Hamburger Steak with Mashed Potatoes

No recipe.  I just want you to covet this beautiful plate 'o food.  This is probably my #1 choice for a last meal.

Pinwheel Cookies

I've been excited about making pinwheel cookies for weeks.

Epic. Fail.

Ugliest cookies ever

Brownies

I have found that you pretty much can't mess up brownies.

5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

8 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3 Tbs Dutch processed cocoa powder

1 1/4 c. sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1 c. all-purpose flour

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 pan and set aside.

Melt the chocolates, butter, and cocoa in a double boiler until all the chocolate has melted and is smooth.

Be very careful not to add too much heat.
Perfectly melted chocolate should be like silk.

Whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl until combined.

Wilson is such a helper.

Make sure the chocolate has cooled, enough so that if you pt your finger in it, it barely feels warm.  Slowly whisk the chocolate into the egg mixture. When it is fully combined, whisk in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Make sure it is fully incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached (not slick with chocolate), 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool completely. Or as long as you can possibly stand to wait. I mean, if its still too hot you can always add ice cream to cool it down, right?

I just love the beautiful crust on brownies.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is a Pinterest find. 

They LOVED this. 

Now, I don't know if my children think I expect them to say good things about my food, or if they say it sincerely. On second thought, I don't really care. I love hearing "Wow, this is really good" cut short by the next bite of food.  

When we had this for leftovers the next night and they were surprised (ohmigod you just ate this yesterday, why are you acting like you've never had this before?) at how good it was. 

Did I mention they hate leftovers?

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 c. onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic

3 c. chicken broth

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1-2 tsp chipotle chili powder

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used 2 cans because we love black beans)

14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

2 c. frozen corn

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 8 oz. skinless chicken breasts

Saute onion and garlic.  Add chicken broth and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

Add cilantro. Put in crock pot and add: drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin and stir.  Add chicken.

Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on low.

Remove chicken and shred it, then return to the pot.

Garnish with:

chopped scallions

shredded cheese

sour cream

Dinner Rolls

This was my first time making dinner rolls, and I'll be upfront and say - I used a bread machine. It didn't make them any less delicious.  They were so good the boys had them for a snack with the left over brownies the next day.

The final product

This is supposed to yield 18 rolls, I smooshed them into 12.

3 1/4 c. bread flour

1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp dry milk (I always use dried buttermilk in my bread)

3 Tbsp butter

7 1/2 fl. oz. water

1 1/2 tsp. dry yeast

Put in machine on dough setting. (Ha!)

When the dough is done, pull it out, cut into however many you want and roll the pieces into balls.

Prep for final proof

These were hideous, because I realized only too late that I only had space for 12. So I could have used another pan, but to be honest Dr. Fabulous was already going to kill me for using every pot, pan, and dish we own.

After the final proof, brush the tops with a beaten egg. You could also sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds on top at this point.

Coating with egg

Bake at 350 for 10-15 min. They should be golden brown.

This is when I started getting excited:

In the oven baking

So I know it's just bread (whatevs) - but fresh, warm, pillowy, homemade bread is undeniably some of the best comfort food you can get. 

Brown, fluffy, and delicious

Chicken in white wine sauce

I used this recipe for two reasons: you put it in a slow-cooker AND it requires wine. Which means mama gets to drink wine while she's cooking.  And nothing makes mama happier than drinking and cooking.

6  bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts, or 12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed

2  tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/4  pounds cremini (baby bella) mushrooms

1  medium onion, chopped

4  garlic cloves, minced

1 3/4 c dry white wine

1 c. chicken broth

1 tbsp minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried (I think I used 1 tbsp dried - it worked)

2 bay leaves

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths

Dry the chicken with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes, then add to the slow cooker. (Remove the browned skin if using chicken thighs.)  Repeat with the remaining chicken. Discard any fat left in the skillet.

Add a little oil and heat over medium heat until shimmeering. Add the mushrooms, onion, and a smidge of slat. Cook until the mushrooms are brown, 10-15 min. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour into the slow cooker.

Add the broth, thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Nestle the carrots into the slow cooker around the edges. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender, about 4 hours.

Transfer the chicken to a bowl. Discard the bay leaves. Set the slow cooker to high. 

