Recipe #30: Chicken Potpie

Nothing hits the spot like a warm chicken potpie! It can be a little time consuming if you make your own crust, but it is well worth it.

First boil 2-3 pieces of chicken. Save the water. Once the chicken has cooled. pull it apart and shred.

Make the white sauce recipe.

Add the shredded chicken and some mixed vegetables to the white sauce. I used a bag of mixed veggies and some broccoli.

Let that stay warm while you make the pie crust recipe. For one pot pie I would make a double recipe of the 8 inch recipe to make sure you have enough. 

Roll out the crust on a cutting board (saves time on clean up!). Fold up into fourths to more easily move it to the top of the pot pie.

Pour the chicken and veggies into a 9x13 dish. Put the crust on top.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 30-45 minutes. Or until the sauce is bubbling and crust is done!

Now, I will be honest... all the crust didn't quite make it in one piece to the top of the pie, so I used some of the store bought stuff and this is that crust... not my homemade stuff. It didn't look quite that good! 

Pie Crust

For the times you don't have a store bought, ready made pie crust here is the homemade alternative...

for a 8 or 9 inch crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
2-3 Tbsp water

for a 10 inch crust:
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
3-4 Tbsp water

measure flour and salt into bowl
cut in shortening
sprinkle in water 1 Tbsp at a time, you may not need to add full amount.
roll out on floured surface.

White Sauce

A basic white sauce that will be used in a variety of recipes...

you need:

8 Tbsp melted butter

8 Tbsp flour

2 bullion cubes

4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup milk

melt the butter in a large pan over low heat. add in flour until it becomes like a paste.

Add bullion cubes. Slowly add water while mixing constantly. Add milk.

Recipe #29: Trail Mix...

So I need chocolate tonight, but instead of just eating chocolate chips, I decided to make trail mix. The nice thing about making your own is you can put whatever you want in it, so your sister won't leave all of the soft tasting pretzels because she doesn't like them! :)
So with chocolate chips as my start I looked around to see what else I had to add and it ended up delicious!

get some:
chocolate chips
pretzels
raisins
dried cranberries
coconut
cereal of your choice. i used some oat bran
also nuts, i don't have any on hand, but almonds would be delicious.

pour amounts of your choice into a container. put the lid on it and shake it up!

Don't eat all at once! :)

Recipe #28: Oatmeal Cake

Do not let the name of this fool you! It is one of my all time favorite cakes and I rarely make it because when I do, I could probably eat the whole thing myself! Fortunately I have an excuse to make it because we are having a dessert thing at church tonight. Perfect excuse! I guess the easiest way to describe it is that it is like a spice cake.

You need:
1 1/4 cup boiling water                                            Topping:
1 cup quick oats                                                      1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened                                     3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar                                                   1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt

• First pour water over oats and let stand
• cream together margarine, brown sugar, white sugar, and eggs
• add oatmeal mixture, stir
• mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
• pour into a 9x13 pan
• on top sprinkle the sugar all over the top of the cake. this creates almost a barrier that keeps the nuts and the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom. make sure you carefully sprinkle the sugar all over the top of the cake. 
• then carefully sprinkle nuts and chocolate chips on top. 
• Bake for 30 min at 350. Stick a fork in middle to see if it comes out clean.

a great variation of a topping is to add coconut. an even better topping would be coconut and chocolate chips together. unfortunately Will does not like coconut so I don't often use the coconut version. It would be delicious though!

Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, the chocolate chips still sink to the bottom. If that happens, just add some more chocolate chips to the top while the cake is still warm, so you still have a pretty topping! I never had problems with that until we moved into this house and I made cakes in this oven...not sure why.

But I added more chocolate chips and you can't even tell! Plus it makes it more chocolatey! 

Recipe #27: Ham and Cheese Biscuits

I had bought some biscuits before with the intent to use them for another recipe, but never did, so yesterday when we were finishing up leftovers, I decided to make some little munchy ham and cheese balls to eat while we worked on yard sale stuff...

You need:
can of buttermilk biscuits--I used three
couple pieces of ham cut into small pieces
cheese of your choice cut up small.
chives

Open one of the cans put a couple pieces of ham, cheese and chives in the center of each biscuit and roll into a ball. Stick on a ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Follow the baking directions on the can.

Yummy. Especially when hot!

Side Dish #2: Felt flower headbands

I was reading through a magazine and happened upon a cute idea to make flowers! Of course, I can't make them for Alex, but have two nieces. Since the majority of fun crafts are for girls, I am happy to give the fruits of my craftiness to someone, and I am sure Alex is grateful that I don't make him that girly stuff...fun things for boys are a little harder to come by, although I did make him a cute tie earlier and will have to make a bigger one for the fall.

