Martha who??

So for a couple of years I have been a subscriber to Martha Stewart Living.  I love her ideas, although for awhile I was finding that when I tried to make some of her recipes or crafts, it was unsuccessful because Martha is to particular and perfect that no matter how hard I tried I could never be Martha!!  A blessing and a curse?!  So at the beginning of July, I threw a baby shower for my sweet friend Jenny and was inspired by Martha's book themed shower with her 'Sugar and Spice' cake.  I attempted the cake...I conquered and made the cake!  AND...wait for it...it was SIMPLE!!!  Yes anyone can do it!!!  Here is the recipe, most ingredients you will have in your house already except for cake flour and mascarpone cheese, but you will want to RUN out and buy them because this is one of the BEST cakes EVER!!
Note: If you make the 4 layers as the recipe discusses, you will want to double the Mascarpone frosting.  I have made it with just 2 layers (not slicing between the 2 round cakes) and only used the written Mascarpone frosting.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional...I didn't have so I didn't use)
• Pinch of ground cloves (optional...I didn't have so I didn't use)
• Salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (I never buy unsalted butter)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups blackberry jam (from one 17.5-ounce jar)

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line with parchment, and spray parchment. Sift flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Continue to beat until smooth, about 1 minute more.
3. Divide batter among cake pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks, and let cool for 20 minutes. Turn out cakes from pans, remove parchment, and flip right side up. Let cool completely.
4. Trim tops of cakes to create a flat surface. Cut cakes in half horizontally. Spread 1/2 cup jam onto 1 layer, then spread 1 cup frosting over jam. Top with another cake layer. Repeat layering cakes with jam and frosting, leaving top layer (bottom side up) uncovered.

 

Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

1. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.

 

Cheesecake...pie...simple yet amazing!!

So the theme for this week is definitely desserts, and one of my favorite desserts I have been making for YEARS is a cheesecake that is simple, amazingly delicious, and the perfect size as it bakes in a pie dish.  How is a cheesecake recipe easy? Well if you have a food processor, you can make it quick! Here is the recipe:

KNUDSEN CREAM CHEESE PIE
4 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Graham Cracker Crust (recipe follows)
Sour Cream Topping (recipe follows)

Make Graham Cracker crust below, THEN:

In food processor: blend cream cheese, whip and combine with the eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice; beat until light and frothy. Pour into graham cracker crust.

Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then pour topping over pie. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer.

Place refrigerator at least 5 hours before serving.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

12 to 14 graham crackers
1/4 cup butter, melted

In food processor, blend graham crackers and melted butter and chop until fine crumbs.  Pat crumbs in a 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350 for 10 minutes

SOUR CREAM TOPPING

1 cup sour cream
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend sour cream with sugar and vanilla.

Makes 10-12 servings

Don't forget to add any fruit you want, or eat it plain which is my preference! :)

Desserts! Desserts! Who needs dinner?

I have to be honest, I have become like most, focused on what is for dessert?!  My husband, who claims he has no sweet tooth, when in actuality he does have a sweet tooth, it is just a sweet tooth that needs a few bites of something sweet and not an entire chocolate bomb of some sort. Recently, he realized his love for blackberry pies, at the same time I was getting ready to conquer my fear of making homemade pies.  Yes, fear.  How many of YOU have mastered the art of the, pardon my French, damn crust?  And who has found an easy recipe that you can't easily screw up?!  Well, I did!  For Christmas my mom bought me the recipe book "Cutie Pies" and they have fabulous recipes and ideas, one of which is their butter pie crust...DIVINE!!!  So here is my recipe for my blackberry pie, using the Cutie Pies All Butter crust recipe...of course it's good for you, it's homemade! ;)

Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3/4 cup ice water (be cautious on this as you may not need all of this water)

 

1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, salt, and sugar, mixing well. Add butter and mix gently using a pastry blender, a fork, or your hands, until butter pieces are well coated. Gradually add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue mixing until pea-size crumbs have formed; dough should not be smooth and beaten together like cookie dough.
2. Gather dough together and divide in half. Flatten each into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Transfer dough to refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

 

Filling:

4 cups fresh blackberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup sugar (additional)

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Combine 3 1/2 cups berries with the sugar and flour. Spoon the mixture into an unbaked pie shell. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the sweetened berries, and cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges, and cut vents in the top crust for steam to escape.
3. Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Don't forget to serve it with homemade vanilla ice cream! O M G!!!

