Category: RECIPES

Kitchen Wishes

Despite packing up my kitchen and most of it heading for storage for a time being, I still see things and think, “Wow I’d like that”. Here’s a few more things to add to that someday list.

I love this completely impractical pumpkin soup tureen and this absolutely adorable cake plate!

I thought these dishes were fun and lively too.


Molasses Cake: What Did You Bake Today

I tried a new recipe this week. I found it over at the Family Balance Sheet blog. It has no eggs, was super simple to make and was a big hit with all of my family. I am so happy that my kids like molasses.

1 C. molasses
1 Tbsp. baking soda
2 C. boiling water
4 C. flour
2 C. light brown sugar
2/3 C. butter, softened
pinch of salt

Combine the molasses, baking soda and boiling water. While it cools, mix together the remaining four ingredients in a separate bowl with a pastry blender or fork until it has a crumbly texture. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture. Mix the molasses liquid with the flour mixture. Pour batter into a greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top of cake and bake about 15 minutes more or until toothpick comes out clean. (Note: In the future, I will add the crumb mixture to the cake and skip the topping…the cake was delicious and didn’t need it.)

What Did You Bake Today?

Chicken & Ham Pot Pies ~ Soups Salads Casseroles & More

2 tablespoons butter

1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 medium large Vidalia onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed, meat shredded

1/2 pound ham steak, cubed

Juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 recipe basic dough or 1-9 inch round Pillsbury pie dough

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium.
  • Add carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Cook until carrot is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add flour and stir until flour is golden.
  • Gradually and alternately whisk in the milk and broth, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens, 7 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Stir in the chicken, ham, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide filling among eight 8-ounce ramekins or ovenproof bowls.
  • On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 15-inches round. With a 3 1/2-inch floured biscuit cutter, cut out eight rounds and place one on each ramekin. Transfer ramekins to a rimmed baking sheet; bake until filling is bubbling and crusts are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
To Make ahead: Prepare, but do not top with dough. Let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Store in the freezer 3-6 months maximum. Remove from freezer, top with dough and bake 45 minutes at 425 degrees until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before eating.

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken – Monday Munchies


I found the recipe for this yummy bacon wrapped sweet and spicy chicken over at Full Bellies, Happy Kids. These make a terrific main dish, but they are also terrific for the appetizer buffet!


Here’s the recipe …

4 chicken breasts cut in thirds (12 pieces)
Bacon slices
Salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder
Chili powder
Brown sugar

Cut each breast into 3 pieces, season all the chicken with the spices, then wrap a bacon slice around each piece, roll in brown sugar and place into an oven proof dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and bacon is nice and brown and crispy.

The only thing I did any different from the recipe was to turn them upside down right at the end and did a quick broil to get the bacon on the bottom nice and crisp too!


These are so yummy – definitely a family favorite here!

*Recipe previously posted at Menagerie

Fall Cake: What Did You Bake Today?


I am calling this Fall Cake because it epitomizes so much of what I think of during Autumn; apples, spices, warmth and comfort.

Fall Cake:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups applesauce
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins

Topping:
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and applesauce. Combine dry ingredients and add, mixing well. Stir in raisins, chips and nuts. Spread into a greased 9 X 13 pan. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle all over the top of the cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick.

What Did You Bake Today?

Fall apple pie and caramel chocolate cupcake recipes for Save Room for Dessert

Are you ready for Fall? Fresh, crisp air, Fall festivals, apples, the smell of cinnamon and caramel, Halloween, Thanksgiving, cheering our favorite sports teams, these are all in store for us as the weather cools.

I hope you are all visiting each other, because you’ve been cooking up some great desserts, and that’s how we all get to know each other. You all had great recipes as usual, and two of them just screamed

“Give me an F!”
“Give me an A!”
“Give me an L!”
“Give me an L!”

Did you notice Monster Mama’s Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes and Liz’ Golden Apple Pie?

Thank you for participating in Save Room for Dessert Wednesday at The Krazy Kitchen.


Pick your favorite badge!

Please leave your link to your post, not your homepage, on MckLinky, and be sure to link back to this post or blog if you don’t want to be deleted. In my best Robocop voice — thank you for your cooperation! 🙂 I say that with a friendly smile! And hope you like my corny attempt at humor.

Appetizer Pizzas – Martha’s Monday Munchies

These little appetizer pizzas are so easy and they are a great addition to the party buffet.

Just cut French bread into slices, brush both sides of each slice with olive oil, place a thin slice of tomato on each, top with fresh mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with oregano, basil and minced garlic (optional), bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown.

I can’t wait to see what you have on your party buffet!

Please join me today over at The Motivation Station for some menu planning ideas and suggestions.

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberry Butter and Lingonberries ~ Simply Deicious Sunday

I don’t eat out much, especially for breakfast, but I do have a soft spot for IHOP’s Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries and Lingonberry butter. It took me awhile, but I have finally created a recipe so similar most people would not be able to tell the difference. These are thin pancakes. I make them about 8 inches round and then fold over once or twice.

