Biscuits for Two

Another recipe from Taste of Home from the Cooking for One or Two section.  I haven't made these in years, but I made them again today (I'm thinking of making sausage gravy and biscuits one of these days, and thought I'd better be comfortable making biscuits again).  I always end up with more than the 4 the recipe says it yields (maybe I use too small of a biscuit cutter?), but I'm okay with that (and why I don't favor a regular recipe - a few extra is one thing, we don't need over a dozen biscuits!).  One of these days I'll try a buttermilk biscuit recipe, but what I like about this one, once you have the cream of tarter in your herbs and spices, you pretty much have the ingredients on hand.  I have not had much luck with the making my own buttermilk tricks.  Also, I used butter instead of shortening.  Maybe I'll pick up some butter flavored shortening over the holidays.  In addition, I skipped greasing my cookie sheet and used parchment paper.


1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in milk.  Turn onto a floured surface; knead 1 minute.  Roll or pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut with a floured 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.  Yield: 4 biscuits

Better Than Sex Cake

Today is my husband's birthday and Facebook is telling me that I made this cake for him in 2008!  I barely remember it, so I thought I better blog it ASAP before it disappeared again until next October 20!  I have no clue where the recipe came from.

Better Than Sex Cake

1 chocolate cake mix prepared as directed in a greased 9x13 glass pan
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz jar of caramel syrup ice cream topping
1 small container of Cool Whip
4 Heath Bars crushed into bits

After cake is baked and still a little warm, poke holes all over it using the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour the can of milk over the cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Next pour the caramel over the cake. Put it in the refrigerator for several hours or over night. When you are ready to serve it, top with the Cool Whip and sprinkle with the candy bits.

Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A friend shared this on facebook.  It appears to be a modified version of a recipe that's been posted elsewhere on the internet - sans potatoes.  It went over well - thank goodness, because there's quite a bit leftover.  We ate it with ham and swiss sandwiches.  (Note, copied as is from fb post).

Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup!

32 oz frozen broccoli (fresh doesn't stand up well) 
1 16 oz can of cream of chicken
1 16 oz can of cream of mushroom
1 small sliced yellow onion
2 gloves garlic minced (1.5 tsp)
1 (14 oz) can of chicken broth
1/4 stick butter
1 SMALL block Velvetta cheese
1 Tsp flour
Salt and pepper to taste

mince garlic, slice onion finely, and throw it all in crock along with everything else. Velvetta breaks up best of cut in small blocks. Cook on high for 4-5 hrs ... Enjoy!

Quesadillas

Years ago, I was vegetarian (mostly) and thought I'd remain single.  My friend, and also vegetarian, both loved this cookbook so we both bought a copy - The Intimate Vegetarian.  The recipes are written for both singles and couples.  This is the single version of a quesadilla.  I picked and chose what I wanted to include.  Sometimes it was just cheese.  In the photo, from 2008, it was olives, a bit of yellow onion, and cheddar cheese.

1 8-inch flour tortilla
1/2 cup grated Cheddar or Jack cheese
Heaping 1 Tbsp finely chopped green bell pepper
1 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
1 Tbsp sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp sliced black olives
About 1 tsp butter or oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded lettuce or alfalfa sprouts (optional)
Dollop of sour cream
Salsa, to taste
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Lay tortilla flat.  Spread cheese evenly over one half, covering from the center "line" (along which the tortilla will fold) to the edges.  Sprinkle bell pepper, green onion, mushrooms, and olives over cheese.
2. Fold uncovered half of tortilla over covered half.  Don't worry if it doesn't stay folded, it will once it's cooked.
3. Warm a griddle to 340* or warm a large skillet over medium heat (a nonstick pan is best).  Add butter or oil to lightly coat.  Add folded tortilla.  You may need to gently press the top half down with a spatula until it stays folded on its own.  Cook until lightly browned underneath (about 3 to 5 minutes).  Flip over and cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly browned underneath.
4. Tuck lettuce or alfalfa sprouts (if desired) inside the quesadilla.  Add sour cream, salsa, and cilantro (if desired) either to inside of quesadilla or on top as a colorful garnish.

Pumpkin Bread

My friend shared this bread with me when my grandmother passed away.  I borrowed her cookbook Treasury of Christmas Recipes, and copied the recipe, keeping her addition of the chocolate chunks.

