A Cooking Baker

Need a new way to do pork? This one looked really good to me - saw it in a recent email from Cooks Illustrated .  I can't try it tonight since we're headed to the school auction, but the combination of the brown sugar and the pepper sounds delish!  Definitely do the fresh rosemary if you can, too - it's way better.   I have some in my herb garden every year.  I'll add this to the meal plan for next week and get a photo posted soon. Update: the kids weren't  GIANT fans of the peppery crust - they preferred to hide it with A1 (gasp!) or cut it off (sigh).  I liked it, but I did grind the peppercorns fairly large, and cut the sugar down, so I'd probably change that a little bit, but it was definitely something new and different. Pepper-Crusted Pork Loin  3 tablespoons light brown sugar  2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper (the more coarse it is, the hotter the pepper will be)  2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary  1 1/...

I'm just a regular person who loves to cook, not a fancy schmanzy chef, so I think it's only fair to tell you that I mess up a lot in the kitchen.  Like last night, for example.... I was whipping up the Parmesan Chive Cream Sauce for the chicken on the grill, and all was coming together beautifully, when just as I poured the last of the half & half into my pan, a chunk plopped in.  AAAAHHHHHH!!!!  I had even checked the expiration date and done the sniff check.... It was painful to throw out the sauce, and of course, I had nothing else to make it with, so we had some naked chicken (though it was Smart Chicken , and it was VERY tasty, even plain!).  I admit, I did sulk a little bit during dinner, though.  Just thought I'd share - what's one of your most recent kitchen disasters? P.S.  The lesson to learn from this is to measure your liquids and eggs and things into a measuring cup or bowl first, so that if an egg turns ...

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks - I found them in a family cookbook I made years ago, and thought I'd share, especially as outdoor eating season is approaching:   Bacon ­Cook up a pound of bacon, cool it and pat dry.  Put in a freezer storage bag and crumble it.  Store in the freezer and use whatever you need to add to dishes. No More Bees at Your Picnic! Sprinkle sprigs of fresh mint among the dishes at your picnic table, and the bees will stay away.  It really works! Reheat Pizza Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat until warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on a cooking channel and it really works. Measuring Cups Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out in an hour or...

The house smells so good right now. The kids requested spaghetti, and I didn't have any sauce in the house, so I decided to make my own.  I happened to have a giant can (102 oz.) of diced tomatoes on hand so I decided to make a triple batch.  In the summer when my tomato plants are producing, I like to freeze them for use in the cooler weather months.  Here's the recipe I sort of followed, in single-batch quantities.  This is a great recipe to double (or triple), and freeze. Oh So Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (could use a combination of beef & Italian sausage) 1 onion, chopped 1 tbsp. minced garlic (like a heaping tablespoon!) 3 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained 1 can (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste  1½  tsp. oregano ½ tsp. basil (or use 1 tbsp.-ish of fresh if you have it - 1 tbsp. fresh generally = 1 tsp. dried) ½ tsp. parsley (use fresh flat leaf if yo...

Soup season is wrapping up in our house. We occasionally make soup in the spring or summer, but it's usually to take advantage of fresh, seasonal veggies and herbs.  We stick to lighter, brighter flavors.  Since we've got a bit of cooler weather predicted for this week, you might want to whip up one more comfort food-inspired soup recipe. Here's a freezer-friendly one from a friend you can whip up for tonight, with plenty to freeze for another day or share with a friend! Big Batch Beefy Vegetable Soup 2 lbs boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into small pieces ½ cup butter ¼ cup flour 1 ½ qts water 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped carrot 1 cup chopped celery 1-10 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables 1-28 oz can tomatoes, undrained and chopped (I like to use petite diced) 1-15 oz can tomato sauce with tomato bits 1 bay leaf 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ tsp dried thyme 1 ½ T beef bouillon granules (or you can use a can of beef broth) 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. freshly grou...

