tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67246000810651639402024-03-13T04:36:18.679-07:00Foolin' Around in the KitchenMy adventures (and misadventures) in the kitchen.Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-40116552093865552312011-04-18T09:21:00.001-07:002011-04-18T09:37:26.559-07:00Easter Cookies<div style="text-align: left;">We love decorating cookies around here. Although Christmas is the traditional time to do it, we always seem to be inundated with other baking projects around that time of year. So we find other times to decorate cookies. Usually <a href="http://kitchenoops.blogspot.com/2008/10/halloween-cookies.html">Halloween cookies</a> squeeze their way in. It's been a while since we've made Easter cookies. I forgot how colorful and beautiful they are! This was the first time we've made butterfly cookies. I thought they would be fun to decorate, but when it came time to do it, I didn't know where to begin. We both tried to do symmetrical designs. I usually went the way of drawing a silly smily face. Maybe next year we'll do fewer butterflies and more of my personal favorite...eggs!</div><div><br /><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvsUBr_jQ6pnkX5dAidnpQfeWhQQrOKWIdQGnBhsdiRibGYR5nClLOn9uNuQGBoVS8D3TxEWgR5jqOEaqV2LpmwuSYhoWUg8SETqvNC49DElT8LE3Fg_cDeWOlJYeT0b6s-y4xnmyu5qa/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596961577020631954" /><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphen2Edcq6oft_8WIep8Wv14akADMVAtLZ4lAMY7rd4EraWcwLDs860xWUnMNU57sYKFkRLmn_uC5-UDH-qOKDP_3lhYMcfI898ApAPqKz1Tn2_afePv0aZB2DRJZqiRG9kMh2qLYU_T_AN/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596961309845845314" /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVrVHp7xbusV-WYfo6ezc5TFAP_yk7FwhNzMjZajrZxP3KZriOxaAz8OTfH5-XdeSOq-BGFtCh7h1MkQbbC9GH4mUrn8FL1y3QfqnjKtSjABoLGxZe2ysp-uz8jf4JCZ9NKMVr5Elw_3d/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596960732547932786" /><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uSi8C-sSJce9oHcbSTyvrtnryWCZ38j0S4ij-cHxP05HMochLlKfxPDBgtS_OMJ14aDmJISmP7n_xP_R0Zvtlivo-9auemJsVjh7odA9hH8rk20kqthzVE7LqNCa4MD2eu36CIjIA5oJ/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596960583313254690" /></div><div>And here's the whole lot!</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHLuKhiWBZunAt3j_jFeKEzE_IcxhHg9oSlWjlSr87489pHOwgHpxDw43UXAai1iZUbNFXLJfHNHVnH268qmItkDGKnhihsvyQRfkbNKgepXgWhv0Gx62vXcHhwwRVXzmSjn2lFApCvt8/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596960318473826770" /></div></div></div></div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-13332978498778466272011-03-06T06:34:00.000-08:002011-03-06T07:10:57.325-08:00Szechuan Sesame Noodles<div style="text-align: left;">There's a commercial (I think it's for paper towels) that has one scene of a "husband" running a blender without the lid on and making a huge strawberry milkshake mess in the kitchen. Brett and I always jokingly shake our fists and say, "Husbands!" This of course is a huge stereotype of the incompetent husband trying to cook. Brett is anything but incompetent in the kitchen.</div><div><br /></div>I am the main cook in our household, but Brett does help regularly. He's the one who puts all my prep for <a href="http://kitchenoops.blogspot.com/2009/02/fried-rice.html">fried rice</a> together. He also does most of the assembly for <a href="http://kitchenoops.blogspot.com/2008/02/pizza-twist.html">pizza twist</a>. I also prefer that he does all the big pouring jobs. It is rare that he does everything all by himself. But I was a lucky lady recently. I sat on the couch while he made dinner.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>He picked the recipe for Szechuan Sesame Noodles out of the <i>Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh</i> cookbook and got to work. He's not used to chopping, I am most definitely the knife wielder in the kitchen, but he took his time, and got the garlic (3 cloves), fresh ginger (1/2 tsp), and red onion (less than half) all chopped up. When Brett is the chef, he gets to make executive decisions. He chose to saute the red onions rather than leave them raw: an excellent choice. He also chose to skimp on the ginger (the recipe called for 2 T): also a good call.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Other than chopping, this recipe pretty much makes itself. Brett cooked half a box of linguine, drained it, and then drizzled it with sesame oil. He sauteed the chopped red onion. When those parts were all done, he heated some more sesame oil in the wok and cooked the garlic and ginger. Then he added 6 T of teriyaki sauce (we love the thicker kind that can be used as a glaze/dip), 1 tsp of chili-garlic sauce, and 2 T of lime juice. Once that was all bubbly, he added in the noodles, sauteed red onion, and a generous amount of peanuts and stirred it all up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I couldn't help but notice the absence of vegetables in our dinner, so I steamed up a few pieces of broccoli. That was not the highlight of the meal. In fact I had to force myself to choke it down.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47F03vPsZxxRCqPDqAZHWfE80tMQ0DRxA6wmNseWZzY2inXiN0L-kNrGxyZNOkrzo7qYw_9PjLOTE3_RtCJ_js3JwL46O-5O712-AvYw7C6aV7yVryeYh5bTgnZkEnFPc0EvR1vGG9a35/s400/DSCN3562.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580981872228784162" /></div><div>The noodles were fantastic. They had just the right amount of spiciness from the chili sauce and definitely some sweetness from the teriyaki sauce. The peanuts were our favorite part. Brett did a great job in the kitchen and did not make a giant "husband" mess. In fact he was was far neater than I ever am.</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-76086899920308488082011-02-11T15:13:00.000-08:002011-02-13T06:24:41.858-08:00Puffed Apple Pancake<div style="text-align: left;">If you're looking for a good breakfast in bed treat for Valentine's Day, I think this is a winner. Brett found this in our Bon Appetit <i>Fast, Easy, Fresh</i> cookbook and I must confirm that it was indeed fast, easy, and fresh. Brett peeled and thinly sliced the apple (the recipe called for two but we only had one) and I did everything else.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I preheated the oven to 425 degrees and melted 1/4 cup of butter right in the bottom of the 9x13 pan that we were planning to use. I also whisked together 1 cup of milk, 4 eggs, 3 T sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 salt, and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. I received some Ceylon Cinnamon from Penzey's Spices for Christmas and since it's supposed to be good with fruit, decided to try it in this recipe.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Once the butter was melted, I spread out all the little apple slices in the bottom of the pan and put it back in the oven for 10 minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMqdGNyFKUctmO3IllcoOcU0pQThR4Xc_YAF6PM2_LDSxDPb10J1D5PmlIP1jd6vmkxL5eC5a2EZlGs-8mvkErEGYiyF96_gGv6KhR9o_7XZzJQBhBdd1-ilAqg2t1IaRuejr4nO1bTQS/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572578508266401346" /></div><div>This is where I almost messed up the entire breakfast. I almost forgot to whisk 2/3 cup of flour into the batter. I was a split second away from pouring the batter over the apples when I realized it. Yikes! After adding the flour, I poured it over the top. I kind of expected the apples to stay at the bottom, but some popped right up to the top. It didn't seem to matter. Then I sprinkled 3 T of brown sugar over the top.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbkz2C5JtpGBMTdGlYLqlI8KMw5fjbRrfpsZoBCHcYYgVavV_664MNquEtLF_kLCmsjfRPACboSWavDQlRE15ISN6lmcSBetYQxAHejs172d2upvRke4hNGOEtYpMTVocSaP1q1AJMlHO/s400/DSC_0003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572578310752075250" /></div><div>Back in the oven it went for 20 minutes and when it came out it was all puffy and golden and smelled amazing. After a minute or so, and certainly after you cut it, it deflates quite a bit.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayVObCfE4e02iyrt0scT8JQkSeGrVBQ4qQRZzxepgy5oHPyUH2oWLSJYYljtoPyXT3gTTLCiAEwuyTIP6reTPAVCkA6QwNtDoBkH8f5vkS2lSSlr3pBcoBTLP8vI7pOat7s880MMFBkL3/s400/DSC_0004.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572578141258998754" /></div><div>The recipe says this makes four servings, so we each started out with 1/4 of the pan. But I will confess that we ate the entire thing in one sitting. We loved it. It is a little custardy, and reminded me of bread pudding without the chunks of bread. It's one of those borderline breakfast/dessert dishes, but when you think about it, the best breakfasts are like that. Try it, you will love it!</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmu8RIuaOWgmnJZaQPKWkyqomqemGAr851r7hLHBMfHtv6h7oQRgYfpYQ1Nnyhrtgulq6kaNK6BVwxFgoZLbdTS8mRPmqAR_CtY-Wagu3YvSDwwYGtq1fXl1VvPOhlyb__QWKCqzgN0NN/s400/DSC_0007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572577122815078626" />Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-11604888736175447522011-01-29T08:43:00.000-08:002011-01-29T09:23:19.197-08:00Homemade Potstickers<div style="text-align: left;">Brett and I came across a bottle of Mae Ploy sweet chilli sauce at the grocery store recently and were immediately whisked back to our college days. Brett and his roommates always had a giant bottle of the good stuff and a family size bag of frozen potstickers on hand. I can't even count how many times we ate potstickers for dinner. It wasn't until several years after college that we realized how unhealthy frozen potstickers are with exorbitant amounts of sodium and sometimes fat. So we decided if we were going to ever have them again, we would make our own. Several years after that, we've finally gotten around to doing it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbmBHMW2phXSFGwaN5H2Amm1v50EFvxHE4OPdQ12mBFXeuLHpVWnaWc_CIXUTaEM5EIKnVCXbnRtGjsEGzAYRdrLIupScteeRYdIcbec7zbnccGQmMwsfaMN_LxBABEvKQvFxBGSSm71M/s400/DSCN3567.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567658946493065138" /></div><div>A quick search on the Food Network's website gave us a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/veggie-potstickers-recipe/index.html">recipe</a> and we set to work. We have honestly never bought Napa cabbage before. I actually had to ask the produce guy just to be sure I had the right thing! I chopped up an entire mixing bowl full! I also chopped up some green onion that we had on hand (instead of leeks), some garlic, and some ginger, and I grated a handful of baby carrots.