Garden Growth-My First Tomato!!!

I was very excited to pick my first homegrown tomato. Considering I grew it in a pot on my balcony with very little sun, I was very happy with the results.

Me looking like a dork with my tomato:

Me picking the tomato:

The beginning:

Mexican Style Pasta Salad

Not the best picture....but it was not very "pretty" to begin with =).



I wanted a mexican style pasta salad and here is what I came up with.

4 color spiral pasta
Canned black beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded mexican style cheese
Chorizo (deli sliced then cut up)
Green olives
Peppercorn ranch dressing
Picante sauce

Overall it was pretty good. I feel like it is missing something....but I am not sure what....possibly something with more salt.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Frosting

I had two good sized bananas that I needed to use up and thought some type of banana baked good would be the perfect way to use them up. I found the recipe on another food blog.

Banana Bars a la Ashleigh

1/2c. Butter, softened
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 c. ripe mashed bananas
1 container cream cheese frosting
peanut butter (I added this to the original recipe)

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 10x15 jelly roll pan (I used a 9X13 glass baking dish). In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in mashed bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Note: I used a different size pan so they took a little longer to cook. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting. Mix together the cream cheese frosting and peanut butter and frost.

These were great and I will probably make them again if I have left-over bananas sitting around.
Source: http://delilahscorner.blogspot.com/2007/06/banana-bliss.html

No Pudge Brownies

No Pudge Brownies are a boxed mix that offers you FAT FREE brownies. I recently made the Fudge version and they were great!! All you do is add yogurt (I used fat free french vanilla) to the mix and bake. I also added some caramel chocolate swirl chips to the mix. Even without the chips these brownies still would of been wonderful! Try them today!! Here is their website: http://www.nopudge.com/

"Jason Eggs"

This post will feature some of Jason's cooking! When Jason was growing up his Mom would make him and his sister thier own special eggs and name the eggs after each child. Jason has continued to make these eggs, and he now makes them for me too =).

Sage Infused Rice with Mozzarella

I had a ton of fresh sage in my herb garden I wanted to use so I decided to make a rice dish. This is dish was really tasty and I can not wait to make it again. Here is what I used:

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice

2 cups water

chicken bullion

garlic powder

pepper

fresh sage leaves (about 4 large leaves hand torn)

freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

I cooked the rice in the water, chicken bullion, garlic powder, pepper and fresh sage. When it was done cooking I added in the mozzarella. And, that's it!

Michelle's Baby Shower to Welcome Jaden

Here are some photos of the Baby Shower Karla and I threw for Michelle. The food consisted of a taco bar, Mexican rice, chips and salsa, various cheeses, veggie tray and dip, fresh fruit displayed in margarita glasses for more of a Mexican theme, blue and yellow rice krispie treats, cake and punch. We went with a duck theme with blue and yellow.

Diaper cake:

Michelle (Mom-to-be), Me and Karla

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

I had never add orzo before and decided it was finally time I tried it. When I saw an orzo recipe on allrecipes.com that incorporate parmesan and basil I knew it was the one to try. Plus I was dying to use some more of my homegrown basil.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth*
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.

Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

*I was out of chicken broth so I just used water and chicken bullion.

Hot Dog Boats!

Ok...so it really isn't a recipe, but it sure is a fun way to eat a hot dog. I had some leftover hoagie rolls and thought it would be nice to use that as a hot dog bun. All I did was cut out some of the middle and put it under the broiler with a thin layer of butter or mayo to crisp it up (depends on my mood). Then just fill your boat up with all your goodies....chili, cheese, sauerkraut, onions, jalapenos, relish, mustard, ketchup...whatever you'd like! The bonus is if you cut your hot dog in half lengthwise you can fit two in there. Happy Hot Dog Eating!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes (well...not so pink)

I saw this recipe on a nesties blog (Confections of a Foodie Bride) and had to try them. I made them for Father's Day because my Dad loves pink lemonade and anything tart. Mine weren't as pink as they should be because I opted not to add food coloring so they were more "manly".

Cupcakes

1 1/8 cup (9 oz) frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate, thawed*
White cake mix (yes, the boxed stuff)
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Non-stick spray
1 recipe Lemon Buttercream Icing (recipe follows)

* For a less tart cupcake (and these babies do pack a punch), try reducing the amount of pink lemonade. 3/8 cup water and 3/4 cup pink lemonade will cut the tartness.

In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, and the pink lemonade concentrate. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for 90 seconds (the batter will still be a bit lumpy; take care not to overmix so you don’t end up with dry cupcakes).

Spray each cupcake liner with the non-stick spray and spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (fill the cups between 2/3 and 3/4 full). Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick registers “done” in the center cupcake. Remove the pan from the oven and cool 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a baking rack.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, make the icing and ice the cupcakes.

Lemon Buttercream Icing

3 cups + 3 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Red food color (to color icing and sugar, optional)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)

Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemon juice, and food coloring (if using) to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the icing is fluffy and uniformly pink. Add the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip and ice the cupcakes.