I'm thinking I need to change Meal Plan Monday to Meal Plan Sunday - I do more of my thinking then.... So expect a more timely meal plan post NEXT week! Here's what we hope to do this week: Monday:  c hicken chili & trying a new cornbread a la Wildtree (thanks, Anne!) Tuesday:  beef stir fry with brown rice Wednesday: grilled chicken with green beans and roasted baby red potatoes (I might try the Parmesan Chive Cream Sauce ) Thursday:  spaghetti & chopped salads Friday: BCS Auction night means dinner out with my husband! (sorry kids, leftovers for you) Saturday: Sloppy Joes, fruit salad, chips or fries Sunday: paninis - with leftover lunch meats, grilled chicken, spinach, peppers, and any other cheeses and veggies we have in the fridge

Mmmmmm.  Cookies....   Today is chilly, so it's a good day to bake some cookies!  I’m always asked for the recipe when I bring these.  I usually double the batch, and make the cookies a little smaller, but if you like a big cookie, go for it!  You could make a bigger batch and freeze some of the formed cookies to throw in the oven or share when you bring a meal, too.  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick) ¾ c. smooth peanut butter ½ c. granulated sugar ½ c. dark brown sugar 1 large egg ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 c. all-purpose flour ¾ tsp. baking soda 6 oz. semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped coarsely (or buy the chocolate chunks) Heat oven to 325 – 350, depending on oven.  In mixing bowl (use paddle attachment on electric mixer), cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until com...

This one is downright dangerous.  I'm not usually seduced by sweets, but this is one of those cakes that you bake and then have to keep coming back to the pan to trim the edges and make sure they're straight, and then suddenly 1/3 of the pan is gone.  I got this recipe from my mother-in-law.  Maybe if the weather cools off, I can console myself by baking one of these babies... Texas Sheet Cake 2 c. sugar 2 c. flour ½ c. buttermilk 1 tsp. baking soda 2 eggs ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla 2 sticks butter or margarine 4 tbsp. cocoa 1 c. hot water Melt margarine, add cocoa and hot water. Bring to a rapid boil.  Pour over dry ingredients.  Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.  Bake in a large, greased jellyroll pan for 15-20 minutes at 350 ° F.   (The Pampered Chef Stoneware Jelly Roll Pan is PERFECT for this - BTW, I think Pampered Chef should start sending some product my way for all these plugs...just sayin'.)  For...

This is my new go to "bring" for the season. I was inspired by this diced fruit salad from Mizz Martha - in fact, I have the original print out from MANY years ago - it survived several moves. And I never bothered to do anything with it.  So here's my interpretation: Seriously, it's not even a recipe, but I love the idea of a "deconstructed" fruit salad.  I had a small platter, and I ran out of room for the mint, so I just sprinkled a little on top, and left some "plain" fruit for the kiddos who would be partaking.  I like the Martha way of tossing it all together with some lime juice, too - I just sprinkled a little on top, again, because of the kids. You can customize it to whatever is in season (or on sale), or whatever makes you happy as you're strolling down the produce aisle.  Anyway, just wanted to share - this is a SUPER easy, but pretty! dish to bring when you're headed to someone's house or a potluck.  Speaking of w...

Our chives are back, and I can't wait to use them!  There's nothing like walking out into the garden and snipping some fresh herbs while you're cooking.  I love it!  I have rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, and of course, chives.  They're the only ones showing up so far.  Here are a few of our favorite recipes with chives, and a few we have on the "to try" list.  I don't like fish - sorry, I know that's lame, but I don't.  If you do, just google chive recipes or check out www.foodnetwork.com, etc. and you'll find lots of fish recipes with chives.  Chive Lime Butter This one is fantastic on sweet corn, or even on grilled chicken or pork.  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika (optional) Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) Wh...

At Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY this past summer. My teenager could consume a bottle of Frank's Buffalo sauce every week. I love me some Buffalo sauce, but in MODERATION.  That's why when I see recipes for crock pot Buffalo chicken, I hesitate, thinking, could a family with varying loves of hotness do a whole batch?  Our family, YES, with the bottle on the table to add more sauce for those who needed it.  Yours, you decide.  Here's my solution for the family with varying tastes: Prepare a batch of shredded chicken in your crock pot - I like to buy a large number of breasts, toss them all in with a cup of broth or water, a diced onion, and a little salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Then I let it go on medium or low, and check mid-day to make sure it's not drying out.  When it's cooked through, I shred it with 2 forks. THEN, you can reserve some of the plain chicken for the littles or those who don't do Buffalo, and either mix in a little BBQ sauce, or ...

