Some Easy Recipes We Like

Sausage Rice Casserole

1 pound sausage
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
3 3/4 cups chicken broth (I have used the College Inn white wine and herb flavor broth and don't have to add any seasoning...and it contains no MSG)

Directions:
Brown sausage and drain off grease. Saute the onions and celery. Grease a large, covered casserole* and put all ingredients in it. Stir to combine.
Bake covered at 350 F for about an hour, until liquid is absorbed.

*I use my dutch oven so I can brown ingredients and bake all in one pot...love that! I might experiment with adding greens of some sort. Fresh spinach leaves could certainly be added after removing casserole from the oven. Replace the lid for a few minutes to allow the spinach to steam.


Turkey In a Bag (a.k.a. The Most Awesome, Tenderest Turkey We've Ever Tasted!)

My mother-in-law has been baking the Thanksgiving turkey this way as long as my husband can remember and it's always delicious!

Butter entire inside of a large brown paper grocery bag. Slide your prepared bird in and staple the bag shut. Bake at 325 F 1 hour for every 6 lbs.
No basting...Yea!!!!!!

Cake Pan Co-Op

I've been meaning to start a cake pan co-op for several years now, and I'm finally going to do it. It seems such a shame to have these cute cake pans just sitting around in my cupboard when someone else may have need of them.

If you have specialty cake pans that you are willing to share (and you are local!), leave a comment here with a short, descriptive list of the pans you own. If you plan to throw a themed party and really need that special cake, check back here and see if anyone has the pan you need. If so, it's up to you to arrange a pick-up with the owner of the pan.

I'll begin by listing my pans in the comment section of this post. Happy baking!

How to cook

Who taught you how to cook?

Your Mom? Your Granny? Yourself?

I really find it fascinating when I cook something from scratch. It's amazing how several ingredients can come together to form something delicious to eat!

Through the years, I have learned a lot of my cooking via trial and error. It's a great teacher. I've thrown away many a meal because it just came out yucky.

I also like to learn new techniques for doing the most mundane cooking. I came across this little part of the AllRecipes.com site where it shows you "How To..." whatever.

If you ever wondered about the proper way to make scrambled eggs, then here you go!

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/How-To-Make-Scrambled-Eggs/Detail.aspx

I love my kitchen gadgets and I love tips for making great food.

Yum.

Oh, by the way, happy 09/09/09 day!

Frozen Treats for the Last Days of Summer

The Little Guy and I decided to make "Cheerios Frozen Bananas" after after I received the recipe in my email (It came in the Dinner Made Easy newsletter from Betty Crocker). We had a blast making them, and he absolutely loved eating them. (Shhh...they're pretty healthy, too!)

We used strawberry yogurt and plain Cheerios. What I like most about this recipe is that there are so many options for the cereal and yogurt, and I can control which ones we use.

It was also a fun activity to do together--I was in charge of the cutting and yogurt dipping, and he was in charge of coating the bananas with the cereal. When they were finally frozen, he got to be the taste-tester, and he devoured one in minutes saying, "Mmmm...good ice cream," while he ate. He wanted it for his dessert after dinner. I can handle that kind of dessert!

Picnic Caviar (Bean Dip)

With 4th of July coming up, I thought I would also share a great recipe with you.

This is my absolute favorite thing to make when I have people coming over to the house. You can make it a day or two before the event and it just tastes fantastic.

It's a great dip that you can serve with some tortilla scoops. I've also served it as a side along with quiche. You can bring it as a potluck dish too! No mayo or cooking, so no worries about it going bad on you either! On the off chance that I have leftovers, this makes a great stuffing for quesadillas - add a little cheddar cheese and sour cream - YUM!

I also add a little salt and tabasco to it for a little kick. You might even consider making a double batch of it to send home with your guests. They'll love you for it.

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10674

Happy 4th of July!

