my mom cooks good.

Hey.

Gage here.

I decided that my mom makes the best food ever. And just for me. (okay, so just for breakfast and lunch. She has to cook what dad wants for dinner. boo. He just doesn't get it)

I decided you needed to hear about what she made for lunch today.

1 potato, peeled, washed and diced.
2 or 3 slices of green pepper, diced.
1/2 cup of black beans, rinsed.
3 florets of broccoli.
1 handful of fresh cilantro, rinsed and chopped.
1/2 pat of butter.
(okay, you can add whatever vegetables you have in your fridge, at least that is what my mom says. I say I like it this way. Last week she made potatoes and fresh parsley. I mean come on, really? PARSLEY! I still ate it like a champ)

Put all of your veggies in boiling water.
(or steam them, whatever. My mom is laaaa-zy.)
Boil until tender. Add butter and cilantro. Stir to combine.

Yum.

That is how my mom forces me to eat vegetables. Okay, so not really. I love vegetables.

It's the milk in a sippy that gets to me. Blech! Oh, and how to keep my food in my bowl and not on the floor. Bwah-ha-ha.

p.s. Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Being 1 is not too shabby.

i love pizza.

Especially margarita pizza.
(best pizza EVER here. You must try it. And then get some Gelato. I love the avocado flavor!)

yum.

I have tried making a lot of different types of crusts over the years, this one has got to be one of my favorites. You should definitely try it if you like making thin crust pizza. It does take a little while. You have to leave it in your fridge overnight. The batch will easily make 6 pizzas though. I make two and freeze the rest for later use.

When I make margarita pizza, I just spread a thin layer of thinly cut tomatoes over the dough. Salt the tomatoes a bit. Add some fresh mozzarella. Bake. Fresh basil and voila! It's so good.


(This is a terrible photo, but it tastes good so that is all that matters)


This is what we will be making with the pizza dough sitting in our fridge. You need to try it too. I am pretty sure it is fighting to be my favorite pizza.

oh. my. yum.

my summer just got a whole lot better.

brazilian lemonade

2 limes

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups water

3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk
ice (some for the blender too - i like mine a little watery)

wash limes and cut the ends off. cut into about 8 pieces.

blend all together (yes, with the rind)

strain.

poor over ice.

Mmm.
try not to drink it all.
it's a struggle.

have you ever had asparagus pizza?

you must.

soon.


very soon.


oh my yum.
make sure you squeeze some fresh lemon on it. delish.


Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Recipe Blog

I don't know if anyone still remembers or ever looks at the recipe blog (Anything Cooking ), but I have been neglecting it for awhile.  Today, I finally tried to make it more user friendly.  I made a list of all the available recipes.  You should be able to just click on the recipe and go there.  Makes it much easier.

If you are not yet an author of the blog, we'd love to add you!  Send me an email.  (dustynkamieATgmailDOTcom)  We'd love to hear of your favorite recipes or any tips or tricks that you have in the kitchen!

Craving something from the Olive Garden?

I was.

Mmmm.

So I made some Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup.  Yu-um!

Want the recipe?

Here ya go!

1 lb ground Italian sausage

1½ tsp crushed red peppers

1 large diced white onion

4 Tbsp bacon pieces

2 tsp garlic puree

10 cups water  (I used 4 cans of Chicken Broth in place of the water and bouillon)

5 cubes of chicken bouillon

1 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes

¼ of a bunch of kale

Sautee Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, sautee bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.

Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.

Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

Add heavy cream and cook until thoughouly heated.

Stir in the sausage.

Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

It was really, really good and tasted quite similar to the real thing!

Some different recipes!

I was watching Studio 5 today and they had a recipe for Pickle Pie. They say it's good. I am kinda interested to try it. If anyone does, let me know what you think! ) I think it actually sounds good!

The Sunglow Motel-Cafe in Bicknell, Utah serves the unique Pickle Pie, developed by Cula Ekker.
This is their recipe, as it appeared in a Salt Lake Tribune article that is framed and hangs on the cafe's wall.

Pickle Pie

Ingredients
5 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup + 2 tbsp. light cream
1/8 cup margarine, melted
12 oz. sweet pickles, drained and ground
2 unbaked 9-inch pie shells

Method

Beat eggs and sugar until lemon colored and thick; beat in cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon extract, cornstarch, cream and margarine. Stir ground sweet pickles into mixture.
Pour pickle mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour to one hour and 15 minutes, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Makes two pies.
[edit]Notes

(Some suggestions from the website) Note: Although the recipe says to bake for one hour to one hour and 15 minutes, I'd suggest checking it earlier (perhaps at 45 minutes) just to be safe, because when I tested it at one hour the pies I made were already clearly past done.
Note: I found by accident that increasing the pickles from 12 oz. to about 17 oz. introduces a distinct "fruity" flavor that the original recipe does not have. Both versions are very good, in my opinion!