Today's Special??

Chicken Salad sandwiches!
I love me some good sandos! This is also one of my favs...my good friend Autumn is my credit to the goodness of the chicken salad because there is so much you can do with it.  Autumn and I use to work together and we would make lunch in the breakroom at our office. Her chicken salad was so yummy and not something I would usually make...it had grapes in it! I know, sounds weird to some, but oh my goodness it added such snap with a little bit of sweetness that was the perfect combo.
Of course there are other ways of making chicken salad (and yes I buy the canned chicken at Costco, or I boil my own chicken breast and shred it).  Drain your chicken, add the mayo and then start creating! Cut some grapes in half, add nuts (any type of nut will do, I have yet to find one that doesnt go!), and my favorite...not so secret, secret ingredient is some curry powder. Now I love curry so I tend to add quite a bit, so if you arent sure about the flavor of curry add a little and then add some more!
And to top off the gourmet chicken salad sando?  Put it on some toasted, homemade bread with some crisp lettuce and a tomato! Delish!!

Don't forget to check out tomorrow's last lunch day...next week will be a new theme.  Do you have a theme you want me to write about? Let me know!

Enjoy your lunch!

Lunch for dinner...or for lunch!

It's tomato time!  For those of you who were able to plant tomatoes this year, now is the time they are ripe and ready to go.  Last night my husband harvested (my favorite word for picked) a ton of tomatoes while my 1 1/2 year old ate one like an apple.  So the plan??  BLTAs tonight.  Here is what I'm going to do:
*The fresh bread is in the maker ready to go
*Slice the tomatoes 1/4" thick
*Cook the bacon: my least favorite part as I hate smelling like bacon when I'm done.  So I like to use the small Pampered Chef bar pan, put 6 pieces of bacon on it with some parchment paper on top and microwave it for 4-5 minutes, check and cook more as neeeded.  The mess is secluded to my microwave, it is crispy and perfect, and I don't smell like bacon fat! :)  Win win!  (If you need a small bar pan, let me know I'm always putting in an order)
*Mayonnaise: this can be so boring, but I found a great trick!  Mix a little mayo with some lemon juice.  Mix as much as you like for taste.  It keeps well if you make too much and it adds a nice twist on any boring sandwich!
*Avocado: yum yum!  Cut the avo in half lengthwise, using a butter knife, slice and scoop as if you are slicing butter. 
*Don't forget the lettuce!  I'm using Iceberg tonight for crunch, but sometimes fresh basil tickles my fancy more than lettuce!

Delish!  Keep it simple and cool.  With this recipe, you can make the bacon ahead and most importantly you don't have to heat up your oven or stove on these hot days!

I'm baaack....

How come in the 80s Poltergeist seemed like the scariest movie and now when you watch it, it is slightly ridiculous...right up there with Jaws...somehow now you see all of the 'fakeness' if you well (my mommy brain can't quite come up with the word I really want to use). 

Sorry gor the length of MIA (thank you Anne for nudging me for more!)...we have had guests come and go, friends' babies being born, 2 kids to chase after, and one sweet member of our family go off to college.  Ah the circle of life...

So has anyone been trying any of my recipes?  My goal is to have a daily post...hahaha...but to all of my FB friends, it may not get on FB everyday, so try and check back on my blog.  I have been repeating a few recipes that I have already posted ie the Chicken thighs with zucchini, feta, and olives.  For those who are a bit scared of kalamata olives, well you are missing out, but you would be able to make the dish without them and still have success.  This recipe is one that my husband always asks for me to make a ton because he loves it as leftovers for lunches!

Speaking of lunches, I believe there are many of you who want a quick, healthy way to have lunch, either at work, or at home, so this week of blogs is going to be centered more around lunches.  As an avid Pinterest person, I came across the salads in a Mason jar and tried one yesterday.  First of all they came out great, they were easy to make, and of course presentation was fun, but I do have some recommendations.  The layers are deceiving because as you are putting ingredients in they get high quickly which leads to less lettuce.  I was okay with that, but for those of you who like a more lettuce salad beware.  Also, you can shake them in the jar to dress them (sounds naughty), but I would recommend you have a plate or bowl to pour the contents into as the jar doesn't shake the ingredients well, just dresses everything.  So for those of you who aren't Pinterest people, or have seen them, here is what you do:
You need a quart size Mason jar, and all salad fixings that you want, here is what I did.  Start with the dresssing of your choice and put in on the bottom of the jar, the next layer needs to be a vegetable that is hardy, ie carrots or celery I did both, then I added cubed ham, mozzarella, and the lettuce.  I buy ham steaks at Costco, 3 large cooked steaks for $11, freeze two and use one to cube for salads.  Apparently these salads last for up to 6 days in the fridge, so you can make them on Sunday and have lunches for the week!  While I was at Costco, in the bakery section, they had some pita bread that I bought and froze so that I can have a piece of pita with the salad to add a little side.