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, chocolate at end; beat until well mixed.  Pour into a greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.  Bake in preheated 350* oven 45-55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.  Loosen edges; remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Beer Bread

A cousin shared a recipe link on fb, and since I have some beer not being consumed in the fridge (I was hoping to make more beer-can chicken), I thought it seemed like a winning idea.  The link that was shared called for self-rising flour, but it said it was adapted from another page, which only called for all-purpose flour.  But the same amounts of baking powder and salt!!  So I followed my baking instincts.  Thankfully, those instincts were right, because while it was baking I found the original fb post and the commenters agreed with me.  If you're using self-rising flour, you should be able to skip adding the baking powder and salt.  The 12 tomatoes site calls for 1/3 cup brown sugar, but I went with the recipe they adapted from since I was using Honey Brown beer.  There isn't a beer taste to the bread, it tastes like a lovely rustic loaf without the kneading and rising.  In just over an hour (mostly baking time) - you too can have a loaf of homemade bread!

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
12 oz beer (whatever you have or your favorite)

Preheat the oven to 375* and lightly grease a loaf pan (about 9x5)
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.
Slowly pour in beer and mix with a wooden spoon.
(Optional, fold in flax or chia seeds at this point, recipe didn't specify, I didn't).
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick (or skewer) inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cool 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Southern Style Smothered Pork Chops

I had picked up a big package of boneless pork chops a couple of months ago and put the extra in the freezer.  Then I looked for other ideas on how to cook them besides our usual (sage pork chops - always a winner around here), because I wanted to change things up a bit.  I searched on pinterest and came up with a few possibilities, and finally tried one last night.  This is the link I found from pinterest, which is a modified recipe from somebody else online.  The blog post suggests using GrillMates Garlic and Herb seasoning, so that's what I did, and I cut back on the cayenne pepper.  I'm not sure it would work quite as well, but I might consider mixing the seasonings in with the flour next time to make the coating/breading process easier.




6 boneless pork chops
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoning mix (I used GrillMates Garlic & Herb)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter

Gravy
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup white wine
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and assemble your ingredients:

Assemble your "coating" station.  Place the beaten eggs, flour and breadcrumbs in shallow dishes. Rinse porkchops and pat dry.
Season chops with garlic powder, salt, pepper and seasoning to taste, then dip in beaten eggs:
Dredge lightly in flour (remove excess).
And coat in breadcrumbs.
Melt butter and heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add chops.
Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned (pork will not be cooked through).
Transfer the chops to an oiled baking dish, and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour.
When they come out of the over there will be a lot of juices in the bottom of the pan. Pour over gravy mixture, replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

I saw this recipe last week on a blog I follow (she posts her blog updates to facebook to make it easy for me!).  I ended up using a bit more buttermilk as it didn't seem like enough in my pie plate (that's a great tip from Sally), and used regular panko, not whole-wheat.  I cut back on the ground red pepper, but the boyfriend still said he felt like his lips were burning, but he had seconds anyway!  I also used Sally's tip about using a mini food processor to chop the cashews and rosemary together.  My only problem was I had no idea how to measure the rosemary before the chopping.  So I'm pretty sure I used more than called for, but since we like rosemary, I wasn't concerned.






INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/3 cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/3 cup finely chopped dry-roasted cashews
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, cashews, and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; dredge in panko mixture.
Arrange chicken on a wire rack coated with cooking spray in a foil-lined jelly-roll pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Drizzle each cutlet with 1 teaspoon honey.

Rhubarb Cake

Back in the fall a friend was telling me about a cake she'd had from a mutual friend of ours, Sue, but that she'd misplaced the recipe. So I contacted Sue and got the recipe for both of us. I've been anxiously awaiting rhubarb season so I could make it. Yesterday was the day! I mixed the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar and then cut in the butter (I usually have butter on hand instead of shortening). I beat the egg in the measuring cup with the milk, then mixed that in, and finished by stirring in the rhubarb. Batter will be stiff - use a wooden spoon. I used two tablespoons of butter for dotting the top. I tested for doneness with a toothpick.

1 c. sugar

½ c. shortening

1 egg

½ c. milk

½ t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 ½ c. flour

2 c. rhubarb(cut into 1 inch pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Pour into 9” x 13” pan. 

Top with:

½ c. brown sugar

Dot with butter

Bake for 30 plus minutes until top is golden brown.

