vegetable oil and flour in the bottom of a heavy sauce pot to make a roux: slowly whisking pretty much constantly (every time I left it, I rushed back to find little bits but the little bits kind of blended in later so it was OK), over medium low heat until mahogany in color. This takes 20 min or so. Meanwhile, in a food processor, coarsely chop onions, celery, garlic, green bell peppers. Scrape into roux and start adding other ingredients: chicken stock, sausage, bay leaves, creole and cajun seasoning, thyme.<br />
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Bring to a boil and then turn down and simmer for 30 or 40 minutes. Add shredded chicken, file powder, and sliced okra. Simmer for 20-30 minutes more, adjust for seasonings - add more creole, cajun, file, or salt and pepper to taste. I noticed some extra oil on top at this point, perhaps from my sausages, so I skimmed it off the top and it was fine.<br />
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When ready to serve, put shrimp into simmering gumbo and then turn it off and the residual heat will cook the shrimp within a few minutes. Serve in a large pot and ladle over rice and top with chopped green onions, more file powder or creole/cajun seasoning to taste.<br />
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I really enjoyed this and we all had seconds. I liked mine with a little more cajun/hot seasonings. We had a bunch of leftovers and I scraped the leftover rice into the gumbo and it really thickened up nicely and made great leftovers. I think this is one of those recipes that you can adjust and make it to your family's liking, I hope you try gumbo soon and enjoy!<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-8040327313535522112014-03-12T09:15:00.001-04:002014-03-12T09:15:25.343-04:00Kitchen Bliss Favorite: Delicious Shortbread Cutout Cookies<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQLiEFr1M055snZNKaVHm5SuA2oVt_J-psqu9-7dnF10OrkIraneHJoTPy5f-awPXERwc8dQHXRY79_V20MqeNTb3TrROCJOyzv6kxsgXPmgbTXi8h98f3ZsuAJRJddwjiQSfqX15fUo/s1600/DSC_0652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQLiEFr1M055snZNKaVHm5SuA2oVt_J-psqu9-7dnF10OrkIraneHJoTPy5f-awPXERwc8dQHXRY79_V20MqeNTb3TrROCJOyzv6kxsgXPmgbTXi8h98f3ZsuAJRJddwjiQSfqX15fUo/s1600/DSC_0652.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am often looking for simple recipes with natural ingredients and no nuts so that I can feel good about sending in a home baked treat with my young children to school. For Son #1's birthday, I know he doesn't care for cake and besides his obligatory birthday cake and ice cream for his party, which he didn't touch, I wanted to make him something he loves - cookies. I ordered some cute dinosaur cookie cutters from Amazon and it matched a few other dino-themed things I had going on for the party. I quickly made up a basic icing out of powder sugar and milk with some fun colors and sent a big batch of iced dinosaur cut outs for his class in pre-school and served the rest at the party. These cookies were soo good. I liked them way better than cake and ice cream, too. You could spend a lot more time decorating them than I did (I spared you the close up photo of the sloppy dino decor), and they were a bit delicate but dinosaur cookies have a lot of small body parts sticking out which easily break off. The taste and quality were worth it. I would possibly roll them out thicker so they would hold up better next time, like I did with the hearts below.<br />
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When Valentine's Day rolled around, I wanted to make this recipe again and create simple cut out hearts for Son #2's potluck lunch at school. Since the kids are only 1 year old, just simple sprinkles on top were a fitting decoration and made this a doable recipe on a busy weeknight.<br />
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I found this recipe by googling "bakery style cut out cookies" and eventually finding a recommendation to this shortbread Joy of Baking recipe. I love it, I will definitely only use this recipe for cut out cookies going forward.<br />
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See Recipe Below, originally from: <a href="http://joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbreadcookies.html">Joy of Baking</a><br />
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<b><span class="bod"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Shortbread Cookies:</span></span></b></h2>
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<span class="bod"><span class="value" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose <a href="http://joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/flour.html">flour</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="bod" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><small><span class="value">1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt</span></small></span></div>
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<span class="bod" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><small><span class="value">1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted<a href="http://joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/Butter.html">butter</a></span>, room temperature</small></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="bod"><small><span class="value">1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) </span><a href="http://joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/sugar.html">sugar</a></small></span></span></div>
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<span class="bod"><small><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure <a href="http://joyofbaking.com/Vanilla.html">vanilla</a> extract</span></small></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="bod">I</span><small><span class="bod">n a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.</span></small></span><br />
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<span class="bod" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><small>In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour or until firm. (I found the less it chilled, the easier to roll and cut - and then just make sure to chill it again after cutting out shapes, before baking - shapes held up great!)</small></span><br />
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<span class="bod" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><small>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.</small></span><br />
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<span class="bod" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><small>On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough </small><span style="font-size: x-small;">into a 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick circle</span><small><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. </span> Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.) Bake for 8 - <span class="cooktime">10 minutes<span class="value-title" title="PT0H10M"></span></span>, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.</small></span></div>
Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-72824232292086449002013-11-28T17:41:00.000-05:002013-12-04T21:20:52.575-05:00Hosting a Friendsgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wasn't too familiar with the concept of a "Friendsgiving" but I did know some of our friends in Chicago would host one - many of them not Chicago natives, would travel home for the holiday, so they decided to gather on a different day with local friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. Friendsgiving is a great way to extend the turkey-related festivities - sometimes you can't travel home for the holiday or can't see everyone you'd like to. Try hosting a Friendsgiving! A few of our Chicago friends recently moved back to Michigan so we were very excited to not only be able to participate this year, but host the first Michigan edition of "Friendsgiving."<br />
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You can stick to traditional Thanksgiving foods that you know and love, or it can be a great time to try new twists on traditions, try out new recipes, and share new experiences. I seriously contemplated attempting a Turducken. I researched it for days - three meats layered with three types of stuffings - this could be really good! I also kept running into reviews of it being "just so-so" and eventually we decided on going a different route that we were more familiar with - a deep fried turkey.<br />
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You can organize your Friendsgiving any way you'd like, but our friends typically conducted it in a "pot-luck style" fashion. The host handles the turkey, gravy, etc - and the other invitees fill in the menu with other holiday favorites like stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, rolls, vegetables, desserts and appetizers. You can really great creative with menu items and the pot-luck style helps spread out the cooking effort.<br />
