Kitchen Set-up

A few weeks ago or maybe it's been a month or so by now some girls on the message board I frequent asked how people organize their counter space. I have been blessed with wonderful counter space and have set my kitchen up into "stations." Here a few pics of my kitchen and maybe it will help you when you are trying to find room on the counter for everything!

A snapshot of the entire kitchen.

My favorite part of the kitchen! On the left is my "coffee station" with the coffee pot, toaster, and the cabinets above hold all of the coffee, tea and mugs. Obviously the middle is the stove. On the right is my "baking station" with my canisters and my KitchenAid (which is in the corner and you can see it in the picture above).

Sink and "prep station" with the knives and spices.

This area is kind of a "miscellaneous station" with the microwave, cookbooks, bread, etc. I do a lot of prepping of meals here too. Also notice the empty wine rack - I think I need to remedy that!

So there you have my kitchen. Maybe it will help you to organize yours a little bit more. Maybe not. But at least I tried!

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Chili-Pasta Skillet

After making the dumplings earlier today I needed a no-brainer dinner and was glad that this was the next thing up on the menu! It was definite comfort food and super easy to make!

Chili-Pasta Skillet
Adapted from Better Homes & Garden Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (I only used 1/2 a pound)
3/4 cup chopped onion (Omitted since Jon is now calling the ham and bean soup I made earlier this week "onion soup" - I will start using onions again soon though!)
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, black beans, or red beans, rinsed and drained (I used red kidney beans)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used a can of diced tomatoes with chiles)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained (See above)
1/2 cup dried elbow macaroni
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, chile peppers, macaroni, chili powder, and garlic salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring often. (I had to simmer for awhile longer - I also added some water to the pan in order for the macaroni to plump up) Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand about 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
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Peanut Butter Fudge

Holy crap, this is some of the best fudge I have ever tasted. It reminds me of my Grandma's fudge that she used to make! It was a huge hit at Christmas.

Killer Crack Peanut Butter Fudge
Source: Cookie Baker Lynn

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup JIF peanut butter
1- 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Add the peanut butter, stirring until melted.. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla; beat until well blended.

Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 x 2 - inch pan. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate. Cut into squares when firm.Pin It

Asian dumplings

We ate at Ruby Tuesday last week and I got their Asian dumplings with peanut sauce. They were amazing! I then thought it would be a great idea to make some of my own at home. I'm on vacation this week so it was the perfect time to try something new. Oh.my.gosh. These were such a pain to make! Some people make them with wonton wrappers, which I will probably try next time (if there is one), but I made my own dumpling dough that the recipe called for. First of all, I had to add a lot more flour to the dough to make it less sticky so I could actually work with it. Secondly, I had to make the pieces a lot bigger than what the recipe said, otherwise the dough would get too thin. So, instead of the 48 dumplings I was supposed to get out of this mixture, I only got 31. I was okay with that. I was so ready to be done making them! I did fry up a few this afternoon just to make sure they came out okay. The pan got so hot that my stove thought it was on fire and started beeping at me. Wonderful. They tasted great, although I am excited to make them with peanut sauce. I made the sauce the recipe called for (a mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil) and didn't like it with these dumplings. I ended up using sweet and sour sauce instead. However, I think the peanut sauce will be fabulous with these. I froze the rest of the dumplings to have at a later time! If you want to freeze them, just place them on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag.

Chinese Dumplings - Potstickers
Source: chinesefood.about.com


Ingredients:

• Dumpling Dough*
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• Filling:
• 8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)
• 3 tsp salt, divided
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
• 1 TB white wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Dash white pepper
• Dipping Sauce:
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Other:
• 2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Cut the cabbage across into thin strips. Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the white pepper.

In a bowl, mix the flour and 1 cup boiling water until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly flour surface about 5 minutes, or until smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices.

Roll 1 slice of dough into a 3-inch circle and place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in the center of the circle. Lift up the edges of the circle and pinch 5 pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough and filling.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

To make a dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with the dumplings.

Reprinted with permission from Everyday Chinese Cooking: Quick and Delicious Recipes from the Leann Chin Restaurants.Pin It

Grocery Shopping Savings

I know a lot of people are cutting back on their spending right now so I thought I would write up a list of how I save money on groceries. I have implemented these tips for myself within the past couple of months and have seen a tremendous difference in our grocery bills.

