When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.
~Wayne Dyer
Category: MISC
Tuesdays with Dorie ~ FOLD OVER PEAR TORTE
Cakelaw of Laws of the Kitchen selected Fold-Over Pear Torte on pages 348 and 349. Since I’m still traveling I don’t have access to my pans, I have to improvise most of the time. This time I made them into fold overs that oozed yummy goodness when you cut into them. I used the apricots AND the raisins! What a yummy combo and then I topped each one with our favorite Caramel Sauce.
Save Room for Dessert…Pumpkin Pie Crumble Cake
In the past 2 weeks, I’ve received 3 emails from 3 different readers requesting recipes that regular/normal/average people would make. I replied to all three, asking for a little more clarification, as I didn’t want to assume anything. I thought I knew what they wanted, but assuming things has gotten me into more awkward situations than I care to admit. As it turns out, I was correct, what they would like to see are recipes that use items like cake mix, canned soup, etc. I’m all about making my readers happy; seriously, one of the reasons I do this because I love the interaction with all of you, so I’m happy to oblige. That said, today’s post is from the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook, published in 1999. I know that a newer version has recently been published, but I don’t know if this recipe was included.
I love all things pumpkin, be it cake, pie, or cheesecake. This is a cross between a cake and a pie; I particularly like the crunchy topping. The author suggests serving it with a sweetened cream, but I think it’s perfect as is; however, I’ve included the recipe for the cream.
Don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win a copy of Steff Deschenes award-winning book, The Ice Cream Theory! Just make a comment about your favorite ice cream and you’re entered to win! If you tweet or post about the giveaway, you get two extra entries, just leave me the links! Good luck!
Pumpkin Pie Crumble Cake
1 yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines all-butter recipe)
1 stick butter, softened
4 large eggs
2 15-oz cans pumpkin
5 oz evaporated milk (I used half & half)
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cardamom*
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg*
4 tablespoons butter, chilled
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour a 13×9 baking dish.
Crust
Empty cake mix into a large mixing bowl and remove 1 cup of the cake mix and place in a medium-sized bowl; set aside (you will use this for the topping).
To the remaining cake mix, add 1 stick of butter and 1 egg. Blend with an electric mixer until well-mixed.
Press mixture into prepared baking dish and set aside.
Filling
Combine the 2 cans of pumpkin, half & half, 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Beat together for 3 minutes.
Pour filling onto prepared crust.
Topping
Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to the reserved 1 cup cake mix and stir.
Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, knead in the butter and pecans to create the topping.
Evenly distribute the topping for the filling.
Bake for 70-75 minutes at 350 degrees until the center no longer jiggle.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Slice into squares and serve.
If desired, top with sweetened cream.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Sweetened Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Beat cream and powdered sugar together until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Use immediately.
**These were my additions – I love cardamom and nutmeg with pumpkin.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL????????????
We’re HUGE football fans! Well, it’s that time of year again! Football season is already several weeks old (where does the time go?) and that means it’s time for tailgating again at the games, serious football food and game day buffets. Bring over your best appetizers and your biggest appetite and oh don’t forget the Brewskis to go with it all. I like mine really cold please with a side of lime!
Tailgating Time will be posted every Sunday at noon and open all week for you to add your football favorites. We’ll play each and every week until Superbowl Sunday. I can’t wait to see what you’ll be bringing!
It’s Tailgating Time!
HOSTED BY:
Martha at Seaside Simplicity
Tamy at 3 sides of Crazy
Lyndsey at Tiny Skillet
HOSTED BY:
Martha at Seaside Simplicity
Tamy at 3 sides of Crazy
Lyndsey at Tiny Skillet
Would you like to be a host of Tailgating Time too?
Leave me a comment here with your email or with Martha over at Seaside Simplicity so we can send you the code and add you to the host list – more exposure, more links, more football food!
GLAZED SESAME CHICKEN STIR FRY
Food around here has been a little bland and colorless recently. So, I wanted to spice things up a bit and this recipe did the trick. Everyone dug in and had seconds too.
