Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Chocolate Pixies with Ganache Tops

Ingredients for Cookies:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened chocolate cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
3 egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration
Directions for Cookies:
Melt butter and chocolate together over low heat or in the microwave, cool slightly Preheat oven to 350 degrees and Grease cookie sheets.

In a medium bowl, mix eggs, vanilla and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in melted chocolate mixture. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt . Stir dry ingredients into the egg mixture by hand until well blended. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls into balls and roll in confectioners' sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft to touch.

Ganache Recipe:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Place the 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat 3/4 cup of heavy cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring cream to a slow boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla if desired. Allow the ganache to cool completely before spreading on the cookies.  For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.


Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Artichoke & Spinach Dip - Fully Loaded!


INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
2.In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
3.Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Barefoot Bloggers - Sausage Stuffed Mushroom - Dec. 24th

Ingredients:
16 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2/3 cup panko crumbs
5 ounces mascarpone cheese, (I used Blue Cheese)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Directions

    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
         Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.
         Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.
          Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

    Thursday, December 24, 2009

    Poppy Seed Muffins

    2 C flour 
    1 1/2 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp baking soda 
    1/4 tsp salt
     1 egg
    1/2 C sugar
    4 Tbsp melted butter
     1 1/4 C evaporated canned milk
    1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds 
    1 tsp of almond extract

    Preheat the oven to 350ºF, adjust a rack to the middle position. Spray a 12 cup regular size muffin tin with some nonstick spray.

    Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Whisk egg, sugar, and almond extract together until combined, then whisk in the buttermilk and melted butter.

    Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and fold to combine. There should be not large pockets of flour but small streaks may remain. Do not over mix. The batter will be fairly thick.

    Divide the batter evenly into the tin. Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine were done in 17 minutes). Flip the muffins out of the tin and cool them right side up on a cooling rack.

    Wednesday, December 23, 2009

    Buttermilk Biscuits



           Ingredients:
                     2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
                    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
                   1 teaspoon baking powder
                  1 teaspoon salt
                 2 teaspoons oil
                 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 

    Instructions:
    Sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl. (A note on sifting: When I see the word "sift" in a cookbook, I immediately drag out my Pyrex measuring cup, measure all the dry ingredients into it, and just mix them lightly with the measuring spoon. After all, how do you "sift" cornmeal or whole wheat flour? And I hate washing the sifter!) Whether you sift or merely combine the flour and leavenings, work the shortening into them with a fork and quickly stir in the buttermilk. (Don't overdo it. Just moisten the whole mass. Lumps are fine.)
    Drop the batter onto a greased cookie sheet in big globs approximately an inch apart (this recipe makes about six large drop biscuits or several small ones). Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tops are a crusty golden brown.
    Actually, oven temperatures are never as important as they seem. After a year of adjusting to a wood stove (and feeling somewhat like an animal trainer — who's mastering whom?) I've found that the only rule is to stick the pan in when the oven's had some time to warm up, and take it out when the food's done. The batch never seems to be wrecked when it cooks "too fast" or "too slow." Sure it's a bummer when the biscuits take several minutes to bake, but they still taste like biscuits.

    Wednesday, December 16, 2009

    Christmas Scones


    Ingredients
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter
    • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or
    • 1/4 cup sour cream
    • 1/4 cup orange juice
    • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
    • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

    Directions
    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease large cookie sheet. In cup, with fork, mix cinnamon and 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
    2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in margarine or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in dried cranberries, sour cream, orange juice, orange & lemon peel just until ingredients are blended.
    3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; with floured rolling pin, lightly roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out scones with 3-inch star-shape cookie cutter. With pancake turner, place scones 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Press trimmings together; roll and cut as above. Sprinkle scones with cinnamon mixture.
    4. Bake scones 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Serve scones warm. Or cool scones on wire rack; wrap in single layer with foil. Just before serving, reheat if desired.


    Saturday, December 12, 2009

    The "Twelve Days of Christmas"....