For the sauce:

1/4 c all-purpose flour

1 c. heavy cream

1/4 cup minced tarragon (I left this out because neither Dr. Fabulous or I like tarragon)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Whisk the flour with the cream until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker. Cover and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of four, 15 to 30 min longer. Stir in the tarragon and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Spoon the vegetables and some of the sauce over the chicken and serve.  

I cooked rice to go with this the first night, and it was fine, you know - rice, its yummy.  However, the next night for leftovers, we were out of rice and made orzo instead. I liked it with the orzo way more than with rice.

Voila:

Check out another post for the dinner rolls

Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice

This is heavy in our rotation of meals. It has replaced Chicken Pot Pie (for the time being).  It is rather easy to put together, and portions of it can be done ahead of time.

3 tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 stalks celery, finely diced

3 carrots, diced

2 tbs. garlic, minced

2 c. steamed white rice

16 oz. prepared wild rice (I use a seasoned Mahatma Wild Rice package)

2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded

Cheese Sauce:

4 tbs butter

1/4 c. all purpose flour

salt and pepper

2 c. chicken broth

2 c. shredded cheese

Saute the veggies in olive oil.  After the rice and veggies are both fully cooked, mix them together.

Put rice in bottom of a 9x13 pyrex dish and cover with chicken.

For the cheese sauce:

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil (it will be thick). Take off the heat and add in the cheddar cheese. Whisk together until combined and smooth. 

Pour over the chicken and rice in the pan, and spread to evenly cover.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.  Let it cool for 5-10 min. Serve in bowls.

Yummy baked cheezy goodness.

Coconut cream pie

Was a total failure. It was more like coconut cream pudding with crust. I'll try a different recipe soon.

Cinnamon Rolls

Before I get started let me just go ahead and tell you - Yes, these taste as ridiculous as they look.  In Thomas's words they were "pure paradise".  Even Drew said they couldn't be anymore perfect.

Two things to consider before making them:
1) These cannot be thrown together the morning of.  It is best to prepare them the night before and let them go through their final proof in the fridge overnight.
2) This recipe makes more cinnamon rolls than a family of 4 (or 5) should eat. So plan on having guests, or taking it to someone's house. I promise you will eventually regret eating 6 of these yourself if you don't follow my advice.

So, let's get started.

DOUGH

1/4 c. warm water

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. warm milk

1 egg, room temperature

1 (3.5 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp salt

4 c. bread flour

2 1/2 bread yeast (one package)

Combine these ingredients in the pan of your bread machine. Set to dough cycle. Wait (for a long time).

While the dough is doing it's thing, prepare the cinnamon filler:

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar

6 tsp cinnamon

Beat these together until they are perfectly blended.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread the cinnamon mixture onto the dough with an offset spatula.  

It should look like this: (mind you, I hadn't finished spreading it)

Roll up the dough, beginning with the long side. Then slice into one-inch slices and place in a buttered jellyroll pan (or a 9x13 plus a smaller pan).  Warning, the dough is very soft and warm at this point. You will not be able to slice these in anyway that approximates grace. You just have to own the slippery suckers and force them to keep it together. Stay strong.

You can let them rise in a warm place for about an hour or, like I said above, throw them in the fridge overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 15 to 20 min.  

They should look like this when you pull them out:

Mix up the icing while the rolls are baking.

ICING

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Top the rolls with icing and behold:

Connie's new favorite AKA Chocolate Mousse Cake

The roots of this cake are in Mother's Day.  My mother-in-law wanted a chocolate cake so I decided to make her an over-the-top chocolate extravaganza. I succeeded. I've made it three or four times now, and I've given out the recipe several times. 

This cake is an amalgam from two sources.  The chocolate cake is simply the recipe from the back of the Hershey's Cocoa Tin. The mousse is lifted from one of my favorite books "The Modern Baker" by Nick Malgieri. It's worth purchasing for the pictures alone. (I am so addicted to food porn.)

Chocolate Mousse:

3 c. heavy whipping cream

1/3 c. sugar

6 large egg yolks

12 oz. best-quality milk chocolate

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

Moistening syrup:

1/3 c. water

1/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

Finishing:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

White (or milk) chocolate shavings

To make the mousse:

1. Combine 1 c. cream and the sugar in a medium saucepan and whisk. Place over low heat and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. When the liquid boils, whisk about 1/3 of it into the yolks. Return the liquid to a boil and, beginning to whisk before pouring, pour the yolk mixture into the boiling liquid. Whisk constantly until the cream thickens slightly - it won't be very thick - 10 to 15 seconds after adding the yolks. Remove the pan from the heat, never ceasing to whisk. Quickly strain the sauce into a bowl. Whisk the sauce continuously for about 30 seconds to cool it down so the yolks don't scramble.