Optional - Add the sugar and a couple drops of the food coloring to a food processor. Process until the sugar turns pink. Spread the sugar onto a plate and let dry for 15 minutes. Sprinkle onto freshly-iced cupcakes and enjoy!

My Notes: I did not have a stand mixer so I used my hand mixer and everything came out perfect. I also used a plain ol butter knife to frost the cupcake. Lastly, they took less time to cook in my oven so keep a close eye on them.

There were really good. Nice and tart (but not too tart for us). This is a keeper!

Pan-Fried Stuffed Chicken With Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Basil

I wanted to make something good for dinner since it had been a while since I had cooked. My basil has been growing like crazy so I wanted to find a recipe where I could use my fresh basil. After searching the Internet I found "Pan-Fried Stuffed Chicken With Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Basil" from recipezaar.com.

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 small slices of prosciutto or smoked ham (I cut large slices of prosciutto in half)
2 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 4 slices (I used more cheese)
8 basil leaves, plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons honey mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

Heat oven to 350°.

Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise to make 4 portions. Cut a slit into the sides of each portion. Insert a slice of prosciutto, a slice of cheese and 2 whole basil leaves into each slit. Secure well with a toothpick.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add the chicken. Reduce heat to medium; cook, turning once, until chicken is browned, about 3 minutes per side.

Transfer chicken to a baking pan.
Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 15-18 minutes.

Transfer to a platter.

Meanwhile, heat the broth, mustard and garlic to a boil in the same skillet over high heat; cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in sliced basil; pour over chicken.

I personally didn't use the sauce but Jason and my Mom really liked the chicken with the sauce. It was very good and also reheated well.

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

I kept hearing about Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cakes and when I saw the recipe for a Double Chocolate one I knew I had to try it.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, plus 8 more tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, plus additional butter, for greasing pan
1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg, plus 2 eggs
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts (I omitted this)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1 stick of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.

I baked it for 40 minutes and it came out wonderful. They are more like brownies than a cake, and the are gooey just like the name says!

Direct Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cooking/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_24562,00.html

Mexican Mix Up

Ok....so I am pretty picky with comes to Mexican food because I don't like all the onions and peppers. I made my own mexican dish that used the basic concept of enchiladas, fajitas and burritos. Here is what I came up with.....and might I say, it was pretty darn good!

2 chicken breasts
1 can enchilada sauce (not the large can)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package fajita seasoning
10 corn tortillas
Shredded pepper jack cheese
Sour cream
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 cups chicken broth or stock


Cut up chicken and coat with half of fajita seasoning packet. Place chicken in a pan on the stove and added 1 can of cream of chicken soup and ¼ of a can of enchilada sauce. Cook on medium/high heat for a few minutes. Then turn down low and cover. Let the meat simmer, stir occasionally, until the meat is very tender.

While the chicken is cooking cook the rice in the chicken broth. Feel free to add extra seasoning of your choice to the rice.

Once the chicken and rice are done fill the corn tortillas with some rice and chicken mixture. ***NOTE: You may want to crisp up the tortillas in a pan with some cooking spray so they hold together better before you fill them.*** Secure the tortillas with toothpicks if necessary. Place filled tortillas in baking dish and pour over some enchilada sauce. Bake in dish until tortillas are nice and crispy. Add shredded cheese as soon as you take them out of the oven. Serve with extra enchilada sauce and sour cream if you choose.

Maggie's Decadent Brownies

The making of goodness:

The brownies waiting for the frosting:

Here they are in their glory:

If you are looking for sweet, sugary chocolate goodness you have got to try these brownies! I found them in my Paula Deen cookbook, "Paula Deen & Friends, Living it Up Southern Style"....you can also find this recipe on the Food Network website. Here is the recipe:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

Frosting:
4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup pasteurized egg substitute (recommended: Egg Beaters)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2-quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and mix well with a spatula. Add the flour and stir to combine. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

While the brownies are baking, make the frosting. Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the egg substitute, vanilla, and sugar and stir with a spoon until smooth. Stir in the marshmallows; they will soften but not melt completely. Spread the frosting over the warm brownies. The frosting will set up when the brownies are completely cooled. When cool, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares and store in the refrigerator in a plastic container with a snap-on lid.

I tasted them after they had cooled down because I just could not wait...BUT they are even better if you wait to have one cold out of the frig. It is worth the wait! The bottom is almost fudge like. Jason is not a big fan of brownies.....but he loved these! Bring these to your next gathering and they will be a hit!

Bruschetta Chicken

This is one of my favorites!! I had some ideas in my head (scary, I know) and wanted to make a really good chicken dish. I just used ingredients I had on hand and made it work. It was a hit and I will certainly be making it again soon. I didn't really measure, but here what I used and what I did:

Ingredients

2 chicken breast

EVOO

white wine

balsamic vinegar

basil (I used 2 frozen basil cubes)

salt and pepper

canned chopped tomatoes

chopped garlic

seasoned breadcrumbs

parmesan cheese

mozzarella cheese

Directions

On med/high heat I put the EVOO, white wine, balsamic vinegar, basil, S and P in a pan. Once hot I added the chicken and flipped after 1 to 2 minutes. I then added the tomatoes and garlic. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to med/low (flip occasionally). Let the chicken cook a good amount of time to allow it to get nice and tender.