Anyways, I used the instructions found here from Woman's Day about how to make a brooch. But instead of putting a pin on the back I glued a hair clip and then attached the hair clip to one of those little elastic baby headbands. Of course mine doesn't look as perfect as the pictures, but it is cute enough... and goes perfectly with the dresses that Sarah and I made for them! :)

                                                                   Here is a close up...

Don't you want to go make some for all the little ladies in your life! Best of all it only costs a couple of dollars to make because two different colors of felt could make multiple flowers! Go have some fun!

Recipe #25: Basic Biscuits + fruit and whipped cream = Recipe #26 Berrylicious Shortcake!

Nothing says summer like a dessert with delicious berries! Unfortunately mine were from the freezer, but that is the wonderful thing...use fresh or frozen and it is still going to taste great!
I love making little individual shortcakes because they just look so cute.
first you need to make a basic biscuit recipe:
you need:
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
(add more flour if too wet)

• preheat oven to 425
• sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
• cut in shortening
• add milk
• *turn dough onto floured board, knead lightly 20-25 times
• roll or pat dough 1/2 inch think
• place of ungreased baking sheet
• bake 10-12 min makes 18-20

however to make the shortcakes, stop once you get to the star. instead knead in the bowl several times. Take scoops of dough and drop onto cookie sheet. I made 7 larger biscuits. You can make them whatever size you want.

Allow the biscuits to cool then cut them in half horizontally. Take off the top and put a spoonful or two of berries on the bottom. Top with some cool whip or other whipped cream of your choice. Put the top back on the shortcake. Add another dollup of whipped cream and garnish with another berry or two! Enjoy!

Recipe #23 and #24: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and Sesame Spiced Potatoes

We grilled again tonight! I love it. While we were grilling the propane tank ran out...oh dear! Thankfully my sister and brother-in-law live next door and we were able to borrow theirs! What will happen when they move?!

Well, tonight's menu was my all time favorite grilled chicken recipe...Teriyaki Chicken! It is a great marinade that can be used on steak as well. People love it.

For the marinade you need:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 mashed cloves garlic ( I used 2 Tbsp minced garlic)
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (I use 1 Tbsp ground if I don't have fresh)
2 Tbsp mirin

Combine ingredients and mix well. I usually do it in a tupperware so you can close the lid and shake it. (Just make sure you close it tight!) Then add the chicken. I used 4 breast and cut them smaller so that they grill faster. Marinate for 4-12 hours (less does work too!) Baste with marinade while grilling.

While that is grilling you can cut up some potatoes, put them in a bag, and shake it up with some sesame spice rub. I found it today in an Everyday Food magazine. (Amazing magazine by the way). I only used a fourth of it  because it was just potatoes. It was suggested that you use it with pork or chicken as well.

But for a small amount with about 9 cut up potatoes you need:
1 Tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
pinch of pepper

Add to a small container with a lid. Close and shake well. Add to ziploc of potatoes and shake up.

Delicious!
(Tomorrow I will write about dessert!)

Baby food adventures continue!

Making my own baby food is a lot easier then I thought! It is a great way to use up extra veggies. One night we had a sweet potato left over so into the mini food processor it went and in a couple minutes I had another tray of baby food to freeze for Alex! The picture of the trays can be found here. Once frozen I transfer them to a big ziploc bag because it is easier to store and then when i need some food for the next couple of days I put two (which equals about 2 ozs) in little rubbermaid containers and they defrost in the fridge. You can also microwave it for about 10-15 seconds.

So very easy! Anyways, I had some leftover carrots after starting the roast so I went ahead and made up another batch of carrots for Alex because I had finished up the stash in the freezer.

Fill a pot with water and put a steamer basket inside. Water should not touch the steamer. I used about 7 carrots chopped up. Steam until very soft. Once finished add to the food processor with about a 1/2 cup water and puree until you have reached your desired consistancy. You may need to add a bit more water depending on how soft (or not!) your carrots are! Put in your trays and you are done! One thing i have noticed with carrots is that it is easier to get big chunks left so be sure to steam them long enough so they are soft enough!

They smell deliciously sweet, I am sure they will be a big hit with your little one! 

Recipe #22: Pot Roast

For a long time I was afraid of the "pot roast". That it would be too dry or that it would break apart to much. I don't know, I just didn't want to try it for fear that it would fail...