1. Shop with a LIST and a MENU in mind. Before, I would walk down each aisle and just throw in whatever food looked good, but I would get home with an odd assortment of groceries and then would have to find ways to use it to make dinner. Now, I sit down one night a week and plan my menu for that week. If you want you can plan for more than a week, but I find it easier to shop once a week, especially when it comes to buying fresh produce.

2. Plan meals around store savings. Check out the sales that your local grocery store is having for the week and use those ingredients in your menu. This tip is something that I have not implemented as much, but I do stock up on meat during my grocery store's meat sale. I buy 5 packs of meat for $19.95 and get a 6th one for free with my advantage card. I then plan my meals around the types of meat I have. The packs usually go towards 2 different meals as well.

3. Shop at discount stores, such as Aldi and Save-A-Lot. I have done some comparison pricing and have found that some products are a lot cheaper at these discount stores. The following are foods that I now buy at discount stores (and they taste just as good!): canned foods, shredded cheese, cream cheese, butter, milk, and baking supplies.

4. Cut down on meat consumption. If a recipe calls for 1 pound of meat, I will often only use 1/2 a pound and save the other half for a future meal. I also serve one meatless meal a week and may change that to two a week a couple of times a month.

5. Eat leftovers! I was never a big leftover fan growing up, but have found that I now hate to waste food. Most recipes make at least 4 servings, so I will take leftovers for lunch the next day. This also cuts down on the amount of food I need to buy for lunches during the week.

6. Use leftover ingredients. Sometimes when I make something the recipe does not call for the entire can of tomato sauce, chicken broth, etc. I save the rest and then include another recipe on my menu for the week to use up the rest of the ingredient. Again, not wasting any leftovers!

7. Use coupons. This may be an obvious choice, but I also add caution to this tip as well. Do not use a coupon to buy an item that you would not normally buy just because you have a coupon. Only use coupons for items you normally buy! You can find online coupons you can print at coolsavings.com, bettycrocker.com, womansday.com, among others.

8. Buy generic or store brand items. This tip is probably the first I have implemented after living on my own. Oftentimes the generic or store brand item tastes just as good as the name-brand item for a third or half of the name-brand price. I also like to let people know that many times a generic brand is manufactured at the same factory as name-brand items.

9. Buy in-season produce. For items that are not in-season, you are paying for the transportation costs of bringing that item to you!

10. Use your freezer. If you know that you are not going to use the rest of an ingredient or something is about to expire, many items can be frozen and used later. Here is a list that I found in Good Housekeeping that I use as a guide. I have saved many ingredients from expiring this way!

11. Use what you have. Some nights I make it a point to use what we already have in our pantry and freezer, especially if I'm too busy to get to the store right away. We all have certain foods we always keep on hand, such as pasta, eggs, meats, etc. so it should be fairly easy to throw something together...and you save money by not buying additional ingredients!

12. Limit eating at restaurants or getting fast food or takeout. I will be the first to admit, I love going out to eat with Jon or with friends to relax and hang out. However, a meal for two can easily rack up $20+ depending on where you eat. I can buy an entire week's worth of groceries some weeks for that amount of money! I now try to only go out to eat or get fast food for lunch once a week, and hoping to drop that number even more in 2009. Additionally, it is a lot healthier to eat at home and know what is going into your food!

I may add to this list if I think of other ways I save on groceries, but hopefully this one that I have started will help you with your savings!Pin It

Chocolate Chip Cookies that aren't flat!

I have never made chocolate chip cookies that have turned out well. I don't know what it is about these cookies, but they have always turned out flat for me, no matter what I have tried. Tonight, I made them and they came out perfectly!! So this post is mainly for my mom, who has witnessed the countless times I have failed at these cookies, so she can see that her daughter has finally gotten it right. So Mom, are you proud of me??

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Very Best Baking

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (Omitted - I hate nuts in my cookies!)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. (My oven cooks really fast so I only cooked for about 7 minutes)Pin It

A nice Sunday meal

I think I've overcooked boneless pork chops every single time I've made them except once. I don't know why this is, but tonight I was determined to cook them right! They actually came out really well...maybe I need to pan-fry them every time I make them. This sauce is a perfect complement to the pork and would probably taste really well with chicken too. I made some twice-baked potatoes & a broccoli/corn mix on the side as well. I got a KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment from my in-laws for Christmas and tried it out for the first time today. I was impressed with the results! I am excited to make some other types of ice cream and even some sorbets for a lighter treat.

