tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23571195466121151042024-02-18T18:43:21.507-08:00Whiskful ThinkingJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-86105867778836144792013-09-01T19:20:00.000-07:002013-09-01T19:20:16.270-07:00Grilled Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Grilled pizza is kind of amazing. The crust gets nice and crispy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. The grill gives it this delicious charred flavor that you just can't get out of an oven. Plus, nothing beats not having to turn out the oven and heat up the house when it's already 104* outside. I like making "specialty" pizzas when we grill pizza, but this would be just as good with pepperoni, or whatever other kind of toppings you want. </div>
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<b>Grilled Pizza</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XyLMQICWxgqtNjujc6ov1sm2HwOypzYpcgnjSK0bMKnHj8914SxnAio4o0WBkKy89uPsM2n16WcbvcO-RxYV4rnJt_6otHE7gEbwCfCMQpql3FHFqQ0DthpR6CtH5m2drVb3Iw05h0it/s1600/summer+2013+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XyLMQICWxgqtNjujc6ov1sm2HwOypzYpcgnjSK0bMKnHj8914SxnAio4o0WBkKy89uPsM2n16WcbvcO-RxYV4rnJt_6otHE7gEbwCfCMQpql3FHFqQ0DthpR6CtH5m2drVb3Iw05h0it/s400/summer+2013+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What You Need:</b></div>
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1/2 cup warm water</div>
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1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast</div>
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1 1/2 cups flour</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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Sun-dried tomato pesto (or other pizza sauce of your choice)</div>
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Caramelized onions, artichoke hearts and goat cheese (or pizza toppings of your choice)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4y-Cs-5nprs9-_Mn8HQYOnSJc5niVTZ6tkuF-bU9PffH963ZUCfMrjBIL3_W4sPyTDTOoPgR8F_L0YClp5YkN6_bOtWbD3Zil93AxOfhUXNuIJPLP1i3rHMqFeJjD3rp05yYiG-_RdqNW/s1600/summer+2013+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4y-Cs-5nprs9-_Mn8HQYOnSJc5niVTZ6tkuF-bU9PffH963ZUCfMrjBIL3_W4sPyTDTOoPgR8F_L0YClp5YkN6_bOtWbD3Zil93AxOfhUXNuIJPLP1i3rHMqFeJjD3rp05yYiG-_RdqNW/s400/summer+2013+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What You Do:</b></div>
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Turn your oven on to warm (200*) for about 5 minutes, then turn it off. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let sit for about 5 minutes. Mix together with flour and salt until a rough, craggy mess forms. Turn the dough and any loose bites out onto a lightly floured counter and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Coat a bowl with olive oil, place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the dough in the oven and let sit for 30 minutes, or until the dough has doubled. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0lP9biuXVU7rOMhq8Qy_idpsopIf7oJRbCaZCNSUH8le_B9YeyOouplig7tP_GsqwZ8XRAzR3JeEZzNYQxQ6wUFedee3hk7Ks-N7HOIua41f_UB-FJuKQtjHZ2C3XYuesG6hyoed2OAz/s1600/summer+2013+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0lP9biuXVU7rOMhq8Qy_idpsopIf7oJRbCaZCNSUH8le_B9YeyOouplig7tP_GsqwZ8XRAzR3JeEZzNYQxQ6wUFedee3hk7Ks-N7HOIua41f_UB-FJuKQtjHZ2C3XYuesG6hyoed2OAz/s400/summer+2013+011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once the dough has risen, roll out into a circle about 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured counter. At this point you also want to turn on the grill to medium high. Brush olive oil on one side of the dough and put it olive oil side down onto the grill. Brush some olive oil on the top side of the dough. Once the dough bubbles on the surface and there are dark grill marks on the bottom of the crust pull off the grill. Put it cooked side up on a pizza stone or baking sheet and put the toppings on the crust. Gently slide the pizza back onto the grill and cook for a few more minutes until the bottom has dark grill marks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOQHVwzPQWLNKFAN_cs9cCXXs5xW-sh6FpzOJjqcSyrQWSX-_0RjeBfa96vUnb7rWYl0XJ9nzymjfzVrNGkMmvsDDGZccoryn46HuxeVQsaJPUUcqjUBI5wtCn3LZO_FGaMsPUZQ2IQ0u/s1600/summer+2013+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOQHVwzPQWLNKFAN_cs9cCXXs5xW-sh6FpzOJjqcSyrQWSX-_0RjeBfa96vUnb7rWYl0XJ9nzymjfzVrNGkMmvsDDGZccoryn46HuxeVQsaJPUUcqjUBI5wtCn3LZO_FGaMsPUZQ2IQ0u/s400/summer+2013+016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And there you have it, grilled pizza. It really could not be easier. If you don't feel like grilling you can always make this in the oven. Bake the pizza at 450* for 17 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crispy. But I highly, highly suggest you try grilling pizza at least once. It will change your life. Seriously.</div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-17459461608127193002013-07-22T18:21:00.001-07:002013-07-22T18:30:14.216-07:00Mini Pavlovas With Lemon Curd and Blueberries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is, without a doubt, one of the best desserts I have ever had. It's sweet and tangy, light and refreshing, and all around delicious. If you've never had a pavlova, they are like a mix between a meringue and a marshmallow. Basically a marshmallow with a slightly crunchy exterior (or a meringue with a soft pillow-y center). You really can't go wrong with that. The best part is that a pavlova is not going to look perfect. It's going to crack, and it's going to kind of cave in in the middle so it's a pretty stress free dessert for a dinner party. Plus, you can make the pavlovas a couple days in advance (as long as you store them in an air tight container) and put the toppings on right before you're going to serve them.</div>
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<b>Mini Pavlova With Lemon Curd</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iv5PjFF0Masr7FYdziXX_0JHvVoflVBjJlQVzLAy6ekYouvbnpp4TppE_YxSQrLItM2xoxVkylo7Cv_DbDOL4SSkQRi_eaRxZyr5Rht8paYfEgxym1QPtZBAQLssh3COzF45TaPzZhCi/s1600/summer+2013+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4iv5PjFF0Masr7FYdziXX_0JHvVoflVBjJlQVzLAy6ekYouvbnpp4TppE_YxSQrLItM2xoxVkylo7Cv_DbDOL4SSkQRi_eaRxZyr5Rht8paYfEgxym1QPtZBAQLssh3COzF45TaPzZhCi/s400/summer+2013+014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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<u>Pavlova</u></div>
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4 egg whites</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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1/2 T cornstarch</div>
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2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1 tsp white vinegar</div>
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<u>Lemon Curd</u></div>
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4 egg yolks</div>
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Zest of 1 small lemon</div>
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1/3 cup lemon juice</div>
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6 T sugar</div>
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4 T unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLtp-Ol_n1OAIxzbRAvaRk2OO0TuCJtDs1nOT7mkuSObSGeVGbZaeg0TqOwxjpsNoHwlfI7ka5KKF8AB1Y7q-1pTCywq2w7uwtI8E_ZxLTEDjBY0KV2w-GeZzRJ5oyf747-nBH_66hHkC/s1600/summer+2013+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLtp-Ol_n1OAIxzbRAvaRk2OO0TuCJtDs1nOT7mkuSObSGeVGbZaeg0TqOwxjpsNoHwlfI7ka5KKF8AB1Y7q-1pTCywq2w7uwtI8E_ZxLTEDjBY0KV2w-GeZzRJ5oyf747-nBH_66hHkC/s400/summer+2013+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<u>Lemon Curd</u></div>
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To make the lemon curd combine the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine, then stir constantly over medium heat with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture is thick and will coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir in butter one piece at a time until the consistency is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap (making sure that the wrap touches the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from developing) and refrigerate for at least one hour.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeT3PFMfjlHE4ibFYazpOzmVH-eegXLTYF6n6L2DJltwvuLwcbzZ1fYq989vYJ7DfapEAqkQ2Rf-Sci_6_3qqtTof3pO69vSxI6ysRLcM4rIMD8y-ha3D7zwoWz8irIJJfhI9Q7Zk1bGNA/s1600/summer+2013+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeT3PFMfjlHE4ibFYazpOzmVH-eegXLTYF6n6L2DJltwvuLwcbzZ1fYq989vYJ7DfapEAqkQ2Rf-Sci_6_3qqtTof3pO69vSxI6ysRLcM4rIMD8y-ha3D7zwoWz8irIJJfhI9Q7Zk1bGNA/s400/summer+2013+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u>Pavlova</u></div>
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Preheat the oven to 275* and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a drinking glass as a stencil, trace small circles onto the parchment paper with a pencil and flip the parchment paper over so the pencil marks are on the bottom of the paper.</div>
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Meanwhile, whip the egg whites in a very clean metal bowl with very clean metal beaters. When the egg whites have reached a soft peak consistency add the sugar a few tablespoons at a time. While you're doing this increase the speed of the mixers gradually, so they are at full speed when you are done adding the sugar. Continue to whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks then add the cornstarch. Stop the mixer and add the vanilla and vinegar and beat for another 30 seconds or so to full mix them into the egg white mixture. You want to make sure the sugar as fully dissolved into the egg whites, so take a small bit and rub it between your thumb and finger. If it feels really grainy you need to whip the egg whites more, but if it feels fairly smooth then you're good to go.</div>
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Either pipe the meringue onto the circles you traced, or spoon it on and smooth out the meringue using the backside of a spoon. Either way, make sure you build it up a little on the sides so you'll have a small bowl to put the lemon curd in. </div>
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Bake for about 50 minutes until the pavlovas are lightly browned, are dry to the touch and sound hollow when tapped. Like I said before, it's fine if the crust cracks. Turn the oven off but leave the pavlovas inside the oven to cool completely. If you aren't going to serve them right away then store them in an airtight container. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xmT0BeijREcuvGgfdJbKJ3xDNLWArfzHbrFJxhOo9bwFped1YKxS4LkLUJdJAa-_8kT245iy1bsTsFeCOavepFy4qqnwyWq28TBZS1UwFe9SguV_8WIHZdIzltxZvP0WyDpYFIZafGTe/s1600/summer+2013+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xmT0BeijREcuvGgfdJbKJ3xDNLWArfzHbrFJxhOo9bwFped1YKxS4LkLUJdJAa-_8kT245iy1bsTsFeCOavepFy4qqnwyWq28TBZS1UwFe9SguV_8WIHZdIzltxZvP0WyDpYFIZafGTe/s400/summer+2013+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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To serve, put a spoon full of lemon curd on top of the pavlova then top with homemade whipped cream and blueberries. This dessert was perfect for a hot summer evening. The tartness of the lemon curd perfectly counteracted the sweetness of the pavlova. I can't wait to try this with different fruit curds. I'm thinking of trying raspberry next, with either a chocolate pavlova or a chocolate whipped cream. And this fall or winter I'm DEFINITELY making a mint pavlova with chocolate mousse. Mmmm, I can't wait!</div>
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-15357898111049570842013-06-29T13:24:00.000-07:002013-06-29T13:26:47.148-07:00Mint Chocolate Chip CloudsI know, I know it's been a million years since I've blogged, a fact that's been pointed out to be by one of Cole's coworkers (shout out to Ralph). In my defense we've had a few big things happen lately; Cole moved in and then we got engaged. But I promise (for real this time) to blog more regularly.<br />
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Anyway, these cloud cookies are light and airy and just plain delicious. Plus, they are a cinch to whip up and it doesn't hurt that they are really low in calories. We're talking only 3 weight watchers points plus for TWO cookies. I promise, I'm not lying. Wouldn't these just be perfect for lounging around the pool? I don't have a pool so I can't promise anything, but I'm 99.9% sure that it's true.<br />
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<b>Mint Chocolate Chip Clouds</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWM9qGiU1wwKsIJfdkUpsuEI4L9RVXF_T3x1Zb5w-6_d82v-oY6cwYHtb6Kutd-uUJ3n9YfgRa6HyAadD3yfho1VkcybLeVTu9aO6zdRpBkd4iytGnq2X-7SK2ephRf5MR5hoV_D4aNmhe/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWM9qGiU1wwKsIJfdkUpsuEI4L9RVXF_T3x1Zb5w-6_d82v-oY6cwYHtb6Kutd-uUJ3n9YfgRa6HyAadD3yfho1VkcybLeVTu9aO6zdRpBkd4iytGnq2X-7SK2ephRf5MR5hoV_D4aNmhe/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+072.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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3 egg whites (room temperature)</div>
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1/8 tsp cream of tartar</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1 tsp mint extract</div>
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1 cup mini Andes mints</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Preheat oven to 350*. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, a nonstick silicone pad or spray with nonstick spray. Using metal beaters, in a large metal bowl beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar together until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and mint extract and continue to beat well until the sugar is dissolved, the mixture is glossy and you've formed stiff peaks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEima8d8HMCso_bC5PAPFteXwYkqVP-5jl3NFUXu0awWegDbg0ItVmRSWv0G_Zdtxapd9RSO08CheaGY02-NJmQ8fVSGA2yxsCQyap9Tf6xmKX7wZmrpQlLUPE_iX-3WmRTSkkolazNeRmJn/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEima8d8HMCso_bC5PAPFteXwYkqVP-5jl3NFUXu0awWegDbg0ItVmRSWv0G_Zdtxapd9RSO08CheaGY02-NJmQ8fVSGA2yxsCQyap9Tf6xmKX7wZmrpQlLUPE_iX-3WmRTSkkolazNeRmJn/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+049.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Gently fold in the mini Andes Mints. I can always find these at Walmart in the baking aisle, but if you can't find them you can always use a mixture of mint chips and chocolate chips. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXDCWQOpMG2JhEco7ISVuylmyAEyaC9StW6u_vV8_QAZtDGTTYJZN23BL-BkcKHwCFjF4fyUvPozXq-tA0xz4nZ3gd-HOGuUWgfyvCFz0_hdQdwfdfHCRZf-5umNPWUZJBkpLiHBu6UG9/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXDCWQOpMG2JhEco7ISVuylmyAEyaC9StW6u_vV8_QAZtDGTTYJZN23BL-BkcKHwCFjF4fyUvPozXq-tA0xz4nZ3gd-HOGuUWgfyvCFz0_hdQdwfdfHCRZf-5umNPWUZJBkpLiHBu6UG9/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+054.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Drop mixture by tablespoons onto the cookie sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes until they appear dry. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcEJ1HHkJq9Wmf9z1V2WvYNwQkJzJSg8t52L95BuyikE7E3OAo-ou1KpN8316jweIAb7hpvuRozWmmHm6IrDuDUK-4PyAHpGS4LihyphenhyphenyloXaPWUI-xb0xFZNQcAOTYxeW56lOSOTY7D1uD/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcEJ1HHkJq9Wmf9z1V2WvYNwQkJzJSg8t52L95BuyikE7E3OAo-ou1KpN8316jweIAb7hpvuRozWmmHm6IrDuDUK-4PyAHpGS4LihyphenhyphenyloXaPWUI-xb0xFZNQcAOTYxeW56lOSOTY7D1uD/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+063.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let them cool slightly before removing from a cookie sheet, then let them cool completely on a wire rack. Store these covered at room temperature. If you store them in an airtight container they'll stay good for a while.</div>
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You can make these using any flavor combination you want. If you don't like mint, using vanilla extract and regular chocolate chips. I also think these would be delicious with almond extract and white chocolate chips. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQcAEjqB3sjRIlK1a5C8G0-o7kyyJPJnimxDtfOHD7JIglSHwtBSBMFh3l2_UmAAzznQyEoc_lx7Dc1MGxKCYvs8Q_MxKqI78dr57EudtECvZBQPvEMQq2LLoY0MnvCHauE01Wy7yR1wP/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQcAEjqB3sjRIlK1a5C8G0-o7kyyJPJnimxDtfOHD7JIglSHwtBSBMFh3l2_UmAAzznQyEoc_lx7Dc1MGxKCYvs8Q_MxKqI78dr57EudtECvZBQPvEMQq2LLoY0MnvCHauE01Wy7yR1wP/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+065.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-19775744147736117472013-05-05T16:53:00.000-07:002013-05-05T16:53:00.226-07:00Homemade Pasta With Roasted Vegetables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hey y'all, long time no blog. I realize it's been 3 months since I've last blogged and that's pretty lame of me. I started a new job so I was busy with that. I also recently donated bone marrow to a 41 year old man with cancer (AML). If you're interested in my experience donating bone marrow check out the blog I wrote chronicling the process <a href="http://iamthematch.wordpress.com/">here</a>.</div>
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Anyway, I decided I needed to come back with a bang and this is the perfect recipe for that. I, not so humbly, declared this the<b> Best Thing I've Ever Made</b> (and if I was every asked to be on that show on the Food Network I would use this recipe no matter what the category. I mean, this could be a dessert, right?!). Anyway, don't be intimated to make your own pasta. I don't have a pasta roller or a pasta cutter and was able to get the pasta thin enough cut it in relatively even strips. Just try it once, and you will be a convert for life. I mean I don't think I'll be making homemade pasta on a Tuesday night after work, but if I want pasta on a weekend I will <i>definitely</i> be making my own.</div>
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<b>Homemade Pasta With Roasted Vegetables</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6mNCfEGAMkmNqLZWtc7RoMcCh-XSzgpJ-t4s4xrFVk54oAwvC48Ewrzt1bHcuf6zfFzYZ59DYfGkPyysfZVMuUUTT254ZnGyR2o_JNdOqjwqr8YfVWyJmLfQIeI6yQHLldci30q25vMn/s1600/summer+2013+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6mNCfEGAMkmNqLZWtc7RoMcCh-XSzgpJ-t4s4xrFVk54oAwvC48Ewrzt1bHcuf6zfFzYZ59DYfGkPyysfZVMuUUTT254ZnGyR2o_JNdOqjwqr8YfVWyJmLfQIeI6yQHLldci30q25vMn/s400/summer+2013+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Pasta:</div>