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This was our first formal dinner party in our new house and I spent most of the time just prepping the house, unpacking my party serveware and making updates to personalize our home a little.<br />
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Did you see that magnetic chalkboard with the Friendsgiving sign above? That was one of my little projects I just had to do the week before the party. I had wanted a magnet board somewhere in the kitchen as well as a chalkboard, but some of the custom ones online looked quite expensive and never combined them both. Then, when I was at Ikea, I saw they had a totally affordable magnetic board and they said you could cover it with fabric and hot glue it in the back- cool, that's something I can do! More graphic prints that I love! I quickly googled to see if there were any magnetic backed chalkboards and Amazon had this awesome "ziggy board" which is way better than a chalkboard because these pens are brighter, easier to use, and wipe right off with water. Love it! Now I can use the chalkboard for reminders or menu lists, and use my personalized magnets for invites and other papers. When I get sick of the pattern, I can just rip it off and change it.<br />
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My mom is a wreath wiz and made me this super cute fall wreath (I glittered the B and added that), too bad hardly anyone uses our front door! Haha! I pressed these leaves and used some for decorations on my table as well. My mom was a big help with this party and she listened to all my ideas and gave me lots of great advice on the food and decorating!<br />
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I decided on a buffet-style way to serve the food - lay it all out in the kitchen for everyone to help themselves - and this left more room for decorating the table. This was more elaborate than I've ever done in the past so I had a lot of fun buying a new chevron runner from Etsy, making nice floral arrangements, pressing leaves, and adding other touches of fall decor with candles.<br />
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I also went to Nino's and got a cool assortment of fall and unusual flowers and made 3 flower arrangements - two with a white/green/yellow theme and one big red and yellow one for the table centerpiece. I used raffia to tie around the vases for extra decoration. It was really fun!!</div>
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More flowers on the table and also an extra arrangement in a green vase - even several days later I am enjoying the flowers!<br />
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I also was trying to bring in the old with the new - I hadn't cared for the design on my grandmother's china set that my mom was thinking of donating to good will, until I was planning for this party and realized it's perfect for a fall dinner. Plus, it has more meaning than just buying something new - it had a gold leaf pattern. My mom also has many wine and champagne glasses with gold and even a gold stainless steel silverware set - but! How was this going to go with my already ordered gray chevron table runner and silver/gray pattern curtains? Ah ha - a gold and silver, old and new - theme! I bought some cheap silver chargers from Bed Bath and Beyond and added raffia and silver ribbon with the napkins, and I think the overall look was a good mix of old and new, modern and traditional, silver and gold. It was really fun to plan it all out!<br />
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Now on to the best part - let's talk about all the food! I did not do a great job taking a picture of the appetizers or desserts, but I can still describe everything. I tried a few new recipes which I would definitely make again.<br />
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First and foremost, spiced nuts from Martha Stewart! They were the very yummiest homemade nuts I've ever had. I got the idea from watching "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" where Giada was talking about some rosemary nuts from a bar/restaurant in NYC. I tried that recipe the weekend before Friendsgiving but it was not quite sweet enough and too salty. Martha had a similar recipe but featured more butter and sugar so I knew that would be perfect and it was! The only thing her recipe was missing was a dash of cayenne so I added that, but it could have used some more to get a little spice going. Definitely try these - it's a perfect appetizer for holiday cocktail parties, the rosemary is very interesting and matches great especially with pecans - I used about 90% pecans vs the other nuts.<br />
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See Martha Stewart's recipe for Roasted Rosemary Nuts below! It's so yummy!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Rosemary Roasted Nuts</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe </span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/312589/rosemary-roasted-nuts">here.</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
INGREDIENTS<br />
<br />
2 cups mixed nuts, such as cashews, walnuts, and pecans<br />
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter<br />
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar<br />
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary<br />
Coarse salt<br />
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I added this myself - add spice to your taste preference!)<br />
<br />
DIRECTIONS<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, roast nuts until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.<br />
<br />
In a large skillet, heat butter, sugar, and rosemary over medium-high. Add nuts; stir until butter mixture is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Spread nuts on prepared baking sheet; season with salt. Cool to room temperature, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes.<br />
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When I made it, I had extra butter/sugar chunks and it made for really tasty large brittle-like texture. I made three batches (6 cups of nuts) and had 1 cup leftover, for 11 people. They were delicious the next day, as well, so this is a good make-ahead dish. The problem is it's hard to ever have any leftover! We had impromptu guests a few days later so I made a 1.5 batch and I wish I had made more, it was only 3 people eating but it's mostly gone!<br />
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I had a selection of cheese and crackers - Costco had an interesting "tapas" selection of Manchego, Tipsy Goat and Iberico - pre-sliced which was convenient. The Londoner was gross though, I will not try that again! The blue cheese was fabulous though no one liked it plain however it played a key role in my next new appetizer recipe that I tried, which was a big hit - Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese!<br />
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I forgot to take a picture, but I used cute bamboo skewers with a twist at one end to secure them. Bacon is obviously delicious and this is a great tapas-style appetizer that is easy to put together and can be served room temperature! I tried this recipe the week before with my mom, half with goat cheese with herbs and half with blue cheese. I liked the herbs but the blue cheese gave the best tang! The dates are sweet like caramel candy, the bacon is salty and smokey, and the blue cheese inside breaks it all up with a tangy bite. Yum! Here is a photo of what they look like from the blog <a href="http://www.thesweetslife.com/2011/06/bleu-cheese-stuffed-bacon-wrapped-dates.html">The Sweets Life</a>:<br />
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They have the same recipe on their blog that I used from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bacon-Wrapped-Dates-Stuffed-with-Blue-Cheese/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=bacon%20wrapped%20blue%20cheese%20dates&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page">allrecipes.com</a>:</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese</span><br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
<div>
1/2 pound bacon cut in half</div>
<div>
16 plump medjool dates, pits removed</div>
<div>
2 or 3 oz blue cheese</div>
<div>
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<div>
DIRECTIONS</div>
<div>
Spoon blue cheese into the center of each date and wrap with a half slice of bacon, then secure with a tooth pick or wooden skewer. Bake in the oven at 375 for 30-40 minutes until the bacon is crispy. If some of the cheese melts out, that's OK. These can be served warm or room temperature and they weren't half bad reheated the next day for leftovers!</div>
