hello kids. Things are pretty quiet here at Casa De Lane. Steven is working all weekend and Things One and Two after doing chores went off to play.
Our car is on the fritz.. really sick. Hopefully not TOO sick though. But for now Steven is driving the Mamamobile (My mom's van) to work. BLAH!
I am a chronic recipe repeater, so tonight I revisited the zuppa Tuscana that I made last weekend. It was a winner then and with less spicy sausage it was an even bigger hit. I didnt however get around to making any rolls. Store bought had to suffice.
This weeks menu is kinda boring. I found that it was exhausting to go all Food Network Foodie wannabe on the food last week. So I went a little simpler this week.
Chicken breast sandwiches
fries
Zupa Tuscana
Rolls
Shrimp and Grits (Im pretty excited about this one.. I got some shrimp on special and plan to toss them with some fried chicken tenders,mushrooms,smoked sausage and pour it all over some really creamy cheese grits. YUMM-O!)
Salmon Patties
Homemade mac and cheese
speckled butterbeans
Hamburger Helper ( ew. but the kids like it)
Corn
Baked Potatoes with a choice of chili and/or
broccoli and cheese
I am planning on working on another cookie recipe this week.Its never to early to get ready for Christmas! I lost my favorite Lemon White Chocolate Cashew cookie recipe so I gotta find one online. Im thinking it shouldnt be tooo hard. I just wish I could remember where I got that recipe from. They are AWESOME. I am also going to try and replicate the sweet spicy sauce from Zaxby's. That stuff is like ummm liquid joy. mmmm MMMM mmmm
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
Whats in Your Bag???
I got tagged to do this fun little meme.. and here you are.. what I lug around in my pocketbook.
gum,oragel(Thing One is cutting 12 yr molars and often has sore gums) carmex, a fuzzy purple pen (for obviously, no one should live life without a fuzzy purple pen) children's pepto (Thing Two has a delicate tummy) dramamine (I have a delicate tummy)
hand sanitizer, hairbows (until yesterday I had hair that was to the middle of my back.. today? right at my neckline AKK!) lip glossy, change, a little cash, checkbook, various ID and insurance cards, copies of the custody thingee so that I can take Thing Two to the Dr (they ask every single time If I have authority to take her for medical attention)various coupons and a little black bag that holds all the little junk and a mirror, it is embroidered with my church's name.
thats it.. sooo... Whats in YOUR bag?
Bloggy parade of Homes week 4
This is my cute Coke kitchen. It is SMALL. Dinky, Tiny and otherwise LITTLE. But fo rnow Ive tried to make it fun and workable. As a cook I rely a lot on my kitchen table for workspace.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
This is our Pug friend JAKE
This is our sweet family puppy Jake. He is 3 years old. Ive been reading other people's blogs that included thier pets. I cant be outdone. ;)
Foodie wannabe day 3
Hang on Brian.. just a few more days :)
Tonight I tried making Manicotti from "almost" scratch. (I didnt make my own noodles) It was tasty.. like a really gloppy and badly constructed lasagna. I have no idea what I did that made it all fall apart. But it did. Luckily it all goes to the same place. Im not even going to include the recipe.. since obviously it isnt a good one. Maybe I'll try again next time riccotta cheese is on special at bi-lo.
Ever find a product that you just LOVE? I love soap and bathtime and pretty much anything having to do with warm water and me being in it. BUT, I am out of my favorite body soap. It is making me SAD. I use Johnson and Johnsons Moisture wash with the amber/tan label(there is a scent with pink in the label..but it doesnt smell as good)I cant find it ANYWHERE. It has a pleasing yet mild scent.. and believe me with Steven's allergies? When I find one that pleases both of us I hang on to it..Bath and Body Works makes one he can pretty much handle (Moonlight Path) but I get sick of the same ole same ole.If you see some J&J let me know? I hate when I find something really good and the company discontinues it. GRRR
Tonight I tried making Manicotti from "almost" scratch. (I didnt make my own noodles) It was tasty.. like a really gloppy and badly constructed lasagna. I have no idea what I did that made it all fall apart. But it did. Luckily it all goes to the same place. Im not even going to include the recipe.. since obviously it isnt a good one. Maybe I'll try again next time riccotta cheese is on special at bi-lo.
