Simple Mexican Rice

I switched this Simple Mexican Rice recipe up that I found on Allrecipes by Elizabeth 101 and made it a meal.

The leftover meat mixture I made for the Really Deep Dish Pizza recipe, I used for this. I found that it was a good way of using up leftover ingredients that were already cooked. Besides, I wasn't going to make another pizza.

The process of baking this rice was interesting to me. I wasn't sure it was going to work with the amount of liquid the recipe called for... it did. The rice turned out fluffy and didn't stick to itself as in most times I cook rice. I guess I haven't quite figured that one out yet.

But at any rate, this recipe was simple and delicious. It was a nice change from the ordinary... but then again - since when have I been making anything out of the ordinary for me lately.

Enjoy!!

Really Dip Dish Pizza

Over the years, I have made some really good pizzas. I have a stone in the oven. I have a cast iron pizza pan. I have a huge deep dish pizza pan that I bought years ago. All of those I can't use at the moment because my oven is down. When I will have my regular oven back is anyone's guess at this point.

If you have been following this blog, you know that I'm primarily using the toaster oven. So when I saw this  Really Deep Dish Pizza recipe on Genius Kitchen submitted by Littleturtle and saw what it was baked in, I thought I'd give it a try. I used two round cake pans and made two pizzas.

I should note that doing this the way I did, it made two thick crust pizzas. You can always cut the dough into four pieces and that's probably what I'll do next time.

I will say that the pizza turned out really well. The dough was easy to work with. The burger topping that this recipe made was tasty. I didn't have black olives so I missed that but all in all,  this was an easy, delicious recipe that I think anyone can make.

Looks good,  right?!

Quick and Easy Hamburger Stroganoff

It seems the comfort food strikes again.

This time,  I opted for something my mom used to make for me stroganoff. This for me,  was one of the ultimate comfort foods because she made it quite often. This is one of my food memories while growing up.

I used to make this on the fly after I got out on my own but I decided to search for a recipe and found this Quick and Easy Hamburger Stroganoff on Allrecipes submitted by Denny.

I added some things that my mom didn't add and aren't included in this particular recipe.  I added Worcestershire sauce,  parsley, chives, ground black pepper,  and cayenne.

But at any rate,  I hope you all take some time to make and enjoy a dish from my youth.

Fudgy Brownies II

Oh my... WOW!

Those who know me know that I'm not much of a chocolate person.  Seriously. I seem to lack the gene that women are supposed to have where they love chocolate. I don't have it. However... every once in awhile I get an intense craving for it.

So because of that intense craving, I made these absolutely delicious Fudgy Brownies II that I found on Allrecipes.

I made two changes due to what I had on hand and what I wanted to add.  First, I used cocoa powder instead of the unsweetened chocolate the recipe called for - same amount. Second,  I rough chopped about half of a four ounce salted caramel chocolate bar to throw into the mix for something chunky.

Let me tell you...  this brownie is moist,  chewy, and completely satisfies the ultimate chocolate craving known to human kind.  It is absolutely phenomenal!

Garlic Chicken with Potatoes

It seems like lately I'm making things that are simple.

Take this Garlic Chicken with Potatoes I found on Allrecipes. This is as simple as it can get. The potatoes and chicken get a coating of olive oil and Adobo seasoning. That's it. Season it and throw it in the oven. See?! Simple!!

Now... I must say, the seasoning I have is rather salty so I only sprinkled it on and didn't follow the amount called for in the recipe. I think that would have made my particular dish completely not worth eating and I like salt. I'm not sure if this is the same with all Adobo but mine is. So if you're not keen on extreme salt, take it easy on the seasoning.

For all you novice cooks out there, I recommend this recipe because it IS easy and delicious. In my book, you just can't beat that!

Check it out!

Pasta with Garlic and Anchovies

If you love garlic and anchovies, check out this Pasta with Garlic and Anchovie from the Eat Smarter site.

It's a simple dish to make.

Saute chopped garlic and a few anchovies in a skillet, cook your pasta and add it to the skillet. Add in some parsley, salt and pepper ( I omitted the salt because anchovies are salty on their own), and VIOLA! You have a tasty, quick, and delicious meal that's sure to please!

I didn't do it but I challenge anyone out there to make their own homemade pasta to go with this dish. I think I will do that next time I decide to make it. ;)

Looks good, doesn't it?!

Spicy Macaroni and Cheese Bake

Since most who know me well know that I don't have cable and use an over-the-air antennae to watch tv, I'm not in a prime area and only get perhaps twelve channels on a good day. My clearest and most consistent, though, are the PBS stations out of Clearfield. It's the main channel plus the sister stations particularly the one called "Create".

A lot of times the Create channel has cooking shows on it and I think that might be where I came up with the idea to make homemade macaroni and cheese. I got hungry for it so I went on a hunt to see what I could find.

This Spicy Macaroni and Cheese Bake by NIN4NIN on the Genius Kitchen site caught my eye. I love spicy foods and I wasn't looking for the typical macaroni and cheese my mom used to make (even though that was quite delicious).

I thought this one might fill the craving. Macaroni and cheese and spicy - what could be better?!