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Of course your guests who do not like blue cheese will not go for these, as The Husband would not try them, but it's worth it for the rest of us who love blue cheese. For me, I only want one or two of these, but many of my friends really had several and enjoyed them quite a bit. They are a wonderful addition to a cocktail party especially if you are going for a tapas theme! Try them with your favorite cheese, too. I tried a Danish Blue from Papa Joe's and an American Blue from Costco, both were tangy but the Danish Blue was creamier. I got the dates from Costco as well - I buy these often, the boys and my parents love them!</div>
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Finally, I had planned on using my appetizer spoons somehow and was going to make shrimp. However, I eventually decided against it and bought some sushi and put one slice on each spoon and had a few different kinds of rolls for my 18 spoons. I put the soy sauce and ginger on top and there was also wasabi there and everything was ready in a bite-size package - forget the chop sticks! I thought it was a good way to use appetizer spoons with not much effort. I forgot to take a picture the day of so this was just a recreation that I did a few days later.</div>
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I was looking up ideas for fall cocktails and came across a Pear / Prosecco combination from Claire Robinson which I wanted to try. This was my "welcome" cocktail and it was pretty tasty though I'm not a big anise/licorice fan. Of course it's more of a girly drink and I wasn't thinking about the fact that most of my guests were either children, pregnant or men. Those of us who tried it enjoyed it and now I have a bottle of pear liqueur to figure out what to do with! I used my mom's gold champagne glasses on a silver tray for presentation. Would I make it again? No. But, it looked cool. As an aside, have you seen these super cute chalkboards I'm using for labeling foods? I saw them at Crate and Barrel a year or two ago and finally got to use them for this party. They came with some chalk but the ziggy pen from my ziggy board worked WAY better! Love it!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Anise and Pear Bubbly</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Recipe from Claire Robinson, found here </span><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/anise-and-pear-bubbly-recipe/index.html">here</a><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
2 cups pear nectar<br />
1 cup pear liqueur (recommended: Poire William)<br />
2 star anise<br />
4 bottles Prosecco<br />
16 cranberries<br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
In a small saucepan over moderate heat, add the nectar, pear liqueur and star anise. Bring up to a boil and turn heat off. Allow to steep for 5 minutes, then discard the star anise. Cool to room temperature and chill until ready to use.<br />
<br />
To serve, drop 1 cranberry to the bottom of each champagne coupe or flute. Add 2 tablespoons of the spiced pear mixture for coupe glasses and 3 tablespoons for the flute glasses. Top with Prosecco and enjoy!<br />
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I liked the cranberry floating in the glass. I only opened one bottle of sparkling wine, Asti Spumanti, as that was more than plenty for the two people who were partaking!<br />
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After frying our cajun-seasoned (cajun and poultry seasoning rub and creole butter injection) 18 lb turkey for an hour or so, it was perfectly golden brown. I should have taken a picture of it before carving but trust me in saying it had the most beautiful crispy brown skin! Success! Our friend expertly carved it and he did a wonderful job, it looked beautiful on the platter and all of the sides that everyone contributed looked great, too. Finally it was time to eat! We had 11 adults and the 18 lb turkey was just the right size, hardly any leftovers.<br />
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I had decided on buffet style serving so the kitchen counter was cleared off and I used my new leaf-cut place mats as a backdrop for the food. Everything was delicious! We had Chris' sausage apple cornbread stuffing, Karen's sweet potatoes, Tom and Gwen's baked garlic green beans and rolls, Megan's cranberry relish and corn, and I finished out the dinner with classic mashed potatoes (inside that adorable ceramic bird serving dish - isn't that adorable?) and gravy. It was all so flavorful, everyone really enjoyed it and we were stuffed, and we haven't even gotten to dessert yet!<br />
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I didn't get all the recipes from everyone but everyone totally loved Karen's sweet potatoes - check out her recipe below - I have always wanted to try one of these casseroles with the marshmallows on top and I was so glad she brought this!!<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Karen's Sweet Potato Casserole</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Yield: 16 servings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Potatoes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">2 ¼ pounds sweet
potatoes, peeled and chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">1 cup half and half
(may substitute whole milk for a lighter version)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">¾ cup packed brown
sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">1 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">2 teaspoons vanilla
extract<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">2 large eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Cooking spray<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Topping<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">1 ½ cups miniature
marshmallows<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">½ cup all-purpose
flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">¼ cup packed brown
sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">¼ teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">2 tablespoons
chilled butter, cut into small pieces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">½ cup chopped
pecans, toasted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Directions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Preheat
oven to 375</span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">°</span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">To
prepare potatoes, place potatoes in a dutch oven, and cover with water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring to a boil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until
very tender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drain; cool slightly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Place
potatoes in a large bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add
half-and-half, ¾ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and vanilla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beat with a mixer at medium speed until
smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add eggs, beat well (mixture
will be thin).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scrape mixture into a 13”
x 9” baking dish coated with cooking spray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">To
prepare topping, sprinkle miniature marshmallows over top of casserole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup,
level with a knife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Combine flour, ¼ cup
sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture
resembles coarse meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stir in pecans,
and sprinkle over potato mixture and marshmallows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake at 375</span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">°</span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";"> for 30 minutes or until golden brown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iDVQKyYALy22KrRCKlE2JHHuQm_f4lxDYe2jpg0CfDoYnTyfohIzUCiMfcUzonZH5kXy3p5DnyR-hP_Y2wvvp2-99lqlYAiu1zj-oed1QA9OwLsuyGH0cDRvf1FHsJKweBXwYCoKyMU/s1600/DSC_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iDVQKyYALy22KrRCKlE2JHHuQm_f4lxDYe2jpg0CfDoYnTyfohIzUCiMfcUzonZH5kXy3p5DnyR-hP_Y2wvvp2-99lqlYAiu1zj-oed1QA9OwLsuyGH0cDRvf1FHsJKweBXwYCoKyMU/s400/DSC_0527.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The rolls, butter, gravy boats, cranberries and wine is ready and waiting at the table for us!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-VoLh2JC8dPzQPYbvJumX033rrvaheK9j92ItSmHl6pM-F8O4WO_563C4WGLedBie7hVjRC264GmLVSO-XGzhhh578u3k-tO8VLN-Lmo6PwgmzGmi0v3W0tlR_cH3e_Hwhi8dtsDlNk/s1600/photo_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-VoLh2JC8dPzQPYbvJumX033rrvaheK9j92ItSmHl6pM-F8O4WO_563C4WGLedBie7hVjRC264GmLVSO-XGzhhh578u3k-tO8VLN-Lmo6PwgmzGmi0v3W0tlR_cH3e_Hwhi8dtsDlNk/s400/photo_1.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Next, let's talk about desserts! Andrea brought a lovely French apple cake which was chock full of apple and Megan made a delicious pumpkin pie from Crate and Barrel / Cook's Illustrated. She had put a lot of work into a homemade crust and the special preparation and wasn't sure about it but I loved it - it came out perfect. I found the recipe online - check it out below:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"></span></div>
