August 2010 Menu Plan

I was reminded by a fellow blogger that today was the last day of the month, and that meant it was time for a new menu plan. I hadn't even started mine for August yet! I am making a lot of the same things from last month, just as I do each month, with a good amount of new recipes to try out. I've also added a couple more grilling dishes than I usually do. I did do a lot of baking last month, but I didn't get around to replenishing my cinnamon rolls, so I will try again this month. You'll probably see some of the same things I keep planning on trying, but because they require overnight marinating, I always forget! Maybe I'll be better this month, we shall see.  I've also decided to add a Linky to the end of the post. If you make a menu plan, link up! Just click on the link, enter the title of your blog and then the link to the post with the menu plan. Don't do it to your homepage, just to your menu plan post. Happy cooking!!

August 2010 Menu Plan

Pecan Crusted Chicken with honey mustard sauce, veggies, and rice

Mexican Lasagna with homemade tortillas and salad

Homemade Chicken Strips, stove top mac and cheese, and green beans

Pizza Rolls

Spicy Shrimp Quesadillas, homemade guacamole, and homemade tortillas

Sweet and Sour Chicken, broccoli, and easy fried rice

Chicken Spaghetti

BBQ Pork Roast, Corn Bread, and cole slaw

Homemade Pizza, salad

Baked Dijon Salmon, yellow squash/zucchini

Easy Baked Crab Cakes, green beans, and stove top mac and cheese

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, navy beans with whole wheat french bread

Spicy Oven Fried Chicken, green beans, and potato wedges

Orange Chicken, easy fried rice, and broccoli

Dirty Rice and green beans

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, corn on the cob, and easy fried rice

Grilled Chicken with lemon pasta and fresh veggies

Key West Chicken and Shrimp with fluffy couscous and broccoli

Baked Spaghetti, whole wheat french bread, and salad

Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Rum Butter Sauce, green beans, and fluffy stuffed new potatoes

Parmesan Herb Crusted Salmon, broccoli, pasta

Chicken Parmesan, pasta, fresh salad, garlic bread
Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken, veggies, and stuffed potatoes

Penne and Shrimp Pasta, steamed broccoli, whole wheat french bread

PWs Chicken Pot Pie

Greek Chicken and Pasta with a salad

Extra Treats:

Cinnamon Rolls

Whole Wheat French Bread

Yeast Rolls

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Peach Cobbler

Link up!

This post has been linked to Mommy's Kitchen and I'm an Organizing Junkie.

French Bread, Hoagies, and Buns

Last week, when I made ham sliders, I decided to make the bread for the sandwiches too. They turned out great! The original recipe uses all white flour, but I never do that, now do I? I added some whole wheat flour to my mix too. I probably would have done all white wheat flour, but I was almost out and I didn't want to waste it on a potluck! These were easy, although they do require a little bit longer rise time. I was able to cut down on my rise time by using my oven. I have that tip listed below in the directions. This recipe states that it can be used to make french bread loaves, hoagies, or buns. Just shape the dough accordingly and adjust the baking time for the thickness of the bread. Can you tell I'm really getting into this bread making thing?

French Bread, Hoagies, and Buns

adapted from Our best bites

Ingredients:

1 TBSP yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 1/2 TBSP sugar

1 TSP salt

4-5 1/2 cups flour (I used 2 and 3/4 cup all purpose and 1 and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour.)

3 TBSP  vegetable oil (I  used canola.)

1 egg, separated

2 TBSP cold water

Directions:

Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and let stand 10 minutes or until bubbly. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk (set white aside for later) and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. I ended up adding a total of about 4 1/2 cups. I used 2 and 3/4 cup all purpose and 1 and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. Knead, either by hand or in mixer with dough hook attachment for another 2-3 minutes. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour 45 minutes. A quicker way for dough to rise would be to allow oven to heat up to 200 degrees F and then turn it off. Place covered dough into oven for about 1 hour, or until doubled.

Punch down dough. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. For a loaf of bread, shape into loaf and place on greased cookie sheet. For buns or hoagies, divide equally into equal pieces and shape as desired. I was able to make 20 sandwich rolls, I could have done 24 if I had done some a little smaller.