Apricot Pork Chops
Adapted from Cooking Light, as seen on Just 2 Good


Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops (I only used 2)
1/4 Cup chopped onion (Omitted - Jon doesn't like onions and I made soup last night with a ton of them in them so I decided to be nice tonight)
1/4 Cup apricot preserves
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 green onion, sliced (Omitted)

Directions:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add the pork to the pan; cook on each side approximately 6 minutes, or until done. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add the diced onion to the pan and saute until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in preserves, soy sauce, garlic, and salt. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened. Add pork to the pan, turning to coat. Sprinkle with green onions.

Twice-baked Potatoes
My own recipe, although I'm sure a ton of people have made them like this & twice-baked potatoes is a popular recipe anyway!

Ingredients:
2 potatoes
Shredded cheddar cheese
Light Ranch dressing
Real bacon bits

Directions:
Pierce the potatoes with a fork and microwave them for 10 minutes, turning half-way through. Scoop out the insides and mix with the cheese, ranch dressing and bacon bits. Fill each potato skin with the insides. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream
Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, 10 Speed Press, 2007

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I only had a 1/2 cup left of heavy cream so I made my own from this recipe) - Melt 1/3 cup butter, pour in 3/4 cup of milk and stir. I used low-fat milk so add in 1 tablespoon of flour to thicken it up. - Note: it will not thicken as much as heavy cream, but it still did the trick, especially when mixed with the 1/2 cup I already had!
5 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen strawberries)

Directions:
Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and add the strawberries. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

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Easy Ham & Bean Soup

Time to start food blogging again! I took a hiatus during the holiday season since so much was going on, and I even made a ton of foods that I could have blogged about. Oh well. My parents gave us a huge chunk of ham to take home after Christmas. I decided to make ham and bean soup, cut off a few slices for sandwiches for lunch and freeze the rest for future use. I got a Better Homes & Garden cookbook for Christmas so I decided to put it to good use. I picked out this recipe and a few others for dinners this week. Oh, and I got a new camera for Christmas so I hope that my pictures comes out better!

Easy Ham & Bean Soup
Adapted from Better Homes & Garden cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cubed cooked ham
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1.5 cups sliced celery (3 stalks)
1.5 cups chopped onion (3 medium) I used 2 medium and it was still too many onions...next time I will cut it down to 1 onion
3.4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1.4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
Cook celery and onion in hot butter. Add 4 cups chicken brother, 1 cup cubed cooked ham, and two 15-ounce cans navy beans, rinsed and drained, along with thyme, black pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.

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Orange Roast Pork

Our grocery store always has a periodic sale on meat - buy 5 for $19.95 and get a 6th package free with your advantage card. I usually only buy meat during this sale and try to extend it until the next meat sale! I've gotten pretty good at this by cutting down on meat in some of our dishes or only using part of the package and freezing the rest. Chicken is the only thing I buy whenever there is a good deal on a bag of it since we go through more of it. I bought a pork shoulder roast at the last meat sale and wanted to do something with it in the crock pot when I found this recipe. The verdict - I will definitely make this again! The gravy was so good, especially if you like citrus flavors.

Orange Roast Pork
Source: About.com

Ugh, sorry about the blurriness!

Ingredients:
1 (3-1/2 lb.) pork shoulder roast
1 onion, chopped
6-oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. cold water

Directions:
Trim roast of visible fat. Place onions in bottom of 3-4 quart crockpot. Sprinkle salt and pepper over roast and place in crockpot on top of onions. In small bowl, mix together thawed orange juice concentrate and brown sugar, and salt and pepper, and pour over roast. Cover crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours, then reduce heat to low and cook for another 3 hours.

Remove roast and onions from crockpot, cover, and set in low oven to keep warm. Skim fat from juices in crockpot. Then pour into large heavy pan. Blend flour and cold water in small bowl and add to juices in pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently with wire whisk, until thickened. Serve gravy with roast and onions.

*I served this with some mashed potatoes!Pin It

Christmas Party!

