Baked Zucchini Pie

I have been trying to find as many ways to smuggle veggies into Hunter's diet.  Since Hunter loves eggs and cheese, I figured this quiche-like entree would be a hit, and it was!  Hunter ate all of it (zucchini included) while JEGs and I were damn near arm wrestling each other for the last slice.

1 package (8 ounces) refridgerated crescent rolls
2 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cups cubed, fully cooked ham
1 medium Roma tomato, thinly sliced.

Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in a greased 9-inch pie plate with points towards the center.  Press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a crust; seal seams and perforations.  Bake at 375 for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute zucchini and onion in butter until tender; stir in seasonings.  Spoon into crust.  Combine eggs, cheese and ham; pour over zucchini mixture.  Top with tomato slices.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Baked Tortellini

Ever think to yourself  "I would really love to have tortellini tonight, but gosh darn it all to heck, it doesn't have enough cheese in it"?

Don't act like you haven't.  

Well fear not, for I have the answer!

Ingredients:

• 20 oz. of tortellini, cheese-filled, cooked
• 15 oz. of Alfredo sauce
• 4 oz. of prosciutto, minced
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Prepare the tortellini according to package directions and drain. Cut the Prosciutto into small ½” pieces. Spread ¼  cup of the Alfredo sauce evenly on the bottom of a 1” deep ceramic or Pyrex dish. 

In a large bowl, mix together the tortellini, Prosciutto and the remaining Alfredo sauce then place mixture into the 1” deep dish and spread evenly. 

Next, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the tortellini, making sure to cover all of the tortellini.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and cheese is melted. 

Take an extra cholesterol pill, 'cause your gonna need it. 

Always & Forever,

  ME

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

For each holiday, I try to bring in a festive baked good for my coworkers (or "the troops" as I call them). This year I searching around for something easy and different then the same-old-Bailey's-and-cake or Irish Potato routine.  

When I stumbled upon this recipe, it was perfect because A. it was a cupcake (my favorite) B. it had whiskey (what is more Irish then whiskey?) and C. there was coffee involved (which is a necessity in my line of work).

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

Ingredients

• For The Cupcakes

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs

• For The Frosting

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon whiskey
  • Instant-espresso powder, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cupcakes: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour water over espresso powder; let cool. Combine espresso with milk. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with espresso-milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (batter may look broken).
2. Fill 15 cups (of two 12-cup muffin tins) three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool; turn out cupcakes from tins.
3. Make the frosting: Whisk together cream and confectioners' sugar until medium peaks form. Add whiskey; whisk until slightly stiff peaks form.
4. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting; dust with espresso powder.
5. Attempt to share.  Or keep them all for yourself.  Not that I plan on doing that (I totally want to)

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Always & Forever,

  ME

Apples and Chops

I have been on an apple kick ever since week 38 of my pregnancy.
Let's blame it on the season.  That, and my insane consumption of pumpkin- flavored baked goods.

(Hell, if I can't blame the pregnancy on any of these cravings, I'm gonna find something else to blame it on.)

Anyway, I had to come up with dinner the other night and I was tired of eating chicken.  I remembered we had pork chops in the freezer.  I saw the bushel of apples I had just picked up at the super market the other day and after a quick search via the Almighty Google, I found this great recipe.  This comes JEGs approved, too.

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

4 Pork chops
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoon butter
2 tart apples- peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons pecans (optional.  I opted out because I just didn't have them at the house.  Maybe next time.)

1. Preheat oven to 175 F.  Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan.  Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally or until done.  Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.

3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples.  Cover and cook until apples are just tender.  Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops.  Keep warm in the preheated oven.

4.  Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly.  Spoon sauce over apples and chops.  If you are wild and crazy and did the pecans, go ahead and sprinkle them over top.

