Potluck Favorite.

It's hard to decide what to bring to barbecues or potlucks. I usually stick with a dessert, but I also like to bring a side dish, and this is by far my favorite. Plus its a huge hit every time I take it.
St. James Baked Beans
Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bacon
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 16-oz. can pork & beans, drained
• 1 16-oz. can black beans, drained
• 1 16-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 c. ketchup
• 3/4 c. dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed

Directions:

1. Mix everything into a crock-pot and heat on low for at least 2 hours. 

Summer is About Passion

Picture and recipe courtesy of: itsthelife.typepad.com

Passion Tea Lemonade:
Ingredients:

• 1 gallon of water and 1 cup water
• 1 box of Tazo Passion Tea (20 teabags)
• 1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Boil the gallon of water
2. Put the teabags in the pitcher.
3. Once the water has boiled, pour it over the tea; let them soak for 7-10 minutes. Then put in the fridge.
4. In a sauce pan, simmer the cup of sugar and cup of water. Save in a airtight container. This is the "Simple Syrup" they use at Starbucks.
5. When tea is cooled, you can drink it. It's a 3:1 ratio. About 9 oz. of tea to 3 oz. of lemonade. Mix well. Then add as much  as you prefer.

Everyone Loves a Little Comfort Food.

Pre-warning: This definitely challenged my time management and multitasking skills.
However it turned out amazing! Because who doesn't love pretzels, beer, and cheese?! Also, originally the goal was to make pretzel bowls, but mine didn't stay tall enough, oh well. Don't be weary of making the pretzels either, the hardest part is kneading the dough, and trust me anyone can do it.

Beer Cheese Soup with Pretzel Bread
Ingredients:
For Pretzels:

• 2¾ cups bread flour
• 1 envelope quick-rising yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (about) hot water (125F to 130F)
• Cornmeal
• 8 cups water
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg white, beaten to blend (glaze)
• Coarse salt

For Soup:

• 4 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 3-inch strips
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pale ale
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups (about 1 pound) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper, to taste
• extra crumbled bacon, for garnish

Directions:

For Pretzels:

1. Combine bread flour, 1 envelope yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and water in large bowl (or stand mixer) and stir until dough comes together in a ball. Put on floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth. Grease medium bowl. Add dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then towel; let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 35 minutes.
2. Flour baking sheet. Punch dough down and knead on lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 2 pieces. Form each dough piece into ball. Place dough balls on prepared sheet; cover with towel and let dough balls rise until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease another baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Bring 8 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add baking soda and 2 tablespoons sugar (water will foam up). Add 1 bowl and cook 30 seconds before flipping over and cooking for another 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer bowl to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining bowl.
4. Brush bowl with egg white glaze. Sprinkle rolls generously with coarse salt. Bake rolls until brown, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool until you can handle them.

For Soup:

1. In a 4½-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes.
2. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and celery, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ale and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire, milk and broth, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender and do it in batches).
3. Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the cheese by the handful, stirring constantly; do not allow the soup to boil. Taste to see if you need salt and pepper – remember that your pretzel bowls are heavily salted so go light on the salt in the soup. Ladle into pretzel bowls and top with extra bacon, if desired.

It's BBQ Season.

Unfortunately we live in an upstairs unit at our apartment complex, so we can't have a barbecue grill. We were actually really bummed about this because Gabe is the grill master. I've made him barbecue chicken in the skillet, and my favorite potluck bean casserole, and all have satisfied his manly need for barbecued meats. Today, I decided to try a recipe I'd pinned that didn't use chicken.

Smokey Mesquite BBQ Meatball Sliders

Ingredients:

• Dozen rolls (King's Hawaiian)
• Sharp cheddar, sliced
• Large onion
• 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg
• 1 lb. ground beef
• BBQ sauce
• 1 bag Kraft Fresh Take Smokey Mesquite BBQ (By the cheese in the store)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by laying parchment paper on it.
2. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, cook bacon and onion.
3. In a medium bowl, mix beef, Kraft Fresh Take, and egg with hands.
4. Roll each meatball into a 2-inch ball. Place each ball on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Once the meatballs are cooked, place on rolls and brush with bbq sauce.
7. Then cover in cheese and onions and bacon. Top with the rolls top and eat.