Here are a few things I made for our annual Christmas party with our friends. I was also going to make chocolate covered pretzels, but decided not to after making the cheesecake bites. They are originally called "pops," but I found that the sticks would not stay in them so I took them out and therefore they became bites! I couldn't find the wooden sticks anywhere so I used plastic coffee stirrers instead and they definitely didn't work! I really don't know if the wooden sticks would have been any better though. I forgot to get a picture of the bruschetta, but I will still post the recipe!

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake "Bites"
Adapted from The Food Network

Before I took the sticks out.

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (I used light because that's what I had)
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature (I used neufchatel)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter

Chocolate:
5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

For the cheesecake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line a 8 by 8-inch baking pan with foil letting long flaps overlap on each side. Spray foil with nonstick spray.

Break up the brown sugar to remove all lumps. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until very smooth. Add the cream and beat slowly; then add the yolks and vanilla mixing until just combined. Gently stir in peanut butter. Take care not to over beat the mixture; this incorporates too much air and causes the cheesecake to crack.

Pour and evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Open the oven to release some heat, then lower the temperature to 200 degrees F. Continue to bake the cheesecake until the outside is set but the center is still loose, for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven, and cool cheesecake in the oven for 45 more minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Lift cheesecake from the pan by lifting up the foil. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut into

1 1/2-inch cubes. Stick a wooden pop stick halfway into each bar and freeze for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, put the shortening and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more.) (I would probably use more chocolate because I didn't have enough for all of the pops and I didn't even coat them all the way like the Food Network picture shows.)

Dip the pops into the chocolate mixture, and stand on waxed paper to set, about 5 minutes. Serve cold (straight from the fridge), or freeze up to 2 weeks. Frozen pops make a cool summer treat, or can be allowed to temper for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Upgrade: Coat the pops with chopped nuts or candies for a really decadent finish. To do this let the dipped pops drip over a bowl for 15 seconds before rolling them.

These were really good and tasted a lot like peanut butter fudge!

Parmesan Rosemary Pinwheels
Adapted from Pampered Chef, Season's Best, Fall/Winter 2003 as seen on Amber's Delectable Delights and herb seasoning courtesy of Joelen




Ingredients
1 can (8 ounces) Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations
1/2 cup regular cream cheese spread
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I just used the stuff that comes in a can!)
1 teaspoon Pampered Chef pantry rosemary herb seasoning mix or 4 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary (I used a seasoning that Joelen came up with which is the following: 2 tbsp. dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp. dried grated lemon peel, 1 tsp. dried leaf oregano crushed, 1 tsp. celery salt, 2 tbsp. onion powder,2 tbsp. garlic powder, 1/8 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. salt)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Roll out the crescent recipe creations dough.
3. Place cream cheese in small bowl. Add rosemary and Parmesan cheese to bowl and mix well.
4. Spread the entire sheet of dough with the cream cheese mixture, leaving a 1/4 inch border all the way around.
5. Roll up the sheet of dough from one of the long edges; pinch edges to seal.
6. Using a serrated knife cut the rolled up dough into ~22 slices.
7. Place slices, cut side down, on stone or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press down lightly to even the tops of each pinwheel out.
8. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese
Adapted from Better Homes & Garden

Ingredients:
1 8-oz. loaf baguette-style French bread
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 oz. soft chevre (goat cheese), crumbled (I used feta cheese)
2 oz. light cream cheese (Neufchatel)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. snipped fresh sage or 1/4 tsp. ground sage (Omitted)
1 7-oz. jar roasted red sweet peppers, drained and cut into strips (I used my food processor to make them into smaller pieces)
1-1/4 cups coarsely chopped pitted Italian or ripe olives (I used black olives and used my food processor to chop them)
1/2 tsp. olive oil
Finely shredded fresh sage (Omitted)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until crisp and light brown, turning once. If desired, transfer the cooled toasts to a storage container. Cover and store the toasts at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl stir together goat cheese, light cream cheese, lemon juice, and snipped sage or oregano. (I used oregano) Cut red pepper into strips. Toss chopped olives in the 1/2 teaspoon olive oil.

3. To assemble, spread each slice of toast with cheese mixture. Top with red pepper strips, chopped olives, and sage leaves, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. To heat, return slices to the ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 425 degree F oven about 3 minutes or until the toppings are heated through. Makes about 24 servings. (I didn't assemble them - I just put the bruschetta on a large platter and had 3 smaller dishes with the warmed up cheese, chopped red peppers, and chopped olives so people could assemble them on their own according to their preferences!)

