Chicken Etouffee and Bumbleee Stew

Happy Mardi Gras!  What better way than to celebrate with some delicious cajun food.  The chicken etouffee recipe is from Emeril Lagasse, and it has lots of spice and awesome flavors.  The bumblebee stew is on the sweeter side and together, they balance perfectly.

While the etouffe looks like it has a lot of ingredients, it's really not hard.  If you can make a roux, you can make this!  Basically, throw everything in, and let it just get more delicious the longer it simmers.

Chicken Etouffe

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse, Food Network

Serves 6, easily

Image Source

Ingredients

1 4 lb chicken cut into 8 pieces

salt 

Cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup flour

1 cup finely diced onion

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bottle dark lager or amber beer

1 quart cold chicken stock

1 can minced tomatoes

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/4 cup hot sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Season the chicken pieces with salt and cayenne pepper.  Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat and sear chicken on both sides until it is golden brown.  Remove to a platter and reserve.

Add butter to pan and when melted, add flour and stir to combine well.  Continue to cook roux, stirring constantly, until chocolate brown, about 12-15 minutes.  (It is helpful to use a whisk until the roux is complete and until the liquids have been thoroughly mixed in.)

Immediately add onion and bay leaves and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes, then add the beer and stir well to loosen any browned bits from the bottom.  Add the stock, brown sugar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, return chicken pieces to the pot and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the chicken is very tender.  

Remove chicken pieces to a platter and when cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bones.  Return the chicken meat to etouffee and continue to cook another 30 minutes until sauce is thickened and flavorful and chicken is beginning to fall apart.  Add chopped parsley and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve immediately over rice.

Bumblebee Stew

Adapted from Freakishly, Fabulous Favorites

Serves 6, easily

Image Source

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 stick butter

1/2 - 1 package frozen corn, I like Trader Joe's roasted sweet corn

2 cans black beans

1-2 can diced tomatoes

Directions

Saute the diced onion in the butter.  Add remaining ingredients.  Heat until it simmers; you are done. Serve alongside the chicken etouffee on top of the rice.  Garlic bread is also a nice addition!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Cranberry Apple Crisp

In a recent post, I mentioned that I had gone to an apple orchard.  I wanted to share some of the recipes that I used because I had 13 pounds of apples to go through!  One of my favorite apple recipes was an apple crisp that I made from my Cuisine at Home magazine.  It was super easy and the streusel on top just set it over the edge of goodness!  

Picture Source

Here's the recipe:

Apple Crisp

Adapted from Cuisine at Home

Issue No. 95

Ingredients:

For the Streusel:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks cold butter, diced

3/4 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Filling:

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup cider or brandy

4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the streusel, whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, and salt.  Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until thoroughly combined.  Mix oats and pecans into flour mixture; cover and refrigerate.

For the filling, soak cranberries in brandy or cider for 20 minutes, until plumped, 20 minutes.  Drain and save liquid for another use.  Toss together apples, cranberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp flour, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.  Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Cover apples with streusel and bake until apples are tender, about 50 minutes.  Let apple crisp rest on a cooling rack 30 minutes before serving.

I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this as much as I did.  Just add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you'll be set!  Happy Fall!

Week Six

I'm back today with another week of recipes for you to try out.  I'm a week behind, so here's what we had last week.  I find this week's food to be particularly tasty, and I've had them all before, so I know that they taste good.

Monday: Guinness Roast Beef 

• Okay, this was A-mazing!  And it was a splurge, but who cares because it tasted so good.
• I had the onions, garlic, spices, and corn starch.
• I bought a chuck roast ($9), beef broth ($2), 2 bottles of Guinness ($4), 4 carrots ($1), and a head of cabbage ($1.50).

The total was $17.50, but I had leftovers and I reused the meat for another day.

Tuesday: Cajun Fettucini Alfredo (I will post this recipe soon)

• For this recipe, I had the alfredo sauce and the spices. - (I froze this a month or two ago, and when it defrosted, I just added some more cream and some more parmesan cheese to even out the consistency.)  It tasted totally fine - I was leery to freeze that type of thing, but it worked!
• I bought the chicken ($12) and the fettucini ($2).