5.  Forget about conversation during dinner.  You'll be too busy shoveling food into your gullet.

Always & Forever,
  ME

Pina Colada Cupcakes

I think I have an obsession with cupcakes.  Every time I bake something, it's a cupcake.  It's funny because I'm not a fan of cake, per say, but I love cupcakes.  Maybe it's the miniatureness.

As soon as I saw this recipe from Skinny Taste, I knew I had to try it.  Haven't heard of Skinny Taste before?  CHECK. IT. OUT.  It has quickly become my new favorite baking blog.

Let's meet the players in this game:

• 18.25 oz box yellow cake mix
• 20 oz can crushed pineapple in juice (x2)
• 8 oz Philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup sugar

...disappointingly, no rum.  Whomp whomp.

Combine the cake mix and 1 can of the crush pineapples in a large bowl.  Do not drain the pineapples.  Mix on medium with an electric hand mixer.

Pour into lined cupcake tins about 2/3 full. Bake in accordance with cake mix directions or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool. 

*Fun note: the box I had said to bake cupcakes on 350 for 19-23 minutes.  Thirty-two minutes later I pulled them out because honestly, I had stuff to do.  Silly me thought gas cooked everything faster.  Apparently not.

Combine cream cheese, the other can of crushed pineapple (drained), sugar and coconut flakes in a medium bowl and mix with a hand mixer until combined well.

Spread on cooled cupcakes and refrigerate until ready to eat

Sit back, and enjoy a little taste of summer.

Always & Forever,

  ME

Family Secrets

My family is infamous for two things: 

 1.  Our inability to grow grass (seriously... grass seed, sod.. it doesn't work)

 2.  Daddy-O's Iced Tea.

My father doesn't drink water.  He doesn't drink coffee or beer or any of that nonsense.  My father has drank multiple glasses of his home-brewed iced tea for as long as I can remember.  The clink of the ice in his glass is a familiar sound of childhood.  Coming home to the smell of the tea bubbling on the stove is something I wish I could bottle.  Friends and boyfriend invited over would always answer earnestly "iced tea please" when asked if they wanted something to drink.

Three simple ingredients with a side of magic.  The recipe cannot be shared with anyone with a different last name, nor can it be written down.  The fact that I got my dad to actually measure out how much "two scoops of sugar" actually equated to in cups, was a feat in its self.

Today I try my hand at continuing the tradition. Even though I don't share the same last name anymore, this iced tea runs deep in my blood.

Here goes nothing ;)

Always & Forever,

  ME

Mmm..bacon. And tomato. and other good stuff.

Momma G called these "mini open-faced sandwiches". I thought that was kind of cute, because she was basically right.

JEGs and I made these appetizers for a party we went to, and within the hour they were g.o.n.e. They are super easy, and you can stuff anything inside these pastries- the possibilities are endless!

Food not actually blurry.

Unless you've been drinking. In which case, you probably shouldn't be baking. Leave that to the sober folks.

Tomato Bacon Cups (yields 2 1/2 dozen)

1 small tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup bacon bits
1/2 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspon dried basil

1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato, mayo, bacon, cheese, onion and basil. Set aside.

Split each biscuit into three layers; press each layer into an ungreased miniature muffin cup.

Spoon tomato mixture into cups.

Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Always & Forever,

ME

Momma G's Fruit Salsa

With the holiday weekend on our hands, a lot of people will be attending BBQs and picnics galore. If you are one of those people and are stuck with what you are going to bring, fear not! I have the answer--Fruit Salsa.

Ingredients

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves (any flavor, but I really love orange marmalade)

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar

Directions
1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (which is 175C for all you metric lovin' fools out there)
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.

4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.




5. Listen as people sing your praises and thank you for allowing them to experience heaven on their palette.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Always & Forever,
ME

Blueberry Poppy Seed Brunch Cake

Here is a fun life lesson:
If a recipe calls for a springform pan, a cheap tinfoil pie pan does not make a good substitute.