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2 cups flour</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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1 1/2 tsp olive oil</div>
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2 T milk</div>
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Sauce:</div>
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Shrimp (I used about 12 medium-large)</div>
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1 can artichoke hearts</div>
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1 medium zucchini</div>
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Cherry tomatoes (about 1 cup)</div>
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2 T chopped sundried tomatoes</div>
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4 cloves garlic</div>
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2 tsp red pepper flakes</div>
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Juice of 3 lemons</div>
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1/3 cup white wine</div>
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1/4 cup half and half (I used fat free)</div>
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1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used fat free)</div>
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1/3 cup reserved pasta water</div>
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Basil chiffonade</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<b>Pasta:</b></div>
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Put the flour on a clean work surface and mix in the salt. Mix the eggs, olive oil and milk in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the egg mixture into the well. Make sure that the well is deep enough so that egg mixture doesn't try to escape (not like that happened to me or anything). Anyway, use your hands to mix the flour into the egg mixture until it forms a craggly dough. Then, you're just going to knead away. You need to knead the dough until it's no longer sticky and is a nice soft and smooth dough. By kneading it you're activating all the gluten, and if you don't knead it enough the pasta is going to not be yummy and delicious. I kneaded my dough for 5-7 minutes. Once the dough was soft and smooth I formed it into a ball and covered it with plastic wrap, then covered that with a towel and let it sit for an hour. </div>
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Once you've let the dough sit for at least an hour, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll that sucker as thin as you can get it. Seriously, take it to where you think it's thin enough and then roll it out some more. It should be about 1/8th inch thick when you're done with it. I was the most scared about this part, because I read that it was practically impossible to roll the dough thin enough. I will tell you, it was nowhere near as difficult as I thought it would be. So, once you've rolled the dough out lightly sprinkle flour all over the top of the dough and gently fold the dough in half, and then lightly flour the top and fold it in half again (basically we're trying to make it easier to cut the pasta into strips, if you only need to fold it in half once that's fine). Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes, then go ahead and cut it into thin strips. Mine ended up being about the size of fettucini (about 1/2 inch). Once you cut the pasta into strips, then you need to unfold the strips and lay them out side by side. Cook them in salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes. </div>
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<b>Sauce:</b></div>
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Drain the artichokes, quarter them and put them on a cookie sheet along with the cherry tomatoes and zucchini cut into half circles. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven at 425* until the vegetables are browned, about 30 minutes. Take out of oven and set aside.</div>
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Saute shrimp and garlic in olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. When the shrimp is done, remove from pan and set aside. Add the white wine to the garlic and reduce by one half. I always use whatever wine I feel like drinking that night, so I used Barefoot's new Sweet White. It was delicious, but any wine you want to use will be perfect. On a side note, if you mix the Sweet White wine with some raspberry lemonade it is a <i>delicious</i> summer spritzer. You're welcome. Anyway, once the wine has reduced add in the half and half and red pepper flakes and the juice of 2 of the lemons. Let everything mix together, get warmed up and reduce slightly. Add the shrimp and roasted vegetables back to the pan and then add the cooked noodles to the pan as well. Add the ricotta cheese along with the reserved pasta water and stir to combine everything. Right before you serve add the basil, sundried tomatoes, and the juice of the 1 remaining lemon.</div>
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Enjoy with a nice glass of wine and be impressed with yourself. You just made homemade pasta. You are awesome!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_wJf9ryr9-K9kSsW71G47-WmnX62KdJlsC0i_zNKL6FSWeHCU4v16cq_DlIqTjuhNNXFbAzGHW3d3e-8mEUK3k7VhO5xLsTuOL4UuYQJJmxeD_o4Whtl2cuzduul6sLt9_K_SmoCxoPZ/s1600/summer+2013+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_wJf9ryr9-K9kSsW71G47-WmnX62KdJlsC0i_zNKL6FSWeHCU4v16cq_DlIqTjuhNNXFbAzGHW3d3e-8mEUK3k7VhO5xLsTuOL4UuYQJJmxeD_o4Whtl2cuzduul6sLt9_K_SmoCxoPZ/s400/summer+2013+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-72255885146065808472013-03-04T04:15:00.000-08:002013-03-04T04:15:41.038-08:00Mini Mondays: Mini Jello Poke Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Jello poke cakes are the perfect light dessert for spring and summer. These little bundt cakes are even lighter because they are made with just cake mix and a can of sprite zero. This is a tried and true Weight Watchers recipe where you take a box of cake mix and mix it with a can of diet soda (whatever kind you want). Generally if you're making a darker cake (like chocolate) you want to use a darker diet soda (like diet coke). I was skeptical about this at first because it sounds pretty crazy, but it totally works. These little cakes have a slightly gummier texture than if you made them the traditional way (with eggs and oil), and if you're making these as cupcakes or a cake (as opposed to the mini bundt cakes) you'll want to cook them for 2-3 minutes longer than what it says on the box. </div>
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The best part about these cute little cakes? They clock in at just 2 Weight Watchers points plus! Of course, that doesn't mean you can eat the entire batch, but you can feel less guilty about indulging in 1 or 2 when you're craving something sweet.</div>
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<b>Mini Jello Poke Cakes</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1j8X4K8QFb-69Zbi0z28XffstBM8367SXJmzvRClZOAPYtVIkTK59uzRWe7yExqVw3GSxdgAmnmV669taInn87jvrqOhuN2bE9RKz_zz48tQ0Ffk_3Gu87H3VRBSW0h0Z4HijXqJUkSR/s1600/jello+poke+cakes+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1j8X4K8QFb-69Zbi0z28XffstBM8367SXJmzvRClZOAPYtVIkTK59uzRWe7yExqVw3GSxdgAmnmV669taInn87jvrqOhuN2bE9RKz_zz48tQ0Ffk_3Gu87H3VRBSW0h0Z4HijXqJUkSR/s400/jello+poke+cakes+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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1 box cake mix (I used white)</div>
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1 can Sprite Zero (or another diet lemon lime soda)</div>
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1 package jello (I used strawberry)</div>
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1 cup boiling water</div>
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1/2 cup cold water</div>
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Fat free cool whip</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft-NN8bzoCcmt9QQLyhLLx7EzAK4uA3B7HgaEHLJ2p1m4UuMKeU5P9rrok_i_Ctw0cC7Q4yV6SnpEUZVS1Hs2kc1dPd1MOB_y29xrgS-V3Xl67i76AJ40xpOa-KD3x9jDOQI5ZQlsyBKy/s1600/jello+poke+cakes+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhft-NN8bzoCcmt9QQLyhLLx7EzAK4uA3B7HgaEHLJ2p1m4UuMKeU5P9rrok_i_Ctw0cC7Q4yV6SnpEUZVS1Hs2kc1dPd1MOB_y29xrgS-V3Xl67i76AJ40xpOa-KD3x9jDOQI5ZQlsyBKy/s400/jello+poke+cakes+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Preheat the oven to 350*. Mix the cake mix with the can of Sprite Zero. If you're making mini bundt cakes you'll bake them for 18 minutes. If you're making cupcakes or a regular cake add 3 minutes to the recommended cooking time on the cake mix box. Let them cook completely once you take them out of the oven. Once they're cook make the jello. Add the package of jello the boiling water and whisk until the jello is dissolved, then whisk in the cold water. </div>
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Take a bamboo skewer or a fork to poke several holes into the flat side of each mini bundt cake (if you're making cupcakes or a cake just poke holes on the top). Then spoon some jello over each cake. Refrigerate the cake for several hours. Top each mini cake with one tablespoon of fat free Cool Whip. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUaaYY-bZ1rD7C-VqxnYLdrfYJ9FWoAf_4dHENeQkwOYRwzUQtvzkwgdLQDz5ebKeim984wMYrwj0GQG8V6vzUEBwD09-m8SKayVxCdilGNVRyM5BjtpMolKbHWPVDerYAyl1BGC5OyZ0/s1600/jello+poke+cakes+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUaaYY-bZ1rD7C-VqxnYLdrfYJ9FWoAf_4dHENeQkwOYRwzUQtvzkwgdLQDz5ebKeim984wMYrwj0GQG8V6vzUEBwD09-m8SKayVxCdilGNVRyM5BjtpMolKbHWPVDerYAyl1BGC5OyZ0/s400/jello+poke+cakes+012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took these to a little dinner party and no one could tell that they were "diet" cakes and neither could Cole or my brother. I call that a success in my book. I have a feeling these will be making many more appearances in my kitchen this year. </div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-3730672389788182852013-02-04T18:58:00.000-08:002013-02-04T18:58:09.337-08:00Mini Monday: A Mini Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I don't know about you, but I think there's something so romantic about sharing dessert with someone you love. And, for some reason sharing an Italian dessert is extra romantic. Maybe because Italian is the language of love. Maybe it's because you can pretend you're in Venice on a moonlit gondola ride. Either way, Valentine's Day is the perfect time to make a delicious dessert that's just big enough to share with the one you love. Plus, if you stay at home and make it yourself you don't have to deal with all the crowds at the fancy restaurants. And if you feel like getting a little "romantic", well you're in the privacy of your own home. Go right ahead.</div>
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If all of that sounds good to you, then you're going to love this recipe for tiramisu. This recipe is for a full 9x11 pan of tiramisu, but for Valentine's Day making it into a heart shape big enough for two to share takes a delicious dessert and "kicks it up another notch," to borrow a phrase from Emeril. </div>
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<b>Valentine's Day Tiramisu</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(adapted from <a href="http://jessicalynnwrites.blogspot.com/2012/01/tiramisu-and-birthday.html">Jessica Lynn Writes</a>)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi932aefLpoTScXsWC8W9ol-dbKyzX_C3cj_LlerG4sv762L09lWLjdxklrEoUYLRc57hjhBHU0axkzHXj3DeiR70C0Z9FYIbo3Ts87bxwwebLveBPLlUC4rp_Xla8ndClSNOW7yWirmmge/s1600/tiramisu+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi932aefLpoTScXsWC8W9ol-dbKyzX_C3cj_LlerG4sv762L09lWLjdxklrEoUYLRc57hjhBHU0axkzHXj3DeiR70C0Z9FYIbo3Ts87bxwwebLveBPLlUC4rp_Xla8ndClSNOW7yWirmmge/s400/tiramisu+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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1 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee (room temperature)</div>
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5 T Kahlua</div>
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Lady fingers (about 30)</div>
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3 egg yolks</div>
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1/3 cup sugar</div>
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1/8 tsp salt</div>
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1/2 T vanilla</div>
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16 oz marscapone</div>
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6 T cold heavy (whipping) cream</div>
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Cocoa</div>
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Cinnamon</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFNGdI8NU9l_bg7n8nexSKnmkL3I2EHu_A1_fqKYAOfCRj-2zg3MXNScMXa2EI0YsPheqy2I8b7UhG8C-vdtK7-oMvP560GfTTsCB1Dspg7M_FydxmL9ocfGz3XaR-8ef48DDoI0lp-F5/s1600/tiramisu+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFNGdI8NU9l_bg7n8nexSKnmkL3I2EHu_A1_fqKYAOfCRj-2zg3MXNScMXa2EI0YsPheqy2I8b7UhG8C-vdtK7-oMvP560GfTTsCB1Dspg7M_FydxmL9ocfGz3XaR-8ef48DDoI0lp-F5/s400/tiramisu+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mix coffee and 3 T Kahlua in a shallow bowl and set aside. </div>
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In a large bowl, beat egg yolks at a low speed until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until it becomes pale yellow. Next mix in the remaining 2 T Kahlua along with the vanilla. Then add about two-thirds of the marscapone and mix until well combined and there are no lumps. </div>
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Now, this is wear my version of the recipe differs. The original recipe calls for raw eggs. If I bought high-quality farm fresh eggs, I'd probably be fine with keeping the eggs raw but I buy my eggs from Walmart. I'd rather be safe than sorry. If you're fine with using raw eggs go ahead and feel free to skip this next step. Anyway, transfer the egg and marscapone mixture to a glass bowl and cook over a double boiler. Make sure you whisk the mixture the entire time, we're not trying to make scrambled eggs here. The objective is to heat the mixture up enough to get the "rawness" off the eggs. You'll know it's done with the mixture kind of "breaks" and thins out. Once that happens, remove it from the heat and put it in the fridge to let it cool. Once it's cool transfer it back to the mixing bowl and mix in the rest of the marscapone. Once it's mixed smooth, transfer it back to the glass bowl.</div>
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If you're keeping the eggs raw, join back up with me here. Pour the cream in the mixing bowl (don't worry about cleaning it out), and mix on high until it will hold stiff peaks. Gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the marscapone mixture using a rubber spatula. Then fold in the rest until there are no white streaks in the mixture. </div>
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And now it's time to assemble the tiramisu. Take a heart shaped cookie cutter and place it on a plate. Take lady fingers one at the time and drop them in the coffee/kahlua mixture, quickly flip them over then remove from the coffee. This whole process should take 2-3 seconds. You don't want them soaked, just damped. Place lady fingers in the cookie cutter in one layer, breaking up the lady fingers as necessary. Next put a big scoop of the marscapone mixture on top of the lady fingers and spread it out. Next sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the marscapone mixture, and then sift a layer of cocoa on top of that. Put down another layer of lady fingers, then carefully remove the cookie cutter. Next, put another layer of marscapone. Top with some more cinnamon and a thick dusting of cocoa (enough to cover the whole top of the heart). Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.</div>
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If you want to make a pan of tiramisu, you basically do the same exact thing as above, except you lay the lady fingers in a layer on the bottom of the pan and build up from there.</div>
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Happy Valentine's Day</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU1jZInGc56VIFQs6Mn4j8YShqPEY8nEhyphenhyphenpUH164sZKjpxTEJ2OPtwSWRuKwjQ8sxG4gna4jKbWdmCeFAnLCireT0q4NQp9jw5XxWmFbXNdXsa57FwsSh7qhjm1p8xq5lTPs4lAi01sTQ/s1600/tiramisu+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU1jZInGc56VIFQs6Mn4j8YShqPEY8nEhyphenhyphenpUH164sZKjpxTEJ2OPtwSWRuKwjQ8sxG4gna4jKbWdmCeFAnLCireT0q4NQp9jw5XxWmFbXNdXsa57FwsSh7qhjm1p8xq5lTPs4lAi01sTQ/s400/tiramisu+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-43975328846897408292013-01-07T04:21:00.000-08:002013-01-07T04:21:35.570-08:00Mini Mondays: Mini Peach and Blackberry Cobbler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I was growing up we had a few blackberry bushes in our backyard that produced the biggest, most delicious blackberries I've ever had. We would have fresh blackberries all summer, and then we'd have enough to freeze and enjoy them for the rest of year until summer rolled around again. The first summer we had the blackberry bushes my mom made what has become one of my favorite desserts; blackberry cobbler. Her cobbler is actually more of a crisp (oatmeal, flour, brown sugar and butter topping) although I didn't find this out until I was in college and I took a food and culture class for the honors program. For part of the class we had to split up into groups and each group cooked dinner for the entire class one night and we all got comment cards to "critique" the food. When it was my group's turn to make dinner I made my mom's blackberry cobbler. When I got the comments back from the professor there were a lot of "This is good, but it's <u>not</u> a cobbler." Well.... okay, sue me. That's what we call cobbler in my family. We're not from the south; cobbler is a fruit dessert with a sweet topping. </div>