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Cranberry Orange Cookies

I was SO excited to make these cookies. I have really been into cranberries lately and loved the idea of combining cranberry and orange. Anyways, I made these last night and my cookies ended up coming out SUPER flat. They still taste good though so I'm glad I didn't really waste any ingredients although the texture is certainly different than I expected! I think my problem is that I softened the butter too much. I can be so impatient. I may try to make these again and not soften the butter so much to see if they turn out better. I hope so!
*I just realized that the recipe calls for the juice of HALF an orange...and I added juice from an entire orange so that may have been why the cookies came out flat too because of too much liquid.

Cranberry Orange Cookies
Adapted from Good Things Catered

So flat!!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp grated orange zest
juice of 1/2 orange
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. chopped fresh cranberries (I used a food processor and pulsed about 8-10 times)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
-In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and whisk; set aside.
-In bowl of stand mixer, combine butter and sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
-Add yolk and beat until fully incorporated.
-Add orange juice, then zest and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
-Turn mixer to low speed, add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
-Remove bowl from mixer, stir in cranberries, and place 1 Tbsp rounds of dough onto cookie sheets.
-Place cookies in the oven and bake, switching baking sheet positions half way through baking time, for 12-14 minutes (they should not brown)
-Remove from oven and let cool on pans completely, about 10-15 minutes.

I tried to hold up a cookie to show how flat it is...came out a little blurry but you can kind of see!

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Creamy Chicken Pockets

Chicken and bread..you can't go wrong! These were really good, but I would definitely add some more vegetables next time. I'm thinking maybe a broccoli and corn mix. Also, one of these pockets is HUGE! I just ate half and saved the rest for lunch later this week. I also cut the recipe in half because it was more economical and we really didn't need 4 of these! However, I am posting the original recipe - just note that my measurements were half of each ingredient.

Creamy Chicken Pockets
Adapted from Rediscovering the Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
4 small chicken breasts, diced
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (I forgot to add...oops!)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (Omitted)
2 tablespoons milk
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Brown chicken with onions and garlic.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine until smooth. Add the chicken, kosher salt, breadcrumbs, pepper, and milk. Mix well.

Separate crescent dough into eight rectangles, firmly pressing perforations of two triangles to seal into rectangle. Spoon 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto the center of four rectangles. Top with remaining rectangles and seal edges.

Place pockets on an ungreased cookie sheet or baking stone. Brush tops of pockets with melted butter; sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

A look at the inside

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Salmon Cakes

I was in one of those moods tonight where I had no idea what I wanted for dinner, but knew that I wanted something "light." Maybe it was due to the fact that the only things I've had all day were 3 chocolate chip cookies & a peppermint mocha. Yeah, probably not the best things to have eaten all day, but I think we all have days like that. I've had a packet of salmon for what seems like forever...I originally bought it to put over salad for lunch. I knew I could find a better use for it so I went searching for recipes. I ended up on the Chicken of the Sea website...which is the brand of the salmon I had...and thought that salmon cakes sounded pretty good. I roughly used the following recipe, but didn't measure anything and adapted it to what I had on hand and to the 3 ounce package of salmon I had rather than the 7.1 ounce the recipe calls for. Overall, these turned out pretty well and was exactly what I was looking for!

Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Herb Sauce
Adapted from Chicken of the Sea

Ingredients

7.1 oz. Chicken of the Sea® Premium Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon Pouch (I used the 3 ounce pouch)
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper (Omitted)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion (Omitted)
The following ingredients I did not measure so these reflect the original recipe...I used what looked like the appropriate amount:
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip Light)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
Cayenne (red) pepper, to taste
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons butter

Lemon-Herb Sauce
3/4 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip light)
1 Tablespoon each: fresh lemon juice and prepared horseradish (Omitted horseradish)
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme OR 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste (Omitted because of the seasoned salt in the cakes)

In small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients; blend well. Makes about 1 cup sauce.

Directions
In bowl, combine bell pepper, green onions, mayonnaise, lemon juice, seasoned salt and cayenne pepper; flake in Chicken of the Sea® Salmon. Add egg and 1/4-cup of the breadcrumbs; mix until well blended. Divide and form mixture into 8 balls (about 1/4-cup each). Roll salmon balls in remaining breadcrumbs; flatten into cakes about 1/2-inch thick. In large skillet, over medium heat, melted butter. Fry salmon cakes in for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve with Lemon-Herb Sauce. Makes 4 to 8 servings.