<h2 class="stories mT10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #222222; font: normal normal bold 18px/20px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">
Pumpkin Pie </span></h2>
<h2 class="stories mT10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #222222; font: normal normal bold 18px/20px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">by Cook's Illustrated </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">as seen </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/ThanksgivingPlanner">here.</a></span></h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="b mT0 mB10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Serves 8</em></div>
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<br />
<div class="width350 fL" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 350px;">
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why This Recipe Works: </strong>Too often, pumpkin pie appears at the end of a Thanksgiving meal as a grainy, overspiced, canned pumpkin custard encased in a soggy crust. We wanted to create a pumpkin pie destined to be a new classic: velvety smooth, packed with pumpkin flavor, and redolent of just enough fragrant spices. To concentrate its flavor, we cooked the canned pumpkin with sugar and spices, then whisked in heavy cream, milk, and eggs. This improved the flavor and the hot filling helped the custard firm up quickly in the oven, preventing it from soaking into the crust. For spices, we chose nutmeg, cinnamon, and, surprisingly, freshly grated ginger. Sugar and maple syrup sweetened things, but for more complex flavor, we added mashed roasted yams to the filling (switching to canned candied yams streamlined the procedure). To keep the custard from curdling, we started the pie at a high temperature for 10 minutes, followed by a reduced temperature for the remainder of the baking time. This cut the baking time to less than an hour and the dual temperatures produced a creamy pie fully and evenly cooked from edge to center.</em></div>
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Make sure to buy unsweetened canned pumpkin; avoid pumpkin pie mix. If candied yams are unavailable, regular canned yams can be substituted. The crust must still be warm when the filling is added. When the pie is properly baked, the center 2 inches of the pie should look firm but jiggle slightly. The pie finishes cooking with residual heat; to ensure that the filling sets, let it cool at room temperature and not in the refrigerator. Serve with </div>
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whipped cream.</div>
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<ul class="recipe inline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #222222; display: inline; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 2px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 recipe Foolproof Single-Crust Pie Dough (see related recipe)</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup heavy cream</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup whole milk</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 large eggs plus 2 large yolks</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin purée</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup canned candied yams, drained</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/4 cup maple syrup</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg</li>
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1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Lay pie dough on generously floured counter and roll dough outward from its center into 12-inch circle. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it over 9-inch pie plate. Lift dough and gently press it into pie plate, letting excess hang over plate’s edge.</div>
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2. Using kitchen shears, trim all but 1/2 inch of dough overhanging edge of pie plate. Tuck dough underneath itself to form tidy, even edge that sits on lip of pie plate. Use index finger of one hand and thumb and index finger of other hand to create fluted ridges perpendicular to edge of pie plate. Wrap dough-lined pie plate loosely in plastic and freeze until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.</div>
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3. Line chilled pie crust with double layer of aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning, and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake until pie dough looks dry and is pale in color, 25 to 30 minutes.</div>
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4. Transfer pie plate to wire rack and remove weights and foil. Return crust to oven and continue to bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack and let cool slightly. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.</div>
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5. While crust bakes, whisk cream, milk, eggs and yolks, and vanilla together in bowl. Bring pumpkin, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to simmer in large saucepan and cook, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 15 to 20 minutes.</div>
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6. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Whisk mixture, then pour into warm prebaked pie crust.</div>
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7. Place pie on prepared sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue to bake until edges of pie are set and center registers 175 degrees, 25 to 45 minutes longer. Let pie cool on wire rack to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. Serve.</div>
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Also my mom was nice enough to participate even though she wasn't attending, and she made delicious spice cookies and buckeyes. I also couldn't resist getting some cupcake-shaped chocolates and belgium chocolate cups from Costco just to add some items to the dessert table.<br />
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Last but not least, did you see that super cute fruit turkey? This was an idea I saw online and it was one of the first things I did to prepare Saturday and then I covered it and put it in the garage to chill and totally forgot to serve it! I noticed it after all the kids were done eating - oh well - I brought it out at the last minute and we enjoyed most of it the next day as well. I used a pear and jabbed in the skewers and then cut a clementine for the beak and fixed it on with a toothpick, along with the strawberry underneath and a sliced blueberry for the eyes - also fixed on with toothpicks. Cute!</div>
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I hope you enjoyed all of my fall recipes and Friendsgiving ideas! We are very blessed to have wonderful friends and family and very thankful everyone could make it. I hope you try a Friendsgiving or some new recipes for your Thanksgiving meal - let me know your favorite recipes!</div>
<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-55215550521876353842013-11-01T00:30:00.000-04:002013-11-01T00:30:03.984-04:00Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm sure everyone has seen these around the internet or in magazines but last year for Thanksgiving I decided to give them a try and it was a lot of fun for my son's Thanksgiving Feast party as school.<br />
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I had some chocolate buttercream leftover from a previous cake recipe so that made it even easier! First you just bake the flavor of cupcakes that you'd like - I went with basic yellow cake for the picky toddlers these were for. I think a spice or pumpkin cake would be nice with spiced or brown butter frosting, also.<br />