The Oreo Truffle

I don't know how these avoided my radar for so long. I'm a huge fan of chocolate and all things Oreo, yet for some reason this apparent party favorite did not get my attention until two weeks ago while I was talking to a friend. She told me how delicious these are, but while it piqued my curiousity I forgot about them until a few days later when in a new issue of a magazine I saw a recipe for them. Twice in a matter of days? I decided they were calling me, and I needed to make them. And make them I did. I ate a few, too. Are you ready for a simple, yummy, and fun recipe just in time for your 4th of July potluck? Here it is:

You will need: 1 regular package of Oreo cookies, 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese (softened), and some melting chocolate (melted)

Step 1: Crush the Oreos. I put mine in a Ziploc bag, crushed them with my hands, and called it exercise. I guess if you're lazy you could throw them into a food processor. It's your call. ;)

Step 2: Mix in the cream cheese. I used a hand mixer for this one because the cheese was still a little firm. The finished mixture will look like dirt. It is delicious dirt, however, and I highly recommend tasting it to verify that!

Step 3: Roll the "dirt" into balls. Smaller is better for this as the finished product is pretty rich. You can eat more of them if they are smaller. Chill the balls in the refrigerator for about an hour or until you just can't wait any longer.

Step 4: Dip the balls in the chocolate. I let my son and nephew sprinkle these with patriotic sprinkles for the 4th.

That's it. Seriously. And they are wonderful. So wonderful that I am going to eat some more of them now. Enjoy! :)

There's more than one way to top a waffle.

When it's hot outside I love the ease of popping a frozen waffle into the toaster oven for breakfast, but I'm not a big fan of the sugary syrups that usually go with them. I've come up with two alternatives to dress up our whole-grain Eggos while adding a little extra nutrition:

1. We cut the waffles into strips and then dip them into yogurt. This is easy to make, easy to eat (especially for toddlers), fast, and versatile--everybody gets to choose a cup, so no arguments over flavors and ingredients!

2. I sweeten Ricotta cheese (an excellent source of protein) with honey to taste, spread it on the waffles, and then arrange seasonal fruit on top. Sometimes I drizzle a little honey on the fruit to enhance the flavor. This is by far my favorite way to dress waffles, and I actually do this on toast as well. Berries are great for this, but so are the yummy nectarines and apricots of summer.

Do you have any breakfast food makeovers in your family? Let's hear them!

Weighing In on a Sensitive Subject

Cadbury Eggs, Twinkies, chocolate cupcakes, ice cream, frappuccinos, cappuccinos - these are a few of my favorite things. I love food. Food is my comfort, my steady. I even love thinking about it. My first real job after college was working for a small computer company in Evansville, Indiana on Green River Road. Just down the block in either direction was any number of delicious restaurants, and just around the corner was a Donut Bank. I would spend most of the morning dreaming about where I would eat lunch. Ironically, my first gym membership was at Tri-State Athletic Club, which was also just around the corner from work.

Eating junk foods in moderation with plenty of exercise isn't bad. My problem is that I cannot eat in moderation, and I have little time (outside of chasing my preschooler) to exercise. Over the years, I have tried numerous diets to keep my waistline in check, and I have been able to find a diet that will accommodate almost any craving. The low-fat diets would let me eat bagels with fat-free cream cheese. The low-carb diets let me dine on steak, snack on cheese and even eat whipped cream! When looking at a healthy lifestyle for my son, I considered the Fiengold Diet, which eliminates additives and preservatives. If you would like an exhausting list of diets, try this website: http://www.everydiet.org/diets.htm

Right after my hysterectomy, I gained 10 pounds in four weeks. My hormone replacement therapy wasn't right, which added to the rapid weight gain, but it was a wake-up call. My doctor suggested the Atkins diet, which worked really well for me. I ended up loosing almost 25 pounds, but I could not keep the weight off. I quickly grew tired of watching all of my healthy, slender friends eating brownies at MOPS. I gave up and have gained back 10 pounds. It isn't a lot of weight, but since I am very short, two pairs of my favorite shorts no longer fit.

Last week, I found an answer: Eat Carbs, Lose Weight by fitness expert Denise Austin. I have exercised with Denise for several years, and I love her! She is very energetic and positive. One of her fitness shows is still on the air on ESPN Classics at 7:30 eastern time. It was originally shot in the late 80s, early 90s, so her outfits and hair are a bit dated, but I love how she mixes cardio workouts with strength training.

