Lemony-Tarragon Crab Dip with Salt & Vinegar Chips

this recipe was also used for my work pot-luck.

the ingredients:

1/4 c. (1 oz) cream cheese

3 tbsp. finely chopped red onion

2 tbsp.mayonaise

1 tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. chopped fresh Tarragon

2 tsp. chopped fresh Dill

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

8 oz. fresh crab meat

1/4 c. finely chopped cucumber

Salt and Vinegar chips for serving

I have a soft spot in my heart for crab dips.  in general, I feel like you can't go wrong mixing cream cheese with ANYTHING.  so you imagine my disappointment when I see only 1/4 c. being called for in this recipe...

I didn't like this dip one bit.  some thoughts from co-workers:

"it's not bad, but it's not like 'ohmigod this is SO GOOD."

"it would be better warm."

"what if you put it on a crustini and warmed it thru?"

"I don't know what it is, but it isn't bad."

"the artichoke dip is really good!"

they're right- it wasn't bad.  but it also wasn't full of cream cheesey goodness.

I have to give props to the authors of the recipe because they will also give conversions for dried herbs if fresh aren't available.  but...

I guess you can tell what I would have done to improve upon this recipe.
~pam

Artichoke & Green Onion Dip

I would like to start off this post by saying that I have never eaten an artichoke.  I have had samplings of artichoke dips in the past, but have never really sought out eating one.   seems like a lot of work with little reward, I guess.

I decided to make this recipe because we were having a pot luck at work and I was responsible for side dishes.  I also thought it was a good idea to make this recipe because I knew it wouldn't be wasteful (in case I didn't like it).

the ingredients:

2 cans (14 oz) water-packed Artichoke Hearts, drained & chopped

1 1/2 c. Mayonaise

1 1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. plus 2 tbsp. sliced Green Onions, green part only

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp. fresh Thyme

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

bagel chips, crackers or french bread slices for serving

(I also made another dip- that recipe will follow- but can I just say MAYONAISE?!  seriously, that is a lot of...  fat.)

so, combining all of these ingredients together I have to say the mixture smelled liked vomit and I was really nervous it was going to taste like crap and I wouldn't be able to serve it.  the recipe said you could make it 1 day ahead and bake it before serving the next day.  I woke up early enough to bake it in the morning and nuked it in the microwave for 2 minutes before serving.

my vote: it tasted good.  I personally think the garlic and cheese saved the day.  I was also really excited I couldn't taste all of the mayo in it.

co-workers consensus: it was really good!  (I also saw several people go back for a second helping, but that could also be because my dishes were 2 of the 3 actually provided.  don't get me started on this "pot luck.")

no pictures, sorry.  I'm not going to get all vain at work...
~pam

Green Chili Stew

So it's been a while since I last posted a recipe.  (It's been about that long since I last cooked anything at home!)  Finally last night I decided that enough was enough and set to work making something to make me forget about the dreary weather we've been having in Seattle.

Before I begin let me give you a little bit of background as to why I don't cook anything worthwhile all that often. 

My husband, Lucky, is a tattoo artist and typically doesn't get home until 10 or 11 at night.  That just leaves me and the kids from when I get home from work at about 5:45pm until they go to bed at 8:30.  And we all know how picky my kids can be refusing to eat anything remotely healthy if it doesn't include peanut butter, honey, and/or pasta.  So there isn't really anything besides bread, peanut butter, pasta, butter, and honey in my house at all times.  If I want something else I have to go to the store.  With two little kids.

Say it with me people: P.L.A.N.N.I.N.G.

Planning.  I'm not that great at planning.  I'm normally at the store before I decide what I want for dinner and that normally it's something quick and easy that I don't have to think about.  Or I just wait for Lucky to get home and we'll eat Thai takeout or pizza.  Yes, I know, VERY HEALTHY.

Early in the day I knew that I was going to the store after work so I decided that I wanted to cook something for dinner.  Looking out my office windows it was dark and dreary outside so I figured something hearty and comforting would do the trick.  My go-to food style is Mexican (I'm from San Diego) and it took me about 30 seconds to decide on the Green Chile Stew with Pork recipe from AllRecipes.com would be just what the doctor ordered.  I changed up the recipe a little bit and used chicken instead of pork but other than that I used all the other ingredients.