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After the cupcakes are baked, (I made both regular sized and mini sized cupcakes), you put chocolate buttercream into a pastry sleeve fitted with a big star tip. Pipe out a big lump and then a curvy neck/head for the turkey. Once all of the chocolate buttercream is done, use the wonderful seasonal candy -candy corn - to create the fan tail for each turkey. My large cupcakes used more than the mini cupcakes, of course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVD9NZBmmvBO7BqDVf89MptqocoMq37Lj0fUR6nZeDIq1me9fAvLwO9J-_03H37275y-KBldkd4zCAZSKxHO9tSulcQe5T2ar69DfT3EGL1upHWBkzhOy0HWhzqgWR6hF-3nvmdeLs1s/s1600/TurkeyCupcakesLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVD9NZBmmvBO7BqDVf89MptqocoMq37Lj0fUR6nZeDIq1me9fAvLwO9J-_03H37275y-KBldkd4zCAZSKxHO9tSulcQe5T2ar69DfT3EGL1upHWBkzhOy0HWhzqgWR6hF-3nvmdeLs1s/s640/TurkeyCupcakesLarge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then with some leftover vanilla buttercream, I colored a very little portion red, orange, and black, and kept some white. Using the white and then black, make two eyes for each turkey just using regular round tips. For the beak, use orange with a leaf tip. The red should be used for the jowl of the turkey.<br />
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These were a big hit with the toddlers who ate them while being dressed up as Pilgrims and Indians. It was pretty easy, I would definitely make these again!<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-60303353241945218852013-08-21T11:37:00.000-04:002013-08-21T11:37:32.115-04:00Homemade Roasted Tomato Salsa and Salsa Verde<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcL_kJ1HfmDFj4Qu53QWHoX5hXljKpsIaQvWLsmZJqbv_FC7NvVNE-7-EzAlvJdyUG0YZLG5eLtNtAmfZTLuR2J3Z2vy3c18cs57mgmNKt-aq0OU7p4cXbKrwI85qfs7T_QpNwD21-1g/s1600/SalsaVerde1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcL_kJ1HfmDFj4Qu53QWHoX5hXljKpsIaQvWLsmZJqbv_FC7NvVNE-7-EzAlvJdyUG0YZLG5eLtNtAmfZTLuR2J3Z2vy3c18cs57mgmNKt-aq0OU7p4cXbKrwI85qfs7T_QpNwD21-1g/s320/SalsaVerde1.JPG" width="239" /></a>We are participating in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with <a href="http://www.countryrootsfarm.net/">Country Roots Farm</a>. We signed up for the "half share" which means we get a bushel of fresh vegetables and fruits and herbs every two weeks throughout the summer season. I love it! Each delivery is very exciting to unpack the bushel basket and see what we got.<br />
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The recent delivery included a bag of tomatillos. We love green salsa and I've seen them in the stores but I've never bought them or used them for cooking. We love Mexican food so it has been on my list of things to try, for sure. The CSA forces us to try new things, which is a good thing when you have two little kids at home and aren't feeling too adventurous in the kitchen.<br />
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So, I'm very excited to share the two recipes I made<br />
- the Salsa Verde recipe I chose was from Rick Bayless. I love him, he is a renowned chef of traditional/modern Mexican cuisine and has several restaurants in Chicago. I'd love to go to one but so far I've only seen him on TV on Top Chef: Masters, a competitive charity show.<br />
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The red salsa recipe I just kind of made up since we make fresh salsa each year and cooked salsa once or twice.<br />
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The Rick Bayless recipe said you could either roast the tomatillos and peppers or make it raw. I chose to broil everything, including the tomatoes and bell peppers I was going to use for the red salsa. This went pretty easily and then I had my cuisinart at the ready for blending them into sauces. I made simple chicken quesadillas, a typical weeknight dinner, and included some of the roasted bell peppers inside of those as well. When paired with these fresh sauces, this really made the basic quesadillas delicious. I would definitely consider serving mexican food for a dinner party and absolutely make these sauces again to make it special. It's a totally different flavor compared to the jarred salsas we buy from the store. Yummy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Salsa Verde</span><br />
<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/my-country-my-kitchen/salsa-verde-green-tomatillo-salsa-recipe/index.html">By Rick Bayless as seen here</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">8 ounces (5 to 6 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Fresh hot green chiles, to taste (roughly 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">5 or 6 sprigs fresh cilantro (thick stems removed), roughly chopped</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Scant 1/4 cup finely chopped onion</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">2 garlic cloves</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Salt</span></span><br style="background-color: #efebdf; line-height: 15px; outline: 0px;" /><br /><br /><b>Directions</b><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Note: I did not add the water, as noted in some of the reviews of this recipe, and I added 2 garlic cloves.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px;">Roast the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until darkly roasted, even blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatillos and chiles. In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos and chiles, including all the delicious juice that has run onto the baking sheet. Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, blend to a coarse puree, and scrape into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove the excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous 1/4 teaspoon.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #efebdf; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
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<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Roasted Tomato Salsa</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 or 5 fresh tomatoes or any tomato you have on hand</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup chopped onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup cilantro</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 lime</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-2 hot peppers (or use mild if you do not want spicy salsa)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-2 cloves of garlic</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: #efebdf; outline: 0px;" /><b>Directions</b>Roast the tomatoes and peppers under the broiler until the skin is black and blistering, flip and do the same thing again. Scrape tomatoes and juices into a food processor, add onion, cilantro, lime juice and peppers (leave out seeds if you'd like to reduce the heat), and cloves of garlic. Process gently until the consistency is to your liking, perhaps slightly chunky. Taste to adjust for seasoning - salt, more garlic, more lime juice, etc. </span><br />
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Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-30545451856820067322013-07-30T15:03:00.000-04:002013-07-30T15:03:00.422-04:00Homemade Claussen Style Pickles<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAImihkvNsu9f1B7aLM5RTfgtSw0YjPaYuLef8Ox5Farpj4tyacrKnu7-SVkvqNYJNXqbM_iXNL759f_77rT5zAmfMLu-hab8Ss1P4XwdTkvfuc_0fbj_LPFAStcpGutos2ilklblcK8/s1600/PicklesAndSalsa2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAImihkvNsu9f1B7aLM5RTfgtSw0YjPaYuLef8Ox5Farpj4tyacrKnu7-SVkvqNYJNXqbM_iXNL759f_77rT5zAmfMLu-hab8Ss1P4XwdTkvfuc_0fbj_LPFAStcpGutos2ilklblcK8/s640/PicklesAndSalsa2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Perhaps you have a little garden with tons of pickling cucumbers in the works, or perhaps, you're like we were last year, with a little garden where the pickling cucumbers used to grow, until the ground hog ate them all. We tried to plant some more but the stores had all run out, so, we went to the Royal Oak Farmer's Market and they had a great deal on pickling cucumbers. It was something like a dollar or two for a few big grocery sacks full of "funny shaped" pickling cucumbers, which worked perfect for us - who cares if your pickles are curved and irregular?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sSHDg1t5stxTAUHnkQ8SRQNIfi4xoWc28sOTTWnhIUy-5Kyhh702GIGiAYLibDjiglZTxsUzmRC-MpVjwvVPlWstovHEvgfEWKnDHFD_HCB5pwxLLvBuCPf2PqMYvaaZ1FrgJgp6lsE/s1600/ClaussenPickles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sSHDg1t5stxTAUHnkQ8SRQNIfi4xoWc28sOTTWnhIUy-5Kyhh702GIGiAYLibDjiglZTxsUzmRC-MpVjwvVPlWstovHEvgfEWKnDHFD_HCB5pwxLLvBuCPf2PqMYvaaZ1FrgJgp6lsE/s640/ClaussenPickles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The reason we were trying to grow pickling cucumbers in our newly built raised garden bed was to try out pickling pickles for the first time. I had scoped out a few recipes online and decided to go with my favorite type of pickle to eat - the Claussen style dill pickles in the refrigerator case at the store. Any kind of pickle like that, including the super fancy and tasty McClures or other pickle-makers who pop up at farmer's markets, are super tasty! The kind of pickles I really <i>don't</i> like are those yellow mushy ones in the canned food section of the grocery store.. except the sweet gherkins which are always good. Anyhoo, I found this post by <a href="http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/07/22/homemade-claussen-knock-off-pickles/">Foodie With Family post about Claussen Pickles</a> and wanted to give it a go. It seemed easy enough!<br />