Choux Pastry for Cream Puffs

Making this Choux Pastry for Cream Puffs from Random Rachel on Genius Kitchen was definitely a new experience for me. I have never made cream puffs before but thought I would try it out. As the submitter of the recipe said, it did look gross after the eggs were added but worked its way out once it was stirred enough.

I admit I expected the dough to be a little sweeter but there's just enough sweetness to satisfy a craving and I'm glad mine turned out successful as this was an easy recipe to follow.

As you can see by the picture, I filled them with the pastry cream I made the other day.

If you're REALLY feeling adventurous, try your hand at making these!

Pastry Cream

Ok, so this Pastry Cream recipe I found on Allrecipes submitted by Kevin Ryan is pretty good.

It's not like a sweet donut filling so don't expect that if that's what you were thinking. It's reminiscent of a smooth slightly sweet vanilla pudding... like something you would find in an eclair or cream puff which is what I intend to use it for.

I think it tastes like homemade vanilla pudding... yummy, yummy!!

So if anyone out there in cyber-land wants to get creative and has a hunkering sweet tooth. Try this out and let me know how it goes!

Barbeque Sauerkraut Bake

This Barbeque Sauerkraut Bake from Julie R on Genius Kitchen was an interesting combination. You wouldn't think the combination of sauerkraut and chicken barbeque would actually go together. I am here to tell you that it actually does... and quite nicely, in fact! I used the leftover balsamic roast chicken I made the other day and chopped it up in bits and pieces.

The BBQ sauce for this is homemade but you can definitely use your favorite bottled sauce if you so desire. I made the recipe as is. I kind of wish I had homemade sauerkraut as nothing store-bought comes close to my homemade stuff. It's nice and tart as sauerkraut should be. I used the jarred stuff for this.

That being said, I hope you try it out and let me know... it may sound totally gross but it is definitely delicious!

Garlicky Mayonnaise

If you love garlic... yes... make THIS Garlicky Mayonnaise from the Epicurious site!

Remember the Greek kick I was on? Well, this recipe was the ultimate way to use the rest of it up! What I really like about this is there is no strong mayo taste that you sometimes find in mayo-based sauces. I guess this is kind of like aioli however, aioli doesn't have yogurt in it.

But this... oh yes! I love garlic and this is a MUST to keep on hand in the fridge! It is versatile enough to go on top of anything!

Check it out!

Cheese-Crusted Flat Bread

I recently watched the Green Mile and I know that has nothing to do with cooking BUT... if I were on death row right now - THIS Cheese-Crusted Flat Bread would be what I wanted as my last meal! It is absolutely DELICIOUS!! I am COMPLETELY blown away!

A HUGE shout-out to SharleneW from the Genius Kitchen site!

This bread is nice and soft on the inside, a bit of crunch on the outside. I replaced the onion for chive in this but the flavor of the cheese, chive, oregano and butter match beautifully! It literally melts in your mouth!

It is DEFINITELY a delicious treat that is SO worth it!

Balsamic Roast Italian Chicken

Sometimes I take my food inspiration from my friends, as was the case with this recipe. While talking to Rich, he reminded me of roasting chickens in the Crock-Pot. I wanted something a little different to my taste buds and this Balsamic Roast Italian Chicken on GeniusKitchen from WickegoodMaine looked a bit different than the same old, same old that I usually make.

One thing I was missing with this chicken was the crispy skin roasting in an oven would obtain. That makes me wonder if this can be accomplished using the Crock-Pot. It looks like I will have to do some research on that because I really would love to have the crispy skin.

However, that being said, this chicken came out of the cooker nice and juicy. As you can see by the picture, I separated the skin from the bird and the recipe says to use a spoon to spread the balsamic mixture between the meat and skin but I did it the easy way... set the bird up on end and dumped the mixture in between.

The flavor was phenomenal with the combination of herbs and vinegar and it definitely gave me the "something different" I was looking for. Quite yummy!

Try it for yourself and let me know!

Scalloped Oysters

Scalloped Oysters... is this a Southern thing? This recipe was submitted by Debbie Thomas on Allrecipes. I thought of something somenoe said to me back when I revived the blog and my first post was Oyster Stew. She said that she read it and it reminded her of a typical dish her family had at Thanksgiving.

I have heard of Oyster Stuffing so I am wondering if this is sort of what it is? Can anyone out there elaborate? I'd really love to know.

My version of this dish turned out creamy and buttery... very very good! I did use two cans of oysters and not the fresh ones... mainly because of convenience and expense.

The flavor was... well... full of oysters, which I love!

Here is my version:

Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

I was looking for a chicken and dumplings recipe that sort of matched what Nancy made while I was there and I found this one submitted to Allrecipes by Karena. I need to be clear on my recollection of chicken and dumplings. Dumplings to me are NOT noodles. They're airy balls of yummy deliciousness cooked on top of the broth! There. I said it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I made a few changes to the recipe. First, I didn't have celery so I used celery flakes. I also added some garlic. I skipped the "gravy" part and added a can of cream of celery while I had the chicken out of the pot cooling on the bone.

After reading the dumpling part of the recipe I decided to use a different recipe for those. This Herbed Dumplings recipe submitted  by Ronna is the one I used. I omitted the herbs listed and used parsley, garlic powder, and chives in mine.

While I definitely didn't get the same flavor as Nancy had in hers, these two recipes, as she would put it, were... the BOMB!