Ever find a product that you just LOVE? I love soap and bathtime and pretty much anything having to do with warm water and me being in it. BUT, I am out of my favorite body soap. It is making me SAD. I use Johnson and Johnsons Moisture wash with the amber/tan label(there is a scent with pink in the label..but it doesnt smell as good)I cant find it ANYWHERE. It has a pleasing yet mild scent.. and believe me with Steven's allergies? When I find one that pleases both of us I hang on to it..Bath and Body Works makes one he can pretty much handle (Moonlight Path) but I get sick of the same ole same ole.If you see some J&J let me know? I hate when I find something really good and the company discontinues it. GRRR
Snickerdoodles
Today I decided to give the girls one of the great benefits of having a Stay at Home Mom. Freshly baked cookies when they come home from school. This is a recipe that I saw on a food network show about a cookie competition.The dough is pretty sticky to work with, so keep it chilled. The cookies are awesome.They are moist and chewy with just a slight cinnamon flavor. You dont taste the cayanne at all, but I wouldnt want to leave it out since these taste so good.. it might be important! :)
Snickerdoodles
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the cookie dough:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground cayanne pepper
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
To make the cookie dough, stir together the dry ingredients.
In a bowl with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough 1 hour if it's sticky or difficult to handle.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll balls of dough about the size of a walnut then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on an un-greased sheet pan 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Snickerdoodles
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the cookie dough:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground cayanne pepper
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
To make the cookie dough, stir together the dry ingredients.
In a bowl with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough 1 hour if it's sticky or difficult to handle.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll balls of dough about the size of a walnut then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on an un-greased sheet pan 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Foodie wannabee day 2
Today was my second day of fun recipes for the week. Yesterday (Sunday) we ate viking style.. (pillage the fridge) just kinda whatever sounded good.Just making sure to use up leftovers and not open anything new. I made some quesadillas and guacamole for lunch and Steven ate the leftover soup. The kids ate bolgna and were pretty happy with it.
Tonights dinner menu was
Scarborough Fair Roasted Chicken
Garlic smashed potatoes
Steamed green beans and carrots
yeast rolls
I hadnt planned on making more rolls, but instead of sourdough pancakes for later this week I decided to make frenchtoast casserole and for that I wanted some great bread.. so I made another loaf of the Amish bread since we ate the other loaf as toast with fried eggs for sunday breakfast.(YUMM-OH!)
This time I used WAY less oil and baked it a little longer and it set up a little stiffer.. wich I think was better for bread.. but too stiff for the rolls.. should have watched them better so they didnt get dry.
The chicken is a creation of my own...A few months ago, I was bored with regular roasted chicken and was looking over my spice collection. I kept singing that Simon and Garfunkle song "Scarborough Fair".. you know the one "Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme". And I thought, hmmm why not? I created... and I saw that it was good.
Scarborough Fair Roasted Chicken
chicken (I use leg quarters since they are cheap and nice and moist)
1 tsp each Parsley, Sage,and thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary ( I learned the first time that Rosemary is STRONG. You dont need much to give it a BIG flavor.)
salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400
in a bowl mix together spices
trim excess fat off of chicken
genourously salt and pepper chicken and roll around in a bowl to coat totally.
Place in a baking pan youve sprayed with pam
sprinkle with spice mixture
Roast until juices run clear from a piece of chicken youve pierced at the joint.
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
6 or 7 potatoes peeled and cut in half and then into 1 inch cubes
1 can chicken stock
2 or 3 large cloves garlic whole (do not mince!)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
In a pot place potatoes, whole garlic cloves chicken stock and enough water to cover. Boil on med high heat until soft. Drain and fish out the garlic cloves. Discard. Smash potatoes with a masher until chunky. Dont smoosh them till they are smooth you want them to have some bite to them. I do not like them gluey. Fold in butter and sour cream again be careful.If you overmix them they will feel and look like wallpaper paste. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Tune in tommorow for adventures in Italian cooking..Baked Manicotti! I also watched a cookie competition on FN last night.. I might start working on some good cookie recipes I saw. mmmmm snickerdoodles.
Tonights dinner menu was
Scarborough Fair Roasted Chicken
Garlic smashed potatoes
Steamed green beans and carrots
yeast rolls
I hadnt planned on making more rolls, but instead of sourdough pancakes for later this week I decided to make frenchtoast casserole and for that I wanted some great bread.. so I made another loaf of the Amish bread since we ate the other loaf as toast with fried eggs for sunday breakfast.(YUMM-OH!)
This time I used WAY less oil and baked it a little longer and it set up a little stiffer.. wich I think was better for bread.. but too stiff for the rolls.. should have watched them better so they didnt get dry.