Until one day I was given a pot roast and decided I needed to figure out how to make it! So I was browsing allrecipes.com and came across this recipe. With a few tweeks I made it and it was a success. 

Well, I was given another pot roast by my mom and so decided to make it tonight! This is a great crock pot recipe once you put it in there you don't have to think about it again!

You need:

pot roast

6-8 potatoes

6-10 carrots I like to use long ones, you would want a lot more if you are using baby carrots

1 onion

3 beef boullion cubes
1/2 cup water (add more if necessary)

herbs, salt and pepper to taste

Wash veggies, cut potatoes and onion into big chunks. Put some carrots and potatoes on the bottom of the crock pot. Add the roast on top and then put the rest of the veggies around it. Add salt and pepper on top of the roast. I like to add rosemary and oregano as well. Pour water in and add the three boullion cubes.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5...
Wait for the perfect roast to come out, with plenty of juice for a nice little gravy!
(Unfortunately we ate it so quickly I forgot to take a picture.) We ate it with a fresh salad and homemade bread! It was wonderful!

Recipe #21: Chicken Au Gratin

In Japan, they have the most wonderful Dorias and Gratins. In Japan Gratin is usually make of of noodles with a nice cheesy sauce. Doria is very similar but with rice instead. Well, I was desiring some of that warm, cheesy goodness, so I looked in my cupboards and mixed it all together with a hope and a prayer that it would turn out. So when Will looked at it on the table and said, "it looks good" I was relieved that there was some hope!

You need:
box of noodles (I used rigatoni)
a jar of alfredo sauce
cooked, shredded chicken
mozzarella
pinch of paprika

Cook noodles according to package directions. Also boil chicken and shred when it cools.
Preheat oven to 350.
In a 9x13 pan mix together noodles, alfredo, and chicken.
Add shredded mozzarella on top.
Bake for 15 minutes.

It was not quite as cheesy as the Au Gratin in Japan, but still satisfied that craving!

Recipe #20: Perfect Grilled Cheese

I used to rush through the making of grilled cheese sandwiches until Will made them one day and they were so divine! I realized that you need to pay a little bit more attention to them to make them taste good!

You need:
bread
your choice of cheese
butter
sandwich meat

Really coat the outsides of the bread with butter. It makes it so much better. Add plenty of thin slices of cheese and some ham or turkey if you want. Heat one at a time in a medium-sized pan on medium heat. If you cook too fast the bread will burn before the cheese totally melts. Don't go too far away in case it burns! :)
End result = deliciousness!

p.s. you could eat this with soup, but why would you want to!

Recipe #19: Baked Oatmeal

This one was definitely for my dad! He loves baked oatmeal so we doubled the recipe for him (one for him and one for the rest of us ) , but then we didn't end up eating any yesterday so it means more for him today.
It is super easy and best of all you can add in anything you like to give it some extra flavor. This was passed around from my dad's sisters and while most of my family has probably made it multiple times, this was a first for me. Good thing Sarah was around to help! :)

You Need:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
3 cups oatmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1 cup milk

Stir ingredients together and bake 30 minutes at 350. Since we doubled it we used an 8x8 and 9x9 dish or you can use a 9x13. We added apples to the top on one pan, and cinnamon to both. Sarah says they have added vanilla before too. Blueberries or peaches would probably be delicious too!

Recipe #18: Apple Galette

Hmmm...Father's Day baking continues, much to the delight of my dad. Will and Alex are sleeping so that is why Sarah and I have time to do this! :) In my Real Simple magazine they had a 3 ingredient recipe for Nectarine Galette. I had apples instead so decided to make one of those as well! Soon another post will come for the most special treat for my dad, Baked Oatmeal, which is supposed to be for breakfast tomorrow, but we decided to make now instead because "it tastes so good warm" as my dad mentioned to us.

Anyways, back to the Apple Galette (which is french for free formed crusty cakes etc, for those of you, who like me had to google that!)

Peel, core, and slice 2 apples into thin pieces.
Pull out a refrigerated pie crust (I am telling you, world's best invention). spread out on top of wax paper lined cookie sheet.
 Layer apples in middle of crust leaving about two inches on the outside.
Mix 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 Tbsp flour, and 1 tsp cinnamon in a little bowl pour over top of the apples.
Chop up 2 Tbsp butter and add on top too.
Fold pie crust up around the apples, there will be a little overlap in the crust. Sprinkle a little water and sugar on the crust.
Bake at 375 for about 30 mins or until the juices are bubbling.