Try them for yourself! You won't be disappointed! Also... LET ME KNOW in the comments below!!

Greek-Style Lemon Roasted Potatoes

I have been asked numerous times to try this recipe for Greek-Style Lemon Roasted Potatoes submitted by koko to Allrecipes by my friend Rich.

NUMEROUS times!

I finally made them and they definitely didn't disappoint! (Perhaps he'll stop nagging me about it now? HA!). I wouldn't have it any other way!

When I first read it, I thought that the amount of stock was outrageous... way too much. However, it dissipates and infuses the potatoes with such an intense flavor, that it will knock your socks off!

The spices, oil, and juice, I didn't measure, as I rarely do when I'm cooking - only with baking does that really matter. So the olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano, I sprinkled on until it looked like enough. When you have been cooking for as long as I have, you tend to know what spice levels you like and what will taste pretty good.

These roasted to perfection and I'm glad Rich kept asking me if I made them yet...

GOLD STAR!!

Sunday Morning Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

Lemon poppy seed pancakes?

Ok... I'll bite.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes submitted by TTV78. I wanted something different for breakfast, it's not like I eat breakfast that much to begin with but I wanted something other than bacon and eggs. This little gem caught my eye. I guess I got the inspiration for pancakes when I was out East. Yeah - we went to Ihop one morning.

First of all, I need to say... I suck at making pancakes from scratch. They never seemed to poof up like they would if I were using a pancake mix. Perhaps it was always because of my using older baking powder and baking soda? Who knows. All I know is that these particular pancakes did poof a bit and were quite tasty!

For those of you who don't like lemon in or on anything except fish - you know who you are.
There is such a faint lemon flavor in these, you can barely taste it; which to me is absolutely perfect. I think the lemon gave a pop to the pancakes without being an overwhelming flavor.

The poppy seeds? Well, I'm not sure if I could taste those or not. What exactly is a poppy seed supposed to taste like? Is there a flavor? Or is it just something that gets stuck in your teeth?

But at any rate, here is my version of this pancake recipe and I hope all of my readers (ok, the two of you) will try this and let me know in the comments section what YOU thought of them!

Let's start a conversation!

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce for Gyros

Pretty close!!

This recipe for cucumber yogurt sauce I found on Genius Kitchen by Shaye... OMG! YUMMY!

It tastes like what's on the gyros when you buy them from a food vendor... or the frozen isle at the grocery store. Absolutely delicious!!

Two things I did different with this... and yes I realize I just said that it was an exact replica. It was until I made an herb adjustment. I didn't realize the cucumbers had to be pulverized in the food processor so I only chopped them fine. I think by pulverizing the cucumber, the flavor of it would be much more intense. Lesson for next time. I also added some chopped chive just to kick it up a tiny notch.

All in all though, I have more Greek yogurt in the fridge so you can bet I'll be using this on everything and making more within the next week!

I thank Nance for sending me down this Greek path! :)

Traditional Gyro Meat

Can you fall in love with food?

That is a question I ponder from time to time. I remember reading in one of my earliest posts on here that I should have went into culinary instead of journalism. Looking back on those days, however, I definitely made the right choice not only because of what I learned academically but because of the incredible group of people I was surrounded with. But remembering that old blog post, I said that I would combine my love of food with my love of writing with this blog... I think so far, that's been my take-away of it. I hope that anyone else reading it will sense that passion and excitement I bring in my musings.

This recipe, though...this Traditional Gyro Meat recipe submitted to Allrecipes by The Dread Pirate Paramour (interesting name, I might say. Catchy!), is as Nance says - the BOMB! I don't think I can get any clearer about this.

I realize, though, that the recipe is not so traditional in my case. I used only beef and no lamb. Lamb is a huge luxury and considering I cut the recipe in half just to try it out, I wasn't going to dish out the extra cash for the lamb. Perhaps in another time and life... I will do just that... but for now... this is where I'm at.

I will say, however, that this meat mixture did come pretty close to the taste of the gyros you can get in the freezer section of the local supermarket and even the gyros you can buy at fairs and from street vendors. It's probably the same thing either way.

I think it's the spices used that gives it such a unique flavor... probably the rosemary. I can tell you that if you put in on homemade pita bread and top it with a homemade cucumber sauce, you won't go wrong!

Make it and see for yourself!

It's worth it!

Easy Pita Bread

Yes, I know... my photo of the Easy Pita Bread doesn't look appetizing... but I can tell you, the flavor was spot on!

The main thing working against me while making these pitas was that I used a toaster oven. That meant only baking one at a time. The other thing was trying to get them into the toaster oven without burning my hands... hey! you try handling a soft disk of dough and see how easy it is!

It's a magical adventure!

I will say, though, that this pita recipe submitted by Bitsie on the Genius Kitchen is a definite "try and try again" recipe because the flavor and texture were absolutely wonderful. Light and chewy - as a pita should be. Perhaps I will make them a little smaller next time and try to figure a way of getting them into the toaster oven without disfiguring them.

Besides... you can top these things with ANYTHING! Want a gyro? Poof - DONE! Want a pizza? Poof - DONE! Want a taco? Poof - well, you get the picture! I was going to use tomatoes, onion, black olives, the gyro meat that I made, and feta cheese but it was simply too late in the evening to want to mess with any of that. Instead, I only topped the one ( half of one, really) I tried with the meat, black olives, and the cucumber sauce I made to go with them.