    At our house we like to celebrate the "Twelve Days of Christmas" by doing random acts of kindness and service, starting on the 13th of December and then ending Christmas Eve. Each year our family does something different to celebrate the "Twelve Days of Christmas" and this year our our son is into learning how to bake bread. So we decided it would be fun to do the "Twelve Days of Christmas" Holiday Bread Style.... Starting Tomorrow and each day after (for 12 days of course) you will find a recipe for Holidays Breads. Please feel free to join in the fun and have a wonder Holiday Season......

    Thursday, December 10, 2009

    Barefoot Bloggers - Croissant Bread Pudding - Dec. 10th

    Bread Pudding has got to be one of my all time favorite desserts. I never really had it has a child, but as an adult and huge fan of the "Old English" style recipes, I learned very quickly that this dessert was very easy, very good and a great way to use up the not-so-kid friendly heels of loaves of bread. I have always made mine with bread and covered it with a light cream sauce, but when we moved to South Carolina, we discovered that the secret main stay of a good bread pudding was day old croissants and the White Chocolate Rum sauce that is drizzled over the top. SO.. in honor of my new Friends of the South and tribute to al the Barefoot Bloggers,  I give you my version of  Ina Garten's....

     Croissant Bread Pudding

    Ingredients

    nocoupons
    • 3 extra-large whole eggs
    • 8 extra-large egg yolks
    • 5 cups half-and-half
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 6 croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally
    • 1 cup raisins

    Directions

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.
    Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    New.."From The Pantry" Challenge. Week #48



    "Cut Glass Salad"
    Ingredients:

    1 (3 ounce) box lime gelatin
    1 (3 ounce) box blue gelatin
    1 (3 ounce) box orange gelatin
    1 (3 ounce) box cherry gelatin
    2 (3 ounce) boxes lemon gelatin
    Water
    1 1/2 single packages graham crackers
    1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
    1 large cool whip
    2 cups Whipped Cream (sweetened 1/4 of the sugar)

    Make each box of lime, blue, orange, cherry and 1 box of lemon gelatin according to package directions using 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Pour each flavor into a greased 8-inch square pan and chill in refrigerator until set. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

    Crush graham crackers and mix with margarine and 1/4 cup sugar. Save 1/2 cup of the graham cracker mixture and set aside. Press remaining graham cracker crumbs into bottom of a cold-cut keeper or 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

    Drain juice from crushed pineapple and add water to juice to make 1 cup. Dissolve the other box of lemon gelatin in 1 cup of warm water and add pineapple juice. Chill until almost set, will be chunky when stirred. Stir in pineapple.

    Fold together cool whip, whipped cream, lemon pineapple mixture. Next lightly fold in gelatin cubes. Stir easy as to not break up the gelatin cubes. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup crumbs on top. Chill in refrigerator until set, at least 2 hours.

    Makes 10 to 12 servings.

    Saturday, November 28, 2009

    Pumpkin Nut Dip

    INGREDIENTS
    * 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
    * 1 cup confectioners' sugar
    * 1 small jar of marshmallow fluff
    * 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
    * 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    * 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
    * 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
    * 1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate

    DIRECTIONS

    1. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, fluff and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually mix in the pumpkin. Stir in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nuts and orange juice until smooth and well blended. Chill until serving.

    Sunday, November 22, 2009

    Sunday....

    For those of you who are new to our site...

    Reminder: The Pantry is dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Tuesday, November 17, 2009

    "Tuesday's with Dorie" Challenge.... "Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies "


    These cookies sounded really good and I was thinking that since my hubby likes ginger snaps and molasses cookies, he might like these. We are enjoying them now AND they are very tasty. The recipe can be found in "Baking: From My Home to Yours", by Dorie Greenspan, on pages 76 and 77.

    Note to self: Next time cut the brown sugar down to 3/4 cup

    Sunday, November 15, 2009

    Sunday...

    For those of you who are new to our site...

    Reminder: The Pantry is dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Thursday, November 12, 2009

    Barefoot Bloggers - Creme Brulee - Nov. 12

    MMMMMM..... MY FAVORITE DESSERT next to Banana Cream pie of course! We were so excited to see this as one of the challenge recipe this month. It is a quick and easy dessert that is definitely the hit of the party around our house.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 extra-large egg
    • 4 extra-large egg yolks
    • 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
    • 3 cups heavy cream
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

     Directions:  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

    Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
    To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

    Sunday, November 8, 2009

    Sunday....