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Next I got to cooking. Unfortunately I didn't read the directions closely enough and ended up cooking the filling in three tablespoons of oil instead of two. The third tablespoon was supposed to be saved for cooking the potstickers in once they've been assembled. Oops. So our filling was a touch oily, but it tasted OK.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>In addition to the cabbage, green onions, garlic, ginger, and oil I added rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. The carrots go in once everything is all cooked down and off the heat.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZQhVH1EP5pfiDLx5xykptPW8uJWciN5Hfn38H3c2yG9uyPncWf0X7Qx6uOrsWRZpobkWMQq5_2JbDfi3T4qCWWYxN-R7poOdMVgfBUFhaJUiJXO_jprOnikVijVnebG8MNFftERGHIPu/s400/DSCN3563.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567658737259880466" /></div><div>Then the fun part starts. We laid out a whole bunch of won ton wrappers, got a little bowl of water and a fork ready, and started spooning the filling onto the center. We wet a finger with water and trace around the edge, fold the wrapper over the filling, and then seal it all up with a fork. With two people working, this job actually goes pretty quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZn8AH8q3w7IMjc5zl24NWMDmlwh3d-ooS0wJ6Fkvh24J57pStodd_6s2x7MgaQXqSa62BG8Q48s8NF8v-gNZn7a-b-zReVGQfQeLU8jXrOrBeNcEXrOFe-mGDfkKuWraSdMsIU5gB4nb/s400/DSCN3565.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567658385604429122" /></div><div>In college, the method we used to cook potstickers was pour a little water in the frying pan, cover them, and when the water had evaporated off, add a little oil and crisp up the outsides. This recipe, perhaps because the potstickers were fresh and not frozen, recommended the opposite. Fry them in oil first, then add the water and cover.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>They turned out quite beautifully actually. I was a little impressed with my own handiwork.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEzKv_pTB1rAVZ4YaEA4N6EFs3MCFKkdaFjRDsYaCQlyJOlt0dIHuviQfE07g-RG60wiLNjUAHLVrNgyrdACTdzAqqrNxvSXt8-VGOCFtsnPfXmcYEu3843xTB7Xh1Jc4181LUQQ-eom3/s400/DSCN3569.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567658158463520226" /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTe5LsTEQM1vchA2MzJ-uRlAR6-kNOspd1RZK93fa8PH7xARkbVutZhTjUNunx5EPCYJIx41qnVWd3JLaY0-5876GK5v3VTsDO21iI3wuABb4A03987Io8ghfBO_rkWxMZwZobRtQ1Ren/s400/DSCN3570.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567657782351826674" /></div><div>They tasted good too. They were little bit oily (entirely my fault) and a little bit vinegar-y, so we may play around with different fillings in the future. If any of you have any recommendations, I'm happy to hear them. And, of course, the sweet chili sauce was just as good as I remembered. There will definitely be more homemade potstickers in our future.</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-18037090900895337962011-01-08T06:51:00.000-08:002011-01-08T07:11:49.312-08:00Monkey Birthday Cake<div style="text-align: left;">Our youngest nephew celebrated his first birthday while we were all together for Christmas. So of course I volunteered to make his birthday cake. When I thought about it, I had never made a kid's birthday cake before. But it was not that hard to think of a design. At first I thought Star Wars, but then I chickened out. (It would have need excellent execution plus a black cake does not really scream one-year-old.) Then I thought about animals and almost immediately came up with a monkey. Monkeys are funny. They have big ears, a big smile, and not a whole lot of detail.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Here's the sketch I came up with.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFYowcWHieC3X7Sc5VptIdYnW-lT-U4BasiYGxt_1fEKcwLlhemKy_DDJ4IAC6ScyH69aaNn6drPrfpZUMgTJX-PO65WxroxXh7ytsDQmkr8UYyCbQwd6AzxxiB6TRCY-7APrP63VY8es/s400/DSC_0053.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559832459246446562" /></div><div>Brett and I baked the cakes including two cupcakes for ears. The next day, I mixed up the frosting and got to work.</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAtNynr_G3ohMkY-ANWXrMM09uIhkiPz7iqdkJLjX3TlxNwmRErDP4e6aMdTAWNV3DMUi_fTzzEKCo3f_K_bgg1dg5KPdsY815vp085_k05DSXILAKoEaf-UxrObeRLZBun_4xXbLxm-n/s400/DSC_0052.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559832252326096130" /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lcwHWNtnWDDqs8s0_3eeFSAykb8gpa1xeIfnIeIbbjvwNhZOvwTqU9zWNLQy6g3jb0ybBFRyO1QqEdC99m705e0EwCc2bZqjzu8I3paUdP_YfKUd3NSvtcYe4my88HlJGsDtZkZ1Vcgj/s400/DSC_0054.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559832090302248450" /></div><div>I used the regular star tip for everything except for the whites of his eyes. It took a lot of patience and I had to rest my hand every once in a while.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4S7NlntuGny4CBxE804TxYFdU8Y98H7lF5RTRyLbto0NQT4INeDqxseRy5QeAW9MMRuIlnSCbKnflvJoK4uHrRRD937OBKnzjodzSbOeEu5kJEr-L5SMuWu7rU973VBZjiWEGJwadg_2q/s400/DSC_0055.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559831901924232930" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyVJkQFK_ZeMcaE9RW8lftLZqTHL1HPjAFVVvVY5SIyWmmyBsSyN6fVzhEtGo9wyCdZZtk32IcmkweCPiniXFQTCT20tOJz8mUndt9fg9M4W6Bfzf2UffrS9MA3hFJrz8M6cn6ZjsbZnd/s400/DSC_0056.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559831758395469890" /></div><div>I think it turned out pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself. And the birthday boy seemed to like it.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkDADl6s6MlLxGqhSwkM4LUTmf9RDFzEVnblH93kN-UlzJ_cYcPFrWq3lUl0VGgoUxPsNhLY1X8xAQF_k93mBkgX4Hc7XRSBbk2Uk2VAZRHO4mMqHMVpsZy83nEe0fGzuyIR9R18iuhI7/s400/DSC_0058.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559831558472625826" /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHJKlfQ5KBTQ5R4WKsRUKdC0baq3MGMNeDyiShQCTWumtnfRVbEzhj70jFkAH1wHoRK8TMe3ywyTYyrcAMzshmQ-k5cY8faP-1CkrOEV6wJlRwMjySDjCDYxWPuXgOORacbzH-RXvuvZV/s400/DSC_0059.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559831390575463570" />Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-23596980904990913562011-01-02T08:12:00.000-08:002011-01-02T08:42:42.777-08:00Peppermint Bark Cookie Bars<div style="text-align: left;">Happy New Year! If you are anything like me, you've had more than your fair share of sweets lately. I've certainly overdone it on candy and cookies. But if you haven't had enough, or if you're not sure what to do with a few leftover candy canes, this is a tasty and easy dessert to try.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I found this recipe from the <a href="http://cookincanuck.blogspot.com/2009/12/chocolate-peppermint-bark-cookies.html">Cookin' Canuck</a> linked on the Pioneer Woman's website. I love peppermint bark and I love cookies, so this seemed like a perfect recipe to try.</div><div><br /></div><div>I mixed up the dough (2 sticks butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 egg yolk, 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt).</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbx_99oanP4phhXZj3bo7lTFksVERIaEp4ZfAkiH6-xVKWsA9jqJAr5z7cfpbgBSux8KWAV6i8CvDVVqowZYtssF7suZbtjBdajvOP7dnxn7iuYDueRJZOhmDG8E1b1FWeRGj1zBm0kRm/s400/DSC_0005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557629390326642498" /></div><div>I pressed the dough into a 13x9 pan. Next time I might take more care to press evenly. There ended up being some distinctly thicker pieces. But then again, I might not. It really didn't matter all that much.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAtWEXmNcweiLZ4OSs27le3uWTckYqM0oZchfFy8wjomr42N4YLS4v1CHG52yQCB5zSVbl08ZZ13M2qs80OW2JLundbGyfhW61bT48jtvzs5bHADfnxrrhA8ejgliB1fpALE_KC1maQXV/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557629137662795874" /></div><div>I baked it for 25 minutes at 350 degrees and then sprinkled (my favorite) Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips all over. After just a few minutes, spread the chocolate evenly.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNqAoaHKByjwC9WqVHjSrwbrdiBdwKdHQIXKcNqoM1zA1qPCYlEAaR9f3Sxt5TGl5zA-ZlwDJiET7XdKdty7ChJpxzaYv4VXNl3er-KenbELEJLYj6xFtT-xcfuFEKYTlUDV7DWdJrM8u/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557628940123832226" /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDrNzr50JJquRXNP7BAEvlOvisKmB1dbZulK6jBIW-YSapBVFd_B7YkGd3G5L_rKL8WQUZAPH63rz19j_O8rs_5_A12LF4iXrQY_tl4Z956fD3u5Xv3wYRc49fJDYtzCcSAvYMbTxyeF7/s400/DSC_0009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557628622890019074" /></div><div>Crunch up a few candy canes in a ziplock bag while the cookie is baking and then after the chocolate is spread, sprinkle the pieces all over the top.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7hj8Q1EMTGHF3MhQC1gwrnaGNOfetVwcMZ-4pmQ3VksYIMbY_lZl8Gtau0GX6g_YS-pNn-_S7bmQ6zyT5YxVAJoUK4reT5X1DtTuefm1T7v1wsJ2QVjpsO3HRsQAs4biwH7HojWxwUVi/s400/DSC_0013.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557628419062760210" /></div><div>Then melt some white chocolate chips and drizzle it all over the top.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipWN4bBsYX6lMo7qhC86qOEtjJ8_6Vq4AGAOG2NC0x9JliTs5h9C7dasMhR7HcV8mIiT7R4SKsJL9b6hWnQMl1OGVki4cRBUgIYy9zm-otw6Gosblu6oziiHz_w-k1dMY9QGGzOI9e8m_/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557628204082452978" /></div><div>Put the pan in the fridge so that all the melty chocolate will harden and then take it out and cut it up into bars.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMxXIwgzDD6lEsdAE6aSPPP6bQwrVo4nVCvZEWDdaeF5LvtHYkPtVhwfDRnRItKsmOr1f7LXOYgmUFSkSzTlJXDH0S7lJUf76UAXGSljb-BKe6Pay7SV_nL4qra7xZFGLUOWRsaTDvxnT/s400/DSCN3517.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557627877357923490" /></div><div>These are really good. After one bar on that first night, I was done. Later in the week I started eating two in one sitting. Before I knew it, they were gone.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfW75K9o6rQTd6cX79AiSNvSHULGBbJdNXiloPkwBOE2B9PW4u0jrCWgxxHmJTwOeSnUIeYFoYZrPH03OVmTEHC9J8hRs5JcEepdb-4RCgPFvCYsC6GAzw4mHvGer2PGcbhtp9qc7B_Sfz/s400/DSCN3519.