I made one of the cakes pretty big so it ended up falling apart, but still tasted good!

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Pasta e Fagioli

I don't know why I didn't make this sooner! I think I may have been a little intimidated by the name of the dish and never even looked at the ingredients or what it actually is. Sounds kinda stupid now that I think about it. Anyways, I made it and it's really good. The girl I got the recipe from said that it made a lot and she is RIGHT! This made so much that I decided not to make dinner tonight to make sure that we don't waste any leftovers. If you want to make this and freeze it, don't add the pasta to the soup itself. Make it on its own and add it each time you want to eat it. I realized that after I made all of it, but that's ok...we can deal with some leftovers!

Pasta e Fagioli (copy cat Olive Garden)
Adapted from ...and a cookie for dessert

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced (I omitted because I didn't realize my onions had gone bad!)
1/2 of a small 1 lb. bag of baby carrots, chopped
5 stalks of celery, diced (I omitted)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (32 oz.) carton + 1 (14.5 oz.) can of beef broth
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped (I used dry)
3/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 cup dry small pasta (such as ditalini or elbow macaroni) (I used rotini because I had about this much left over)
salt to taste

Directions:
Brown ground beef in oil. Drain if necessary.
Add onion, carrot, celery and diced tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add beans, beef broth, oregano, pepper, parsley, Tabasco sauce and spaghetti sauce.
Simmer soup on low for about 30-45 minutes until carrots are almost tender.
Add pasta to pot and simmer on low for about 15-30 minutes until pasta is just shy of al dente. As the soup cools, the pasta will absorb the broth. You can cook the pasta separate and add it to the soup after the soup has cooled.Pin It

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

After having to go back to work after a nice 4-day Thanksgiving weekend, I needed some comfort food for dinner. This is definite comfort food, but then again, what pasta dish isn't?? It also heated up really well for leftovers the next day.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese
Adapted from Cooking Light as seen on Cooking This and That

I apologize for the picture - I REALLY need a light box in the winter! Also, I really wanted to eat!

from Cooking Light

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links (I used pork sausage because it was on sale)
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used dried since I couldn't find fresh at the store)
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (I just used the stuff in the bag :) )
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I used canned Parmesan cheese)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble.

Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. (I just used a 9x13 pan and it worked fine) Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

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Apple Cider Beef Stew

When I first saw this recipe, I thought it sounded great. Then I tasted it. I hated it. I couldn't even eat a whole bowl of it. I basically took a few bites and that was it. Then I got angry that I wasted all of those ingredients. Until Jon tried it. He loved it. He ate a huge bowl and then ate the leftovers a couple of days later. So, I guess you can try it and see if you like it like my husband, or hate it like I did!

Apple Cider Beef Stew
Adapted from Crock-Pot.com

Ingredients:

1 lb beef stew meat

8 carrots, sliced

6 potatoes, sliced

2 apples, diced

2 tsp salt

½ tsp thyme

2 Tbs onion, minced

3 c. apple cider

1 c. celery (I omitted)

2 Tbs cider vinegar

Directions:
Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low 10-12 hours or High 5-6 hours.Pin It

Honey Yeast Rolls

I have always wanted to make something with yeast...but have never gotten up the courage to actually do it. I've had my KA mixer now for over a year, so I figured it was about time to use that dough hook! So, here is my first attempt at making homemade dinner rolls. First, I did not have a round pan to bake them in, so I used an 8x8 pan instead so they are not round. Secondly, they came out way doughier than I expected. If you know why that is, please feel free to let me know! Lastly, I had to cook them WAY longer than I was supposed to since they were so thick, but they still came out well and were done in the middle (just a little crunchy on top but not too much). By the way, these were good and I will definitely make them again! You can't go wrong with bread and honey.

Honey Yeast Rolls
Adapted from ...A cookie a day as seen on Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast (this is a whole packet...which I figured out after I measured it. I still managed to measure it wrong so I did not have all of the yeast...the rolls still rose but maybe that is why they were a little thicker!)
1 cup warm water (105°-115° F)
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour
vegetable cooking spray
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp honey

Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place into a round, lightly greased baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes. Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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