Check it out and let me know!

Greek Tilapia Filet

To go along with the Simple Greek Home Fries I blogged about the other day, I used the same flavorings for a tilapia filet.

This is so easy it isn't even funny. Coat your tilapia filet with garlic powder, oregano, ground pepper, basil, and a touch of salt.

Saute the filet in a combination of lemon juice, olive oil and butter and there you have it - Greek-inspired tilapia.

The flavor pops with the hint of lemon juice and everything melded together.

Simple. Easy. Delicious!

And there you have it, folks!

Looks good, doesn't it?!

Cheesy Potato Corn Soup

If you might remember from a previous post, I was recently out near Philly visiting my friend Nance. What I didn't say in that post was that my friends Rich and Tim also joined us for a few days. We spent some time in a few thrift stores and these little clay soup bowls were spotted. I didn't pick them up because they were what I call a "want" and not a "need" and I certainly didn't need them. However, on my way to the train station, Nance surprised me with this thoughtful and beautiful gift and told me that the three of them conspired against me... thus - the soup bowls are mine. :)

I know people usually make French Onion Soup in these things but since I already made that a month or so ago, I settled for this Cheesy Potato Corn Soup submitted by Meghan on GeniusKitchen. It made a nice amount of soup that I'll be eating for a few days. I'm not sure about freezing since it's a "cream"-based soup (even though it's actually milk).

I really like it. I think the cheese really made the soup shine. The next time I make it, I think I will add more corn and maybe some bacon - just to add variance to the dish. Serve it with a nice, crusty bread and you have a hit!

Simple Greek Home Fries

I recently spent five days with one of my favorite people, Nance, at her place out near Philly. She kind of got me on a Greek kick after one night making homemade Greek meatballs and cucumber sauce.

The meatballs Nancy made were, using her words - "the bomb!" and I tend to agree with her. They were absolutely delicious! She has inspired me to make some Greek food and I take no shame in doing so. Greek food is awesome!

So on that note and the first submission of my Greek-inspired kitchen musings, I found these Simple Greek Home Fries on GeniusKitchen submitted by Connie. There was an intense yet balanced flavor of oregano and basil in these home fries and I am sure going to make them again. They were quick and easy!

Try it!

Ugandan Curried Potatoes

I thought with the Crock-Pot Curried Chicken, I would make this Ugandan Curried Potatoes provided by Um Safia on GeniusKitchen.

I doubt this one, I will make again. I found the flavor of them a little off-putting and not like a curry. I should have used the hot curry powder I used for the chicken. Maybe I should have let them brown into a "home fry" consistency because they seemed to lack something. Perhaps a crust would work?

They LOOK really good...

Crock-Pot Chicken Curry

Looking for a slow-cooker recipe, I found this Crock-Pot Chicken Curry recipe from PrairieHarpy by way of the GeniusKitchen site. I have a couple different types of curry powder in the pantry: hot and regular. I used the hot because I wanted a little extra kick.

While it was in the Crock-Pot, I could really smell the curry, however, there is only a nice, subtle flavor of it while eating it. After finishing eating, there was a lingering heat from the powder which was a pleasant, little kick. Not a lot but enough to let me know it was there. Quite delicious.

The chicken itself - fell off the bone. I didn't even need a knife to cut it. It was tender and juicy; everything one would want chicken out of the Crock to be. I think next time I make this, I will take the skin off first to allow the simple flavor of this dish to permeate the meat.

 This was a simple, easy recipe that I will add to my collection and recommend that people try.

Bacon Balls in Broth

Yes... that is exactly what it says - and I thought the same thing!! I would think a better name for them would be 'dumplings' but hey, I didn't name them!  This is how I used up the last bit of homemade Italian bread I made, the leftover beef broth, and the three-quarter can of carrots I had in the fridge. Good thinking, huh?! HAT TRICK!!

I admit, I have never had much luck with any type of dumpling, least of all a dumpling made with breadcrumbs. They always turned out gritty. Perhaps this is because I always used the breadcrumbs in the containers. This time however... I succeeded in making light, fluffy dumplings and the flavor in these was superb! They had just the right combination of bacon, onion and chive flavor and nothing overpowered the other; not to mention the carrots in the boiling broth added another layer of yummy flavor. It seems this would be a good, hearty dish to make when you are sick.

I suggest trying these Bacon Balls in Broth
ey are definitely worth it!

Homemade Salami!

I know what you're thinking. This Salami looks exactly like the pepperoni I made and how do I distinguish between the two?

I will tell you... TASTE!

The process for this recipe is exactly the same as with the pepperoni. Simple and easy to make and definitely a KEEPER! The ingredients were a little different, obviously, as the taste is different. Both, though, will make a great snack with cheese!

I think I explained in my pepperoni post that I have all that TenderQuick to use up. I will reiterate that I will be playing around more with this product to see what other yummy goodies I can come up with. I noticed after a Google search that it can be used on fish... that would be interesting.

I'm curious... has anyone else out there in cyberland used this stuff? Would you be willing to share what YOU have created using it? Hit me up!

Stay tuned for more delicious creations! (That sounded like a commercial! HAHA!!)