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Oh well, lesson learned. I still love my mom's "cobbler" and that's my go to summer dessert. But that's not what we're here to talk about today (but don't worry, we will talk about it one day). This is recipe is for "real" cobbler. These are perfectly portioned in single servings but good luck trying to stop at one. You could make this with any kind of fruit you want. I made some with blackberries, some with peaches and then I went a little crazy and made some with both because I think peaches and blackberries go together like peas and carrots. </div>
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<b>Mini Peach and Blackberry Cobbler</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd2vD4PgWyk-nAYl67RJTzHCyezD_qU6l9eccLEmHYVioHJFRxn5CmMiDGOaisx8btySUNPrwSY0etWZNe-AzZNS_7H5bQtsZI3onVnvgRkSrnaAhHHEfCzf52LlqYDXwE7KcCGGbpj4S/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd2vD4PgWyk-nAYl67RJTzHCyezD_qU6l9eccLEmHYVioHJFRxn5CmMiDGOaisx8btySUNPrwSY0etWZNe-AzZNS_7H5bQtsZI3onVnvgRkSrnaAhHHEfCzf52LlqYDXwE7KcCGGbpj4S/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+116.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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1 cup flour</div>
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2 tsp baking powder</div>
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Dash of salt</div>
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3/4 cup milk</div>
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1 tsp vanilla</div>
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Brown sugar</div>
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Cinnamon</div>
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1/2 stick melted butter</div>
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Diced peaches</div>
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Blackberries (fresh or frozen, just make sure they're thawed)</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC7BAWBaUn8x5taR1VULNG2r87-uPW9j3N5DfBoaIPkq6G15l0vBb84uCinn6l8Q2CSLwf-ZDTNrnutdvUifeNwgiddxZIkcLlLaBFKO7VpxFwe5n9lqLyTYbjUY8SgPoepxP7eFnSWk3/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC7BAWBaUn8x5taR1VULNG2r87-uPW9j3N5DfBoaIPkq6G15l0vBb84uCinn6l8Q2CSLwf-ZDTNrnutdvUifeNwgiddxZIkcLlLaBFKO7VpxFwe5n9lqLyTYbjUY8SgPoepxP7eFnSWk3/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+099.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sprinkle some cinnamon over the fruit and set aside and preheat your oven to 350*. Meanwhile mix together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Add in the vanilla and about 1 tsp of cinnamon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPzDzd1GI6rZapSwmbM9Ctzs1FXs0TS8cQIyVrA-W4P19kkW99SRzIrbk3yvsR-5BXX3fZPnPELsBEi-3dwt23YZqvXMKlNIIToI8hmDIfR2h487A2Rqhorvpz-d5POrW3nhA7AbQGhmj/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPzDzd1GI6rZapSwmbM9Ctzs1FXs0TS8cQIyVrA-W4P19kkW99SRzIrbk3yvsR-5BXX3fZPnPELsBEi-3dwt23YZqvXMKlNIIToI8hmDIfR2h487A2Rqhorvpz-d5POrW3nhA7AbQGhmj/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+101.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Put one teaspoon of melted butter in the bottom of each muffin tin. I made half with muffin liners and half without and they both turned out great. If you need to transport these somewhere I would definitely suggest using the muffin liners though. Then spoon in two tablespoons of the batter on top of the melted butter. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOHjL3HOuUzqYl_PQ28Gy8SKaOz4SUVVCUhoJjovG9Q9JPzP2N4kmHJYUZkHDwd0OmnRgxiJHIfyuf30xc3k8r4SuAeo1N5_T_-h7LyVXroxo0sxl6_IlvtZmBpRMolRxW4pfMidpPqzZ/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOHjL3HOuUzqYl_PQ28Gy8SKaOz4SUVVCUhoJjovG9Q9JPzP2N4kmHJYUZkHDwd0OmnRgxiJHIfyuf30xc3k8r4SuAeo1N5_T_-h7LyVXroxo0sxl6_IlvtZmBpRMolRxW4pfMidpPqzZ/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next, put some fruit in top of the batter. I put 4-5 diced peaches or 3-4 blackberries in each tin.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3E6UOjq55ZRS5P5RxQpkSe8lgR7yDKwCc42miFnVVk0WkU_QAY6YEzjgAZjY5zNVFxY65QaKvCa7URcv2XLDR_otftwrjUD-Pkf9O4KKy_losNzTrnaCsUbWDe757A0vg-FdfCv99aG0/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3E6UOjq55ZRS5P5RxQpkSe8lgR7yDKwCc42miFnVVk0WkU_QAY6YEzjgAZjY5zNVFxY65QaKvCa7URcv2XLDR_otftwrjUD-Pkf9O4KKy_losNzTrnaCsUbWDe757A0vg-FdfCv99aG0/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+109.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon on top of the fruit. Bake for 20 minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h17nJHbj8nnyQVhdNyWiy3km0WBpzehrKaRFhhGDg684cSxvEI5eNhfsHu-enN7IppZKYRj3mpkeFvlI5MW3eZWVwl9u5PZGNluWhVuVFDQfZQrht8gSVUPNYkpDwQVcjX4mrcSJ5_XJ/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h17nJHbj8nnyQVhdNyWiy3km0WBpzehrKaRFhhGDg684cSxvEI5eNhfsHu-enN7IppZKYRj3mpkeFvlI5MW3eZWVwl9u5PZGNluWhVuVFDQfZQrht8gSVUPNYkpDwQVcjX4mrcSJ5_XJ/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+110.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let the cobbler that isn't in the muffin liners cool almost completely in the pan before removing them. Before you take them out run a knife along the edge to loose them then use a spoon to help lift them out of the pan. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7tx-kMqkpMx2XKkTct_g_hS0gfrfzn93AEp0QMoP2mkh4eaN1I-OaIjGuvtt6JQHYV7THSQ2rByDyzE7zAoNWdyOW-9e5GrLf2JLmLI35KJmPwqkV_IxtdzWQo_n-fVxHpyuA0exAQ_9/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7tx-kMqkpMx2XKkTct_g_hS0gfrfzn93AEp0QMoP2mkh4eaN1I-OaIjGuvtt6JQHYV7THSQ2rByDyzE7zAoNWdyOW-9e5GrLf2JLmLI35KJmPwqkV_IxtdzWQo_n-fVxHpyuA0exAQ_9/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+115.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Of course, a cobbler isn't really a cobbler without a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top to go with it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBcQ5Bp7rwvagNXm7TbgV4yoW2SGKFh0MZQXyREDApJ4eQ17mPD6HVGlgwQxefTgp_SQPWOEjDS_qcMzXMhz-IAEXHgchpJ1uAX8Q2tjeMRsAp_EZ3ycttC13JyjhJvHrkmf8XReioaUK/s1600/winter+2012+and+2013+117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBcQ5Bp7rwvagNXm7TbgV4yoW2SGKFh0MZQXyREDApJ4eQ17mPD6HVGlgwQxefTgp_SQPWOEjDS_qcMzXMhz-IAEXHgchpJ1uAX8Q2tjeMRsAp_EZ3ycttC13JyjhJvHrkmf8XReioaUK/s400/winter+2012+and+2013+117.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think you're technically supposed to serve cobbler with the fruit on the bottom, but I think it looked so much prettier with the fruit on the top so you could really see the colors. </div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-25886293966745579312012-12-30T14:24:00.000-08:002012-12-30T14:24:02.440-08:00Cheesy Broccoli Orzo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm usually not very creative when it comes to side dishes. Typically I'll throw a quick salad together or heat up some green beans and call it good. That gets boring day after day, let me tell you. This cheesy broccoli orzo was a nice change of pace from my typical side dishes, and one that I will definitely be making more often.</div>
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<b>Cheesy Broccoli Orzo</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9g-p_1_XbhW7llCemOHoV9-9C8i_Agna2WopNZAODkJ7AGjwDswormf2kHZOvMAZtVTrRFV1btCF70ZGBt0lB7zkfuAgOyt-lBfJLqSR1b5XwYUJypNTvwTpH2bp0DATTRZGwFdWhP-5/s1600/fall+2012+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9g-p_1_XbhW7llCemOHoV9-9C8i_Agna2WopNZAODkJ7AGjwDswormf2kHZOvMAZtVTrRFV1btCF70ZGBt0lB7zkfuAgOyt-lBfJLqSR1b5XwYUJypNTvwTpH2bp0DATTRZGwFdWhP-5/s400/fall+2012+015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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1 cup orzo</div>
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1 head broccoli, chopped</div>
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1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese</div>
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1/2 cup milk</div>
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Salt and pepper to taste</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Add orzo to large pot of boiling water. After a few minutes add the chopped broccoli in with the orzo. Cook until the broccoli and orzo is tender. Drain well and return the broccoli/orzo to the pot. Mix in the cheese and milk and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I didn't add any salt because the cheese made it plenty salty, but I added a bit of pepper. At this point you could also add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to make it taste a little more rich but it's definitely not necessary.</div>
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This was so good, and even easier than throwing together a salad! This will be making an appearance in my regular side dish rotation. Next time I might add in some toasted pine nuts for some added texture. You could also make this with rice, or any other shape pasta that you have on hand and it would be just as delicious. If you make it with rice I would cook the broccoli separately and mix it together after they are both cooked.</div>
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I served this for dinner with salmon and brussels sprouts, and then I ate the leftovers for lunch for the next few days. Delicious!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qv_QqvhhRdyNAfP8wGvkOQevhPM9LcyMlCrZqamAGoyoFrOb2Y3fOH_F4dJb2lK6hHEK-SUfcz9Y_q2l8N_uom-AjmTnJ1NLb4vzcBzW_XR_5_ZcwQsnvPaQ-yXmgwy2DEHQ7foCzNvF/s1600/fall+2012+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qv_QqvhhRdyNAfP8wGvkOQevhPM9LcyMlCrZqamAGoyoFrOb2Y3fOH_F4dJb2lK6hHEK-SUfcz9Y_q2l8N_uom-AjmTnJ1NLb4vzcBzW_XR_5_ZcwQsnvPaQ-yXmgwy2DEHQ7foCzNvF/s400/fall+2012+020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-24963215079373254012012-12-16T16:11:00.000-08:002012-12-16T16:11:11.067-08:00Reindeer Cake Pops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few weeks ago, I made some cake balls for a coworkers birthday. I actually made them by accident; I was planning on making an oreo bundt cake but I got impatient and tried to take the cake out of the pan too early and it fell apart. Instead of scrapping the whole thing I decided I'd just make cake balls because I happened to have some chocolate almond bark in the freezer from a chocolate covered strawberries project a long time ago. The girls at work became, in a word, obsessed with them. So when we decided to do a little cookie exchange at work for the holidays they <strike>demanded</strike> requested the oreo cake balls again. Not one to disappoint, I obliged them but changed it up a little bit. I mean, it was a <i>holiday</i> cookie exchange, I had to make them festive. Right? So, I decided to decorate them like reindeer. I personally think they are adorable and I hope you agree.</div>
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<b>Reindeer Cake Pops</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNq5RYinek1zQ-8bX6qLj1bi4w5Ik29l0a58UMDv_hffN_hU6aZH7HALLQfxWdJRszOPsCJipmq_RmIFw1erTCBpXWw9bNUJ_UnoSLEqEdf-q066TPj3XqD9zFWdfvu9LNuDGiDUiaPBdU/s1600/reindeer+cake+pops+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNq5RYinek1zQ-8bX6qLj1bi4w5Ik29l0a58UMDv_hffN_hU6aZH7HALLQfxWdJRszOPsCJipmq_RmIFw1erTCBpXWw9bNUJ_UnoSLEqEdf-q066TPj3XqD9zFWdfvu9LNuDGiDUiaPBdU/s400/reindeer+cake+pops+011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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1 box cake mix (I used yellow cake mix)</div>
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Oil, water, eggs (whatever the cake mix calls for)</div>
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Oreos (I used about 1 row of the double stuffed oreos, chopped)</div>
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1 package pudding mix</div>
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2/3rds can icing (I used cream cheese)</div>
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Chocolate candy melts</div>
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Lollipop sticks</div>
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Candy eyes</div>
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Mini Pretzels</div>
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M&Ms </div>
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Edible ink pen</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Bake your cake according to the instructions on the back of the box, but ad the pudding and oreos to the mix. Make sure to chop the oreos up pretty finely because you are going to want a smooth ball for the cake pop. Once the cake has baked and cooled (you can put it in the fridge to expedite the process) place it in a bowl and use your hands to crumble it up. Make sure that it's crumbled up very finely. Next, mix in the icing using your hands. Yep, it's time to get messy, y'all. You really only need 2/3rds of the can of icing or else it will get <i>too</i> mushy. You want the consistency to still look kind of crumbly, but you should be able to roll it into a smooth ball and have it stay together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HeE06DuAnFKZ0i20dVTBxv_QVoutmXdoHYtSNTN3ujmqqWfDLhKvFVOi94WMsIG7dqH2s4DELCnskANiUW3qT14aMFCRMW0dyh5tw5LSxHa-4YFKBeoO5DOA7H1Zdwf6cJyeY7WukYyI/s1600/reindeer+cake+pops+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HeE06DuAnFKZ0i20dVTBxv_QVoutmXdoHYtSNTN3ujmqqWfDLhKvFVOi94WMsIG7dqH2s4DELCnskANiUW3qT14aMFCRMW0dyh5tw5LSxHa-4YFKBeoO5DOA7H1Zdwf6cJyeY7WukYyI/s400/reindeer+cake+pops+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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To form the balls I first scoop out the "dough" using a cookie scoop. That ensure that they are all the same size, and that they aren't too big or small for the lollipop sticks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pSOLJJEXlHF8thW1wAUoF6Xd69_rQEoKALOQ-T9-y8VpCVRcgGdLZN-dlUA2PZDyl7eUC1nBA7q9fPwfcvUPd1zIUyzIh_w5AAJ-1RFYxW5rSZXG4bRLcTl8AvtF8FEmQ4XtvlcyduY9/s1600/reindeer+cake+pops+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pSOLJJEXlHF8thW1wAUoF6Xd69_rQEoKALOQ-T9-y8VpCVRcgGdLZN-dlUA2PZDyl7eUC1nBA7q9fPwfcvUPd1zIUyzIh_w5AAJ-1RFYxW5rSZXG4bRLcTl8AvtF8FEmQ4XtvlcyduY9/s400/reindeer+cake+pops+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After you scoop out the dough you'll want to roll them into balls. Make sure you wash your hands occasionally or else they will get super sticky and you won't be able to make the balls as smooth as they should be. They need to be smooth so you can get a nice even layer of chocolate coating.</div>
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After you've rolled the cake balls pop in the freezer for about 20 minutes and melt a little bit of the candy melts. Pull the balls out the freezer. Dip the end of a lollipop stick in the melted chocolate and insert it in the cake ball, about halfway through. This will kind of seal the lollipop stick to the cake ball. Once each cake ball has a lollipop stick in it, put them back in the freezer for another 20 minutes or so and melt the rest of the candy melts. I like to melt mine in a cup because that makes it easier to just dip the cake pop into the chocolate and have it be completely covered. If you use a shallow bowl you have to worry about twisting it and then it makes it more likely that you're cake ball will fall off the lollipop stick and then you're going to get really annoyed. Believe me, I am saving you A LOT of frustration.</div>
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Pull the cake pops out of the freezer and let them sit for a few minutes to kind of take the chill off. If you don't do this the candy coating will crack when you go to the put the little reindeer antlers in. In the meantime, you can break the pretzels in half. </div>
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Okay, now we're ready for the fun part. You'll want to dip the cake pops into the chocolate coating, and let the excess chocolate drip off when you pull it out. Working quickly before the coating hardens, insert the antlers in to the top of pop. Set them aside to fully dry in a styrofoam block or a cup. To attach the eyes and nose just dab a tiny bit of the chocolate to the back of each and press them in place. Use an edible ink pen to draw the mouth. I bought a cheapo set at WalMart and I would highly recommend using another brand because mine did not draw very well on these. But, they still worked out okay.</div>
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To finish them off, I placed them in a little clear treat bag and tied it off with some red ribbon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinE7kMf5g2enYDdzPh4Fbkg0nfVs_ElBJtplwk2QSf9gwKcg158mblORorxDXyLaQlKWVrrw708ekOpvvdM9nSEWElTLwIGHc5CJyyxWpaP9o7LuuErlQkiuasNJrzk18wW28G0GetOtu1/s1600/reindeer+cake+pops+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinE7kMf5g2enYDdzPh4Fbkg0nfVs_ElBJtplwk2QSf9gwKcg158mblORorxDXyLaQlKWVrrw708ekOpvvdM9nSEWElTLwIGHc5CJyyxWpaP9o7LuuErlQkiuasNJrzk18wW28G0GetOtu1/s400/reindeer+cake+pops+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are probably some of my favorite things I have ever made. They may be a little time intensive but I really think the end results are worth it. In fact, I think I'll be making these for Christmas Eve with Cole's family. </div>
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-83570988856705656112012-12-02T12:38:00.001-08:002012-12-02T12:38:11.218-08:00Seared Sea Scallops With Creamy Risotto: Part Deux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The very first recipe I posted on this blog was creamy risotto with pan-seared scallops. I was really happy with the risotto but I thought the scallops could use some work, so I decided to try it again. And I'm happy to say that these scallops turned out 100% better than the last ones. The trick to making these is starting with a really hot pan, so hot that it's slightly smoking. Also, do yourself a favor and use sea scallops. The first time I made this I used bay scallops (the really small scallops), but this time I used sea scallops and they were <i>so</i> much better. </div>
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<b>Seared Sea Scallops with Creamy Risotto</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6Czt9oLlQUAQCfsSRy52iLq95DuKSJub2QFVdh2NAd7LT1419yQiH_agej31s_47fihC9rtbAek9kXel3173I84vkwaddq8JcB1SlZ9ybgYNzufWgab335uAq0pxJ2GsVi9KzZALikPC/s1600/winter+2012+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6Czt9oLlQUAQCfsSRy52iLq95DuKSJub2QFVdh2NAd7LT1419yQiH_agej31s_47fihC9rtbAek9kXel3173I84vkwaddq8JcB1SlZ9ybgYNzufWgab335uAq0pxJ2GsVi9KzZALikPC/s400/winter+2012+035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Sea scallops</div>
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Salt</div>
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Pepper</div>