I LOVE THESE!!! So easy, so tasty, and so cute - they are an awesome dessert for parties - I like to do these and chocolate mousse cups (I'll explain below), or even chocolate dipped strawberries, and then arrange them on a tiered serving tray.   Don't fill them too far in advance, though.  The phyllo shells will get soggy if you do it too soon. I make the filling, stick it in the fridge, and then just before serving, I spoon the filling into the shells and sprinkle with lime zest or add a blackberry on top. Key Lime Tartlets ½ c. cream cheese, softened (Neufchatel is fine) ¼ c. sweetened condensed milk 2 tbsp. key lime juice ¼ tsp. lime zest 15 phyllo tarts (1 box – look for them in or near the frozen section of the grocery store) 2 thin slices of lime cut into 8ths for garnish (or berries) Combine cream cheese and condensed milk.   Mix until light and fluffy.   Add lime juice and lime zest, then mix thoroughly.   Chill 1 hour, then sp...

Quick and easy – these are sooo good! These are a favorite meal in the summertime.  My mom and I went to a cooking class years ago by Stacy Joers, and this was one of the recipes - definitely a keeper.  I've often served them for a larger gathering, and had platters arranged so people can build their own wraps.    We're doing these tonight on the grill, unless the rain forces us inside to the grill pan. BBQ Chicken Caesar Wraps   3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt & Pepper to taste Barbeque sauce to taste (use your favorite BBQ sauce) 1 head romaine lettuce Caesar dressing (make your own or use store bought) 6 10” flour tortillas Red onion (optional) Season chicken breasts with salt& pepper to taste.  Grill or broil until done.  During the last 5 minutes of cooking, brush chicken breasts liberally on both sides with BBQ sauce.  This is important - if you go slathering the sauce on right away, you lose ...

Here's another one for the grill! We just grilled some burgers tonight to make it quick, since we're engrossed in the March Madness action - one of the few nights that I am cool with the meal being eating in front of the TV.  But we threw these on the grill the other night, and they were quite tasty.  We had these in our most recent freezer meal swap, so this week's weather was the perfect excuse to pull them out.  I'm not a big fan of baking these - I think grilling or broiling is best. Honey Garlic Pork Chops 1/3 cup lemon juice                             1/3 cup honey 2 T. Soy Sauce                         4 tsp. cooking sherry 2 gloves garlic, minced        ...

Mmmmm.  Steak. We love our red meat in this family.  It is, and needs to be, a limited part of our diet, and our tastes and preferences have changed quite a bit over the years.  We're more concerned about where the meat is coming from and how it was raised, for sure.  It's great to see more stores and restaurants carrying better beef, and more people supporting local producers.  I don't often marinate our steaks - if we get a really good cut, then I want to taste the meat.  But, this marinade is great for dressing up a more economical cut - it's been in the "keeper pile" for years.  It comes from Martha Stewart Living Magazine (the July 2002 issue, to be exact - check out the photo from a few years ago).  It's great with some asparagus and potatoes - throw 'em right on the grill with your meat.  Enjoy! Steak Marinade 1 bunch scallions ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce ¼ c. soy sauce 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper ½ ...

It's 72 degrees out on March 14 - in Wisconsin!  We're loving this weather, and it's time to fire up the grill(s) in our house a lot more.  We use gas when we're in a hurry or want to control the temp better (I'm no Steve Raichlen), and fire up the charcoal grill when we have a little more time and it's warmer out.  Here are a few favorites to get you grilling - enjoy! Marinated Flank Steak (a family favorite) Key West Chicken Kebabs (had these the other night - yum!) Honey Lime Chicken (a summer favorite, with a delish fresh, sweet corn salad) Blue Cheese, Bacon & Chive Stuffed Pork Chops (our chives are coming up already - yay!) Grilled Asparagus with Blue Cheese Sauce (honestly, though, you don't need the blue cheese - it tastes great on the grill alone!) There are lots more on the blog - take a spin and find something to grill tonight! 

I love my slow cooker so very, very much.  I've got lots going on today, and I don't feel like dirtying a ton of dishes, so last night I threw the ingredients for slow cooker pepper steak together, and I'll start it up before we all run in different directions.  This is one of the boy's favorites, served over brown rice.  This can easily be done for a freezer meal - we've done it before.   Slow Cooker Pepper Steak  1-1/2 – 2 lb. beef round steak, cut into smaller pieces ¼ c. soy sauce 1 c. chopped onion 1 garlic clove, minced (go ahead and do 2!) 1 tsp. sugar (I left it out, didn’t notice) ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper ¼ tsp. ground ginger (I've used fresh, yum!) 4 tomatoes, cut into 1/8’s or 1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid 1 green & 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips (package separately) Include 1 pkg. egg noodles or rice with each bag  Have on hand:   2 T. cornstarch To freeze:   Cut beef into strips (appro...