I also was so focused on making my stew (while making a separate dinner for Kate and Oliver) that I forgot to take pics of the process.  It was pretty easy.  Just sauteeing the chicken and throwing the rest of the ingredients into the pot.  We can all imagine those pictures in our head right? ;)

Green Chile Stew with Pork

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

3 pounds boneless pork loin, cubed (I only used 2 pounds of chicken instead of pork, sliced into strips)

3 tablespoons peanut oil

3 stalks celery, chopped (I only used 2 stalks)

2 tomatoes, chopped (I only used 1 tomato)

7 green chile peppers, chopped (I only used 5 peppers)

4 cloves crushed garlic (Heck yeah I used all 4 cloves!)

4 cups chicken broth (I used roughly about 3 cups)

1 (10 ounce) jar prepared green chile salsa  (Maybe only a cup)

salt to taste

 

1.In a large pot over medium high heat, brown the chicken in oil, for 4-5 minutes. (Until the chicken is almost completely cooked.) 

 

2.Add celery, tomatoes, chilies, and garlic.

3.Add green chile salsa and just enough chicken broth to barely cover the ingredients and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until stew is thick and meat very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add salt to taste before serving. If stew is not hot enough, add a bit of jalapenos salsa.
 

 
The recipe turned out great.  The last time I made it I used pork and had put everything into a slow cooker to cook for 8 hours.  Both times the stew turned out amazing.  This is definitely a keeper; all I get are rave reviews on the recipe and if there's not enough to go around, I get faces like this:
 

Oh yes, that is a real face from Oliver when my stew was gone...

Baby Back Ribs with Macaroni & Cheese

I let Jake pick our menu tonite.  he obviously went for a meat dish.  I typically don't pick pork ribs for myself because they upset my belly, but I obliged because in my very first post I said I would do every recipe.  and also because he selected mac & cheese and in general, you can't go wrong there.

the ribs consisted of a dry rub and BBQ sauce.

the ingredients:

1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. paprika

2 tbsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. freshly ground pepper

you will also need: 2 slabs baby back ribs and 1/2 c. prepared BBQ sauce (Jake prefers Sweet Baby Rays.)

the final consensus was that they were "interesting."  and that was with pronouncing EVERY syllable in the word.  he also finished the entire plate, I got a chunk off of ONE of the ribs.  personally, I think the dry rub was a bit much.  I would prefer one or the other.

now onto the mac & cheese!

first- lets just say I got to make homemade bread crumbs!  which really turned out to be croutons, but whatever.  normally I would coat my bread bits in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake them, but this recipe called for them to be saute'd in butter.  they turned out good, though I wish I didn't use the leftover french bread that we had.

the ingredients:

1 egg

3/4 c. evaporated milk

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

dash of red pepper sauce*

4 oz. elbow macaroni**

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese***

*I used Siracha sauce.

**I used what we had in the cabinet.

***I only had 1 c. cheddar cheese, so I ended up using my Mexican blend of cheese for the other 1/2 c.

so this was ok for me.  nothing I would write home about.  the sauce was really creamy, Jake said it was "rich" although I don't agree.  my only complaint was that I could taste the mustard in it.  Jake's complaint was that it needed more noodles.  I think the bread crumbs saved the day because it added a nice crunch in the mix and also an interesting flavor in the background.

no cooking for me tomorrow.  I have a long day of work ahead of me and Jake's already promised me Thai take-out.

~pam

Beef Paprika

so Jake is finally home from two months at sea.  one thing he definitely looks forward to is homemade meals.  one thing I look forward to is cooking for him.  yes, I love the gesture of making dinner for my man.  and tonite- I decided on making one of my childhood favorites, Beef Paprika!  we found these amazing egg noodles at a German Delicatessen by our house today and it sparked my desire to make this recipe (since it's the only one I know of that calls for egg noodles.)  this recipe is also not from one of my cookbooks, its from a recipe card that mom gave me.  it's so very...  vintage.

how adorable is this recipe card?!

the ingredients:

1/4 c. shortening*

2 lbs. beef chuck or round, cut into cubes

1 c. sliced onions

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 c. Ketchup

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

dash cayenne red pepper**

1 1/2 c. water***

2 tbsp. flour plus 1/4 c. water****

3 c. hot cooked noodles

*I used olive oil- I told you this recipe was old.

