Do I suck at updating or what? Stupid real life, getting in the way of my blogging! As it turns out, two year olds don't give a shit if you want to sit at your computer quietly for fifteen minutes. Who knew?
This is a recipe that initially started with my mother-in-law. I loved the recipe, but it used a LOT of sugar and my husband (who isn't too big on super-sweet food) would never help me eat it, so I'd invariably wind up eating basically the whole thing over a couple of days by myself with only a little bit of help from Kiddo. So, I decided to experiment. The results were AWESOME. So here is the recipe I now use!
Ingredients:
About 4 medium apples (choose your favorite type)
2 cans of refrigerated crescent rolls
2 sticks of butter
1/2 can of Diet 7Up
1/3 cup honey
Zest from two lemons
1. Grease your pan(s)/casserole dish and preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Slice the apples. You want medium-sized chunks.
3. Wrap the apple chunks in the individual crescent rolls and place in the pan.
4. Melt the butter and stir the honey, zest, and 7 Up into the melted butter. Pour mixture over the dumplings.
5. Cook until dumplings are a nice golden brown (about 30 minutes). Allow to cool and enjoy!
These dumplings are excellent to bring to potlucks, or serve with breakfast. They're also great hangover food. (HI MOM!)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Crepes... and then some
Today, I experimented with this recipe: ZoomYummy: Crepes with cream cheese filling
I was very excited, knowing that I had two bricks of cream cheese in the fridge just waiting to go into our bellies Cream cheese is a MAJOR favorite of mine. I am convinced it should be a food group. Anyway, I start putting the ingredients on the counter... and realize we don't have enough milk. I don't keep canned milk or anything along those lines in the pantry. As I opened the freezer to make sure we still had some frozen fruit I could use, I spotted a viable alternative to the milk: frozen breastmilk.
Now, before you gag, let's keep in mind: these are to be eaten by me (who makes the milk, after all) and my daughter (who still drinks the milk), so really, nothing squig-worthy there. I'd never serve anything with breastmilk in it without warning people. While I don't find anything weird about it (after all, cow's milk does come from cows, so why should human milk be gross for any reason?), I can respect that others may. So, that said, we went to work.
I also didn't have powdered sugar for the cream cheese filling, so I substituted with plain white sugar.
The results were FABULOUS. I couldn't tell a difference regarding the milk, and my only possible complaint is that the filling was a touch too sweet, but really, I should have reduced the amount of sugar since it was regular. Otherwise, it was very, very awesome. I covered it in the fruit (which had thawed) and Kiddo and I inhaled it. Definitely a nice mid-afternoon treat for us. :-)
I was very excited, knowing that I had two bricks of cream cheese in the fridge just waiting to go into our bellies Cream cheese is a MAJOR favorite of mine. I am convinced it should be a food group. Anyway, I start putting the ingredients on the counter... and realize we don't have enough milk. I don't keep canned milk or anything along those lines in the pantry. As I opened the freezer to make sure we still had some frozen fruit I could use, I spotted a viable alternative to the milk: frozen breastmilk.
Now, before you gag, let's keep in mind: these are to be eaten by me (who makes the milk, after all) and my daughter (who still drinks the milk), so really, nothing squig-worthy there. I'd never serve anything with breastmilk in it without warning people. While I don't find anything weird about it (after all, cow's milk does come from cows, so why should human milk be gross for any reason?), I can respect that others may. So, that said, we went to work.
I also didn't have powdered sugar for the cream cheese filling, so I substituted with plain white sugar.
The results were FABULOUS. I couldn't tell a difference regarding the milk, and my only possible complaint is that the filling was a touch too sweet, but really, I should have reduced the amount of sugar since it was regular. Otherwise, it was very, very awesome. I covered it in the fruit (which had thawed) and Kiddo and I inhaled it. Definitely a nice mid-afternoon treat for us. :-)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Cat's boozy spaghetti sauce
I felt the urge to play with my usual spaghetti sauce today. It's not that I don't like it, but sometimes it's nice to change things up. So here's what I concocted with ingredients from my pantry, freezer, and fridge. Oh, and it tasted AMAZEBALLS ;-)
INGREDIENTS:
1-2 lbs. ground beef (depending on how meaty you like your sauce)
Dry white wine
Minced garlic
Bunch of green onions, chopped
0.5-1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
Stewed tomatoes (about 2 tomatoes, or 1 can)
1 jar of Newman's Sockarooni sauce
Whole peppercorns
Crushed red pepper
Oregano
Salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Brown the beef. Do not drain.