It's okay if they touch (or will touch after having risen). Cover and allow to rise another 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours or until doubled. (I used my oven for this rise too.) If they look like they are getting to big, go ahead and put them in the oven to bake, you don't want them to collapse.

Preheat oven to 375. Mix egg white with water and brush over dough. Bake for 10 minutes and repeat brushing the dough with the egg wash.

Bake an additional 6-10 minutes or until bread is golden brown.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

These sandwiches are so good! Seriously. They are easy to make and taste oh so yummy. They actually smell like Krystal burgers! I'm guessing the combination of onion and mustard are what cause the similar smells. Annie posted this on her blog recently, and I remembered having these a few times at get togethers. I can't quite remember where I had them, but I remember them being good. These are perfect for any party, pot luck, or lunch for you or your family. I have omitted the poppy seeds, mainly because I didn't have any, and I didn't want to pay $5 for them. I'm thrifty like that. haha Again, these are awesome. I actually made my own rolls, but store bought would be just as good, and easier! Take these to your next tailgate, you won't have to worry about taking leftovers home. I know I didn't have any to bring home after my pot luck or at the end of my son's birthday party.

Ham and Cheese Sliders
adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the sandwiches:
24 slider rolls or mini Hawaiian rolls
24 slices honey ham (deli sliced is fine)
24 small slices Swiss cheese (I used half of a whole piece)
Mayonnaise

For the sauce:
1½ tbsp. yellow mustard
8 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. finely minced onion (or 2 tsp. dried minced onion)
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Split the slider rolls and spread the insides lightly with mayonnaise. Fold a slice of ham to fit on each slider bun, and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Sweet Treat Tuesday-Mickey Mouse Birthday Cake-Icing and Fondant Recipes

My baby, just turned two last week! My how the time flies! We celebrated this past Saturday with a Mickey Mouse themed birthday party. I started planning for the party quite a few weeks ago, mainly deciding what kind of cake I wanted to make and what the invitations should look like. Well, I found the perfect cake, or a picture of it at least, and I decided that I was going to try and replicate it. You should all know that I am more of a "her food tastes good" kind of girl and not "her presentation of food is outstanding" kind of girl. Seriously. I usually buy some kind of store bought cake and add something to it. Last year for Wil's party, I did do a 3D duck cake, but I just smoothed out the yellow icing on it because using icing tips was killing my hands! It turned out OK, but not outstanding. So, back to the Mickey cake. This cake was a double decker cake, meaning it had 4 layers, and was iced with buttercream icing, smoothed. It looked like fondant, but wasn't. It had accents on the sides that were fondant that looked like the scene from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I decided it didn't look that hard, and I would do it. I will tell you, it really wasn't that hard, and , fondant makes everything look better and really isn't that hard to work with! It really is like play dough, just like everyone else says! So here it is, my finished product. It is a chocolate cake on top, strawberry cake on bottom, iced with Wilton's buttercream icing recipe, with marshmallow fondant accents. It was delicious, and beautiful! The kids absolutely loved it! When my 2 year old saw the cake, he said, "Hi Mickey!" It was priceless. I encourage you to try your hand at making your own birthday cakes. I promise it wasn't that hard! And the fondant was so easy! I'll post the cake recipes in the following weeks but today I'll post both icing and fondant recipes. Enjoy!

Wilton's Buttercream Frosting

from Wilton .com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (I used regular.)
4 cups sifted confectioners (powdered) sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

Directions:
(Medium Consistency)
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk. If you're adding food coloring, liquid or gel, you may not need this additional liquid. I used it in addition to a lot of coloring to achieve the red icing color, and my icing was a little thinner than what I wanted.

Marshmallow Fondant
from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

Vegetable shortening, for greasing bowls

16 oz. bag plain marshmallows, regular sized (I used a combo of mini and jumbo)

2 TBSP water

1-2 tsp. clear flavoring (I used regular vanilla extract)

2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar, divided

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Using the shortening, grease a large microwave-safe bowl, the bowl of the stand mixer, a spoon/spatula (or two), and the dough hook.

Add the marshmallows and water to the prepared microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir with the greased spatula/spoon. If not all the marshmallows have melted, microwave for 30 more seconds. Stir in the flavoring.