**not an ingredient I have in my house, I used a pinch of red pepper flake.

***I use 1/2 stock, 1/2 water combination.

****I skip this step.  I dust the meat in flour before browning, I find that this method thickens the sauce nicely and also lets you off the hook from making a thickener.  if you want to do this method, I would use corn starch instead.  (it gives a nice glossy look to the sauce and you don't run the risk of it tasting like flour.)

browning the meat, onions & garlic.

making the sauce.  be sure to scrape the good bits off the bottom of the pan!

I can not put into words how delicious this sauce is!  I just think you all need to make it and tell me what you think.  you can't go wrong.  oh, AND it's all made in the same pot so that's nice.  well, except for the noodles- but you get what I'm saying.

we also found these amazing Pretzel Bread Rolls @ the German Delicatessen.  OMG

for dessert I'm making Jake Erin's recipe for Salted Brown Butter Rice Crispy Treats.  if you guys haven't tested that recipe yet, make that one first,  then come back to this one!

~pam

Marinated Olives and Feta Cheese

the ingredients:

1/2 c. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp. grated Lemon Zest

2 tsp. fresh Lemon Juice

5 medium cloves Garlic, sliced

1/4 c. chopped fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

1 tbsp. Herbes de Provence

3/4 tsp. Dried Chili Flakes

1 c. Kalamata or Black Olives

1 c. Green Olives

10 oz. Feta Cheese

French Bread slices

UNIMPRESSED.

well ladies & gents, I think we have finally hit a recipe low.   it was...  oily, dare I say?  I don't even know how to improve upon it, since so many things seem to go wrong with it.  maybe if it wasn't marinated and you just mixed everything together on the spot it would taste better.  at least the consistency would be better and the olives would seem less slimy.

I'm pretty irritated since this recipe has tons of my favorite things to eat: olives, feta, lemon, garlic & bread.

I have no more words.  the only thing that can cure this is an episode of Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood and ice cream.  (and maybe watching Julie & Julia again for some inspiration.)

here's hoping to a better recipe tomorrow,

~pam

Lamb Chops with Mint-Mustard Sauce and Sweet Peas with Red Onion & Mint

I'm pretty sure this is the best thing I have EVER made in my life!  Jake would argue and say that it's my beef stew, but he doesn't like lamb, so we can't get his opinion on the matter- now can we?

I would also like to throw out there that as of this moment (I mean, this meal) lamb is my favorite meat.  hands down.  Mom's go-to-meal for Easter was traditionally lamb, I looked forward to it every year.  I think it had something to do with the mint jelly...

the ingredients:

2 tbsp. Mint Jelly

1 tbsp. White Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp. Stone-Ground Mustard

1/4 c. Chicken Stock*

1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil

6 Lamp Chops**

*I used low-sodium

**I used 3, since I'm cooking for one right now.

the first 4 ingredients are for the sauce- it smelled really harsh since vinegar has such a pungent odor to it.  and to be honest, it looks kind of gross seeing green jelly float around with mustard seeds...  but TRUSTMEONTHIS- it's the best-tasting sauce ever, you will never go back to plain mint jelly again!  

lets also point out that I made a reduction!  I actually reduced stuff down to half it's starting size and made a sauce.  hell yeah.

I never cook with vegetable oil, unless its called for in my baking.  the recipe told you to heat the oil on high and cook the chops 3 minutes on each side for medium-well.  I nearly smoked my damn house out!  Vegetable oil gets EXTREMELY HOT!  hotter than Olive Oil can (because it will burn and turn gross), I thought I was going to burn my chops, so I hurriedly flipped them over and started cooking on the other side, while I reduced the heat down to medium-high.  I'm not a medium-well-person, I'm a kill-it-well-person.  I don't want it to look like the meat on my plate will be able to walk off of it because it's bleeding so much; I followed their instructions since I'm not at all familiar with cooking lamb.  the chops weren't cooked to my liking.  they were so red on the inside I didn't think the heat evenly distributed thru.  I placed them back in the pan with the sauce and cooked them for an extra 3 minutes.  let me tell you, the authors need to add this step into their recipe because this actually helped to thicken the sauce a little more and it made a little bit of a glaze on my perfectly browned chops. 

this meal was finger-licking good.  I felt like an animal pulling the meat off the bones.