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2 T butter</div>
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1 cup Arborio rice</div>
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1/2 cup white wine</div>
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3 cups (approx.) chicken stock</div>
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2 shallots, finely diced</div>
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7-8 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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1/2 cup parmesan cheese</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5llI8Ul1K09SG1ct3jqvcNhZ6-ANda9nRsNSjchOoN-kHHJsjdiKqhEFyHY6t6N_yQDhNKlPj-5KxIHUAcN51AeWhF0d8ixM2Mw7M-NPnNB9yPJYruSSZb_An4-5qKnTzj0mWPn23o27D/s1600/winter+2012+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5llI8Ul1K09SG1ct3jqvcNhZ6-ANda9nRsNSjchOoN-kHHJsjdiKqhEFyHY6t6N_yQDhNKlPj-5KxIHUAcN51AeWhF0d8ixM2Mw7M-NPnNB9yPJYruSSZb_An4-5qKnTzj0mWPn23o27D/s400/winter+2012+038.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Warm the chicken stock in pot, and let it sit on low heat. Heat a little olive oil in a pot or deep pan. Saute the garlic and shallots until the shallots for a few minutes, then add in the rice and allow it to toast a bit. Pour in the wine and stir until it has been fully absorbed by the rice. Add about one ladle full of the chicken stock to the rice and stir until full absorbed by the rice. Continue adding chicken stock to the rice and stir until the rice is creamy and tender. Once it's done, remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and season with a little salt and pepper.</div>
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Meanwhile, heat the butter and a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan. Season the scallops with a little salt and pepper. Let the pan get really hot and once it starts slightly smoking, put the scallops in flat side down. Now whatever you do, do NOT move the scallops. If you want them to have a nice sear you have to put them in the pan and leave them alone. Let them cook for a few minutes. You can look at the sides of scallops to see how much they are cooked. They will turn from translucent to white as they cook. Once they are about two-thirds of the way cooked they should have a pretty good sear on them and you can turn them over and let them cook the rest of the way. You can take them off the heat when they are still a tiny bit translucent because they will continue to cook as they sit and you definitely don't want overcooked scallops. </div>
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Serve the scallops over the risotto and spoon some of the butter from the saucepan on top of the scallops. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQFJVXyyKS9a9H7c9vXVQfCFzXWmDXC9gJXWZsZ2f6P69JhR6PgME-drOMwT23yOIlOQnTnCN71mSOHnDacLJfJgC717tBif2_mspRuj8NH3do4cW6VfVwFt8rBUTaJU68OhYQ1q9QYmP/s1600/winter+2012+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQFJVXyyKS9a9H7c9vXVQfCFzXWmDXC9gJXWZsZ2f6P69JhR6PgME-drOMwT23yOIlOQnTnCN71mSOHnDacLJfJgC717tBif2_mspRuj8NH3do4cW6VfVwFt8rBUTaJU68OhYQ1q9QYmP/s400/winter+2012+037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-86496349391044296672012-12-02T11:50:00.000-08:002012-12-03T04:16:50.225-08:00Mini Mondays: Lasagna Cups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This month, for Mini Mondays I wanted to make something that would be easy to take to all those holiday parties you know you'll be going to (or having) in the next month. These little lasagna cups are simple to make, and would be a great appetizer or a tasty addition to an hors d'oeuvre party. You can make these in the foil muffin liners or directly in the muffin tin itself, they will stay together surprisingly well. If you're making these for a party I'd suggest making them in the muffin liner because they're easier to serve and eat without a table that way. Plus, it makes for easier clean up. This recipe will make enough for 12 lasagna cups. </div>
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<b>Lasagna Cups</b></div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWyeQaHWFO3VJu4PFzanT8jJmrfF3nVEmYqZ3oPE2tkBY8T3-8nqNPvo-UWKHANCulDGckima3mkmOvTRbIxrxDW9W5hxje_cVri3jM5zcWSMXxcbO4USyDlj5jgRp4TrzcdGZ25jgwJ2/s1600/mini+lasagna+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWyeQaHWFO3VJu4PFzanT8jJmrfF3nVEmYqZ3oPE2tkBY8T3-8nqNPvo-UWKHANCulDGckima3mkmOvTRbIxrxDW9W5hxje_cVri3jM5zcWSMXxcbO4USyDlj5jgRp4TrzcdGZ25jgwJ2/s400/mini+lasagna+033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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6 Lasagna noodles</div>
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8 oz ricotta cheese</div>
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Mozzarella cheese (finely shredded)</div>
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Parmesan cheese</div>
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Marinara sauce</div>
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Pepperoni</div>
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Basil (fresh or the Gourmet Gardens Basil Paste found in the produce section at the grocery store)</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5LatvtudN6o2Om1Wtcqi5SxCzet_4uCAekFK3TtfBiub-wU0z9DZW0WaJtYZeH9hfUAHw0Q7T7X4o0drxD1ASkxLynrAw4OH_hDMacEKeVUchTjiFD2KvNqEpkDJj3E79HJfMEW5a6Q9/s1600/mini+lasagna+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5LatvtudN6o2Om1Wtcqi5SxCzet_4uCAekFK3TtfBiub-wU0z9DZW0WaJtYZeH9hfUAHw0Q7T7X4o0drxD1ASkxLynrAw4OH_hDMacEKeVUchTjiFD2KvNqEpkDJj3E79HJfMEW5a6Q9/s400/mini+lasagna+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain them and allow them to cool a bit until you can comfortably handle them. Use whatever small shaped cookie cutter you have to cut the noodles (or cut them into squares small enough to fit in the muffin tin). I couldn't find my little circle cookie cutter so I used a little heart one and it worked perfectly. With this size cookie cutter I was able to get 4 hearts out of each noodle. Put one noddle at the bottom of each tin. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-ZAY__sU39vzQL6MHK2cCt2iIgQgRDppQ7lKjw-eoFfSNWWDHTPMYOjzMDs201A4eZf6iP1uhRGCFR53eO88jKCnu0iKgFXh3LtrPbcU2gQxzYKXOq8YDUwRIJVPh8kBi3Xj2dss_nYv/s1600/mini+lasagna+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-ZAY__sU39vzQL6MHK2cCt2iIgQgRDppQ7lKjw-eoFfSNWWDHTPMYOjzMDs201A4eZf6iP1uhRGCFR53eO88jKCnu0iKgFXh3LtrPbcU2gQxzYKXOq8YDUwRIJVPh8kBi3Xj2dss_nYv/s400/mini+lasagna+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Put a little spoonful of marinara sauce on top of each noodle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCSrwIbPhZ3fZG1JMMdYv3bsSoVl2yEafEaCMC1QMfPefFZk-egtV8LyxzOLxg64Y4efEskRxjbcjJQiv7rLoMShFKiPTJ4KA3MCv4UydBQBVhFQaDBEVqcUYFBB-OboK5Kryw5U9fLF0/s1600/mini+lasagna+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCSrwIbPhZ3fZG1JMMdYv3bsSoVl2yEafEaCMC1QMfPefFZk-egtV8LyxzOLxg64Y4efEskRxjbcjJQiv7rLoMShFKiPTJ4KA3MCv4UydBQBVhFQaDBEVqcUYFBB-OboK5Kryw5U9fLF0/s400/mini+lasagna+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next put a couple slices of pepperoni. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PMZ1V1AOylSZ_GMC8oAlmKhElMbaei5nr3iN-lgEwcS6sFauVTVW68JGv-AcHOzxQRXylHYdeYvsHWc-AcovaUmX8o74TfRWY_WJsgpD5Lp8oidMjMNm5so8kD5x_4oPTQywEkkbRbSO/s1600/mini+lasagna+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PMZ1V1AOylSZ_GMC8oAlmKhElMbaei5nr3iN-lgEwcS6sFauVTVW68JGv-AcHOzxQRXylHYdeYvsHWc-AcovaUmX8o74TfRWY_WJsgpD5Lp8oidMjMNm5so8kD5x_4oPTQywEkkbRbSO/s400/mini+lasagna+012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mix some basil in with the ricotta cheese. Put a small spoonful on top of the pepperoni and a little sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfXA_o6GheiomG6Gg6BNLCV0AhsdiWMe0ZIUiIhP_9oMr9kp5ugxsNfQdnmqYrB2yoooXm8mAIhYWCbV_2skh005vCV10q_tbMQ_f4mWKANS-ilGOI_Kq4mBJQzsP3ocP8WNdTj3GSI7F/s1600/mini+lasagna+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfXA_o6GheiomG6Gg6BNLCV0AhsdiWMe0ZIUiIhP_9oMr9kp5ugxsNfQdnmqYrB2yoooXm8mAIhYWCbV_2skh005vCV10q_tbMQ_f4mWKANS-ilGOI_Kq4mBJQzsP3ocP8WNdTj3GSI7F/s400/mini+lasagna+014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next comes another layer of pasta.</div>
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And another layer of marinara.</div>
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And some more ricotta. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiK5x1FX39l_cBw0cxVWsXba4ReQ4CcbUUgvtzsBY-nLQMNawRUr2IZ0a9s4aY16LySpUEpmUIneuKLxv4Yvuu-Cblxw2lkrFZfYxx1gir6l1rwom-ALdw6Hl9dWJ0pb-_yH6iVltPsyg/s1600/mini+lasagna+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiK5x1FX39l_cBw0cxVWsXba4ReQ4CcbUUgvtzsBY-nLQMNawRUr2IZ0a9s4aY16LySpUEpmUIneuKLxv4Yvuu-Cblxw2lkrFZfYxx1gir6l1rwom-ALdw6Hl9dWJ0pb-_yH6iVltPsyg/s400/mini+lasagna+022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now add some more mozzarella. Put quite a bit because this is the top layer. Top it off with a little bit of parmesan. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OuAsHbrVrslftijAzZ_8UR5m2MvKUTr94026h9xZbKweFGcaIRg1ipP9h1xkePJfYf7KJprN9295NXL8rHrZUxuLoyXIseUZ2lZ6LmXvBhTaVOjP-KwJOVVVdVQP6v6BicMnKknrKQRj/s1600/mini+lasagna+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OuAsHbrVrslftijAzZ_8UR5m2MvKUTr94026h9xZbKweFGcaIRg1ipP9h1xkePJfYf7KJprN9295NXL8rHrZUxuLoyXIseUZ2lZ6LmXvBhTaVOjP-KwJOVVVdVQP6v6BicMnKknrKQRj/s400/mini+lasagna+023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bake at 350* for 30 minutes, until the cheese is nice and melty.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhmowCYLOWYLSjVyY5fS2adPMUMxor1CRF1FKNMuKFlwMdfprCEjrtTSYZc3fWzmUMjBJP3jT-4h77Z03ulTteTi9rTAIdaFhZu26ahredXuayuwWCiemZ5fyt05dCouTNJ49taiBZFXk/s1600/mini+lasagna+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhmowCYLOWYLSjVyY5fS2adPMUMxor1CRF1FKNMuKFlwMdfprCEjrtTSYZc3fWzmUMjBJP3jT-4h77Z03ulTteTi9rTAIdaFhZu26ahredXuayuwWCiemZ5fyt05dCouTNJ49taiBZFXk/s400/mini+lasagna+024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Looks good, right? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdfuPpSrTqeGIDgZDcoy0PZRrsbMcNzhhU5-AYvLQmyJiY2xgokTwWBHjjnryiFa2UWxfb8wIlZ7XEuz0Nwijro8z8vZ71AQSGhQ1J-iOquiTGOaCNF_Ye12EW_wSQebgFQSQgh2cBqpr/s1600/mini+lasagna+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdfuPpSrTqeGIDgZDcoy0PZRrsbMcNzhhU5-AYvLQmyJiY2xgokTwWBHjjnryiFa2UWxfb8wIlZ7XEuz0Nwijro8z8vZ71AQSGhQ1J-iOquiTGOaCNF_Ye12EW_wSQebgFQSQgh2cBqpr/s400/mini+lasagna+037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-45996294447991340102012-11-25T12:19:00.000-08:002012-11-25T12:19:22.017-08:00SnickerdoodlesI made this cookies for my coworker's birthday and I loved them so much I made them again for Thanksgiving with Cole's family. They are super soft and fluffy and are super cinnamon-y, just like a snickerdoodle should be! I usually make snickerdoodles with box of yellow cake mix, but I decided to try out a new recipe this time and I was not disappointed. Just a note, this recipe makes about 18-20 cookies, so you'll need to double it if you're baking for more than a few people.<br />
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<b>Snickerdoodles</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzE5zBboIDfQaN8IZzL90OCbuzJc-VgTsq5y5FahIqXY_W-waljpHIWZYyO6KCihTS7O2g9M6OoUGmo4pv9khWWrlu39yeYUN1b9ixOLbr6pQnEFlb0yu0poETMpawa9FHKgslPwhLgPPB/s1600/winter+2012+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzE5zBboIDfQaN8IZzL90OCbuzJc-VgTsq5y5FahIqXY_W-waljpHIWZYyO6KCihTS7O2g9M6OoUGmo4pv9khWWrlu39yeYUN1b9ixOLbr6pQnEFlb0yu0poETMpawa9FHKgslPwhLgPPB/s400/winter+2012+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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For the cookies:</div>
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1/2 cup softened butter</div>
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1/2 cup sugar</div>
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1/3 cup brown sugar</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1 tsp vanilla</div>
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1 1/2 cups flour</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/4 tsp cream of tartar</div>
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1/2-1 T cinnamon</div>
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For rolling:</div>
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2 T sugar</div>
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3 tsp cinnamon</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0hqQufZFmeGMqOvkY6RbN87wXIqNYpbofitNUpMsmFBUPQNxHQuyiXn2B2pOu1ER_ndAe2Q2zWa_rbKklnmsOp3wgEgw7jj0wG_ugrfCK_LpaYS4erpr9yBneHXS2VSH7_RLCAYyMLZa/s1600/winter+2012+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0hqQufZFmeGMqOvkY6RbN87wXIqNYpbofitNUpMsmFBUPQNxHQuyiXn2B2pOu1ER_ndAe2Q2zWa_rbKklnmsOp3wgEgw7jj0wG_ugrfCK_LpaYS4erpr9yBneHXS2VSH7_RLCAYyMLZa/s400/winter+2012+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Combine the dry ingredients and add them slowly into the wet ingredients. Set the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. </div>
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Once the dough has cooled, preheat the oven to 300*. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into balls a little larger than the size of a walnut (about 2 1/2 T). Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Don't overbake these, they will probably seem undercooked when you remove them from the oven but they will continue to set once you take them out. If you overbake them they won't be soft and chewy. And if a snickerdoodle isn't soft and chewy what's really the point in eating them? That's my philosophy at least.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97m_9jLLB0_CnOO0B-LB4EMKRVZKa_5ll68aD4jlgqHJys8c33wGNX3dUBTDMkjZDoR6FfmyXoUNWTjtw4Gd3AdDcXjuqw-ZJe_STbCLStOwarFz8Bpj3VXHxXgeOEDEyRFqWJtwqsgqV/s1600/winter+2012+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97m_9jLLB0_CnOO0B-LB4EMKRVZKa_5ll68aD4jlgqHJys8c33wGNX3dUBTDMkjZDoR6FfmyXoUNWTjtw4Gd3AdDcXjuqw-ZJe_STbCLStOwarFz8Bpj3VXHxXgeOEDEyRFqWJtwqsgqV/s400/winter+2012+016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Christmastime is definitely baking time, at least at my house and these will definitely be making an appearance in my annual Christmas Cookies goody bag I give out every year. Maybe I'll even leave a few out for Santa on Christmas Eve... if I don't eat them all first. </div>
<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-18474043341950288902012-11-08T19:48:00.001-08:002012-11-08T19:48:48.778-08:00Blogger Book SwapWe take a break for our usually scheduled food post to discuss something equally as exciting: books! I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs and I saw that <a href="http://www.freeborboleta.com/">Fran</a> was working with <a href="http://sweet-green-tangerine.blogspot.com/">Jessica</a> to host an awesome book swap. Well, I love to read and I love getting things in the mail so I knew this was a swap for me. I signed up and was paired with Jo from <a href="http://lovinglifeinthefablane.blogspot.com/2012/11/blogger-book-swap.html">Loving Life in the Fab Lane</a>. I checked out her blog and Good Reads account and realized that we have very similar tastes in books so I was really excited to see what she sent me, and I was <i>not</i> disappointed!<div>
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1341322570l/13497818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1341322570l/13497818.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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I absolutely LOVE the Harry Potter series, and I have been wanting to read <i>The Casual Vacancy</i> since it came out. I actually don't know anyone who has read this so I have no idea what to expect, but I can't wait to spend a few hours this weekend reading this! </div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-85407895116418893662012-11-05T03:56:00.000-08:002012-11-05T03:56:47.937-08:00Mini Mondays: A Mini ThanksgivingThanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. I could probably eat it once a month and never get tired of it. My family's Thanksgiving is really special because my dad cooks the turkey on a charcoal grill so it doesn't taste like the typical oven roasted turkey (not that there's anything wrong with that). The flavor that the turkey gets is so amazing, and it's always moist and delicious. I have become very spoiled by my family's Thanksgiving. So much so that the one and only year we ever had Thanksgiving at another family's house I was so disappointed and complained so much that the next weekend we had "real" Thanksgiving at our house. Yes, I know... I'm spoiled. I even had "Thanksgiving" dinner for my birthday this year.<br />
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Also, on our first date, Cole and I talked about Thanksgiving dinner for probably an hour. The fact that he asked me out after that is kind of a miracle, right? I'm just glad I found someone who not only tolerates all of my weird quirks, but actually shares many of them with me. I am one lucky girl. <br />
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So in honor of Thanksgiving, I decided to make a small version for this month's Mini Mondays. This is something you could make any weekend of the year and get that little Thanksgiving fix.<br />
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<b>Mini Thanksgiving</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QmiYh_uCZWrRRGqjKnXTv5y4umHEhpHKCbRAe0X14uiTGpk7E5yLD6EoBZNPOcKqdWWRcuS3RNZ6iAPVhuAAWbIEN3vau91c-t6qm5Wob3Fl5CrVL4wmzmcRDqnLo4fq69o3CUPEMy42/s1600/fall+2012+171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QmiYh_uCZWrRRGqjKnXTv5y4umHEhpHKCbRAe0X14uiTGpk7E5yLD6EoBZNPOcKqdWWRcuS3RNZ6iAPVhuAAWbIEN3vau91c-t6qm5Wob3Fl5CrVL4wmzmcRDqnLo4fq69o3CUPEMy42/s400/fall+2012+171.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Whole chicken</div>
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1 bag Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing (I use the blue bag that has a mixture of white and wheat bread because that's what my mom always uses)</div>
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Chicken stock</div>
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1 bottle white zinfadel wine</div>
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1 yellow onion (diced)</div>
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5-6 cloves garlic finely chopped</div>
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5 stalks celery, cut into about 1/2 inch half circles</div>