Bacon, Onion and Cheddar Dip

My biggest thought about this Bacon, Onion and Cheddar Dip is that it's not a dip. The consistency of it is more like a cheese ball. It does however, invoke fun memories of what seems to be a lifetime ago.

I used to make different flavors of cheese balls when my dad was still alive when we had holiday gatherings at my parents house. My particular favorites were always the salmon ones... easy to make and even better to eat. Those days are long gone and I don't attend events that I have the opportunity to make such delicious snacks. So for me to even have made this... is a rare treat.

This recipe in particular, if you love onions; this one is for you. I do like onions but found it a bit overpowering so the next time I make this, I will reduce the onion flakes. I also think that I will increase the sour cream and reduce the cheddar cheese to make it more of a dip as the recipes says it is.

But you know... the sky is the limit to recipes like these and I will make this one again. However, I will doctor it a bit to my own liking.

Here is my version to check out!

Bacon Cheddar Chive Muffins

I know I get excited when something turns out tasting incredible. These Bacon Cheddar Chive Muffins. O.M.G.!! I could just hug Shelley over at Allrecipes right now. These are definitely the "BOMB" as my bestie, Nancy, likes to say.


I tried one right out of the toaster oven (I cut this recipe down to make six) and I was completely blown away with how delicious they were. They are extreme cheesy, bacon goodness! Soft to boot, as well! They sort of remind me of *GASP* Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits! (If those had bacon in them)

I made a couple of minor changes. The one thing I changed was - I used more bacon. What doesn't taste better with bacon?! Seriously?! The other thing was that instead of using veggie oil, I used the bacon grease. Why waste oil when the grease accomplishes the same thing. Plus, as I said - everything tastes better with bacon!

I know, I know... that's fat and cholesterol and all that jazz, but you know what? You only live once and so long as you don't eat them all at once - have at it! Moderation is key!

I'd also like to share a little trick. When I cut the recipe down, it called for half an egg. Here's a tip - break an egg into a measuring cup, beat it with a fork, then measure out half of that. There's your half an egg. Works like a charm!! I put the other half in a zip-lock and threw it in the freezer. Now I have half an egg for another use later on. ;)

But without further adieu... here's what it looked like:

Homemade Pepperoni!!

In August 2010 after I started this blog, I stumbled upon this recipe for homemade Pepperoni on the Morton Salt website. I made it once back then and considering I will be back on a train soon, I thought it would be a good little snack for the trip.

This is a quick (sort of) way of making the pizza topper everyone loves: just mix everything up, chill overnight and then bake at a low temperature. That's it. No casings, no endless shoving meat through a grinder. Nothing. I find it a simple way for home cooks who don't want to get into meat processing; either due to time, money, or interest, and want a neat trick to try... this is it.

The basic ingredient for this pepperoni that is a must-have is TenderQuick. This is a product blend that has sugar, salt, and other added ingredients to aid in preserving and tenderizing meat quickly - hence the name. It's also something I still have a ton of, so much to my original post on this subject, I really need to use this stuff up.

Julie's Spam Spread

I don't know who Julie is but this sandwich spread is pretty tasty!

I have always made these simple spreads to make sandwiches with: egg; tuna; chicken; ham; salmon, etc. but I never combined any of those meats (usually canned) with the egg. I'm glad I did with this one because it adds an extra flavor.

This was EXTRA delicious spread on the homemade Pretzel Rolls I just made! The combination of the touch of sweetness in the roll and the saltiness of the spread was the best combination.

This is for all you SPAM lovers out there!

Check it out!

Pretzel Buns

Do pretzels have buns?!

Probably not, but these Pretzel Buns from Brittskydoodledoodlepie are... O.M.G.! DELICIOUS!!

Before making these, I read the reviews posted on Allrecipes and I noticed some of the negative reviews said the dough was sticky. I have a couple of thoughts about this.

One, is that the recipe (I halved it) calls for three cups of flour. Well, if you have a humid day or a house that is damp (which mine is a bit), you need to add more flour to the counter when you're kneading the dough.

The second thing is to only knead it for the five minutes the recipe calls for. Since it IS a dough that is a little bit sticky, that's all you need.

Third and most important - leave it alone for a few hours and let it rise. I can't stress this enough. After I punched the dough down and shaped the rolls, I let it go for a second rise. This helps the gluten develop and gives you a very nice texture once the rolls are baked.

Ok - so yes, dipping the formed dough into hot baking soda water is a bit messy and it adds another step to the process but that's what gives them the pretzel taste, and probably the soft inner pretzel texture.

Truly if you want something unique and delicious... definitely try these! Better than the pretzel buns served in the various places around town. They are SO worth the effort!!

If you do, let me know how it worked for you!

Homemade Italian Bread with Italian Bread Dipping Oil

You know when you go to an Italian restaurant and they bring out fresh bread with an oil dipping sauce? Yeah? Well, I attempted and succeeded in doing that here at home. I have been good at making yeast breads for quite awhile now, having perfected my own pizza dough recipe. So this bread wasn't difficult for me. I know some people anguish over making homemade bread but it really is getting used to the feel and texture of the dough... and letting it sit and rise. I'm sure there is some impatience to this process for some but if you baby it and leave it alone - the result is well worth it.

I used this Homemade Italian Bread recipe and I thank MysteryGirl over at the GeniusKitchen site for submitting it.