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557627652394558194" /></div><div><br /></div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-23134393470798605642010-12-18T06:34:00.000-08:002010-12-18T07:04:40.076-08:00Gingerbread Extravaganza<div style="text-align: left;">Brett's gingerbread house got a little more intense this year. Not only was it a house with two gables, which required a lot more engineering and calculation, but he also decided to add a second, rather large lighthouse... that actually lights up. Ambitious, yes. But when Brett puts his mind to something, there is no stopping him.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>He stayed up late for two nights working on blueprints. He calculated angles and lengths using stuff he learned in trig back in high school. (If you look closely you'll see something involving cosine.) He figured out specific measurements for each piece.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0U4ccdcOj8eoTvZ3HC7XbWYLVOj5GEZTMofUgYUspzegQypzL7R_1rfBK3Ye_ASlzwAXnGFzJU6RB1keT5WGUbFRGlMnuYB7FHvNr4bHuIryvkERDyXQ3NIMFTaktSdM0RYF_nW9V3vQ-/s400/DSCN3524.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552037542460350498" /></div><div>Then he stayed up late for two nights rolling out the dough, meticulously measuring and cutting out each piece, and then baking them. He used Life Savers this year instead of Jolly Ranchers because Life Savers have the clear pineapple flavor. He used these for the lighthouse windows so that the light could shine out brightly. Unfortunately the sugar darkened a little bit and ended up being kind of a brownish yellow.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvRn8lCYbkoVU7LZ-QestHIS2AUDh27fY2TEAf21Zg2ORQ1t_2NfFAfcDghlDnHNFP4eakOI-Ek5IdhApHeg6onika3Z5pAzsBh11T-1vIlCK7bsFs6jOuHaORiUjq_bTuFIwczuemHmR/s400/DSCN3522.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552037381239131682" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rs48V78lwMtH_OdfPZ7wFQjgNIZBHF46M8e8NRdZNkIeN6C_ytQi3H4n06MoRt00SFn_oeCn1IH5UdnWIMgithF39ogLsAt5OzzvP1dVUqMUpsnBL8GklT58kKbBGv3RAZRRGGdzWjFt/s400/DSCN3523.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552037216462193570" /></div><div>Then construction began. I tried to help, but my poor hands were way too shaky. I was quickly relieved of my duties.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisG60XlTpKd1f18Tu-zUUb58hU_5Qih0uaaPwLcQ1_eK45vEC0Rd3EVFDPRVaBonwWtvS1GBZg0LTn3gjVgDYwZaDcBv_u9BwhTIKFg_sYYfpnIWo945THW7ypGnbS-iTaJu17BG1KRQ_X/s400/DSCN3525.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552036958043562290" /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxgUz1IlXLU6f1Hoz4c1fOTYFhzb54pswdkNpls6vu3YzaGzSyZFqS2cSOjwqzWIly2mT0aj3GDyukC6ysGKSbDAKG1553zSvR9Ejy6WJUJIMd9XX4Rr-AYXeEkwGYOU-A8XXwbcF3mxQ/s400/DSCN3527.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552036767598480466" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuOmV8Y4bP4IpmTpsJVthBvCEs0o4oqIA9Hdi_XK006PJel3HHatg-HAJJ7oLG_Ydqu2lQzu1W-Qb4LEV_IUD27KFKLvthY23f7ovpVDeUt4IByc8o3bd78fB0q4vQq5R1mzOC504Pvd_/s400/DSCN3528.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552036596454388226" /></div><div>Sometime in the middle of the night, while I was fast asleep, Brett piped fences for the house and lighthouse on a silpat.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasHydZcfD85QzZlDT7wS2G9Rg39LPBu1Ek-RqCsfOdnikzJ3xIGAJuCaAgKpJO2WIYwdN_5gwS6GWINZX0hs2iqyXvXtRzfIT1TEeegO0-jXmGh8TM-o8n2nsihX8qZpF_O-J6GPBjee7/s400/DSCN3529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552036364967822114" /></div><div>The next night was for finishing touches. I applied the M&Ms to the roof, Brett did everything else... mostly while I was in bed fast asleep. He created a special compartment for the battery-powered tea light and made a removable roof so we could turn the light on and off. He also dyed a little icing green and piped some wreaths and bushes.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-95VvhcypVWtXPcQF5rFyUN6uzul7rrjiXD1ZtTko8mVbLG_I3GRSM2yTEF8jJsS8ueAZYnvo_MZpj7f0VkP-cFNjkLvyhIwkEbUf1u6_wdu-CFCt_SbKxFs-JT1t9EJk4i66sLbb3yC/s400/DSCN3531.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552035675272675058" /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWLS5dr9vbaFqyoARYZXpAVNeIgEb4VCrP1Z2p0nh5tjLoOpRPICx7BZHJFZSp-dtOV5edub31xaoEAiwidK3za9FoG08H1uA1yqtn9VbZwqILEyCGsN4w3fZNyVvEa464v4xrkyFqa-r/s400/DSCN3537.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552035418278871170" /></div><div>AND... it lights up!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhCUyqu8CO8uRhr7UM4HCO1NK3j2-ZgrWzIBaR3WwP3XaXZ7aEZoMh8_vInqKtscZjNbjKklGC_Aw4LJ_um5-H0gvQNWy_pbANnR9fsceQEX-I9TD5RrAS5ZamngEkdSLSN9nDDDMT85X/s400/DSCN3534.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552035106832266322" /></div><div>I could not be more proud of his gingerbread house skills!</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirV6c8SVQPabceYhawd654W6wDaG_eyDimcj4LMFTHLGSqTHAgfnkZ3CZpmIrCZEOKcX73vOTc_kZ_f9aTVc-1baKdVw1On3OOkoSIrbZl5Z22Mu7UeAjG9jGHYrUFL-Sm2rt_vmRHRRtd/s400/DSCN3533.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552034878979472434" /></div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-24457883239947120452010-12-12T06:37:00.000-08:002010-12-12T07:15:00.195-08:00Super Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake<div style="text-align: left;">Brett doesn't like chocolate. And that's ok with me. There are plenty of delicious, chocolate-free desserts out there. At my new job (the one that has unfortunately made blogging a low priority in recent months) everyone loves chocolate A LOT. I have unofficially declared myself the office birthday cake baker and this past week I was all set to make an angelfood cake, when I got an email from my boss regarding the birthday girl's cake preferences: "Her passion is chocolate." Well, first of all, you don't ignore the boss's guidance, and second of all, when someone's <i>passion</i> is chocolate, you can't give them an angelfood cake. The only problem was that I didn't have a stand-by recipe for a really decadent chocolate cake. I did a quick search on <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/">Tasty Kitchen</a> and found this recipe for <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/chocolate-fudge-bundt-cake/">Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake</a>. It just looked like the kind of cake a chocolate lover would go crazy for.</div><div><br /><div><div>The batter was super easy and fast to mix up: chocolate cake mix, instant pudding powder, sour cream, eggs, vegetable oil, water, and chocolate chips. I got out my lovely chrysanthemum bundt pan and sprayed gobs and gobs of Pam for baking. As pretty as this pan is, there are soooo many nooks and crannies for cake to get stuck in. I poured the super thick batter into the pan, popped it in the oven, and went to sit down.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzToB0Kf1jaTxjXEDDPglPf6APd8N5gtSaHW14Z4pqPHHXgRK1JdwxJYoU80k5ehTlbpk6ib7puFSab0taz0gLsSWeVMncThrB6BHt2c-gjAvZFnhNfN3GNy_xUNWj6ZauR-sE8Cod3iQ/s400/DSCN3513.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549813362725806082" /></div><div>About halfway through the baking process, I got up to check on it and saw that it was rising, which usually is a good thing, but it was rising up over the sides of the pan. There was not much I could do at that point, so I let it continue baking. I referred to the recipe, and it says to use a 10 inch bundt pan. I didn't break out the ruler, but I could safely say that my bundt pan is smaller than 10 inches. Oops!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>When I pulled it out of the oven, it had risen some more--up and over the center hole. After it cooled, it did sink back down a little bit, but the hole was still covered over.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfUrDLPkgOlKbrqyfMnx1272J8UFBhA8FwKA4tCFo2TpxPHBWA7rEXBCua4syE0fDIDT-4JRW5NZZWaBGYzzcs2jPho_MLmCMlbj_Jv0uGSczLJfH_RGKPscce3Lf3rGx_atRrX9neENy/s400/DSCN3514.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549812929675132322" /></div><div>I flipped it over without incident, and like the rusty blogger that I am, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. (If you would like to see what the chrysanthemum shape looks like, look at my <a href="http://kitchenoops.blogspot.com/2008/08/amaretto-cake.html">amaretto cake</a>.)</div><div><br /></div><div>And the birthday girl loved it, which is all that matters to me! It was a chocolate lover's dream!</div></div></div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-78276585628195125642010-09-25T05:39:00.001-07:002010-09-25T06:14:43.288-07:00Chicken Potpies<div style="text-align: left;">This meal was the ultimate team effort. Usually when I make the menu for the week I run out of ideas after three meals and start asking Brett for his input. Usually he has no input at all, which is very frustrating for me. However, last week Brett expressed an interest in making chicken potpies and even found us a recipe to try in that red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that EVERYONE seems to own.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Our job assignments were very clear. I was in charge of the goo, Brett was in charge of the crust.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I chopped half an onion, a handful of baby carrots, and one potato. Then I boiled the potatoes and carrots for about 10 minutes (the prep was pretty similar to <a href="http://kitchenoops.blogspot.com/2008/06/cheddar-chowder.html">Cheddar Chowder</a>) and threw in a handful of frozen peas for the last 2 minutes. While that was going, I sauteed the onion in a saucepan with a couple tablespoons of butter (the recipe called for mushrooms too, but I left them out.) I added 1/6 cup of flour and let that cook for about a minute before adding 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, a couple shakes of dried thyme, 1 cup of vegetable broth and 1/2 cup of milk. I stirred and stirred until that stuff got pretty thick, then I added the drained veggies and shredded chicken (leftover from a roasted chicken earlier in week.)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxydZPhf4e9uyksae4CG7DOYk1njTlmgUvb11AGxq1POcFtu2OBVfgXP1Gh3DmEuwqn3e2mpsh6CWajvuWxcOApPnislg9WIRNTBrb7AAakWO-y_odtiRpORpTws0ImtdgFMoF9xWU8e0u/s400/DSCN3372.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520836979438495042" /></div><div>Meanwhile, Brett had been busy with mixing and rolling out the crusts. He just used a recipe for basic pie crust. Our potpie recipe is for the "fake" potpie where the crust is only on top. Brett wanted to do the "real" potpie with the crust all around. I must say that it was a great decision. He fitted our custard cups perfectly.