Set aside 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and add the rest to the bowl of the stand mixer, along with the salt. Create a well in the center. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the well and turn the mixer on to the lowest setting. When the mixer sounds strained, turn the speed up one setting. Turn off the mixer once all the sugar has been incorporated. If the fondant is sticky, add the reserved sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it is no longer sticky.

Turn the fondant out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Rub a bit of shortening on the outside of the ball. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap, place it in a Ziploc bag and let rest for at least 2-3 hours. Keep the unused portions covered when not in use. If the fondant becomes stiff, microwave for 20 seconds at a time until it becomes pliable.

To add color, pinch off as much as you think you'll need, place gel coloring (it works better than liquid for this) in the middle, and fold it over and begin kneading it. I did do this in the mixer one time, but it wasn't worth doing it for each color. Once the color is achieved that you want, you're ready to go. Roll it out or shape it into what you want. To get fondant to stick to fondant, put a little water in between the pieces. Fondant sticks easily to buttercream frosting so you don't need anything but the icing to get it to stick. Have fun! By the way, this recipe makes a TON, I still have half of it in the fridge! If the fondant is getting sticky and hard to work with, just coat your hands in shortening and rub it on the fondant, it makes it more pliable.

The Best Chicken Salad

Seriously, this is the best chicken salad I've ever eaten. Granted, I don't eat a lot of chicken salad, but I want to eat this one. I actually made it for my son's birthday party, and I was still thinking about it the next day. The first time I had this chicken salad, I was in college. A woman in the church (it sounds weird saying that because she's not all that older than me!) had me over for lunch and she served this on croissants. This was about 8-9 years ago, and I still remember loving this chicken salad. When I served this at the party, I served it on the small sandwich thin rounds. You know, the really thin bread that is shaped in a circle? it was perfect. OK, have I convinced you to try this yet? I think I'll make another batch this week. I'm craving it, like a crazy pregnant woman, which I am not. Go make this, you're tummy will thank you!

The Best Chicken Salad

from Allison Stanley

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts, boiled and then shredded or cubed

3/4 cup of mayo

3 stalks of celery, diced small

2 green onions, chopped

red grapes, sliced in half (about a 1/2 to whole cup depending on preference.)

half of lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
First, boil and shred or cube the chicken. Next, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add celery and green onions to chicken and mix well. Squeeze half of lemon over the chicken mixture and mix again. Cover and let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour. I actually let mine sit over night and it tasted perfect. Before serving, add the mayo and grapes. Stir well and enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Salmon

I made this salmon last week and it was absolutely delicious! The ingredients make a perfect crust on the outside of the salmon. This crust could be great on other types of meat besides salmon. My husband and I were discussing how it would great on chicken. The kids liked it because I can usually talk them in to eating anything crunchy, I just say it has croutons on it.

Parmesan Crusted Salmon

adapted from 2 different recipes

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP lime juice

1 garlic clove or 1 heaping TBSP minced garlic

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley

2 slices whole wheat bread or 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

fresh ground black pepper, to taste

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3-4 salmon fillets

Directions:

Heat oven to 400. Lightly coat your baking dish with non-stick spray. In a food processor, mince the garlic clove then add the parsley and pulse until combined. Add the bread crumbs, cheese, oil, mustard, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Pulse until well combined. Arrange the fish in the baking dish. Drizzle olive oil and lime juice on top of salmon. Spread crumb mixture on top of each fillet until covered.  Bake until browned and cooked through, about 20-24* minutes for salmon. It is cooked through when fish flakes easily.

*You could turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees and bake for more like 15 minutes.

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

Looking for a stove top macaroni and cheese that is easy to prepare and tastes yummy? I've got one for you! I've tried making my own mac and cheese before, but most recipes are baked, and my kids don't like them as much, frankly, neither do I. I like the good old Kraft shells and cheese, but it isn't all that healthy so I found a great alternative in this recipe. This makes enough to feed an army if you're using it as a side dish, so either half it, or plan to use it in another meal within a couple of days. I froze the second half of mine, and baked it covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then uncovered for an additional 15 minutes, and it tasted great. The original recipe calls for evaporated milk and a tad of hot sauce, I didn't use either. Below is what I did, and I won't change a thing!