JEGs and I went to a dinner party on Saturday night, and we were in charge of bringing a dessert. We found this great recipe for a Blueberry-Poppy Seed Brunch Cake in a magazine called Simple&Delicious, so we decided to try it.

Here is the picture from the magazine:

...and here is our interpretation of it.

One big ass blueberry muffin type thing. We stopped at Giant to score some last minute ingredients, and they did not have a springform pan. We decided that we didn't have enough time to pop into Target (even though I loathe thee) so we grabbed some 9 inch baking tins.

They are not the same thing. At all.

Within minutes we had a bubbling, blueberry, cakey mess in our oven.

The good news is it still tasted awesome! It was a huge hit at the party, and was completely gone by the end of the night!

In case you are interested, here is the recipe:

Blueberry- Poppy Seed Brunch Cake

Prep: 15 minutes. Bake: 50 minutes + cooling

------------------------------------------------

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream

TOPPING:

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries

GLAZE:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon milk

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Stir in lemon peel.

Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat just until combined. Spread into a greased 9 inch springform pan (again... baking tin won't cut it.)

For topping, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and nutmeg; stir gently in blueberries until coated.

 Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove sides of pan.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar an milk until smooth; drizzle over cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

Bon apetite!

Always & Forever,

ME

Carrot Casserole: Take Two!

Last month I attempted a delish casserole, and ended up with two pounds of mushy carrots . Well, I was able to redeem myself for Thanksgiving, and now I'm sharing this rockin recipe with the masses-- just give yourself ample time ;)

Carrot Pudding
serves 4-6
1 lb. carrots
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
4 T. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. pumpkin pie spice

So you start off with your carrots. The above specs serve 4-6 people, but I was planning on more chowing down, so I doubled it.






Peel and slice carrots


Boil for 20 minutes, or until tender. Get a little weirded out that the water turns orange; drain

Pour melted butter over carrots and pulse in a food processer or mixer. If you like a coarser consistency, use a mixer.

When butter and carrots are creamed, add remaining ingredients [just a heads up, the mixture will be thin, so don't get all freaked out and think you screwed up].

Lick spatula. Yumm.

Get NEW, unlicked spatula and pour mixture into a lightly greased 11x7 dish or baking pan.

*****THE INFORMATION BELOW IS KIND OF IMPORTANT*****

Place the dish in the fridge to gel for 3 to 4 hours. Yeah, I kinda missed that the first time around.

After the mixture has gelled for an ungodly amount of time, bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes clean. Accept praise for bringing the most amazing dish ever.

Not a huge fan of carrots [like JEGs]? You can easily substitute sweet potatoes, butternut or acorn squash.

Bon Appetite!

Always&Forever,

ME

Gobble it up

So it's the day after Thanksgiving and you've got a crapton of leftovers. You are thinking 'Great, I will be eating turkey for a week'- or as my family calls it, Turkey: the Sequel, The Return of Turkey, and Turkey Rides Again (yes, we love showbiz a little too much).

Although it's fun to have Thanksgiving dinner 4 nights in a row, sometimes you want to mix it up with the leftovers. Enter stage left, my newest favorite: Black Friday Pie

I made this on Sunday night after we had leftovers from the previous nights' Thanksgiving with Friends. It was a huge hit with JEGs.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots (or leftovers from the day before work too)
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups turkey or chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 1/2 to 3 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
2 cans of Pillbury cresent rolls (NOT the cheapy Giant brand. I learned that the hard way).

Preparation:
Drain peas and carrots; set aside. Heat butter in 2-quart saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat then stir in broth and milk. Place back on heat; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in turkey and vegetables.
Prepare pastry. Fight with open first can and roll uncut on bottom layer of 9x11 greased baking pan. Add turkey/veggie goopiness. Open second can, unroll it and place ontop . Bake in 425° oven until golden brown, about 20 min. Serves 6.

Accept praises for baking the most delish dinner ever. Act confused when people think it is a pot pie. It is obviously much better then that.

Always & Forever,

ME