Enjoy!

Simple 3 Ingredient Dessert

So tonight I needed something sweet...no homemade ice cream could be found in my freezer...and I had company who wanted something sweet as well. I turned to an old favorite, sounds weird but try it...you will NOT be sorry! Put some blueberries in a dish top with a little sour cream and some brown sugar on top! The flavors are so good, my husband still doesn't believe I put sour cream on top! The brown sugar really transforms the dish...enjoy!

Salmon with Orzo and a Salad

Tonight we are having salmon for dinner.  Again, Costco special, I buy the frozen steaks for $20 there are close to 15 steaks in there.  They defrost quickly and are super easy to cook!  For Christmas we received a Himalayan salt stone which is what I generally cook my salmon on.  With the stones you can heat them up on a gas flame on your stove or heat them in the oven.  Once the stone is heated, you can place the salmon steaks directly on the stone and they cook quickly with a light salt flavor. I top them with a little mixture of dry dill and butter.  IF you don't have a salt stone, you can broil them in the oven in a foil lined baking pan, just make sure you keep your eye on them they cook fast!
In the meantime, I will boil some water for the orzo and make a side salad with the artisan lettuce pack from Costco, some cucumber, bell peppers, avocado and parmesan cheese.
Serve the salmon on top of the orzo, or if you are watching the carbs, let the salmon cool a little and put it on top of the salad!

Don't forget the homemade ice cream for dessert! :)

Off Script...

So I have to go 'Off Script' a little bit tonight...the beauty is that by shopping at Costco in bulk and budget I can do that with what is in my house.  I'm going to make BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches.  I will defrost 4 packs of the double breasts from Costco (which only means they will be on my list for my next trip).  I will cook them in simmering beer in a pan on the stove, or you can use water if you don't like the flavor of beer.  Cook them until they are done and then 'fork pull' them apart to shredded meat.  (This is also an inexpensive way to make chicken salad sandwiches!) Once you shred all of the meat you can put it in an oven safe dish and keep it warm in the oven at 175 degrees until your company shows up.  MAKE SURE YOU PUT A FARE AMOUNT OF THE COOKING LIQUID IN THE DISH to keep the chicken moist.
For the buns I'm going to make the French bread recipe in my bread maker.  When you make the 2lb loaf option you can get 6-8 good sized buns done, even though it doesn't look like it, they rise and get big even in the oven.  And once you have a homemade bun you will never go back to store bought!  My mouth is watering just thinking about them!  Put them on dough cycle and when you take it out break it apart into rounds and put on a baking sheet.  Let them rise for 30 mins and bake at 400 degrees for 22 mins.
For the BBQ sauce I'm not quite sure what I'm going to make yet...I will tell you it will be made with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar and I might throw in some maple syrup.  I will let you know!

Everything from what I have in the house...I will be feeding about 8 adults and 2 kids for under $15 total!

Keep it simple!

Lemony Chicken Pan Roast with Zucchini and Feta

From Food and Wine again, was super simple...I didn't have fresh oregano so I used dried...The chicken thighs were at Costco for a little over $6 and I got twice as much than the recipe asked for, but I wouldn't hesitate using chicken breasts, just make sure they are cooked...I felt like a gourmet and it was probably one of the SIMPLEST recipes I've made for under $5.  I served it over Orzo pasta which is a staple in my house!

o

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs (2 1/2 pounds)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large lemon, cut into eighths

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (about 2 ounces)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped oregano

1/4 pound feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

---

Yield: 4

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the skillet, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large roasting pan, skin side up. Pour off half of the fat in the skillet. Add the zucchini, lemon and olives to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring once, until the zucchini and lemon are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the roasting pan, spreading the vegetables around the chicken. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife. Preheat the broiler. Scatter the feta on top of the chicken and zucchini and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly browned.

