I am a very big fan of popcorn, my husband is not. However, I can usually lure him to the popcorn bowl if the offering is something a little more out of the ordinary. So, on a whim I whipped up some different seasonings and viola, we are sitting there working on a puzzle and he is chowing down on the crunchy goodness! So here is what I currently use the most:
Italian Seasoning:
1 TBS Garlic Salt
1 1/2 tsp Basil
1 tsp Rosemary
Combine all spices and use a mortar and pestle to finely grind up the herbs, so that they are somewhat dusty in texture. Apply after popcorn has been buttered or oiled and lightly toss.
Mexican Seasoning
1 TBS Garlic Salt
1 TBS Chili Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Cumin
Dash of cayenne (can be omitted)
Combine all spices and use a mortar and pestle to finely grind up the herbs, so that they are somewhat dusty in texture. Apply after popcorn has been buttered or oiled and lightly toss.
We have also done cinnamon and sugar, you can also jazz up that combo with some cumin and cayenne for a sweet and spicy flavor.
*If you do not have a mortar and pestle, they are really cheap at walmart...but you may be able to try grinding your spices a little bit finer in a food processor.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Melt in your mouth chocolate mint chip cookies!
This has already become a family favorite! My husbands exact words were "Oh my word, these taste like a melt in your mouth candy bar!" I have to agree they are pretty good, so good that I sent the entire batch to work with Bob so that I wouldn't sit and eat them all. Hope they turn out as good for you!!
Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4) ounce package instant chocolate pudding (I use chocolate fudge)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag Andes Mint baking chips (I found them at walmart)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together butter and sugar, beat in pudding mix, add eggs and vanilla.
Stir in flour and baking soda, add the entire bag of mint chips and stir until blended.
Scoop tablespoon sized amounts onto a cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minute. ALWAYS check to see how these cookies are doing as chocolate cookies can become over baked very easily as you cannot look at the edges to see if they are close to done.
Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies
1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4) ounce package instant chocolate pudding (I use chocolate fudge)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag Andes Mint baking chips (I found them at walmart)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together butter and sugar, beat in pudding mix, add eggs and vanilla.
Stir in flour and baking soda, add the entire bag of mint chips and stir until blended.
Scoop tablespoon sized amounts onto a cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minute. ALWAYS check to see how these cookies are doing as chocolate cookies can become over baked very easily as you cannot look at the edges to see if they are close to done.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Creamy Dill and Marsala Potatoes
I seriously had next to nothing in my house to fix for a late lunch and who wants to take a 3 month old to the store during nap time...NOT ME! So, I saw a bag of potatoes and this is what I came up with:
Creamy Dill and Marsala Potatoes
7-8 small or medium potatoes(Yukon gold are best) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
half an onion sliced in circles
2 med. sized garlic cloves, minced
3 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
2 TBS Marsala cooking wine
1 1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp salt (feel free to add more at the end to taste)
1/3 cup Marsala cooking wine
1/2 cup sour cream
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large skillet and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium.
Add potatoes, onion and garlic, stir and then combine all of the spices and cook over medium for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. If potatoes start to stick add another TBS of olive oil and 1/4 cup hot water.
Add the additional Marsala wine after potatoes have cooked for 10 minutes. Allow potatoes to cook another 10 or until tender when pierced by a fork.
Right before serving, stir the sour cream into the potatoes while still in skillet.
Serve and enjoy!
*I have not done this with fresh dill yet, but feel free to experiment.
*If you love the taste of Marsala use a 1/2 a cup instead of a third.
Creamy Dill and Marsala Potatoes
7-8 small or medium potatoes(Yukon gold are best) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
half an onion sliced in circles
2 med. sized garlic cloves, minced
3 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
2 TBS Marsala cooking wine
1 1/2 tsp dill
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp salt (feel free to add more at the end to taste)
1/3 cup Marsala cooking wine
1/2 cup sour cream
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large skillet and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium.
