I love to cook fun food. I think that's been one of my biggest cooking issues over the years. I'd rather cook a fun appetizer or a dessert than a main course. Probably because I prefer that kind of food. So here's a couple of my favorite "fun foods"! Hope you enjoy . . .
The first recipe is for a very delicious CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE! My children beg for these all year long.
In a Large Bowl or Mixer
1 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Cream all the above ingredients together and sit aside.
Mix in separate bowl
2 cups flour
2 eggs room temp
2 1/2 cups oats (powdered in the blender)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 T vanilla
Mix the 2 bowls of ingredients together. I use my hands.
Stir in 4 oz melted Hershey bar
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
12 oz. chocolate chips
Roll batter into small balls the size of golf balls.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 10 - 13 minutes depending on degree of crispiness you desire and your oven.
And finally, I love GUACAMOLE. Here's a delicious recipe
6 small avocados (don't get the big ones. They have no taste)
1 small red onion chopped fine
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
juice of half lime
juice of 1/4 orange
2-3 garlic cloves minced, depending on taste
1/2 small jalapeno pepper finely chopped (more or less depending on taste)
Salt (I use sea salt) to taste
Mash avocados together. I like to keep them a little chunky.
Add all other ingredients together. Add your favorite tortilla chip and VOILA!!
I'd keep tasting as you add the ingredients, just to make sure you like the taste.
Oh and one more tip. Keep the avocado seed in the bowl. It will keep it from turning brown.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful week! See ya next Wednesday.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Comfort Foods for the Long Winter
I thought long and hard about which recipe to post this week. Since we're in the middle of winter, I've been making lots of warm comfort food lately. Last night, we had fake Chipotle burrito bowls that I made with lime-cilantro rice. (Sounds really fancy, but really it's just rice with fresh-squeezed lime juice and some chopped cilantro thrown in.) We usually throw some black beans, jarred green salsa, sour cream, cheese and homemade guacamole into it.
Tonight, I'm making a beef stew. I found some great grass-fed, organic beef stew meat, so I'm going to let of pot of beef, carrots, onions and celery simmer all day on the stove. Yum!
But, I must admit, my favorite winter recipes involve sugar, flour, and chocolate in cupcake form. I just love firing up that Kitchenaid countertop mixer and making my own frosting. There's nothing like enjoying a truly homemade, warm, freshly-frosted cupcake while the snow rages outside.
One of my favorite cupcake recipes comes from The Pioneer Woman. If you guys haven't checked out her blog, definitely give it a look. Her recipes are strictly of the comfort-food variety, although reader be warned--she uses just as much butter as Paula Deen.
Here is the recipe for The Pioneer Woman's Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing:
(Recipe can be found on her blog here.)
2 cups Cake Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar
3 whole Eggs Room Temperature
2 teaspoons Vanilla
¾ cups (plus A Tad More) Whole Milk
_____
FOR THE ICING:
¾ cups Sweetened, Condensed Milk
6 ounces, weight Semi-sweet Chocolate
2 Tablespoons Butter
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for a few more seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix to combine.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in three batches, mixing for a few seconds after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix one final time.
Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until poufy but not brown. Cool before icing.
Sticky Chocolate Icing: Mix ingredients together in a small/medium saucepan. Melt ingredients over medium low heat, stirring gently. Icing is ready when all ingredients are melted and combined.
Spoon warm icing over warm cupcakes, stirring icing to smooth after every third cupcake or so. Allow iced cupcakes to sit at least ten minutes before serving.
Tonight, I'm making a beef stew. I found some great grass-fed, organic beef stew meat, so I'm going to let of pot of beef, carrots, onions and celery simmer all day on the stove. Yum!
But, I must admit, my favorite winter recipes involve sugar, flour, and chocolate in cupcake form. I just love firing up that Kitchenaid countertop mixer and making my own frosting. There's nothing like enjoying a truly homemade, warm, freshly-frosted cupcake while the snow rages outside.
One of my favorite cupcake recipes comes from The Pioneer Woman. If you guys haven't checked out her blog, definitely give it a look. Her recipes are strictly of the comfort-food variety, although reader be warned--she uses just as much butter as Paula Deen.
Here is the recipe for The Pioneer Woman's Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing:
(Recipe can be found on her blog here.)
