Gingberbread Biscotti

"Oooooooh the weather outside is frightful, but the fiiire is so deliiightful..." 

Well, okay...the weather outside isn't frightful, and a fire would only be sort of delightful.  I'm trying to get us in the holiday spirit with our little Charlie Brown christmas trees, foods, and music.  

This was a really good recipe!  I made swirly patterns on mine before I baked them, and that added a nice touch.  They're great by themselves, or you could dip them in milk\white chocolate, or drizzle a little frosting across the tops.

Ingredients:

 - 1\3 cup vegetable oil

 - 1 cup white sugar

 - 3 eggs

 - 1\4 cup molasses 

 - 2 1\4 cup all-purpose flour

 - 1 cup wheat flour

 - 1 tablespoon baking powder

 - 1 1\2 tablespoon ginger

 - 3\4 tablespoon cinnamon

 - 1\2 tablespoon ground cloves

 - 1\4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º, and grease a cookie sheet.

2. In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, eggs, and molasses. In another bowl, combine flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; mix into egg mixture to form a stiff dough.

3.  Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a roll the length of the cookie. Place rolls on cookie sheet, and pat down to flatten the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. 

4.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. 

5.  When cool enough to touch, cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices. Place sliced biscotti on cookie sheet, and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until toasted and crispy.      

  

Coffee Cake

Yum.  Yum, yum, yum!  That's what I have to say about this coffee cake.  I find alot of good recipes online, and this one didn't disappoint!  Just the cake itself was great - buttery and moist.  But you add the cinnamon sugar mixture on top, and immediately it turns into coffee cake-y goodness!                         

Ingredients:

Cake:
•  1 1\2 stick butter, softened                
•  2 cups white sugar
•  3 cups flour, sifted
•  4 tsp baking powder
•  1 tsp salt
•  1 1\4 cup whole milk (or low-fat if it makes you feel better!)
•  3 whole egg whites, beaten until stiff

Topping:

•  1 1\2 stick butter, softened                              
•  3\4 cups flour
•  1 1\2 cups brown sugar
•  2 tb cinnamon
•  1 1\2 cups pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and set aside.  Beat egg whites until stiff, and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined.  Don't overbeat.  Fold in egg whites with a spatula.  Spread in well greased 9x13 pan (or larger), one with high sides (If you don't have a high-sided pan, it might be a good idea to spread foil in the bottom of your oven).  

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter just until crumbly, and sprinkle over the top.  

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until the center is no longer jiggly.  

Enjoy!

Photo via The Pioneer Woman

Note: Beating the egg whites by hand doubles as a great arm workout.  I ended up pacing around the kitchen, whisking as fast as I could, urging them to hurry up. 

Three bean salad

For those of who are aren't vinegar lovers {or you absolutely hate vinegar}, you better just move on, because this recipe definitely isn't for you.  Buuuut, for those are you who are - this should be right up your alley!  

I never thought of myself as a vinegar lover.  In fact, I always thought that I didn't like it, and most times I don't.  But when we were staying at the Apples' house in Knoxville, Mrs. Evelyn served us three bean salad, and I loved it.  I made it a while back, and I can safely say that I ate a huge portion of it by myself.  So here it is!

Ingredients:

•  1 can cut green beans, drained (I used fresh green beans and cut them myself.  I think it turned out even better)

•  1 can butter beans, drained

•  1 can red kidney beans, drained

•  1\4 cup chopped green bell pepper

•  Finely diced purple onion, to your taste

•  1\2 cup apple cider vinegar

•  1\3 cup vegetable oil                               

•  1\2 cup sugar                                         

•  1 tsp salt

•  1 tsp pepper    

Directions:

Rinse beans and drain.  Combine beans with green pepper and onion.  Whisk together liquid ingredients, pour over bean mixture, and toss well.  Serve chilled. 

 

Braised-Baked Chicken

I made this chicken the other night, and it was really good!  I just sort of made up the recipe as I went along.  Well, it's not really a recipe recipe, but maybe you'll like it. :)

Ingredients: 

• Chicken pieces, with skin (just choose your favorite pieces!)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Thyme 
• Tumeric
• Garlic powder
• Oil or butter


Directions:

- Coat chicken pieces with salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and tumeric.  Be especially generous with the salt and pepper.  You want just enough of all of them, though, that the chicken pieces are well coated.

- Place chicken pieces in oil or butter and braise until the skin is nice and brown - about one minute on each side.  

- After both sides have been nicely browned, transfer to a pan, cover with foil, and bake for about 45 minutes.  


- Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until done.