After we ate it...it was delicious, kind of more like a tart then a pie. But if you want it sweeter I would add more sugar. I would probably only do 1 Tbsp butter too...but I was kind of modifying the Real Simple recipe and that is what they said to do. Also I think you should eat it as soon as you take it out of the oven, letting it cool a bit of course.

Recipe #17: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I am not sure cookies without chocolate in them should really exist, but they do and in honor of Father's Day, my sister Sarah and I decided to make some for my dad and Will, who both love oatmeal raisin cookies. I have to admit my mom makes amazing ones and ours don't look quite as beautiful as hers, but I think they will be enjoyed all the same.
This recipe comes from this old Poppin' Fresh Cookie and Bar cookbook that my mom has had for ages, and we have tried a variety of cookies and such out of it.

You need:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts (which we left out)

• Preheat oven to 375 and grease cookie sheets
• Mix together the sugars and butter.
• Add vanilla and egg, mix.
• Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix well.
• Stir in oats and raisins.
• Drop on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Back for 7-10 minutes or until edges are light brown.

It says it makes 3.5 dozen cookies but we made two dozen with the recipe. A good tip from my mom...put dough in fridge to harden up a bit, that way the cookie won't spread out wide like ours did, but it stays together better and thus much more delicious. 

But since my dad ate 3 as soon as they came out, I think it is safe to say they turned out okay! 

Recipe #16: Rosemary Lemon Tilapia

Tonight was another clear out the freezer special! I had some tilapia in the freezer, waiting to be used. I think I got it on sale or something, but Will doesn't really like fish so we don't often eat it, and it sat in the freezer. But we were having my sisters and brother-in-law eat with us so I decided that it would be a good time to use it up.

I used:
3 lemons
Fresh Rosemary
7 pieces of Tilapia
Olive Oil

Cut lemons into round slices. Layer on a cookie sheet covered in foil (saves on clean up!)
Sprinkle rosemary on top of lemons.
Put Tilapia on top of lemons
Drizzle olive oil over fish
Put another layer of lemons and rosemary on top.

I forgot to add salt and pepper but that would be a good idea too because I felt like it was missing on flavor. I would probably use more rosemary next time too or maybe dill instead. But I felt like using rosemary tonight. :) My mom uses dill a lot on fish and that is delicious too,

Preheat oven to 400 and bake for about 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
We ate it with sweet potatoes, salad, and homemade bread for a fresh, nutritious meal! I forgot to take a picture so here are the leftovers! :)

Recipe #15: Chicken Stir Fry

This meal was created when I realized I needed to clear some things out of my freezer! I had this asian vegetable mix that included beans, onions, mushrooms and broccoli so I finally pulled it out to make stir fry. Feel free to add what ever veggies you want, fresh or frozen. I think corn would have been a great addition, I just didn't think about it.

You need:
Chicken, cut into long, thin strips
veggies, such as mushrooms, onions, green beans, broccoli, corn, thin sliced carrots. whatever you feel like putting in!
for the Sauce:
(I totally made this up so add whatever you want according to your liking or what is in your cupboards!)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp mirin
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
small handful of sesame seeds

First start some rice cooking.
Cook up chicken in a large pan
While it is cooking, mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Add to chicken, stir up. Add vegetables and cover with lid to let veggies steam. Add one cup water and a little bit more soy sauce and sesame oil to taste, also to give you a nice sauce to put on your rice!
Don't let veggies get too soggy or they don't taste as wonderful. Unless you like soggy veggies, but I hope you don't!
Eat and enjoy!

Recipe #14: Mini Pizzas

The other day I had only a couple minutes for lunch. I could have made a sandwich but instead used some leftovers to make mini pizzas! Super easy, fast and filling!

You need:
english muffins or mini bagels
cheese
tomato sauce (i actually used the left over spaghetti sauce from the other night!)

Toast the english muffins or bagels so they are slightly toasted. (so they won't taste soggy at the end)
Put the sauce and cheese on top. add any other little pieces of meat or veggies you would like.
Put in the toaster oven (or oven depending on how many you are making) until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.

They are great by themselves or can be a side for soup or salad!

Recipe #13: Applesauce

There is nothing so wonderful as eating a warm bowl of homemade applesauce-- Especially in the fall! I think it epitomizes the crisp fall air and the feeling you get when you get to pull out your warm sweater for the first time. BUT, currently it feels nothing like that! Bummer, I love fall.
I had a couple of left over apples though so I decided to use them to make some apple sauce/puree for Alex. So it technically is being used as a baby food, but I am going to go ahead and write the recipe anyways, because I did enjoy several delicious bites!