2 cups Cake Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar
3 whole Eggs Room Temperature
2 teaspoons Vanilla
¾ cups (plus A Tad More) Whole Milk
_____
FOR THE ICING:
¾ cups Sweetened, Condensed Milk
6 ounces, weight Semi-sweet Chocolate
2 Tablespoons Butter
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for a few more seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix to combine.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in three batches, mixing for a few seconds after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix one final time.
Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until poufy but not brown. Cool before icing.
Sticky Chocolate Icing: Mix ingredients together in a small/medium saucepan. Melt ingredients over medium low heat, stirring gently. Icing is ready when all ingredients are melted and combined.
Spoon warm icing over warm cupcakes, stirring icing to smooth after every third cupcake or so. Allow iced cupcakes to sit at least ten minutes before serving.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Like Mother Like Daughter
Nowadays, most of the time I'm rushing to get dinner on the table, which means that a great majority of the meals I serve are of the easy-to-prepare variety. I make use of the slow cooker a lot in the fall and winter, and the grill in the spring and summer. And while a lot of these quick dishes are also tasty, very few of them fall within the category of my favorite recipes.
Most of what I consider my (and my family's) favorites are actually recipes that I grew up with. Dishes my mother made, to be exact. And while none of them are overly difficult, they're also slightly more time consuming than my average get-on-the-table-fast dinners. In fact, a lot of my favorite recipes that originated from my childhood are the same dishes my children choose for their birthday dinners. Isn't that cool?
I thought a lot about which recipe to share with you all, and after talking with my kids, the recipe that everyone loves the most is my mother's version of enchiladas. While this recipe is definitely an Americanized version of enchiladas, they're also the recipe most asked for by my family and friends.
I should point out that I don't really know the precise amount of some of the ingredients, as (with a lot of my mother's recipes) it's a lot of "what looks right," and "what tastes right," but I don't think anyone will have any problems recreating these enchiladas in their kitchen...so here we go: Krystene's Enchilada Recipe:
1 to 1.5 pounds of ground beef (depending how meaty you like your enchiladas)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or more if you really like garlic)
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (this is the what looks/tastes right portion of the recipe)
2 small cans of enchilada sauce (mild, medium, or hot--your choice. We use mild or medium)
1 package of flour tortillas (10 to 12), around six inches in diameter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic on medium heat until the meat is fully cooked. Drain off the fat. In the same skillet, mix in approximately 1 cup of the cheddar cheese (more or less as you prefer) and stir until the cheese is melted and evenly distributed throughout the meat/onion/garlic mixture.
In a 9x15-inch baking dish, spread one can of enchilada sauce along the bottom. Spoon the enchilada filling into the tortillas, roll, and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Coat with the second can of enchilada sauce, and then sprinkle additional cheddar cheese over the enchiladas (approximately 1/2 cup).
Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
----
You can serve the enchiladas with sour cream or as is. Rice and a salad are our normal side dishes for this meal, depending on how many folks we have over for dinner, but honestly--they're a meal in themselves and make excellent leftovers.
Okay, there you have it--one of my family's favorite recipes, and while they're not completely homemade (I have no clue how to make homeade tortillas or enchilada sauce!), these enchiladas have proven to be a crowd pleaser time and time again.
If you decide to make them, let me know how they turn out!
Most of what I consider my (and my family's) favorites are actually recipes that I grew up with. Dishes my mother made, to be exact. And while none of them are overly difficult, they're also slightly more time consuming than my average get-on-the-table-fast dinners. In fact, a lot of my favorite recipes that originated from my childhood are the same dishes my children choose for their birthday dinners. Isn't that cool?
I thought a lot about which recipe to share with you all, and after talking with my kids, the recipe that everyone loves the most is my mother's version of enchiladas. While this recipe is definitely an Americanized version of enchiladas, they're also the recipe most asked for by my family and friends.
I should point out that I don't really know the precise amount of some of the ingredients, as (with a lot of my mother's recipes) it's a lot of "what looks right," and "what tastes right," but I don't think anyone will have any problems recreating these enchiladas in their kitchen...so here we go: Krystene's Enchilada Recipe:
1 to 1.5 pounds of ground beef (depending how meaty you like your enchiladas)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or more if you really like garlic)
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (this is the what looks/tastes right portion of the recipe)
2 small cans of enchilada sauce (mild, medium, or hot--your choice. We use mild or medium)
1 package of flour tortillas (10 to 12), around six inches in diameter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic on medium heat until the meat is fully cooked. Drain off the fat. In the same skillet, mix in approximately 1 cup of the cheddar cheese (more or less as you prefer) and stir until the cheese is melted and evenly distributed throughout the meat/onion/garlic mixture.