Here are my tasty-looking results!

In addition to the bread, I made this Italian Bread Dipping Oil that I found on the Albertsons website. I have no clue who the contributor of the recipe was. I believe this is some sort of store but this oil dip for the bread was as delicious as the bread was. Hands down one to make again!!

I hope someone else attempts to make these and lets me know what they think. 

Gold Star on both from me!! 

Mochiko Chicken Wings with Orzo & Potato Parmesan

I was intrigued when I first saw this recipe for Mochiko Chicken Wings. The submitter of the recipe says it is common in Hawaii. Having never been there, I can't verify this but perhaps someone else out there in cyberland can? For me, the idea of soaking raw chicken in a thick batter overnight was a tad disturbing but I am here to say... it was worth the wait and the extra effort.

I also want to mention that I am NOT a big fan of breaded or battered and then deep-fried chicken but as I said, this recipe caught my eye and I had to try it. I want to give a HUGE thanks to IrLyndaSmith for submitting it to Allrecipes.

After frying for about fifteen minutes, the crust was nice and crisp - and I do mean it CRUNCHED when I bit into it, so that was really nice. The meat was very juicy and cooked to perfection. It wasn't greasy at all. 

The flavor? I could taste the seasonings and a hint of the soy sauce, which is a flavor I absolutely love. All in all - this chicken was a HUGE hit! I must add that I used chicken thighs instead of wings as that's all I have here. 

Here is the result of the chicken:

Mochiko Chicken

To go with the chicken, I chose this Orzo and Potato Parmesan recipe. This is the first time I ever cooked with orzo and it turned out beautifully. It was smooth, tender and it was surprisingly rich to the taste. Instead of water, I used chicken stock to bump up the flavor. I also used canned carrots out of necessity but other than that, the recipe was made exactly as stated. Here as well as in the chicken, I could taste all the ingredients and will definitely add this to my recipe stockpile. A HUGE thanks to FlemishMinx for submitting this one to GeniusKitchen.

Here is what that turned out like:

Orzo & Potato Parmesan

Mom's Salmon Mousse - Not MY Mom's, though!!

Actually, I don't know if my mom has ever made a salmon mousse. I'll have to ask her. I know this is a first for me. I have done salmon cakes and salmon croquettes but never a mousse but I found this Mom's Salmon Mousse recipe and thought I'd check it out. As always, my thanks goes out to Terri Otteni for sharing the recipe on Allrecipes.

I admit, I was expecting this to turn out entirely different. I thought it would be more than an inch high. I thought it would be light and airy - like a mousse. Maybe I did something wrong but I followed the recipe exact.

The flavor, though, it was tasty. I actually liked it. I think it would be great toasted between two slices of bread with cheese. That would make a good lunch. A sandwich with this plus a bowl of the New England Clam Chowder I made.

Here's what my version looked like:

New England Clam Chowder

Could there be a chowder better than New England Clam Chowder?

Sometimes I wonder. The version I made tonight was almost exact to the recipe and I thank CalNRachel for contributing it to Food.com.

The recipe says that it is a low fat version - I'm going to assume that's because it uses low-fat milk? I think I went a little further and used soy milk; not by reason of cutting fat but because I don't like milk. In other words, if I buy regular milk, it just goes to waste because it doesn't get used quick enough. This stuff comes in a box on a regular grocery store shelf and isn't refrigerated.

The effect here was the same as regular chowder (regardless of kind). The chowder was thick (cornstarch is a wonderful thing!), and it was flavorful. The taste of clams was obvious but not overpowering. I wanted some chunk in the potatoes so I left them whole. They were small enough that they cooked quick and were tender by the time the chowder thickened up.

This chowder is a keeper!

Check it out and make it yourself!! There won't be a disappointment!

Looks good, doesn't it?! Don't you wish you had "smell-a'vision"?! 

Red Hot Devils

Crazy as the title of this post sounds... Red Hot Devils are actually a different way of making hot dogs. Well - a different type of sauce that people of this area are probably not used to. 

Every so often, I get hungry for the mystery meat we call hot dogs. It's probably one of the very few processed foods I actually eat. Last week I had a craving for them loaded with sauerkraut. With the four dogs left in the fridge, I wanted to try something different and this recipe for Red Hot Devils appeared... it was MAGIC! Sarah M., if you're out there... THANKS!! 

I have to admit that every time I think of a hot dog, one of my former grad school professors comes to mind, Kevin Patrick. He has this strange obsession with hot dogs and it seems that every trip he takes his students on, there is a stop at some hot dog joint along the way. I took his class (my favorite of grad school) during the Fall 2014 semester and on a weekend trip to NYC, we happened to end up at two. 

The first one was Rutt's Hut in Clifton, New Jersey:

The second place we stopped, at the end of our trip, was none other than Nathan's Famous on Coney Island:

Anyhow back to reality from my trip down memory lane and back to the recipe. The sauce was reminiscent of a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce with a touch of heat and was extremely delicious!! I think most have the ingredients already on hand and it is SO worth it! I give this one a HUGE thumbs up! 

I have definitely found an awesome way to make hot dogs. I think this would even be good for a pot luck with it simmering in the Crock-Pot!! 

You try it! Let me know what you think!! 