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1 lb breakfast sausage</div>
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4 T butter</div>
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2 cans green beans</div>
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1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use reduced fat)</div>
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Milk</div>
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French's French Fried Onions</div>
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Potatoes</div>
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Cornstarch</div>
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Vegetable oil</div>
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Poultry seasoning</div>
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Thyme</div>
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Salt</div>
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Pepper</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnss2xddlul58U4QaiQctdMWfvIMykSV9Y-zkiNr6tD-C-6t5vPtahmHg6HcYl3J0k8qdABMA9JmjRI9Mi2j_AONU83heUPUtpaFazKGBkg5J0sIHfwuI2_dZgBo2FqWAYNYjot4GEaNX/s1600/fall+2012+155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnss2xddlul58U4QaiQctdMWfvIMykSV9Y-zkiNr6tD-C-6t5vPtahmHg6HcYl3J0k8qdABMA9JmjRI9Mi2j_AONU83heUPUtpaFazKGBkg5J0sIHfwuI2_dZgBo2FqWAYNYjot4GEaNX/s400/fall+2012+155.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>Stuffing</b></div>
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Heat 2 T of butter in a large sauce pan. Saute the garlic, onion and celery until they are soft. Mix with the stuffing in a large bowl. Cook the sausage and mix that in with the stuffing as well. Add in about 3/4 cup of the wine and mix that in. Then, add in enough chicken stock to make the mixture moist. You'll use some of this to stuff the chicken, and the rest will cook in the oven in a glass baking dish, covered, at 350* for 30 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2pViffEpVUD7LCJbdmonhWKaSK1_oVIAEX6Gk94tryHkoIW_8GU95NQRO4aAIAzDR9wBwWj3PABjnD1V2DzOUDXaI4gFgo0XUAC1zcUiVkrIcUTkre2RlZZSvb_1qlQRPz5FSzmpM8Qc/s1600/fall+2012+172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2pViffEpVUD7LCJbdmonhWKaSK1_oVIAEX6Gk94tryHkoIW_8GU95NQRO4aAIAzDR9wBwWj3PABjnD1V2DzOUDXaI4gFgo0XUAC1zcUiVkrIcUTkre2RlZZSvb_1qlQRPz5FSzmpM8Qc/s400/fall+2012+172.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mmm stuffing. Although, apparently this is dressing because this wasn't stuffed into the chicken. Whatever, I call it stuffing anyway and all these southern people I'm surrounded by can look at me weird. </div>
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<b>Roast chicken</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W96EFDscDHr3rvuKemilKDlwmQ9Xxofktma_1QUfaswbbVljMeJYc_bi2qt4ObAvjpcSBFiEeVar4KMJcibU1cZ-I7CkhTgKZSQkHQYIVsWeArjMuNrXID6mc8JUnWr8Lp8y7v6XWnMZ/s1600/fall+2012+164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W96EFDscDHr3rvuKemilKDlwmQ9Xxofktma_1QUfaswbbVljMeJYc_bi2qt4ObAvjpcSBFiEeVar4KMJcibU1cZ-I7CkhTgKZSQkHQYIVsWeArjMuNrXID6mc8JUnWr8Lp8y7v6XWnMZ/s400/fall+2012+164.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Clean the chicken (remove the gizzards, wash off the inside and outside of the chicken and pat it dry). Rub with a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil. Season with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Stuff the cavity with the stuffing/dressing. Add wine into a large baking dish (enough so that there's 2-3 inches of wine in the bottom of the dish). Add poultry seasoning and thyme to the wine (about 3 T poultry seasoning and 1 T thyme). Just make sure that the wine is completely covered with a layer of seasoning. Place a roasting rack in the baking dish and put the chicken on top. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 350*. Cook uncovered for a nice crispy skin.</div>
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As a note, the chicken will take longer to cook than a regular roast chicken because it's stuffed.</div>
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<b>Gravy</b></div>
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Take the drippings from the chicken (that are now mixed with the wine) and pour into a small saucepan. Add about 1/2 cup chicken stock and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Mix 1 T cornstarch with about 1/2 cup milk and slowly whisk in to the gravy. Continue to cook the gravy until it has thickened up.</div>
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<b>Green Bean Casserole</b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ugB37Duc8ZBGX08Fm-DekzO6Rx1BOX-4JhyzGhOx_HgGsrybagAPHJKQi6_np339Zmv4vRUfE_-_8HZOCwu6ZlI1EvgiU0vBwDjzdLGqt6SBz6YZoOgv_F5yeAw1OKbHykJKLGPmg0p_/s1600/fall+2012+173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ugB37Duc8ZBGX08Fm-DekzO6Rx1BOX-4JhyzGhOx_HgGsrybagAPHJKQi6_np339Zmv4vRUfE_-_8HZOCwu6ZlI1EvgiU0vBwDjzdLGqt6SBz6YZoOgv_F5yeAw1OKbHykJKLGPmg0p_/s400/fall+2012+173.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mix the cream of mushroom soup and 3/4 cup milk in a baking dish. Season with pepper. Drain the green beans and mix with in with the soup, then stir in about 1/2 cup french fried onions. Cook uncovered at 350* for 25 minutes, top with about 1/2 cup french fried onions and cook for another 5 minutes.</div>
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<b>Mashed Potatoes</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyS6VKHCbfveG5awrIAd5g9oIVYWduZ5kFk3l0BdlUbLU_tF7IHBnq4V5GaZRXiTvMHBAsfVJnu6ryps6KgKWB0N8HS0nmNd4LGtkie1ImIKWiahyphenhyphenKtvc2n4zCuvMdMME5nbM1UsdSyhO/s1600/fall+2012+171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyS6VKHCbfveG5awrIAd5g9oIVYWduZ5kFk3l0BdlUbLU_tF7IHBnq4V5GaZRXiTvMHBAsfVJnu6ryps6KgKWB0N8HS0nmNd4LGtkie1ImIKWiahyphenhyphenKtvc2n4zCuvMdMME5nbM1UsdSyhO/s400/fall+2012+171.JPG" width="352" /></a></div>
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Peel and chop 4 medium sized potatoes. Cover in water and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are soft. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add 2 T butter and some milk and whip the potatoes with a handheld mixer. Add a little amount of milk at first, then slowly add more until your potatoes are at the perfect fluffy consistency. Season with a little bit of salt.</div>
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When I made this, as soon as I took the chicken out of the oven I put the stuffing and green bean casserole in. The chicken needs to sit for at least 20 minutes before you cut into it anyway to let all the juices settle, otherwise you'll have a really dry chicken (and no one wants that). I had the potatoes done (but not drained) and sitting on low heat so that I could quickly whip them up when the stuffing and green bean casserole had about 10 minutes left in the oven. I also put the crescent rolls in the oven when there was about 13 minutes left for the stuffing and casserole (because that's how long the rolls take to cook).</div>
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I will now be cooking my mini version of Thanksgiving dinner probably once a month. My name is Jennifer, and I have a problem. Do you think they have a Thanksgiving Addicts Anonymous support group?</div>
<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-51749960449113313632012-10-28T11:57:00.002-07:002012-10-28T11:57:38.022-07:00Bacon and Garlic Brussels Sprouts- You Won't Regret Making TheseI'll be lucky if anyone is actually reading this post, because brussels sprouts have a bad reputation. I tried them for the first time just a few weeks ago, and before that I was pretty afraid of them. My mom never made us brussels sprouts growing up, and as far as I can remember the only time I ever encountered them was in the elementary school cafeteria where I though they resembled little alien brains. <br />
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So, I'm sure you're thinking "If you thought brussels sprouts resembled little alien brains, what in the world made you decide to try them?" Well my friends, they are so cute and tiny and I figured that everything deserves to be tried once, so I bought a bag from the frozen vegetables aisle at the grocery store on a whim and decided I'd give them a shot. And let me tell you, I'm glad I did. Vegetables are all about how you prepare them. I'm sure if you just steam some brussels sprouts and throw them on a plate, they aren't going to taste very good. However, brussels sprouts are basically miniature heads of cabbage so they absorb flavor very well and it's really easy to add a ton and make these little tiny "alien brains" taste delicious.<br />
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Have I convinced you to give them a shot yet?<br />
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<b>Brussels Sprouts</b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJB2k7XTS8nDsguB3ysUDkZ0jdzfyZLKC-W3Tctqhsioa3XJoStR8kc0WqUxS6GB8Esh45W4pLwe1Wz2XQ60MaatP__-gMKa-e7d3Yg5SO8HmOlZp2QLraioM-_4xnajlPYVYaBFUd0r8/s1600/fall+2012+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJB2k7XTS8nDsguB3ysUDkZ0jdzfyZLKC-W3Tctqhsioa3XJoStR8kc0WqUxS6GB8Esh45W4pLwe1Wz2XQ60MaatP__-gMKa-e7d3Yg5SO8HmOlZp2QLraioM-_4xnajlPYVYaBFUd0r8/s400/fall+2012+013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Brussels Sprouts (fresh or frozen)</div>
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4-5 slices bacon</div>
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1 shallot</div>
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3 cloves garlic</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Slice bacon into bite size pieces, chop the garlic and dice the shallot. Cook the bacon in medium pan, add the shallots and garlic then the bacon is about halfway done. Once you can begin to smell the garlic add the brussels sprouts. Sautee the brussels sprouts until they are tender. I cook the brussels sprouts whole, but in the future I will slice them in half length wise to let more flavor seep into sprouts.</div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-82050554349189690232012-10-14T11:19:00.000-07:002012-10-14T11:19:20.503-07:00Chiles Rellenos I may have said this before, but I do believe deep down inside I am a little tiny bit Mexican. Nevermind that there's not a drop of anything but European blood in me. That doesn't matter. I love Mexican food, and I could eat it every single day and not get tired of it. Lucky for me, I work with several people who were either born in Mexico, or whose parents were born in Mexico. I'm always asking them for recipes and tips and tricks to make my dishes better. This is one of those recipes, so you <i>know</i> that it's authentic and delicious. It takes a little while to make so I don't think this will be a regular week night meal for us, but it's perfect for a lazy weekend dinner. Besides, you can indulge yourself in margaritas on the weekends. And believe me, you're going to want a margarita or three. It's the weekend, no one's judging!<br />
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<b>Chiles Rellenos with Habenera Sauce</b></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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<b>Chiles Rellenos</b></div>
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4 Anaheim peppers</div>
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Mozzarella cheese</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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Flour</div>
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Oil for frying</div>
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Thin cut sirloin steak</div>
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Onion (sliced)</div>
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Cumin</div>
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Steak seasoning</div>
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Salt and Pepper</div>
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<b>Habanera Sauce</b></div>
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1 tomato</div>
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1 onion</div>
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3-4 cloves garlic</div>
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2 jalapeno peppers</div>
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2 habanero peppers</div>
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15 oz can tomato sauce</div>
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Salt (to taste)</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Place the tomato, onion (peeled and cut into quarters), peeled garlic cloves, habanero peppers, jalapeno peppers, and anaheims on a cookie sheet. Broil them until they skin is nice and brown and kind of peeling away from the flesh. I turn the peppers over once to make sure they get browned on both sides.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFGdy8DSwj06vS0qqIRfhwrhXY2bfUciopdAbTZHBElonB8ZWEz4rL-th5jg0OQZy4ytiwEcQucMDidL7UE4T_RMyPauS317LWz6RODNFtGpOpGtOwGUbXP6t4EwHhD1wJizYfw1eoHYY/s1600/pumkin+muffins+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFGdy8DSwj06vS0qqIRfhwrhXY2bfUciopdAbTZHBElonB8ZWEz4rL-th5jg0OQZy4ytiwEcQucMDidL7UE4T_RMyPauS317LWz6RODNFtGpOpGtOwGUbXP6t4EwHhD1wJizYfw1eoHYY/s400/pumkin+muffins+014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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As soon as you take them out of the oven put the anaheim peppers into a large ziploc bag, close it and cover them with a warm towel. You will let them sit for at least 10 minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidgNXyHu1Tv2aqfq-Ha3eA2B5e6sRZ-W7G6VaxfL08qIyLPEXgRQeXtuHuUVO0hvuVWK97-Eeh822pvyUM5S8g8U8Qewl5yJd2n-jRZ151wEcjM6RHBNN3NO_ZWVnT_pA6Rq-Q1jyZE5r/s1600/pumkin+muffins+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidgNXyHu1Tv2aqfq-Ha3eA2B5e6sRZ-W7G6VaxfL08qIyLPEXgRQeXtuHuUVO0hvuVWK97-Eeh822pvyUM5S8g8U8Qewl5yJd2n-jRZ151wEcjM6RHBNN3NO_ZWVnT_pA6Rq-Q1jyZE5r/s400/pumkin+muffins+015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the meantime take your onion, tomato, garlic, jalapenos and habaneros and put them all in a blender along with the tomato sauce. Blend until mostly smooth. When you take the lid off the blender do not, I repeat DO NOT, stick your nose in their to smell it. You will regret it immediately. I am speaking from personal experience. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRV_8Kzww254DDzm6Iu22ph1L5KEyF5lmqgyf-APYphVWEMEq6xcJeevqlEUQZvB8lDcuXmYjygRNhyphenhyphenz7A63bR_upv45alQOzSpxwSI7WUSku_iXO2vOhs-idl0xNsyxrHhttjLkdM02bi/s1600/pumkin+muffins+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRV_8Kzww254DDzm6Iu22ph1L5KEyF5lmqgyf-APYphVWEMEq6xcJeevqlEUQZvB8lDcuXmYjygRNhyphenhyphenz7A63bR_upv45alQOzSpxwSI7WUSku_iXO2vOhs-idl0xNsyxrHhttjLkdM02bi/s400/pumkin+muffins+016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is what the sauce should look like. It's pretty spicy, so if you like spicy food 2 habanero peppers is perfect. If you don't like spicy food so much I would suggest 1 habanero and maybe adding more tomato sauce to mellow out the spiciness. Put the sauce into a small pan and keep it on the stove over low heat (just enough to keep it warm). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY7s80jrXEWShcAU5nT2qsuf67JcsPEBpFYcRc3IqANgt2Oy0ImsZmQ1Aw9Hct9xHBWTQanFhW_HbwvcBL28SSahsqmDi8hkXlkhXhs8pLl-NRlmzlWZMfiA-vv3OjmI9nb3CpEvPubhn/s1600/pumkin+muffins+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY7s80jrXEWShcAU5nT2qsuf67JcsPEBpFYcRc3IqANgt2Oy0ImsZmQ1Aw9Hct9xHBWTQanFhW_HbwvcBL28SSahsqmDi8hkXlkhXhs8pLl-NRlmzlWZMfiA-vv3OjmI9nb3CpEvPubhn/s400/pumkin+muffins+018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, take those anaheims out of the ziploc bag and peel the skin off. It should come over really easy now that we've let them steam in the bag. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCTDm6FpvQ02Q83LhP5ZhCiAyykeTfSshyphenhyphenDA5aD19eqkAf55oVuXOcw_GDnmGgJg2YtqenGia49e09OyAg2C5fF7gO6f6_6VGs5C4lZrOlELI27UBkTS0_QwDHMIEf9xwdjpUmqmHjkby/s1600/pumkin+muffins+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCTDm6FpvQ02Q83LhP5ZhCiAyykeTfSshyphenhyphenDA5aD19eqkAf55oVuXOcw_GDnmGgJg2YtqenGia49e09OyAg2C5fF7gO6f6_6VGs5C4lZrOlELI27UBkTS0_QwDHMIEf9xwdjpUmqmHjkby/s400/pumkin+muffins+020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After you've peeled them all, make a small slit down the middle and stuff them with the mozzarella. Put enough cheese in there to fill up the body of the pepper, but not so much that you can't kind of pull one side of the pepper over the other so the cheese is mostly covered by the pepper.</div>
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Now, whisk the two eggs with a 1 or 2 tablespoons of water and season some flour with a little bit of salt and pepper. Dip the stuffed peppers into the egg wash, then roll them in the flour. Accept that fact that your hands will get incredibly messy now. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoO8MTovGDdmFe2eOwRl6_0PSLDw_yko8a8hycC1DvqUkcHPqYlqPz3-whO1WcKegWkzT1XzcPDrgX6UsrZiFLsYWbuyXiYzJzYSZgf2Ymaw8ZbD3HzYcfJ_dRA9bFAYo8cg0JDknhnE_/s1600/pumkin+muffins+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoO8MTovGDdmFe2eOwRl6_0PSLDw_yko8a8hycC1DvqUkcHPqYlqPz3-whO1WcKegWkzT1XzcPDrgX6UsrZiFLsYWbuyXiYzJzYSZgf2Ymaw8ZbD3HzYcfJ_dRA9bFAYo8cg0JDknhnE_/s400/pumkin+muffins+022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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While your oil is heating up to fry the chiles, cube up the steak and season with cumin, steak seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook in a large frying pan with the sliced onion. Now all you need to do is fry the peppers. It will take several minutes on each side to make the chiles all nice and crispy and golden brown.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoc65st3sQux4cHlCClbA1nP3QZ52d_oyE-LYiOmVr-qlOOTVDPy83Jq1f_EAp8gLjRMLWIU8FcDKvf_kY3iQdvodvr1ab6_cciCoBSVeryAn_nGlwpt36MPheNvQb4Q1oFgSBzv2gxYn/s1600/pumkin+muffins+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoc65st3sQux4cHlCClbA1nP3QZ52d_oyE-LYiOmVr-qlOOTVDPy83Jq1f_EAp8gLjRMLWIU8FcDKvf_kY3iQdvodvr1ab6_cciCoBSVeryAn_nGlwpt36MPheNvQb4Q1oFgSBzv2gxYn/s400/pumkin+muffins+029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Serve with Mexican rice and refried beans. I swear, one day soon I will show you the recipe for homemade refried beans. Seriously, the easiest thing you will ever make. You'll never want to buy the canned stuff again.</div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-11800868714579838602012-10-08T15:56:00.000-07:002012-10-08T15:56:19.968-07:00Easy Breakfast BurritosThere is something about fall and winter that makes me crave breakfast. For most of the year I'm not a huge breakfast fan. I'll have some fruit or a quick smoothie, but I rarely wake up in the middle of July and say "Mmm... I really want a big breakfast this morning." In the fall and winter though, when it's colder, I start craving a big traditional breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles. It's all good to me. <br />