2. Add the veggies and seasonings minus the salt. Add about 1 cup of wine (add more for a richer wine flavor) Simmer for 10-15 minutes (until veggies are cooked over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the sauce. Also add more wine if you don't want a super-thick sauce. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Serve over pasta. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
1-2 lbs. ground beef (depending on how meaty you like your sauce)
Dry white wine
Minced garlic
Bunch of green onions, chopped
0.5-1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
Stewed tomatoes (about 2 tomatoes, or 1 can)
1 jar of Newman's Sockarooni sauce
Whole peppercorns
Crushed red pepper
Oregano
Salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Brown the beef. Do not drain.
2. Add the veggies and seasonings minus the salt. Add about 1 cup of wine (add more for a richer wine flavor) Simmer for 10-15 minutes (until veggies are cooked over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the sauce. Also add more wine if you don't want a super-thick sauce. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Serve over pasta. Enjoy!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Steamed shrimp with veggies (and, uh, fungus)
This is another quick fix that people seem to love :)
Ingredients:
Peeled shrimp (I use about 2-3 lbs. for the three of us and we always have plenty for leftovers)
Potatoes, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced or whole
2-3 bell peppers in strips
Old Bay seasoning
Directions:
In a steaming device of your choice, throw in the ingredients and apply Old Bay liberally. Add water to the bottom of said steaming mechanism (duh) and cook until shrimp is pink and veggies are cooked, stirring occasionally.
Notes:
You can add pretty much any veggies you like to this recipe, this is just what we prefer. You can also take away whatever you like - initially this started with just shrimp and potatoes. Some good veggies to add: corn on the cob, spicy peppers, squash, zucchini, etc.
Ingredients:
Peeled shrimp (I use about 2-3 lbs. for the three of us and we always have plenty for leftovers)
Potatoes, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced or whole
2-3 bell peppers in strips
Old Bay seasoning
Directions:
In a steaming device of your choice, throw in the ingredients and apply Old Bay liberally. Add water to the bottom of said steaming mechanism (duh) and cook until shrimp is pink and veggies are cooked, stirring occasionally.
Notes:
You can add pretty much any veggies you like to this recipe, this is just what we prefer. You can also take away whatever you like - initially this started with just shrimp and potatoes. Some good veggies to add: corn on the cob, spicy peppers, squash, zucchini, etc.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Cat's Cajun pan-fried chicken nuggets
This is a nice recipe that goes with a wide variety of sides. It's a bit hands on, but completely worth the effort.
Ingredients:
Boneless chicken cut into bite-size pieces
Cornmeal
Tony's Creole Seasoning
Oil or butter for the pan
Directions:
1. In a flat dish with edges (I use pie dishes), pour a bit of cornmeal mixed with Tony's to taste.
2. Coat the chicken pieces in the mixture.
3. After coating, throw the pieces into the pan (which should have oil or butter to keep things from burning).
4. Turn the pieces over occasionally and put on a plate covered in a paper towel once they're nicely browned and cooked through.
For such an easy dish, these are surprisingly tasty. Then again, Tony's is one of those seasonings that just seems to improve almost anything. The cornmeal and Tony's give them a nice flavor without them being too weighed down.
Ingredients:
Boneless chicken cut into bite-size pieces
Cornmeal
Tony's Creole Seasoning
Oil or butter for the pan
Directions:
1. In a flat dish with edges (I use pie dishes), pour a bit of cornmeal mixed with Tony's to taste.
2. Coat the chicken pieces in the mixture.
3. After coating, throw the pieces into the pan (which should have oil or butter to keep things from burning).
4. Turn the pieces over occasionally and put on a plate covered in a paper towel once they're nicely browned and cooked through.