The chicken is a creation of my own...A few months ago, I was bored with regular roasted chicken and was looking over my spice collection. I kept singing that Simon and Garfunkle song "Scarborough Fair".. you know the one "Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme". And I thought, hmmm why not? I created... and I saw that it was good.
Scarborough Fair Roasted Chicken
chicken (I use leg quarters since they are cheap and nice and moist)
1 tsp each Parsley, Sage,and thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary ( I learned the first time that Rosemary is STRONG. You dont need much to give it a BIG flavor.)
salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400
in a bowl mix together spices
trim excess fat off of chicken
genourously salt and pepper chicken and roll around in a bowl to coat totally.
Place in a baking pan youve sprayed with pam
sprinkle with spice mixture
Roast until juices run clear from a piece of chicken youve pierced at the joint.
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
6 or 7 potatoes peeled and cut in half and then into 1 inch cubes
1 can chicken stock
2 or 3 large cloves garlic whole (do not mince!)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
In a pot place potatoes, whole garlic cloves chicken stock and enough water to cover. Boil on med high heat until soft. Drain and fish out the garlic cloves. Discard. Smash potatoes with a masher until chunky. Dont smoosh them till they are smooth you want them to have some bite to them. I do not like them gluey. Fold in butter and sour cream again be careful.If you overmix them they will feel and look like wallpaper paste. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Tune in tommorow for adventures in Italian cooking..Baked Manicotti! I also watched a cookie competition on FN last night.. I might start working on some good cookie recipes I saw. mmmmm snickerdoodles.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Food week Day 1.
Much to the chagrin of my friend Brian.. today is day one of a week of food madness. I was a little bored with our recent dinner menus.. so I am spicing things up a little with some handmade, experimental dishes. I plan to make things from scratch and see how my family likes that versus the from the hamburger helper madness we have been experiencing lately. After this week I'll go back to my normal blathering about the day to day here at Casa'de Lane.
Today I made Zuppa Toscanna from a recipe that I got from Olive Garden. Its what Steve-o orders every time we go there so I thought Id try my hand at it. In a word? YUMM-OH! (as Rachel Ray would say)This stuff was fantastic. I cant say that I followed the recipe to the letter.. I substituted whipping cream for the heavy cream (it was on special) and I used chicken stock instead of water and chicken base.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Author/Submitted by: Sonia Borges, guest relations for Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. Published 3/13/96 in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Taste Section.
Servings: 5
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Sausage links, spicy; about 12 links
3/4 cup Diced onions
6 slices Bacon
1 1/4 teaspoons Minced garlic
2 tablespoons Chicken stock base
1 quart Water
2 medium Potatoes, cut in half and then into 1/4 slices
2 cups Kale, cut in half and then sliced
1/3 cup Heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done; cut into half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2 inch slices. Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base, water and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add sausage, kale and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve
I also attempted Tyler Florence's Amish Bread recipe. It was good also. Being that this was my very first attempt at making bread.. I am VERY pround of myself. Bread making is an art.. It takes a whole semester at most Culinary Arts schools to learn to make a proper loaf of good quility bread. Someday, (when I am independantly wealthy and have nothing else to do) I plan to go to culinary school. But for now? I'll be proud of my food network bread. I didnt have two loaf pans.. so I made some rolls out of half of the dough. We ended up eating those with dinner and I plan to make toast and poached eggs for breakfst before church tommorow with the loaf of bread.
Tyler FLorence's Amish Bread Recipe
2 cups warm water (110 degrees )
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
Today I made Zuppa Toscanna from a recipe that I got from Olive Garden. Its what Steve-o orders every time we go there so I thought Id try my hand at it. In a word? YUMM-OH! (as Rachel Ray would say)This stuff was fantastic. I cant say that I followed the recipe to the letter.. I substituted whipping cream for the heavy cream (it was on special) and I used chicken stock instead of water and chicken base.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
Author/Submitted by: Sonia Borges, guest relations for Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. Published 3/13/96 in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Taste Section.
Servings: 5
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Sausage links, spicy; about 12 links
3/4 cup Diced onions
6 slices Bacon
1 1/4 teaspoons Minced garlic
2 tablespoons Chicken stock base
1 quart Water
2 medium Potatoes, cut in half and then into 1/4 slices
2 cups Kale, cut in half and then sliced
1/3 cup Heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done; cut into half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2 inch slices. Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base, water and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add sausage, kale and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve
I also attempted Tyler Florence's Amish Bread recipe. It was good also. Being that this was my very first attempt at making bread.. I am VERY pround of myself. Bread making is an art.. It takes a whole semester at most Culinary Arts schools to learn to make a proper loaf of good quility bread. Someday, (when I am independantly wealthy and have nothing else to do) I plan to go to culinary school. But for now? I'll be proud of my food network bread. I didnt have two loaf pans.. so I made some rolls out of half of the dough. We ended up eating those with dinner and I plan to make toast and poached eggs for breakfst before church tommorow with the loaf of bread.