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from The Food Network

Ingredients:

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

3 ounces cream (The original recipe calls for 6oz evaporated milk, I used cream and milk instead.)

3 ounces milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh black pepper

1/2-3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

8-10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded (I only used 8oz, because that's all I had.)

Directions:

Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of boiling, salted water, and drain. Return pasta to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese.  Continue to stir over low heat for about 3 minutes or until creamy.

Zucchini Cakes

Looking for something to make with all of that zucchini you have growing in your garden? Well, officially, I don't have any zucchini growing in my garden, but my friend whose garden I was babysitting has tons, so for this week, I have lots of zucchini to cook with. While I was looking for a recipe for zucchini bread, I came across this one for fried zucchini cakes. It reminded me of potato cakes. Have you ever had those? Oh how I love those things. I haven't had one in years, but man does it bring back some glorious childhood memories. OK, back to the cakes. They are delicious. Let me state that again, they are simply delicious! Who ever knew that zucchini could taste so good? These are a must try. And they aren't too terribly unhealthy, you do fry them in olive oil.

Zucchini Cakes

from the Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 whole Large Zucchini (about 2 cups shredded)

1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic

½ cups Breadcrumbs

½ cups 4-cheese Italian Blend, Parmesan, or Romano

2 whole Eggs

Kosher Salt To Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

Olive Oil

Directions:

Wash and cut the end off of one large zucchini. Shred it using the large holes of a cheese grater, kitchen aid attachment, or food processor. Squeeze the shredded zucchini inside of a clean towel until you’ve removed as much liquid as possible.

Place shredded zucchini into a medium sized bowl. Add minced garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese (shredded), eggs, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Stir with a fork until well mixed.

Heat olive oil to a medium heat. When the oil is hot enough drop a spoonful of zucchini batter into the skillet and flatten it slightly. After about two minutes, turn the cakes over ( they should be nice golden-brown) and cook on the other side until done (about 2-3 minutes).

Sweet Treat Tuesday-Magic Vanilla Ice Cream

Want to make ice cream, but don't want to buy an ice cream maker? I've got a recipe for you! I've really wanted to try making my own ice cream, but didn't want to purchase an ice cream maker I would only use a handful of times. When Melanie posted this recipe on her blog last week, I knew I had to try it. It looked super simple, which it is, and it looked just like regular ice cream you would buy at the store. This ice cream is delicious. It is creamy, not icy like some ice cream can tend to taste. I'm betting you could add different things to it to flavor it to your liking, but I'm not sure. And like I said, it is VERY easy. Absolutely anyone could make it, and then you can boast that you made it yourself! It is so good, and easy, that I'm planning on making up a couple of batches for my little one's birthday party on Saturday. This is one to try, definitely. Do it. And do it early, or you won't be able to have it for dessert after dinner.

Magic Vanilla Ice Cream

from My Kitchen Cafe

*Makes 1 quart of ice cream

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 ounce white chocolate chips (I used Nestle.)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream

Directions:
In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the sweetened condensed milk and the white chocolate until the chocolate melts, about 1 minute on 50% power. Stir. If the chocolate isn’t completely melted, microwave for 20 second intervals at 50% power until the mixture is combined. I have a small microwave and I had to continue microwaving it for awhile longer after the initial one minute. Set mixture aside and let it cool. When cooled, stir in the vanilla, salt and sour cream. Blend well. I used a whisk.

In another bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1/3 of the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture, combine well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the rest of the whipped cream into the white chocolate gently until it is fully incorporated.

Place the mixture in an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. If you are going to store the ice cream for several days before serving, press plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before freezing it. I did use plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream and it worked perfectly.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Ever thought about making your own hamburger buns? You haven't? Well I guess I'm the only crazy one! This is a pretty easy recipe, for bread making, so you, yourself, can make your own buns. The are whole wheat and very yummy. Just make sure when you cut them, that you make the circle at least 4-5 inches in diameter or you'll have little hockey pucks for your big juicy burger. I also halved this recipe, you can do the full recipe simply by doubling all the ingredients.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

adapted from Heavenly Homemakers

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups (+/-) whole wheat flour (I used White Wheat)

3/4 cups warm water

1 pkg regular or active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

2 TBSP honey

1/8 cup water

1/4 cup milk

2 TBSP butter

1 tsp sea salt

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour and 3/4 cups warm water. Set aside to let rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime, mix together 1/8 cup warm water, yeast, and honey. Allow this to sit for at least 10 minutes to activate the yeast.