*Sorry about the picture quality...I don't know why it uploaded like this

New Recipe: Peanut Noodle Salad with Cucumber and Roast Pork

This is a new recipe I'm trying.  Pork loins are so inexpensive...I just bought 4 at Costco for $20 and will only need to use 1 for my family of 3 eaters.  This recipe is from Food and Wine, although I'm going to modify it a bit:

Serving for 6
1 teaspoon fresh chives
3 T vegetable oil
One 1 Lb pork tenderloin
Salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I'm going to use chunky because that is what I have)
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar (something I would get at the market just to have on my shelf)
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T honey
10 ounces dried linguine
One cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
Fresh basil

1. In a mini food processor, combine the chives, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Process to a moist powder. Season the pork with salt and spread the chive mixture all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter with the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce,  and honey. Season with salt.
3. In an ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the pork and cook over moderately high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until browned, 2 minutes longer. Turn the pork and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the tenderloin for about 15 minutes for medium meat, turning halfway through. Transfer the pork to a board and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguine until al dente. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the cooking water. Rinse the noodles under cold water until cool; toss to remove the excess water and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer the noodles to a bowl.
5. Stir the pasta cooking water into the peanut dressing and pour the sauce over the noodles. Toss well. Stir in the cucumber, basil. Transfer the noodles to bowls and garnish with the remaining pea shoots. Slice the pork 1/3 inch thick and serve with the noodle salad.

It's Leftover Pizza Night!!

So here is my recipe for the simple Pizza Dough for those of you who have a bread machine.  I know a lot of people who have bread machines and either haven't used them ever, or haven't used them in FORever.  Well pull it out because the cost you will save from using it is HUGE!  How much does a loaf of bread cost these days? $5?  Anyway, I will save that for another blog...here is my recipe:
Easy Peezy Pizza Dough
2 teaspoons yeast (purchase at Costco and keep it in the freezer it will last for forever...mine is at least 4 years old)
3 cups flour (all purpose or bread)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water plus 2 tablespoons

Put your machine on the 'Dough' setting and you will have fresh dough in about an hour and a half.  What will be on your pizza tonight?  Mine will have some meatloaf and grilled squash!  Delish and simple!

Happy cooking!

Costco Precaution

One thing I forgot to mention about shopping at Costco...
When buying their produce make sure you check the expiration dates as the items on the 'top' boxes expire very quickly. Also, I shop Costco on Mondays as I have found that they are less crowded and freshly stocked from the weekend's massive crowds.
And if you are shopping Costco regularly like myself, it is way more valuable to join the Executive membership as the money you get back will pay for your membership and then some.

$200 for 2 weeks worth of food...

So some are wondering how do I only spend $200 for 2 weeks worth of food for my family.  I don't know that I can answer that specifically but I can tell you how I came about trying it and keepin' it simple.  First of all, in watching all of the Extreme couponing shows I got motivated to try and cut down costs.  All that ended up doing was forcing me to drive to 3 different places, spend too much time trying to find every coupon possible, only to realize that most people on those shows are buying frozen foods, candy, top ramen type noodles, deoderant in travel sizes, and laundry detergent...really?!  The only intriguing part for me would be how to get free laundry detergent. So I tried shopping in markets for 4 months, looking at ads and cutting as many coupons, only to find that I could barely get out of the store at around $130-$150 per week!  So after 4 months it was time to try Costco.  I had to have a game plan - keep it right around $200...anything under would be a bonus.  However, the first time I went it would be a little higher because of purchasing toilet paper and paper towels, knowing that I probably wouldn't buy them at the same time again, because off setting them would help in keeping the budget at $200.  Two key tricks were - 1: My husband can't go with me 2:  Don't go hungry...if you go in hungry anticipating samples, you will buy more, so grab a hot dog on your way in!
When you find the Costco that best suits your needs stick with it.  I have been to 4 and have only found that the Costco at the Irvine District has the best for me: half and half, a great produce selection, and short lines except on the weekends!
My list includes: chicken breasts, whole chickens, hamburger meat, pork loins, frozen salmon filets, lunch meat, asparagus, artichokes, bananas, blueberries (if they are cheap), Chinese Chicken Salad, Artisan lettuce (buying lettuce still in 'head' form makes it last longer), 2 gallons of milk, 18 eggs, sour cream, half and half, whipping cream (for the homemade ice cream), yogurt, grated cheese, Florida's OJ, coffee, and sometimes one or two other items.  The produce lasts way longer than the grocery store, and the OJ, coffee, grated cheese and some of the meats I don't have to buy every 2 weeks, I can switch off if I still have the items at home.
When I get home I have some work to do:
*I separate the grated cheese into smaller bags and freeze some
*The ground beef I get as close to 6 pounds as possible and divide it into one pound bags and freeze
*The pork loins come 4 to a pack so I divide them individually and freeze because for a family of 3, we only eat 1 at a time
*blueberries I freeze whole into 1 cup sizes because I use them to make my easy blueberry muffins. 
*Chinese chicken salad is ALL freezable including the wontons and noodles

I have noticed by doing this I force us to eat more out of the house, it is healthier, easier, and I get more creative with what I already have in my house.