Tyler FLorence's Amish Bread Recipe
2 cups warm water (110 degrees )
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
Friday, August 18, 2006
I wish I was a foodie
I go through Blog phases. I go for long stretches reading about one subject or another. For a long time I read blogs written by people adopting from China... no particular reason. We wouldnt qualify for it at all, and arent interested in adopting for ourselves. But I am captivated by watching the drama of it unfold. Then I read tons and tons about people who own certain breeds of dogs, travel to foriegn lands, and make lots and lots of money.I also like reading blogs from other moms and thier adventures.
My latest obsession is foodie blogs.
According to www.Wikipedia.com
FOODIE: a person with a discriminating palate and who is knowledgeable in fine food and drink. The word is a corruption of the French word groumet, a valet in charge of the wines. It is often used as an adjective for meals of especially high quality, whose makers or preparers have used especial effort or art in presentation or cooking the meal, or for facilities equipped for preparing such meals, such as a restaurant.
These people arent merely COOKS.. I mean they make food an event. They plan all day what will be for dinner tonight and then immediatly begin planning breakfast.They go to green markets and gourmet food shops. They spend entire weekends searching for the perfect wine pairing and the most beautiful tomatoes. It looks to be a charmed life... of course they are mostly singles..or proffesionals with no kids.. or affluent couples with one wierdo precocious child... Still, it looks like a lot of fun.
Of course living in Dillon, (somewhat of a gourmet wasteland) and with a man whose idea of being gastronomically adventureous is eating a green salad that involves more than cucumbers and iceberg. I am limited.. BUT I am going to give a little shot to being more interesting with what I cook.
Heres a sample of this weeks menu
Zuppa Toscanna
homemade bread
sourdough blueberry pancakes
bacon
Rosemary Roasted Chicken
roasted red potatoes and carrots
almond green beans
Turkey Chili over baked potatoes
chicken quesadillas w fresh salsa
Baked Manicotti
breadsticks
Im going to make everything from scratch.. so wish me luck.. and enjoy the pictures..
My latest obsession is foodie blogs.
According to www.Wikipedia.com
FOODIE: a person with a discriminating palate and who is knowledgeable in fine food and drink. The word is a corruption of the French word groumet, a valet in charge of the wines. It is often used as an adjective for meals of especially high quality, whose makers or preparers have used especial effort or art in presentation or cooking the meal, or for facilities equipped for preparing such meals, such as a restaurant.
These people arent merely COOKS.. I mean they make food an event. They plan all day what will be for dinner tonight and then immediatly begin planning breakfast.They go to green markets and gourmet food shops. They spend entire weekends searching for the perfect wine pairing and the most beautiful tomatoes. It looks to be a charmed life... of course they are mostly singles..or proffesionals with no kids.. or affluent couples with one wierdo precocious child... Still, it looks like a lot of fun.
Of course living in Dillon, (somewhat of a gourmet wasteland) and with a man whose idea of being gastronomically adventureous is eating a green salad that involves more than cucumbers and iceberg. I am limited.. BUT I am going to give a little shot to being more interesting with what I cook.
Heres a sample of this weeks menu
Zuppa Toscanna
homemade bread
sourdough blueberry pancakes
bacon
Rosemary Roasted Chicken
roasted red potatoes and carrots
almond green beans
Turkey Chili over baked potatoes
chicken quesadillas w fresh salsa
Baked Manicotti
breadsticks
Im going to make everything from scratch.. so wish me luck.. and enjoy the pictures..
Bloggy Parade of Homes week 3
This is my dining "room"... well actually its the section of my kitchen in wich the dining table is resident. My kitchen is done in a coca cola motif and it spills into the dining area too. The flowers in the coke pitcher are silks that we used in the centerpieces at my wedding reception and the dried corsages are ones Steven has given me for one reason or another over the years.In case you cant tell I live in an old refurbished trailer house. It is a 1978 model and in pretty unique. You step up three stairs into the kitchen area.. it makes it really interesting and allows for a really high ceiling in the livingroom.I love the BIG window in the dining area and am looking for the right coke themed window treatment. But havent found the right one yet.
Cant wait to see everyones dining rooms!
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