Category: MISC

Wish List Wednesday

The Baker’s Edge is about to release this awesome new pan. I don’t know about you, but I like the crispy edges of baked cheese on my lasagna. This will be a great pan!

We haven’t bought flatware in a number of years and really need a new set. I love this Oneida set from Overstock.com.

I don’t do formal dinners often, but would love to have a set of copper chargers for when I do. I love these hammered ones.

And just because I still want spring to eventually show up, I love this quit & shams for our room.

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Chicken Curry ~ Simply Delicious Sunday


CHICKEN CURRY
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into tender size pieces
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 apple, cored and chopped small
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon butter

  • Melt butter with peanut oil in heavy skillet.
  • When oil is hot add chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
  • Reduce heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant.
  • Sprinkle in salt, pepper and curry powder and stir until well blended.
  • Add apples, apricots, raisins and broth. Stir to mix. Return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm.
  • Continue simmering curry sauce until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
  • Serve over hot rice covered with the chicken and curry sauce.

If you like to play along, please add a link to this post on your post and sign Mr. Linky. Be sure to include your recipe in parenthesis following your name. Thanks and have fun.

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Fountain of youth ~ the chocolate continues to flow…

This week we’ll do some chocolate based beverages and sauces to get ready for the chocolate round-up over at Joy of Desserts.

OLD FASHIONED HOT CHOCOLATE
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
dash salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups milk
whipped cream
shaved chocolate

  • In a saucepan whisk the milk, salt and sugar together.
  • Add the melted chocolate and cook over a low heat until heated through.
  • Whisk until foamy on top.
  • Pour into warm mugs,
  • Garnish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash cloves

  • Sift together the cocoa and sugar into a heavy saucepan.
  • Gradually stir in milk until well blended.
  • Heat over low heat until hot, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
  • Whisk egg until frothy. Then whisk in vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.
  • Whisk egg mixture and continue whisking until the whole mixture lightens in color.
  • Add egg mixture to chocolate mixture and whisk until frothy and serve immediately.

COCOA FUDGE SAUCE
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

  • In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa, milk and corn syrup.
  • Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and butter immediately until melted and well blended.
  • Gradually add the heavy cream and return to heat and bring to another boil for 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  • Cool.
  • Store in tightly covered jar in refrigerator.

MILKY WAY FUDGE TOPPING
12 ounces Milky Way candy bars, cut into chunks
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup milk

  • In a double boiler combine candy bars, chocolate and milk.
  • Cook and stir constantly until melted and well blended and smooth.
  • Store in a airtight jar in the refrigerator.

DECADENT HOT FUDGE SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
dash salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

  • In a heavy saucepan melt butter and chocolates over a low heat.
  • Blend in sugar, cream and salt.
  • Stir 5-8 minutes until thickens and is creamy.
  • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  • Serve warm.
  • Store in airtight jar in the refrigerator.
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Chocolate Food for Thought

I read that the first chocolate chip cookie supposedly originated in 1930 at the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts where Ruth Wakefield added some chocolate to a shortbread batter hoping it would melt forming a chocolate shortbread. Many generations later, the chocolate chip cookie fans are grateful that those chocolate bits didn’t melt.

I found a few citations, but the most concise was this one from Wikipedia: “Ruth Wakefield educated at Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts in 1924. She worked as a dietitian and lectured about foods. In 1930, she and her husband bought a tourist lodge in the town of Whitman, Massachusetts in Plymouth County. It had been built in 1709, and had a rich history of providing a night’s solace to weary travelers. Located about halfway between Boston and New Bedford, it was a place where passengers had historically paid a toll, changed horses and eaten much-welcomed home-cooked meals. When the Wakefields opened their business, they named the establishment The Toll House. They took it upon themselves to uphold the lodge’s tradition. Ruth cooked and served all the food and soon gained local fame for her desserts. The restaurant had many visitors including Massachusetts’ Senator John F. Kennedy (before he gained the U.S. presidency in 1960).”

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House Update ~ Chronicles of a Bungled Real Estate Deal ~ Kitchen floor continued again

We were hoping to get further today, but we’re happy to have completed the kitchen at least. All we had left was a small portion, but it required unhooking all the appliances (washer, dryer, freezer and dishwasher) and then re-hooking them which was a super pain in the butt. Since these areas will ALWAYS be utilities, so we also spent a bit of time patterning out the ugliest pieces so they would be under appliances. I guess my quilting background finally paid off. This room has 4 doorway, so we’ll still need to do the finish work on the thresh holds, but we’ll do that after the sanding, staining and sealing.


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Food for thought!

How come when you mix water and flour together you get glue… and then when you add eggs and sugar you get cake? Where does the glue go?
~Rita Rudner
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House Update ~ Chronicles of a Bungled Real Estate Deal ~ Kitchen continued

I was hoping to be able to tell you that this job was completed today, but alas, there will be one more day. The section left requires disconnecting the washer and dryer and a little more hassle.

We finished the last third of the larger side and then did under the stove.

One of the hardest sections was under the refrigerator ~ only because of the weight of the refrigerator and getting onto the new floor without damaging it. The heating vent that comes up from the floor was kind of a pain too!
The first view below is my favorite because it makes it look like it’s already done. The second view below is all we have left to do so hope to be done tomorrow and then be able to do the foyer tomorrow too.

We going to let it set and settle for several weeks and then we’ll sand and seal.

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