2. Combine the chocolates in a large bowl and pour the hot custard cream over them. Shake the bowl to make sure all the chocolate is submerged, then let it stand for 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Whip the remaining 2 c. cream until it holds a soft peak and refrigerate.

4. Quickly fold the cream into the cooled chocolate cream. 

To assemble the cake:

1. Cut the cooled cakes so that you can make even layers. Put the first layer on the bottom of a prepared spring form pan. Use a brush to sprinkle the layer with half of the syrup.

2. Pour half the mousse on the cake layer and use a small offset spatula to spread it evenly. 

3. Top with the other cake layer (carefully - don't press down) and repeat syrup and mousse. Refrigerate the cake to set the mousse.

4. Whip 1 c. cream and spread it smoothly all of the outside of the un-molded cake. Cover with white chocolate shavings. 

Enjoy the presentation of the cake. It will soon be followed by "oh my god why is this so good?"

Provençal Pork Chops

Probably the most important aspect of this recipe is the time to make it - which is practically none. I'd say it took me 30 min including boiling the water for the orzo.  It's hard to think of this meal as fancy considering how simple it is to make. However, Thomas made a good point on this topic - it's fancier than Hamburger Helper. 

Yes, it's easy and looks amazing. But how did it taste, you ask?  Well, Mr. I Only Eat Cheeseburgers ate the orzo with spinach first, then demolished his pork chop.  Thomas had three servings of orzo (in addition to his unincorporated spinach and chop). I thought it was perfectly light; not a complicated flavor.  Drew was middle of the road on the whole meal, especially the orzo.  

I highly recommend this as a throw together meal that is satisfying and simple.

1 c. orzo

6 oz spinach

2 scallions, trimmed and chopped

2 tbs olive oil

3 tbs lemon juice

salt and pepper

4 pork chops

Dijon mustard

Herbes de Provence seasoning

Cook the orzo according to the instructions on the packaging. Stir in spinach just before draining. Drain. Stir in scallions, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. (Lots of salt)

While your orzo is cooking, season pork chops with salt and pepper. Spread mustard liberally and evenly sprinkle Herbes de Provence over both sides of chops. Broil for 3 min per side or until internal temp registers 145.

Key Lime Fudge

Unfortunately, this fudge was demolished before I could take a picture of it.

In full disclosure, I have made this twice. Both times I omitted the crust.  The first time I followed the recipe below to a T. It was gooey, like, use a spoon gooey. So I put it in the freezer thinking that would help it set. It did not. I would sneak to the freezer and pull out a wad of fudge. It would slide down my fingers as it warmed. And it was f'ing delicious. The second time I used 22 oz. of chocolate instead of 16 oz. That improved the consistency so that I could actually cut it into bite size pieces.

But let's get to what really matters: what did Thomas think about it? It was a "miracle". This declaration was followed quickly by "the president should eat this!"

Thank you Thomas. You sure do know how to make momma feel good.


And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I prefer the first batch. I recommend putting it into a jar into the freezer (it being freezing cold but soft is somehow extremely fulfilling, and seems to give it more bite), and then just eating it by the spoonful. Think of it as a limey, cold nutella. Wow. That description does not sound appetizing, but I promise its delicious.


For the fudge:
3 c. or 16 oz quality white chocolate, finely chopped
1 (14 oz.) can sweetned condensed milk
1 Tbs. finely grated Key Lime zest
1/4 c. Key Lime juice

For the crust:
1/3 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

Directions:

1. Line 8x8-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper (leaving about a 2-inch overhang).  Butter sides and bottom of pan; set aside.
2. For crust, heat oven to 375°F.  In a medium bowl, melt butter in microwave.  Stir in sugar with fork, breaking up any lumps.  Add graham cracker crumbs and toss to mix well.  Spread evenly into pan and bake 4 to 5 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Let cool.
3. Meanwhile, for fudge, stir white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in large saucepan over low heat until chocolate is melted and all lumps are gone.  Remove from heat and stir in lime zest and lime juice.  Spread mixture evenly into pan.  Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight.  Lift fudge from pan using overhanging foil or parchment paper.  Cut into desired shapes.  