You need:
12 apples, cored and sliced into thin pieces. I use Fuji because they are so sweet and they are the best. I think we will be eating fuji apples in heaven! :)
1/4 cup water, and more to add as you cook.

(For Baby Food: I used probably 5 apples and ended up adding quite a bit of water, I would say maybe like 2 and 1/2 cups to keep it from burning in the pot.)

Add the apples and water to the pot. (I used a medium sized sauce pan because I was not doing as much.)
Boil the apples until done. It will take probably at least an hour. Stir occasionally. Add water as needed to make sure it doesn't stick to the sides or burn. You can decide how chunky or smooth you want your apple sauce to be!
(For Baby Food you can also go a step further and puree the apple sauce to make sure no big chunks are left)

The end result: wonderful, warm, sweet apple sauce (no sugar is needed)! Can you see the steam rising from this deliciousness?

Recipe #12: Tom Ka and Laab

Yesterday was a long, tiring day. As we thought about what to eat for dinner, Will and I turned to our comfort food...Thai! :) The smell of Tom Ka can turn my terrible day around! Best of all it is easy...because we cheat! Head out to your nearest asian food store and look for these seasoning packets.

Tom Ka (pronounced Dom Ka) is a coconut soup and Laab (pronounced Laap) is a spicy meat. Delicious. If you have never had it, and live in or near Columbia be sure to try some at Thailand on St. Andrews. It is the crazy colored restaurant! :)

Anyways, for the Tom Ka you need:

Two packets

3 cans of coconut milk

some chicken, cut into thin strips

lemon juice, just a bit

you can also get some other veggies like mushrooms etc, but we don't always put that in.

This is Will's job-- the directions are on the packet, but basically add water and boil, add chicken until cooked.

In the meantime, heat the Tom Ka packet in some hot water. 

Once the chicken is cooked add the coconut milk and then the Tom Ka packets and a bit of lemon juice. Enjoy the smell and the taste!

On to the Laab...my job. 

You need:

One Laab packet

1lb ground meat, we normally use ground turkey because that is what I buy, but we have done it with beef or pork too. 

Cook the ground turkey, add a 1/4 cup water while cooking. Add the packet, mix it up and you are done! 

More deliciousness!

While you are cooking these things you need to cook up some rice, Jasmine is good. We buy sweet, sticky rice and it is delicious. Put some in your Tom Ka and then eat the rest with the Laab!

Instantly bad day worries disappear and life seem so much better!

Recipe #11: Breakfast sandwich

I love breakfast, especially a hearty one. I could eat eggs every day! So, instead of going to McDonalds or some other place where you eat a breakfast sandwich that is completely processed and huge and too high calorie...make your own! :)

You will need...
2 eggs
cheese
breakfast meat--sausage or bacon. sometimes i even just use a slice of cold cuts
bread--toast, mini bagel, english muffin or a torilla

Scramble the eggs. Often I use one whole egg plus one egg whites. Add some grated cheese to the eggs before you scramble them for delicious cheesiness!
Prepare the breakfast meat and bread.
Put it all together! :)

So difficult I know. If I am short on time I often just put what ever cold cut meat we have around so I can cut out a step. The best part is you know exactly what goes in! Literally it takes 8 minutes...or less.
Tastes extra delicious with a cup of coffee!

Side Dish #1: Hockey sticks and pucks!

Periodically I will have a 'side dish' to highlight a fun craft or to share a great book I read. Just because. I want to.

Anyways, several months ago I was at Joanns and found a fun little remnant of fabric that had hockey sticks and pucks all over it! So I had to buy it because my brother-in-law, Eric, is an avid hockey fan. I really had no idea what I wanted to do with it, just that I had to make something from it.

Let's back track a bit, I love experimenting with a variety of crafts, sewing was one that I had done a while back, but in the last two or three years my sewing machine had collected dust because I didn't know what to do. Enter babies, and a whole new world of sewing projects opened up to me! My Spring break was filled with crafting toys and ties for babies.

Okay, back to the hockey themed fabric. I had some fun making some stuffed toys for the babies (besides my son I have two nieces who are all born within two months of each other!) then it hit me. Lizzie needed an early start in her hockey skills, so why not make her a stuffed puck and sticks so she could get some practice in with dad without her mom worrying about the damage she could do to her surroundings! And that is what I did this morning! (Can I say again how much I love summer vacation!) It was a fun, quick little project. Guaranteed, the hockey sticks don't look exactly like real ones, but at least Lizzie will be familiar with how to hold a hockey stick and how to hit a puck so that when she gets to hold a real one she will make her daddy proud! :)

Recipe #10: Will's Iced Tea

We live in the part of the country where people wave as they walk by because it is the nice thing to do, where ya'll is the way we made do with not have a plural form of you, where we close schools at the thought of snow because it is so foreign, and where the water we drink is actually tea. Tea, down in the south, the waiters don't ask if you want it sweet because that is the only way it is made.