In a 9x15-inch baking dish, spread one can of enchilada sauce along the bottom. Spoon the enchilada filling into the tortillas, roll, and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Coat with the second can of enchilada sauce, and then sprinkle additional cheddar cheese over the enchiladas (approximately 1/2 cup).
Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
----
You can serve the enchiladas with sour cream or as is. Rice and a salad are our normal side dishes for this meal, depending on how many folks we have over for dinner, but honestly--they're a meal in themselves and make excellent leftovers.
Okay, there you have it--one of my family's favorite recipes, and while they're not completely homemade (I have no clue how to make homeade tortillas or enchilada sauce!), these enchiladas have proven to be a crowd pleaser time and time again.
If you decide to make them, let me know how they turn out!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
My Favorite Season
Whenever we have these weather topics on The Novel Girls, I’m always the odd one out! Yes, living in Arizona I have a weird backwards concept of winter and summer. I know this for sure because somewhere, way back in the deep part of my mind, I remember what real winters are like; I remember those bone-chillingly cold and icy walks around campus in college, where I was bundled up so tightly in my thick parka that you could barely see my eyes. I remember these things. But only faintly. Because now I love winters. I live for winters. On June days when it’s 110 degrees and we’re stuck inside the house, I fantasize about beautiful December days when we get to run around the park and take walks outside. These are my winter activities: outdoor things. Parks. Zoos. Power walks.
Lately, though, we’ve had a lot of rain, and even some colder weather (Ok, I know 40 isn’t cold to most of the rest of the world, but to me, it feels cold). It puts a damper on my outside exercise and my kids’ time at the park. And this makes me mad. I don’t live through the hideously hot summers for temperatures that barely hit the 50s, and rainy days.
But I can’t complain too much, as most days in the winter we still get our choice of outside activities, and not the kind where you have to wear a heavy coat and ski boots either. The kind where you wear short sleeves and maybe a sweatshirt – the kind where you bask in the beautiful sunny afternoon and marvel at how gorgeous the winter is in the desert. And then we get to call our friends and relatives on the east coast and brag about said activities. (Of course, they get us back in July!)
Aside from the weather, these past two winters I’ve had books come out, which means my activities have been nearly all book/promotion related. The launch of a book feels like a season in itself, one filled with excitement and joy and, sometimes, anxiety. But lucky for me, I can, whenever I need to re-charge, go and take a nice relaxing walk in the sunshine. And that’s a winter activity I wouldn’t trade for the world!
Lately, though, we’ve had a lot of rain, and even some colder weather (Ok, I know 40 isn’t cold to most of the rest of the world, but to me, it feels cold). It puts a damper on my outside exercise and my kids’ time at the park. And this makes me mad. I don’t live through the hideously hot summers for temperatures that barely hit the 50s, and rainy days.
But I can’t complain too much, as most days in the winter we still get our choice of outside activities, and not the kind where you have to wear a heavy coat and ski boots either. The kind where you wear short sleeves and maybe a sweatshirt – the kind where you bask in the beautiful sunny afternoon and marvel at how gorgeous the winter is in the desert. And then we get to call our friends and relatives on the east coast and brag about said activities. (Of course, they get us back in July!)
Aside from the weather, these past two winters I’ve had books come out, which means my activities have been nearly all book/promotion related. The launch of a book feels like a season in itself, one filled with excitement and joy and, sometimes, anxiety. But lucky for me, I can, whenever I need to re-charge, go and take a nice relaxing walk in the sunshine. And that’s a winter activity I wouldn’t trade for the world!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Is Shoveling Your Car Out of the Snow Considered a Winter Activity?
To be honest, I can't say that I know all that much about many "winter activities" but there is one that I know about with absolute certainty. You can't bury somebody up North in the wintertime.
If you happen to be as uninformed as I was of this mind-blowing fact, please, please stand up. BTW, the italicized statement in the first paragraph also happens to be the first line of my novel, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter - set in snowy Vermont where the daily highs are oftentimes sub-zero for weeks and weeks at a time. I remember living there in January and the temp never made it past -25 every morning at 9:00 am when I took my boys to school. I had no earthly idea that Vermonters don't bury their dead in the winter. It never once crossed my mind. But they don't. The Vermonters keep their dead in a mausoleum until what they call, "The Thaw". Then they get buried. Then their families have to grieve all over again. That's, that's . . . well, that's just not for me.