This recipe cost $14, and I had enough for lunch the next day.  For the spices, I used Penzey's spices red and black spices.

Wednesday: White Chicken Chili

• For this recipe, I had all of the spices, the onion, the garlic, the olive oil, dried beans, the chicken from last night and 4 cups of chicken broth.
• I purchased the parsley ($2) and another container of chicken broth. ($2)

My total for this meal was $4, and I froze two more containers of it.  That will be two more dinners for us, and 3 lunches for me!

Thursday: Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwiches

• For this, I had the roast, the gravy, the bread, and I simply bought the potatoes to make mashed potatoes ($2).  

The total is $2 for the dinner, and we definitely had enough for a lunch too!

And, this recipe is pretty self-explanatory.  Toast bread, add roast, put mashed potatoes on the side, drown the whole thing in gravy... you're set.

Friday: Butternut Squash stuffed Shells with Brown Butter Sauce

• For tonight's dinner, I had the ricotta cheese, the pasta shells, garlic, parmesan cheese and the butter.
• I bought butternut squash ($2), a container of spinach ($2), and the sage ($2).

This meal cost $6, and we had way too much of it.  It was good on day one, so make a half portion because this is the dinner that never ends.

Saturday: Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream

• I had everything for this recipe (flour, milk, eggs, cinnamon, rice krispy cereal, vanilla, vegetable oil, baking powder, salt and heavy cream) except for the strawberries ($2).
• I use the heavy cream to make fresh whipped cream, I cut up the strawberries, and the secret weapon is Trader Joe's sugar-coffee grinder.  Grind some on top of your waffles, and you will not be disappointed!

Dinner = $2.

Sunday: Stuffed Shells Again for free!

The meals this week cost $45.40  I'm pretty impressed with this one if I don't say so myself. :)

Have a great week!

All pictures are from Pinterest.

Week Five Recipes & Apple Orchard

Oh, it is finally fall!  This is no doubt my favorite season.  I am lucky enough to have already made some wonderful friends here in Indy, and I was invited to go pick apples at Anderson Orchard.

I absolutely had a blast picking 13 pounds of apples!  When we arrived the air was crisp and we were able to take in all of the sites that you would expect to see at a family orchard.  There was row upon row of about 20-30 different types of apples.  Mums dotted the front porch of the little shop, and the smell of pumpkin bread mingled around in the air.  The playground was packed full of little ones that were on  a field trip, and all of it just brought joy to my heart!

Because I picked a lot of apples for just Scott and me, I'll be making lots of apple recipes.  I'll keep you posted on those, but for now, here's what's for dinner.

Monday: Vegetable Lasagna

• I made this about a month and a half ago and had the remainder frozen.
• I did buy some sourdough bread for $3, and we froze the other 2/3 of it.
• We had this for dinner and again for lunch = $3.

Tuesday: Tacos!

• I haven't made tacos in a while, but they sound tasty this week!
• I bought 1 lb of ground beef  ($6), taco shells ($2), refried beans ($2) and cilantro ($2).
• I had rice and I am going to make my own taco seasoning.
• Total = $12... we will probably have some rice and beans leftover.

Wednesday: Community Group... I bought cheddar cheese to go with our chili ($2).

Thursday: Taco Baked Potato

• I will use the 1/2 pound of ground beef that will be left over from Tuesday to go on top of our baked potatoes.
• I bought 2 potatoes ($1) and an avocado ($1) to dice up on top. 
• I will garnish it with our leftover cilantro, and I am going to make a pepper jack cheese sauce.
• Our total = $2 and some guacamole as a snack with the half that didn't get used!

Friday: Roast Chicken with Spaghetti Squash and Mac and Cheese

This mac 'n cheese is the best stuff ever!  I used to make it from scratch, but this is just as good in a time crunch.

• I bought my little chicken for $10.  He was pasture raised, and I'm sure he was very happy until the end. :)  We'll eat half tonight.
• The spaghetti squash was $3, and the mac and cheese was from Trader Joes - $3. 
• This meal is $16 and a lunch added in and half a leftover chicken for next Monday's dinner.