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Several weeks ago was the first day of the college football season. And in case you didn't know, Cole probably loves college football even more than he loves me. And if not, it's a <i>very</i> close second. Don't believe me? Go check out his college blog <a href="http://ctrayne.wordpress.com/">here</a> and then come back. Don't worry, I'll wait. <br />
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Okay welcome back. Anyway, since we were up early to watch all 3 hours of College Gameday I thought I might as well make us breakfast. I knew I needed to make something that Cole could eat with one hand so he could still write down all the picks, and I knew it needed to be delicious because, well, who wants to eat something that tastes like crap? Not me. So I decided on breakfast burritos. The best part about this recipe? It is delicious. The second best part about this recipe? It makes A TON and you can freeze them individually so you can grab one running out the door to work during the week. Also, this recipe is more of a method. You can put whatever you want in there. For mine, I like to go heavy on the "extras" but that's because I don't like eggs too much. Yes, I know that I'm weird. I've accepted that. <br />
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<b>Breakfast Burritos</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gA0okyf0CX0r6qDciO71Ai0aUU1GpnOT7T7ZRK-K-EBxKikGmIBE7gYOQtD7VxsX28gNvIknO9RCJK72YGdwQHYx-x_uIAYtAMA4W6Y8HTA8k0B3LediUxV9vu5MqtiuEdP0kG3U09wM/s1600/fall+2012+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8gA0okyf0CX0r6qDciO71Ai0aUU1GpnOT7T7ZRK-K-EBxKikGmIBE7gYOQtD7VxsX28gNvIknO9RCJK72YGdwQHYx-x_uIAYtAMA4W6Y8HTA8k0B3LediUxV9vu5MqtiuEdP0kG3U09wM/s400/fall+2012+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Eggs</div>
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Potatoes</div>
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Bacon</div>
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Sausage</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Cook the sausage, and set it aside in a large bowl. Cook the bacon and cut it up into small/medium sized pieces and put in the bowl with the sausage. Drain off most of the bacon grease, but leave just a little bit in there for the potatoes. Cube up several potatoes, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook the potatoes in the bacon grease until they are nice and soft and slightly crispy on the outside. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the bacon and sausage and mix everything together. Scramble the eggs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMJCNsRiRiKwqHHFtuVkzL5Jz9p16YrpQ3-oOMuV-Xzh_bs6OBacdUvWRoJPpze278BbHLNn45ILMbHyX4tyc-1ILa53uRt95Hp51th5RgyrQ2vuG8haaZznWYr1o2VJf4ATFtfib3nwA/s1600/fall+2012+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMJCNsRiRiKwqHHFtuVkzL5Jz9p16YrpQ3-oOMuV-Xzh_bs6OBacdUvWRoJPpze278BbHLNn45ILMbHyX4tyc-1ILa53uRt95Hp51th5RgyrQ2vuG8haaZznWYr1o2VJf4ATFtfib3nwA/s400/fall+2012+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then you just put some eggs in a big burrito style tortilla, add some of the filling, top with a little bit of salsa if you want, roll up the burrito and enjoy. </div>
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Just as an example; for my burritos I used 9 eggs, 5 medium sized potatoes, 2/3 lb sausage and 2/3 package bacon and I made 10 burritos. It should have made 12 but I made two really, really big ones at first on accident.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQPhTd1f5KyrXLQj_nSt7zRPX6VIJUpsH-4yig8XWfoIJP5ygfXuXQIl7ecDGbRjsYMmGV2DsorMmGCCv1vrrYX9YRnwxr99NIuvliPXBt8mB5wVvsGkuhWcUkgqqLsX76fiH_LwHOPv1/s1600/fall+2012+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQPhTd1f5KyrXLQj_nSt7zRPX6VIJUpsH-4yig8XWfoIJP5ygfXuXQIl7ecDGbRjsYMmGV2DsorMmGCCv1vrrYX9YRnwxr99NIuvliPXBt8mB5wVvsGkuhWcUkgqqLsX76fiH_LwHOPv1/s400/fall+2012+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And like I said before, you can freeze the leftover burritos. Just wrap them individually in saran wrap and put them all in a ziploc freezer bag. You can pull them out and microwave them individually. </div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-11120692283599116982012-10-01T04:57:00.000-07:002012-10-01T04:58:34.272-07:00Mini Mondays Fall Edition: Pumpkin Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Fall is my favorite time of year. Cool weather, sweaters, boots, football, apples and pumpkin <i>everything: </i>pumpkin pasta, pumpkin candles, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes. I love it all. </div>
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This is just for the lolz. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The thought of fall is the only thing that gets me through the miserable summer months in Texas. Even though in Texas fall really means 80 degree weather, which is still hot to really be fall, it's still better than 100 plus degrees every day so I'll take what I can get. So in honor of the first Mini Monday of Fall, I present to you mini pumpkin muffins. </span></div>
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<b>Mini Pumpkin Muffins</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2U3YyrTCTf-SP61I-672CESImjy0hqkRcMMhltE1FUzorm37MF4iQr0PVlftdrIEHiAyJxqFRT7a1waUGSyCzHsEDSvXseoyTf4HbbqYKVy_QtPlnXDjDfCZbaeU1hTSfOIcWazZD3TZ/s1600/pumkin+muffins+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2U3YyrTCTf-SP61I-672CESImjy0hqkRcMMhltE1FUzorm37MF4iQr0PVlftdrIEHiAyJxqFRT7a1waUGSyCzHsEDSvXseoyTf4HbbqYKVy_QtPlnXDjDfCZbaeU1hTSfOIcWazZD3TZ/s400/pumkin+muffins+047.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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<b>Pumpkin Muffins</b></div>
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2/3 cup canned pumpkin</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1/3 cup vegetable oil</div>
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1/4 cup water</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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1 1/4 cup flour</div>
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3/4 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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1/4 tsp cinnamon</div>
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1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</div>
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1/8 tsp ground cloves</div>
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1/8 tsp ground ginger</div>
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Mini bundt pan (If you don't have one you can use a muffin pan, they just won't look like little pumpkins when they're done.)</div>
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Caramel</div>
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<b>Cream Cheese Glaze</b></div>
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4 oz cream cheese</div>
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2 T honey</div>
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2 T milk</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUymtRNBWbm06aQ0nybC5rqiPAGYNWQXHXlFw0Z8nO69Izhsh15ujldo1IpJXv0DifCwsC2ktfeOhe41csychmM6r1-ArYw6AlPX8dIn75Aw9fiXqBeTMV9f6Mgac056CocGeiZ4ozpJ45/s1600/pumkin+muffins+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUymtRNBWbm06aQ0nybC5rqiPAGYNWQXHXlFw0Z8nO69Izhsh15ujldo1IpJXv0DifCwsC2ktfeOhe41csychmM6r1-ArYw6AlPX8dIn75Aw9fiXqBeTMV9f6Mgac056CocGeiZ4ozpJ45/s400/pumkin+muffins+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mix together the wet ingredients: pumpkin, vegetable oil, water and sugar. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1pD-Kmd6KNbFgm-cGOa6qmcz6RGI_eTlurgXQrwT8Qb06FsZId1nZwhI9mQYMYMFzriOD7JwoQJTov0EOhcEf5uqSrJOHoCHJZSF33Q7sz8zQXiBvqpa_tm4p5Q5y8xRT8RYexxrHLo0/s1600/pumkin+muffins+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1pD-Kmd6KNbFgm-cGOa6qmcz6RGI_eTlurgXQrwT8Qb06FsZId1nZwhI9mQYMYMFzriOD7JwoQJTov0EOhcEf5uqSrJOHoCHJZSF33Q7sz8zQXiBvqpa_tm4p5Q5y8xRT8RYexxrHLo0/s400/pumkin+muffins+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Fill the mini bundt pans about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350* for 15 minutes. </div>
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They should look like this when they're done. These are totally adorable, and delicious just as they are. However, we are about to bump the adorableness up to an extreme level. Just sayin'. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_VnKi65lcBbAuykNhZD4JHC8kmsaFmudUCILWlRH1vi04eL4aFhgLD07xvMyKxFVoo68eNXcXJ_2uobn_m8Q_BFPQ-XQvUphS3VcR_HcaTxaS4Yy0W5r-N3i9RUdXO4DnSTz8MIeUowD/s1600/pumkin+muffins+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_VnKi65lcBbAuykNhZD4JHC8kmsaFmudUCILWlRH1vi04eL4aFhgLD07xvMyKxFVoo68eNXcXJ_2uobn_m8Q_BFPQ-XQvUphS3VcR_HcaTxaS4Yy0W5r-N3i9RUdXO4DnSTz8MIeUowD/s400/pumkin+muffins+037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, let the muffins cool (I let mine cool overnight, but a couple hours should be fine). Slice the rounded top off each muffin. Make the cream cheese glaze by mixing together the cream cheese, milk and honey. Stir in some red and yellow food coloring to make it orange. Put the flat sides of each muffin together so that they look like little tiny, tiny pumpkins. Take some caramel and form them into little stems and leaves. Drizzle some of the glaze on the top of each little pumpkin, then put a stem and two leaves on top of each. </div>
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I use this recipe to make pumpkin bread ALL the time (just bake it for 50 minutes if you're making a loaf instead of mufins) and it's always a big hit. Usually I double it and eat one loaf right away and slice up the other one and freeze each piece individually. I don't generally make any type of glaze or icing either, and it tastes just as delicious without it. I hope you that when you make these you enjoy them as much as I did. </div>
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Happy Fall Y'all! </div>
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-45189286344168460352012-09-23T12:15:00.000-07:002012-09-24T16:52:16.595-07:00Chicken and DumplingsWell, school has been in session for about a month now which means, of course, that all those little germs that your kids are bringing back from school are now making their way into your body and chances are you're feeling pretty crummy right about now. And even if you don't have any kids (like me) you're still getting exposed to all those lovely little germies from all your coworkers who <i>do</i> have kids. Basically, if you don't have "the crud" right now, you'll probably be getting it. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. <br />
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Cole and I are both not feeling great this weekend, so I decided some comfort food was in order. If you've never had chicken and dumplings, the dumplings are basically poached biscuits in chicken noodle soup (minus the noddles). I don't really understand how they end up getting cooked, but they do and that's all I really care about. My mom used to make this for us in the winter growing up. We lived in Idaho so we had a real winter, and there was nothing better than sitting down at the table with a nice steaming bowl of chicken and dumplings after playing outside in the snow all day. She would make extra dumplings so I could take them to school for lunch the next day in a big thermos. Let me tell you, all my friends with pb&j or bologna sandwiches were totally jealous of my lunches on chicken and dumplings days. This recipe is just like my momma made it, and it was just as delicious as I remembered it.<br />
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<b>Chicken and Dumplings</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jgqoWh0mBo_LAepcheyPch4mvHgEdymkDmpMJJoxH3E_l_C2gQiLUvxYGpAXnEsDJIHK_OzvmNmsjn3yTnJ0A5kEZ_c4DEN83vvf41uyy3k0PypjA6x1fIB3RNVZ-l3lY62ihq_baAj_/s1600/fall+2012+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jgqoWh0mBo_LAepcheyPch4mvHgEdymkDmpMJJoxH3E_l_C2gQiLUvxYGpAXnEsDJIHK_OzvmNmsjn3yTnJ0A5kEZ_c4DEN83vvf41uyy3k0PypjA6x1fIB3RNVZ-l3lY62ihq_baAj_/s400/fall+2012+037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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4 chicken thighs (or a whole chicken, cut up; or whatever kind of chicken you prefer. Bone in meat is preferable)</div>
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4 cups chicken stock</div>
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1-2 cups water</div>
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Celery (about 2 cups chopped)</div>
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5 medium/large carrots, chopped</div>
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1 white onion, chopped</div>
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4-5 cloves garlic, chopped</div>
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5 tsp thyme</div>
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2 tsp garlic powder</div>
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salt and pepper to taste</div>
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1 cup bisquick</div>
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1/3 cup milk</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Chop up all your vegetables and put them in a large pot with a little bit of olive oil. Cook the vegetables over medium high heat until you can smell the garlic and the vegetables have softened up a bit. Meanwhile, season the chicken with 2 tsp thyme (approx.), garlic powder and salt and pepper. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rgnGAeQflXt5dX5PDSaeDpehq-b-7aziK_GFUgKyk9Uuqh6QzODxSCIvC7rrmuXV8GzQUSn5PmlYlJwSDjQS6-HSOlbdDWF2GETqRZSMGO-0uOzxlUn-RCqkD_AcKZKtdDfoz3V5pPyE/s1600/fall+2012+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rgnGAeQflXt5dX5PDSaeDpehq-b-7aziK_GFUgKyk9Uuqh6QzODxSCIvC7rrmuXV8GzQUSn5PmlYlJwSDjQS6-HSOlbdDWF2GETqRZSMGO-0uOzxlUn-RCqkD_AcKZKtdDfoz3V5pPyE/s400/fall+2012+028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Put the chicken on top of the vegetables in the pot. Add your chicken stock and water until the chicken is covered. You may need to add extra water. Add the remaining 3 tsp of thyme and cover the pot. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uvth3DHIwKMbENS2BdopOWSobbXw3IrdAMhFT78579SKkMgl7AL3vXV6bXvDjhIM-JHZydA0LbYitMbWmZAOY80mOnQvdHtFOtUOvG1bxB4Auf6Tj-P0HIiaSTQhgW97bW5SxKB0BUJp/s1600/fall+2012+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uvth3DHIwKMbENS2BdopOWSobbXw3IrdAMhFT78579SKkMgl7AL3vXV6bXvDjhIM-JHZydA0LbYitMbWmZAOY80mOnQvdHtFOtUOvG1bxB4Auf6Tj-P0HIiaSTQhgW97bW5SxKB0BUJp/s400/fall+2012+029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let the chicken simmer with the vegetables for as long as you want (at least 30 minutes). The longer everything simmers together the better, in my opinion. Keep an eye on it though, you may need to add some more water periodically if it looks like it's getting to low. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsBwkjyThOQZcYGhrUDCQSA-vvDAEDtZmxL5pAf352H5bL-jUT5uD2PMpa6ipfKwMCLwMgGIr11_kuhXuLES59HQ6PRuitv8K67Nh6cdu4883wmQ8g_p_M89LTXZLdBPcu8PaYeHLTT7K/s1600/fall+2012+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsBwkjyThOQZcYGhrUDCQSA-vvDAEDtZmxL5pAf352H5bL-jUT5uD2PMpa6ipfKwMCLwMgGIr11_kuhXuLES59HQ6PRuitv8K67Nh6cdu4883wmQ8g_p_M89LTXZLdBPcu8PaYeHLTT7K/s400/fall+2012+036.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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When you're about ready to eat you'll want to make your dumplings. Mix together 1 cup bisquick and 1/3 cup milk. Roll the dough into balls roughly the size of a golf ball and drop them into the pot. Cook them for 10 minutes with the lid on, then 10 minutes with the lid of. Serve and enjoy. </div>
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I like to serve this in a bowl with a lot of broth, but you can easily pull out the chicken and some of the vegetables and use the broth more as a sauce over the dumplings. Either way, you'll probably have a lot of broth and vegetables left over. Don't throw it away! Keep it and make chicken noodle soup! You can even freeze it if you're not going to use it right away and pull it out later. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWy7NbKNKvA1geuwt1JSA4-NSYLO0tY3k04KdUmhEOl6ZO26_fEWc1a6_7B_2ctuMASoF632qDt0Y1jWmq93PX2QjtL8SLcpDKrId9OawucOxcu-tn9EdmAr5-QtCr0IFJ7DT5WOp3iBt/s1600/fall+2012+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWy7NbKNKvA1geuwt1JSA4-NSYLO0tY3k04KdUmhEOl6ZO26_fEWc1a6_7B_2ctuMASoF632qDt0Y1jWmq93PX2QjtL8SLcpDKrId9OawucOxcu-tn9EdmAr5-QtCr0IFJ7DT5WOp3iBt/s400/fall+2012+039.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cole described this both as "Thanksgiving in a bowl" and one of the all time greatest things I've ever made him. So I think it was a success. </div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-5040148579043076582012-09-16T14:16:00.000-07:002012-09-16T14:16:28.981-07:00Date Night Dinners: Mussels in a white wine cream sauceI love making meals that look really impressive and fancy that are actually super easy (and way less expensive than going to a fancy restaurant for dinner). Cole and I love seafood, but I wanted to make something different than our usual shrimp, salmon or tilapia for dinner a few weekends ago so I decided that I would splurge and make mussels. For some reason I thought that mussels would be expensive, I'm not sure why. Little did I know, they are actually one of the cheapest types of seafood you can get. I got 2 lbs from Walmart in the little frozen seafood section for a little more than $3. That's a good deal in my book. So, what I thought was a splurge turned out to be a really inexpensive dinner. I love it when things like that happen. <div>