In her book, Eat Carbs, Lose Weight, she explains the science behind her meal plan, and then gives you a 28-day meal guide. Each day, you eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks and a dessert! The best part is that she includes almost 100 recipes to go along with the meal plan. You can eat fruit, veggies, nuts, Popsicles, Fudgesicles, and even cheesecake (just not every day). Each day, you get to eat around 1,300 calories. Here is one of the recipes from the book:

Coffee-Chocolate Waffles
1 1/2 cups whole-grain pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons espresso powder
3 tablespoons light olive oil
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (optional)
Low-calorie maple syrup

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the milk, brown sugar, espresso powder, and oil. Whisk the liquid ingredients together until blended. Whisk in the dry ingredients just until combined. Preheat the waffle iron. Beat the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer at high speed until they form soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter in three additions, folding in the chocolate chips with the last addition. Cook waffles according to waffle iron directions. Makes 5 found waffles - 5 servings.

The waffles were delicious, and I bet your kids would eat them, depending on how you feel about coffee and chocolate, just don't tell Dr. Fiengold :).

Easier Than Pie: Make a Rustic Tart

I should probably keep more cooking secrets to myself, especially when I find something like this that is so easy yet so impressive, but this is too good not to share with my busy Mommy friends. Sturdy enough for pot lucks, pretty enough for tea, the rustic tart is en vogue and it couldn't be more simple to make!

Be warned, I am not giving you a recipe--I'm giving you a method with some shortcuts and helpful hints that I have learned along the way. If you need a recipe, google "rustic tart" and you will find many.

I used strawberries for this tart, but it's fun to make this with fresh fruit that is in season. I'm looking forward to doing this with nectarines and cherries later in the summer, and then apples and pears in the fall. This would make a great savory tart, too, with tomatoes and cheese. It's so simple to do, why not experiment with different flavors?

Step 1: Prepare the filling.

You will need about 1/2 pound of fresh or frozen fruit for a 9" round pie crust (this will make about 6 nice servings). Cut the fruit into small pieces (slices, quarters...whatever is appropriate), and toss it with sugar (approximately 1/4 cup) and cornstarch (about 1 tablespoon). Add any flavorings you want--lemon peel is great with strawberries, cinnamon with apples, etc. Allow the fruit to mingle with the seasonings while you...

Step 2: Prepare the crust:

For this tart you will need a pie crust. This step is the proverbial fork in the road for this dessert. If you enjoy making crusts, please feel free to make one. It needs to be about 9" round. When I made this tart for our meeting, I ran out of time and could not make my own, so I grabbed the next best thing--a rolled, ready-to-use pie crust. You can find these in boxes of two in the refrigerated-canned-biscuit section of your grocery store.

Whatever crust you use, roll it onto a parchment paper or easy-release foil lined cookie sheet. Now for...

The Most Important Step:

Fruit juices make pie crusts soggy, and this tart will fall apart unless the crust is sealed. Take an egg white or some liquefied jam or jelly (microwave it for a few seconds) and brush it all over the top of the crust. In my research I also found that sprinkling cookie crumbs on the crust can absorb some of the liquid from the fruit, so I crushed some amaretti cookies (pictured below) and scattered a thin layer in the middle of the circle where the fruit would be. Now you are ready to...

Step 3: Fill the crust:

Using a slotted spoon (to drain the syrup from the fruit), mound the fruit into the middle of the crust, and place some cold, cubed butter on top (one or two tablespoons). Leave a two-inch margin on the outside of the crust. Fold the margin of the crust over the fruit as shown in the picture and brush it with egg white. Sprinkle one or two tablespoons of sugar onto the egg white brushed dough, and bake the tart at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. The pastry will be browned and glossy on top when it is ready. Don't worry if the crust splits or fruit syrup drizzles down the sides--that is normal and part of the charm of this rustic treat.

Step 4: Dress it up a little:

Take a jam that is roughly the same color as the fruit (raspberry jam for strawberries, apricot jam for apples, etc.) and microwave it for a few seconds to liquefy it. Brush it over the fruit to add a little extra flavor and some gloss.