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We found the ingredients except I could only find regular dill at Holiday Market, boo!.. and then set off to make a large 2 gallon batch on the same day that I was also trying a new homemade salsa recipe to can.<br />
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The outcome turned out pretty good, these are also known as Lithuanian half sours and my mom said that my grandma used to make them like this too, and she's Ukrainian, so maybe they are Ukrainian half sours, also. Definitely something reminiscent of the "Old Country." This made a TON of pickles, and I had to give a ton away, luckily my parents love love love pickles. They last about 6 months in the fridge. There are a few other versions of a similar knock-off Claussen pickle recipe. I might try a different one next time!<br />
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Here is the recipe that Foodie With A Family has posted:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles</span><br />
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<div class="zlmeta zlclear" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'century gothic', candara, 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
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<div id="zlrecipe-yield" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
Yield: <span itemprop="recipeYield">2 gallons of pickles</span></div>
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<div id="zlrecipe-summary" itemprop="description">
<div class="summary italic" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
Always crunchy and garlicky, this perfect homemade pickle requires no special equipment, no canning experience and tastes just like Claussen's refrigerated kosher dill pickles.</div>
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<div class="h-4 strong" id="zlrecipe-ingredients" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
Ingredients</div>
<ul id="zlrecipe-ingredients-list" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'century gothic', candara, 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
<li class="ingredient" id="zlrecipe-ingredient-0" itemprop="ingredients" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">35 to 40 small to medium pickling cucumbers</li>
<li class="ingredient" id="zlrecipe-ingredient-1" itemprop="ingredients" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">1 gallon cold water</li>
<li class="ingredient" id="zlrecipe-ingredient-2" itemprop="ingredients" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">1 cup cider vinegar</li>
<li class="ingredient" id="zlrecipe-ingredient-3" itemprop="ingredients" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices</li>
<li class="ingredient" id="zlrecipe-ingredient-4" itemprop="ingredients" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">2/3 c. canning or kosher salt (Do NOT use iodized salt!)</li>
<li class="ingredient" id="zlrecipe-ingredient-5" itemprop="ingredients" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">4 cloves garlic or more, to taste</li>
<li class="ingredient" id="zlrecipe-ingredient-6" itemprop="ingredients" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">4 fresh dill heads ~or~ 4 tablespoons dried dill seed (not weed!)</li>
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<div class="h-4 strong" id="zlrecipe-instructions" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
Instructions</div>
<span class="instructions" id="zlrecipe-instructions-list" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'century gothic', candara, 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><div class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-0" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
Wash cucumbers but do not scrub them.</div>
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Trim 1/8-inch from the blossom end of each cucumber and slice in half lengthwise or into quarters, depending on how large your cucumbers are and how big you want them to be when they're done.</div>
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In a gallon jar (or large, wide-mouth, food-safe container) layer the dill heads or seed, garlic cloves and sliced cucumbers.</div>
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In a separate pitcher or bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until the salt is dissolved.</div>
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Pour the brine over the cucumbers, taking care to make sure all of them are fully submerged. If needed, place a plate or mug or other non-reactive heavy item on the cucumbers to weigh them down and keep them under the brine!</div>
<div class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-5" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
Cover lightly with a lid just perched on top or secure a piece of cheesecloth over the jar with a rubber band to keep fruit flies away.</div>
<div class="instruction" id="zlrecipe-instruction-6" itemprop="recipeInstructions" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', 'century gothic', sans-serif; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
Leave out of direct sunlight on the counter for two to four days*, or until the cucumbers taste like pickles throughout.</div>
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Fix your lid onto your jar or container and chill. These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months provided you keep them covered with brine.</div>
<div class="instruction-label" id="zlrecipe-instruction-8">
*If at any point in the proceedings "fuzz" or "foam" develops on top of the brine, use a spoon to remove it. If there is "fuzz" attached to any of the cucumbers, remove the ones affected and be sure the others are still fully submerged.</div>
</span>Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-86678263835455628992013-06-05T13:47:00.001-04:002013-06-05T13:48:14.552-04:00Brownie Berry Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I saw a neat idea for making a brownie fruit pizza (instead of the classic sugar cookie crust) and decided to give it a try for a Memorial Day BBQ with the family. Well, we just moved and I quickly realized that all the recipes for the brownie pizza crust required a quite large pizza pan - somewhere around 15" or so. I have a large circle cake pan, maybe 16" somewhere - but I don't know where. For all I know, it is still in storage. So.... I had all the ingredients but needed a plan B.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeOpjZd3oMhIp7d9g5F01rEjQ42GYU_KNaLTPE3GPkqUYpZWYwrKs3HK4wpfBaHHD9e1oKLnWIKhJwPoTX8dxV6gT38Z3qPVlpA9AfudBeFD6wWxi6APEOZNdvhUTX9l9vMjOih5ko8A/s1600/DSC_0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeOpjZd3oMhIp7d9g5F01rEjQ42GYU_KNaLTPE3GPkqUYpZWYwrKs3HK4wpfBaHHD9e1oKLnWIKhJwPoTX8dxV6gT38Z3qPVlpA9AfudBeFD6wWxi6APEOZNdvhUTX9l9vMjOih5ko8A/s320/DSC_0464.JPG" width="320" /></a>What pan I did find was a tart pan with the fluted edges and the bottom that pops out. I love this tart pan, it is nonstick and the tarts always look nice and pop out easy. The bottom circle stays with the tart but it fits on one of my white plates well and a damp paper towel folded up hidden underneath provides enough grip to keep the slippery tart pan from sliding off the plate.<br />
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So, originally I was picturing a big flat brownie pizza but I quite like how the taller/thicker brownie tart turned out. I used a ghirardelli brownie box - a basic chocolate fudge. I followed the directions on the box and packed the brownie batter into the tart pan and baked for around 35 minutes at the temperature noted on the box.<br />
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I made the brownie bottom the night before and then the day of the party, I set out the cream cheese in the morning so that it had time to soften. I also washed the raspberries and took the time to tip them stem-size down on a paper towel so that they had time to dry, with another paper towel on top. I washed the other berries in a similar fashion well in advance so that the berries wouldn't be dripping onto the tart and would be pretty dry by the time I used them.<br />
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I mixed up the cream cheese with the other ingredients and spread it on top of the tart pan and then just leave it to your creative eye to arrange the fruit in a pleasing manner - there are lots of options! I put some apricot jam in the microwave for around 30 minutes and then used a pastry brush to put a gloss on top of the tart. It wasn't really anything you tasted in the final product but the glossy sheen was attractive. This was a delicious tart and I would definitely make it again - I'm thinking I would like it better than the original intent, you get more brownie at once with the tart than the pizza idea! Yummy!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Brownie Tart Topped with Sweetened Cream Cheese and Berries</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