Chicken and Egg Noodle Casserole

The other day, we didn't feel like going to the store and didn't particularly have anything on hand for dinner, so the boyfriend looked in the cupboard, spotted the egg noodles and cream of chicken soup I had picked up for tuna noodle casserole, as well as some canned chicken.  He got on the internet and found this recipe.  Fortunately, we had nearly everything for it, including the sour cream because of my recent obsession with making my own buttermilk ranch salad dressing.  The only thing we didn't have was butter crackers, so we used a 1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs instead.  We were pleased with how it turned out and the boyfriend suggested we try it again yesterday with the crackers (the picture is with the cracker version).  We found that the bread crumbs gave more coverage to the dish - the butter drenched crackers were great tasting, but the bites of them were further in between - unless I need to be better about crumbling them finer.


Ingredients
6 cups uncooked egg noodles (about 12 ounces)
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 20 crackers)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook noodles according to package directions for al dente; drain.
2. In a large bowl, whisk soup, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken and noodles. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a small bowl, mix crushed crackers and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 8 servings.

Reese's Peanut Butter Poke Cake

I found this recipe on Pinterest and Chris made it for me for Valentine's Day.  I requested it for my 40th birthday cake next week!  It. Is. Fabulous.

It was originally posted on Six Sisters' Stuff.

Next time I hope to get a picture!  We ate it too fast to snap one!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Poke Cake

1 chocolate cake mix ( I used Betty Crocker ) 

3 eggs ( Use the amount called for on your cake mix box )
1 1/3 cups water ( Use the amount called for on the cake mix box )
1/2 cup vegetable oil ( Use the amount called for on the cake mix box )
8 ounces cream cheese ( softened )
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup peanut butter ( creamy or crunchy )
12 ounces cool whip ( divided )
11 3/4 ounces hot fudge ( divided )
8 REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups ( broken into pieces )

Directions

Prepare and bake your chocolate cake following instructions on the cake mix box. When the cake is done cooking, take it out of the oven and poke the cake all over with a fork.

Microwave your hot fudge and pour ¾ of the jar on top of the cake so it will soak in.

Combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl or stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add peanut butter and continue mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Add half of the cool whip and continue mixing it until smooth.

Spread peanut butter mixture evenly over cooled cake. Cover and refrigerate until cool.

Spread remaining cool whip over peanut butter mixture. Drizzle rest of hot fudge over top. Then sprinkle the crumbled Reese's peanut butter cups over top. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Pasta with Sweet Peas and Bacon Bread Crumbs

Chris saw this recipe on the cover of a recent issue of Relish magazine, which comes in our newspaper once a month.  He wanted to try it AND make it himself!  So far we've had it twice.  The flavors are bright and fresh.  We will be making this many more times in the future!

Pasta with Sweet Peas and Bacon Bread Crumbs

3 slices bacon
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup panko or dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
8 oz uncooked spaghetti or penne
1 1/4 cups frozen green peas
2 oz baby spinach (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and reserve 2 Tbsp drippings in pan.  Add butter and garlic to drippings; stir until fragrant.  Add panko and cook stirring constantly until golden, about 2 minutes.  Let cool.  Crumble bacon into panko mixture.  Add 2 Tbsp cheese.

2.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas in final two minutes of cooking.  Drain, reserving 2/3 cup cooking water.  Return pasta and peas to pan.  Stir in 1/2 cup reserved water, spinach, remaining cheese, salt and pepper.  Stir 1/4 cup panko mixture into pasta.  If mixture looks dry, add remaining reserved water.  Divide among serving bowls; top with remaining panko mixture.

Serves 4

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

I had been thinking I should try my hand at making my own salad dressings (blame too many food and nutrition blogs and becoming aware of how much sugar goes into some dressings) so I looked on pinterest and found a few different pins for different dressings.  I thought I would start with Buttermilk ranch as that's been my favorite bottled dressing lately (I also adore Thousand Island - that's in the future).  I finally picked this recipe which calls for fresh herbs, but says you can use dried (awesome!  I don't have an herb garden).  The first time I made it, I hadn't remembered that we did not in fact have dried chives, so I tried dried minced onion - it was okay, but too onion-y.  I also take the easy way out and use jarred minced garlic.  The following is the recipe quartered, with the dried herb amounts - that way it stays nice and fresh in my fridge.

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp freeze dried chives
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
dash salt (1/16 tsp)
pinch black pepper (1/8 tsp)
1/4 tsp jarred garlic
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup buttermilk (I use about a 1/4 cup, sometimes upwards of 3/8 cup depending on how well I measured my mayo and sour cream)  - start with the 1/8 cup and thin gradually until you get the right consistency for you and if you're using it for salad or for a dip

Whisk together until smooth.  (The original recipe says that it will last three days covered and refrigerated).