GLAZED SESAME CHICKEN STIR FRY
1 pound chicken breasts, poached and shredded
1 red pepper, diced
3 green onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups broccoli florets, blanched 2-3 minutes
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 pound spaghetti noodles, prepared al dente’
- Heat wok or skillet to medium high.
- Add oil and coat pan well.
- Add bell pepper and garlic and cook until pepper is tender.
- Whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and cornstarch.
- Add to the wok. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring well.
- Add chicken.
- Add broccoli tossing well.
- Cook until sauce is slightly thickened.
- Add noodles and toss well.
PORK FRIED RICE
This dish is best prepared in advance, there are lots of parts to prepare.
PORK FRIED RICE & ORANGE HONEY CHICKEN
4 cups cooked rice, cold
1 1/2 cups cooked pork, diced
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 red pepper, diced
3 green onions, sliced thin
2 tablespooons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons butter
- Bring a 12 inch skillet to a medium high heat.
- Melt butter.
- Add peppers, carrots and onions.
- Add the pork pieces and heat through.
- Add the rice and stir fry until well coated.
- Arrange the rice mixture around the outer edges of the pan.
- Add eggs into the center quickly frying up the pieces and mixing with the rice mixture.
- Add the soy sauce and sesame oil, blending well.
I served it with ORANGE HONEY CHICKEN and it was an awesome combo – everyone had seconds!
WEEKLY MENU
Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie
| DATE | BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | |
| MONDAY | 10/11 | CEREAL | SANDWICHES | Recipe Experiment Night |
| TUESDAY | 10/12 | TOAST | LEFTOVERS | Potato Pancakes and Pork Tenderloin |
| WEDNESDAY | 10/13 | YOGURT | SOUP | Twisted Pepper Steak |
| THURSDAY | 10/14 | FRUIT | CHEESE & FRUIT | Hungarian Goulash |
| FRIDAY | 10/15 | OATMEAL | C.O.R.N. | 12 Hour Salad |
| SATURDAY | 10/16 | Depression Eggs | leftovers | Seafood Salad |
| SUNDAY | 10/17 | Hash Brown Casserole | Monte’ Cristos | Chicken Fried Chicken & Parmesan Potatoes with Peppered Gravy |
CARING for the CARETAKER
Many of you know that Martha (MM) and myself have both been embroiled in care taking situations for loved ones for quite some time now. We do it out of love and a bit of obligation, but we do it well with compassion, patience and tolerance. To say that it is stressful is the WORLD’S GREATEST UNDERSTATEMENT.
Most evenings we spend a few minutes emailing back and forth commiserating over the days troubles and surprises. Often it makes us chuckle and laugh which by my standards is soooooooooooooo necessary to help US with the stress. For me, just knowing that my friend knows what I’m going through relieves a lot of stress and reminds me that there is always tomorrow. We’re both Virgos and about the same age so there are enough similarities that I honestly believe we think alike. I know I sometimes receive an email just after I have hit send on one to her which is a relief as I know we were in the same “place” at the same time. Many times we could have even written each other’s emails because our days were so similar.
These days the difference comes because I am now helping to care for an aunt who has been placed in a care home while I’m also caring for her husband in their home who had triple bypass surgery and Martha is caring for her mother in her mother’s home while taking care of her family in her own home. We are both basically caring for 2 homes, but I can walk away from my aunt at the end of the day and know that there are at least 2 caregivers on staff for the night in the event my aunt needs help. This should bring relief. Instead it brings grief. Many times MUCH grief.
We have all heard about the horror stories in the news of abuse by caregivers to the elderly and infirm. For every story we have heard I guarantee you there are a hundred times more stories we haven’t heard. My aunt has been complaining for some time about the manager of the house she lives in as well as one of the nighttime aides. Many times we were inclined to believe much of it to be exaggeration. There are so many examples to choose from, but right now many of those cannot be spoken of while resolutions are pending.