1 brownie mix box or your favorite 8x8 or 9x9 brownie recipe<br />
<br />
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened<br />
~1/4cup powdered sugar, or more to taste<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or any other fruit topping you'd like<br />
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1/4 cup apricot or apple jelly<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
Make the brownie mix as noted on the box and spread into the tart pan, bake for around 35 minutes or until just done - but not too long, because chewy brownies are the best! The brownie tart bottom can be made in advance and left out.<br />
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When you're ready to decorate the tart, mix up the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Adjust vanilla and sugar amounts so that it is sweet enough to your taste. Spread over the top of the tart, leaving an edge uncovered, if you like that look.<br />
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Spread washed (and dried - I washed my berries and let them dry a few hours earlier) berries and other fruits in a neat (or sloppy) design on top of the cream cheese mixture.<br />
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Pop the jelly in a microwave safe dish and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, until it is more liquidy. Use a pastry brush to paint the jelly on top of the fruit until everything is glossed up.<br />
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This can set out a few hours but if it's going to be several hours before you eat it, it is better if you pop it in the fridge to keep the cream cheese safe.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-46095984941433984752013-06-04T15:39:00.002-04:002013-06-04T15:39:13.036-04:00Chim, Chim, Chim-Chim-Churri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUgEg2SerC65wajC7v28Iqqm79sXhTzmu59T-ke3F82ulTEbrOsr-hvno1gHtKVD5lCziipLffCXFfuGHChOEBogneG7OvRHzQIaJ0hI5V7Xo47cJh77SgzFgkOOuPoYj-THNV-kthjc/s1600/DSC_0356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUgEg2SerC65wajC7v28Iqqm79sXhTzmu59T-ke3F82ulTEbrOsr-hvno1gHtKVD5lCziipLffCXFfuGHChOEBogneG7OvRHzQIaJ0hI5V7Xo47cJh77SgzFgkOOuPoYj-THNV-kthjc/s400/DSC_0356.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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What's all this talk about chimichurri sauce these days? I see it on tons of cooking competitions and cooking shows - it seems to be becoming more mainstream. I first tried it at a Cuban restaurant in Royal Oak several years ago, and it's a delicious fresh herb green sauce for dipping all sorts of things, often sliced skirt or flank steak. I love the cilantro flavor with bright lime and zesty garlic.<br />
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I've read that the sauce was originally from Argentina and the main herb used was parsley but I much prefer the cilantro version which hails from Cuba, as described in this recipe I used from <a href="http://icuban.com/food/chimichurri.html">Three Guys From Miami</a>. I have used other recipes from them, including mojo marinade and twice fried tostones, and they seem like a great resource for making your own Cuban food at home. I made a double batch last time and that was way too much but it ended up being a great cooking sauce to jazz up regular chicken breasts later in the week, so maybe it was a good idea afterall! One thing to note is that it calls for a lot of olive oil and when I cut down on that (didn't want to use up my whole jug on this recipe!), I should have cut down on some vinegar also, so it was a little vinegary to me. Just follow the ratios as noted in the recipe and then tweak to your own preferences, you will not be disappointed. It was great to dip our flank steak in and a delicious marinade/cooking sauce for chicken as well.<br />
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<h1 class="fn" style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal 700 20pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Chimichurri Sauce – Garlic Citrus Sauce for Meat</span></h1>
<h3 class="fn" style="font-weight: bold; font: normal normal 700 16pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">By <span class="author">Three Guys From Miami </span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="author"><a href="http://icuban.com/food/chimichurri.html">As noted here on their website</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="author"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="amount" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">1 large bunch</span> <span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">cilantro leaves</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="amount" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">8 cloves</span> <span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">garlic</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="amount" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">1/4 cup</span> <span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">vinegar</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="amount" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">1 </span><span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">lime</span> (Juice only)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="amount" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">2/3 cup</span> <span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">olive oil</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="amount" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">1/2 cup</span> <span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">onion</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="amount" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Dash or two</span> <span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">red pepper flakes</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">salt and pepper to taste</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="ingredient" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="name" style="font: normal normal 700 11pt/normal Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, Swiss, SunSans-Regular; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="instructions" style="font-size: 12.5px; font-weight: 700;">Put everything except the olive oil in a blender and using the "chop" setting, pulse on and off until you have a thick mixture. Do not over process! This is the kind of dish you need to taste and adjust so that you get just the right flavor! So taste it! (The best way to taste it is with a piece of bread.) Whisk in the olive oil. (If you use the blender to incorporate the oil, the oil and liquids will emulsify, giving your chimichurri a white, paste-like texture.)</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="instructions" style="font-size: 12.5px; font-weight: 700;">Add salt, pepper, more vinegar and lime juice as needed. The flavor should be very intense with garlic and cilantro. Don't be stingy with the salt either!</span></span><br />
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-67677227986841384202013-06-04T10:21:00.002-04:002013-06-04T10:22:19.365-04:00Another "Totally Worth It" Recipe - Homemade Ranch Dressing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-dPzbiGevp2VAl79YH7Hwds8ok1JfivyVF2c9Ax7qhdRsbPfWDZMzwYM1xCVQXJaqf-jYGksx4mRKRr98o8R3P0GusNXYGl4N5riCBkf0zgsmZ0EjZxXrxms51b65-WjgLr8btL71fQ/s1600/DSC_0357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-dPzbiGevp2VAl79YH7Hwds8ok1JfivyVF2c9Ax7qhdRsbPfWDZMzwYM1xCVQXJaqf-jYGksx4mRKRr98o8R3P0GusNXYGl4N5riCBkf0zgsmZ0EjZxXrxms51b65-WjgLr8btL71fQ/s400/DSC_0357.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Despite The Husband's claim that Ranch dressing is the root of all evil, I love Ranch. I love it on everything - my love for ranch doesn't stop with veggies and salads - oh no, that is just the beginning. Ranch lovers around the world know that Ranch is delicious in many more ways - french fries dipped in Ranch? Of course! Ranch on burgers - sure, why not? Bread sticks dipped in Ranch? Yes, please, and go ahead and dip the pizza in Ranch, too. Now, I don't dip everything in Ranch all the time but all of those things mentioned above have certainly happened at some point in time. Are there any other Ranch lovers out there?<br />