This weekend we are cheating.... friends and family are coming up, so we'll be eating out!

Our total this week is: $45

A Week of Recipes

Happy Monday friends!  As you saw in my last post I have been on a serious reading kick.  One of the new books that I am reading is called The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn.  In one of the chapters of the book, it challenges its readers to avoid waste and to use up everything that is in the fridge.  Flinn examined her fridge and was shocked to see that waste that she had accumulated in a week, and so I decided to do the same.  I thought I had been doing a pretty good job, but I still found the remnants of some lettuce, half a container of sour cream, a little cream cheese, a bean burrito, a dish of rice and a few green beans.  All of these were past their expiration, and while I can take heart that my fridge is now clean, I had to ask myself, why did I just throw away money!  Beyond that, it was just simply wasteful.  

I recently read a statistic that American families throw away 14% of the groceries that they buy each week.  For example, if you spend $100 on groceries each week, $14 is thrown into the trash.  That is almost $60 a month!  It may not look like a lot either... it could show up as some bananas that are past their prime or 4 slices of bread that got stale before you ate them, but when you total it up, it is a lot.  

So I created a plan to start using up everything and to have nothing left in my fridge by the time Sunday rolls around.  I am certainly not an expert, but here is what I came up with for one week:

Monday:  Pecan Crusted Chicken with honey mustard sauce, Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli

• I bought a package of chicken that had three 1/2 breasts and three tenderloins.  Today I used 2 of the breasts and reserved the rest. 
• I had the pecans already.  Chop them up really well.  Coat the chicken in flour, dip in egg, then dip in pecans.  I usually cook it in olive oil until brown on both sides then stick it in a 350 oven until I'm finished with the vegetables.
• Make mashed potatoes as normal, but leftover cream cheese instead of butter.
• I just steam the broccoli- add salt and pepper... maybe some lemon juice if you have that hanging around.
• I bet you have have honey and mustard hanging around your house.... voila honey mustard.
• For this meal, I bought chicken ($9) and broccoli ($2) for a total of $11.

Tuesday: Summer Vegetable Tart

• Here is an example recipe: Ratatouille Tart
• I had pre-made pie dough, a squash, one ear of corn, a red onion and a basil plant.
• I bought a zucchini and fresh, local mozzarella cheese for a total of $6.
• Meal's total = $6, plus lunch for two.

Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs

• I bought spaghetti, but only used half. 
• I bought ground beef, sausage, an onion and bread.
• I made the sauce... I had all of the ingredients thanks to my mother in laws tomato plants!  See the recipe here.
• I had ten meatballs left over... so I am definitely having lunch tomorrow.
• This meal's total was $12.

Thursday: Lentil Soup with Cornbread

• I had the soup in the freezer = free!
• I bought a box of cornbread... which I will never do again. $3... whaa waa.
• Dinner for 2, plus 2 lunches = $3.

Friday: Poached Chicken with Green Beans and Cornbread Dressing

• Remember that initial chicken?  Now it's free!  I simply took some garlic and some fresh herbs and rubbed it all over the chicken.  (I have herb plants and had the garlic.)  I poured in the chicken broth and some lemon juice.  Let it cook for 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
• And that cornbread with yesterday's soup?... It's going to be cornbread dressing.
• I added cranberries (had those) and celery ($3) and chicken broth from the fridge.  Here's the recipe.
• I bought green beans ($1).
• Dinner for 2 = $3.   Celery becomes a snack... just separate what you need for the recipe and eat the rest in the afternoon with late half empty jar of peanut butter lurking in your cabinet or the close to expiration cream cheese. 

Saturday: Meatball Subs

• Remember those leftover meatballs?  I am using 4, so I still have 8.  Those are getting frozen, and I will see them in the future!
• I am using up that tasty mozzarella that I bought.
• I bought a loaf of Italian bread for $3.  (I'm only using half, so the other half is getting frozen as well.)
• Dinner for two = $3.

Sunday: The Fridge is Empty ... treat yourself to dinner and head to the grocery.  Time to start planning again.

