French Toast

I love French Toast...and this recipe for Cream sounds GREAT!!!  (from All Recipes)

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
6 slices French Bread
5 eggs
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
14 teaspoon salt
(note--I think a pinch of cinnamon would be good)
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Mix in brown sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Remove crusts from bread (note--I thought this step was silly, so I skipped it).
Arrange bread in the baking dish in a single layer.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla, orange brandy, and salt.
Pour over bread.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dish from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned.

Here's a slightly different version by Smitten Kitchen, using brioche. Yum!http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/creme-brulee-french-toasts/

Cool Snacks

ARE YOU HOT???

Here are 10 great snacks to keep you cool................

1. Try some cooled hard boiled eggs with a little sea salt
2. a Smoothie is great it will fill you up and give you energy along with a quick cool down
3. Frozen Grapes are great they give you a cool mouth and also are sweet without any milky base
4. Cold Noodle dishes are delicious and have terrific filling attributes
5. Of Course Ice Cream is a favorite, any flavor does the trick
6. Ice cold Water is the best for filling you up so you don't eat too heavy and also to cool your insides, plus add a lemon or orange slice for a little flavor
7. Spicy foods are another way to go, they make you sweat and then cause a cooling feeling with the outside winds or a fanning
8. Jerky, homemade is the best, it is a good one for substance and fills you up
9. Watermellon is terrific it not only cools you up but you can eat a ton and not gain a lot since it is mostly made up of water. :)
10. Spring Rolls are great just roll them up and fill your tummys!

Enjoying Sweets Without The guilt!!!

                                                 

                        Over at "Sweet Tea makes Three" she has the recipe for this wonderful no bake Banna Cake....

Ok here is a favorite of mine: 
                                     Oreo Pudding Dessert

 

This one without the vanilla pudding

Ingredients:

• crumbled Oreos [light]
• 1 whole Oreo
• light chocolate [dark fudge] instant pudding
• light vanilla instant pudding
• semi sweet chocolate chips
• light whipped cream

Make small dessert cups, pour 3 of Oreos in bottom of cup, layer with semi sweet chips, chocolate pudding, whip cream, vanilla pudding, and top with whipped cream and sprinkle a little Oreos over top! Yummy...ok maybe not real "light" but sure is good!!!  :)

Is Summer Here??? A Fresh Salad

Its suppose to be summer today....hmmmmm but in summer a wonderful crisp and refreshing salad is a great thing to have...when I was younger my mom always had Gargonzo Beans around but she called them "Chi Chi Beans" I always popped them into my mouth as a snack..here is a salad to treat yourself too...

Ingredients:


1 can (8 – 10oz) "chi-chi" beans[garbonzo]
1 cup bean Sprouts

1 small onion diced

1 small tomato diced

1/2 tbsp lime or lemon juice

A few sprigs of fresh cilantro chopped
Salt as per taste




Directions:


Mix all the ingredients together except cilantro and cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it in the morning if you would like to eat it in the evening. The lime juice tends to tenderize the sprout and makes it a little soft and blend more well into the salad. Serve chilled by garnishing with cilantro. You will be so glad you tried this recipe which is as simple as this yet so fulfilling and delicious.
Enjoy!!!

Smores Slumber Party

Smores are a favorite of mine...So last Saturday when the gals and I got together for a stitchin Slumber Party I made some for us to munch on while we enjoyed watching "Welcome to Mooseport" with Ray Ramone and "Housesitter" with Steve Allen and Goldie Hawn...yummy...

This is the easy way...

You'll need:

• a jar of Marshmellow cream
• some graham crackers
• 1 bag of semi sweet chocolate pieces

Directions: 

• break the graham crackers in half
• spread some marshmellow cream on one half
• sprinkle with chocolate pieces
• top with 2nd half
• microwave for 33 seconds [depending on your microwave]

Enjoy and watch out they are addictive!!!

Pasties Yummy....

I found a wonderful recipe called "Pasties" on a new blog friend's blog "Crochet and Orchids" and I just had to share it with you all here....This is a true winner and one I want to make for my upcoming "Summer Party" with my stitching group in 3 weeks....Enjoy.........

Pastie Recipe.





The ingredients are: 

• 500 grams lamb mince [or chicken]
• 2 large swedes
• 3 large carrots
• 4 large potatoes.