Eggnog Cake

Suffice it to say, I bombed a recipe!!

Hey! At least I OWN it!! 

Point being, I know exactly what I did to make this Eggnog Cake not taste very well. I also should note that I absolutely LOVE eggnog, so I'm disappointed in myself for this failure.

I would, however, recommend trying it for yourself to see if it works for you. I know I will definitely try it again minus my mistake, which I will get to so nobody else repeats it. I do want to thank "whatcity" for sharing it on the Allrecipes site.

As I was casually browsing the Supercook site, this recipe caught my eye. I thought that since the coffee cake recipe was such a huge success, I'd try this one out as well. 

My botching sort of went like this: I added pineapple rum and I added TOO much! Ok, so that's NOT what the recipe called for. I didn't have regular rum so I figured this would add a nice fruity kick to an eggnog cake... boy was I totally WRONG! 

I tasted it after it came out of the toaster oven... not good! Drizzling a little maple syrup over it made it palatable, lol. I actually believe this one might end up feeding the squirrels outside.

But like I said - this was MY major "foo-paw" and I will definitely try this again using the correct ingredients at some point. Maybe for Christmas and take it to Grandma's to make guinea pigs out of the family, lol. It's a thought! LOL!

Cake with My Coffee! (recipe review included)

Good evening everyone!!

Did you ever get a craving for sweets that you couldn't get rid of? I think everyone has that problem at one time or another, but that was me tonight. This incredible craving for something sweet and the need to bake something. I killed two birds with one stone because I also wanted to find out how well my toaster oven bakes a dessert. Up until this point, I have only been using it to cook meals and the occasional toasted sandwich.

I wasn't in the mood for something that contained chocolate and most know that I'm not that fond of chocolate to begin with. I know, I know... what woman doesn't like chocolate?? Trust me, I'm definitely not normal in that respect. So to find my "sweet something" I turned to my trusted site of Supercook. It led me to this coffee cake recipe. Thanks to @startnover for contributing this recipe to the site.

I can't recall ever making a coffee cake... at least not in the past ten years. Perhaps I did in my previous life? Maybe any of my family can verify this - if they read the blog?

My memory also is lacking with the texture of the coffee cake. Are they supposed to be dense? The batter was pretty thick - perhaps it's because I used evaporated milk instead of regular milk? I CAN say, however, that the flavor of this one is very, very good! Don't get me wrong, the texture is definitely not a bad thing. It tasted like snickerdoodles and if you don't know what a snickerdoodle is... that's a shame. Google it!

I give this recipe a gold star!

Bet you can't guess what I'll be having with my coffee in the morning... HA!

Five-Ingredient Beef Roast

A few months ago I was given this recipe to try in the Crock-Pot but as I have said before, I didn't have one until last week. I vowed to try it as soon as I didn't have to spend twenty bucks on a beef roast. I think the price of meat is getting a tad bit outrageous and now consider beef a luxury item... but done like this, it's a luxury that should be created at least once.

Last night I found a beef roast at a decent price so I purchased it. It was a four-pound chuck roast and was the perfect size for my pot.

I call this recipe "five-ingredient" because that is literally all that is in it. Those ingredients were:

• beef roast
• one stick of butter
• one packet of onion soup mix
• one packet of ranch dressing mix
• one jar of mild pepper rings

That's it - nothing else. No salt. No pepper. Nothing. All you do is put the roast in the Crock-Pot, then dump the other things in. That's what I was told to do. However to evenly incorporate the other four ingredients, I broke the stick of butter in half and placed it on each side of the roast. Then I dumped the two packet mixes into the jar of mild pepper rings, put the lid back on and shook it up. That then was dumped in on top of the roast. I set in on high for about the first hour and a half then turned it to low. Five hours later and that thing was every bit of tender and falling apart that you can possibly think of. No knife needed.

The flavor shocked me. You might be thinking that it would be spicy with the peppers. Nope! Very mild, not much of a pepper flavor. I caught more of the vinegar flavor than anything else. You can relax, it wasn't an overwhelming vinegar flavor; just enough to taste. It was definitely worth the wait for both a new Crock and a beef roast.

As you can see in the picture, I made mashed potatoes. However, these weren't your typical plain run-of-the-mill potatoes. I roasted a head of garlic in the toaster oven. I believe I explained how simple roasting garlic was to do in a previous post. I mixed that into the potatoes, which I boiled until they were soft. Then I added some parsley, milk, and butter. Easy, simple and VERY tasty!!

I decided to make gravy with the leftover juice in the Crock-Pot. For that, I made a roux of half flour and butter. Cooked that down a bit and added two and a half ladle to the roux. This made a nice, thick gravy that didn't need any other seasoning.

I have a feeling that the combination of these ingredients sounds odd but it really did make an incredible-tasting roast.

I'm sending out a challenge for everyone else to try this and let me know what you think. I really don't think you'll be disappointed!

Leftover Crock-Pot Chicken = Tomato Bisque with Chicken

Remember the roast chicken I made in the Crock-Pot yesterday?

Well... I wanted to find a way to use it other than the obvious of just eating it as is. There was a large quantity of chicken left (it WAS a six-pound bird) and off the bone it yielded about three-quarters of a gallon zip-lock bag. I decided to turn to my favorite search engine Super Cook to find a new recipe to combine some ingredients.