Total Spent on Dinner Groceries this week: $38*

Total Wasted on Groceries: $0! Whoo hoo!

Please note that almost all meat, vegetables, cheese and pasta were either local or organic.  If that's not important to you, you could probably cut my total in half.

Okay, so there you have it.  I know that I have things that you may not have and that as you use up items that you'll have to replace them.  I also know that this list doesn't include things like breakfast foods and milk, but this is definitely a start, and I was pretty excited.

Feel free to use these ideas, and please share how you make the most of your leftovers!!

Spider-Man & Patio Gardening

Happy Fourth of July!   Scott gets two (full) days off this month, and today happened to be one of those days.  I was super excited that he got one so early in the month, but the poor fellow has a long time ahead now. Today, we went to see The Amazing Spider-Man.  It was pretty great, and it was equally great to have a movie theater close by.  The movie was nice for me because I didn't know the history of Spider Man, and this movie helped to sort through some of those ideas.  Plus, Emma Stone is a wonderful actress.  She's so versatile, and she wasn't just an accessary to Spider Man.  (I can't remember the guy's name, but he did a great job too.)  I liked this one much better than the Toby McGuire ones.

After our movie, we had a wonderful dinner with some new friends and their parents.  I can't tell you how much of a blessing it is to already have someone to call if I need something.  We had fried chicken, corn, this delicious cole slaw with cranberries, and I brought a lemon - lime tart.  (You can find the recipe here.)  We had a great time!  It was really nice to talk about new things and to get caught up on the old as well.  (They're from our hometown too!)  We had a really nice day together.

On to a separate note, Scott has to work early tomorrow, so he went to bed (a few hours ago.)  And so here I am... blogging in the dark. :)  I will say, our house is way cleaner than it's ever been, and for that, I am quite proud.  I have recently made myself familiar with the home improvement stores and my local Target.  You can see some of my handy work below.

 

I hung some boxes from our balcony too.  I don't know if they're super secure so I'm just waiting for them to plummet onto someone's car below.  I'll keep you posted about how that turns out. :)  But for now, friends, I need some ideas.  What are some of your favorite things to do (that are quiet!!)?  I need book suggestions or hobbies or else I'm going to be going to bed at eight too!

I'd love to hear your ideas!  Please share, and have a wonderful rest of your holiday!

Super Bowl Preview

Yesterday was our cooking club to celebrate the upcoming Super Bowl! We made lots of treats, but the best thing, in my opinion, were the Southwestern egg rolls. They were spicy, but they were also full of spinach, black beans, corn and a little cheese. The kids loved them, and I could have made a meal out of them. I found the egg roll wrappers in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods, and I got whole frozen spinach there. (I don't like when it's all chopped up.) I bought roasted corn at Trader Joe's to make them a little more Southwestern. They were amazing!

Source: Annie's Eats

To see the recipe for Southwestern Egg Rolls, click here.

We also made:

Cincinnati Chili
Cold Veggie Pizza
Texas Caviar
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Strawberry Pizza

Chicken Pie

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am cooking my way through "The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook." Up for tonight's menu was the Chicken Pie. The recipe says this makes one "pie" aka a huge chicken pot pie casserole. Realizing this before hand, I cut all of the ingredients in half because we just don't need that much! I will post the recipe as its original though, and you can choose how you would like to make it. Halving it worked just fine though.

While this recipe is quite tasty, I think I still prefer the one that I discovered a few years ago. It is so good, and I don't know if it can be beat. This Chicken Pie is more of a traditional, down-home pot pie, while my Martha Stewart Chicken Pot Pie is lighter and has an almost fresh because of the lemon zest and fresh thyme. I think that it's just more my style, but you be the judge. You can find that chicken pot pie recipe here.

On to this recipe:

Chicken Pie

Crust:

There is a recipe in the book, and I'm sure it is lovely, but tonight, I opted for the Kroger pre-made kind.