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Don't worry about how yellow the chicken looks.  I uncovered it for the last bit of baking, and my first thought was, "Ew, gross!  That looks really nasty.  Great.  Oh well."  But it's the tumeric that makes it that color.  Never fear, though!  

~~~

Enjoy ~ Make sure and leave a comment if you've tried a recipe!

Popcorn balls

What says "fall" more than popcorn balls and caramel apples?  I have no idea.  I made these last night, and they were good!  I cooked the syrup mixture just a tiiiny bit too long, but if I hadn't, they would've been better.  Well, obviously.  

Ingredients:
- 1 cup white sugar
-  1\2 cup light corn syrup
- 1\4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- salt to taste
- 1\2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 cups popped popcorn

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and water. Stir and heat to hard-crack stage or 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Remove from heat, add vanilla; mix well. 
2. Pour slowly over popped popcorn while stirring. Wait 5 minutes and shape into 3 inch round balls. 
3. After eating, spend some time flossing or digging chunks out of your teeth.   :)           

The best meatloaf ever

I like meatloaf.  I really like meatloaf!  So when I saw this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's blog, it was love at first sight, and I knew I had to try it.  Wrapped in bacon?  Uh...yes, yes!  It was so good.  There was only a tiny piece left over that I put in the fridge, and that night when we had our "eat whatever you can find in that looks good" meal for supper, I tip-toed to the fridge to snitch it.  But it was gone!

~

 I guess that's a good sign.

Picture via The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients                         

Meatloaf:

• 1 cup whole milk

• 6 slices bread

• 2 lbs ground beef

• 1 cup (heaping) grated parmesan cheese

• 1\4 tsp seasoning salt

• 3\4 tsp salt (you can add a bit more salt here)

• Black pepper

• 1\3 cup minced (or 2 TB dry) parsley 

• 4 eggs (beaten)

• 10 slices bacon (or enough to cover your loaf.  Of meat.)

Sauce:

• 1-1\2 cup ketchup

• 1\3 cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp dry mustard

• tabasco to taste

Instructions 

Preheat oven 350º.  Pour milk over bread slices and let them soak.  

Place all meatloaf ingredients into a bowl, and combine well.  Place in a foil-lined pan and pat into a loaf.

Lay bacon slices over the top of your loaf, tucking the ends underneath.  Pat it and tell it you love it every few minutes.

Make the sauce and pour 1\3 of it over your meatloaf, and bake for 45 minutes.  Add another 1\3 of the sauce to the top and bake for another 15 minutes.

~

Enjoy!

 

Really...

New recipe coming soon!

...No, really...I promise...

Grilled corn and tomato salad

This salad is so good.  If you like corn and tomatoes that is.  {And for those of you who don't like tomatoes, saying that they're gross because the word "toe" is in the word "tomato" isn't that great of an argument.  Just sayin'.}

I can't take credit for this recipe, because Mrs. Debbie sent it to me, and she found it on some other recipe blog.  I just thought I'd pass it along!

:)

Ingredients                              

(Serves approx. 4)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3 ears corn, husks and silk removed

•1 beefsteak tomato (10 ounces),cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

•1 orange bell pepper (Ribs and seeds removed), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

•2 onions (Thinly sliced.  You can do more or less depending on your onion tastes...)

•1 to 2 tablespoons red vinegar

•Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill to high,place corn on grill. Cover, and cook, turning occasionally, until tender and slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut off tip of one ear of corn, and stand in a wide bowl (to catch the kernels). With a sharp knife, carefully slice downward. Repeat with remaining corn.

(I did not take take this picture)

2. To bowl, add tomato, bell pepper, onions, vinegar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. If storing, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.

    

So there you have it, hope you enjoy! 

~

If you try it, make sure to leave a comment!

Ravioli

Poor little Cookie Monster has been neglected for far too long!  Here is the recipe I use to make the ravioli.  They're really pretty easy to make, just very time consuming.  While you're doing the work, it's a great idea to just make a bunch and put it in the freezer.  (Make the filling, and put it in the fridge while you're making the dough)  Don't be intimidated by how long the recipe looks, hehe!  

---

Ingredients

Filling

•  1/2 lb. ground beef

•  1 small onion (minced)

•  1 garlic clove (minced)

•  1\4 C minced parsley (If you don't have fresh parsley, I just use a couple tablespoons of the dried stuff :) )

•  2 TB parmesan cheese (I used more than 2 TB...you can play around with how much you want)

•  1\2 tsp salt (You maybe want to add just a tink more...)

•  1 egg

Dough 

•  2 1/4 C flour

•  2 eggs

•  1/4 C water

•  1 TB olive oil

•  1 tsp salt

Marinara sauce 

•  2 TB olive oil

•  1 small onion (chopped finely)

•  1 clove garlic (chopped finely)

•  1 TB sugar

•  2 tsp basil

•  1 tsp salt

•  1 C tomato paste

•   1 C water

 Directions

Dough

In large bowl, stir flour with other ingredients to make a stiff dough.  On well floured surface, knead dough until smooth and not sticky (about 20 times).  Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 mins.  Cut dough into 4 pieces.  On floured surface, roll 1 piece into approx. a 12x8 rectangle (If you can get it to actually roll into a rectangle - congrats! :) ).  Lightly mark into dough 24 2 inch squares.  Place about a tsp of meat filling into middle of square.  Roll a second piece of dough into a same size rectangle, and carefully place on top of other dough and the filling.  Press down around the lumps of filling and the edges.  Cut into 24 ravioli and place in a single layer on a dry tea towel to dry.  Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling, and let rest for 30 mins.  In saucepan, heat 6 qts. of water and 2 tsp of salt to boiling - then add a tink of olive oil.  Gently add ravioli and carefully stir.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender but firm (Approx. 5-10 mins).  Drain, and add sauce.