    For those of you who are new to our site...

    Reminder: The Pantry is dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Tuesday, November 3, 2009

    "Tuesday's with Dorie" Challenge.... "Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake "

    Unfortunately..... we are going to have to pass on this week's recipe due to the fact that we are having a hard time finding eatable chestnuts.  We thought about trying the recipe using macadamia nuts or pecans, but then we decided it would not be fair nor do justice to the recipe. So, at this point we would love to retain the right to revisit this recipe later and in the meantime we would like to invite you to check out a few blogs that were able to accomplish this challenge....

    Salad in a Jar.... by Romaine

    Second Dinner.... by Katya

    Short + Rose ... by April

    Effort in Deliciousness... by Margot

    Monday, November 2, 2009

    Make-Over Monday .... Candied Pumpkin Seeds!


    This Make over Monday recipe is going to be a little different...

    As tradition states, at our house, we normally roast our pumpkin seeds from our jack-o-lanterns two days after Halloween. This year instead of making the traditional salt soaked and roasted seeds.

    Recipe Here: 
    All your leftover jack-o-lantern seeds (washed & cleaned)
    6 cups of warm water
    1 tablespoon kosher salt
    Mix salt and water together and pour over seeds, soak overnight
    Next day drain seeds and toss with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce or your favorite Bar-B-Que Sauce. We use Teriyaki Sauce. Spread on a flat cookie sheet and bake on 300* for 30-40 mins. Stirring often to avoid burning. We like to much on these, add them to our trail mix or toss with our favorite fall salads.


    We decided to try candied pumpkin seeds. 

    Recipe Here:
    3 cups pumpkin seeds (cleaned and rinsed)
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1/8 teaspoon of salt

    1/3 cup white sugar
    3/4 cup maple syrup
    1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     Mix the oil, salt, sugar and syrup together and heat, stirring until dissolved. Stir in ginger, and cinnamon; remove from heat and pour over pumpkin seeds. Bake at 300* until light brown or dry looking.

    This is a recipe that I received from a friend at our church. This is the way a lot of people here in the South like their Pumpkin Seeds. They were a great treat and we still enjoyed them in our trail mix, in our granola and I even tossed them on my pumpkin salad the other night.



    Sunday, November 1, 2009

    Sunday...

    For those of you who are new to our site...

    Reminder: The Pantry is dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Saturday, October 31, 2009

    Good-BYE October!

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

    And can I just say.... After a really long month with not alot of extra time on my hands and a messed up computer, I AM GLAD TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO OCTOBER!

    We are finally back up and running.... in more ways than one! I am glad to be back in the land of food and family. So, let's start fresh on Monday with a whole bunch of new and fun treats that I find just perfect for the holidays...

    Tuesday, October 20, 2009

    "Tuesday's with Dorie" Challenge.... Sweet Potato Biscuits

             We are really enjoying the recipe challenges from "Tuesdays with Dorie". These biscuits were very tasty and I wished that I would have had a big bowl of homemade chili to go with them.You can check out the full recipe "Baking: From My Home to Yours", by Dorie Greenspan,

    Monday, October 12, 2009

    Make-Over Monday .... Chips Ahoy!

    It was a Movie Marathon at our house this weekend, because first it was a long weekend with Monday being "Columbus Day" and reason two was it rained most of the long weekend. At our house when we watch movies we like chips and dip and so this weekend we thought we would try a lower calorie and lower salt chip. We made Sweet Potato Chips.... (I think they are our new favorite snack!)


    To make enough chips for four adults, we peeled 3 medium sized sweet potatoes and sliced them very thin. We fried the chips in vegetable oil heated in fryer to 350*. We let them drain on papertowels and lightly salted them to taste.

    Sweet Poato Chips have 140 calories per serving with only 9 mg of salt  -vs- Regular Potato Chips that have 150 calories per servings with 180 mg of salt.

