Saturday Afternoon Baking

I was wanting something sweet and remembered this recipe, which I hadn't made in awhile so I decided to pull it out of the cookbook and make it.


Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Ingedrients:

2/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla
4 cups quick cooking oats

Topping:
1 cup milk chocoalte chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup peanut butter

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla; gradually add the oats.  Press into a greased 13x9 baking pan.  Bake at 400 for 10-14 minues or until the edges are golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, for the topping, melt chips and peanut butter in the microwave.  Stir it until it is blended and then spread over warm bars.  Cool completely; refrigerator for 2-3 hrs before cutting.


I hope you enjoy these easy and yummy bars.  Now I need to find a recipe to make tonight with scallops, since we went out for fish last night.

Enjoy,

Kelly

Grilling in the Snow

Well I found a great hamburger recipe from when we were in Arizona and decided to make that tonight.  The spice is from Arizona Rub company and they have a website where you can buy their products.  I highly recommend getting some b/c they are very yummy.  I also made oven potatoes with the burgers. 

BBQ Hamburgers

1.5 Lb 85/15 Hamburger meat
1 egg
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp Arizona Chipotle Rub

Mix all the ingriedents together and let it rest for 30 minutes and then form it 4 hamburgers and grill to your deserved doneness.  Top the burgers with pepperjack or cheddar cheese.

Oven Potatoes

4-6 medium potatoes
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 tbsp Arizona Chipotle Rub

Dice potatoes into bite size pieces, toss with olive oil and then toss the the Rub and toss to evenly coat.  Bake at 450 for 30 minutes.

I hope you enjoy the recipe and the spices.

Kelly

Warm bowl of soup

Before Josh got home from Arizona, I decided to make him a pot of broccoli cheese soup since he was coming home to cooler temps.  I served the soup with a piece of warm bread, which we used to soak up the soup.  I hope this soup warms you up too.



Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups sliced fresh carrots
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1-1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed chicken broth, undiluted
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 pound process cheese (Velveeta), cubed

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add carrots, broccoli and celery; cover and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• In the same saucepan, saute onion in butter. Add flour and stir to make smooth paste. Gradually add chicken broth and milk. Cook until mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes. Add vegetables; heat until tender. Add cheese; heat until cheese is melted.

I think we are going to have hamburgers on the grill tomorrow but I am still looking for a yummy recipe to try.  When I find one, I will definitely share it with you.  Plus, I think I am going to make something sweet tomorrow after work too.  I guess I better get busy looking for 2 recipes.  See you tomorrow.

Kelly

Prepping for Josh's Homecoming

Josh got the call last week Monday morning that he was heading back to Arizona for a week so I decided to sit down and make my menu for when he comes home since he had to eat fast food all week.  So I decided to make one of his favorite things ahead of time b/c then he can put it into the oven while I am on my way home from work.  I can't wait for him to come home b/c I also found a few other recipes to try out on him.  I hope you enjoy one of our favorite recipes, stuffed manicotti.


Four Cheese & Sausage Stuffed manicotti

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) package MANICOTTI, uncooked
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 (15- or 16-ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg


Prepare  manicotti as package directs. In large skillet, over medium heat, brown sausage; pour off fat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg; mix well. Stuff  MANICOTTI. Spread half the sauce on bottom of greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange  MANICOTTI over sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over  MANICOTTI; cover. Bake 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Uncover; top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer. Refrigerate leftovers.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.  I plan on serving it with garlic bread and a side salad.  This reciped makes great leftovers, also.  Plus, I have split this recipein half and froze one since it makes a 9x13 pan and that's too much for 2 people, which is nice to have all ready put together and all you have to do is thaw out and heat.  I can't wait to share my other new recipes with you later this week.  I hope everyone has a great week and happy cooking.

Kelly

Craving Brownies

So it was a rough day at work and I need something with chocolate in it.  So I decided to make my favorite frosted brownies and thought I would share that recipe with you guys too.  I hope you enjoy as much as I do.  I can't wait for the brownies to cool so I can frost and enjoy.

Ultimate Chocolate Brownies


Ingredients

• 3/4 cupHERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoonbaking soda
• 2/3 cupbutter or margarine, melted and divided
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cupssugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/3 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoonsalt
• 1 cupHERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (recipe follows)

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan or two 8-inch square baking pans.
   
2. 2 Stir together cocoa and baking soda in large bowl; stir in 1/3 cup butter. Add boiling water; stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla and salt; blend completely. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.
   
3. 3 Bake 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan, 30 to 35 minutes for square pans or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost with ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. Cut into squares. About 36 brownies.
   
   ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
   6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
   2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
   1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
   1/3 cup milk
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   
   Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk,
   beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla.
   About 2 cups frosting.

I hope these brownies satisfy your chocolate craving as much they did for me.  Tomorrow has to be a better day...I hope.

Kelly

Hubby made supper tonight!!!!

Tonight Josh made me supper, which is a change.  I mean he loves to cook and will help me but this time he did everything from start to finish.  He made Broiled Orange Roughy with pasta.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tspn Lemon juice
1 tsp seasoning blend
6 orange roughy fillets (about 7 oz each)

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, and seansoning blend; spoon over the fish.  Broil 4-5 in from the heat for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

We served this with pasta that he made a butter wine sauce to put over the fish and pasta.

We enjoyed the rest of the bottle of white wine, which was yummy.  He did a great job at making supper.  I think he can make it from now on since he is home.  Not quite sure if he will agree to that.

See you tomorrow.

Kelly

It's Been Too Long

I told myself that I was going to get back into the habit of publishing my recipes this year since my last recipe was over a month ago.  So here we go.  Tonight for supper Josh and I are going to have Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops with Riscotto.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side.


I cheated with the risotto b/c I used a mix.  It was called Alessi Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms.  I also added cream of mushroom soup mix over the pork chops and rice to help tie the flavors together.

For something sweet I put together Rhubarb Crisp since I wasn't home this summer to enjoy my rhubarb fresh.

Rhubarb Crisp:

Crisp:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
34 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together, reserve 1 cup for the top, and then pat the remaining into a 9x13 pan. 

Rhubarb Mix:
4 cups of rhubarb placed in a bowl with 3 tbsp sugar and put that aside.

In a medium kettle place:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp Vanilla

Cook this on the stove top, whisking constantly, until sauce thckens.

Then pour the rhubarb over the crumb mix in the pan, pour glaze over the rhubarb and then top with the reserved crumbs.

Bake for 1 hr at 350.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and see you tomorrow, I think we will be having meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  Yummy!!!!

Kelly