Sauce

Over medium heat in hot oil, cook onion and garlic until tender.  Stir in sugar, basil, salt, tomato paste and water.  Heat to boiling while stirring.  Reduce to low heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 mins to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.  Pour over ravioli, and eat - ready to handle all the "Oohs", "Ahhs", and elaborate compliments that come your way.

:)

Enjoy, and make sure to leave a comment if you tried the recipe!

___ 

(Pictures courtesy of Julia)

 

Sweet Cinnamon Quick Bread

This is one of my favorite breakfast breads!  It's really quick and easy to make, and it's so good!

---------------

Bread                                       

• 2 cups flour                       
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (Since we don't have buttermilk here, I just use one cup of regular milk, and add one capfull of white vingear)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs

Streusel

• 2 TB  sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp butter, softened

Directions
-----------

• Heat oven to 350˚F.  
• Grease and flour bottom of 9x5 loaf pan (just using cooking spray or greasing it alone doesn't cut it, trust me...it needs greased and floured).  
• Combine all bread ingredients well, and pour batter into pan.  
• Combine streusel ingredients, and siwrl to marble.  
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  
• Remove from pan and cool. 

  



Enjoy!  
Tell me if you tried the recipe!  :)

 

Southern Gal biscuits

These are the best biscuits ever.  Next time you want to make biscuits (or just want to try making biscuits period), give this recipe a try!  You'll be glad you did.

----

Ingredients

4 cups sifted flour

8 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp salt

4 TB sugar

...

1 cup shortening

2 eggs, unbeaten

1 1\3 cup milk

Directions

Sift dry ingredients into bowl.  Blend in shortening until  it looks like corn meal.  Pour in milk slowly, and mix with fork or wooden spoon.  Add eggs.  Stir to a stiff dough.  Roll out to 1\2" thick.  Cut with cookie cutter or drop with cookie dipper.  Bake at 400*F for 10-15 minutes.

Yield: Makes (?) of the best biscuits you've ever tasted.


.................................
There you have it!  Make sure and tell me if you tried and liked the recipe. :)

Lemon-Mint Chicken

I tried this recipe a while back, and I really liked it!  It's a different kind of "flavor genre" than we usually eat, but it was a very nice change.  It had a nice tang to it, and the lemon and mint flavors went together well.  I just used bottled lemon juice, and some mint sauce because we didn't have any fresh lemons or mint.  I didn't have any watercress either {not that I even know what that is anyway...}.

__________________________________

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pound(s) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 2  lemons
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh mint, chopped
•  salt and coarsely ground black pepper                                        
• 1 bag(s) (4 ounces) baby watercress

Directions

1. Heat ridged grill pan over medium-high heat (or prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat). 
2. Pound chicken to uniform 1/4-inch thickness if necessary.
3. From lemons, grate 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice. In large bowl, whisk lemon peel and juice, oil, 2 tablespoons mint, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until dressing is blended.
4. Reserve 1/4 cup dressing. In large bowl, toss chicken cutlets with remaining dressing. Place chicken in grill pan and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until juices run clear when breast is pierced with tip of knife, turning over once.
5. To serve, toss watercress with reserved dressing and top with chicken. Sprinkle with additional chopped mint for garnish.

Crusted pork chops with apples and onions

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter                                                         
• 1/4 cup(s) vegetable oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
• 2  Rome apples, each cored and sliced into 8 wedges
• 2 tablespoon(s) coriander seed, crushed
• 1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
• 2 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoon(s) honey
• 4  (6- to 8-ounce) boneless pork chopa

Directions

1.  Caramelize the onions: Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and translucent and continue cooking until onions are browned. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and set aside.

2.  Sauté the apples: Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook until lightly browned on one side. Turn the wedges over and continue to cook until browned. Remove from heat and keep warm.

3.  Cook the pork chops: Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine the coriander, cumin, mustard, honey, and remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the spice mixture over the pork chops and place them in the hot pan. Sear pork chops for 2 minutes on each side and transfer to oven. Continue to cook in the oven until done--5 to 7 more minutes. Serve with Sautéed Apples and Caramelized Onions.
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I made these the other day, and they were really good.  I wasn't so sure how the mustard\coriander mixture would taste, but it worked!  They take longer to cook than 5-7 minutes though, but it's not going to be a long time.


-Enjoy! :)

Tada!

Tada... I decided to do a recipe blog!  One, because it doesn't take any work to do it, two, I liked the idea, and three, it'll be really nice when I want to post recipes, but don't want to clutter up my other blog with them.

So I'll give it a go!  Hopefully you all can try some of them, and don't forget to leave a comment if you tried one!