    Thursday, October 8, 2009

    Barefoot Bloggers - Cheddar Corn Chowder - Oct..08

    This was a great Corn Chowder recipe. We split the recipe in half and it made perfect servings for the four of us. I added grated carrots and I used small red potatoes instead of the regular ones that the recipe called for.
    Ingredients
    • 8 ounces bacon, chopped
    • 1/4 cup good olive oil
    • 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
    • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 12 cups chicken stock
    • 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
    • 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
    • 2 cups half-and-half
    • 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

    Directions

    In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
    Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.


    Tuesday, October 6, 2009

    "Tuesdays with Dorie" Challenge.... Split Level Pudding


          We really enjoyed this very tasty, easy to make pudding. The chocolate ganache added just the right touch. We topped ours with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and some chocolate curls for visual effect. The recipe we were challenged to use was from "Baking: From My Home to Yours", by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 384-385. You can out more challenges and fun at "Tuesdays with Dorie".

    Sunday, October 4, 2009

    Sunday....

    For those of you who are new to our site...

    Reminder: The Pantry is dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Saturday, October 3, 2009

    OCTOBERFEST.....

    Yes... WE went! WE Seen! We Did!.... nothing special since we don't drink and the only two food vendors had extremely long lines just for the traditional Brats & Kraut with a side of German Potato Salad and Red Cabbage salad. So we came home and grilled our own!!!!

    Monday, September 28, 2009

    Make-Over Monday .... S'More Low-Cal!!!

    It's Monday Again.... And in Honor of our Cheesecake Party Tonight. I thought I would post a Quick & Easy Low-Cal Cheesecake Treat that the whole Family will enjoy...


    Quick S'More Cheesecake Bites



    Prep Time:10 min Total Time:10 min
    Makes:12 servings, one s'more sandwich each

    1-1/2 cups PHILADELPHIA Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake Filling Chocolate Dream
    12 Graham Crackers, broken in half
    12 large Marshmallows

    SPREAD 2 Tbsp. of the cheesecake filling onto 12 of the graham squares; set aside.

    PLACE 6 of the remaining graham squares in single layer on microwaveable plate; top each with 1 marshmallow. Microwave on HIGH 20 sec. or until marshmallows begin to melt. Cover each with 1 of the remaining graham squares, filling-side down, to make six sandwiches. Press grahams together gently to secure. Repeat with remaining graham squares and marshmallows.

    SERVE immediately. Store leftovers in refregerator.

    Only 180 Calories each....

    Sunday, September 27, 2009

    Sunday...

    Reminder: The Pantry is dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Saturday, September 26, 2009

    Checking out Our Heritage....

    After our night out with the Greeks, we decided to move a little closer to home and go check out the Irish Festival today. We enjoyed BBQ Ribs, Funnel cakes & Bagpipe music.

    Thursday, September 24, 2009

    Another Barefoot Blogger Birthday Cake!

    Our second Barefoot Blogger challenge for Sept. was chosen by Mary of Passionate Perseverance and she would like us to try Beatty’s Chocolate Cake... I needed cupcakes for a party this weekend so I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to give this recipe a try. I really liked the Cake portion of this recipe, but I changed out the frosting so that I could be a little creative with my decorations.


    Wednesday, September 23, 2009

    Apples...Apples...Apples....!



    Our FoodBuzz challenge today was to cook with Apples... So I decided to come up with a fun and new Apple side dish to go with our grilled burgers tonight. This is what I came up with....



    Apple & Sweet Potato Chutney


    Ingredients:

    1 large apple (cored & diced)
    1 small sweet potato (peeled & diced)
    1/4 cup diced onion
    1/4 cup diced green pepper
    1 clove garlic diced
    1/8 cup chopped parsley
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    2 tablespoons butter
    1/4 cup water or chicken stock
    salt & pepper to taste

    To a large saute pan melt butter and olive oil together, add onions and saute for two minutes. Add remaining ingredients, saute until apples and sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.

    Tuesday, September 22, 2009

    Hot Crab & Spinach Dip

        1 medium red pepper, chopped
        3 green onions, sliced (about 1/3 cup)
        2 tsp. vegetable oil or olive oil
        1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
        2 cans (6 oz. each) crabmeat, drained and broken up
        1 cup Real Mayonnaise
        1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
        An Assortment of your favorite crackers, pita chips or tortilla chips

    PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Sauté peppers and onions in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
    ADD crabmeat, spinach, mayo and cheese; mix well. Spoon into lightly greased 1-quart baking dish.
    BAKE 30 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve as a spread with crackers or as a dip with chips.

