MISC – Page 351 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

Baked Caramel Pears, Tomato Spaghetti Cups; Magazine Mondays

In an effort to clean out magazines and cookbooklets, I’ve decided to join Magazine Mondays hosted by Cream Puffs in Venice. What I really like is that she isn’t strict about when you post so I can publish these yummy results as I find them.

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! Now while I usually keep the combination of spices and seasonings somewhat intact, I do make changes that make it more palatable to my family. So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

These recipes have been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where they originated (but they look like pages from an old Lawry’s magazine when I worked there) which based on all my changes doesn’t matter, but reminds me to keep that box. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were favorites and will now be revived.

BAKED CARAMEL PEARS
3-4 firm pears, pared and cut into fourths
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small squares
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 to 6 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans, optional
1/4 cup rum soaked golden raisins**

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Arrange pears side by side, center down in an un-greased 8×8 baking dish.
Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle raisins around the pears.
Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
Evenly dot with the butter squares.
Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until pears are tender and brown sugar is bubbly.

*I deleted the pecans and increased the brown sugar to 1/3 cup while adding the cinnamon also.
**I soaked the raisins in rum for a day or so before and they were yummy!

Next time I will maybe broil the pears for a couple of minutes after they come out of the oven to crystallize the sugar.

TOMATO SPAGHETTI CUPS
6 firm medium tomatoes
6 ounces cooked spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
+2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
~~1/4 cup plain yogurt~~1/4 cup sour cream or ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh chives*
1 teaspoon ~~Lemon Pepper~~ Spice Hunter salt-free Key Lime Pepper
1 teaspoon ~~Seasoned Salt~~ McCormick Salad Supreme

Cut the stem ends from the tomatoes and carefully scoop out the seeds and pulp (I saved these for sweet and sour tomatoes tomorrow night).
Toss the pasta with the olive oil and lemon juice and allow to cool.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon pepper, seasoned salt and Parmesan cheese.
Toss the pasta mixture with the mayonnaise mixture and gently spoon into the tomato shells.
Sprinkle the tops with ground parsley and paprika.

*I increased the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons and revived dried chives in the lemon juice before I began assembling the tomatoes.
+Not in the original recipe

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Dream Showcase Wednesday Wishes

Wednesday Wishes is where I can showcase some dreams and desires for the little things AND the big ones too! This week I’ve been wishing for:

Nicole at Baking Bites recently reviewed the Beater Blade and this is an awesome tool for all the bakers in the world. I can’t wait to get one.

She wrote, “One of the biggest problems with a stand mixer is that the mixer blade does not reach all the way down to the bottom of the bowl, so you have to get out a spatula and mix your batter by hand. It’s only an annoyance because the beauty of a stand mixer is that it should be hands-free. Over the past several months, a number of companies have come out with mixer attachments that offer a solution to this problem, and Beater Blade is one of them.

Beater Blade looks like the regular paddle attachment for a mixer, but it has a flexible “wing” that reaches out from the paddle to the bottom of the bowl, so it scrapes the bowl with a soft blade that mixes efficiently without damaging your mixer. The company makes Beater Blades to fit all different styles and brands of electric mixers, including KitchenAid, Viking and DeLonghi, and all the Blades are dishwasher safe.”

We love pancakes and waffles around here, but waffle irons are a pan in the neck. At least they were. Being added to my list is the Pancake Waffle Pan by Nordic Ware offered over at Williams Sonoma.

Paint Shop Pro is another on my wish list. This falls into the I NEED category!! LOL okay so it falls into the I would really, really like category, but they blend together a lot of the time.

Our television is getting quite old and if we got rid of our satellite company we would lose signal completely after the switch over in June. This flat screen is what hubby would like. The Hitachi ultra thin.

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Chocolate Armagnac Cake – The Cake That Got Me Fired by Dorie Greenspan & Tuesdays with Dorie

Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

This week Lyb of And then I do the dishes chose Chocolate Armagnac Cake – The Cake That Got Me Fired on pages 279-281. This cake sounded right up my alley. I was surprised though when I went in search of prunes that they couldn’t be had in my neck of the woods without being chocolate covered or stewed. So, since this cake was for hubby’s birthday yesterday I let him decide on the substitution. He chose dehydrated pineapple re-hydrated with Malibu rum. This substitution was an excellent choice!

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20 little things to look forward to in spring

Melissa at The Inspired Room is hosting 20 Little things to look forward to in spring. Head on over to see the other entries.

Green Grass
Flowers, lots and lots of brightly colored Spring Flowers ~ Irises, daffodils, tulips, lilacs…
Green leaves
Open Windows
Warm breezes through those open windows
Birds chirping
Butterflies
Bunnies
Bird Nests
Fawns
Easter
Spring Cleaning
Putting away the winter boots and gear
Fresh fruits in season
Iced Tea
Pastel colors
Walks in the woods
Yard Sales
The sound of kids playing in the park
Pedicures & Sandals

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Mellow Yellow Monday [8]

There’s a GREAT new photo meme in the blog world over at Mellow Yellow Monday and it is all about the color yellow. Go check it out. This flower is from last spring out by the water pump. I’m hoping it will bribe this spring into arriving a bit earlier.