I went back for seconds.

the ingredients:

2 c. fresh peas or 10 oz. frozen

1 tsp. Unsalted Butter

1/4 small Red Onion

1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tbsp. Fresh Mint or 1 tsp. dried

2 tsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

you would think hearing "mint" in the title means it would be over bearing in a recipe, but I assure you it isn't.  you sweat the onions down in butter, saute the peas and add the olive oil and mint at the last second.  this method wilts the leaves down, so you just get a hint of the mint in the background of each bite.  very delightful, and despite butter being in the recipe- it didn't taste heavy.

I remembered the last of my ingredients to finish of the marinade for my olives and Feta.  I'll be posting that recipe tomorrow once I get to taste it.  while I was at Borders getting my Regretsy book and Owl mug...  I got side-tracked once again by the cookbooks section and had both the Joy of Cooking and Mastering the Art of French Cooking in my hands.  I nearly bought the damn things!!!  then I brought myself back down to Earth and realized I could get them for less at Barnes & Noble (I have a membership and plus I find Borders to be rather expensive.)  oh, don't mention that I still have 8 cookbooks I haven't opened...

what is with all of the delicious smelling pretzel places in malls?!  gosh.  it took everything in my power to keep walking.  gluttonous.

ALWAYS check your recipe!

I found a great recipe for marinated olives and feta in my cookbook.  I thought I would remember the ingredients when I went to the store this afternoon, but I didn't.  I definitely forgot Herbs de Provence, Flat Leaf Parsley and Feta.  FETA!  how could I forget the Feta?!  it's in the TITLE!!!  ugh.  3 ingredients qualifies a trip to the grocery store.  but after I drove around to three different stores this afternoon looking for a space heater...  I'm not in the mood to go back out.

while I was out I stopped by our favorite used book store (I had 4 books to turn in) and found myself staring at the cookbooks.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!  I even grabbed 2 of them off of the shelf to peruse the pages!  I did notice that there was a plethora of Colorado cookbooks, not sure what that indicates.  don't worry, I didn't buy any of the books I took off the shelf.  I was looking for the Joy of Cooking or Mastering the Art of French Cooking- I've been told I must own these cookbooks if I am serious about cooking out of my cookbooks.  neither of them were there.  I know it's probably a long shot, as I figure no one would part with either of those cookbooks, but I've found stranger things on the shelves in these places before...

I ended up making English Muffin pizzas for dinner.  I couldn't find a recipe for them, so I just made it up as I went along.  I also took my turn at roasting garlic for the first time.  turns out this IS a recipe in my cookbook, so it qualifies!  can I just say that roasted garlic has got to be one of the most delicious scents I've ever had coming out of my kitchen?!  WOW!

(my) ingredients:

2 English Muffins

2 cloves garlic, halved

olive oil

tomato paste

red pepper flakes

fresh basil leaves, torn

shredded Parmesan

Provolone cheese, sliced

kosher salt, to taste

preheat the oven to 350

place the halved English Muffins on a baking sheet (I line mine with aluminum foil because the cheese can make a mess)

rub the insides of the muffins with the garlic halves

drizzle with olive oil

spread tomato paste on each muffin (to taste, I used about 1 tsp. each, it's really rich)

top with basil leaves

sprinkle with Parmesan

top each muffin with 1 slice of Provolone

bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.  DELISH.

roasting garlic has got to be the easiest thing ever- you cut off the top of a bulb, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and bake it.  who knew?!

I'm ready for tomorrow morning's adventure in the cookbook!  I FINALLY found Challah bread- 4 grocery stores later. 

lesson learned tonite: Trader Joe's will always have what I can not find in a traditional grocery store, so I should just start there.

I'm also really in the mood for ice cream.