SWEDISH PANCAKES with LINGONBERRY BUTTER and LINGONBERRIES
1/2 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 JUMBO eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 cup 4% small curd cottage cheese

  • Preheat griddle* or crepe pan
  • Sift flour and salt together. Set aside.
  • Beat the eggs, milk, vanilla and maple extracts together.
  • Add the oil and beat again until sooth.
  • Add cottage cheese and beat until completely smooth.**
  • Gradually add the flour until a smooth consistency.
  • Pour 1/4-1/3 cup of batter onto griddle or crepe pan.
  • Cook a minute or two on each side.
  • Top with Lingonberry butter and Lingonberries.

NOTE:
*I used a third cup measure and my large griddle. This made 5 at a time.
**I used my mini food chopper to grind the cottage cheese and it worked great and much faster.

LINGONBERRY BUTTER
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup lingonberries

  • Beat butter until creamy.
  • Add berries and beat again until well blended.
  • Chill.
    3420344618_9e5495bf19_m

    • BBQ Chicken wraps ~Simple Saturday

    Aren’t wraps one of the greatest, simplest inventions!? Pick your wrapper…pick your fillers…roll ’em all up and voile! Wraps are simple and satisfying and this wrap in particular is a favorite with the kiddos. Pick your favorite baked beans, your favorite BBQ sauce and you’re almost in business! This is a method, rather than a recipe…the one that I used this time. Amounts are subject to what you need and add or subtract ingredients to your tastes or what is in your cupboards. I actually really like this with some corn & shredded cheese thrown in too…but alas, we were out this time, so I went without.

    BBQ Chicken Wraps
    Chicken Breasts
    BBQ Sauce
    Baked Beans
    Whole Wheat Tortillas
    Romaine Lettuce
    Ranch dressing

    • Preheat your broiler and sauce up your chicken. Broil until cooked through. Set aside for at least 5 minutes, then cut into slices or chunks.
    • Heat your beans through in microwave or on stove top.
    • I wash one head of romaine and then cut it into shreds and toss with Ranch Dressing.
    • Heat your tortillas to make them pliable…either in the microwave or over an open flame (which is the way we like them).
    • Pile in the lettuce, beans and chicken and wrap!
    • Then enjoy and think of your next combo.Do you have a favorite wrap combination you’d like to share with us? Have you made something simple this week? Please share with us here on Simple Saturdays…leave a comment and leave a link with Mr. Linky!! See you next week….

    Ready … Set … Start your ovens

    Joy at Joy of Desserts and I are hosting our 2nd Annual Need to Knead Bread Roundup. Are you ready? This year Joy will be using MckLinky so you can post your favorite bread recipes between November 1st-15th to link in for the roundup over at her place.

    ~ We are looking for all sorts of breads: quick breads, savory breads, sweet ones, yeast breads, no-knead breads, 5-minute breads, vintage or gluten-free breads, etc, etc, etc!

    ~ Help us promote this bread roundup by putting the above banner in your sidebars and posting about the 2nd Annual Need to Kneed Roundup on your own blogs.

    ~ Come back November 1-15, 2009 to link all your bread recipes to MckLinky.

    ~ When participating, please use common blog etiquette and courtesy by linking your participating bread recipes back to Joy of Desserts and 3 Sides of Crazy, and visiting the other participants.

    ~ Have fun blog hopping through the bread recipes, make new friends, find new family-favorite recipes, comment, enjoy the process of community-building.

    Key Lime Pie – Healthy Helpings

    (photo from Recipezaar)

    This is one of my favorite desserts from my Weight Watcher days! It is light, quick and easy to prepare. I also made this using orange and strawberry gelatin and yogurt. I have not made it in some time! I would have made it and taken my own photos, but no time to run to the market. It’s been a crazy week!

    Key Lime Pie
    Serves 8 – 150 cal per slice/3 WW Points
    1 (1/3 ounce) box sugar free Lime gelatin
    1/4 cup boiling water
    2 (8 ounce) containers key lime pie-flavor light yogurt
    8 ounce) container frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
    1 reduced fat 9″ graham cracker crust

    Directions
    In large heat-resistant bowl, dissolve gelating in boiling water.
    With wire whisk, stir in yogurt; with wooden spoon, fold in whipped topping.
    Transfer mixture to prepared crust; refrigerate overnight, or at least 2 hours.

    Lemon-Raspberry Cake, Frosted Chocolate Brownie recipes for Save Room for Dessert

    It’s great to be able to feature some of our participants’ recipes each week. Don’t forget to link this post or this blog to your own participating recipe post, and when you link yourselves to McKlinky, please link your participating recipe, not your main blog, so that everyone can find your recipe even in the future. Google loves recipe archives! 🙂 And we won’t have to delete non-participating posts. Everybody wins.

    This week I’m calling your attention to a delicious lemon-raspberry cake recipe with a lemon glaze recipe too. It was brought to us by “SnoWhite” at Finding Joy in my Kitchen. Lemons and raspberries provide a wonderful flavor combination! It’s very gourmet, but easy to make too.

    And since I know so many of us have a hard time resisting a good chocolate brownie, here’s the link to Emily’s Frosted Chocolate Brownie at Marvelous Recipes.

    Thank you for participating in Save Room for Dessert Wednesday at The Krazy Kitchen.

    Pick your favorite badge!

    Please leave your link to your post, not your homepage, on MckLinky, and be sure to link back to this post or blog if you don’t want to be deleted. In my best Robocop voice — thank you for your cooperation! 🙂 I say that with a friendly smile! And hope you like my corny attempt at humor.