    Note: You can use imitation crabmeat, but it does change the taste.

    Sunday, September 20, 2009

    Sunday...

    Reminder: The Pantry is dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Wednesday, September 16, 2009

    Memories of my Mother-in-law...

    Today would have been her birthday and one of my favorite memories was coming to visit and she had made her famous Mint Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies. So I memory of her, I give you....

    Mint-Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies


    6 egg whites

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1 1/2 cup white sugar

    1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

    1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
    2. Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar until very firm. While continuing to beat the egg whites, gradually add sugar and vanilla, beat until eggs whites will set up in stiff peaks. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
    3. Drop by teaspoonfuls on pan. Bake 275 degrees for 25-30 minutes. They should only be lightly browned.

    Tuesday, September 15, 2009

    Make-Over Monday...Tasty Taco Salad!

    FIESTA TIME!!!!
    And as I have spent this past year studying and learning how to make-over my favorite recipes into better tasting, lower calorie treats, I discovered the my loaded Taco Salad recipe that I thought was good for me was actually contributing to my down fall.... So staying with the Theme of the day I would like to post my Made-Over Tasty Taco Salad recipe for the day.

    Tasty Taco Salad


    Prep Time: 20 mins * Total Time: 20 mins * Makes:4 servings

    4 whole wheat flour tortillas (8 inch)
    1 lb. ground turkey
    1/4 cup of chopped white or yellow onion
    1 small clove of chopped fresh garlic
    1 teaspoon of dry taco seasoning mix
    1/4 cup warm water
    salt & pepper to taste
    4 cups shredded lettuce or baby spinach
    1 cup Finely Shredded Four Cheese
    1 large tomato, chopped
    1 medium cucumber, chopped
    1 medium avocado, chopped
    1/4 cup sour cream (about 1 tablespoon per person)
    1/2 cup salsa (about 2 tablespoons per person)

    CRUMPLE 4 large sheets of foil to make 4 (3-inch) balls; place on baking sheet. Place 1 tortilla over each ball; spray with low-cal cooking spray. Bake 6 to 8 min. or until tortillas are golden brown. (Tortillas will drape over balls as they bake.)
    *by using whole wheat and baking shells instead of frying or using store bought chips you save 80 calories per person

    MEANWHILE, cook meat with onion, garlic, taco seasoning mix, salt & pepper and warm water.
    *by cooking your meat with the following ingredients instead of browning it in 2 tablespoons of oil you save 120 calories per person
    FILL shells with lettuce, meat mixture, cheese and vegetables just before serving top with sour cream and salsa.
    *by measuring and using sour cream and salsa instead of salad dressing you save 60 calories per person

    So by making-over my Favorite Taco Salad, I have saved myself 302 calories... going from 580 to 278.

    Monday, September 14, 2009

    Happy Anniversary to the Chef's At the Pantry...

    The Pantry Chef's Celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary Today....

    So they are eating "OUT" in Charleston, S.C. tonight!

    Sunday, September 13, 2009

    Sunday....

    Reminder: The Pantry is dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Saturday, September 12, 2009

    Down with a Migraine....!

    I hate to see those blinking spots that appear just before the pounding starts.
    So needless to say.... "NO FOOD TODAY!"

    Thursday, September 10, 2009

    Barefoot Bloggers - Brithday Sheet Cake - Sept. 09

    I was so excited and could hardly wait to try my first Barefoot Bloggers Challenge... Like many other have posted, I too had the same problem with my cake over browning around the edges before it was cooked in the center. This is the third time in three different states that I have tried this recipe and it came out the same all three times! hehehehe…..I guess a lot can be said for consistency….. The frosting recipe is fantastic, but I don’t think I will use the cake portion of the recipe again, I have others that I favor better.
    On the other hand... Because my cake was so badly burned are the edges I decided to get a little creative with it and turned it into a Stacked Sheet Cake. Adding a cup of frosting between each layer of cake, topping it off with a light sprinkle of more lemon zest. I hope that was okay? Here is the way it turned out.
    RECIPE: BIRTHDAY SHEET CAKE
    by: Ina Garten, (the Barefoot Contessa)

    Ingredients

    For the cake:

    • 18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 3 cups sugar
    • 6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
    • 8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    • 1 lemon, zested
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour



    • 1/3 cup cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda


    For the Frosting:

    • 24 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
    • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
    • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • Chocolate candies for decorating (recommended: M&M's)


    SUZY…….. Hope you have a Happy Birthday and thanks for the recipe choice! It was a good one... Thanks!