Let me know what you think and keep it simpme!

Pampered Chef's Quick and Creamy Mac N Cheese

DO NOT FORGET THE RESERVED COOKING WATER!!!

Ingredients:

16 oz (450 g) uncooked medium shell pasta
1 pkg (12 oz/350 g) frozen butternut squash, thawed (or buy a whole one and bake it at 350 for 45 mins or until done)
1 can (12 oz or 370 mL) evaporated milk
2 cups (500 mL) shredded six-cheese Italian cheese blend
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

Directions:

For pasta, bring salted water to a boil in covered
(4-qt./3.8-L) Casserole. Cook pasta according to package directions. Carefully remove ¼ cup (50 mL) of the cooking water for later use. Drain pasta; return to Casserole and set aside.
For sauce, place squash into (3-qt./2.8-L) Saucepan; gradually add milk, whisking constantly using Silicone Sauce Whisk. Cook over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium. Add cheese; cook 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture returns to a simmer, whisking constantly. Add salt and reserved cooking water; stir until smooth. Add sauce to pasta; mix to coat.

1. To serve, divide pasta among serving bowls; sprinkle with ground nutmeg, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Meal Planning

So I'm trying to get back on track with my meal planning and shopping.  Ever since baby #2 was born I have planned a little and winged it a lot!  Today I'm planning and shopping.  I try to shop mostly at Costco once every 2 weeks keeping the bill at $200 or less, and maybe having to go to a market for a couple of produce items in between.  A couple of tips I have would be when my fridge is piling up with leftovers I make leftover pizza.  I have a bread machine which I always make bread with, but I also use it to make pizza dough which is delish!  Here are my upcoming meals and I will post a full recipe each day to avoid bombarding you.  If you try a meal, take the time to comment so I know what you like and what you don't.  Also, all meals are simple except for one is more time consuming which is noted.
*Pampered Chef Creamy Macaroni and Cheese (made with mostly Butternut Squash)
*Pizza with grilled squash, zucchini and chicken
*Peanut Noodle Salad with Cucumber and Roast Pork
*Lemony Chicken Pan Roast with Zucchini and Feta
*Rustic Pasta with a garden salad
*BBQ
*Leftover Pizza
*Aztec Chicken with Rice (the time consuming recipe but SO worth the time!)
*Salmon with orzo and a salad
*Asian Grilled Chicken Rolls with Rice (Pampered Chef recipe)

Shopping today and keepin the next 2 weeks simple!

Guest Blog from Michael Notko

Did ya miss me?  Think I had left?  Nope...have 2 kids under 15 months and haven't had the time ;)  Did I mention it is graduation season?  I think that should be a new term...Graduation Season...the time between Spring and Summer...a transitional season if you will.

Anyway, my friend and husband's former bandmate (another story for another time) sent me a delicious looking and sounding meal that is SIMPLE and savory.  Here is the recipe...let me know what you think!

BBQ Stuffed Pork Loin
Ingredients:
*1 pork loin
*Swiss Cheese
*Dijon Mustard
*Cilantro
*Salt and Pepper

(No there are not quantities listed...I almost prefer it because use your imagination and add more of your favorite ingredient and less of your least favorite ingredient)

Directions:
Butterfly the loin, pound it flat (Michael used his fist), lather with dijon, put cheese and cliantro over, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll it up and tie it with string and throw it on the grill until it's done!  YUM!  Now he has set higher standards for me to take pics of my meals...thanks! :)

Tonight's Dinner plans...