Directions:

1. grate the potatoes
2. rinse thoroughly through a sieve and squeeze dry [You can use a clean tea towel or paper towel for this]
3. 2 chicken stock cubes or 2 tspns stock powder, black pepper (lots)
4. 6 sheets puff pastry rolled as thin as possible
5. cut out circles. [you can an ordinary soup or cereal bowl for the shape]
6. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl
7. Wet half the edge of a circle with water and place a small dessert spoon of mix on half the pastry
8. Fold over until the edges meet and press together

1. crinkle the edges with your fingers or a fork
2. Preheat oven to 220o c.
3. Place pasties on tray covered with baking paper and place in oven turning oven down to 180o c.
4. Cook for 30 mins.
5. Allow to cook slightly before sampling. Enjoy!!

She says she likes to grate all her ingredients.

Ready to go into the oven.

Try this one with Beef:

Pasty Recipe


2 lbs ground beef (uncooked)
3-4 good size potatoes
½ large onion
4-5 celery stalks
½ rutabaga (optional, but I suggest at least trying it.)
½ turnip (optional)
12-15 baby carrots
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 8-10 pasties

1. Chop potatoes into small squares. About the size of a French fry, cubed.
2. Chop rutabaga, carrots, and turnip into smaller squares. Chop onion into small pieces.
3. Combine everything in a large mixing bowl. (By hand is easiest.)
4. Roll out pie crust to approx. 9” diameter circles, one for each pasty. [Store-bought pie crust works fine too, and is much easier]
5. For each crust, put in about 1 cup of the mixture of veggies and ground beef, onto one half of the crust.
6. As you scoop it into a cup, it’s easy to see that you get a good variety of all ingredients.
7. Fold over the crust. Pinch together the edges.
8. Place small slits in the top of the crust.
9. Bake at 375 for one hour.

They are ready to eat! Enjoy. They can also be frozen if they won’t be eaten in the next couple days. For frozen pasties, they can be heated in an oven at 350 for about 40-45 minutes. After about 20 minutes, you might want to cut them in half, to help the middle of the pasties thaw and heat thoroughly. As a variation, add a can of Cream of Celery soup to the beef and veggie mixture to help moisten it.

Now for those of you that have a sweet tooth try this scrumptious
Pumpkin Filled Pasty

 Make your dough from scratch or from a store bought pie crust....
Pumpkin filling


You’ll probably have leftovers so go ahead and halve this if you want, or make a little pie with the leftovers.


1 cup raw cashews[or walnuts]
Water to blend cashews
1 16 oz can pumpkin
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup sugar
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger


Place cashews in a food processor, add ¼ cup water and mix on high speed until a paste has formed. Add more water 1 Tablespoon at a time if necessary. (You could also try soaking and draining the cashews before hand so not as much water will need to be added or leave whole for a crunchier taste)


Add pumpkin and cornstarch and blend again until smooth and no cashew chunks are visible. Add a little extra water if necessary. The key is to make sure the filling is thick enough so that it doesn’t ooze out of the little pies. Add in the sugar and spices and blend to combine.


*** Or if you're lazy like me buy a can of pumpkin filling and add some of your favorite nuts and more spices if you want....

• Assemble
• Preheat oven to 400 F
• Roll out dough to a little less than ¼ inch thick and cut into 3 ½ to 4 inch circles using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass.
• Take one round and stretch it out a bit
• place about 2 tsps of filling in the center.
• Fold circle over into a half moon shape and press down the edges with a fork to close.
• Make a little slit in the top and sprinkle with a little sugar if you want
• Transfer to greased or parchment covered baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes until pasties are golden brown.

Yummy....................

***Some Variations for any Pasty..

• apple pie filling
• homemade cream corn [make thick]
• thin sliced tri tip
• peach pie filling
• ham and cream cheese
• and here's a different one....peanut butter and/or apple butter

Bon Appétit~~~~~

Easy Fun Cinnamom Twists for the Kids and You

I found this recipe over at Little Birdie Secrets and had to share it here. These are what my mom alwyas made me when I was little, but they were made with dough from scratch during those days. I loved them. And during Christmas time she always made them with the left over scrapes of dough for me. :) Fond memories of mom and me... :) Enjoy they are easy and scruptious...

Easy Cinnamon Twists

Today is my (Jessica's) birthday! That means I am in the mood for some treats. These cinnamon twists are super easy and tasty. Any recipe that only takes 4 ingredients is an automatic winner in my book! My boys love to help me make them, which makes for a fun activity as well.




Easy Cinnamon Twists


2 T. Sugar


1 tsp. ground cinnamon


1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls


2 T. butter, melted


Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Unroll the crescent dough and separate it into 4 rectangles. Press each into a 6x4 inch rectangle. (press perforations together to seal).