    Wednesday, September 9, 2009

    Saying Good-Bye to Summer!

    Last night, a small group of my Husbands co-workers were having a pot luck, end of summer/end of season get-together. I guess a variety food options were suggested and in the end everyone just decided to bring what ever they wanted. My hubby decided that he wanted to make & take Chicken Enchiladas, which I profusely disagreed with, stating that "There is no quality control to our recipe", "They are hard to keep warm", "You never know if they are burnt on the bottom until served".... etc...etc....etc.... to which every time I would come up with what I thought was a good reason why not it he would respond with "They will be just fine!" So... in the end he won and the enchiladas were made. And to make bad matters worse, they turned out beautiful, wonderful and was the biggest hit at the party! All I could do was Bite my tongue and eat my words..... SO in honor of my patient hubby, I give you....

    "CHICKEN ENCHILADAS"
    (Party Style)


    6 Chicken Breasts (cooked and cubed)
    6 cups of Chicken Stock (reserved from cooking chicken)
    1/2 cup diced onion
    1 clove garlic (diced)
    1 tablespoon butter
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    4 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
    1 (16 oz) Sour cream
    1 (12oz) can Evaporated Milk
    1 1/2 cup grated cheese
    1 small can diced green chillies
    12 medium four tortillas

    Place chicken breasts in a large pot, add salt, pepper & seasonings as if your going to make chicken soup, then boil. While boiling, place butter and olive oil to a small pan and warm, chop onion, garlic add to melted butter and olive oil. Sauté until flavors are mixed well and onion has become soft but not brown. Set onion mixture aside, drain cooked chicken reserving 6 cups of stock. Cool Chicken and then cut into cubes.

    In a large bowl, combine 4 cans Cream of Chicken soup, the sour cream, milk, onion mixture, half of the cheese and the green chillies. Mix well, this mixture will be thick. Add chicken stock, 1 cup at a time) until mixture is of sauce consistency. Add chicken and stir.

    Grease or Spray a large 9'x13 baking dish, coat well. Pour 2 cups of chicken mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Now take 2 flour tortillas and place flat on top of chicken mixture. Cover with 2 more cups of chicken mixture. Next take remaining tortillas and fill each center with 1/4 cup of chicken mixture and roll each tortilla, enchiladas style as you go, placing each filled tortilla side by side until all ten are fill. Pour and Spread remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas until completely covered. Top with remaining cheese and some parsley.

    Cover and bake on 350* for about 1 hour or until center is hot

    Tuesday, September 8, 2009

    mmmmmm........ Chocolate Pudding!

    We have been craving Chocolate pudding at our house.... Hope you all enjoy as much as we do!

      1 Cup sugar
      1/2 Cup cocoa powder

      1/4 Cup cornstarch

      1/4 tsp. salt

      1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

      2 1/2 cups half & half
      1 tsp. vanilla extract


    In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir. Over medium heat, gradually add the milk and half & half, stirring constantly. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Continue at low boil, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from stove and add the vanilla, stirring constantly to blend. Pour into serving bowls and chill uncovered. Pudding can be enjoyed warm or cold. Top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles for an extra treat.

    Monday, September 7, 2009

    CALABASH..... Before & After!

    Shortly after moving to South Carolina, we discovered a new food genre called Calabash... I immediately fell in love only to find out that like a lot of other things in life, every one has that own philosophy about what is real Calabash. SO I started to ask around... And for the most part this is the conclusion and outcome that I like best.

    According to Ella's Calabash Seafood Restaurant in Calabash, NC.... "Calabash Style" means seafood prepared fresh, lightly battered and fried to order using the same family recipes that have been past down through the generations.