But on that note... Sweet Tea needs to maintain it's tea form, not syrup which to me it often tastes. Fortunately I married a man who makes WONDERFUL tea. I don't touch the tea in this house, that is Will's domain and he does a fabulous job.

He starts with a mug of water and heats it up.
Then he adds 2 Lipton family size tea bags and lets it seep for at least 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes (or sometimes longer!) he pours the tea into a gallon size pitcher and adds 1 cup sugar.
Stir that up so the sugar dissolves, Then fill with water.
Chill and enjoy!

So, for those of you who don't live in the wonderful south (or those who are leaving--Eric and Mary!) you can now enjoy a wonderful taste of the south in your glass any time!

Bread, Bread, Bread.

There is this bakery in Japan that makes the most delicious bread. It has these little cubes of cheese baked in at the top which makes it so divine! Well, i decided that I wanted to experiment and see if I could replicate that!

So I pulled out the last of the boule dough I had from the recipe found here. Then I cut up little cubes of mozzarella and stuffed them in the top of the loaf just before putting it in the oven.

Out came, not quite what I expected, but such deliciousness, I had to resist eating the whole thing! :) I knew Will would want some too. :P
This is what deliciousness looks like! The cheese had bubbled over and you could taste it in every bite!

Then I needed to mix up a new batch of bread dough. I did one full batch of the plain boule bread, but did a half batch of herb boule...it is very easy. At the very start the recipe (found here), when you are adding the yeast to the water mix in some herbs too! I did a tsp of dired thyme, and a tsp of fresh rosemary. In the future, I would add more because I don't feel like the taste of either came out enough, but it was still delicious and a nice part of our Italian meal! :)

Recipes #8 and #9: Spaghetti Sauce and Caprese Salad

Well, my husband is doing the dishes and my son is in bed, and I finally get to put my feet up...and write my post! Today was a great day in my kitchen. Lots of fun! When Will and I were deciding what we should eat tonight, we knew it had to involve one thing...bread! (another post on that coming soon!) So I decided to make another Plunkett favorite...Spaghetti!
 
You need:
carrots, just a couple
onion, one
olive oil, a drizzle
stewed tomatoes, one or two cans
tomato sauce, equal parts to the stewed tomatoes
basil, to taste
oregano, again whatever you like
salt, a pinch or two

I didn't have all of that so I substituted crushed and diced tomatoes for the stewed tomatoes and tomato paste for the tomato sauce... I actually think it helped it cook faster because it was already thick and small pieces. anyways, you could also use roma tomatoes instead of the stewed, i just didn't have enough.

• grate up carrots and dice onions, saute with the olive oil until soft.
• add tomatoes and sauce and let simmer
• add basil, oregano, and salt. I added rosemary too, both the rosemary and basil were from my garden! :)
• Simmer over low heat until the tomatoes cook down and thicken stirring occasionally.
• it may take 2-3 hours depending on what you use, but if you use a short cut like I did it won't take that long! 

The noodle were special--straight from Italy, thanks to a friend. I was just waiting for a fun occasion to use them!



Along with the spaghetti we had some herb bread and caprese salad, another italian favorite, taking several things I love and putting them together!
Caprese Salad:
Mozzarella, go for the good stuff, not the low fat stuff...
roma tomatoes
basil, fresh is best
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

I like to cut up the mozzarella and tomatoes into small chucks. then i added some fresh basil that my boys went outside to pick for me, only moments before I made the salad! :) drizzle the olive oil on top and mix together. Fresh and delicious!

Recipe #7: Cole Slaw

A southern favorite, but not my favorite until I tried some of Will's mom's Cole Slaw! Now I willingly eat it. :)
I decided to make it because I had half a bag of shredded cabbage left after making yakisoba last night! Too often it goes to waste, but not this time! :)
Here is the recipe:

1/2 head of cabbage
4 carrots
(or use the handy bag of shredded cabbage and carrots!)
pickle slices 2 or 3
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup pickle juice or vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

• Chop up carrots and cabbage in a bowl....or pour mix out of bag and into bowl! :)
• In another small bowl whisk together the mayo, pickle juice/vinegar, and olive oil
• Pour over the cabbage and mix together
• Enjoy! 