Brush the tops of 2 rectangles with melted butter and sprinkle with about half of the sugar mixture. Top each with remaining rectangle; press edges lightly. Brush tops with melted butter.


With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each rectangle stack lengthwise into 6 strips. Twist each strip 3 times and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.


Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with any remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture! Enjoy!

What Makes A Good Lunch Sandwich?????

          "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

                                 --- George Bernard Shaw

What Makes a Good Sandwich?????

Well for me I know it has to have very cold and very crisp lettuse, then very fresh, preferably "home grown" tomatoes, and fresh cut from the deli lunch meat. Smear a little mustard and light mayo on it with 1/4 avacado...sometimes I add some Jack cheese and Voila....a good sandwich with freshly peeled, cut in 1/4s, apple slices and a little carmel dip. 

Believe it or not different people enjoy different kinds of sandwiches and what appeals to one person will disgust someone else.  

Hint: Add a thin spread of margarine on both sides of your bread for a dryer tastier sandwich!

Some favorites: a great combo is Bacon, Cream Cheese, and Avacado on a fresh wheat bagel! Yummy!!! One that my mom used to serve me was toasted sourdough bread with butter, peanut butter, banana sliced, and cinnamon sugar....now that was real "comfy" food!!!  And what about the "Fluffernutter" sandwich?? Now you ask.....................What is a Fluffernutter? It is not just a regular sandwich, but a "Fluffernutter Sandwich!" It is one of my favorite sandwiches, but as I have gotten older and more calorie conscious I have had to learn to limit this sweet sandwich to special occasions when I have allowed for all the extra calories and added more exercise to my week!!

The "Fluffernutter" is a calorie-laden sandwich made with two slices of bread layered with peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff, and sometimes along with the occasional banana. 

It is notes as one of the most unique and unusual sandwich, the "Fluffernutter Sandwich" which originally came from the Eastern New England states. Probably because of their weather. Generations of New Englanders fondly associate "Marshmallow Fluff" with their childhood as it has been a childhood favorite for many raised in the northeastern USA states. The "Fluffernutter" sandwich is more than a beloved memory of childhood, it’s a local tradition. As a traditional food of New England, it goes right alongside with favorites like baked beans and clam chowder.

"Marshmallow Fluff" is a blend of corn syrup, sugar, dried egg white, and vanilla flavoring. Let's make our own....

Homemade Marshmallow Fluff/Cream


Cook time: 10 min

Ingredients:

3 egg whites, room temperature
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

• In a large bowl add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt.
• Use your electric mixer on high speed,
• mix for approximately 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and volume has almost doubled
• On low speed, add powdered sugar and mix until well blended
• Add vanilla extract just until well blended

Your homemade marshmallow fluff/cream is now ready to use in your recipes. Use immediately, or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.
Makes large quantity.

How to make a Diabetic/ Non-Sugar Substitute for Confectionery Sugar
Ingredients:

2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup Splenda granular (sugar substitute)

Directions:
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
1 Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender.
2 Whip until well blended and powdered.

Avocado-Tomato Melt Sandwich
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:

4 English muffins, split
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 to 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced thin
Coarse sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced thin
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven broiler to high. Under the broiler, toast English muffin halves on a baking sheet until golden brown. Remove from oven. 
Top each muffin half with sliced avocados and sliced tomatoes; lightly salt the tomatoes.
Sprinkle chopped basil leaves over the tomatoes. Put a layer of mozzarella cheese over the basil, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and top with black pepper.
Broil prepared muffin halves for approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and enjoy!

If you are looking for something different try one of my favorite sandwiches for a twist!!

Chicken Parm Melts! They are soo good.

• fresh or leftover cooked chicken breast [sliced]
• simmer a can of your favorite tomato sauce
• Add the chicken to it
• Cook for 10-15 minutes
• then toast some thick cut italian bread or French bread
• pour the chicken with the sauce over the toast
• top it off with parmesan and mozzarella cheese
• then bake until melted
• Enjoy!

Oh My!!!! Yummy...................

Pizza Melt:

• Ok this is pretty simple
• you can use a 1/2 of bagel or English Muffin or Toasted bread
• spread with pizza sauce
• then layer pepperoni, onion, green pepper and mushrooms or do like me and use pinapple and a slice of ham
• Top with mozzarella cheese
• Bake a few minutes till cheese is melted
• Enjoy!
  