And then - my friend Lisa posted a recipe that I wanted to try, but have yet to do. I hope she doesn't mind, but I am going to post it here.

Barbeque Spice Cookies
* 1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
* 1/2 cup KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Sauce (or any brand/variety-- I used Kraft honey)
* 2 cups sugar
* 2 eggs
* 4 cups of flour
* 4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 cup tubinado or granulated sugar

Melt butter in a large bowl. Add BBQ sauce, sugar and eggs to melted butter and beat well. Sift together flour, baking soda and spices. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until flour is incorporated. Refrigerate several hours until the dough is firm. Make dough into small balls (3/4 inch diameter) and roll in tubinado or granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until firm. Refrigerated dough can also be shaped into a 1-inch thick roll and sliced. Dip the slices in sugar before baking.

So if you want something a little different for the 4th, maybe this will help you out! :)

Christmas Eve Par-ta!

I was trying to decide what to make for our Christmas Eve party.

I am a HUGE fan of Nutella!

YUM!! So I decided to make Nutella Rolls and decided I'd share the recipe!

NUTELLA ROLLS
(these amounts will make 16)

2 pkg. crescent rolls
13 oz. container Nutella (it's a hazelnut spread; found near the peanut butter)
1-2 bananas (optional)
powdered sugar

Spread out a crescent roll triangle, drop a spoonful of Nutella in the middle, add a slice of banana if that sounds good to you, and then wrap it up. Place these on a baking sheet (I'm a big fan of the Pampered Chef baking stones). Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and put them in the oven at 375 for about 15 minutes, or whenever they are golden.

And I decided to make a Cheese Ball! Here is the recipe for it!

CHEESE BALL

1 jar of Roka Blue Cheese
1 jar of New English Cheese
1 pkg of Cream Cheese

Mix all ingredients and put in the fridge to set. On some saran wrap, spread some crushed nuts (almonds are good, but today I am using pecans.) Scoop cheese onto nuts and from a ball.

Fall Recipes

Here are a few of my favorite cookie/cheesecake recipies for fall!


Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 Graham cracker piecrust
1 12oz. Cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs

Mix cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin pie spice on medium speed. Stir in Pumpkin. Add eggs and mix until blended. Pour into crust.
Bake @ 350° for 40 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate for 3 hours.


The BEST Ginger Snaps
2 c sugar
1 1/2 c melted margarine
1/2 c molasses
2 eggs
4 1/2 c flour
3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
sugar

In a large bowl beat sugar, margarine, molasses, & eggs until light and fluffy. (takes quite awhile…. Should be caramely in color) Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix well with wet ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat oven to 350°. Shape dough in 2 inch balls, and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes (cook until they start cracking on top), cool 1 minute. Remove immediately. Do not leave on the cookie sheet for more than 1 minute before removing.


Pumpkin Cookies
1/2 c. Unsalted Butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Large Egg
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
(I add dark choc chips)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Add egg. Mix in pumpkin and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Mix into butter mixture. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for a minute before transferring to wire racks.


*edit* Want something a little healthier? Calamity Jane has a Recipe here that I tried today and it was really really good!! Her blog is great! She has some really good basic principles to help anyone lose weight and change their lifestyles.

A yummy recipe!

Joel's Jerk Chicken Pineapple Pasta

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple tidbits with juice
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon jerk seasoning mix
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces dry fettuccini noodles
DIRECTIONS
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the pineapple and its juice, coconut, brown sugar, jerk seasoning, cinnamon, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Toss chicken mixture with drained pasta.

FYI: I think that I would perfer rice. I am using rice next time I make this dish.

Cinnamon Rolls

Yesterday Dustyn wanted some Cinnamon Rolls, so I made some. They were sooo good. I just ate one for lunch.... and no this is not helping me loose weight. Oh well. It sure was worth it though! :) So if anyone wants a good, fast, easy Cinnamon Roll Recipe... this is a good one. (I use a bread machine)

Cinnamon Rolls
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

In saucepan, heat 1 cup milk, water, and 1/4 cup butter until very warm
(butter doesn't need to be completely melted). Place milk mixture,
salt, flour, yeast, sugar, and eggs in the pan of the bread machine in
the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle. Press
Start.

Once Dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread machine.
Punch down, and divide into 2 parts. On a floured surface, roll each
part into a large rectangle. Smear each rectangle with the softened
butter. Combine the cinnamon and 3/4 cup sugar. Sprinkle over the
rectangles. Generously sprinkle the raisins and/or chopped nuts over
the top.

Roll the dough up into two logs starting at the long side. Cut each log
into 12 slices. Place the rolls cut side down into two 9x13 inch
greased baking pans. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost
doubled (about 30 minutes).

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 to 25
minutes, or until golden. Combine the confectioners' sugar, 3
tablespoons melted butter, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons milk. Frosting
should be thick. Spread over baked rolls and enjoy.

YUMMY! :)