~pam

Eggs Benedict

lets start with a little background on my distaste for Eggs Benedict: well, I guess that's just it, I don't enjoy Eggs Benedict.  more specifically, I don't enjoy Hollandaise sauce.  (or Canadian Bacon and this recipe called for it- I'm not sure if this is a traditional ingredient for Eggs Benedict.)  I have nothing against English Muffins or poached eggs.

that said, one of my favorite dishes I have ever had is at Alki Cafe in West Seattle, their Cafe Benedict: English Muffin, Crab Cakes, Poached Eggs and Swiss-Asiago cheese sauce.  OMG.  I MUST figure out how to make this sauce and master it by the time I get into my I Love Crab Cakes! cookbook.

the ingredients:

4 slices Canadian Bacon

2 tsp. Kosher Salt

2 tbsp. Distilled White Vinegar

2 Egg Yolk @ room temperature

2 tsp. Heavy Cream @ room temperature

1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

2 tsp. fresh Lemon juice @ room temperature

1 tsp. White Wine Vinegar

Sugar

2 English Muffins

4 Eggs

I started off making the Hollandaise.  apparently it requires A LOT of melted butter:

check me out, using a double-boiler!

the recipe said to use your blender to make the sauce, I was pretty thankful for that because I wasn't in the mood to whisk the darn stuff together.  that said, it sounds amazingly awesome written on paper- but this has got to be one of the messiest things I have accomplished in the kitchen!  they want you to use your appliance at full-speed-ahead, but I just couldn't do it without wearing the sauce, so I cut it back a few and it still seemed to work.

at this point, I wasn't enjoying the scent of vinegar from the sauce and already decided I wasn't going to like it.

here's the time that I say, "shut up Pam, and just try it."  as you can tell, I didn't cover mine in the sauce- I put it on the side.  (but I did try it.)

HOLY SMOKES!  WHAT A TASTE-SENSATION!!!  I made a face the entire time I had my first bite, clearly assuming I didn't like it.  BUT- I went back for more, and then some more and then finished the whole thing!  beside the sauce smelling obscenely like an open vinegar bottle, it didn't taste like it.  it was rich and creamy and smooth and had a great bite to it.

I'm pretty sure I gave myself a verbal "good job, Pam!" when it was all over.

lesson learned from this recipe: you probably do like it- so you should just try it.

~pam

p.s. I hope there's a recipe for English Muffin Pizzas...  

Oatmeal Cookies

I went out to dinner last nite with my cousin Bailey and her boyfriend Sean.  good thing there are recipes in my cookbook for desserts!

the ingredients*:

2 c. All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp.  Kosher Salt

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

2 Eggs @ room temperature

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 c. Unsalted Butter @ room temperature

2 c. firmly packed Light Brown Sugar

2 c. Rolled Oats or Quick-Cooking Oats**

1 c. raisins

* the recipe yielded 48 cookies, I cut it in half for myself.  the ingredients list above reflects what the cookbook says.

** I used Pinhead Oats because it's what I had in my cupboard.

lets just say that this cookie dough is probably the most delicious cookie dough I have EVER eaten out of the bowl...

I am not above using an ice cream scoop to get matching cookies!  this moo scoop was one of Jake's birthday gifts from our little nieces.  it's my favorite to use when making cookies.

the recipe called for the cookies to be baked for 10 min., or "until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the centers are barely cooked."  I suffered a little trepidation about this, because my oven is unreliable...  I baked them for 12 minutes.

cooked all the way thru- whew!

these cookies were moist, delicious and perfectly chewy (how I prefer cookies).  the ratio of cinnamon-oatmeal-raisin in every bite was just delightful.  Jake would give these "two-thumps-up" for sure.

in closing I'll leave you with my grocery list for the weekend:

 

are you excited?!

~pam

Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

lets just start off by saying that day 2 was way more delicious than day 1!  I'm so glad I decided to stick with this project (ahem) and see it thru to this recipe!  I stole this recipe from Giada deLaurentis of Food Network fame, you can find it here.  I know, I know- it's not from my cookbook, but these are my rules and I can break them for delicious eats.