Winter activities, winter activities, come now Lisa there must be something that pops into your mind! Honestly, I can't think of any southern winter activities but there are so many that take place in Vermont. Vermonters ice skate on ponds (not that I would ever consider doing that), they ski, they snowshoe, they even ice-fish. They also shovel alleys of snow around their cars so the snow plow can get the car out - an activity that takes Leelee Satterfield, the heroine of my book and a transplanted Southerner, five hours to complete. They use snow blowers to clear their walkways and get this - roof rakes to clean their roofs.
If any of these pastimes seem seem like they might take an extended adjustment period to get used to, you're not alone. Leelee Satterfield never got the hang of any of them. Here in the South, winter activities are more like winter blah-tivities. We don't really do all that much in January except hope for days like last Saturday when it was 60 something. Today it's back down to 30 something and the biting wind is ridiculous.
I do love a fire in the winter. Not that that's an activity or anything, but I love to sit next to one. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting next to a nice one right now at the Brentwood Library while writing my sequel to Dixie and I better get back to it if I'm going to remain a Novel Girl.
What's my cure for the winter blahs. I say take off and head to the beach! I'll be doing just that next week when I go to Rosemary Beach near Panama City, Florida for Girl's Getaway Weekend. And I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!
If you happen to be as uninformed as I was of this mind-blowing fact, please, please stand up. BTW, the italicized statement in the first paragraph also happens to be the first line of my novel, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter - set in snowy Vermont where the daily highs are oftentimes sub-zero for weeks and weeks at a time. I remember living there in January and the temp never made it past -25 every morning at 9:00 am when I took my boys to school. I had no earthly idea that Vermonters don't bury their dead in the winter. It never once crossed my mind. But they don't. The Vermonters keep their dead in a mausoleum until what they call, "The Thaw". Then they get buried. Then their families have to grieve all over again. That's, that's . . . well, that's just not for me.
Winter activities, winter activities, come now Lisa there must be something that pops into your mind! Honestly, I can't think of any southern winter activities but there are so many that take place in Vermont. Vermonters ice skate on ponds (not that I would ever consider doing that), they ski, they snowshoe, they even ice-fish. They also shovel alleys of snow around their cars so the snow plow can get the car out - an activity that takes Leelee Satterfield, the heroine of my book and a transplanted Southerner, five hours to complete. They use snow blowers to clear their walkways and get this - roof rakes to clean their roofs.
If any of these pastimes seem seem like they might take an extended adjustment period to get used to, you're not alone. Leelee Satterfield never got the hang of any of them. Here in the South, winter activities are more like winter blah-tivities. We don't really do all that much in January except hope for days like last Saturday when it was 60 something. Today it's back down to 30 something and the biting wind is ridiculous.
I do love a fire in the winter. Not that that's an activity or anything, but I love to sit next to one. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting next to a nice one right now at the Brentwood Library while writing my sequel to Dixie and I better get back to it if I'm going to remain a Novel Girl.
What's my cure for the winter blahs. I say take off and head to the beach! I'll be doing just that next week when I go to Rosemary Beach near Panama City, Florida for Girl's Getaway Weekend. And I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Love and Hate.
Like Tracy, I think winter is the perfect excuse to snuggle indoors under a blanket with a cup of hot tea and a good book. (As you might remember from a few weeks ago, my TBR pile is quite towering, so I definitely have my pick of fabulous reads!) It's sometimes difficult, though, to appreciate this cold weather. Mainly because our cold nights aren't just chilly--they're downright frostbite-inducing. For instance, I remember getting a day off school in high school because the wind chill was something like -50.
And our Winter Weather Advisories don't just mean a few snowflakes. It's more like a foot of snow, with a layer of ice, making the roads extra fun for rush hour travel. And, being the hearty Midwesterners that we are, we won't even cancel school or close offices.
But, enough about the weather. I think the winter brings a very special opportunity for me: the chance to take a breather. After the craziness of the holiday season, we still have at least two months of hardcore winter. It's chance to regroup, recharge our batteries and slow down a bit before the craziness of the summer starts up again.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite winter activity: skiing. Last year, my family and I journeyed out to Keystone, Colorado for a long weekend filled with skiing, snowboarding, eating and ice-skating. We ate dinner at a fondue restaurant at the mountain's peak. Let me just say, there is nothing quite like sitting next to fire and sipping wine at Lord-knows-how-many-thousands-of-feet up. It's a beautiful, magical place, and one where I hope to visit again this year.
