bbq desserts: January 2010

Baking: Do you love to bake?

One of my favorite things to do is bake. I like to cook, but LOVE to bake. There is something about baking a beautiful and yummy cake, or cookies or my personal favorite....brownies! Brownies are yummy goodness....especially warm with fudge sauce on top with ice cream melting off to the side....oh sweet mother!!!!!

I found an awesome new website, Bakerella, today thanks to The Farm Chicks. Does this website not scream YUMMY? I am not a peach person, but that Peach Crunch Cake looks so good....something that would be delish on a cold winter day after filling up on soup or spicy chili. It kinda reminds me of my momma's Peach Cobbler that our family loves. You can't go wrong with that much butter!

Image courtesy of Bakerella

The Smore Cupcakes looks devine! My girls loves smores so I will be baking these up soon. These look so much less messier than the original summer favorite.

Image courtesy of Bakerella

Ohhhhhh....these brownies look devine! I will definately be making a batch of these....Brownie Candy Cups.

Image courtesy of Bakerella.

So, as you can see, this website had me at hello and I can't wait to start baking up some yummy goodness goodies!

Valentine Projects for the Girls to Take to School

I want to do something different this year other than the normal Valentine card. We can't give out homemade goodies to the students but we can for the teachers. I think this is a super cute idea from The Farm Chicks for the teachers and maybe the front office as well.

I like this idea for treat bags for them to handout to their classmates.

Valentine Treat Packages

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Or maybe something like this on a smaller scale for the teachers.

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Candy and Tulip Bouquet

As an avid reader, this is a cute idea:

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Heart Shaped Bookmark

This would be cute for the girls to give to their best friends:

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

This would be cute as classroom treats. Super cute!

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Valentine Treat Cup

These are just a few of the projects that I have been looking at for Valentine's day. I am going to keep looking because I am sure that there is more awesome projects.

Chicken Marengo

The restaurant I worked at while in college, Michael's Grill, used to have this dish on their menu. Then I was watching Food Network on Saturday and their new host Melissa d'Arabian made her version on Ten Dollar Dinners. So I figured I would finally try this dish that supposedly was first made for Napoleon Bonaparte after the Battle of Marengo. (A little history lesson for you along with a recipe.) Here is my version.

Ingredients:
3 Chicken Breasts, sliced in half to make into cutlets
salt and pepper
All-Purpose Flour
Olive Oil
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 (12-ounce) package of sliced button mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 to 1/2 cup black olives, sliced (optional)
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lighly dust in the flour. Heat about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

Return the skillet to the heat. Add a little more oil if needed, throw in the onion, yellow pepper, and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. You want the vegetables to still have a little firmness. Add the wine and let cook for a couple of minutes. Once the wine cooks out, add the chicken broth and tomatoes to the pan. Return the chicken to the skillet along with any juices and simmer in the sauce for 5 to 10 mintues. Once the chicken is cooked through, finish with olives and parsley.

Serve over cous cous or rice.

Safeway Deals: Fruit Snacks, Pillsbury Rolls and more

I stopped in Safeway for some good deals today. Here is what I got:

3 - 12 packs of soda...Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew and Mug RB
    @ $2.66 each
2 - boxes of Annies Mac & Cheese
    @ $.99 each
     used this coupon (printed twice) and got both boxes free!
6 - boxes of Betty Crocker fruit rollups, gushers and bugs
    @ $1.00 box (used this coupon, or here, plus this cellfire coupon) and got 6 boxes for $3.00
2 - 5 pack Mac & Cheese
     @ $4.49 each (the pack had a coupon for Nabisco Snack Packs)
2 - Nabisco Snack Packs - 12 pack variety
     @ $4.49 each (used the coupons on the Kraft Mac & Cheese boxes) and got them for $1.99 each
2 - boxes Stash Chai Spice Tea
     @ $2.99 each (used this coupon) and got them for $1.99 each
1 - Quilted Northern TP 12 pack
    @ $5.99
2 - Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
    @ $1.99 each (used this coupon, plus this shortcuts coupon, and cellfire coupon) made
      them $1.98 for both
2 - Pillsbury Orange Sweet rolls
    @ $1.98 each (used this coupon, plus this shortcuts coupon and cellfire coupon) made
      them $1.88 for both
2 - Pillsbury Toaster Strudels
    @ $2.50 each (used this coupon, plus this shortcuts coupon and cellfire (coupon) made
      them $2.90 for both
1 - 18 pack of eggs
    @ $1.99
1 - gallon of milk
   @$1.99 each
4 - Safeway piecrusts
    @ $.99 each
1 - bag of mixed veggies
   @ $2.50

I also used a $2.50 catalina that I had.