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwQH7iO6sL6DJFQZTO4YkNhLeQY52IEbU9HD5JL8LsEHLhX8MOh7g-f195ud6ZrM_L85EL8bGuFgsZxMVcgKGBksn2yzfLXGsOdHchnFC-kp8o5z6JuLzYTM-KdzlYZUTAzk0C9eUuOra/s400/DSCN3371.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520836743504989570" /></div><div>Of course he had the duty of spooning the goo into the crust and covering them with a top circle of crust.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOvocvMrs-eoMVfuVLxla0MRX1As0SvKkwBmzAOk0djVXidrEBvC9rW7uFO1z9y9IvxAb6NnDSdD1b9BV5mYRIiU-Y_pw79zIFMdTIJVUJeU9WQBJu6EAK5rY50XJIFL2qHhIBBDgg89a/s400/DSCN3373.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520836365115977826" /></div><div>To help get them in and out of the oven we snuggled the custard cups into a rectangular baking dish. They baked for about 15 minutes and came out gorgeous.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRIA8waEqSrhyphenhyphen0p5Ec9X4Lv9k-tnFQwoduUf3jCwx_hLbs2TCEogAu9JDWSDDpeGiBYVMFqdlq7_hlrhUk9sCBFuHTtW6q8vDQYCS2JZZwS9ZufOjkw_TYe87WtznWRzCyD1zZ4wfq7Ux/s400/DSCN3374.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520836152012643858" /></div><div>At this point it was nearly 7:30 and I was starving! The only problem with a potpie is you risk extreme mouth burns if you try to eat it right away. The goo is liquid hot magma! Potpies require patience and lots of blowing, and when I'm hungry, patience is not a quality that I possess.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>When I could finally start eating it, it tasted pretty good. It was a little on the bland side, so next time I will put more salt and seasoning in the filling. We thought that we would each eat one and then split the third, but we were both pretty full after one. That means that we have one leftover to eat for lunch this weekend! In the future, I think this will be a weekend meal, simply because an hour and a half is too long for a weeknight meal.</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-90431599074634801982010-09-18T06:02:00.000-07:002010-09-18T06:25:17.769-07:00Chow Mein with Hoisin Sauce<div style="text-align: left;">I love hoisin sauce. I think something I made long ago called for it because there's been a half full jar of it in my fridge for a very long time. I wanted to use it before it got too far past the "best by" date so I turned to the food network website and found this <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/vegetable-chow-mein-recipe/index.html">Chow Mein recipe</a> from, strangely, Giada de Laurentiis.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The hardest thing about this recipe was cutting the carrots into matchstick-size pieces. I only had baby carrots, so I'm not sure if this made it harder or easier than a regular sized carrot, but I just took my time and tried not to slice my fingers.</div><div><br /></div><div>The rest was super easy. I put the carrots and some frozen french-cut green beans into boiling water for one minute, then I took them out with a strainer and put them in cold water.</div><div><br /></div><div>The pot of water went back onto the burner and when it quickly came back to a boil, I put a package of wide lo mein noodles in for 5 minutes. While that was going, I minced some garlic and fresh ginger.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I'm not sure if it was because the water had already been used (it's the only difference I can think of) but the water got really foamy and kept boiling over. It was really more annoying than anything else because I kept having to leave my cutting board to babysit the boiling noodles.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Once the noodles were done, I drained them, ran some cold water over them, and patted them dry with a paper towel. Then the noodles, garlic, and ginger went into a wok with some hot canola oil. I stirred for 3 minutes like the recipe said, but those noodles never got the slightest bit brown. Then I added the veggies and let those reheat for a couple of minutes. Then I added a mixture of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, vegetable broth, and honey, and let it thicken up for a couple of minutes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>By this point I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture. Thankfully, Brett eats slower than I do and had a reasonable amount left on his plate.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsXlGqJhICQNA-pQIqsUn3f1isEdTaUkrGBq1ZR5jdW4CD9uLT1r5BnLAPI8HLCuPX8FNHBhRTott9jRopCL93WHNMkP2nlsZMI0fPsKlPtbRSCbmlAoTK7ifnewM_14jOuZgosvTte6y/s400/DSCN3370.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518243336024069826" /></div><div>It tasted good! I never realized that hoisin sauce has a little spicy kick to it, but I liked it. The only thing I might do differently next time is put a tad bit less sauce. It was a little bit overwhelming. All in all, I think we have a keeper! I love it when that happens!</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-4895899613977293372010-09-11T06:00:00.000-07:002010-09-11T06:46:19.632-07:00Cinnamon Rolls<div style="text-align: left;">First of all... Happy Birthday Dad! He's probably the number one fan of this blog, so if anyone will see a birthday shout out on here, it's him.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Last week, for a Labor Day treat, Brett and I made some homemade cinnamon rolls. Believe it or not (I hardly do) I got this <a href="http://newlywedcooking.blogspot.com/2008/05/gooey-delights-cinnamon-rolls-with.html">recipe</a> from a fellow blogger waaaaay back in May of 2008. This recipe has been on my mind for over two years and I'm just now getting around to trying it! These rolls proved to be well worth the wait.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>If you want to eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast, then you need to start making them the night before. So Sunday night we mixed up the dough (we used our stand mixer like the recipe says, but Brett would have rather done it by hand). I kneaded it for eight minutes and then we let it rise in our usual way (covered with plastic wrap, in the off oven, with a pan of hot water beneath) for 2 hours.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>When it came out, it was time for Brett to do his thing! He punched it down and rolled it out into the proper dimensions and I slathered on the softened butter and sprinkled on the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Some of the brown sugar mixture sprinkled onto the mat instead of the dough, which is almost inevitable if you're me, but wincingly painful to watch if you're Brett.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikzFwSt19IDoyFZgAT2csuSlO2PI8qmyzYZFxGe9CLthoykN13n3Xo9MaCDA7eA8ugqT_qANQMNwPlTKuSOt_1aHGOct3lwVZGc3DUZqjgHFQwCPew5zPlSytSnwnUwFYktwQFsQe9yA3-/s400/DSCN3360.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515651411113996050" /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Xz3driSQfODWFYIYAaI1vfYm3m3QabK8cU77Tb_wTw1hSl2bt3wmHt3KYaBNR1N-Z2_EOLdWgEbowDbAAMMpogskSba8nxguvEFu8QxvJUhVf0fcWk3UZXmwmJYGhcIU4zUURFgHXo-/s400/DSCN3361.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515651042635233426" /></div><div>I backed away and let Brett roll the dough into a log. I have no doubt that I would have made a giant mess. He, of course, was extremely careful and neat.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1E9qTWWlJtLL0zvnhnqnRGnxaYJetJkspNl7_mgITxRU7s0LwJfV4LffJME5OUhhIjPg8cj_1EPYDCcvFCHcsS8onn6zYAyXYtcLScKCfv-tXDtidQXpYKkMP7Ewd42lhodWimonHSH1O/s400/DSCN3362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515650474171101058" /></div><div>Next, Brett (again, I would have made a mess of this) sliced the log into 18 equal pieces and put them into the greased baking dishes (I can handle spraying Pam without making a mess...sometimes). The recipe called for two square 9x9 pans, but we used a 9x13 baking dish and a 9x5 loaf pan. It worked out fine.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_Wtgw40FLHAD_MHSp6-FDBOO1mmzSZZIgTjnRBdoh4vgM57aEPoguGwCVzbaOIspX67czr73yDC_VgrFBL-HDUaBI3DRi2UDjl73rL_14rkm6Oxc2C20LFGTNeDL1CuNNF9RBDGaV2af/s400/DSCN3363.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515650202726919234" /></div><div>After being refrigerated over night. I got them out and put them (still covered) in a cold oven with a pan of hot water underneath to rise for about an hour.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCztZdKR9aGFEjStRlsndBi7-x4dPAZuw3KnHpOQJNQ_rk_GnvI8yqx0jFUaQTRPEYX5VN9ltRHhIYS_ft5jwmdK548Hg-fYQJR5ygzdGaECAZj7ODl1TpT7V1Q0fQ7HmDwHBWJUA8-VXI/s400/DSCN3364.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515649916330937890" /></div><div>Then they baked for 18 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>They looked ok when we pulled them out. But the real magic is hidden.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBlPbJYRNJZJQfX9k0QxNvvJOmcLTF7sTvpKg_CiRdfp19oVJ3msJ7i2sgM9zbPXT0EoK-coi4ehaqrVlRuHcrEmnMwiQZKKQJ-QgYfchpb9kcorIPc_2Qr-oWttuZ3Omxa8F1HOcgpBD/s400/DSCN3365.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515649495861817442" /></div><div>We flipped them out onto the cooling rack and simultaneously said, "Oooooh."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_r3orCKtIfBA4Dh6F1IePbwNQFXx4cpbHDCW2UMKgEVp7VBmXQCA0EoCHnOyue_qogSSakJSQZvxa_emyAMnJxEKwlZrLJ7KKbbRfvjAlHqGiPRkQgJisGZlDKLpskqaDexk3wls59EZ/s400/DSCN3366.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515649203715269266" /></div><div>I stirred up some simple frosting (powdered sugar and milk). The recipe called for a cream cheese based frosting, but I think cream cheese flavor can be overwhelming sometimes, and I really wanted to be able to taste the cinnamon rolls.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The final product was absolutely wonderful. It got me thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas and wanting to share these with family (also the fact that there were 18 rolls got me thinking about sharing). This is definitely a special occasion worthy breakfast and I've no doubt we will see these again.</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJi85OnNRX8M5B3ureXPEaaTuwaovxDh2IOjZNRnHfvlmUpZDY5GTZPxFrRbYu-rVJX3AfcbBDyar_dmIOcFXaa9QWWjDOx-j8dQ5xBzC4tqthI9tpA8DXGuo8YQ3hSY7s53uxfd76n5he/s400/DSCN3367.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515648862355963570" /><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTZtGiBHxakjQkSnlLNKf2yUcfbDe6BBi70n0o06-EQbRXPDdbtiEpsw5K4C-z9mO0Q4fNeDzziNM7aYNN8tQkj1TazXsB3GKCjVBcuSmiYW5RHxDdY5hBdX7_tNqTQI7X8n6ZPxGsLSK/s400/DSCN3368.