I found this Tomato Bisque with Chicken recipe which sounded interesting. Let me be clear, I am NOT reviewing the recipe. I only used it as an inspiration for what I was about to do. I want to thank the contributor "vababe" for creating a base in which I could build on. 

For my creation, I followed the procedure of the recipe (except for the use of flour) but altered my ingredients based on what I had on hand. Let me walk you through what I did. It's simple and anyone can do it. 

As in the recipe, I cooked an onion and a few cloves of garlic in olive oil until they were soft. I then added a 28oz can of stewed tomatoes plus two 14oz cans of diced tomatoes with liquid, four cups of chicken broth, and the oregano, parsley and basil. The herbs were to my taste and considering this was a large stock pot of bisque, I used at least a tablespoon of each. These ingredients I let come to a boil. Then I took the pot off the heat and used my immersion blender to pulverize everything. Once there were no chunks left in the pot, I put it back on the stove over low hear.

I will also ask if you remember the roasted garlic cream sauce I made yesterday? Well... yeah... I did. I used it in place of the heavy cream the recipe called for. I think I had almost three cups of it left so that was added to the pot plus the chicken, and I also added parmesan cheese (again, the real stuff - not the stuff in the can).

I have to admit that I have never made bisque before and this simple combination of ingredients on hand really had a phenomenal taste! 

Try it!! 

Chicken A La Crock-Pot with Creamy Roasted Garlic Sauce

Hello there again, friends!!

I seem to recall promising to use my brand new Crock-Pot to "roast" a chicken. I say that loosely only because the cooker doesn't leave that nice, crispy skin that roasting in an oven would do. If that's what you're after, throw it under the broiler to crisp the skin, otherwise, it's good as is (at least to my taste buds).

Ok so I didn't truss it and it looks a bit strange but it was mighty tasty!! 

I created a creamy roasted garlic sauce to go with the chicken. Who doesn't love the smell and taste of roasted garlic? I mean, seriously - c'mon! Not only is it delicious, it's EASY to do!! Cut the top of the head off, put the heads in individual foil packets, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Into a 350℉ oven for about 45 minutes and POOF!! DONE! It's THAT simple!! If you love garlic as much as I do - try it, you won't be disappointed!

To make the sauce, I used ingredients I have on hand; like evaporated milk, sour cream (the last of my container, perhaps it was about a cup and a half), shredded Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the stuff out of the can), obviously the roasted garlic, and various herbs and spices to my taste. I heated this all in a small pot. That's the nice thing about cooking as opposed to baking - you don't need to measure. It's all by taste and it ISN'T rocket science!! Try it yourself - mine turned out... AWESOME!!

I had no clue what to do with the giblets and I didn't want to waste them; so I browned them in olive oil and butter then threw in about a third cup of flour and cooked that for a few minutes (this cooks off the flour taste and reduces the chances for lumps). Then I pulled it from the heat and added leftover broth from chicken I boiled last week. Back on the heat it went with some additional herbs and spices: thyme, sage, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I let it simmer on the stove for two hours to develop a nice, deep, rich flavor. The extra liquid in the slow-cooker was a bit much, so I grabbed a ladle and added about five ladle-fulls into the pot simmering with giblets. This made way too much!! What do I do with all that?!

SOUP!! That's right!! I grabbed the half bag of egg noodles I had in the cupboard, a can of green beans, and a can of mushrooms. Right into the pot it went - liquid and all! I chopped up the giblets as well and threw them back into the pot. That simmered for another hour while I skimmed the fat off the top with the ladle and... POOF!! VIOLA!! Incredible tasting SOUP!

So now... not only do I have the French Onion Soup I made yesterday but I also have mushroom noodle soup! Put THAT on a spoon and slurp it!

Let's face it... I don't think I'll be cooking for a few days. Leftovers are always delicious!!

Julia Child's French Onion Soup?? Well... not exactly...

I have to admit - I have watched a few of the old black and white seasons of The French Chef with Julia Child. Okay, more than a few but who's counting?! She makes me, quite frankly, laugh my ass off - almost hysterically at some points. I don't know, maybe it's her mannerisms, or perhaps it's the way she says things at times. At any rate, she was so full of life and her knowledge and joy of cooking enraptured millions. It is definitely safe to say that she knew what she was doing. So this blog post I guess is a small homage to her.

Watching the shows brings me to this post. I watched with fascination the episode on French Onion Soup and I definitely recommend you all check it out. I have it linked, just click on the title.

Now, let me make myself clear... what I did is NOT her recipe... only the procedure. Mainly because I don't drink wine or cognac so I have none of that on hand and I don't plan to buy any either. That would be a complete waste.

My big difference was using beef stock in place of the wine. Someday perhaps I WILL get a bottle of red and make it but until then... beef stock works. Don't forget I also omitted the cognac. To take the place of those two flavors, not to mimic, but to add an extra kick that I thought would suffice, I added a bit of Kitchen Bouquet and worcestershire sauce - not a lot but enough for added depth.

The soup turned out FANTASTIC! It had great depth of flavor. I bet Ms. Child's would have approved. This is a soup that I do believe I will make again at some point.

This shot was while it was simmering on the stove with the topping ingredients ready to go.

Final tasty French Onion Soup!

Looks good, aye?!?!