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Anyway, the mussels I got were already cooked so I just had to boil them in water (in the little bag they came in) for about 5 minutes to warm them up. I thought it was weird at first, but they turned out great. <div>
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<b>Mussels in a White Wine Cream Sauce</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP30RDrfkpV2x-FdVPOpuYpltvYlO8Wpu1GswxuFsF-9WMq2vyWB_Cr3kajcTGbfDArUt-y_zD9R_1Ri-blrJsOKFZeqDz5p2ixCllbw5NSOc0Ktwc21BUwh1yyLSgo7rxFjCDICBdkTlO/s1600/summer+2012+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP30RDrfkpV2x-FdVPOpuYpltvYlO8Wpu1GswxuFsF-9WMq2vyWB_Cr3kajcTGbfDArUt-y_zD9R_1Ri-blrJsOKFZeqDz5p2ixCllbw5NSOc0Ktwc21BUwh1yyLSgo7rxFjCDICBdkTlO/s400/summer+2012+057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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2 lbs mussels (fresh or frozen)</div>
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5 shallots diced (or 1/2 a large onion)</div>
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4-5 large cloves garlic minced</div>
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3-4 tsp thyme</div>
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1 1/2 cups white wine (whatever kind you like to drink)</div>
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2 cups chicken stock</div>
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1/2 cup fat free half and half</div>
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Extra virgin olive oil</div>
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1 tsp garlic powder</div>
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1 tsp cayenne pepper</div>
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salt and pepper</div>
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Saute the minced garlic and shallots in some olive oil in a large pot. Add the wine and allow it to reduce by half then add the chicken stock, thyme, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the chicken stock/wine mixture to reduce down, then add the half and half. Allow everything to simmer together for 10-15 minutes. At this point, if you have fresh mussels you will add them to the sauce mixture and allow them to cook for 5-7 minutes. If you're using fresh mussels don't use any that are open before you cook them because that means they are dead.. If they're only slightly open you can tap them against the counter and if they close up they are fine to eat, but if they don't please discard them. You definitely do NOT want to eat dead mussels.</div>
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If you're using frozen mussels like I did, while your sauce is simmering boil the mussels in the bag they came in then transfer them to the sauce and mix everything around in there a little bit. Whether you're using fresh or frozen mussels do not eat any that aren't open after cooking them. </div>
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I served the mussels over linguini and with homemade french bread (recipe forthcoming, don't worry) and artichokes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-ulm1dnNPnwyyPAuPJTpZedqzomHinyMyzJt_LxrlVChxAU07bEUasqS2gD1oG5zlgSHM7BSgtqpuxJceMoBZUFQd4-IHN96e5T3EF2MRq9cJcOMsNih24J068SjhyLQhg975vSPY8HT/s1600/summer+2012+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-ulm1dnNPnwyyPAuPJTpZedqzomHinyMyzJt_LxrlVChxAU07bEUasqS2gD1oG5zlgSHM7BSgtqpuxJceMoBZUFQd4-IHN96e5T3EF2MRq9cJcOMsNih24J068SjhyLQhg975vSPY8HT/s400/summer+2012+055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Artichokes are probably my favorite vegetables. They are delicious, interactive, and so interesting looking. I just love, love, love them. </div>
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I was just so pleased with this meal. I usually am really hard on myself when it comes to judging the food I make, but I was overall very happy with this. Of course, there are things I will tweak next time I make this, but if it comes out like this every time I make it I will be happy. </div>
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Cole, of course, said he loved it which is not a surprise because he always says that about everything I make (even the time I made a horribly disgusting raspberry white chocolate cheesecake). He did say that he wished the sauce was a little thicker, which I agree with. If you use heavy cream instead of half and half that would help thicken up the sauce, but I at least attempt to eat healthy so I think next time I will mix the half and half with a little bit of flour before I add it to the sauce. That should help thicken it up some without adding more calories and fat. </div>
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Two pounds of mussels was plenty for Cole and I for dinner. If you were using this as a first course or appetizer you could probably get 4-5 servings out of this amount. And I guarantee you ladies, if you make this for your boyfriend/husband he will be SO impressed. It looks like you put a ton of effort into it too, so you can probably negotiate yourself a massage or a trip to Yumilicious Yogurt. Or both, who knows?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieBqfJjV4of2M6ajzDvOTEHpxe03g8i24UL8kKWnOa3NIkt7JfEsRupIiDJlk6bobwVkU415XQc6VCfOpAjcyBb8k3oB-xBB-RJ1_7U3n_eyTyYoXaL7Vy0C8YRbVg6TVscybrYUk0EWz/s1600/summer+2012+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieBqfJjV4of2M6ajzDvOTEHpxe03g8i24UL8kKWnOa3NIkt7JfEsRupIiDJlk6bobwVkU415XQc6VCfOpAjcyBb8k3oB-xBB-RJ1_7U3n_eyTyYoXaL7Vy0C8YRbVg6TVscybrYUk0EWz/s400/summer+2012+056.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-27700622888660112252012-09-03T13:05:00.001-07:002012-09-03T13:05:29.990-07:00Mini Mondays Gameday Edition: CalzonesIn honor of the first Mini Monday of "Football Season" (which <i>really</i> is a season around here) I wanted to make something that would be perfect to snack on while watching the game. No forks or knives required. So I thought about it, and decided calzones (or as Cole calls them: cal-zone-ays) were the winning the idea. Making them mini is perfect because you can make a bunch different kinds, you don't have to decide on just one kind like you do when you make pizza. <br />
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<b>Mini Calzones</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjUSgO2RlWtWaydq8isk7g293woQHyYeWAaqpYnP5rNEY97yyFPKBnGZ8v6zyLPSIlL55guVrIVUShO-avnc1UxDHfXrGon4plF2Yx6QIN21kNxoad8axatqkYdro6CBSwaPl6jj_vH71/s1600/fall+2012+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjUSgO2RlWtWaydq8isk7g293woQHyYeWAaqpYnP5rNEY97yyFPKBnGZ8v6zyLPSIlL55guVrIVUShO-avnc1UxDHfXrGon4plF2Yx6QIN21kNxoad8axatqkYdro6CBSwaPl6jj_vH71/s400/fall+2012+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Pizza dough (click <a href="http://whiskful-thinking.blogspot.com/2012/05/homemade-pizza.html">here</a> for a recipe)</div>
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Whatever toppings your little heart desires</div>
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Small container of ricotta cheese</div>
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1/2 cup approx. shredded mozzarella cheese</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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Marinara sauce
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqukM9rDVZa9eVfo784XvjUR1c3DwvzN_N6Ie0iWA35HDpLtd8MwvV-gSUbINqv3lDB7hyg8gctZ-MTkRLZ4fmlclMi_q8wy_7pVwQTkcUmJSZWJZEb7MK0d7DQYv7-EpDshDlQX76p_E/s1600/fall+2012+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqukM9rDVZa9eVfo784XvjUR1c3DwvzN_N6Ie0iWA35HDpLtd8MwvV-gSUbINqv3lDB7hyg8gctZ-MTkRLZ4fmlclMi_q8wy_7pVwQTkcUmJSZWJZEb7MK0d7DQYv7-EpDshDlQX76p_E/s400/fall+2012+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Prepare pizza dough. Preheat oven to 400*. Chop up whatever toppings you want for you calzones. I used sausage, bacon, jalapenos, onion, bell pepper, pineapple and ham. I was so excited for these because I got Hawaiian calzones. We don't really make Hawaiian pizza because Cole doesn't like it, but this way I got to make my own little mini Hawaiian calzones! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlLFWS9CvVnB5b7Qo_qan4W1dYxUGHd85ieQtHavcsIbdVN1syWfmiaKZKyrqaa4_y-muxeSPWtM9a7136v1CDaqkthgxtnHtXBE9aZ7qSU39MaKz8dIF6nN4XZRq5k-GIo_qWBTQpMpK/s1600/fall+2012+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlLFWS9CvVnB5b7Qo_qan4W1dYxUGHd85ieQtHavcsIbdVN1syWfmiaKZKyrqaa4_y-muxeSPWtM9a7136v1CDaqkthgxtnHtXBE9aZ7qSU39MaKz8dIF6nN4XZRq5k-GIo_qWBTQpMpK/s400/fall+2012+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mix ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and one egg together. Take a golfball size piece of dough and roll it out pretty thin. Put a small scoop of the cheese mixture in the middle, then add whatever toppings you want. Fold the dough over so you have a little half circle shape. Press the edges closed with a fork and brush eggwash over the top of the calzone. Bake for 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHp0rDanb5YuhXkJbNjpFaCNaw7l6nWWhHOoWgotXM_xsFHpxmcgbBtHsn3tG_I9UrEq9Uu0cCg0vAiWQ23sYUsLqM6kunni6GhF34DzBWbZxnJqIMSEhe5hXxYPY-KPyktRcJoKjPWqKf/s1600/fall+2012+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHp0rDanb5YuhXkJbNjpFaCNaw7l6nWWhHOoWgotXM_xsFHpxmcgbBtHsn3tG_I9UrEq9Uu0cCg0vAiWQ23sYUsLqM6kunni6GhF34DzBWbZxnJqIMSEhe5hXxYPY-KPyktRcJoKjPWqKf/s400/fall+2012+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-79482639403340258072012-08-27T14:58:00.001-07:002012-08-27T14:58:14.197-07:00Homemade Hot Fudge Sundae<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What you are about to read is probably the easiest recipe known to mankind (and quite possibly the most delicious as well). I will be honest, I never thought of making homemade hot fudge (this is obviously another one of Cole's family recipes). I mean really, the jarred stuff is pretty good. I never had any problem eating it by the spoonful. But if you think the store-bought stuff is good, this homemade stuff is going to blow your mind (and the button of your pants if you're not careful). </div>
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<b>Hot Fudge</b></div>
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(aka chocolate "sause") </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6OChwMhyphenhyphenZmJr6P40DB7UdkEE2y1aqAn8Tqmuoc0IQHUf4Y_A9Y3sN9EIphy_cNI5sxzc_gUhwTY_L-Q4V4cQrGj-dILsRRRFE5-sRTWGmRMuAaYeIw7pVnMLkj3QOwyIMhQFbfrerABx/s1600/summer+2012+065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6OChwMhyphenhyphenZmJr6P40DB7UdkEE2y1aqAn8Tqmuoc0IQHUf4Y_A9Y3sN9EIphy_cNI5sxzc_gUhwTY_L-Q4V4cQrGj-dILsRRRFE5-sRTWGmRMuAaYeIw7pVnMLkj3QOwyIMhQFbfrerABx/s400/summer+2012+065.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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1 5 oz can of evaporated milk</div>
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1 cup sugar (although I think 3/4 cup is plenty)</div>
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2 T cocoa powder</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZJPyIn5yPYRQCaF31cHGQxCZJ2W70u2dWGnQeP_v37LGZaWCH8Elh0yxLMFtcTCLW7WJizHJGd1gQwH7QG7mnyd-082eSH94ePUYObp_YEDsmI5mDjE08yYXYbGrUzU0bX7nJ-UMhdGb/s1600/photo+3+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZJPyIn5yPYRQCaF31cHGQxCZJ2W70u2dWGnQeP_v37LGZaWCH8Elh0yxLMFtcTCLW7WJizHJGd1gQwH7QG7mnyd-082eSH94ePUYObp_YEDsmI5mDjE08yYXYbGrUzU0bX7nJ-UMhdGb/s400/photo+3+(4).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm guessing Cole or one of his brothers wrote down this recipe at some point judging by the spelling, lack of details, and the handwriting. The first time I made this recipe I started out with sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated, boy would <i>that</i> would've been a mistake. Luckily I figured out my error before I added any of the cocoa or sugar and was able to steer clear of that crisis.</div>
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<b>What you do:</b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgeflFN8R-PG14eiFznHVHeU2a-xltk74-5uIOsE5WIwf4QowCx_r-IszvHwg_tSCAFv2R1lncVNszW9jwAKWLTCnoFYJmYegkVIpN_IhYMA_K65Lf3CJLenN1ZwyPRHnY8WHR03O9DgU/s1600/summer+2012+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgeflFN8R-PG14eiFznHVHeU2a-xltk74-5uIOsE5WIwf4QowCx_r-IszvHwg_tSCAFv2R1lncVNszW9jwAKWLTCnoFYJmYegkVIpN_IhYMA_K65Lf3CJLenN1ZwyPRHnY8WHR03O9DgU/s400/summer+2012+060.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mix all the ingredients together over medium heat and cook until the "sause" becomes thick and hot fudge-esque. I would suggest stopping just before your ideal consistency unless you are going to serve it immediately because it will thicken up some while sitting.</div>
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Server over ice cream with some whipped cream, almonds and a cherry on top (of course).</div>
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If you were able to control yourself and have any leftover you should mix it with a little milk when you reheat the hot fudge. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjft2hXKcqc4lwJSeAI_UQ515eKK4kh0ISEmE09QbSimSt_BRCMjiG2CqSQ2-OMdZiS90RRjLbw69t1q3aMQ5oStMdsI_SgyyUTZ0zGUJkJACK6RyDGLcSnKNMSwvkXIdFlrCNqCEgCPGJO/s1600/summer+2012+066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjft2hXKcqc4lwJSeAI_UQ515eKK4kh0ISEmE09QbSimSt_BRCMjiG2CqSQ2-OMdZiS90RRjLbw69t1q3aMQ5oStMdsI_SgyyUTZ0zGUJkJACK6RyDGLcSnKNMSwvkXIdFlrCNqCEgCPGJO/s400/summer+2012+066.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-54585762301264424212012-08-19T20:08:00.001-07:002012-08-19T20:08:59.023-07:00Spicy Shrimp TacosThis recipe is so simple to put together. I make it for weekend lunches or a quick weeknight dinner all the time. The best part is that it's as easy to make for 1 to 2 people as it is for a big group. I like to add guacamole, cilantro and red onions to my taco but sometimes I get fancy and make a quick mango salsa. Sometimes I also get crazy and fry up some bacon and crumble it over the top of the shrimp. However, I was making these at 1:30ish and it was our first meal of the day so Cole was about to faint from starvation (or so he said) so I just made these quick and dirty. <br />
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Side Note: We like our food spicy so if you don't you may not want to add the full amount of spices I have listed (particularly the cayenne pepper). <br />
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<b>Spicy Shrimp Tacos</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWypPZ4Uf5MvUg3AFnjlaTwQoqBGsXBzyic6lDB8r3CuTNowf40paOv0jegaz5wFvkP07OZo3WOxyvUuSCXTQhS1GDDL-dfHKNBVCZFGhDCuATJerDrz9MojJxJWTXkasGGCpHbyEBguMF/s1600/summer+2012+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWypPZ4Uf5MvUg3AFnjlaTwQoqBGsXBzyic6lDB8r3CuTNowf40paOv0jegaz5wFvkP07OZo3WOxyvUuSCXTQhS1GDDL-dfHKNBVCZFGhDCuATJerDrz9MojJxJWTXkasGGCpHbyEBguMF/s400/summer+2012+045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMmx-ZK5SfrN0QJRwMkwgo-oQIMU6wIbv5w_mIcVaP3V_cmPNBAEVKvZbM1MKUCKWmso6w-6DuR-6g0X_IwdXA1ln5cGrgSsy0nKAsRgA7FysPCCfdjRyDhToCwsrVI8dKO3JOCan8tlQ/s1600/summer+2012+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMmx-ZK5SfrN0QJRwMkwgo-oQIMU6wIbv5w_mIcVaP3V_cmPNBAEVKvZbM1MKUCKWmso6w-6DuR-6g0X_IwdXA1ln5cGrgSsy0nKAsRgA7FysPCCfdjRyDhToCwsrVI8dKO3JOCan8tlQ/s400/summer+2012+036.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Shrimp, peeled and deveined (you'll need 3-4 per taco)</div>
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1/2 small red onion</div>
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Cilantro</div>
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2 small limes</div>
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3 cloves garlic finely chopped (for 20 shrimp, use more or less depending on how many shrimp you are using)</div>
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1 tsp garlic powder</div>
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1/2 tsp black pepper</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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2 tsp cayenne pepper</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMCwNxCpSZTZCbeHjpihE-E3Q1WvPlmnO-Pb-lfEBvd5kA8lhn9hklqAUc4Z7Oh4CIx9PVDoILRfuVqgxqvf_a270szcOKKD2pp36UUsgaXNf2ka261dIc0qcpnIg3fONhdkTkGpz84Sq/s1600/summer+2012+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMCwNxCpSZTZCbeHjpihE-E3Q1WvPlmnO-Pb-lfEBvd5kA8lhn9hklqAUc4Z7Oh4CIx9PVDoILRfuVqgxqvf_a270szcOKKD2pp36UUsgaXNf2ka261dIc0qcpnIg3fONhdkTkGpz84Sq/s400/summer+2012+039.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Season shrimp with garlic powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper and the juice of one whole lime. Heat olive oil in a medium pan. Sautee garlic in the pan for a couple minutes, then add the shrimp. Cook until done (approx. 5-7 minutes). Serve in warm tortilla (corn or flour). Like I said, I like to serve mine with guacamole and top with red onion and cilantro. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n1HveHwL22YugNcFQUu_mu49vD2rp2pxa3oKl7cdteLrM7GiqR653arMkwbnoeqmPwOHdIiFFAbwgxaeF265YNCQ4b16iLTbkmBadskRiKtI2N2yiVuUIrpoMI5GBP8-5fTNZa-9mj3g/s1600/summer+2012+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n1HveHwL22YugNcFQUu_mu49vD2rp2pxa3oKl7cdteLrM7GiqR653arMkwbnoeqmPwOHdIiFFAbwgxaeF265YNCQ4b16iLTbkmBadskRiKtI2N2yiVuUIrpoMI5GBP8-5fTNZa-9mj3g/s400/summer+2012+044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-88342543391858654152012-08-14T19:08:00.000-07:002012-08-14T19:09:38.881-07:00Chicken and Eggplant Parmigiana Carbs are my nemesis. If I could I would eat pasta, potatoes, bread, etc for <i>every</i> meal. Every. Single. One. I once did the Atkins diet. I stuck to it for 3 weeks and I lost, like, 15 lbs. I was also in a permanent bad mood and literally cried when I was making dinner and served Cole his dinner with rice and I couldn't have any. Suffice it to say, that diet did not last very long (and afterwards I may or may not have gone on a carb binge, but I'm not on trial here).<br />
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Point is, I love carbs. Therefore, I love Italian food. Cole and I are trying to put together an Italian Feast Night with a bunch of his friends so I thought I'd practice a bit before that. Also, Olive Garden was playing a commercial for Eggplant Parmesan and it was making me crave it like <i>no</i> other. I would complement them on their advertising, but it didn't make actually come into their restaurant. So it probably didn't work out so well for them. I decided to make some Chicken Parmigiana also because, well, it's delicious.</div>