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515648488029734130" /></div><div>They heat up great in the microwave too. We were eating the leftovers for the rest of the week.</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-41899627708206184472010-09-04T05:47:00.000-07:002010-09-04T06:08:35.745-07:00Orange/Pineapple Shrimp<div style="text-align: left;">This was another recipe from Simple and Delicious that we tried during our meat-fest a couple of weeks ago. Their recipe was called Sesame Shrimp and Rice, but I believe this is a wildly inaccurate name. The mandarin oranges and pineapple chunks are what give this dish most of its flavor.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I started out with 20 minutes of peeling and deveining 18 GIANT shrimp. It was really gross and took forever. Next time I will ask the butcher to do it for me. I had peeled shrimp before, but never deveined. Yuck, yuck, yuck! The term "devein" is also wildly innaccurate, but I won't go into details.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Then I stir fried some snow peas with the shrimp and added some green onion when the shrimp were about half-way done. At the very end I dumped in a couple handfuls of mandarin oranges and lots of pineapple chunks. The mandarin oranges are so delicate that as soon as I started stirring in the sesame ginger sauce (the recipe says salad dressing, but we had some leftover sesame ginger teriyaki sauce) the oranges disintegrated. There was not a whole orange to be found anywhere in the finished product. Next time I will add the oranges last and not allow any stirring of any kind. Or maybe I will just place oranges on top after it is already plated. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97mh0_SSOi5UIKVziOQkBnQHilo-GQSM6WM2BC8gc8-Aze47UWtLk-2ykoKWu5ErircSkH-scU5kPW07Dow4i2S2hJsWd0Cb09YeCRXQRWo1YuSu3lNB5GK47hii2CLvLcHV4aFE2CY_Q/s400/DSCN3357.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513043813382286546" /></div><div>The final product was pretty good. I wish the oranges had stayed whole and that I had put fewer oranges in. The orangey-ness was a little much for me. Brett liked the orange mush all over the place though. My favorite part, by far, was the shrimp. All that work to get them cleaned up and ready to go turned out to be mostly worth it... but I'm still never deveining my own shrimp again!</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkvjG0lEbe_Cv6EoLMUotn_3cbH9XeYDGmaUSgN3QLHMS_35amj0bqnQh7wtLkX5ezrA5q0ot0MlOIRD-qC6cFNk4R4RR4P3ZMBPzkGnUVU8ZHMZJjwgVyKIVMp0A9rZPaoP8ILMGcdh2/s400/DSCN3356.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513043594645375170" />Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-56032290857583830232010-08-28T06:17:00.000-07:002010-08-28T06:55:54.422-07:00Unwrapped Bacon Scallops<div style="text-align: left;">When we jumped off the vegetarian wagon, we really jumped off. This past week, in addition to a chicken, we bought scallops, shrimp, and ... bacon! Just two slices of the thick cut bacon from the butcher counter at Whole Foods, but it still counts.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Lately, I've been coming up empty handed with my Simple and Delicious magazine. More than lately. It had been three or four issues since anything even vaguely caught my eye. But this last issue, I found three things to try and they all were successes to varying degrees. We'll start with the biggest success: Unwrapped Bacon Scallops.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I had never made scallops before. I had only ever had a couple of bites of scallops off of Brett's plate (the grilled scallops at Legal Seafood are great). Brett is a big fan of scallops. As an elementary student he proudly proclaimed scallops his favorite food when all of his peers were saying pizza and burgers. So he was excited to try making our own, and a little nervous about it too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I chopped up the bacon, sauteed it, and then set it aside to drain and crisp up a bit. I reserved a little bit of the bacon grease and cooked some onion, zucchini, and garlic in that. I didn't like that the onion cooked much faster than the zucchini. Next time I will put the zucchini in first and then add the onions and garlic. When that was almost done I scooted it to the outer edges of the pan, added the scallops, and sprinkled them with salt, paprika, and fresh thyme. The recipe called for seafood seasoning, but I didn't want to invest in a big can.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7ZN4CJhUV3ZMYgvBTrKqzSjLAjQe2xMWLZlAh0W-N5cY5wsncmrOhkpSK2Va6My0Nr3SumH6VPeiWhvK00m4sI-QlE4pTp14J426JVfS4Ox99xkGqxbv6y4q47eiH05aTgn-KX3GeHcY/s400/DSCN3353.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510458451362395090" /></div><div>We let the scallops cook for almost three minutes on one side and then flipped them and let them cook for another two minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZGDv3So6hyV7xZbAPcG7gJPOMRZXu5mK6tUaWnKOTgViW6_39CpjKGaNLxnW_Px0urEpi-jCdIOJc4Ow62DZBT1ZeJN1JY8FIgTCdarRgfqOj2NrdEtvTFvaVbOorsQ3GMs3T-ZYxpoa/s400/DSCN3352.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510458176119335074" /></div><div>How's this for a pretty plate? You all know I'm terrible at presentation ... so naturally, this is Brett's handiwork. I love the bacon sprinkled around the edge :)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaatMfOZNpQEWPGemKrNPbl5i0k-onAI2cuD-BkdA6busEzAclpDQTH2JivV03ojN_j3jZNHNzhxX6q6n8E0oQgYMz9ZKRedIxq7pqrFOn9vW8h7BgevHXY8e7mYR9thmrJoeZVmmm-BD/s400/DSCN3354.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510457916987284050" /></div><div>It tasted great! We will definitely make this again.</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLfg9lJ8QrorClJn22LJL-7Q2J77ehyOtI0VTqXTyR6ahLcMi2QPxpS7vQIgzi8OX0ETkUgohfqPEAG-lXAbpZiQabYE2t0ru3ernpK9qE658asqqTS4N56qku2_o8aRfq4EcfGkjned6/s400/DSCN3355.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510457672094570546" />Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-79955519396948303242010-08-19T10:12:00.000-07:002010-08-19T15:39:37.333-07:00Off the Wagon<div style="text-align: left;">Our vegetarianism morphed into what we called "at-home vegetarianism." This means that when we were on vacation, at a restaurant, or eating at someone else's house, we ate whatever we wanted, which many times, included meat. Our home however, had been consistently meat free since March...until recently. I decided that we needed to occasionally eat meat, so we went to Whole Foods and bought a chicken. The packaging said that it was raised by the Amish, and I have a hard time imagining the Amish mistreating their animals, so I deemed it acceptable meat to consume.</div><div><br />I stuffed the chicken with thyme, garlic, and lemons, rubbed it with butter, and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. It smelled wonderful and tasted fabulous. I was feeling ok with our decision to occasionally have meat in our house...until we turned on the T.V. I found it very ironic that the show we found ourselves watching, <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/the-fabulous-beekman-boys/the-fabulous-beekman-boys.html">The Fabulous Beekman Boys</a></span> on Planet Green, featured city guys turned farmers who just happened to be slaughtering their pigs in the episode we caught. They did it humanely, and those pigs lived very good "piggy" lives, but it was still sad. The guys in the show were crying, I was crying, and the chicken that I was stuffing into my mouth started to taste a little less delicious. It is hard for me not to think about the animal that died so that I could have a meal.<div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Vkz814HaciRdHYaULx4IhM5kHrnsXnmPX6RnUOCFWPLIDYnUH6q7pYGC45_CDCOYcwNm5N_kOJL1LZCUqE5QsmMafFroUG3N_sLN5WGR_9wFz_-vB2RKd5p9YeNfPqb_6xuWl-oDMywt/s400/beekman_659x305.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507252741718705906" />I don't know if this was a sign that we should stick with vegetarianism a little longer, or if it was just a reminder to be grateful for the animals we eat and respect their lives as much as possible. I just couldn't believe the timing! (The show is great, by the way. You should watch it if you get the chance!)<br /><br />We intend to limit our meat to one chicken a month. I can come to grips with that. Afterall, the leftovers did feed us for an entire week! The chicken most certainly was not wasted.<br /></div></div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-89821160120196857412010-06-12T06:12:00.000-07:002010-06-12T06:32:19.128-07:00Orzo with Chick Peas<div style="text-align: left;">We loved the <a href="http://kitchenoops.blogspot.com/2010/04/lemon-soup-with-orzo.html">Lemon Orzo Soup</a> so much that we thought we should find another orzo recipe. It didn't take me long to find this recipe for <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/orzo-with-chick-peas-recipe/index.html">Orzo with Chick Peas</a> on Food Network's website. I debated whether or not to tell Brett that it's a Rachael Ray recipe, since he hates her with a passion, but a few of our stand-by favorites are hers so I figured he would be ok with it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>It has a lot of ingredients that just jumped out at me: orzo, red onion, garlic, zucchini, chick peas, and feta cheese. Yum, yum, yum, yum , yum, yum. I did leave out the mint and parsley, mainly because I don't like buying a big thing of herbs that I'm just going to use a tiny bit of. It was extremely easy to throw together, as I would expect of Rachael Ray. And before Brett could finish making the hummus, I was done!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtL_zy-YyiRvyZhSU3t4zsgM1gyaA245sK3j_NsQS_OShSxQe9hajGRjkUWPbher1nDKccv2m9BMYcuEeXV4M-_DGftGV1d5r7GCz3dVJuYyKDjtAEg4rLO8m6sjL2Bg9oyJN7uBqYfO4S/s400/DSCN3196.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481879114591471346" /></div><div>I was worried about over-salting because Feta Cheese is already so salty and I probably ended up under-salting as a result. Any bite that had Feta was perfect, but the bites that were heavier on chick peas were a little bland. So my solution was just to make sure I had Feta in every bite! This was a tasty and easy side-dish that I'm sure we will make again.</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18d1p377UB8typXsN2jqfPBjdmE0PV33DlYacsEJHDDCMxbMc-MVGhbFFvJpHQVrSztg51jkvJdfMLt6ATaX5yDCUfsQOobZ1SgyQduOWqBzbhK3OnKRDQQcqXYtpolSzbIEyvkzeThJd/s400/DSCN3197.