Enjoy this tart on its own, or top it with whipped cream or ice cream.

I have to laugh when I think of how this tart was probably created--you know the original baker either misplaced or simply didn't have a pie pan, so she decided to fold up the sides of the dough in hopes that the filling would stay put. Now this fun and tasty tart is on the cover of magazines and graces even the fanciest of cookbooks. I wonder if its creator ever got a royalty?

If you like this kitchen tip you can find more at Kitchen Tip Tuesday on Tammy's blog!

Looking for more great recipes? Check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace!

Blueberries: The New Super Food

I am sure by now you all are tired of hearing how blue I am, so I will talk about blueberries instead. They are very healthy for you and have been shown to help improve concentration and ward off cancer (per John Tess's radio show). It is peak blueberry season here in beautiful, sunny Florida, so I thought I would share my blueberry muffin recipe. I did not write this, I found it somewhere. Since I cannot remember where it came from, I must not be eating enough blueberries :)

Overnight Blueberry Muffins (In Title Only)

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries (or other fruit of your choice)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. (I actually measure the flour and then add the other two to the measuring cup. I rarely sift). Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. (The directions do not say to do this, but I have found it very important to taste this creamed, sugary butter.) Add eggs to butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately. Make sure that the flour is the last ingredient to add. Mix until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries. (For some reason, this is not in the directions, but it is imparative that you taste the batter ~ lol.) Refrigerate overnight. (I have never done this, as I usually do not plan far enough in advance. I just put them into the pans and bake.) To bake - preheat oven to 350. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Fast and Easy

No. I'm not talking about myself.

Actually, if you are like me, then you must like to cook fast and easy things. The best is if you can find a great, easy recipe that can feed a whole bunch of people at once without breaking the bank.

I recently made this when I had a friend over with her kids. The kids actually helped me make it and it came out delicious! It is so easy and so yummy!

Maria's Baked Ziti

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
32 ounces part-skim Polly-O ricotta cheese (whatever the big size carton is)

1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs, beaten (I use cage-free eggs)
1 1/2 jars (use the big, 3 lb. jars) spaghetti sauce (I like Prego Chunky Garden)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, mix ziti, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce.
Lightly grease a 10' x 15" pyrex baking dish and spoon in ziti mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce, followed by Parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

That's it!

Pair it up with a healthy salad and garlic bread and you now have a beautiful meal completed.

By the way, I got a version of this recipe (and most of my other recipes) from http://www.allrecipes.com/. Donna, I think you told me about this site -thank you! You can save your favorites in your very own online recipe box. I love it!

Happy cooking!

Cake Wrecks....Motley Moms Style

Okay, so I don't really think these cakes are cake wrecks. I actually think they are pretty awesome, considering that middle and high school kids made them. I really love seeing stuff like this in real life, it inspires me to be more creative.

Last Friday, I took a 44 of my high school students to the Youth Fair to participate in Working Booths. While they were working away, I walked around and looked at the entries. The following cakes were made my middle and high school students. There were some pretty cute ones...take a look!

This was one of my very favorites, the Ferris Wheel Cake! You could even make the kids on the ferris wheel look like the ones you are serving.

A sunflower cake made with twinkies. Cute!

Probably not the colors I would choose but wow, working with fondant is hard!

This one won a tri-color (judge's choice) and how cute. Again, the fondant is pretty impressive.

Any ideas on what the theme is? Polka Dots? Targets? Circles? Modern Art?

How cute is this Pond cake? How did they ever think of this? It would be great for someone who loves fishing. You have to look closely, these are little moose. I like their hooves! And it was made by a boy and won a tri-color!

This one is just plain hilarious. The Mudding Cake. I think if you live around here you know (or know of) and adult who would like this cake. And, what dirt loving kid wouldn't love it? Heck, I love it. (For the record, I don't mud, either.)

And that just covers a few of the cakes that were entered. They have tons of categories for sewing, canning, crafts, and animals. I could have spent an hour in the rabbit barn, some of those were just too adorable!