My total was $54.89. I saved $53.59.
I also received 3 more catalinas.
- $2.00 off from Pillsbury
- $1.50 off from General Mills
- $1.50 off from General Mills

Not bad for snack items and yummy rolls!

Blue Cheese Pasta

I am a lover of all cheeses, but blue cheese is one of my favorite, so this dish is right up my alley. It is deliciously creamy without any cream or milk. It is great as a side dish to accompany a steak, like we had tonight. However, with the meaty mushrooms in it, it could be served as a main course with a little side salad and crusty bread. Recipe courtesy of the Mr. Food Cooks Pasta cookbook.

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 and 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup minced scallion
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti al dente, according to the package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, place the butter, blue cheese and chicken broth. Stir until the mixture has thickened slightly (enough to coat the back of a spoon), about 5 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms, scallion, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes more. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and toss to blend thoroughly. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

New Blog: Knock Off Wood

While I was reading through one of my fav blogs (EVER!), they shared a new website. OMG! This has to be one of the best blogs! Ana, the blogger, makes furniture and she has full plans to make knock off furniture. Like this.....

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

or how about this????

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Can you believe it? I have already made a list of all the projects that I would like my husband to accomplish this year. (But, because I won't remember next week, I better write it down....lol...) All of the possibilites and money saved get me all giddy inside!

You have to check out this blog!

Redorating Sparkles and NayNay's bedroom....

It is time to redecorate Sparkles and NayNay's room....or as I like to call them, Abby and Zoey. They had a black metal bunk bed that had a twin on top and double on the bottom. They never slept on top because they like to sleep together...although there are nights when they don't even want to speak to each other, let alone sleep together. But on those nights, if you sneak in their room after they have gone to sleep, you will find them "nuggled" (another Abby-ism) next to each other. Anywho......

I bought them Shabby Chic bedding for the old bunkbeds. Now that they are moving on, I gave Hailey the full size Shabby bedding for her fabulously pink and all girl room. I need to decide what we want to do now for Sparkles and NayNay. Temporarily, they had they help of their daddy's decorating talent. He brought up our camping tent and purchased two sleeping bags for them. See where this is going???? Yes, my daughter's are camping out in their room every night. They love it and it is so much fun (again, ???) tucking my daughter's in their sleeping bags and tent at bedtime. Hey, at least they have all the modern conveniences....TV, heat, fan, pretty flower lights....(pics to come soon once I clean up the room.)

Their room is not very big. I would like for them to have their own bed. I am not sure if I got single bunk beds that they would sleep properly....well, really does it matter? Between 1AM and 3AM every night, the girls creep in my room and get in bed with me. I love my babies, but it is so hard to get sleep when you are forced to the edge of the bed and you have sleep talkers. So, maybe I should decorate this room for me? So at 3AM when I am forced out of my bed, I can sleep in their room....and maybe not work on my blog like I am right now????

Here are some possibilites brought to you by Pottery Barn Kids (love them!)....

Aren't owls all the rage right now? This room is cute and kinda simple.

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Morgan Bedroom with Bedtime Stories

I LOVE this room! And the bird cages hung above the bed are adorable. I can see it now, Abby and Zoey hanging and swinging from them....oh, I can dream about fabulous decorations, but I am limited to what I think my scheming babies can do to them....

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Now this room my girls would go crazy for. They are into butterflies big time!

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Lindsey Butterfly Room

Now, this room is right up my ally! I love all things Shabby for little girls. There is something about that style. It is just so sweet. Look...those girls like my babies in about 2 or 3 years! But let's not think about that right now because it makes me cry!