Filling

1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced (didn't use)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1 t. salt
1/2 t. fresh pepper
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot and celery, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the flour and thyme, and stir until all the flour is absorbed.
Stir in the the liquids. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer until thickened.
Add the chicken, peas, parsley, salt and pepper.
Pour the filling into the prepared dish. Top with the pie crust. Cut small slits into the crust as a vent.
Mix egg with 1 T water, and brush on top of the crust. Place the pie on a cookie sheet, and bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Celebrating the New Year

I've always heard that a traditional New Year's meal should consist of black eyed peas. I think they are supposed to bring luck, so this year I thought I'd give it a shot. I especially wanted to make this dish while black eyed peas are readily available because my wonderful mom in law gave me a most fabulous cookbook. It's called "The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook" by Maggie Green. It's perfect because it goes month by month and focuses on seasonal dishes that are traditional to the state of Kentucky. I've always wanted to cook through a cookbook, and I think this will be the one I do it with. So tonight was the first recipe, and being January 2nd, I thought it was a good time to start with this new year's tradition.

The recipe is a vegetarian dish, and it's main ingredients are black-eyed peas and kale. It was spicy and peppery-- an altogether wonderful dish for a really cold night. I made the salad on the following page to go with it as well. It had arugula and oranges... very tasty too. The arugula is quite peppery, but the citrus tames it. It also has a nice Dijon vinaigrette to go on top. I really enjoyed both dishes, and so did my husband, but we like the heartiness that these types of vegetables provide. I would highly recommend this dish especially because it tastes great, and you can easily make a few meals of it.

Spicy Stewed Black-Eyed Peas and Kale
12 servings

2 Tb. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery (didn't use - Scott doesn't like celery)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 ounces diced ham (didn't use -- wanted a true veggie meal)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried thyme
1 bay leaf (I used 2 because mine were small)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
2 12 oz bags frozen black-eyed peas (I used two cans)
3 cups chopped fresh kale
6 cups chicken broth

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the ham (or not), garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt and cayenne pepper.
Cook and stir for 1 minute.

Add the peas, kale and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat the low, and simmer, partially covered, until the beans and kale are tender.

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Winter Citrus Salad with Arugula
3 servings

3 cups arugula
2 oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
2 oz Parmesan shreds

Dressing
2 Tb. red wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. fresh pepper
-1 added 1 Tb. sugar and 1 Tb. honey
(It was a little tart for my taste, but you may like it as it is.)

Arrange arugula onto 3 individual plates. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Drizzle a tbsp. of dressing onto each salad, lay the oranges, and drizzle another tbsp. Sprinkle a little Parmesan on each salad, and give one last drizzle.

Photo Source

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Hello Friends! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving leftovers are the best, and here is a recipe that you can make if you have a left-over can of pumpkin pie puree. It's really simple and it's really tasty. If you've ever had dump cake, it's very similar. So here is how you make this festive fall dessert:

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Source: The Picky Apple

Ingredients:

* 1 box yellow cake mix

* 1 can pumpkin puree (15 0z)

* 1 can crushed pineapple, drained

* 3 large eggs

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 1 tsp. cinnamon

* 1/2 tsp. salt

* 1 cup pecans, chopped

* 1 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of 9 x 13″ cake pan.

2. Mix pumpkin, pineapple, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Pour mixture into greased pan.

4. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and top with pecans.

5. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake 50-55 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Chai Buttercream

I'm sorry that I have been gone, but you will surely accept the peace treaty that I set before you today. Last night, we had a friend's Thanksgiving, and I made a pumpkin cake with chai icing. It was perfectly moist and the Italian butter cream (though it gave me mild fits) was supremely worth every last calorie.

Thanksgiving desserts (at least in my mind) usually revolve around pie. My grandmother would always make pumpkin pie for our meals, and it always seemed fitting. But I like cake. So I set about finding a festive fall cake that screams Thanksgiving. This cake was soooo easy to make. I made it at midnight, half asleep, and it turned out perfectly. It has a wonderful spiciness and a very mild pumpkin flavor, so if you don't like it, you won't really taste it. I think it basically just adds moistness to the cake.