    And since I don't have a family recipe that has been passed down through the generations, I can only make one up, so here is what I have come up with....

    * 1 cup all purpose flour
    * 1/2 teaspoon dried onion powder
    * 1/4 teaspoon dried garlic powder
    * 1 teaspoons of dry mustard
    * 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (you can use seasoned)
    * 1/4 cup white cornmeal
    * 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
    * 1 egg
    * 3 cups cooking oil
    * 2 tablespoons of milk
    * 2-4 large Blue Crabs

    On one sheet of waxed paper, place flour, onion powder, garlic powder & dry mustard. In pie plate, with fork, beat egg with milk. On another sheet of waxed paper, combine cornmeal and bread crumbs. Dip clean dry crabs in flour just to dust, then in egg mixture, then in cornmeal mixture until coated.

    In 12 inch skillet over medium heat, in hot oil;, fry Crabs, carefully turning once. Cook about 6-8 minutes or until nice and brown. Serve with horseradish or Tartar sauce.

    Sunday, September 6, 2009

    Sunday....

    Just as a FYI... the Pantry is and will remain dark on Sundays!
    We are God fearing, church going people who, enjoy a day full of sabbath blessings, family time and everyday, over-the-counter snacks !!!!!!

    Saturday, September 5, 2009

    Homemade Chicken Stock




    One of the biggest assets to having a frugal pantry is the willingness to be creative and trust in the things that you know or that you are willing to learn how to do. Making. freezing and rotating your own Homemade Chicken, Beef and Veggie stock is one of those things simple, environmentally safe, user friendly and self staining things that you can do to help start saving money and eating more healthy. Plus Stock or broth is one of the easiest things you can cook, if you are just starting out in the kitchen.

    So... here you go, lets give it a try.





    Ingredients:

    1 chicken carcass or 1 1/2 - 2 pounds of raw chicken pieces (bone-in and skin-on works best)
    1 - 2 large onions pieces, skins and leftovers
    4 carrots peels,
    4 celery tops and leaves
    2 - 3 garlic whole cloves
    2 dried or fresh bay leaves
    4 - 5 thyme or rosemary sprigs with stems
    4 - 5 parsley sprigs with stems
    10 crushed black peppercorns (optional)
    1 tablespoon Adobo seasonings
    (side note on Veggies... we use all the leftover stuff from the veggies we have used all week, I keep everything in a ziplock bag until i get meat bones or a bag full then I make stock.this is how we make sure we don't waste anything...)

    1. Put chicken (whole, parts, pieces, bones and all in a large pot or crock pot. Cover with water. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar (this draws out the minerals in the bones into your stock).
    2. Add salt, pepper, seasonings, and vegetables. Sometimes, for my veggie stock, I usually throw in at least carrot, celery, onion, and extra garlic. They can go in whole since they will cook down to mush anyway.
    3. Turn on the heat. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer 2-3 hours or more on the stove top, or overnight in your crock pot.
    4. Strain the solids out, letting the stuff set in the strainer for at least 10 minutes,pressing lightly on the bones and veggies to squeeze out every last drop of your liquid goodness. My stock often becomes a little cloudy with all the pulpy leftovers, but that is okay because that is where the nutrition is. let cool... this is important to do before placing in you freezer bags.
    5. I do NOT skim the fat, because there’s so much good stuff for you in the fat. (Not to mention the flavor!) but if you want to you can just place your stock in a open container in the fridge until fat in top is hard and can easyly be lifted off the top. Your stock will become stiff and jelly like, that is okay and sometimes easier to handle when filling your freezer bags.
    6. After your stock has cooled, Pour the stock into freezer containers, label, and freeze. 

    Thursday, September 3, 2009

    End of Summer Fun.....

    A while back, I found this great recipe while surfing through the Kraft.com website... My Boys thought that would make a great treat for a party that they were planning for the Labor day weekend. WE thought we would share it here....