From: Life's Simple Measures (lifessimplemeasures.blogspot.com)

Happiness is a perfect chocolate chip cookie

Whenever Luke thinks he hears me saying "I'm going to make chocolate chip cookies" he goes into a frenzy. 

"Chocolate chip cookies? When? When? When can we have cookies mom? Can I help you make them? What about now? Can we make them now? Are we having them after dinner? Can I help you make them? Are you making them now? What are we having for dinner? After that we can have chocolate chip cookies, right? Can I help you make them?"

And no. That long quote is not an exaggeration. It is verbatim. 

But you can't fault him. Is there anything that makes you happier than fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies with a glass of cold milk? I sure as hell can't think of anything.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbs butter (softened)

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 large egg 

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs until combined. Add vanilla extract. Make sure to use a spatula to clean the sides of the bowl so that everything is well mixed. 

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry mixture to the butter/sugar goodness in batches. Make sure to scrape the sides before adding more of the flour mixture.  Do not mix too long or else you will get bready cookies (gluten forms when you over-work the flour), so stop when you don't see any more free flour.  Add chocolate chips and mix until somewhat homogenous.

Here's the best part: with an ice cream scoop or spoon, make balls out of the dough and place them on a cookie sheet. Put the sheet in the freezer for 10 min or so. Put the cookies into a ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer until you're ready to pop some into the oven. Make sure to chill your dough before baking.

Bake at 325 for 10-15 min (eyeball it, you know when they look good).

Serve with milk, and get ready for a good night's sleep.

Cowboy Dinner

Cowboy dinner. It's basically mexican food baked under corn bread, and it's good.  

Beef Mixture:

2 lbs ground beef

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 c frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 c salsa

1 can black, pinto, or white beans, rinsed and drained (or you can add more than one kind of bean)

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cornbread topping:

1/2 c cornmeal

1 1/2 c flour

1/3 c sugar (optional - depends on if you like sweet cornbread)

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/4 c milk

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan and set aside.

Brown the ground beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the pan and stir in the corn, salsa, and beans. Pour the beef mixture in to the prepared pan and set aside.

For the cornbread, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil, beaten eggs and milk. Whisk together until just moistened and no dry spots remain.

Sprinkle the cheese over the beef mixture and pour the cornbread batter over the cheese and beef mixture. Gently spread the cornbread to the edges of the pan, evening it over the top of the casserole.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges are bubbly and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Five's a crowd

I am the mother of three very sweet children and wife of the perfect husband (I know, sickening, but true). These lovely people have quirky food behaviors which make it a joy to cook for them.

My husband will eat anything pie shaped, but doesn't have much of a sweet tooth.

My oldest son, Luke, likes to know what we are eating and when (he has been known to ask what the next meal will be before he's finished what's in front of him).  He is a connoisseur of cheeseburgers and chocolate chip cookies.

Thomas, my dear sweet Thomas. He is a true foodie. The boy loves to eat, and eat anything. When I need a description of our food he is my go-to.  God bless him.

Eleanor likes milk, milk, and more milk. While her palette is nubile, I believe that in time she will also learn to be aware and appreciative of our meals.

This blog is an outlet, where I can share the successes and failures of recipes from all over, including Pinterest, the Joy of Cooking (the gold standard), and various and sundry cook books. I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy making its contents.

John's Birthday wish

My good friend John requested a birthday cake. Anything you want John, just name it.

Angel food cake.

Ok. Lots of egg whites and make sure all utensils are super clean (a tip from my fabulous grandmother).

It was..... Angelic.

From the Joy of Cooking.  Sorry, but besides copyright infringement, the whole thing is just too long to write. Read the instructions several times before you start.

Key Lime Pie

All I knew was that I bought a bag of key limes at the beach and I better damn well find way to use them. I was positively giddy. First things first: key lime fudge. Oh, it was so so so good (details to follow in another post).

I wanted key lime pie - I'm pretty sure I've never had it, but it has to be good, right? I had never made a custard based pie, and had never even made a graham cracker crust. I was having friends for the weekend and built a menu around the pie. It was my centerpiece.

Did it pass muster? I went to Thomas for the skinny. "It's not that great mom, sorry." What?! Dost mine ears deceive me? Flabbergasted, I pressed for more details. A smile crept across his face -"JUST kidding! It's awesome!"

From the Joy of Cooking