Melt butter, milk and salt in a small saucepan on the stove. Do not allow the mixture to get above 120 degrees.

Pour yeast mixture and milk mixture into flour mixture. Add remaining flour (I only added 1/2 cup more).

Knead for about 10 minutes until dough begins to look “shiny”. You can use your dough hook attachment on your stand mixer if you have one. Put dough back into the bowl, cover and let rise for at least an hour, or until it has doubled.

Pull dough onto a clean counter top and knead for a couple of minutes to get any air bubbles out. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut circles from the dough with a large drinking glass or wide mouth jar. I would cut my buns at least 4-5 inches across in diameter. I only did mine about 3 inches, and they were too small.Place circles on in a well buttered baking dish about an inch apart, or place on a silpat. You can sprinkle with sesame seeds if you prefer that.

Allow to rise for about 30 minutes. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Maybe there is hope...

After my post last week about my slow growing garden, I went out to find two yellow flowers on my tomato plant. So, maybe we'll have a tomato or two!

Baha Fish Tacos

So does that even sound appetizing to you? It really doesn't to me, but to my surprise, fish tacos are quite tasty. The reason I have such an aversion to the name, is that when I was 8 weeks pregnant with my first son, I couldn't stand the thought or mention of fish. We were on vacation in San Diego, and fish tacos are very popular there, so I saw it everywhere. And my husband wasn't any help, because he took every chance he could to say fish tacos and even eat them so that I would cringe. Anyway, I have lost my aversion to the thought of fish tacos because my husband loves them so dearly, and even made some the other night. I have to say, they were pretty good. It is basically my easy baha fish recipe with homemade tortillas, really easy. And, if you haven't made homemade tortillas yet, you should. They are so yummy and not very hard at all to make. I promise!

Baha Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

4 fillets of white fish (tilapia is our favorite)

garlic powder

salt

pepper

2 TBSP butter

1 can black beans

guacamole (recipe here)

salsa of your choice or chopped tomatoes

homemade tortillas (or store-bought)

Directions:

Season both sides of all fillets with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I didn't measure this. I just sprinkled the spices over the fish. Melt butter in skillet on medium-high heat. Cook fish in butter, turning once. When fish can flake easily, it is ready. While fish is cooking, warm beans on stove top. I cook mine in the juice that is in the can. If you're making your own guacamole, make it at this time too. Place a tortilla on a plate and top with a couple of spoonfuls of beans, no juice. Place 2 strips of fish on top of the beans. Next, place a dollop or two of guacamole on top of the fish, and then finally top the guacamole with a spoonful or two of salsa or fresh tomatoes and shredded cheese. You could really top it with anything you like. Easy, healthy, and delicious!

Sweet Treat Tuesday-Coffee Cake

Pioneer Woman posted this recipe a couple of weeks ago, and I could not wait to try it out. It's one of those things that I can't just make if I don't have anywhere to take it, because I would gain about 15 pounds eating it all by myself. I was to bring snacks to my bible study yesterday morning, so it was the perfect time to try out this coffee cake. It was pretty easy to make, I dirtied up quite a  bit of stuff, but that isn't really unusual for me. The final product was delicious. I mean it, it was so good! Lots of cinnamon and sugar and cake, need I say more? This coffee cake has the tendency to rise up really high, so make sure you use at least a 9x13 baking dish or pan. I even put a baking sheet under mine, but I didn't need it. I'm also betting that it would work great halved if you wanted to just make if for your family on a Saturday morning. It probably freezes well too. OK, the possibilities are endless. Go, and make this for yourself, your kids, your husband, your friends, and anyone else you want to impress with your mad cooking skills.