Tea Time.

Originally I tried these at Starbucks, so of course I had to recreate the delicious snack. Oddly enough, Gabe hates scones for their "dry, powdery texture," but he loves these ones.

Orange Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients:

• 3 c. flour (more if needed)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/3 c. milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 c. orange juice
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Butter two pie tins.
3. In a large bowl, combine first seven ingredients, then cut in the butter until a coarse meal.
4. In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, juice, and vanilla extract.
5. Pour liquid into dry ingredients, then mix with hands until thoroughly mixed, if it continues to stick to your hands, mix in a little more flour until it doesn't stick.
6. On a floured surface, knead dough about 5 times, then roll it out till 3/4" thick, split into two equally sections and press into pie tins.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Orange Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp. orange zest
• Fresh orange juice

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together, adding juice for preferred consistency.

Something Other Than Sleep.

Recently I have been having a lot of medical issues; I've been in and out of the doctors, put on pain medications that make me sleep, and anxiously awaiting diagnosis from my doctor. Unfortunately for Gabe I haven't really been up to cooking lately, actually I haven't been up for much, so last night I decided that we had to eat something other than Domino's and Love Love Teriyaki. Since Gabe and I have been trying to eat more fresh produce, I decided to take a boring meatloaf recipe and spice it up.

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

The meatloaf turned out moist and perfectly cooked, and mashed potatoes really brought the meal together. It was a perfect 'stick to the ribs' kind of meal! Best part it was prepared in about 15 minutes.

Uptown Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 c. bread crumbs
• 1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
• Fresh mozzarella, cubed
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 oz. (about 1/2 c.) sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 c. ketchup
• Splash of white wine (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients then mix with your hands.
3. Place mixture into pan and spread evenly, then roll both sides in jelly-roll style.
4. Bake for 1 hour, then remove and turn off oven, sprinkle cheese of choice over the top (I picked Parmesan), then place back in the oven till cheese is slightly melted.

Dad's Recipe.

Lately I have felt a been missing home like crazy. I blame my dad's sweet messages about an empty nest and how much he misses and loves me. Then of course there's my mom, she is always checking in to see how I'm doing and remind me she's always there for me; it just makes me realize being independent wouldn't be quite as easy as ripping off a bandage. So in my crazy attempts to feel at home in my new house, including hanging pictures, putting things where I want them, I realized I needed a good, heart-warming meal. This was one of my dad's two out-of-the-box meals, and it was always something I loved having. Out of desperation for a reminder of home, I decided to make this classic meal.

Italian Chicken:

Ingredients:

• 2-4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1 bottle Italian dressing
• 1 Ziploc bag
• 4 mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 c. white onion, diced
• Spinach
• Bread crumbs (Progresso Italian Herb)
• Parmesan or Mozzarella

Directions:

1. Put chicken into the Ziploc bag, pour Italian dressing into the bag until it covers the chicken, then seal.
2. Marinade chicken for at least one hour, the longer it marinades the stronger the flavor, I usually do mine overnight and prep it while making the previous nights dinner.
3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375.
4. Pour the contents of the bag into an 8x8 pan.
5. Put the garlic, onions, and mushrooms around the edges of the chicken. Then sprinkle the top of the chicken with bread crumbs.
6. Cook for 30 mins. Then flip chicken and sprinkle bread crumbs over the other side, put back into the oven and cook for 25 mins.
7. Remove and sprinkle cheese over the top, then put back into the oven for a remaining 5 mins, or until cheese is melted. I usually turn the oven off at this point.
8. Serve over spinach, and enjoy.

What Do I Have?