Katie's Cooking Essentials

Everybody is different in their "must haves" for the kitchen. And all though my cupboards are full of random things, there are a few things that I use on a regular basis.

1. KitchenAid mixer. I love it, and is perfect for so many things!
2. Rice cooker. Mine came straight from Japan, and makes perfect rice every time!
3. A deep dish skillet with lid. I think if this is the only pan I had, I would be fine, I use it for anything and everything!
4. Wooden spoons. Not those rounded top ones, but the flat top that are perfect for mixing up anything, sauteing etc.
5. Silicone bakeware. The ones I have are great. My loaf pans work so well.
6. Two round cake pans. You can use them to bake layered cakes or for quiches! :)
7. A grill, who wants a hot kitchen in the summer?!

and that is all I can think of for now....as other stuff comes to mind I will add, but really, I think i could live with just these things.

Also the most essential place: an Asian food store! Unfortunately my favorite one is Hmart, all the way in Atlanta, but any little whole in the wall place is great, they just tend to be more expensive. And thankfully you can find Japanese rice in almost any grocery store now, just look in the Asian section.

Those are the essentials, but it is the little things that make cooking and eating fun, for example, my cute ohashioki (chopstick rests)...The little things that make me smile.

Recipe #6: Yakisoba

Yakisoba, a favorite of mine of Japan that quickly became a favorite from Will's too! This is an easy recipe, thanks in part that the noodles and seasoning come in a handy little packet like this

This is not the normal kind I get but H-mart was out so I settled on this one!

You will need the following ingredients:

Cabbage

Carrots 

(skip the step of cutting them up by buying a cole slaw mix instead!) 

Bean Sprouts are great too

chicken, cut into small pieces

yakisoba packet

In a deep skillet or wok, stir fry up the veggies first, put to the side

Add the chicken and cook until done. While meat is cooking make sure the noodle packets are open and ready to go in!

Add the veggies back in.

Pull the noodles apart and add to the pan, and pour in a little water to loosen up noodles,

Add the seasoning packets and mix together!

Enjoy!

Recipes #4 and #5: Grilled Veggies and Hamburgers!

Hot, sunny, summer days = the need to grill in the Plunkett household! Will does most of the actual grilling, while I do some of the set up, however today he took total charge of the burgers and they were AMAZING!

But first, the veggies. Today we only did onions and potatoes, but if I have it on hand, we have probably tried it on the grill at some time or another!

Cut up the veggies, I usually do the potatoes and onions in thin round slices. I put each vegetable in its own ziploc, add a little olive oil and then whatever herbs I want. My go to is always rosemary and I picked some from the bush in my yard to add in. I have used thyme or dill with onions before, that was good too. When I do mushrooms I usually drizzle soy sauce on them instead of olive oil and add sesame seeds. That is pretty good! Green peppers are great too. Corn on the cob is fabulous, just put a little butter on it before grilling. Asparagus is also great!
Be sure to get a grill pan so nothing falls through. Grill until they are soft or burnt to your liking! :)

Next recipe, Will's amazing hamburgers. This is your basic burger, done to perfection!

• Get your ground beef out. shape to the size of your your choice. 
• Once they are all shaped, make a little well in the top of each burger. 
• Will added some salt, pepper, olive oil, and seasoning to the well. (We use Webers gourmet burger seasoning, when that finishes we will probably try out some other seasonings, but that is delicious!) 
• Stick on the grill at about 450 for about 4-5 and flipped them, then continue flipping them every so often until they are nice and done!

It was WONDERFUL! 

Recipe #3: Boule Bread

Will grew up in Italy and bread as we know it in the states didn't really exist, instead, they feasted on the delicious heavy crusted bread and baguettes, both of which tend to be overpriced in the average american supermarkets. So when I happened across the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day in my mom's house and instantly was curious to find out if it was really that easy. The authors, Hertzberg and Francois, worked long and hard to make the recipe simple and I appreciate their troubles!