Most of the residents of the home are there through guardianship and don’t have many visitors and while I have no actual proof, I believe that the “manager” (and boy do I use that term loosely) does not like family around because she can’t do things her way and in her time. She’s loud, rude and downright mean. She treats family members like they work for her and demands “respect” in “her facility”. Yep, you heard me right! This though is yet another story.
The man that owns the house is going through financial difficulties and has cut back on many things, one of which is the cook. The manager of the house is now doing all the cooking (well supposedly, but that’s another story). She cooks by her terms “Louisiana style”. From what I can tell, “Louisiana” style is a euphemism for lazy. The food is now being served with all the bones and gristle. My aunt is sight impaired and has severe dyskinesia, involuntary muscle movements, that makes her dexterity difficult. She cannot cut meat from a bone or detect it in a bowl of soup or stew. There is a serious choking hazard here. Personally I see not removing the bones before serving it to patients as pure laziness and neglect.
Martha and I of all people do understand how difficult this type of work can be physically and emotionally. But, I personally believe that anyone entering a paid position caring for patients should have a patience and tolerance that is reflected by their words and actions as well as the necessary knowledge of the disease(s) to understand the nature of the symptoms and side affects. If they cannot offer any one of those criteria then perhaps they should be looking for different work. If they cannot or will not follow the prescribed protocol for caring for patients as I suspect is the case in certain instances with my aunt (i.e. removing her night time meds without consulting the Dr.) then they should not be in this position either.
I know my horror stories have left Martha feeling a little queasy about getting her mother into an assisted living situation. But the moral, yes there is a moral! is that the family needs to stay involved, ask questions and not be afraid to follow through with governing agencies as we are doing now concerning my aunt and her care.
The biggest moral is that the caretaker MUST take care of themselves or they are of no good to anyone! The caretaker being stressed only creates stress in the patient that becomes a vicious cycle.
Now for something fun. The holidays are coming much faster than many of us would like so I offer you this easy and fun recipe that will thrill the kids for Christmas.
Now for something fun. The holidays are coming much faster than many of us would like so I offer you this easy and fun recipe that will thrill the kids for Christmas.
My great aunt who I only got to see a couple times a year used to make these every year special for me and I would wait out on the front steps for her to arrive just to see them and know they were there. Oh and her too! She always made them soooooooooo pretty and perfect!
HOLIDAY WREATHS
(these are better when they are made a few days ahead)
30 large marshmallows (or 1 jar marshmallow cream)
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon green food color
3 1/2 cups cornflakes
Red Hots
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon green food color
3 1/2 cups cornflakes
Red Hots
- Combine marshmallows, butter, vanilla and food color in top of double boiler. Heat and stir frequently until well blended.
- Gradually stir in cornflakes until well blended.
- Drop onto wax paper and arrange into wreath shapes. I plop them onto the wax paper and then push out from the center to form the wreaths.
- Decorate with red hots.
- Let cool.
- If your house is warm – chill in refrigerator until set.
Beans and Rice
Stuffed Bell Peppers Italiano
It’s Fire Day Friday but you can make this one in your oven too. It’s just not as fun.
I was sitting at my desk at work reading government guidance about performing IT risk assessments (exciting stuff, really) when the idea of this dish popped into my head. I love stuffed bell peppers but they have always been the traditional ones stuffed with a rice and beef/chorizo mixture.
But before I get into that, check out the giveaway package that Robyn is running over at Grill Grrrl. As if the autographed Michael Symon book isn’t good enough, she’s throwing in all of this other great stuff! So get over there and enter.
Okay, back to my idea. I thought that I would make stuffed peppers but make them with an Italian influence. Kind of like a lasagna inside of a bell pepper. Since this was a total off the wall idea, I only made two of them in case they sucked and made our Italian Skillet Slop for the boys.
Stuffed Bell Peppers Italiano
Source: NibbleMeThis
2 ea green bell peppers
5 oz Italian sausage
½ cup ditalini pasta
3-4 oz cream cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella
1 tsp basil, dried
¾ cup marinara sauce
Cut the tops of the peppers off and remove the seeds. Parboil them for 3 minutes, remove and drain.