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<b>Chicken and Eggplant Parmigiana</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAtvvq-FDwcTbIxqMWekkY8xK3TDp7CCnZNb_ntb9xNsUWuBpqziIpx6Lpi2i06Oq4M4cr-zzfje43CuF0CKkTiF9UpWBRifZtprwJQOVill3NvI2165BTnX0hD2RhhNxMr2FMkjbAACk/s1600/summer+2012+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAtvvq-FDwcTbIxqMWekkY8xK3TDp7CCnZNb_ntb9xNsUWuBpqziIpx6Lpi2i06Oq4M4cr-zzfje43CuF0CKkTiF9UpWBRifZtprwJQOVill3NvI2165BTnX0hD2RhhNxMr2FMkjbAACk/s400/summer+2012+028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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2 chicken breasts (cut in half so they are thinner, then pounded very thin)</div>
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Eggplant (cut into approx. 1/2 inch thick rounds)</div>
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Bread crumbs (Italian style)</div>
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2 eggs (beaten)</div>
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Mozzarella cheese</div>
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Grated Parmesan cheese</div>
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Marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)</div>
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Pasta</div>
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Garlic bread</div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fIyGWUOxxokkNPIbc2tyccJq2DtK7f8Eg_pX-ESwtQRWzIzHJs94h382K8sdyYw6Fbpty5b2HtwL4pHiNEi9skQ-OZxIOQQ2kvf90FDtIPc-hrgr-x-rmCAax73n68cefwclPFJalgrT/s1600/summer+2012+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fIyGWUOxxokkNPIbc2tyccJq2DtK7f8Eg_pX-ESwtQRWzIzHJs94h382K8sdyYw6Fbpty5b2HtwL4pHiNEi9skQ-OZxIOQQ2kvf90FDtIPc-hrgr-x-rmCAax73n68cefwclPFJalgrT/s400/summer+2012+023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Slice mozzarella cheese. (I'm not sure why I felt the need to picture this, but I did. So there you go.). Preheat oven to 350*. Coat chicken and eggplant rounds in eggs then bread crumbs. Pan fry the chicken and eggplant until they are nice and crispy on each side. Don't worry about them being fully cooked, we are going to finish them off in the oven. Put a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of glass baking dish. Place the chicken and eggplant in the baking dish. Pour a little more marinara sauce over the top of the chicken and eggplant, then top each one with a slice of mozzarella cheese and a bit of parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is nice and bubbly. While the chicken is in the oven cook the pasta. Serve the pasta and marinara on the side of the eggplant and chicken. And please, whatever you do, don't forget the garlic bread. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYEYAXuul_YNIWSOM-s8CMrNXKMn77xuBwo12_lG3GeX3DqsWIusJj9_QSIzTrvwpQRnVNfNi_nGX3TTZrvyZOukQKtBlY2ti8H3wQiHFL9cZhEk5Im0zw0SOZsGG9RD_Gqh-8RMgYLWb/s1600/summer+2012+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYEYAXuul_YNIWSOM-s8CMrNXKMn77xuBwo12_lG3GeX3DqsWIusJj9_QSIzTrvwpQRnVNfNi_nGX3TTZrvyZOukQKtBlY2ti8H3wQiHFL9cZhEk5Im0zw0SOZsGG9RD_Gqh-8RMgYLWb/s400/summer+2012+019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also made a yummy Caprese salad as a little appetizer because, you know, there wasn't enough cheese with dinner. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdo_c9Eh9hibOcNY_9S1H0QmOBvM4z2XBS-D5ZWKeM0RO1nmnwl-9m8ZVp5fXEoXuDZNCVUu1O_IYwGFCvqiMbk1004U-k0dbarN3x0ldRqR4txq49LafdG28cJog04b9k8pbmhZ-eLhp/s1600/summer+2012+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdo_c9Eh9hibOcNY_9S1H0QmOBvM4z2XBS-D5ZWKeM0RO1nmnwl-9m8ZVp5fXEoXuDZNCVUu1O_IYwGFCvqiMbk1004U-k0dbarN3x0ldRqR4txq49LafdG28cJog04b9k8pbmhZ-eLhp/s400/summer+2012+025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2357119546612115104.post-41028939765817179292012-08-06T04:44:00.000-07:002012-08-06T04:44:10.183-07:00Mini Mondays-Olympic Edition: Sliders Around the WorldAs has been well documented on this blog, I love anything that is miniature. What you may not be aware of is my love of the Olympics. I have been looking forward to the 2012 Summer Olympics since pretty much the minute the Beijing Olympics ended 4 years ago. My excitement reached a fever pitch in May or June of this year (just ask Cole, I did a little happy dance every time an Olympics commercial came on TV).<br />
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Anyway, I knew that for this month's Mini Mondays I had to figure out a way to somehow incorporate the Olympics. So Cole and I brainstormed and we came up with the idea to make chicken sliders inspired by various different countries. I went a little overboard with this, I'm not going to lie. <br />
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<b>Sliders Around the World</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6IK9IjR8V1fUI8mtFjImNzmY4iyJcAn9iv2q0G_c8RZZwizHVhEHyA54Mc8qakZrv14SfPwXwSafkNG7kfeEf8ml00pguVmz8DckXbjSMtHMSvo0wSkq2_VAGmuzb7reFheKmjULxQNJ/s1600/summer+2012+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6IK9IjR8V1fUI8mtFjImNzmY4iyJcAn9iv2q0G_c8RZZwizHVhEHyA54Mc8qakZrv14SfPwXwSafkNG7kfeEf8ml00pguVmz8DckXbjSMtHMSvo0wSkq2_VAGmuzb7reFheKmjULxQNJ/s400/summer+2012+047.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Slider Rolls</b></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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1/2 c warm water</div>
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2 1/4 tsp quick rise active dry yeast</div>
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1 tsp honey</div>
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1/4 c butter </div>
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1/2 c milk</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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3 1/3 c flour</div>
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Sesame seeds (optional, but highly recommended)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMioGY5_j82PWhLobs_KXmDLpKvc91oN9WkDkKpPwzcfPs6oyK7dngtHfisBfsH-F8rTpSa16Z2Xk7mGXQ6GSDnLxaxfBxgbghhMGegWkZOvyOHnhpowvr_0vUwTVFl1cYHqNO-r5ZIpt/s1600/summer+2012+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMioGY5_j82PWhLobs_KXmDLpKvc91oN9WkDkKpPwzcfPs6oyK7dngtHfisBfsH-F8rTpSa16Z2Xk7mGXQ6GSDnLxaxfBxgbghhMGegWkZOvyOHnhpowvr_0vUwTVFl1cYHqNO-r5ZIpt/s400/summer+2012+033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you do:</b></div>
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Stir together honey and yeast into the warm water and set aside. Melt butter in microwave until it's completely melted. Add milk and 1 egg to the melted butter and stir well to incorporate. Pour the butter/milk mixture into stand mixer bowl. By now, the yeast mixture should be foamy. Go ahead and pour that into the mixing bowl too. Add in salt and 2 cups flour. Stir until the flour is fully incorporated using the dough hook for the mixer. Add the remaining flour slowly. The finished dough should be smooth, but still somewhat sticky (you may need a little extra flour). Lightly oil the bowl and dough, cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size (if you let it rise for more than 1 hour it's not going to hurt anything). After you let it rise, punch down the dough and form into golf ball sized balls (you should get at least 18 rolls). Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, or spray the cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Do NOT use wax paper thinking that it is the same thing as parchment paper (not like I've done that or anything). They are not the same thing. Trust me on this. Let the dough rise for at least 30 minutes (or longer, like I said, a little extra rising time never hurt anybody). When you're ready to bake the rolls mix 1 egg with a couple tablespoons of water and brush the egg wash over the rolls. Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes. They should be golden brown when done. </div>
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<b>Sliders</b></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPj9_RPs3htvg74qu0q8ltvcayqQnvWQefLPKaXo5iwmTsrHuHe70YjpGsYEDTiKwdzagLSiaTTetD12YoNVaaoQvfPUTxG0-TqXly24DT7_ix9BUHUr9Vn6WPGUXxNhS8Ke3TlYCP_1z/s1600/summer+2012+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPj9_RPs3htvg74qu0q8ltvcayqQnvWQefLPKaXo5iwmTsrHuHe70YjpGsYEDTiKwdzagLSiaTTetD12YoNVaaoQvfPUTxG0-TqXly24DT7_ix9BUHUr9Vn6WPGUXxNhS8Ke3TlYCP_1z/s400/summer+2012+031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Slider rolls</div>
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Various sauces and cheeses detailed below
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Grilled chicken breasts (cut chicken into cutlets before you grill them)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeua084F-1w9EO_djv_cP8nDmj8vmMwEmNPqwZiCDwqcfVzQWgokBrKguI94lb6V9kU12RBTc_1kOH5jWwbkcWfOdGBFNZelbzXpo9VLWHyjxAv1OE6xIBdzw1zNv7zND9m2pOKohtRDiV/s1600/summer+2012+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeua084F-1w9EO_djv_cP8nDmj8vmMwEmNPqwZiCDwqcfVzQWgokBrKguI94lb6V9kU12RBTc_1kOH5jWwbkcWfOdGBFNZelbzXpo9VLWHyjxAv1OE6xIBdzw1zNv7zND9m2pOKohtRDiV/s400/summer+2012+035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Optional: Someone to grill the chicken for you when it's 107* out and you don't feel like standing over a hot grill. And yes, I do have great creeper paparazzi photo skills. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGgVUyuqvQ0XdPDv-AAQNpk0NyvipbsYaHvHEVunifj1A7qIpNxLpeKqNxjBITwIqByw9f8rZDjnnJb_oGUDS8XI6Ijts4lWWuVPQeo9zbTg_eFhJ9YZreu4YgMK6Prh2k_0tdPzAQYoR/s1600/summer+2012+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRGgVUyuqvQ0XdPDv-AAQNpk0NyvipbsYaHvHEVunifj1A7qIpNxLpeKqNxjBITwIqByw9f8rZDjnnJb_oGUDS8XI6Ijts4lWWuVPQeo9zbTg_eFhJ9YZreu4YgMK6Prh2k_0tdPzAQYoR/s400/summer+2012+044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Today, we're featuring recipes from India, Thailand, Italy, China, Mexico and, of course, America (USA! USA! USA! Sorry, I couldn't resist)</div>
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<b>America<br />Buffalo Chicken Sliders</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ST6WiP6fEcwuQfgBmDUzI_GtylzuzgDrVGfeJdst1V-ZrZsN8aXytyV5lD5FcuDasv0Fnh6BJLrSK-7bKDn6g_R26zIArLL9lHGvfkEP0s_d9RQ2p0ywjNkxNIJpafnXqejizbp6sdRN/s1600/summer+2012+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ST6WiP6fEcwuQfgBmDUzI_GtylzuzgDrVGfeJdst1V-ZrZsN8aXytyV5lD5FcuDasv0Fnh6BJLrSK-7bKDn6g_R26zIArLL9lHGvfkEP0s_d9RQ2p0ywjNkxNIJpafnXqejizbp6sdRN/s400/summer+2012+048.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Frank's Red Hot</div>
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Bleu Cheese</div>
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This one's pretty simple. I just put some Frank's Red Hot on top of the grilled chick and topped that with some bleu cheese. Just please, please, please do NOT undersauce. You will need more than you think. </div>
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<b>India</b></div>
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<b>Ghost Pepper Chicken Sliders</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8bN0CLRPy48uxq4yeVWk-itSGsRyfHDHhPiOisSylrFsB61r4hUhgVUfZm-Z2vRTXkHt5nTukL1MgBdcIA3pvKn3-VhwnllZX2n6gimmfF6JlS7LBgsI0bXDWEW4OYWYXjW4P0YDMzFY/s1600/summer+2012+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8bN0CLRPy48uxq4yeVWk-itSGsRyfHDHhPiOisSylrFsB61r4hUhgVUfZm-Z2vRTXkHt5nTukL1MgBdcIA3pvKn3-VhwnllZX2n6gimmfF6JlS7LBgsI0bXDWEW4OYWYXjW4P0YDMzFY/s400/summer+2012+050.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Ghost pepper sauce</div>
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Cheddar cheese</div>
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This one is also very simple. Just put some ghost pepper sauce on top of the chicken and top with cheddar cheese. Be careful with this one, ghost pepper sauce is <i>deadly</i>. I would err on the sided of undersaucing this one (and I hardly <i>ever</i> recommend undersaucing)</div>
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<b>Thailand</b></div>
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<b>Thai Curry Chicken Sliders</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqMcx-lzDIUkJ67JzqHZTXHRGiKA3mFSR8Bj6jzYYudd2Of_trlLSaXVXzP4nr5aIUs6224dCM7yEzcRa12Mr0xtV9CuDErdu_g9bDham8JQ0TmGjt6-VnLjOgOdnxA168wazUr4hYc_l/s1600/summer+2012+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqMcx-lzDIUkJ67JzqHZTXHRGiKA3mFSR8Bj6jzYYudd2Of_trlLSaXVXzP4nr5aIUs6224dCM7yEzcRa12Mr0xtV9CuDErdu_g9bDham8JQ0TmGjt6-VnLjOgOdnxA168wazUr4hYc_l/s400/summer+2012+053.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Sliced Jalapenos.</div>
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1/2 c coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)</div>
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2 tsp curry powder</div>
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2 tsp Sriracha (hot chili sauce)</div>
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2 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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2 tsp corn starch</div>
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Mix everything but the jalapenos in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking continuously. Reduce heat and let the mixture simmer for another couple minutes. </div>
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I used this sauce kind of like mayo. I spread it on the bun and put a little extra on top of the chicken and topped with a couple slices of jalapeno.</div>
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<b>Italy</b></div>
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<b>Caprese Chicken Sliders</b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJPZ-iW_JqrXaSJK5DdRJenrXu0Uwx19WVBzttmjpqLXVfvq-0jdsePKknvKRU6eDKTgJ7Whnx6ELWE0dVqwGCVj1b5BI4BLY3ksNLXy_UF6yFQftorr_m1F4A_rv42TKypiKAffd4rDE/s1600/summer+2012+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJPZ-iW_JqrXaSJK5DdRJenrXu0Uwx19WVBzttmjpqLXVfvq-0jdsePKknvKRU6eDKTgJ7Whnx6ELWE0dVqwGCVj1b5BI4BLY3ksNLXy_UF6yFQftorr_m1F4A_rv42TKypiKAffd4rDE/s400/summer+2012+054.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Sliced tomato</div>
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Mozzarella Cheese</div>
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Basil mayonnaise </div>
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Spread basil may on the bun. Top the chicken with mayo and tomato. Simple. Delicious. Molto bene. </div>
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<b>China</b></div>
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<b>Sweet and sour chicken sliders</b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJ2BfAvIZGbj02yjilEvUkarW3POmLQKqbmFPlf5FeSBuzGSKujDVKacPoSKCe5J-QtG4fE7q5tUu3xw-S1imv8isUfeI2jB_h6EpdYEKOVbArdzEzcUR3Z-yvBBgs9sUMxQSoeyLu3ha/s1600/summer+2012+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJ2BfAvIZGbj02yjilEvUkarW3POmLQKqbmFPlf5FeSBuzGSKujDVKacPoSKCe5J-QtG4fE7q5tUu3xw-S1imv8isUfeI2jB_h6EpdYEKOVbArdzEzcUR3Z-yvBBgs9sUMxQSoeyLu3ha/s400/summer+2012+055.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Pineapple</div>
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Bell pepper</div>
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4 T brown sugar</div>
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1 T ketchup</div>
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1/3 rice vinegar (or white vinegar if that's all you have)</div>
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1 tsp soy sauce</div>
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4 tsp cornstarch dissolved into 4 tsp water</div>
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Mix brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a small sauce pan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add in the cornstarch and water mixture and stir to thicken. </div>
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Put the sauce on top of the chicken on the bun. Top with pineapple and bell pepper.</div>
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<b>Mexico</b></div>
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<b>Enchilada Chicken Sliders</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaaeTkeVhqjz9_JyOPusVL-msnVBK-x7OV8T7KnUGHUzKVZgw-3G3Jmr40fFxe-NzR7kLsMZsNY2vL0SAqRij97BJFiO7drxIjwtkVEXQpX3bhgk39uHg21SwSrQD6TpRlAcabQ1RQyWn/s1600/summer+2012+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaaeTkeVhqjz9_JyOPusVL-msnVBK-x7OV8T7KnUGHUzKVZgw-3G3Jmr40fFxe-NzR7kLsMZsNY2vL0SAqRij97BJFiO7drxIjwtkVEXQpX3bhgk39uHg21SwSrQD6TpRlAcabQ1RQyWn/s400/summer+2012+056.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b>What you need:</b></div>
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Enchilada sauce (I used canned sauce and added some cumin and chili powder)</div>
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Sour cream</div>
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Tomatillo avocado salsa (or guacamole)</div>
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Cheddar cheese</div>
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Sliced jalapenos</div>
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Top chicken with enchilada sauce, salsa, sour cream and jalapenos. Make sure you have a napkin for this one.</div>
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And now I know you're dying to know who the medals were awarded too. These were all delicious, so it was not an easy decision. We both agreed that Italy came in a strong third, and they were awarded the bronze medal without much debate. However, the judges had a difference of opinion as to who won gold and who got silver. Personally, my favorite for the Thai Curry Chicken Slider. It was the perfect amount of sweet from the coconut milk and spicy from the curry and Sriracha. Cole, preferred the Sweet and Sour chicken slider. The sweet and sour sauce was, well, the perfect combination of sweet and sour. The pineapple and bell pepper added a nice contrasting texture to the chicken. However, since it's my blog, my opinion obviously reigns supreme (plus my brother agreed with me), therefore the gold medal is going to Thailand. China was a dark horse for me. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did and I am very happy to award the silver medal to China.</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02786514012527203092noreply@blogger.com2