This recipe is only one of many in the book and I look forward to trying more. Of course mine doesn't turn out like the pictures, but I don't have all the great equipment either, if it seems like this is something we will start making often I might invest in some stuff, but no point in filling up the kitchen cupboards with more stuff that I won't use! :)

the recipe is simple:
3 cups lukewarm water
1.5 Tbsp yeast
1.5 Tbsp kosher salt
6.5 cups flour Do not pat the flour down, just "scoop and sweep"

• First mix the yeast and salt in the water. You don't need to make it dissolve completely.
• Add the flour, I used the dough hook on my mixer, but a wooden spoon would work great too. Mix until everything is evenly moistened
• Then cover with a lid and let it rise. I waited about 2 hours. It probably would have been better to wait a little longer, but I was a little eager! Make sure you have a big container! I picked one i thought would be too big, but it turned out to be just the right size!  
• Cut off a piece of the dough, about a 1lb worth. The authors compared it to a grapefruit.
• (The rest of the dough can go in the fridge, and will last for the next two weeks, homemade bread everyday? yes please!)
• make sure your hands are floured so it is not too sticky, and then pull at the sides a bit and turn it under to make the nice little ball shape. 
• Let it sit for about an hour. after about 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 450. I just used a cookie sheet for this time and i went ahead and put it in so it would be warm. Also add a little container for water. 
• Before putting the bread in the oven flour the top and cut some slits in it. i did the tic-tac-toe pattern. 
• Add a cup of water to the container so that the bread can steam, I guess it helps with the crust. 
• anyways, 30 minutes later I pulled it out of the oven! 

we devoured it with some rosemary and pepper olive oil dipping sauce! It was really delicious! Nice crackly crust and soft in the middle! I couldn't even wait for it to cool all the way I was so curious to eat some!

If you want to try the recipe I would definitely check out the book because they give a lot more tips on how to make it work so easily! I think I want to get their companion book Healthy Breads in Five Minutes a Day. If I am going to eat this much yummy bread, it might be nice to use some whole grains! :) 

But in the meantime, I will enjoy making a loaf whenever because there is enough for another 3 loaves! So easy and so fabulous!

Recipe #2: Hamburger and Rice

* This post was interrupted by a severe thunderstorm in which we lost power! But now I am up insanely early because it is the last day of school and I can hardly contain my excitement! :)

Some meals remind you of days long ago and this is definitely one of them! An easy meal my mom would fix in Japan when my dad would have to head out the door for English class just as we would be arriving home from volleyball practice, or whatever sport it was. It really takes only about 15 minutes hands on time and is a favorite in our house!

• Put on a pot of rice. I use a rice cooker, rice is not rice unless it is made in a rice cooker! I made about 3 cups today.
• While the rice is going, brown some ground beef, or ground turkey. about a pound. 
• Once the rice and the meat are done mix together over really low heat (you don't even need heat on, I just do it to makes sure everything stays warm!) 
• Add some soy sauce, about a 1/4 of a cup i would say... I really don't measure I just pour some in and stop when some rice is brown and other is white! ha, what an exact measurement that is! :) definitely not too much so that it is too wet.
• you can either stop at that, or in the last several years, i have loved adding a little bit of sesame oil, add just a bit to give it a great taste!

Of course this meal is not complete without green beans or corn as a side veggie. In my mind it has to be one of those vegetables, most likely because that is what my mom usually had with it. It is one of the only meals though where i am willing to eat the food together. 

I have to admit, I am more in to food presentation than what you see here, but what you don't see in the picture is the shopping list to the right and Will feeding Alex to the left. Also, Alex trying to reach out and grab my plate on more than one occasion! 

It has begun!

I realized that I picked the worst week ever to start my mission to try a new recipe everyday! School is ending and with that comes end of year events, catching up on things at home, and hoping to have an evening out with Will, I realized there wasn't much time left to try new recipes! Oh well, we will see how things go-- I have some recipes to try that I am pretty excited about!
Anyways, today I decided to do a recent favorite that takes about 10 minutes hands on time...QUICHE! Quiche used to seem quite involved. My mom made it only on special occasions. Now I realize that its because the crust was so involved! I originally found this recipe that kind of got me rolling:     http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quiche-Lorraine-I/Detail.aspx but since I didn't have all of the ingredients in my house, I improvised. Also Will is a carnivore and prefers meat to veggies. So this is my spin off on the original...

preheat oven to 425

1 refrigerated pie crust (those make my life so much easier!)
1 cup cheese...give or take, use whatever you have on hand
1 cupish bacon (fried) or any kind of cold cuts. i have used turkey, salami, ham, whatever is in the fridge!

put the pie crust in the pie plate and then put the cheese and meat inside.

in a small bowl, mix:
5-6 eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (adds a nice kick!)
pepper to taste

pour the egg mixture into the pie shell stir it up a bit.
put in oven for 15 minutes. afterwards put temp down to 300 and bake for another 30 minutes.

In the meantime, you can wash the dishes or bathe your child, and then when it is done let it rest for 15 minutes or so. So it won't be so soggy.

Sometime I want to do two--a meatier one for Will and a veggie one for me. Spinach, onions, mushrooms, asparagus...the possibilities are endless... and so delicious!