The icing also has a nice spiciness, and as I was making it, my kitchen filled with the sent of a chai latte. It was heavenly. I will say though that this icing is a bit fussy. It requires that you boil the sugar - water combo and I don't really have a candy thermometer. The first time that I made it, I boiled it too long and it became like jolly ranchers before I realized what had happened. (Beware: it will look lovely and liquidy in the sauce pan, but it hardens quickly!!) So a little wiser to this icing's plot, I just eyed it instead of timing or using the thermometer.

Despite my icing antics, it was well worth it, and hopefully it will run smoother for you! I think you should give it a go as it was well worth it! If the icing does overwhelm you, I would just make a normal butter cream or cream cheese frosting (either would be great) and add the chai spices to that.

Click Here for Photo Source

Anyways, on with the show...

Pumpkin Cake with Chai-Spiced Italian Buttercream
Adapted from Cuisine at Home Magazine
Issue No. 84

Pumpkin Cake:
*2 1/2 cups cake flour
* 2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. table salt
* 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 eggs (at room temp.)
* 1/2 cup hot water

Cake Directions:
(1 hour total)
(16 servings ... at least)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat insides of two 8x2 inch round cake pans with non-stick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; coat paper with non-stick spray.

2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

3. Beat together pumpkin, sugars, oil and vanilla in a bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in one egg at a time until incorporated.

4. Alternately add flour mixture and hot water to the sugar mixture, beating after each addition.

5. Divide batter between cake pans; smooth top with a spatula. Bake until cakes come out clean, about 28-30 minutes (mine took 25). Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then turn them out to cool completely.

Chai Spiced Italian Buttercream:
* 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 tsp. ground ginger
* 1/2 tsp. each: ground nutmeg, cardamom and cloves
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
* 5 egg whites at room temp.
* 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
* 4 sticks unsalted butter at room temp. (yep... you read that right.)

Directions:
(30 minutes total)

1. Stir together spices and set aside.

2. Boil sugar, water and and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally. (Now, here is where I had trouble... this is what the recipe says to do!) When syrup reaches 230 degrees, begin whipping egg whites in a bowl of a stand mixer on high speed with the whisk attachment until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat to stiff peaks. Meanwhile, continue cooking syrup until it reaches 245 degrees.
(What I did that worked: The 2nd time I started the egg whites at the same time as my sugar syrup. I mixed it on medium high and added the cream of tartar as called for. I then continued to watch the syrup and just eye balled when I thought it was done. If you pull out the spoon, you would see an ever so slight graininess of the sugar. It was mostly dissolved so that when I did add it to the egg whites, you didn't notice it.)

3. Immediately remove syrup from heat. Drizzle about 1 tbsp and all of the spice into the whipped egg whites; beat on high until thoroughly combined.

4. Continue drizzling syrup, beating until all is added and combined. Continue beating until sides are cooled to room temp. (About five minutes) (Note: as my syrup cooled, some hardened on the side of the bowl, but the icing itself was totally fine. I just avoided that as I went to frost my cake.)

5. Add butter 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition. Buttercream may appear to curdle, but continue beating. It will all come together when all of the butter is added.

To Assemble:

Cut each cake in half. Apply frosting between each layer, on the top and on the sides! (You will have a nice, tall, four layer cake that is supremely moist and not overly sweet.

Cracker Barrel Memories

Today, I pay homage to my lovely former roommate. Every fall, we would tromp into our local Cracker Barrel, have the broccoli cheddar chicken with hash brown casserole and carrots (you know-- to make it a balanced meal.) (wink wink.) To make our evening complete, we would share a piece of the coca-cola cake with ice cream. This meal was the epitome of the perfect fall evening. We would also show up in our pajamas, but no one looked twice... it's how we rolled.

My friend and I are far apart now, but every time I make this cake, I think of her. It's a delicious cake though, and it may not have sentimental value to you, but you will make it again and again just because it is that good... and easy too. I've mentioned this cake before, but making it yesterday reminded me of it again. I thought you could use a refresher too.



Click here for the cake's directions.

Bean Soup & Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread

Tonight for dinner I made a very easy meal, and it was really delicious. I found a recipe for Tuscan Bean Soup on the Better Homes and Gardens website, and to accompany it, I made Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread from the Let's Dish blog. This was the perfect Sunday dinner because all that I had to do was chop up a few ingredients, and dinner was good to go. It was filling and my farmer's market spinach tasted so fresh on top of my hearty soup.