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Okay, Ranch lovers - listen up! Are you sick of being told that Ranch is the bottom rung of the salad dressing ladder? Do you agree that Ranch is the<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">crème de la crème</span></span>? Well then, try <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/homemade-ranch-dressing/"> this recipe from Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman).</a> It's easy and you can even customize it the way you want it - do you like peppercorn ranch or garlic ranch or bacon ranch? Yum yum and yum. I bought a little carton of buttermilk and it was enough for 2 big batches and the first time, I totally forgot to add dill. I thought, hmm - something is missing. The second time I made this recipe, I saw dill and thought - oh that will be good! I didn't have any fresh dill but dried dill made a huge difference in this recipe. I bought one bunch of parsley and one package of chives and they both lasted for 2 batches, also. I used one clove of garlic and the only other thing I did was add more garlic powder on top of that plus some onion powder just to see what that would do. Yum, yum, and yum. The sour cream and mayo are things you would typically have on hand and anything that gets us to eat more vegetables is a good thing, right?<br />
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I hope you try Ree's recipe, as shown below, and enjoy your own homemade ranch!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Homemade Ranch Dressing</span><br />
As posted by Ree Drummond, <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/homemade-ranch-dressing/">The Pioneer Woman</a>, who really lives the life, doesn't she? Love her!!<br />
Check out Ree's post because it has great photos and great commentary.<br />
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Basic Dressing Base:<br />
1 cup mayonnaise (not miracle whip - yuck!!)<br />
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
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1/4 cup chopped parsley</div>
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2 tablespoons chopped chives</div>
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1 tablespoon chopped dill</div>
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1 finely chopped garlic clove</div>
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buttermilk to make the consistency you'd like</div>
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salt and pepper to taste</div>
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Feel free to add more parsley, chives, dill, pepper or add more ingredients to suit your taste. I typically add more garlic powder to add to the garlic flavor without being too pungent, some onion powder, but also cracked peppercorns or crumbled bacon or other fresh or dry herbs would be a great addition. Try and use fresh herbs if you have them but I think dry herbs will be great, too. I used dry dill, for instance, and I think it has lots of flavor. Dried parsley for me never really tastes like much, though.</div>
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I hope you enjoy this salad dressing of champions! Not every salad dressing has to be a vinaigrette!!</div>
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<br />Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115260979014885963.post-46354259628094950652013-05-26T22:35:00.003-04:002013-05-26T22:35:28.108-04:00Memorial Day Dessert IdeasI'm looking for a new recipe to try for this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. I was looking online and saw the usual flag-inspired designs and it reminded me that other people might be looking for some new ideas, too, so here is a collection of some of my favorite desserts that could be great this weekend. Likewise, if you have a favorite recipe that you recommend for me to try this Memorial Day, post a comment below and I'll take a look!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZE1XIPXZL4Bss5KBoYml-5tm9F6wNFSiaq_5TtzrBPT1lc09rRz-g5f_6J2RcqqqsJCIFvHyRGOkd8pWYGLuUwxMSV9cObBvMJL0uU4g9qLkH3Q810nc_7FXkqqYjBfvSwL-CrKA9JR8/s1600/MegansFlagCake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZE1XIPXZL4Bss5KBoYml-5tm9F6wNFSiaq_5TtzrBPT1lc09rRz-g5f_6J2RcqqqsJCIFvHyRGOkd8pWYGLuUwxMSV9cObBvMJL0uU4g9qLkH3Q810nc_7FXkqqYjBfvSwL-CrKA9JR8/s400/MegansFlagCake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/flag-cake-recipe/index.html">Flag Cake like this one from Ina Garten</a> - I made this one for a homecoming for my sister-in-law and her family who were moving back to the U.S.A. last summer, and while I wouldn't make the cake recipe again, I would certainly decorate a flag cake using this method in the future, the berries and buttercream look pretty good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6on_GIkWHLhfY_VfPS881uXEY_sFfFR9UehkQR2NXP2jbQDpdiYMs7763yDypYry2GA0TM_mVUKyy8iWoE0-pQxdrEZZabdzwSuxIdpJ0FrNacfpV4XfLHlGqmcZnJTmd9aPs81zpH54/s1600/EasterCake2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6on_GIkWHLhfY_VfPS881uXEY_sFfFR9UehkQR2NXP2jbQDpdiYMs7763yDypYry2GA0TM_mVUKyy8iWoE0-pQxdrEZZabdzwSuxIdpJ0FrNacfpV4XfLHlGqmcZnJTmd9aPs81zpH54/s400/EasterCake2010.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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How about a layer cake made with yellow cake, fresh berries, and buttercream (or another filling?) This looks very festive, I made this for an Easter gathering at my sister-in-law's house a few years ago. I remember it used Rose Levy Beranbaum's classic downy yellow cake recipe and the design of the cake was inspired by a layer cake from Martha Stewart. It turned out taller than I wanted at the time but the picture looks nice, anyway. That yellow cake recipe is the bomb, by the way. It's the only cake recipe I'd make by scratch - here is the <a href="http://kitchenbliss.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-cakes.html">original post</a> about this Easter cake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihE6z4k8nESvggBJcbdoiZ85b9SowQA0u-cv006_BcthxRIiIMI-K_gPRE-wZBADgNncqbcCaAtbCTVta40AVTuzi9o0eMzbPc1Nmy0M7jOZActcdZ62JmLPJ1w_h1ZPOE0SylpDca-eQ/s1600/BerryPiePlated.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihE6z4k8nESvggBJcbdoiZ85b9SowQA0u-cv006_BcthxRIiIMI-K_gPRE-wZBADgNncqbcCaAtbCTVta40AVTuzi9o0eMzbPc1Nmy0M7jOZActcdZ62JmLPJ1w_h1ZPOE0SylpDca-eQ/s400/BerryPiePlated.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Next up, check out this super simple summer dessert - Strawberry cream cheese pie. My mom makes this a lot, especially when it is strawberry season. All you need is a pie crust, cream cheese, strawberries and a few other staples and voila! A delicious and summery dessert that you can keep in the fridge until company shows up! Check out the <a href="http://kitchenbliss.blogspot.com/2008/06/moms-strawberry-cream-pie.html">original recipe post here.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_U0WHVw9HYaqr15bgDYsAfCzdzMh0bVYajAbsr53RZf_WG8d4TDlSW5wJSFb2-UnLOd7z7Ycc-90OFgYI-g53Po-lA0OfIqpGayt9vEE1ShWlsmeD_IK4fyDcO3bvyD8ZSOs9eIhVOw/s1600/Strudel_Berry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_U0WHVw9HYaqr15bgDYsAfCzdzMh0bVYajAbsr53RZf_WG8d4TDlSW5wJSFb2-UnLOd7z7Ycc-90OFgYI-g53Po-lA0OfIqpGayt9vEE1ShWlsmeD_IK4fyDcO3bvyD8ZSOs9eIhVOw/s400/Strudel_Berry.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next, look at what fun stuff I used to make before kids? This looks so festive, it is a berry strudel. It's time intensive but would be impressive, or you can try using the phyllo dough sheets from the freezer section! Here is the <a href="http://kitchenbliss.blogspot.com/2009/05/daring-bakers-may-challenge-apple.html">original post and recipe.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDdYT6PuXLpOgi1x529i3nBObHKL0A1z5eDJEVXPvkw0ogiKP7OnWtsQXPABQrndDxn6OjcsJWhhRUlc8m-vSADQ9jO89s9VqAyMTr-KauAbxDOw5YlO3PK-Ah_FgW04_9JgW8kRS4wM/s1600/FruitToppedCheeseCakeFull.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDdYT6PuXLpOgi1x529i3nBObHKL0A1z5eDJEVXPvkw0ogiKP7OnWtsQXPABQrndDxn6OjcsJWhhRUlc8m-vSADQ9jO89s9VqAyMTr-KauAbxDOw5YlO3PK-Ah_FgW04_9JgW8kRS4wM/s400/FruitToppedCheeseCakeFull.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last, who doesn't love a cheese cake? Actually I know a few people, but I happen to love cheesecake and what better way to welcome summer with a festive fruit topped cheesecake? It's so easy to spend a little extra time to decorate it for a really nice look. This cheesecake recipe is my very favorite, so definitely check out the <a href="http://kitchenbliss.blogspot.com/2010/07/fruit-topped-cheesecake.html">original recipe and post here.</a><br />
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Thanks for checking out this post and I hope it inspired you to try a few new summer dessert recipes. Let me know if you have any favorites and post below, I'd love to see what you made for Memorial Day. God Bless America!Kitchen Bliss!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01985677937525280696noreply@blogger.com2