I have never eaten Butternut Squash before, nor worked with one.  it was surprisingly easy to prep, although I would prefer to find one already cut into cubes- and it was extremely tasty after being roasted with onions, olive oil, salt & pepper.  oh my!

the ingredients:

Vegetable oil cooking spray

1 (2 lb.) butternut or kombucha squash

1 onion

Olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh ground  pepper
1 lb. penne pasta
1 c. goat cheese
1 c. walnuts
1 c. fresh basil
1/3 c. finely grated Parmesan*





I had to toast nuts again...  I learned my lesson from last nights fiasco and didn't burn them!  I also remembered to time the cooking ingredients that required it.  yay!

*I used Parmigiano Reggiano
      

 butternut squash & onions ready to roast

relax, my knife looks like from the goat cheese.

recipe called for 1 c. reserved pasta water, this is the first time I've used this technique.  it made for a creamy sauce!

all together now!

this recipe was extremely easy to make.  prepping the butternut squash was my least favorite part, if you find one already cubed, I would purchase it!  the veggies also take about 40 min. to cook, overall time in the kitchen: 1 hour.  I really enjoyed the walnuts in this dish as well, their flavor isn't overwhelming, its almost like they are there strictly for crunch.  my favorite bites were every bite that had an onion in it...  having made these two recipes I realize how much I love onions and missed cooking with them.  they are so yummy roasted!

this recipe would have been too weird for Jake.  I think the goat cheese would have really thrown him off.  and lets not get into the squash, onions and nuts...  I can't wait for him to start picking some recipes! 

lesson learned this evening: a watch pot never boils.

~pam

Wild Rice w/ Dried Cranberries, Green Onions and Pecans with Drop Biscuits

Ingredients:

1/3 c. Pecans, roasted

1 c. Wild Rice

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 c. dried Cranberries

2 tbsp. Green Onion (white & green parts)

kosher salt & black pepper to taste

1 c. plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose Flour

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp. Sugar

3/4 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 c. chilled Heavy Cream

so, I started off with the biscuits because I thought I could multitask both parts of my meal and have them done at the same time.  first rule: read your recipe in its entirety BEFORE undertaking your meal.  (you should also read the cooking instructions for your rice.)

the biscuits turned out pretty good, though I think they had too much salt in them.  and I love salt, I just don't love tasting it in every bite.  the recipe had a variation that called for 3/4 c. Cheddar cheese and 2 tbsp. of dried Dill (you also have to add an extra 2 tbsp. of flour to batter), of course I did this version!  I know you don't go to Red Lobster for the seafood- you go for the biscuits!  (guilty.)  I'm glad I added the extra ingredients as I think they biscuits would have just tasted like buttery salt.  and that brings up and interesting point, my biscuits tasted like BUTTER.  I'm not sure how because it's definitely NOT an ingredient.  that said, I doubt you'll need to add butter if you made these.  though I don't think I enjoyed them as much as the writers did, I did eat 3 of them while I was waiting for my rice to cook.

1 c. heavy cream

"drop" biscuits

pale golden on the top, golden brown on the bottom

fluffy on the inside!  YAY!

onto the rice.  I seriously messed this part up.  first off, I didn't buy wild rice, I bought a wild rice blend.  and while the recipe said you COULD do this, I wish I HADN'T done it because I feel it would have tasted better with just wild rice.  second, I didn't read the recipe in it's entirety- this rice takes 45 min. to cook (not including the boil time beforehand)!!!   eeks!  third, I burned the pecans.  (would now be a good time to also mention that I forgot to set the timer for the rice?)

this is what burnt pecans look like.  in case you were wondering...

my favorite part about the rice was the green onion.  how delicious do onions smell when heat hits them!?  oh. my. god.  the cranberries were also a nice touch, I just wish they were a little sweeter in the bites.  I didn't like the pecans in the dish (not because I burned them- I had more), I just didn't like the texture or crunch of them in my rice.

 check out our cute oil bottle from Bread and Badger!

I don't think I'll make the rice again.  I will definitely try the biscuits, without the dill and cheddar cheese, for biscuits and gravy one morning.

what I liked about these recipes: they are VERY easy.  seriously, this has to be one of the easier cookbooks I have worked out of.  the ingredients are simple and the instructions are easy.  so far.