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Here is another owl room, but with some butteflies thrown in as well. Super cute!

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Owl and Butterfly Room

My girls like fairies too! This room is cute and I love the Fairy Canopy, but I don't see it listed on the website. But, it is still a great idea!

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Here is a cute bunk bed set up. I like the bunk bed idea, but making the top bunk is not alot of fun.

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Bunk Beds with Floral Bedding

I like this bunk bed room too! So many options.....

Photo Source: Pottery Barn

Bunk Beds in Pink Room

So many cool ideas...and that is just looking at Pottery Barn. I would like to get this room done in the next 4-6 weeks. I guess that depends on how fast the "coolness" of sleeping in a tent in your room lasts. I will keep searching for ideas and I guess, I could ask the girls what they would like.....nah! lol....

Yes, it has been awhile.....

Yes, it has been awhile.....

Blogging took a back seat to family life and all it's craziness. And when I say crazy, I mean CRAZY! For realizies as my beautiful and funny Abby (or Sparkles or Princess...whatever her other name is for the day!)

But, I am determined that I will not let my blog get interrupted while I make dinner, clean the house, do homework and all of the other fun jobs that I have. Surely, between the daily ten loads of laundry and three baths, I can find sometime to blog.....right?

Spinach Pie

This recipe is very versatile. It would be great for a brunch, lunch, main dish or as a side dish. You could also really change it up by adding different ingredients like bacon, onions, different types of cheese, etc. I made it for a barbecue the other day and everyone loved it.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze out the excess water
2 garlic cloves, squeezed through a garlic press
12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, I used a white cheddar
1 refrigerated pie crust
parmesan cheese
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unroll the pie crust and place in a pie place. Make the edges wavy using your fingers, or you could use a fork to make little tines marks.

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, spinach, garlic, cheddar cheese, nutmeg, and salt and pepper until well combined. Pour into pie crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with a little grated parmesan reggiano cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the crust and parmesan cheese are golden brown. Let cool a bit and enjoy!

Carne Asada

My husband made this delicious carne asada a week or two ago. It is a marinated flank steak that is then grilled. Great to make into fajitas with sauteed peppers and onions. We sliced the steak thin and then served on tortillas with cheese, sour cream and guacamole. Flank steak is great because it is inexpensive and can serve a crowd. The key is marinating it overnight. It allows the meat to get really tender.

Ingredients:
2 pound flank steak
olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 large handful of fresh cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 limes, juiced
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Place the steak into a sealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the steak. Seal the bag, letting all the air out. Toss around to coat the meat. Refrigerate over night.

Remove the steak from the bag. Season with salt and pepper. We don't have a grill, so we cooked it indoors on our grill pan by heating a little olive oil first, then grilling the steak for about 5 minutes per side. It is very important to not overcook the meat. Medium-rare is ideal. Thinly slice the meat across the grain. (The grain is the lines running through the meat. Slice the opposite way the grain runs.)

New Cookware: French Oven

I have been wanting a Dutch Oven for some time. Something I can take from stovetop to oven, so I can make dishes like Beef Bourguignon and braise things. My husband surprised me this Christmas with a beautiful cast iron French Oven (the French version of the Dutch Oven). In fact, it is so French the website is written all in French. It is a beautiful blue and I have already broken it in (with pot roast). It is a great piece of cookware. Cooks evenly and is surprisingly easy to clean.

New Ritz Crackers

A few days before Christmas I received a package from the fine people at Nabisco/Ritz. They have a new flavor of crackers - Brown Sugar Cinnamon - and they sent me a box to try out along with some recipes. I unfortunately didn't have time to plan a dish using them for any of my festivities, but I did try them out and shared with some friends. Overall consensus? Great!

I had my annual dinner party with friends the day I received the package so we opened them up and all tried them. Everyone really liked them. The crackers are sweet, but not too sweet, and not overly covered with cinnamon and sugar.

I also took them over to my parents on Christmas Day because I knew my sister was bringing over a wedge of brie and I thought the crackers would go great with my favorite cheese. I was right, a great combination.

Here is a link to one of the recipes Ritz sent me to try these crackers with - Raspberry Apple Danish Spread.