For such an easy dish, these are surprisingly tasty. Then again, Tony's is one of those seasonings that just seems to improve almost anything. The cornmeal and Tony's give them a nice flavor without them being too weighed down.
Crazy Cajun cabbage
I know what you're thinking. It's something like "Ew, cabbage." That's what I thought for a long time. But after seeing how cheap it is to get a head of cabbage at the store, I thought "Let's figure out a way to make this crap edible." So, that's how this recipe was born. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 heads of cabbage (chopped)
1 can Rotel
4 strips of bacon
Directions:
1. In a large pot (stock pots work well), add the cabbage, Rotel, and bacon. Fill up to about 2-3 inches below the top of the ingredients.
2. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 hours or until cabbage is the consistency of Southern collard greens.
3. Drain if it seems too watery to you.
4. Pig out.
This is a super simple recipe. It WILL make your house smell funny, but it's totally worth it. Most people who have tried this can't believe it's really cabbage and ALL of them ask for second helpings, including my selectively picky toddler.
I often serve these with Cajun fried chicken (I'll post the recipe later) and my Mexican cornbread.
Ingredients:
2 heads of cabbage (chopped)
1 can Rotel
4 strips of bacon
Directions:
1. In a large pot (stock pots work well), add the cabbage, Rotel, and bacon. Fill up to about 2-3 inches below the top of the ingredients.
2. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 hours or until cabbage is the consistency of Southern collard greens.
3. Drain if it seems too watery to you.
4. Pig out.
This is a super simple recipe. It WILL make your house smell funny, but it's totally worth it. Most people who have tried this can't believe it's really cabbage and ALL of them ask for second helpings, including my selectively picky toddler.
I often serve these with Cajun fried chicken (I'll post the recipe later) and my Mexican cornbread.
Spaghetti sauce with a kick
I love my spaghetti sauce to have lots of flavor to it. No bland food in this house! This recipe is easy, but tastes like it's truly made from scratch. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes (you can also use Rotel if you want more of a Tex-Mex flavor)
1 jar meat or chunky veggie spaghetti sauce (do NOT use it if there's cheese - it never comes out right)
2 lbs. ground beef
2 cloves fresh garlic
Tony's Creole Seasoning
Dried oregano
Crushed red pepper
Salt
Directions:
1. Chop or press the garlic and throw it in the pan while browning the meat. Add a little Tony's while browning. Do not drain the meat unless there's a TON to drain - it helps give it a more legitimate flavor.
2. Add the tomatoes and spaghetti sauce to the pan and stir. Use the rest of the seasoning to taste.
3. Serve over pasta.
Seriously. It's that easy. But I get ridiculous compliments on it. Crazy, eh?
Notes:
The reason I don't use cheese spaghetti sauce is because I feel that it tastes dark and unnatural - like goblin meat.
This, like most spaghetti sauce recipes, can be pretty easily changed to tastes. Don't like spicy food? Ditch the Tony's and red pepper and focus on more Italian seasonings.
Ingredients:
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes (you can also use Rotel if you want more of a Tex-Mex flavor)
1 jar meat or chunky veggie spaghetti sauce (do NOT use it if there's cheese - it never comes out right)
2 lbs. ground beef
2 cloves fresh garlic
Tony's Creole Seasoning
Dried oregano
Crushed red pepper
Salt
Directions:
1. Chop or press the garlic and throw it in the pan while browning the meat. Add a little Tony's while browning. Do not drain the meat unless there's a TON to drain - it helps give it a more legitimate flavor.
2. Add the tomatoes and spaghetti sauce to the pan and stir. Use the rest of the seasoning to taste.
3. Serve over pasta.
Seriously. It's that easy. But I get ridiculous compliments on it. Crazy, eh?
Notes:
The reason I don't use cheese spaghetti sauce is because I feel that it tastes dark and unnatural - like goblin meat.
This, like most spaghetti sauce recipes, can be pretty easily changed to tastes. Don't like spicy food? Ditch the Tony's and red pepper and focus on more Italian seasonings.
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