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Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

	DATE	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER
Monday	3/2	CEREAL	SANDWICHES	Apple Dapple Chicken & Apples
Tuesday	3/3	TOAST	LEFTOVERS	Recipe Experiment Night
Wednesday	3/4	YOGURT	SOUP	12 Hour Salad
Thursday	3/5	FRUIT	CHEESE & FRUIT	Hungarian Goulash
Friday	3/6	OATMEAL	Chicken Chili	Shepherd’s Pie Too
Saturday		Huevos con Yummy	Chicken Noodle Soup	Chicken Noodle Bake
Sunday		S.O.S. aka S@#$ on a Shingle	Tuna Melts	Peach Pork Chops & Potatoes

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Monday Musings

Hosted by Barbara at Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers

There comes a time when you roll up your sleeves and put yourself at the top of your commitment list.

~Marian Wright Edelman

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Chicken Florentine aka Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts ~ Simply Delicious Sunday

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! I remember one potluck at church several years back that I asked for a recipe and she instantly pulled it out of her pocket. Obviously I wasn’t the first to ask! Those are the recipes I like, the ones that bring a memory to mind like Lonnie handing me that recipe card.

Now while I kept her combination of spices and seasonings intact I did make changes that made it more palatable to my family. For example hubby doesn’t like cooked mushrooms so I either have to eliminate them or substitute for something else. but sometimes I’m a little sneaky and they’re in there, but just not so he can tell. One son doesn’t like tomato pieces, but loves tomato sauce, his old girlfriend won’t eat cooked carrots, and on and on! So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

This recipe has been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where it originated which based on all my changes doesn’t matter, but reminds me to keep that box. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were favorites and will now be revived.

This is the start of tonight’s dinner so I’ll post the finished picture in a few hours.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE aka STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
FILLING
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper*
1/3 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves**
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 bunch green onions, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
2 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened or 2 ounces grated mozzarella
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
CHICKEN
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 slices sourdough bread, staled and crumbled
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1+1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter add 1 teaspoon olive oil in skillet.
Saute’ garlic, bell pepper and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add in spinach and cooked until spinach is completely wilted. If using frozen stir until well blended.
Drain well.
Combine cream cheese, flour and spinach mix until well blended and set aside.
Between 2 sheets of wax paper flatten each chicken breast to 1/4 inch and set aside.
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and mix until crumbly.
Divide the spinach mixture equally between the chicken breasts.
Carefully roll each chicken breast.
Using a pastry brush coat each chicken bundle with the beaten egg and then roll in coating mixture.
Place seam side down on a small baking sheet or stoneware pan (I prefer the stoneware pan for a crisper, non-greasy chicken)
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown in color and juices are clear.

*I like to make this recipe back to back on my weekly menu with Twisted Pepper Steak to make the red pepper usage more efficient, use jar (olive oil soaked) red peppers or I substitute a jar of pimentos in a pinch.
** You can use frozen chopped, but it must be drained well and then drained a few more times until dry!!

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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Apricot Pineapple Monkey Bread aka Bubble Bread

APRICOT PINEAPPLE MONKEY BREAD*
BREAD
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup minced walnuts
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
TOPPING
20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, super firmly packed
1/2 cup apricot pineapple preserves**
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2+ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins*
1/4 cup rum*

Soften the yeast in the warm water.
Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Soak the raisins in the rum until needed. Drain before adding to the bread.
Combine the milk, shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
Add yeast to milk mixture and then the eggs, the raisins and nuts.
Add the flour. Mix to a soft dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Turn over once, cover with a cheesecloth and let rise until double in size.
Punch down and let stand ten minutes.
Prepare the topping while the dough is standing.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add the preserves, brown sugar, cinnamon and almond extract. Cook until smooth and fairly thin.
Add the pineapple (and raisins if you’re using refrigerator rolls) and heat through.
Roll into many small balls about the size of golf balls.
Grease a Bundt cake pan. (I like to use my pineapple upside down cake pan.
Arrange a layer of the balls haphazardly in the cake pan.
Dribble about half the topping loosely over them.
Arrange the other half of the dough balls.
Pour remaining sauce over top.
Allow to rise until double in size (about 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours)
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
Enjoy

*You can cheat and use 3 cans of refrigerator biscuits instead if you’re in a hurry. If you still want the raisins you can add them to the topping instead.
**You can use pretty much any flavor you want – I also use raspberry, peach and blackberry depending on my mood. A lot of times I combine the peach and blackberry half and half.

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