While the chicken is cooking, mix together equal parts of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, add EVOO to make a crumble.

When chicken is done top it with crumble and mozzarella cheese. Turn on broiler and transfer* chicken under the broiler. Leave in there a few minutes to let the topping crisp up and cheese melt.

* I used an oven safe pan to make the transfer of the chicken easier. Otherwise you will need to transfer the chicken from the pan to an oven safe dish.

Serve this with your favorite pasta and spoon the extra tomato mixture over it.

Sesame Chicken and Vegetable Rice

Baked Sesame Chicken

I adapted the sesame chicken from a recipe I found at allrecipes.com. They changes I made are in green.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I cut mine into strips)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used fat free Parkay spray)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I added this to the recipe)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Place soy sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish. On a piece of wax paper (I used a bowl), mix together the sesame seeds, flour, salt and pepper (and red pepper flakes). Dip the chicken pieces in the soy sauce to coat, then dredge in the sesame seed mixture.

3. Place in medium/hot pan on stove top and flip after a minute or two, add a little butter and soy sauce to keep the chicken moist. Remove and arrange in baking dish in a single layer, then drizzle with melted butter and some more soy sauce.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for approximately 40 minutes (mine took about 20 minutes because it was pre-cooked on the stove and cut into strips), or until chicken is cooked through and tender and juices run clear. Baste with drippings once during cooking time. Garnish with extra sesame seeds if desired, and serve.

Vegetable Rice

This is something I made up as I went using what I had on hand.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of long grain white rice

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Dash of soy sauce

1 carrot grated (cook with a little water to make tender, drain water)

1 1/2 cups cooked broccoli-cut up small

Soy Sauce to your taste

oil

DIRECTIONS

Combine first 5 ingredients, bring to boil, cover and reduce to simmer. Cook about 20 minutes or until rice is fluffy and liquid if gone. Transfer rice to stir-fry pan add carrots and broccoli. Mix together and add some oil (I used EVOO) and soy sauce to your taste.

Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

They are SO soft and delicious. It seemed like they got softer as the days went by. I got this recipe from The Nest....Thanks Joelen! (http://joelens.blogspot.com/)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix (I used French Vanilla)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

I made mine a little large, but I still ended up with about 25 cookies.

** This recipe can be doubled easily.

Corn and Kielbasa Chowder

Yesterday was cold and rainy so I thought it would be a good day to try a Rachel Ray recipe I found while thumbing through one of her magazines. I made a few changes....I used 16 ounces of turkey kielbasa, I grated about a quarter of a red onion and I added in some garlic, chicken bouillon and smoked paprika since I did not use beef kielbasa. Also, I did not have any dill on hand so I omitted it.

Ingredients

8 ounces kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
One 14.5-ounce can chicken broth
1 large baking potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup half-and-half
One 1-pound bag frozen corn, thawed
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat a deep skillet or a wide 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Add the onions and butter to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the half-and-half and corn and cook, stirring, until heated through.

3. Using a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup chowder until smooth. Stir the puree back into the chowder along with the browned kielbasa and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the dill.

Direct Link: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/32640/

Easter Treats

This past Easter Sunday I spent the morning baking (for some unknown reason). It was my first time making homemade Cheesecake and homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies. First was the Cheesecake, I got the recipe from the wife of my husbands boss.

Cheesecake:

A. Crumb Crust
1 1/2 C Crushed Graham Crackers
1/4 C Sugar
6 TBSP Melted Butter

Blend - Press into 9" spring form pan (part way up the sides) - Chill - Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

B. Filling
3 Lg pkgs of cream cheese
1 1/2 C Sugar
1/2 TSP SALT
4 Eggs
1 TSP Vanilla

Soften cream cheese and have at room temp, blend in sugar and salt. Beat till fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Mix in vanilla. Pour mixture into chilled crust and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes until center is firm. Remove for 15 minutes. Reset over to 450 degrees.

C. Topping
2 C Sour Cream
1/4 C Sugar
2 TSP Vanilla

Combine all the above ingredients. Spread on cooled cake. Return to 450 degree over for 10 minutes. Cool cake and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Next were the Chocolate Chip Cookies.....but not just any Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were BBFCCC's from allrecipes.com, or "Death by Chocolate Chip Cookies" as my husband would call them.

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Easy Homemade Pizza

In an effort to eat "healthy" pizza I decided to make homemade pizza for dinner last night.

Crust (Pre-made garlic and herb dough from Trader Joe's)

Sauce (Pre-made, but I infused it with basil and garlic)

Mozzarella Cheese (2% milk)

Turkey Pepperoni

Jalapeno Chicken Link Sausage (cut up)

Jalapenos

Red Onions (on half)

Kalamata Olives (on half)

Baked at 425 for about 15 minutes. It was delicious! To make clean up easy I lined my pizza pan with foil and sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray. My Mom made her own pizza the same night by brushing the dough with olive oil and topping it with artichokes, feta, kalamata olives and portobella mushrooms. The possibilities are endless.