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481878380228954450" />Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-87730992490149455162010-06-06T06:20:00.000-07:002010-06-06T06:46:37.271-07:00Refrigerator Potato Bread<div style="text-align: left;">Brett and I are always looking for new bread recipes to try, so when Brett received <i>Beard on Bread</i> by James Beard for his birthday, we were immediately excited to get baking. When confronted with a new cookbook it is a little overwhelming so we decided to tempt fate and just open the book and make the first recipe we saw. This happened to be Refrigerator Potato Bread.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We got off to a bad start. I put the yeast, warm water, and ALL the sugar in the bowl, and then realized that I was only supposed to add some of the sugar. We waited to see if the yeast would bubble anyway, but it didn't, so we threw it out. Oops!</div><div><br /></div><div>Brett took over and got the sugar measurement correct, only he let it proof for 15 minutes instead of 5. We got distracted and didn't set a timer. Oops again!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>While Brett mixed in the rest of the ingredients (milk, butter, sugar, salt, and eggs) I whipped up some mashed potatoes using some potato flakes that we've had in the cupboard forever. I couldn't believe that Beard says that it is okay to use potato flakes! Then Brett started adding flour to form a stiff dough.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYF1WDlfk-4jeyPv4GVi-FeZiU0Ydt9F2A_XZWNWU4UAfRhU9J8nxjqSdtW5FD1kdGWxuJqCBTPjJo-kZ_g0gHr5A9fcYO9qoT6TUa0DwKeDRmOHOG5FI8CYga0ZdYfZwys4bqc7-ir8ql/s400/DSCN3186.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479655777238318274" /></div><div>Instead of rising like usual, this bread goes directly into the fridge overnight. The next day when we took it out it looked pretty much the same. Punching it down was like punching play-do. At this point I was worried, but we moved ahead. Brett formed it into a loaf and then we let it rise our traditional way for 4 hours.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89SdBHUoIMR440Kxy_XaaO2-vEx9lhqtaHOLW-MoXnkaElpoxM_1yXXwZki7hZPimJUCod8KeN1QLV_dEsZq7S5D0op1fQ6CULLSgwue7MsvwnnojCS8yDhxIIps6htpUWfHoXQNfvDT8/s400/DSCN3192.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479655502222364146" /></div><div>This time it did rise, so I stopped worrying.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYvLtn_XWhVrWr9rYxmpxyCqDiSrTtxH7Moe9GL5XU2M1HB5SDZG-51q3zj1OGLEJa-rpwzI8KtRrKfJ4DBVqsPxfEhKmzlK-wfZMJk7rMVGjxBgqamjKSaHZdbz02abVZXlwXL8iZ_8k/s400/DSCN3193.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479655040770004482" /></div><div>It baked beautifully and tasted wonderful!</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQ9UJLPynyfqa8uYC2yqiWXMRXN7I1QryJ3owQZV9VFHpUrxtZod6KW9QTNhf3DxwhExjhuxJy2UE9kiETibTyvekVkI55zo4IEq-EUWezrBzWprKhoGR_uCj95jTakzBGWq0IOYCbYf2/s400/DSCN3194.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479654832856301506" /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl18u4vF-ibsJ7cSmxmSveEeRdvIxUJUhfZOzcMerJlM_oMlXxPEPqMxwHqL5rUzKsUnr_SZknDjL7c0daXpwKbzxp8plOpdXGAHd8Ce4y1MyWvqn3ALzeBwvhuKJ3PJJiAJMUBzPUiIeg/s400/DSCN3195.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479654583692187154" />Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-56190195930263693122010-05-26T17:32:00.001-07:002010-05-26T17:48:40.376-07:00Birthday Cake!<div style="text-align: left;">Amidst all of this May busy-ness I had a birthday! Brett woke up early and baked the cake so it would be nice and cool when we returned from our day out on the town. My least favorite part of cake decorating is trying to get the icing perfectly smooth so Brett did that part while I piped pink roses. Then I did my trademark basketweave around the sides of the cake and piped the words. It's a little weird writing "Happy Birthday" to yourself, but I'm a firm believer that the birthday cake should have a name on it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>For the finishing touches, Brett added tiny purple flowers made by a special tip that I just can't figure out how to use. He's just got the magic touch I guess.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaCyUrzW1yV8FPH6FWkSQIaoLJUcI0sl3ua2WGEcXzSD0lmE78VG8ZKlq-8llMc8GSyVasiuq3m8hOunpLvbBu0CqDbkipi7SIToYF815X2NRRyXQKF-IwpZMMJBuOFm_7SgxK5BRyBqN/s400/DSCN3168.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475744900282584626" /></div><div>And after a short stint in the freezer, I placed the roses all over.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n_8he_wlk1RmbHyeAJXUR0PUvvbHE6UAJ0wpprABuxpNEnEezrrmihDpUCzLCQ2DEj6rVO45Z7Ht_gbsvcHkldUKINS5AtvgPCCHo7upPSDxcHVjkyX48G-Lnu5MzvyNFs615TpOs5NU/s400/DSCN3164.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475744618056063042" /></div><div>The cake turned out beautifully and tasted great too!</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZj7g2Y9oFX6fGbDF4gnIc0wcBdVwaVGipearHlzAaQg9DK-I5TZQi08N7ENQZoZI7cbWX-UCvmR5WBxwT-K47sBvd8RMKhmfKSyLoXpzxU6U0E1dUBHxgnEVuti_UXdHRVpdFEf75NwKg/s400/DSCN3162.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475744312476478306" />Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-74686485585821901192010-05-23T06:56:00.000-07:002010-05-23T07:17:00.883-07:00Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches<div style="text-align: left;">Wow! I cannot believe that it has been a full month since I last posted! Between a new, full-time job, two sets of visitors, and the always busy month of May, I just didn't have a spare moment to blog. But enough excuses, I will try to do better!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>One of our new favorite recipes was adapted from an Elie Krieger recipe called Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Her recipe calls for tomatoes, which we immediately eliminated.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>What her recipe doesn't call for (and I decided to add on a crazy whim) is a thin layer of apricot jelly. Sounds weird but it is so good.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5012T__rUZIwoblooiiZIhOeTU7Lqm4tFzZEVpQXZZbuQ9N9ujRgX61wAiBwuUU0Fo4NxUNMlJLqkhCpRpc2cNfnHifgDfCxrdvk8JTyhrsV81jDDG1b309ki8nD52eHZVLzL18aQ4xLj/s400/DSCN3144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474468231168470274" /></div><div>So first I thinly sliced half of a red onion and sauteed it in a teeny tiny bit of canola oil.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3ZIh5wd8Ok2umGrihwMLrjjXSRBTjXA7l_F16J2t6azhyphenhyphen7sWHVGmQuzWrLChYLHy9707JWE3GhaCyt3wDuOcECb5cNAfLW6M1T5qbnqOFE4xfZeEJCbWTvKHOyYZ058woF6Z1euTYp_l/s400/DSCN3143.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474468031472924658" /></div><div>While that was going I spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, sliced up A LOT of pepper jack cheese, and spread some apricot jelly on the inside of half of the bread slices. Then I put the sandwiches together.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I wiped out the onion pan and used it to grill my sandwiches. There's no sense in dirtying a new pan! Since there is not melting cheese holding one side of bread on, you have to be very careful when flipping the sandwiches. I pretty much just hold it on with my hand until it's almost all the way flipped.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then slice and eat!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGm_6P30-toOJHDRRzPFSAD2MlnzJnBQkkmUtzqVBDFg7PoR5PYuAGL7uAQNljq_dGtpqqtsRhcZRNV00csmtDBHFCN905xzouIQqqVuwzkZ-tNPz24VBqk1PAqa3r2ncoekBmzq4yEpc/s400/DSCN3145.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474467848156368738" /></div><div>The pepper jack cheese is pretty spicy (if it's too spicy just substitute a couple slices of cheddar but you have to leave a little bit of pepper jack otherwise there's no spicy in sweet and spicy!) And the apricot jelly and red onions add a wonderful sweetness that I just love! Sweet and spicy and very easy to make!</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMynSAtl8U8IBCNsu9NUIM6Ro_qJnfWcVBduAKEVmbuA_eZlH5bimJUYJ7ryYYG6ZLHJoKjzUKQA7aXkxGoxcqzdpzj-DntoTy33imo7b2ypm6tmll_1oqUqCjQdJ8cl4a8AuXL5no_aM_/s400/DSCN3146.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474467576321923650" />Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-89479904785680442002010-04-25T06:51:00.000-07:002010-04-25T07:08:51.362-07:00Lemon Soup with Orzo<div style="text-align: left;">Brett and I tried a new recipe out of Elie Krieger's The Food You Crave. Of course we adapted it to be vegetarian, which just means that we swapped chicken broth for vegetable broth and left out the chicken. We also left out the celery because Brett does not want celery anywhere near his food.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I sauteed some chopped onion, carrot and fresh thyme in some olive oil until the veggies got tender and then I added all of the broth. About one minute later I realized that I wasn't supposed to add all the broth so I dipped a measuring cup in the pot and then strained it into another measuring cup. Oops!</div><div><br /></div><div>Orzo is great! I'd only had it a couple of times, but I had never cooked with it before. It looks like rice, but is actually pasta. I poured some orzo into the pot and let that cook.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>When the orzo was almost done, I took that reserved liquid and heated it up in the microwave. Now for the weird part... I beat an egg, whisked in some lemon juice, and then gradually whisked in the hot vegetable broth to temper the egg. This mixture got added to the pot of soup and acted as a thickener. Just make sure that the soup doesn't come to a boil.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrx09R18L3uX1PygJuAvNGykEXcsss0x23fyXeCnB9cu17a0Z-XzP9kPlyshgg7TNQGBl03MKaKw2Q8bS_K5cvNMMHvCeNOf4dEHC8JK7Lg93Vt-tIlqZaliBjgaXyWLeYMRCwiipv7Cn/s400/DSCN3112.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464076129868025890" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Admittedly, it is not the prettiest soup in the world (although Elie Krieger's is quite lovely.) I think that the brown vegetable broth instead of golden chicken broth kind of ugly-ed this dish up. But to me, all that matters is the taste, and it was anything but "tan"! The main flavor was lemon, but I think the fresh thyme is what really made this soup wonderful. The orzo also gave great texture. Yum! We liked it so much that we decided to make it again the next night for my parents who came all the way across the country to see us! And we will definitely be making it again in the near future.