I saw this recipe online over at "All my Art" and I thought what a wonderful twist to the regular chicken salad sandwiches.

  

Chicken Salad with Maple Dressing (makes one serving.)

 

1 cup cooked chicken chunks

1/2 to 1 apple, chopped (I like to leave the skin on)

1/3 cup chopped celery

3 tbsp. chopped pecans

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. maple flavoring

Put chopped ingredients in mixing bowl. Stir flavoring into mayonnaise and fold into the chopped ingredients. Chill and serve.

For more sandwich recipes go here:

Enjoy!

Happy Easter

We had a little rain today but then the sun came out and it was a glorious day... Happy Easter to all...have a yummy day

Pink Lemonade Pie Great For Easter

This recipe and photo came from Scotty's Place

she has a fantastic blog be sure to visit her!



               Pink Lemonade Pie w/Coconut

It’s very easy and quick to put together. And would be great for Easter!

Pink Lemonade Pie w/Coconut
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
12-oz can frozen pink lemonade concentrate *
3/4 to 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (plus some to sprinkle on top)
Two 8-oz tubs of Cool Whip or one large
Red Food Coloring
Two Shortbread Pie Crust Shells

*Note: You can use about 3/4 of the lemonade concentrate because it’s too sour with the full 12 oz.

Combine first four ingredients with an electric mixer. Add 4-5 drops of red food coloring (color will lighten considerably once you add the Cool Whip). Fold in the Cool Whip until combined well. Pour into pie shells and top with more coconut. You can decorate it with some jelly beans if you’d like. They look cute on there nestled in the coconut.

Cover and refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.
This pie is good frozen too!

Happy St Patrick's Day Goodies

Now that we are in March and St Patrick's Day is upon us I thought I would add a couple good recipes for the "Irish" Green month!!

This is called Luck of the Irish Quiche

Ingredients :

15 oz Corned beef hash

1/4 c Softened bread crumbs
4 Eggs
1 c Shredded Swiss cheese [I use the Mexican mix] 
1 bag of Broccoli cuts
1 tbsp Flour
1 c  milk
1 dash lemon pepper
1 dash season mix
1 dash Cayenne pepper
Green pepper rings [just slice them making rings for a pretty affect]
 I use tomato rings as I am not fond of green peppers


Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. In a bowl, combine hash, bread crumbs, broccoli,  and 1 egg. Mix until well blended. Spread mixture in a 9-inch pie plate. Toss cheese with flour, then sprinkle on top of hash mixture. Combine remaining 3 eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour into hash-lined plate. Bake for 40 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Garnish with green pepper rings. 

And we gotta have scones... These are GREAT!!!

Irish Scones

 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour                   4 teaspoons baking powder Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

1/4 cup white sugar                                 1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter                1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
1/2 cup milk                                             1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg                                                        1 tablespoon milk




Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or rubbing between your fingers until it is in pea sized lumps. Stir in the currants. Mix together 1/2 cup milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients, and stir gently until well blended. Overworking the dough results in terrible scones!


With floured hands, pat scone dough into balls 2 to 3 inches across, depending on what size you want. Place onto a greased baking sheet, and flatten lightly. Let the scones barely touch each other. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash. Let them rest for about 10 minutes.


Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are golden brown, not deep brown. Break each scone apart, or slice in half. Serve with butter or clotted cream and a selection of jams - or even plain

   Irish Soda Bread

1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter
4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 1/2 Cups Currants
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt coarse
1/8 Teaspoon Cardamom
1 Egg at room temperature
1 3/4 Cups Buttermilk at room temperature
How To:
1. Cut this crusty bread in wedges to serve.
2. Add two teaspoons grate lemon peel to complement the flavor of the currants.
3. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
4. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or work it in with your finger.
5. Mix the egg and buttermilk together and then add this mixture to the dry ingredients.
6. Stir until well blended.
7. Add the currants and stir the mixture well.
8. Turn out on a floured surface and knead gently for 3 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
9. Divide the dough into two pieces, shaping each into a round loaf.
10. Place each in a greased 8 inch cake or pie pan,pressing it down until the dough fills the pan.
11. Use a sharp knife to cut a 1/2 inch deep cross on top of each loaf.
12. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 40 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when you thump it.
13. Turn out on a wire rack to cool.
14. Do not cut for about 4 hours.

Enjoy!!!



World's best ice cream commercial!

Warning may not be for all eyes....I think this is hilarious... watch if you dare...