    Watermelon Pops
    Prep Time: 35 min Total Time: 4 hr 35 min Makes: 16 servings

    What You Need!
    1 cup sugar, divided
    1 pkg. (3 oz.) Lime Flavor Gelatin
    2 cups boiling water, divided
    ice cubes
    1 cup cold water, divided
    1 pkg. (3 oz.) Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
    3 Tbsp. miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
    1/2 pkg. (4 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
    1-1/2 cups thawed Whipped Topping
    12-16 craft sticks or plastic spoons
    12-16 (3-oz) paper cups


    What You Need to DO!

    MIX 1/3 cup sugar and lime gelatin mix in medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to 1/2 cup cold water to measure 3/4 cup. Add to lime gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. Refrigerate 25 min.

    MEANWHILE, repeat Step 1 using strawberry gelatin mix and omitting the refrigeration step. Pour into 16 (3-oz.) paper cups. Freeze 20 min. Stir 1/2 tsp. chocolate chips into gelatin in each cup.

    BEAT cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in COOL WHIP; spread over gelatin in cups.

    POUR lime gelatin over cream cheese mixture. Insert wooden popcycle/craft stick into gelatin in center of each cup. Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Remove pops from cups just before serving.

    Wednesday, September 2, 2009

    Lunch is served!

    I love experimenting with all the different things that you can put into a sandwich... And a couple of weeks ago I was asked to come up with a simple lunch that fit into the "Back to School" theme for a group of ladies/friends at my church. I wanted to make them something fun, easy and yet had a gourmet flare to it. So... In putting my thought together for all of this, I thought it would be fun to take fun and regular sandwiches that we make for our kids and fancy them up a bit...

    My menu thus developed into three different sandwiches made with those new little round flat sandwich bread from Arnold's Bakery (you can by them at Sam's Club or Walmart). The sandwich that I am featuring today is the....


    "Twisted Club"
    *Bread
    *Ham (3 slices)
    *Cheddar Cheese (1 slice)
    *Turkey (3 slices)
    *Swiss Cheese (1 slice)
    *Apple (1 round slice)
    *Bacon (3 slices - cooked)
    *Lettuce
    *Tomato (1 slice)
    *Mayo

    We served the sandwiches on small plates in a brown paper bags with a side of fresh fruit.

    Tuesday, September 1, 2009

    Heirloom Mozzarella Capreses

    As I started to think about all the wonderful recipes I wanted to post as my very first here on my new blog.... It became all to clear to me that I should use my favorite creation that I have chosen to use as part of my blog logo/header. And since this is my all time favorite salad I would like to give you both versions...

    Orginial Mozzarella Caprese


    Ingredients:
    1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese sliced 1/4-inch thick
    2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
    1 cup fresh basil leaves
    Coarse salt to taste*
    Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil




    Preparation:

    In a circular design around the side of a serving plate, alternate fresh mozzarella slices on a large platter (or on individual plates if you are doing individual portions) with sliced tomatoes, overlapping for effect.
    Tear fresh basil leaves and sprinkle liberally over the slices. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Sprinkle capers over the top.
    Just before serving, drizzle on some top-quality extra-virgin olive oil.  

    NOTE: Insalata Caprese should never be allowed to sit in oil for any length of time and become soggy, and no vinegar of any kind goes on true Insalata Caprese!
    Makes 4 servings.


    My Heirloom Mozzarella Caprese

    1 large yellow Heirloom Tomato (sliced)
    8-10 small Cherry Tomatoes
    4 slices of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
    4 Sprigs of fresh Basil
    olive oil

    Arrange Salad on a large Serving dish, alternating yellow tomato slices and mozzarella cheese. Top with Basil leaves and cherry tomatoes. Splash with olive oil, crushed black paper and enjoy.

    Monday, August 31, 2009

    Reasons Why....

    I have been thinking more and more about the movie "Julie & Julia" and I was chatting online with some of my friends and they were telling me about this great website ....Barefoot Bloggers , where a bunch of people have grouped together to cook with the Barefoot Contessa from the food network .... Great fun!

    While I was there I was introduced to another great food site called Foodbuzz.com. I joined both!!!!

    And now I have come to understand that I need a blog for just my food passion....

    Don't we need a blog for everything....?????????



    SO starting tomorrow, I will be adding all my Foodie Follies here! I hope everyone joins in and enjoys all the fun.....