Coffee Cake

from the Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

Cake

1-½ stick Butter, Softened

2 cups Scant Sugar

3 cups Flour, Sifted

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1-¼ cup Whole Milk

3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff

Topping

1-½ stick Butter, Softened

¾ cups Flour

1-½ cup Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

1-½ cup Pecans, Chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside. Are you intimidated by egg whites? I sometimes am, but it was really easy. If you have a stand mixer, attach your whisk attachment, dump the egg whites in and beat on high, and I do mean high until they get really fluffy and stiff. Easy peasy. Now after you beat your egg whites, dump into another bowl, and attach the paddle attachment to mixer. Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternating until combined. Don’t overbeat. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9 x 13 baking pan or dish. In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle topping all over the top.Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm, and be prepared to get many compliments on how good this is and not to change a thing!

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread-updated

**updated** I made this bread again today, and it turned out perfect!! It is soft, just like store-bought. I have updated the ingredients and recipe below. I think the key change is using whole wheat bread flour.**

As I've mentioned before, I'm on the quest to find the perfect sandwich bread recipe. The previous breads I have posted, are good, but still a little dense for a good sandwich bread. Michele at Sweet Luvin' in the Kitchen told me I should try this recipe. She says it bends easily when sliced and doesn't make a crumbly mess like my other breads. I took a stab at this recipe earlier this week, and she was right! It is definitely doesn't crumble like my other whole wheat breads!  Even though it does have two rises, it's pretty simple. You mix everything together in one bowl, no need to let the yeast activate and bubble. But the most important thing? My boys love it! I found both of them huddled in the corner of my kitchen sneaking extra pieces after I made it! YAY for making our own bread! Now go get baking!

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

adapted from Sweet Luvin' in the Kitchen

Ingredients:

5 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour, or whole wheat bread flour (I used 1 cup King Arthur white wheat flour and 4 cups organic whole wheat bread flour.)

1 1/2 TBSP active dry yeast

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

1/2 Tbsp salt

1/4 cup  instant dry milk

1/2 cup potato flakes

3 1/2 TBSP butter, softened

2 TBSP vinegar

1/4 cup honey, plus more if you like it (spray the inside of the measuring cup with non-stick spray before you measure the honey and it will slide right out.)

2 1/2 cups hot tap water ( I added 2 TBSP of additional hot water.)
1 TBSP butter, melted

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, fitted with a dough hook, measure in flour, yeast, gluten, salt, dry milk and potato flakes. Mix for a few seconds until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix for about 30 seconds. If dough is too dry, add more water, if it is to wet, add a little more flour. The dough at this point should be wet enough to leave a little residue on the sides of the bowl. I added a little more water to my mix. Mix for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough looks smooth and elastic and comes clean off of the side of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp towel, and let dough rise until doubled. This time varies, but for me it was about an hour.

After it has doubled in size, punch down and separate into 2 dough balls. For a perfect looking loaf, roll the dough ball out the width of your loaf pan, and just slightly longer than your loaf pan, getting all the air bubbles out. Then, tightly roll the dough up, pinch each side closed and tuck them under a bit and lay it in a greased loaf pan. (Don't worry about the dough touching all the sides yet, it will expand during the second rise. Repeat with remaining dough ball. Cover with damp cloth and let dough rise again until about doubled; it should rise just above the top of the pan. The second rise doesn't take as long, about 30 minutes for me. Near the end of the second rise, preheat your oven to 350 F.

Bake for 22-27 minutes. Remove from oven and let loaves cool for 10 minutes, then take the bread out of the pans and completely cool on a wire rack. Brush melted butter on top and sides of loaves for a softer crust. Slice and store in a ziploc bag.

Makes 2 large loaves. I have made this in a traditional large loaf pan, mini loaf pans, and an small oval casserole dish. It turns out perfect anyway you make it!

Easy Baked Crab Cakes

At my house we love anything in pancake form. I think I've stated that before. My boys especially love my go to crab cake recipe. My oldest son has eaten 3 in one sitting before! But, I'm on the lookout for a new crab cake recipe. I want something with a tad more flavor. I combined two different recipes I found on All Recipes and changed some other things to come up with what I have below. I also served it for myself with Trader Joe's Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce. When I was shopping there a couple of months ago, they were sampling their crab cakes with this sauce. I've been thinking about it ever since. Tonight was the night I popped open the jar, and it was so yummy! You only need a little bit, because the flavor is really strong, but I think it adds a great kick. These are great even without the sauce. And do you know what else is great about these? They are baked. Yes, you heard me right, I baked these babies. You could fry them in a couple of tablespoons of oil, but I decided to try and make them slightly healthy and bake them. I baked them at 350, but I think you could easily cut the time down and bake them at 400 and it would work great.