So I think what all this means is that I have a pretty firm love/hate relationship with winter. And I'm hoping that this year, I can focus on the "love" part a bit more!
And our Winter Weather Advisories don't just mean a few snowflakes. It's more like a foot of snow, with a layer of ice, making the roads extra fun for rush hour travel. And, being the hearty Midwesterners that we are, we won't even cancel school or close offices.
But, enough about the weather. I think the winter brings a very special opportunity for me: the chance to take a breather. After the craziness of the holiday season, we still have at least two months of hardcore winter. It's chance to regroup, recharge our batteries and slow down a bit before the craziness of the summer starts up again.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite winter activity: skiing. Last year, my family and I journeyed out to Keystone, Colorado for a long weekend filled with skiing, snowboarding, eating and ice-skating. We ate dinner at a fondue restaurant at the mountain's peak. Let me just say, there is nothing quite like sitting next to fire and sipping wine at Lord-knows-how-many-thousands-of-feet up. It's a beautiful, magical place, and one where I hope to visit again this year.
So I think what all this means is that I have a pretty firm love/hate relationship with winter. And I'm hoping that this year, I can focus on the "love" part a bit more!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Winter Fun and Relaxation
Winter is my second favorite season, but not because of all the snow--though I do think it's very pretty when it's falling. I just hate driving in it, but since I work at home, I don't have to drive in it all that often, so it's not a huge worry for me.
I've always preferred cooler weather to warmer weather, mostly because I find it easier to warm up than I do to cool down, but I'd be lying if I said that my favorite activites were winter activities. I like taking walks, something that isn't that easy to do in the winter when you're a bit on klutzy side like I am, I like swimming, camping, outdoor barbeques, and the like. But I hate the heat of summer.
Winter, on the other hand, is my season of curling up on the couch with a blanket and a book, watching movies, playing Wii and board games with the family, and other assorted indoor activities. Except for the few times each year my kids convince me to go sledding, build a snowman, or have a snowball fight. And I have fun with these activities when I do them, but not enough fun to think of heading out into the freezing cold on my own.
I'm far too clumsy to ever attempt ice skating--can you say broken ankle/knee/nose (because I am quite sure I'd fall on my face), but I love to watch other people ice skating.
I suppose another reason why winter is my second favorite season is because I am a relatively lazy person, and if it's all icy and cold and stuff outside, then I don't have to feel guilty for staying inside with a thick blanket, a cup of hot tea/coffee/cocoa, and a book. In fact, I think I'm going to spend this evening doing just that.
What about you? Are you an indoor or outdoor winter activity person, or maybe a bit of both? What are your favorite winter activities?
On another topic, I wanted to let everyone know that I'll be sharing the first scene from my May release, A BREATH OF MAGIC, this Friday on my personal blog, and another scene every Friday over the next four weeks.
I've always preferred cooler weather to warmer weather, mostly because I find it easier to warm up than I do to cool down, but I'd be lying if I said that my favorite activites were winter activities. I like taking walks, something that isn't that easy to do in the winter when you're a bit on klutzy side like I am, I like swimming, camping, outdoor barbeques, and the like. But I hate the heat of summer.
Winter, on the other hand, is my season of curling up on the couch with a blanket and a book, watching movies, playing Wii and board games with the family, and other assorted indoor activities. Except for the few times each year my kids convince me to go sledding, build a snowman, or have a snowball fight. And I have fun with these activities when I do them, but not enough fun to think of heading out into the freezing cold on my own.
I'm far too clumsy to ever attempt ice skating--can you say broken ankle/knee/nose (because I am quite sure I'd fall on my face), but I love to watch other people ice skating.
I suppose another reason why winter is my second favorite season is because I am a relatively lazy person, and if it's all icy and cold and stuff outside, then I don't have to feel guilty for staying inside with a thick blanket, a cup of hot tea/coffee/cocoa, and a book. In fact, I think I'm going to spend this evening doing just that.
What about you? Are you an indoor or outdoor winter activity person, or maybe a bit of both? What are your favorite winter activities?
On another topic, I wanted to let everyone know that I'll be sharing the first scene from my May release, A BREATH OF MAGIC, this Friday on my personal blog, and another scene every Friday over the next four weeks.
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