Here's how to make the soup:

Tuscan Bean Soup
adapted from BHG

*2 carrots, coarsely chopped
*1 small onion, chopped
*3 Tbsp. olive oil
*2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
*1 32-oz. box reduced-sodium chicken broth
*2 t0 3 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
*1 5-oz. pkg. baby spinach
*Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a 4 quart pot. Add onions and carrots and cook until onions are translucent. Add beans, broth and seasoning. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil. Toss spinach until it is just wilted. Ladle the soup and top with the sauteed spinach.

And here is the cornbread:

Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
adapted from Let's Dish

*3 cups flour
*1 cup yellow cornmeal
*1/4 cup sugar
*2 tablespoons baking powder
*2 teaspoons salt
*2 cups milk
*3 eggs, lightly beaten
*1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
*2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
*1/2 cup sliced scallions, divided
*3 tablespoons fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

Directions:

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until most of the lumps are dissolved. Do not over-mix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated cheddar cheese, about 1/3 cup scallions and the jalapenos. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Back to School...

Well friends, you can probably tell that I have been super busy this week. My posts have become fewer, but I plan to steadily continue. Tomorrow is the first day of school, and I am very excited. I have been thinking about and praying for the new little ones that will quickly become part of my everyday.

Here are some of my favorite school ideas that I will be testing out on them this year...

I love the idea of turning normal crates into lovely chairs... plus you can't beat the extra storage.
C.S. Lewis' quotes inspire me to think deeply about topics that I wouldn't always choose to consider on my own. Hopefully, he (and I) will do the same for my students.I've yet to meet a kid who doesn't like candy, so I'll take the help I can get to make them excited about reading.I love this idea too! What a fun way to remember birthdays!And of course I bake for them. They would simply love this. Last year I made my darlings maple bacon cupcakes, and I had them hooked. :)

So tomorrow, keep all the little children and their teachers in mind; it's going to be a long but exciting day.

For pictures click here.

Blackberry Crisp Ice Cream

I love ice creams that have something extra to them. This ice cream was perfect for me! For my birthday, my husband bought me an ice cream maker, and he has greatly benefited from this purchase. I made this blackberry crisp ice cream from a combination of sources, and it turned out nicely. It also made the perfect amount for two people. (one quart) Take advantage while blackberries are in season!

Picture Source

Step One: Make the Crisp

Crisp Streusel
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

2 sticks butter, cut into 1/2 cubes, chilled
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Put all the ingredients except oats in a bowl. Blend quickly so that the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add the oats; mix well. (Try not to melt the butter.)
3. Spread onto an ungreased baking sheet, and break up any large clumps.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toasted and brown. Stir frequently, especially the corners. Let it cool completely, then freeze until ready to use. Can be frozen for one month.

*This makes a ton!*

Step Two: Make the Blackberry Sauce

Blackberry Sauce
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home
Makes 1 1/4 cup

2 cups blackberries (or any berry)
1 cup sugar

1. Combine berries and sugar in a small sauce pan; bring to a boil. Continue stirring 5-8 minutes.
2. Let it cool slightly, then force the sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds. (I left some in to show it's legit.) Refrigerate until cold and ready to use.

Step 3: Make the Ice Cream

Sweet Cream Ice Cream
Cuisine at Home
Issue No. 75

3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream

1. Whisk together egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.
2. Heat milk, heavy cream and sugar in a sauce pan until steam rises. Gradually add half of the hot mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly. Add yolk mixture to remaining hot milk. Reduce heat to medium-low for 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Strain ice cream base into a bowl and cool in an ice bath. Cover bowl; chill 4-12 hours. Churn according to machine directions.

Step Four: Mix it all together!

1. Add a layer of ice cream into your freezer safe tupperware dish.
2. Add a layer of your crisp.
3. Drizzle the blackberry sauce.
4. Repeat - think lasagna.

Let it set for a few hours and voila - ice cream that anyone would be lucky to have. Perfect for the hot summer days we've been having.