Easy Baked Crab Cakes
adapted from All Recipes


Ingredients:
3 cans crab meat, drained
2 TBSP mayonnaise
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP spicy brown mustard
3/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 green onions, green part only, chopped
4 oz crushed Ritz crackers

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together, except for the crackers. Form small balls, roll in crackers, and place on greased baking sheet. (I lined mine with tin foil for easy clean up.) Smoosh slightly to make a patty. Do this until all the crab mixture is gone. I made about 13 small ones, or 9-10 medium sized ones. Bake in oven for 15 minutes and then gently flip them, and bake them on the other side for 15 minutes. You could up the oven temperature to 400 and cut the time down, but I didn't think to do that until after I realized it was going to take 30 minutes in the oven! Serve with mustard sauce if you desire, or alone.

The Best Chicken Parmesan

I love chicken Parmesan. I mean really love it. Every time we go to an Italian restaurant, I order it. I don't really even look at the menu. There are places that have phenomenal chicken parm, and some that are only so so. I've tried to make it at home before, and while good, it just isn't the same as the restaurant style chicken Parmesan, until last night. Thank you Annie's Eats for the secret to great chicken Parmesan, Panko Breadcrumbs!! Oh how this chicken was so crunchy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. It was amazing. My husband raved and raved over it. I was so pleased to have found a great, and easy recipe for chicken Parmesan. And another great thing about this dish? The chicken isn't fried, at all. You bake it in a really hot oven. Genius! The original recipe even calls for egg whites, I chose to use whole eggs, because I don't like to waste things and I only had two eggs. When I was done preparing my 5 chicken breasts, I had a lot of breadcrumbs and egg left. So, you could probably decrease the amount of bread crumbs to one cup and egg to one egg if you're only making 4 chicken breasts. Let me note here that I usually use 5 ounce portions of chicken when I cook, I don't like the big chicken breasts much. OK, have I convinced you yet that you need to cook this tonight? You're husband, boyfriend, kids, whoever will definitely thank you. I PROMISE!

Chicken Parmesan

adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup  flour

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

2 eggs

1 tbsp. water

nonstick cooking spray

4-6  boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups marinara sauce, warmed (I used my spaghetti sauce recipe, but you could use Ragu if you wanted!)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Combine the breadcrumbs and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat until golden, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Spread the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and allow to cool slightly; when cool, stir in the Parmesan.

In a second dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. In a third bowl whisk together the eggs and water. (The original recipe calls for 3 egg whites. I never end up using my yolks for anything, so I opted to use 2 whole eggs here instead.)

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with non stick spray. Lightly dredge each chicken piece in the flour to coat completely, and then shake off the excess. Then dip into the egg mixture and finally coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Press on the breadcrumbs to make sure they adhere. Because I had so many bread crumbs left. I sprinkled some extra bread crumbs on top after I placed them on the baking sheet. Place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake chicken 15-20 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce (or more if you like things saucy) over the top of each piece of chicken and top with 2 tablespoons of the shredded mozzarella. Return the chicken to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes. Serve with cooked spaghetti with marinara sauce, bread and a salad.

my not so fruitful garden

So, I had fully anticipated having a huge garden, providing me with lots and lots of vegetables and fruits. Well, it had other plans. My garden is growing, very slowly, but it is growing. But the caterpillars and my dogs evidently don't want to see it succeed in providing me with food. After applying organic plant food to the garden to help it grow faster, my dogs found the plants to be very tasty. Since applying the food last Friday, my dogs have dug up one tomato plant, one zucchini plant, and two cantaloupe plants. Not to mention the caterpillars who ate ever single bit of my broccoli. (I knew the broccoli wasn't going to be successful because I planted it too late.) So at this point in the summer, I am still hopeful, still watering, feeding, and nurturing my garden, but I'm not so sure it will give me even one lousy tomato. We shall see...I'll keep you posted.