</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-42815965611520728312010-04-10T06:11:00.000-07:002010-04-10T06:43:23.116-07:00Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Potatoes<div style="text-align: left;">We're trying to eat more vegetables. It's a constant battle for us because we want to eat healthy but we just don't really like vegetables. I've been that way my whole life. I remember as a kid I would eat broccoli, but only if it was absolutely doused in melted Velveeta "cheese". Don't even get me started on Velveeta. Any cheese that doesn't need to be refrigerated and can be found on the cracker aisle, is not cheese.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We've also been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and got a HUGE kick out of last week's episode when the school district's lunch nutrition enforcer declared that even though there were 7 different vegetables in his veggie noodle stir fry, he needed more vegetables on the tray, and then she suggested adding some french fries to reach the vegetable quota! French fries are not vegetables! Potatoes in general should not count as vegetables; they are a starch and should be placed in the same category as breads and grains. At least that's how we view them... and we are not experts.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>All that talk about potatoes made me hungry for them (that should be another clue that they're not a vegetable!) I've had bad luck with baked potatoes in the past, but I decided to go with a new method that I found in Rachael Ray's <i>Veggie Meals</i>: poke them with a fork and microwave for 8 minutes. Then wrap them in foil and throw them into a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes. This method worked beautifully!</div><div><br /></div><div>While the potatoes were baking, I whipped up the broccoli by steaming the florets in 1/3 cup of water for 5 minutes. It also turned out beautifully!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Last came the cheese sauce. I melted 1 T of butter then sauteed about half of a small onion (the recipe called for a shallot) until it was soft. Next I added 1 T of flour, then I added 1 cup of veggie stock and let it thicken. Finally, a HUGE gob of grated cheddar cheese made it's way into the pot. The steamed broccoli gets stirred around into the sauce and then it all gets poured over the split baked potato.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKq4P4ed6vwA7GDoDMlJsLXZduvRvf1XgBXzRXJ3UE2qVodQL-k4uYD1EBNhZ0fxK_aSyoQq8FIW943BXqwUj0f8EM1jtiefFqLXhKuSuoE4zaTozFt_RRrx3A431PuTZA0qnI-oIO8bT/s400/DSCN3111.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458500532871356258" /></div><div>I loved these potatoes. Yes, it is an unsettling amount of cheese... but at least it's not Velveeta. And there's broccoli in there! I even ate the skin of the potato, which I usually don't do... that's how amazing this sauce is!</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-11178243411979509272010-04-02T06:16:00.000-07:002010-04-02T06:38:11.551-07:00Peanut Butter Criss- Cross Cookies<div style="text-align: left;">One time when we were at Brett's parents' house, Brett's mom passed out some cookies that did not have the fork criss-cross in them. They were tasty and obviously peanut butter cookies and so we all laughed when Brett's dad said something along the lines of, "These are good. What kind of cookie are they?"</div><div>"Peanut butter!" We replied.</div><div>"But they don't have the criss-cross!" We thought it was funny that the criss-cross is so closely associated with peanut butter cookies that if a cookie doesn't have it, it must not be peanut butter!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>This is a super classic recipe that everyone can instantly recognize mainly because of that fork-pressed criss-cross. Brett practically lives off of peanut butter, so of course he loves these cookies.<div><br /></div><div>Since we are on a big maple syrup kick, I decided to substitute 1/4 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of maple syrup. I instantly regretted doing this because real maple syrup is not cheap, and the peanut butter totally (obviously) is the star of the show. The maple flavor was lost in this batter.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>As I was making these cookies I was trying to talk to my mom at the same time and actually forgot to criss-cross one batch. Do they still look like peanut butter cookies to you?</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DkffmO7X44-4hI83ltg9MDETjpmrfqiydwdYThvE-lpqyz5eLXhsy2xtTKKc5DKwRtKD_wMVJy61HKrS9aEamLOeL6Ispjr5AMWksZMA4gzrsfX9tSh-UvicqkhMkl-U8DLLVvwEikpa/s400/DSCN3109.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455532945927537986" /></div><div>No? Perhaps these then:</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNuwHLWJohtA_dUYQzYn__LOg5-snvg1Ldvvhcc17e28lZz0mAzkn0oRYb-VQGvib012ZpQXCQNsTXzqMk00sdeNz8I5RxSgr5iPLkSKHckJxEWAPEPE8YcXBISO9KF4veKoONyUU6ZgK/s400/DSCN3110.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455532673269565058" /></div><div>Peanut Butter Criss- Cross Cookies</div><div>1 cup peanut butter</div><div>1/2 cup butter</div><div>1/2 cup sugar</div><div>1/2 cup brown sugar</div><div>1 egg</div><div>1/2 tsp vanilla</div><div>1 and 1/2 cup flour</div><div>3/4 tsp baking soda</div><div>1/2 tsp baking powder</div><div>1/4 tsp salt</div><div><br /></div><div>In a large bowl, cream together peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.</div><div><br /></div><div>Add to creamed mixture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Roll into 1 inch balls. Flatten with fork first one way and then cross the other way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.</div></div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-27796432152352683462010-03-27T06:50:00.000-07:002010-03-27T07:13:25.779-07:00Crescent Zucchini and Squash Pie<div style="text-align: left;">When I told Brett that we were trying a new recipe called "Crescent Zucchini and Squash Pie" he was anything but enthusiastic. In fact he was probably dreading it. But, we both agree that, despite the name, this recipe turned out to be really tasty!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I got <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Crescent-Zucchini-Pie">this recipe</a> from Simple and Delicious magazine several months ago and just now got around to trying it. I think I was scared of it. The reason I chose it is because it has crescent rolls, lots of cheese, and probably the most inoffensive vegetable around.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I started by cutting up an onion and lots of zucchini and yellow squash. This all got sauteed with some butter until they got tender.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL2Z51BJlEQMExio1DQDKlTWPCSnAGnsZoo5ED0p2MqbdKV34kYmwanQojM5jXRVLZapkrzkmahaG8yYtVFmAdMkiwyOoqGKrJUDXUdE5FcO5RRF8g4eV23Wwhs0kadcgHumIgJpJKVHr/s400/DSCN3095.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453315844690544530" /></div><div>Then I spread crescent roll dough out into the bottom of a pie plate. This was not as easy as the recipe makes it seem. And because of my deep hatred of mustard, I left it out. I also forgot to grease the pan, but this turned out to not be that big of a problem. Even low-fat crescents seem to have enough grease.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdixGeXANHSj90AEL7b-yQwSN2OsJrt99tTMTYCW1IBym45_ESHSO9-55mpmPbBn7W70iUL7oKH0gHKbBZvFyWlOadE5K72I7D4WfD8WtOk3M_-rdy34-3FdJOK27VYE3bkhhV0P-DlN3x/s400/DSCN3096.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453315670463643058" /></div><div>Then I grated a gob of Jack and Mozzarella cheese and mixed it with 2 eggs, salt, pepper, and dried basil. I left out the parsley flakes and dried oregano because I think they smell weird. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSP5q9lxMpBCRABxQtlivQDVBnfpDo9QIRTzuFnW1VKaeI_yg3dFet-Wuu5xa9IzGtwVso_NO3F2Dd3lQIGJQOIh713_MoNv-gK_Q3y48-ZJLHkan9LVndN2h98564bC8INdRgtuYn2cO/s400/DSCN3097.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453315464808102946" /></div><div>Once the zucchini mixture had cooled a little bit, I mixed it in with the cheese mixture, and then poured it into the pie plate. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiX3D_HGg3FLvOyTAlaudZudhRRCyG5kilPlRNKZTFuPN2bi6ISTtiahBaZvEt7RStDPIcRAkOG3cGL2mvG_chaJlXSDv-QGhYnVv0KfDSGBipdRilEzhuyGp5ihOCpRc6jkmE12Nv9TO/s400/DSCN3098.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453315218751648338" /></div><div>It baked at 375 degrees for 25 minutes and then needed to go a little bit longer because it was still a little soupy. I had to cover the "crust" edges with foil so they wouldn't burn.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MoAWwV_hkNOpBOUn1Y-jNk147LnjvO-re-p4NQoTJQHYQ42h6Two9ouK_IiFsMg_C5FlL2dvQ1DEXbruAbXfEZHglvkt6QflK1nFTP3qd1oCE-CK2mlPlDnybxWg5R8aY4_RGfG1AsN9/s400/DSCN3099.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453315034079083762" /></div><div>The final product was really good. The only problem was that the crescent rolls in the middle of the pie plate were still a little doughy. This dish was a little rich and lasted us two nights. I think next time I might put less salt too.</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-78773306905169658942010-03-22T06:45:00.000-07:002010-03-22T07:13:20.994-07:00Vermont Maple Syrup<div style="text-align: left;">I've always been a Log Cabin Syrup girl. It is maple flavored corn syrup and I think it's yummy. However, I know that it is completely fake and therefore felt the need to try the real thing. Brett and I knew that moving to New England would eventually involve a maple syrup expedition to Vermont and the time finally came last weekend.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWYsXkGGCJ56ZlXvU5k-iA_pITcpRYrdb3qNn5hNzd2xDAIuwAwh6DVkdX7cz9bsVF3DN5eVBoq27g9j-hkVuLZXYEVxFqWUD4ocUPnV3bpl2KWUGmiw0otcuxfLmI949hABrLvXVKAeX/s400/DSCN3102.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451460750286912898" /></div><div>Maple syrup runs from late February to early April when the temperature gets above freezing during the day but still drops below at night. We missed this target by a little bit considering that it was in the high 60's on the day that we went. We also missed the boiling demonstration at <a href="https://vermontsugar.com/">Harlow's Sugar House</a> by an hour or so.