Salsa Chicken

The boyfriend found us a new chicken recipe!  I loved this one!  Except next time I would cut the breasts in half and maybe consider putting the taco seasoning in a bag and shaking them to coat instead of trying to evenly sprinkle it on.  It must be that I always get the gigantic chicken breasts at the store because it took closer to 50 minutes before the biggest one tested done.  (By the time it was done, I forgot to get a picture - we were starving and the smells had been making us even hungrier!) (edit 5-5-15 to add picture from 4-14-15)

INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
2. Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts, and pour salsa over all.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear.
4. Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream if desired, and serve.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

The boyfriend found this recipe last week and we've now had it twice.  We used cutlets instead of cutting the chicken breasts in half.  It's a fairly simple recipe, although we found that it takes a bit longer (as usual) than the recipe says it will.  Next time we make it, we'll use less cream (we used a 1/2 cup both times) because our sauce didn't seem to thicken as much as she shows.

Ingredients
4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 whole Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 cup Brandy (or White Wine If Preferred)
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Grainy Mustard
¼ cups (to 1/2) Heavy Cream
¼ cups (to 1/2) Chicken Broth
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Preparation
*Amount of cream and broth has slightly decreased; add more as needed.
Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that you have eight smaller, thinner
chicken cutlets. Salt and pepper both sides.
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cutlets on both sides
until nice and golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and
keep on a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the pan and saute it for a minute, stirring
to make sure it won’t burn. Next pour in the brandy (or wine if using) being careful if
cooking over an open flame. Then just let the booze bubble up and cook until it’s
reduced by half.
Throw in the mustards and stir to combine, then pour in the cream. Stir in chicken
broth, adding more if the sauce seems too thick. Taste sauce and adjust whatever you
think it needs. Add chicken breasts back to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Allow
sauce to cook for another few minutes, shaking the pan if needed to move things
around.
Serve chicken with a green salad, spooning the sauce over the top.
Yum and…yum.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

We love Buffalo anything, so when I found this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it.

I made a few changes, based on the recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake.  Where the recipe calls for cooking the onions, I added carrots and celery.  I cooked the chicken as she suggested in the oven.  I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  We use Red Hot Buffalo flavor sauce.  I skipped the hot pepper sauce -- this was plenty hot for us!

Click here for the original post on the blog All in All.  All of the notes below are from the original poster, not from me.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

8 ounce cream cheese

1 cup buffalo wing sauce

Hot pepper sauce such as Franks Red Hot or Tabasco (amount based on your own preference)

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I baked chicken tenders in the oven covered with foil at 350 for 25 minutes for this recipe, but a rotisserie chicken would work very well too)

1/2 cup ranch dressing

8 ounce package of shredded mozzarella cheese

Lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions (do not use "no cook" noodles; they must be boiled and fully-cooked before building the lasagna)

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and add to the pot. Stir well until completely melted then add in the buffalo sauce and a few dashes of hot pepper sauce to taste. Spoon a small amount of the buffalo and cream cheese sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and spread it around to cover the bottom of the dish. Stir the chicken into the sauce in the pot.

3. Place one layer of lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the chicken mixture over the noodles then drizzle with half of the ranch dressing. Add another layer of noodles and then the remaining chicken and ranch dressing. Place a final layer of lasagna noodles and then spread the cheese over the top.

4. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes (I bake it uncovered). Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and maybe some carrot and celery sticks.

Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake

We have found our winter go-to shrimp recipe!

It is like a dish I always get at Olive Garden.  I tweaked the recipe a bit.  It is actually a "Skinny" Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake, but I used regular ingredients -- nothing low fat.  I also used the spice blend from our favorite summer go-to shrimp recipe (1/4 tsp each garlic powder, salt and Italian seasoning) instead of just roasting the shrimp with salt and pepper.

Click here for the link to the original recipe on the blog Damn Delicious.  I came across it on Pinterest.

Skinny Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta

1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Alfredo Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 (6-ounce) can 2% evaporated milk

1 ounce light cream cheese

1/4 cup chicken broth, or more, to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

See a Quick Sausage Alfredo Recipe

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the alfredo sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and chicken broth until smooth, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add more chicken broth as needed until desired consistency is reached.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

Place shrimp onto the prepared baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste, and gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast just until pink, firm and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes and alfredo sauce. Add pasta mixture to prepared baking dish and top with Parmesan.