It was so nice out today - grilling season in WI is near! Here's a fresh take on marinated, grilled chicken - definitely trying this as a freezer meal, probably as kebabs, with 2 per person.  The original recipe said the cilantro was optional, but in my world, that's not an option.  This weekend, we were in a hurry, since we had somewhere to be after church, so we skipped the "kebabbing" and just grilled the breasts whole.  Then we sliced the meat and ate it with the pita bread warmed up on the grill with some veggies.  Everyone liked it! Key West Grilled Chicken (Kebabs) * 3 tbsp. soy sauce * 1/4 c. honey (needed a little more since we had 5 large breasts) * 1 tbsp. EVOO * Juice of 1 lime (I had small ones, so did 1-1/2) * 2-3 cloves garlic, minced * 1-2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped * 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts In a small bowl combine soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic.  Either marinate the breasts whole, or cut i...

I am getting tired of shredded meat. We've had a few meal swaps recently where we've done carnitas, Italian beef, shredded BBQ chicken, BBQ pork, etc.  On their own, all are awesome.  When that's all you have left in your freezer, you get sick of shredded meat.  So tonight, since I forgot to thaw the pork chops and they were rock solid, I grabbed some BBQ chicken, and I made something delish!!  Check it out: I tossed some mixed greens on a plate, then added some diced Roma tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, a little sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, cranked on some freshly ground black pepper, and then added some of the shredded BBQ chicken (heated through) and topped with a teeny bit of homemade Ranch dressing.  IT. WAS. AWESOME.  The kids and husband had some BBQ chicken on a roll for a sandwich, but I think mine was way better...

Prepared well, asparagus is perfect with a little salt and pepper.  But if you want to add a little something extra, try this simple blue cheese sauce! Asparagus with Blue Cheese Sauce 1 lb. asparagus 2 tsp. red wine vinegar 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. fresh chives, minced 4 tbsp. blue cheese, crumbled white pepper to taste To make the sauce, stir together vinegar and oil in a small bowl.  Add blue cheese and chives and mix well, set aside. Snap ends off asparagus spears. Mist with olive oil, and grill until tender.  (Can also roast in the oven - see photo below.)  Arrange asparagus on a serving plate.  Spoon blue cheese sauce over the grilled asparagus, and serve.

What to serve on the side??? Lots of people I know freak out about meal planning because of side dishes.  My problem is forgetting about all of the great recipes for sides I find, and then always going back to the old stand-bys: potatoes in some form, rice, salad, veggies, fruit, chips.... Here are a few that I've pinned or saved recently, and will try to work into my meal plans soon: Baked Parmesan Tomatoes Mini Wedge Salads - YUM, and cute, too!  Why wait for a special occasion?  Cauliflower Poppers - or try this one: Balsamic & Parmesan Cauliflower Green Bean Casserole - it's not just for Thanksgiving! Roasted Broccoli Quinoa (Costco sells a big bag of it for a good price, otherwise, it's by the rice or organic foods) Honey Glazed Carrots (tweaks: slice 2 c. whole carrots into "coins" and cut honey to 2 tbsp., brown sugar to 1 tbsp.) Sau t ée d Spinach with Red Onion, Blue Cheese & Bacon Whole Wheat Couscous with Parm &...

Four words, baby: soup. salad. and. breadsticks. I'm going to admit it here.  I would rather go to a million other Italian restaurants than The Olive Garden (Ristorante Bartolotta, Lousie's, Zarletti.... I could go on).  [Gasp.]   No offense, it's just not my thing.  I do, however, like their "Soup, Salad & Breadsticks" lunch thingy, and go once or twice a year.  I say, forget the whole "dry" breadsticks thing, by the way - that really isn't going to make it that much healthier, and you should just LIVE and enjoy the butter and garlic and goodness, IMHO.  I also would rather wear sweats on the beach, so maybe all you dry breadstick people are flaunting it in bikinis, and I'm missing out, but.... Anyway, I pretty much always get the Zuppa Toscana, and when I found this recipe a few years ago, I was a happy camper.   Enjoy! Tuscan Soup  6 cups chicken broth 1 white onion, chopped 1-2 garlic cloves,minced 1 lb. spicy Italian sausage (li...