I promised we would address Jake's dislikes with foods as we go along...  I chose this recipe for several reasons, the first being "onion" is in the ingredients list.  second, he HATES nuts mixed in his food.  and more specifically HATES pecans.  third, cranberries.

I have also come up with a method of organization for my cookbook.  the pink tabs are for recipes that I can make for myself.  blue tabs will be for Jake.  yellow tabs will be recipes we have already tried.  I figured I needed to do this because I'm not starting at one end and working my way to the other end and I also don't want repeats since I have 8 more cookbooks to go.

I pulled a recipe off of Food Network today.  I'm making that one next!

until then...  

read your labels BEFORE you start cooking!

~pam

I'm Hungry

What do you do when you start talking about cookbooks when you're hungry?

Start a blog.

That's right, folks, the great minds who bring you zombie lego keychains and button cookies come together to make you salivate as much as possible.  So you can be just as hungry as we are.  Sorry. 

Sort of.

I'm really excited to actually go through my cookbooks and make recipes out of them.  Some of those babies have only been open when I first got them and quickly flipped through the recipes.  I always come home and have absolutely no idea what to make for dinner completely disregarding the fact that I have TONS of cookbooks laying around just waiting to be cracked open.  I knew I had quite the collection of books, I just never really KNEW.

I'm going to promise to everyone that as long as I'm contributing to this blog I will continue to make recipes out of my cookbooks so help me God.  I might get some revolt from my four year old who doesn't like anything but turkey sandwiches and mac & cheese at the moment but I don't care.  I'm the boss.  (Isn't that why we become parents in the first place?)

Cheers for now!

~Erin

the plan

after watching Julie & Julia over-and-over again, I am inspired to work my way thru my cookbooks.  if you haven't seen the movie, I urge you too.  it is funny, delightful and delicious.  in fact, it makes me want to buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking, wear pearls and have Julia Child over for dinner.  I might even consider watching her TV show (but her voice has always bothered me, nit-picky, I know...).

my goal: break out my cookbooks (I dug NINE, nine, 9! of them out of my cupboard tonite and I'm not including the 2 magazines that I have with amazing recipes in it, or the two books that came with kitchen appliances)- and cook from these books.  seems simple.  until you break them open and realize that your husband hates most all food and he is going to make this task difficult.  sigh.  

 yes, that is Cooking for Dummies.

we'll reveal Jake's food hates as they approach.  they are too numerous for me to name and list at any one time.

lucky for me, I already have friends that are volunteering to eat these recipes should Jake not like one ingredient.  we have no food allergies in this house, so I'm not sacrificing ANYTHING the recipe calls for.  I will do it, even if I don't like artichoke hearts or hollandaise sauce...

I want to put out there that I am actually a pretty decent cook.  most people that have tried my dishes really enjoy them and ask me what my secrets are.  first off, my main secret might be Food Network.  seriously, those chefs have some great tips!  my second secret is owed to my mom who always made sure we sat down at the table for dinner.  every nite.  I remember cooking beside her, baking (mixing the cookie dough) with her and sitting in the kitchen watching her whirl away as she prepared our food.  my Grandmother would take credit for my mother's cooking- I find them to be completely different- but you can't ever argue a point with Grandma, so we'll let her relish in her thoughts.

we will have a guest blogger, Erin, that will contribute from time to time, as she wants to break open her cookbooks as well.  (Erin has also politely volunteered herself to test out my tasty recipes!)

my first cookbook endeavor will be the Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook.  we've been married for 5 years and I think I should start using the book now.

there is a stain on the front cover, I have used it.  once.

I am really excited to use the following book, because it was my mom's (published in 1975) and it was the first cookbook she gave me when I first moved out of the house. 

just look at the tattered love and 70's photos...

WHY am I doing this?

1. I love food

2. I love to eat food

3. I enjoy cooking

4. I have 9 cookbooks

5. I enjoy writing, taking pictures (and eating)- so this is perfect for me

6. projects are fun!  and this is a good one, because we ALL have to eat, right?!

7. (Erin says she is doing this because she loves cookbooks & thought this was a good idea)

I end with what my dinner was this evening: deviled eggs and some Sour Patch jelly beans.  not together.

~pam