Cook the pasta and drain. Ditalini is a small pasta (see pic below) which works perfect for this dish.
Brown the sausage.
Mix the cream cheese, mozzarella, and basil together. I would have used ricotta cheese instead if I had it but the cream cheese worked.
Now assemble your stuffed peppers in layers like this.
A few tablespoons of pasta, about 1/4th of the cheese mixture in each of the two peppers, the sausage, and a few tablespoons of the marinara sauce. Feel free to use your favorite marinara or jarred marinara. I made a quick one.
Quick Pseudo Marinara
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp oregano, dried
¼ cup marsala wine (I was out of red)
Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes in the butter and oil. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30-45 minutes. I hit them with the immersion blender about 30 minutes in.
Set your grill up for an indirect heat cook at 350f (or put in a 350f oven). Put the peppers in a casserole dish or individual baking dishes. I wasn’t sure how this would turn out so I put some of the cheese mixture on one of them and was going to add the other one later.
I baked them on the Big Green Egg for about 20 minutes. Then I added the cheese mix to the other one, put the rest of the marinara sauce in the boats, and tossed in the last of the cheese mix on that.
Meanwhile, Alexis was cooking another garlic bread roll on her Egg. We got this recipe from Rex at Savory Reviews. We had to bend it because it was too big to fit on the pizza stone. That didn’t affect taste at all.
I cooked the peppers for about another 15-20 minutes and then took them off to serve.
These worked great as a concept and was a very good dish. But this is more of a technique than a recipe. You could do the same idea with any of your favorite pasta and sauces and it would come out wonderful. Just doing this technique with leftover spaghetti would be great too.
BEEF VEGETABLE STEW revisited
BEEF STEW
1 pound lean beef stew eat, cut into cubes
1/2 pound baby carrots, halved
1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 pound baby carrots, halved
1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Knorr Spring Vegetable Recipe Mix
1 cup V8 juice*
1/4 cup white zinfandel wine*
2 tablespoons brown sugar*
1 tablespoons tapioca*
1 cup V8 juice*
1/4 cup white zinfandel wine*
2 tablespoons brown sugar*
1 tablespoons tapioca*
- Spray bottom of slow cooker lightly with PURE!
- Place the beef cubes in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Layer onions over top of beef.
- In a mortar and pestle, grind all the seasonings together to reactivate their properties.
- Add to Knorr Spring vegetable mix and blend well.
- Sprinkle over the meat and onions.
- Add carrots.
- Whisk together the wine, V8 juice, brown sugar and tapioca until sugar and tapioca is completely dissolved.
- Pour this over meat and vegetables.
- Cover and cook on low 5 hours, undisturbed.
- DO NOT CHECK ON IT!
- Serve Immediately over mashed potatoes.
*The tapioca, wine and brown sugar make a really nice thick gravy consistency with robust flavor when mixed with the V8.
Plan now to Steal – A recipe for your kid’s Halloween Candy
Save your kids from a lifetime of obesity… Steal their candy and make these little delights for yourself…
Fast and easy… Little baby candy bars and some puff pastry…
Wrapped in a square of puff pastry and you have a nice tasty little treat (and the kids stay fit and healthy).
A couple hints, roll out the puff pastry just about as flat as you can. The pastry puffs up (duh). You want these to stay bite size. And the egg wash I talk about is VERY important. Without good seals, the guts will blow out the pastry and not look right (tastes fine, but you want the little bundles, not a flatbread treat).
1 4X4 square of rolled out Puff Pastry
1 Egg, beaten for an egg wash to seal edges
a bit of candy bar… I used 1/2 a reese’s and/or 2 of the mini Crunch
And, pretty much that’s it…
Bring the 4 corners together over the stuffing, press edges to seal and do a twist of the top. Bake them in a 350 degree oven on parchment paper for 35 minutes and you have a Candy bar in a pastry!
Garnish with some fruit and drizzled chocolate if you like. Garnish with the fruit just to keep the little darlings away from your stash!
Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. It really is just this easy! … I CAN COOK THAT!
And so can you!