Place into oven and bake until golden brown and cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Molasses Bread

I received a copy of The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook (ISBN: 978-1-4454-6788-7) for Christmas and the first recipe I tried was this lovely molasses bread. I use a pastry cutter for cutting in the butter, and it seems to take a bit longer than the top end, 55 minutes, to be completely done, even with my slightly bigger than called for loaf pan, although I'm using a pyrex pan, not metal.

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

5 Tbsp lightly salted butter, plus extra to serve

3 Tbsp molasses

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup currants

1/3 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Grease and line a small 6 ½ x 3 ¾ inch loaf pan.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and spices into a bowl.  Lightly rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Whisk the molasses with the eggs and buttermilk, then stir in the sugar.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the molasses mixture.  Mix with a fork, gradually drawing in the flour from around the edges.

Add the currants and golden raisins, and mix to a soft dough.  Spoon the dough into the prepared loaf pan, leveling the surface with a wet spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and let rest for about 2 hours to cool completely.

Serve spread thickly with butter.

Smoky Four Cheese Macaroni Bake

The boyfriend found this recipe a few years ago, but we haven't made it again because I found some other macaroni and cheese recipes to try and, well, one can only eat so much mac and cheese.  But I've been thinking of this one lately and thought it was time to make it again.  I love the addition of the liquid smoke.  And all the different types of cheese.  I used preshredded cheeses from the store, and because of that, used a colby-jack blend.  And a whole pound of elbow pasta - I don't think I've seen it in 12 ounce packages (although that was a mistake as I lost track and dumped the whole box into the boiling water before I remembered that it was only supposed to be 12oz).


1 (12 ounce) package macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,cubed
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook for 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the garlic, and continue cooking until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 2 minutes more. Slowly stir in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
Stir in the half-and-half and milk, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in mustard powder and liquid smoke; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, along with the cream cheese, Swiss, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheeses; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the drained macaroni noodles. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs over the macaroni
Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Parmesan Soup

This recipe is a home run!  It smelled divine cooking all day, and was well worth the wait when it was FINALLY dinner time!

I found this on Pinterest.  Click here for the original website where it was posted.

I added some chopped tomatoes because I had frozen chopped peppers and tomatoes together that were leftover from a recipe I made at Christmas.  I used dried spices -- 1 tsp basil and about 3/4 tsp oregano.  I had half a red onion so I chopped that instead of a white onion.  I skipped the red pepper flakes.  And I picked gemelli for the pasta because I think it's fun.

It was absolutely fabulous!  I served it with mozzarella stuffed breadsticks from Schwann's (thank you Grandma!) and a salad.

Chicken Parmesan Soup

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 pound (raw) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth, plus additional if needed
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
4 ounces (uncooked) dry gemelli or penne pasta
Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

In slow cooker, stir together garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken, broth, onion, 1/2 cup cheese, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook on high 3-1/2 hours or on low 7 hours.

Transfer chicken breasts to cutting board and coarsely shred; return to slow cooker. Stir in pasta. Cook on high 30 minutes longer or until pasta is cooked al dente. If soup becomes too thick after pasta is cooked, stir in additional broth until desired consistency is reached, and warm through.

Serve garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.

Cranberry-Orange Scones

This was my first attempt at homemade scones.  DEFINITELY a keeper!

This recipe comes from the December 2014 issue of Food Network Magazine.  It is Ina Garten's recipe and it can be made ahead (which is what I did).  Just put them on the pan and cover them in the fridge until you want to bake them.  Then do the egg wash, sugar, and glaze as directed.

I don't have a paddle attachment, so I used regular beaters.  That worked OK until I added the eggs and cream.  At that point the dough spun right up the beaters!  I ended up mixing the cranberries in by hand, which worked fine.

I froze half of the them unbaked.  I plan to thaw them overnight before baking them in the morning.  I'll post an update on how that worked when I do it!

Ina Garten's Cranberry-Orange Scones
Makes 14-16

4 cups plus 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp grated orange zest (2 oranges)
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced (3 sticks)
4 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp water, for egg wash
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
4 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 400.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.  Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas.  Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly add to the flour and butter mixture.  Mix until just blended.  The dough will look lumpy.  Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it into a ball.  Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough just under 1 inch thick.  You should see small bits of butter in the dough.  Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick.  Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough.  Place the scones on the prepared sheet pan.  Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out and cut more circles.

Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash, sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked.  The scones will be firm to the touch.  Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes, then whisk together the confectioner's sugar and orange juice and drizzle over the scones.

I made these for New Year's Day brunch with Caramelized Ham and Swiss Buns and Egg Casserole for Kids.  Fabulous.