Now we've all been in those moods, the one were you are kind of hungry, but don't want to cook, and your man is asking what's for dinner. Now luckily I don't work as much as Gabe, so I have time during the day to prep food, clean house, walk the dog, etc. But there are those days when I wake up late, I'm groggy, and I have zero ambition to do anything, especially housework. He's very understanding and doesn't mind coming home to see me lounging in my pajamas, and most of those kinds of nights we either order Domino's or he'll step into the kitchen and whip something up that will feed us for day's to come.
However, tonight I decided that even though I wasn't in the mood to cook, I'd put on my big girl panties and get in that kitchen. Mind you it was close to ten o'clock by the time dinner was on the table, due to my procrastination and trying to get all the attention I could before he left in the morning for drill. As soon as I walked into my small kitchen, I decided that dinner wasn't going to be anything fancy, but it would do the job and fill our bellies. Recently I have been trying a lot of new recipes, mostly because I have the freedom to, and Gabe will eat whatever I put in front of him; and trust me I've tested that limit with my horrible attempt at teriyaki chicken and white rice; and the sweet man ate everything on his plate while lying through his teeth telling me, "It's not that bad, babe."
Hoping tonight's last minute dinner wouldn't turn out quite as terrible as that attempt, I tried to channel my step-mom's famous last minute casseroles. Her motto was simple, you have everything you need in the cupboards, and she was right. Sometimes the simplest meals can taste the most satisfying, it's all in the heart you put into it. So I searched my cupboards for what I was going to scrape together.

Cupboard Casserole:
Ingredients:

• Mashed potatoes mix (I used Idahoan Applewood Smoked Bacon)
• 1 can green beans
• 1 lb ground beef (I always have some stocked in the freezer)
• 1 Zucchini, sliced
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• Minced garlic (which is a great thing to keep on hand)
• Oil (I used Grapeseed, but any works)
• Cheese (I used Mexican Style Shredded, but whatever you have on hand)
• Bread Crumbs (Progresso Italian Style)
• Seasonings (I used Johnny's Seasoning Salt and Johnny's Garlic Salt)
• 1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Following the directions on the packet, make the mashed potatoes. I used the microwave because it's quicker, and they come out much more moist.
3. When the potatoes are finished cooking, press into the bottom of an 8x8 pan and set aside.
4. In a skillet, cook the thawed beef over medium-high heat until brown, seasoning to your taste.
5. When meat is thoroughly cooked, drain of grease and put meat over the mashed potatoes.
6. Pour canned cheese over the meat, and with a rubber spatula, combine.
7. In a separate skillet, pour about a tablespoon of oil and a 1/4 of a teaspoon minced garlic into the pan, and over medium-high heat cook the sliced zucchini and garlic. You may need to add more oil as you go.
8. After about a minute or two, add the sliced mushrooms and another 1/4 of a teaspoon garlic (I'm a huge garlic fan, so add to your own liking) into the pan.
9. Once both the zucchini and mushrooms have softened remove from heat, and spread into the casserole dish.
10. Empty the can of green beans into the skillet and cook for about a minute. Then place on the top mushrooms and zucchini. Season to your liking.
11. Dust the entire casserole with bread crumbs and cheese and cook for 10-15 minutes in the oven, or until cheese on top is melted.

Thank goodness, this turned out to be a great dish, and even though I'm sure it's not the healthiest meal, I will probably be making it on my next lazy night.

Snacking? We're Pros.

Gabe works hard, like eight and a half hours a day, then goes to school full-time. So I decided to be a Suzy-homemaker and make something that will give him the little boosts he needs to work on his homework, or to eat in the car on his way to work. I searched high and low for recipes that included the ingredients I had on hand, or could pick up from the local Fred Meyer, and finally I came up with this healthy treat.
Update: These were a huge hit, and Gabe requested I make more. Yay!

Healthy Oats Bar:
Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 c. dried cranberries
• 3/4 c. peanuts (or nuts of choice)
• 3/4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 c. peanut butter
• 1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9x13 pan, I used Grapeseed oil, but any kind will work.
3. In a bowl, microwave butter till thoroughly melted. Then add the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Mix on low-medium speed.
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon.
5. Combine flour mixture with butter mixture, then add dried cranberries, peanuts, white chocolate chips, and oats, mix on low-medium until thoroughly combined.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, the top should dry, and the edges slightly pull away from the sides of the pan. Wait until it cooled to cut into.

What Makes A Good Drink Better? Vodka!