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcluhCiY-PyJ75TPL1luckHYKDU3xNHgZqDgYhyphenhyphen-1rHgxhGNpXQq5exBfEaeIn_Gt66RDDTVe-AOSGz21tBIDQkQDKNRT_J127myJkWjXxfZiuEVUvt1-xrsd3Y5H6ZNdKzQuq4Sf92Sg1/s400/DSCN3101.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451460070852931442" /></div><div>But we did not miss the tasting. They had four grades of maple syrup: Vermont Fancy, Grade A Medium Amber, Grade A Dark Amber, and Grade B. We started with the lightest (Vermont Fancy) and made our way to the darkest (Grade B). They get progressively stronger in flavor and by the time we got to Grade B it tasted almost like molasses. We decided on a bigger jug of the Grade A Medium Amber, a tiny jug of Vermont Fancy, and some maple candies for Brett's mom.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bdSjUN2leMu-nP4s0HKoNeNRL1mE3_5j6pdGZx1SBbQhA6sYVtc70bCkTpYx6Jkc5gCX9hJMYSP-Y-G6YgUpv2GTLetB3NUD1fwFlZ_oF7Ux4XXnt4ZIxBEUd6dxFx16jDGVupzJZeb3/s400/DSCN3107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451459882275189842" /></div><div>Of course, we had pancakes the following day.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdduuyc__RJ1X3j3WUnugzO8YVTVWXu4c5UpoUXDmA5XYDXv8IpTDr_xLMLqkRDgUXKyyOfkzM9zHOkNVL3W4bWmlJPeZLHOYPOZQvyOOVP7ucrwlkhUU9-MaJFYO-PuI8VM4z7nBGiVyb/s400/DSCN3108.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451459685511986562" /></div><div>The syrup was much thinner than Log Cabin and it soaked into the pancakes very quickly. The flavor was awesome. It was milder than I'm used to, but so REAL. And that's a good thing.</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-56102288613705723122010-03-17T08:05:00.000-07:002010-03-17T08:40:04.423-07:00Potato and Fennel Ravioli<div style="text-align: left;">Over the rainy weekend Brett and I decided to make homemade ravioli again.<a href="http://kitchenoops.blogspot.com/2009/01/handmade-ravioli.html"> The last time</a> we made it we had to hand roll the pasta dough and it ended up being too thick. This time we had our pasta machine to help with the rolling (although it is not an easy process) and we decided to go with a roasted veggie filling.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I had seen a recipe with potato and fennel filling, but they were boiled. I wanted the extra flavor from roasting. I cut up a couple of red potatoes, one very small onion, and one fennel bulb, and threw in two cloves of garlic. I drizzled everything with olive oil, sprinkled salt and pepper, and baked them for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven. I was taking a big risk here because neither of us had ever had roasted fennel before. But when it came out of the oven we both tasted it and actually liked it!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiow8GdzX0rlJ0kVN7Lun2sqHJlUgZlgfgZzFZ-D1hWXPneMscSwPvKOAHgnbJKMgkKRYf5omWzsfejLce19WGas7VuV5XGTo_zn71zUlR1uPDxje3NR72D7N7pnUhD9CikajsmpHDGcozV/s400/DSCN3086.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449625813779517810" /></div><div>I pureed the roasted veggies in my mini food processor which did not go well at all. It made a really sticky, thick mess and somehow got up inside the blade holder and down onto the base. I have no idea how, but it was a mess to clean up.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrOioU57V9Poev4f7KrALVB6RbUCW-30DDG9tzrvsGQdj2kxczYhOquAMRMQPLqL2eQfNj_A2ZOP5ElyfGcEAEvkfOz8u0D4L1InCQtF8YBCfZ7iqAgPJDIXj9H0FUK63tCtg8u7L6pFp/s400/DSCN3087.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449625634904840722" /></div><div>Brett was in charge of making the pasta dough. After I ruined it the last time we tried, he has forever earned the job of pasta maker in our household. We decided to go with the second thinnest setting because our filling was pretty thick. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 367px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsbkC9B6Xxn5dIxkW_c4xslR6SRVLcN67I9RqtSPuCW9WUp9i4lYbeCVh8R0DlRmdGarZQnjKShfoCdT61Efi_Jk7wmB4p54jk7ziCF4Spd7cPR5gsEVrH11ZSB3G5qKB6evbJvN4LTw9/s400/DSCN3091.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449625346370902626" /></div><div>With the sheets all rolled, I began scooping tiny balls onto the pasta dough using the squares on our rolling mat as a guideline.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFarivlf25LdHDgk5GlDgjp6vV5qfFaptTEGUeLiICxaR8lRjtvpY0YpsIAHWsuIGbjCEOGswiDCZ8dTatbik3UGSFODtPt-wMaiGrZYipA4bGOyLFPHgFf2O48HIhFP-ooArAxn9pbph/s400/DSCN3088.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449624884035539682" /></div><div>I brushed egg wash onto the edges and between the balls and then covered it all with another, slightly larger, pasta sheet. I pressed carefully and tried to push out most of the air. Then I used a pastry cutter to cut the ravioli apart. They were so cute!</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKdJV24OxRtMbvMOSqbwShdcILA3NumAjEhOn2yJ7n_8WB4RHBmutac3VOhg6ckChX8TlzytgHRUdsL_UEustfZkqa6_rtQ7eV-hP-a1kE2PGGW-DrTpTDgOyLaCJZcSAKvaIFhXpp9bh/s400/DSCN3089.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449624678975009730" /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKOvfaNryJJvJ7FpvRDfQpu8e5zAXhEw_nM0K9B0yTy1D8C5lILaG3-sNKPApu7mF9OM0EROVSFBFWrfB3ktv0U3JksqXCexeiqFxtE7QJaOLY29M7TvUaw7iNGpCmdbjiMGfXbzUCaun/s400/DSCN3090.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449624490973313906" /></div><div>We boiled them for a few minutes even though they rose to the top almost immediately. I have no idea how to tell if they were over or under-cooked.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Since Brett is picky about his sauces, we dressed them simply with butter and parmesan cheese. They tasted very good! We decided that the dough could have been a little bit thinner.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0VkEXJUCea862TowHwNPRIwOHf8815au9v7shOQ0bRHu73ZRC802YobNDnoBBajDI69xYdfG2B2UyLQdMlBj6jEQKuuNqj2x_LjRRh2dtGFjtUNwj2xwEXMPRXHChLVOi7xGmGL-cJRY/s400/DSCN3093.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449624277698074146" /></div><div>The next day we made ravioli again because we had a lot of leftover filling. We did make thinner sheets, however the sheets were too thin and unmanageable at times. We need an in between setting!</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6724600081065163940.post-42120688204798180942010-03-12T06:52:00.000-08:002010-03-12T07:25:51.243-08:00Bad, Worse, and I Can't Believe That's Dinner<div style="text-align: left;">The past couple of weeks as an official vegetarian have gone surprisingly well, but not without a couple of hiccups. I ordered French Onion Soup at Panera Bread and was half way through the bowl before I realized that it was most likely made with beef broth. I also couldn't resist sharing a shrimp tempura maki roll at <a href="http://www.gingerpad.com/">Ginger Pad</a> (our favorite restaurant in the area.) Brett has also modified his status to "at-home vegetarian" because they cater lunches at his workplace quite often and because all the best things on restaurant menus contain meat.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I have tried a few "vegetarian" recipes out of vegetarian cookbooks that I either own or checked out at the library and I've got to say, "YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!"</div><div><br /></div><div>First we have Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew. It didn't help that the sweet potatoes were a little crunchy, or that the jar of Pace was not appealing to me. The best part of this was the cornbread that went on top. We attempted to eat leftovers and failed miserably.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJATHfWzM2EIURfj3JPZkLHBYByqaEFiYa5opVf8aiy2-YiFbetxOJk2PVXxk91qUI-e-LbdZmimLK2CSFZX2ol9O3DYHNkNtR8AHs82iCdxo8KLGnTwsIujPhP2SusZyjb3NpCyAAb1qb/s400/DSCN3015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447767432751826306" /></div><div>Then we tried Potato Medley which was so bad that I either deleted the pictures or was too horrified to even take pictures. Potatoes were cooked in oil with some green pepper, broccoli, and peas. It was under-seasoned so I kept adding salt and it was still under-seasoned. I just gave up and decided that it was not good. The leftovers are still in the fridge a week later. I think they will be headed for the trash now.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Most terrible of all (although Brett would probably vote for the Potato Medley) was the black bean burgers. As I was making this the words, "What have I done?" kept crossing through my mind. I pulsed some black beans in my mini food processor and then mixed that with some bread crumbs and green chiles. To say that it didn't look very appetizing would be an understatement.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOndzn8WXo7SZQ0OxbLrk_k6NDziJNQiKK_S3l4jFXixFfxrTwA2DiAdMKlW0rzSOePW5PcATRLbe5a-yjPdYSZ_PxiEdAbuf4vBcGTyG5oqpLvEqRZkKel1Hcuha3xXkEuWj6z1YyJQnJ/s400/DSCN3071.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447767196272552258" /></div><div>It was nearly impossible to form this pile of ... goo into patties because it was so moist and sticky, but I managed and then coated them in cornmeal.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WkjZ9Yi4mgz2PrH_8y1Y3mdBTyvFnd7tpR25TbcSS2Ob5zzUJGqlvnGHKOTk-aBE533y6BSIuXwwJ9QoP4ziSgmIUMas_J0H-JlsbFxRYYvL4kGRJmAG9uIyW36RqdHVeJOj7krt3hJe/s400/DSCN3072.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447766978573474642" /></div><div>They went into a non-stick pan and actually did begin to resemble burgers.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgH9ylhhjaDB_ODw5ppifhqR0u98B5TNZ9GamBJjchSQJtXX60nAnjDulX7Yggi3I89wMqHzRYTWx-TjuUb1hBOwo2pPLQ6iGrH_4ISUEFzkbqxa3LjZzxClRrFhr2nncyfFGTCeQtQnYZ/s400/DSCN3074.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447766761895319042" /></div><div>Except I didn't have any buns.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pz859xa4BCIE3hnaCFbsRWpo0khaP84tJByqpVqVkuyuastcdxiaEtNW16QdqppeqCd1y4yUtyTeqmEIxhnbo-Fu7NYRlj3Tct16GxFgVsMun8kdKNt9ar_Y9cVFORALY5iEYIV6rbBM/s400/DSCN3076.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447766514947800946" /></div><div>Brett threw his on sliced bread and actually ate two! I got one down and made it about halfway through the second one before I had to stop. The leftovers immediately went in the trash, and you KNOW how much it pains me to throw food away.</div><div><br /></div><div>Better luck next time!</div>Kim in the Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437640302377543004noreply@blogger.com2