S one of my staples in my house is whole chickens. I purchase the 2 pack at Costco for under $12. I am going to clean out the chicken sprinkle it with a lot of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. I have a metal round baking dish which I will line very well with aluminum foil (to avoid heavy scrubbing later!). Place the chicken breasts down in the pan and put it on a preheated bbq for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and bake for 50 minutes. Keep checking your meat with a thermometer...I love the Pampered Chef digital thermometer (did I mention I sell Pampered Chef products? Let me know if you need one!) When the chicken reaches 165 degrees, remove and let rest for 30 minutes covered with foil. In the meantime, I am going to make artichokes. To prepare the artichokes, take scissors and cut off the top of all the leaves that have the little thorns. Take a knife and cut the stem off and then cut the artichokes in half lengthwise. With a pairing knife, carefully cut right under the hairs in order to pull out the small leaves and hairs. Place in a large pot of cold water and put on the stove and boil for 30 minutes. I like to make a mayo/lemon mixture to dip, but I know many people like melted butter. (I get my artichokes at Costco...they have a 4 pack for $5 and they are really big! Graham loves artichoke hearts!!) My othere side dish is going to be leftover rice...I know, boring but it is in the fridge! P.S. don't have a bbq? Cook your chicken in the oven on 400 for an hour and a half but make sure it's covered with foil until the last 15 minutes otherwise your oven will be a mess with oil splatter! Keep It Simple and Happy Cooking!

Costco Ice Cream Maker

A week ago I was doing my 2 week Costco shopping trip when I came upon the Cuisenart Ice Cream maker. This is a great ice cream maker which I have been aware of through friends and family, but I had not owned one yet. Costco had them on sale for $23.99. If you factor in the cost of $5+ per half gallon of ice cream, the savings with this maker are huge! Not to mention how often I crave ice cream and don't have any, and with this maker you can quickly and EASILY make ice cream in 25 minutes plus one hour in the freezer. Advice/Tip: you do need some whipping cream to make ice cream and I have found the least expensive whipping cream at Costco, so while you are there picking up your machine, grab some whipping cream before you check out. ALSO, when making ice cream, my mom gave me a fabulous tip...don't leave ice cream in the maker, scoop it out and store in tupperware and clean the bowl out to keep in freezer. The bowl does take awhile to freeze (20 hours). Ice cream/sorbet/frozen yogurt recipes to follow! :)

Tip: Wooden Spoon

So today I'm doing a home brewery kit, thanks to my brother Brian's great gift!  As I recruit my mother in law to be my official stirer while the brew boils, she stands there watching it to make sure it doesn't boil over...so I gave her my tip that I recently learned and tested...
Tip: Place a wooden spoon over the pot of boiling liquid and your contents will not boil over.  I have used  this method before, learning it off of a Pinterest point myself, and it works great without fail!

Happy Boiling!

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

Yes, making Blueberry Muffins is easy and tastier than buying a box from the market.  Here is my recipe:

2 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
1 egg
3/4 c blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients together.  In a measuring cup pour milk, then oil, add egg and beat lightly.  Pour into dry ingredients and mix until combined...do NOT overmix.  Add blueberries, mix and put in greased muffin pan, filling 2/3 full.  Top each muffin with a little sugar just before baking and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are nice and lightly golden.

Last Minute Leftovers make a FAB recipe!

So last night I wanted to make something simple, savory, EASY, and most importantly using leftovers in my fridge and pantry.  I was craving chicken noodle casserole, and had had left over rotisserie chicken from the store.  Here is what I made with a yummy garden salad...the casserole took 15 minutes to put together and 30 minutes to bake.

8 ozs egg noodles (I used bowtie and it worked just fine)
3 cups chicken (the recipe called for poached chicken breasts, I used leftovers and you could even use canned)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions. 
Mix soups and sour cream together, adding salt and pepper to taste.  When pasta is done mix chicken and pasta together then add soup/sour cream mixture and mix thoroughly.  Place everything in a 2-qt cooking dish, top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  (I would recommend putting dish on a piece of aluminum foil in oven in case the dish bubbles over a bit. Cleaning my oven is not Keepin' It Simple!)

Enjoy!

Getting Things Started

Hey Everyone!
I've been wanting to start a cooking blog to keep things simple.  Often times friends/family ask for recipes of things I make and/or ask me for my tips of organizing for the week.  Every Sunday I set a menu for the upcoming two weeks, make a shopping list, shop on Monday and let the cooking begin!
Having two kids and keeping busy with them, I look forward to the evenings to cook a meal for my family...it makes me feel like I've accomplished at least one thing for the day! :)  And...I LOVE to cook...it is a hobby of mine...but I do everything easy!  So if you are interested, follow my blog...sometimes I will try new recipes and will comment accordingly.