Bacon and Sweet Corn Pasta

On Tuesdays, we meet with our community group, so I am always looking for something quick to make on these hectic nights. This dish was absolutely perfect taking only 25 minutes to make and even less time to eat... it was delicious! If you like the sweet and salty combination, this is your dish. The saltiness of the bacon and the crisp sweetness of the corn was a great match. The sauce wasn't heavy, but it stabilized all of the flavors nicely. Here's what you do:

Imagine me with bacon... :)

Bacon and Sweet Corn Pasta
Cuisine at Home
Issue No. 88

8 oz. dry campanelle or farfalle pasta
4 strips thick sliced bacon
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
2 ears worth of fresh corn kernels (1 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the pasta according to package directions, then drain; reserve 1 cup pasta water.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper-towel lined plate and reserve 1 tablespoon drippings.
3. Saute zucchini and corn in drippings until tender, 5-6 minutes. Add pasta to skillet.
4. Stir in bacon, cream, basil and pine nuts. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

*This could easily become a vegetarian meal by omitting the bacon.*

Enjoy!

Potato-Stuffed Poblanos

Saturday, my husband downed a huge milk shake, a plate of fries, a huge piece of pizza, a cannoli and multiple other delicious things that are not the most health friendly; so Sunday, he declared that we not eat meat. Wanting to oblige, I found this delicious recipe for stuffed poblano chiles with a black bean saute. They were so stinkin' good! I love the poblanos that are deep fried and stuffed with cheese, and I like to think that these are a slightly more healthy variation. The filling (potatoes, cheese, jalapenos... need I say more?) is what makes these taste *amazing*, and the smokiness of the poblano isn't too shabby itself. Fine Cooking 's Chicken & Rice Version

Potato-Stuffed Poblanos
Cuisine at Home
Issue No. 85

2 large poblano chiles
Filling:
2 cups cubed red potatoes (skins on)
1/2 cup sliced yellow onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped scallions
3 Tbsp. cream cheese
3 Tbsp. canned diced green chiles
1 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. Roast poblanos over a gas burner or under a broiler until skin blackens. Transfer to a bowl and steam for 10 minutes. (Cover with plastic wrap.) Peel off skin.
3. Cut a slit down one side of pepper. Discard seeds.

4. For filling, bowl potatoes and onions together until potatoes are cooked through. Make sure moisture is evaporated.
5. Mash potatoes with all of the filling ingredients.
6. Divide filling between poblanos and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7. Bake until cheese is golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Black Bean Saute

Soften 1/2 cup onion in oil with 1/2 tsp. cumin and 1 bay leaf. (5 minutes) Stir in one can black beans (rinsed), 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1/4 cup scallions, 1 tsp. minced garlic; heat through. Stir in 2 tsp. lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Scott nor I could finish ours, so you may be able to save some for the next day too...

Enjoy this hearty vegetarian meal that no one will complain about! Until next time...

Chocolate Peppermint Double Doozies

Hello my friends; do I have a treat for you! The other day at school, a mom brought us some chocolate cupcakes with peppermint icing. Since then, I have been on a quest to find out how to make this addictive icing, and what do you know, I found it. I am not, however, the biggest cupcake fan, but I do love a good cookie. That's when I decided to find a chocolate cookie recipe.

Today, both of my searches were completed, and it was time to put my idea to the test. I created the most decadent double doozie imaginable. The normal double doozie can be found at the mall with a chocolate chip cookie and vanilla icing, but mine are double chocolate chunk cookies with a peppermint buttercream icing. Oh, they were delicious. They are extremely rich and perfect with a glass of milk.

Enough talk; here's how you make these delightful little sandwiches:

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter at room temperature

1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy (about 7 peppermint sticks)

3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1 to 2 tablespoons peppermint schnapps or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the peppermint candy, confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 1 minute more. Blend up to 1 tablespoon milk or peppermint schnapps if the frosting seems to stiff.

Chocolate Cookies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 t. salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. First sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt and then add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake for approximately 8 - 10 minutes or until the cookies are still soft in the center but are firm around the edges. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 24 - 3 inch round cookies.