Coming from a big family that always seemed to have guests over, I cooked meals that could feed a herd. So when Gabe and I moved into our new apartment I realized I'd be cooking for just the two of us and I really needed to cut my recipes way down. So this page is dedicated to all my recipes.
Tonight I decided to make a special drink just for kicks, and it turned out to be a huge hit!

picture courtesy of livelovepasta.com

Berry Vodka Lemonade:
Ingredients:

• 2 c. fresh strawberries
• 8 c. water
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
• 1 tbsp. raspberry flavoring (optional)
• 1 c. whipped cream vodka (optional)
• ice cubes
• blender and pitcher

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, put one cup water and the cup sugar while heating over medium, this creates a simple syrup.
2. Put the strawberries and a cup of water into the blender and puree.
3. Pour the syrup and puree into the pitcher, along with the six cups of water, raspberry flavoring, vodka,  and lemon juice.
4. Pour over ice and enjoy responsibly.

A Twist on the Classic Bacon & Eggs

Like I've said, Gabe works hard. He's up at four in the morning, and out the door to work by five-forty every morning. He takes a much longer approach to mornings then I do. Were he would get up, make coffee and breakfast, take the dog out, and kiss me goodbye, I would get up twenty minutes before I leave, scrambling out of bed, brushing my teeth, and hoping yesterdays make-up looks good enough while yelling 'I love you,' and running down the stairs with my shoes in my hand. When he gets to work, he busts butt all day till he gets off at two-thirty in the afternoon. I however, have the most mindless job in the world, forgive me Costco for I appreciate the paychecks, but honestly, serving samples all day isn't as much fun as it sounds, and it doesn't sound fun.
When I get home, it's already late, and I'm tired of talking to people, so I usually munch on something and relax. When Gabe gets home, he has to start his homework immediately and switch from work mode into school mode. That poor man works from the time he wakes up, until the time he logs off his online courses for the night. So in an attempt to help him lessen his list of to-dos, I decided to make some freezer breakfasts for him, it needed to be something he could just warm up in the microwave and enjoy. I finally found some great recipes for bacon and eggs, and breakfast burritos, and decided to share them.

Bacon Egg Cups: 
Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 12 slices of bacon
• Milk
• Seasonings (I choose Johnny's Seasoning Salt)
• Cheese (Chedder or Mexican Style Shredded)
• Oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray each well in the cupcake tin with cooking oil, or rub with oil (Don't forget this step, I forgot and I'm still trying to clean my tin. Also I am going to experiment and see how doing it in a cupcake liners, I'll let you know how it goes.)
3. Wrap one piece of bacon in each well, starting by covering the bottom then going around the sides.
4. In a bowl, whip the eggs, a splash of milk, and the seasonings together with a fork.
5. Pour the egg mixture into each well, filling it about 3/4 full and sprinkle cheese over the top.
6. Then bake for 30-35 minutes.

Orange You Glad You Saw This?

Here's a sneak peak into my all-time favorite breakfast food, french toast! So after trying it a million times all I could think was, "Umm, how do I make this even better?" Now don't you dare click away and assume you know everything about french toast, cause trust me, you don't. This is the most magical french toast recipe you'll ever try, and don't let other people try to help, cause even though their intentions are solid, they also don't know this wonderful experience yet, and will just get in the way.

The first time I did the usual experimentation, adding nutmeg, vanilla extract, etc. Then I stumbled upon orange extract in someone's cupboard and decided "What the hell." And as soon as that first piece hit my mouth, I knew I was never going back to the old ways. Now I don't usually have orange extract just laying around, and it's not quite as easy to come by as vanilla, so I decided to take an idea from another recipe and apply it here. In my Orange-Chocolate Scones (which I will get around to posting), I use a little orange juice and some grated orange peel for zest, and it worked exactly the same for this. Hopefully you'll find as much enjoyment out of this magnificent recipe as I did.

French Toast with Orange Zest

Ingredients:

• 4-5 slices of toast (Texas Toast is the best)
• 4 eggs
• Half&Half, or milk
• 1 orange
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1tsp. sugar
• Maple Syrup
• Butter

Directions:

1. Grate about a tablespoon of the orange rind, then cut open and using either a a juicer or a fork, collect the juice from the orange in a small bowl.
2. Then in a medium bowl, combine with a fork the eggs, the orange rind and juice, vanilla extract, a splash of half&half, and the sugar and cinnamon.
3. Put the skillet on the stove, and melt the butter over medium heat. Don't get impatient and turn it up on high either, or it won't taste the same.
4. Dip each slice into the egg mixture and put them on the skillet, flip to cook both sides.
5. Serve with warmed up maple syrup and enjoy!