zucchini

tomato

pitiful caterpillar eaten broccoli

teeny tiny cucumbers

Beer Bread Muffins

Have you ever had beer bread? It is so good!! I rarely make it, because I don't want to waste any of my hubby's beer, but tonight, I decided to make an exception. I was flipping through one of my Junior League cookbooks and saw this in there, so I decided to make it. They are so easy, and gobbled up by all!Beer Bread Muffins

from A Sterling Collection Junior League of Memphis Cookbook

Ingredients:

2 cups baking mix (Bisquick)

1 TBSP sugar

6 ounces beer, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix baking mix and sugar together. Add 6 ounces of room temperature beer. Drop the dough into greased muffin cups or paper liners. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Sweet Treat Tuesday-Blackberry Cobbler

Sweet treat Tuesday is back! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend! We had a great time here in Tennessee. It was actually pretty relaxing. We also didn't celebrate the 4th until Monday. We had a BBQ that night and did a whole lot of swimming. For dessert, I made a blackberry cobbler with all of the blackberries my boys and I picked on Friday. It turned out really great. If you don't like blackberries, this may be a recipe for you! They are still quite seedy, but not as much as eating them by themselves. This is also a VERY easy recipe. You could easily substitute any fruit, I think I may try it out with something else very soon, maybe even peaches!!

Blackberry Cobbler
from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 stick Butter

1-¼ cup Sugar

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

1 cup Milk

2 cups Blackberries (frozen Or Fresh)

Directions:

Melt butter in a microwavable. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a 8x8 baking dish. (I originally used a 11x13, do yourself a favor and use a smaller dish!) Rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 min-1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. This is so yummy when served warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I made my cobbler in the morning and didn't serve it until that night. We placed the cobbler in a warm oven for a few minutes to warm it up and then served it with vanilla ice cream. YUM!!

Oven Roasted Carrots

These were easy, and delicious! You can never go wrong with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Oven Roasted Carrots

Ingredients:
5 or more large carrots, sliced longways about 2-3 inches long
2 TBSP olive oil
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix cut carrots, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in baking dish, and bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until carrots are tender and beginning to brown on the edges.

Muffins

One Bowl Oatmeal Muffins

Whole Wheat Dinner Muffins {No Yeast}

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Blueberry Banana Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Coffee Cake Muffins

Banana Nut Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Beer Bread Muffins

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

Puffin Muffins

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Restaurant Style Teriyaki Sauce

This is a nice thick teriyaki sauce that is just like the one you will find at a typical Japanese Steakhouse. Yum!

Restaurant Style Teriyaki Sauce
from Recipezaar

Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup pineapple juice

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except cornstarch and 1/4 c water in a sauce pan and begin heating over medium heat. Mix cornstarch and cold water in a cup and dissolve. Add to sauce in pan. Add pineapple juice last. Heat mixture until sauce thickens to desired thickness. If sauce gets to thick, add water to thin.

Pour marinade over your favorite meat and cover. Marinate for 4 plus hours. I would recommend marinating overnight for optimal flavor.

Loveless Cafe's Braised Pork Chops

These were great! The recipe comes from a cafe in Tennessee, Loveless Cafe. My mom had told me about them a few months back, but I don't usually cook pork all that often, so I hadn't gotten around to making them. I inherited a family size portion of bone in center cut pork chops and decided that now was the time to try this recipe. It didn't disappoint. Since it simmers for an hour, it is really tender. I bet you could do the whole thing in the crock pot and it would be even easier and just as yummy. Maybe I'll do that next time. Anyway, it's a perfect combination of meat and sweetness. I doubled the sauce, so if you don't want to do that, just half all of the ingredients. I served it with mashed potatoes, oven roasted carrots, and beer bread. Those other recipes to be posted later. Enjoy!

Loveless Cafe Braised Pork Chops

adapted from Recipezaar

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
36 ounces center cut pork chops, fat trimmed (I used 8 bone in center cut chops.)
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
4 TBSP light-brown sugar
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp garlic salt
2/3 cup water

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown pork chops on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together mustard, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt with 2/3 cup water. Pour over pork chops. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Transfer pork to a plate. Raise heat to medium-high and cook sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over pork chops and serve immediately.