Add potatoes, onion and garlic, stir and then combine all of the spices and cook over medium for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. If potatoes start to stick add another TBS of olive oil and 1/4 cup hot water.
Add the additional Marsala wine after potatoes have cooked for 10 minutes. Allow potatoes to cook another 10 or until tender when pierced by a fork.
Right before serving, stir the sour cream into the potatoes while still in skillet.
Serve and enjoy!
*I have not done this with fresh dill yet, but feel free to experiment.
*If you love the taste of Marsala use a 1/2 a cup instead of a third.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Read Your Recipes!
So, this morning I put the baby down for his nap and decide to make coconut macaroons...6 simple ingredients and one bowl for what is suppose to be a quick and easy recipe. I have used this recipe before and must say that these cookies are amazing!
Today I learned that having a child changes everything...even my baking skills! I was rushing to get the cookies stirred and in the oven before nap time ended that I was just skimming the recipe and yep, I totally messed up and instead of adding 4 egg WHITES, I added 4 entire eggs. I should have known better!
Anyways, the cookies weren't a total loss; I threw in a handful of flour to thicken them up a bit. They are a bit yellow looking, but other than that they are edible! Haha!
Here is the recipe I use if any one would like to try them:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/bakers-one-bowl-coconut-52586.aspx
*I use vanilla instead of almond extract
Today I learned that having a child changes everything...even my baking skills! I was rushing to get the cookies stirred and in the oven before nap time ended that I was just skimming the recipe and yep, I totally messed up and instead of adding 4 egg WHITES, I added 4 entire eggs. I should have known better!
Anyways, the cookies weren't a total loss; I threw in a handful of flour to thicken them up a bit. They are a bit yellow looking, but other than that they are edible! Haha!
Here is the recipe I use if any one would like to try them:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/bakers-one-bowl-coconut-52586.aspx
*I use vanilla instead of almond extract
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Granola Bars
I'll admit first off that the base for this recipe was not mine, although after trying out the original recipe and having my granola bars come out dry, I decided to make a few modifications and tailor this recipe to be my own. This is one of my most requested recipes, and I have to admit it really saves the dollars in the department of lunch time snacks!
Em's Granola Bars
* You do not have to use peanut butter and chocolate chips, Just use a cup of something else. Some examples of what I have also used in this recipe include: dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, dark chocolate and coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts, dried cherries and dark chocolate...the possibilities are endless!
Mix all ingredients together...make sure it is mixed VERY well. Pour into a greased 9x13, press bars into pan with greased hands then bake at 325 degrees for 18 minutes. Immediately after you take them out of the oven, take a flat spatula and press the granola bars into the pan, this makes them hold together well. Cut into bars after cooling for 10 minutes.
Em's Granola Bars
- 4 1/2 cups old fashion oats (NOT QUICK!)
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup corn syrup
- 1 stick or margarine or butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2-3/4 cup peanut butter chips
- 1/2-3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
* You do not have to use peanut butter and chocolate chips, Just use a cup of something else. Some examples of what I have also used in this recipe include: dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, dark chocolate and coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts, dried cherries and dark chocolate...the possibilities are endless!
Mix all ingredients together...make sure it is mixed VERY well. Pour into a greased 9x13, press bars into pan with greased hands then bake at 325 degrees for 18 minutes. Immediately after you take them out of the oven, take a flat spatula and press the granola bars into the pan, this makes them hold together well. Cut into bars after cooling for 10 minutes.
Carrot Cake
Simply put, my family loves carrot cake. Even Uncle Jimmy, who picks carrots out of everything, claiming them to be too boring to eat, will eat carrot cake.
Despite everyone's love of carrot cake it occurred to me that we really didn't have a good carrot cake recipe amongst my family, s0 I decided after chatting with my dad about what makes a good carrot cake, to create my own.
This carrot cake is pretty dense, the way we like it, and has a rich cream cheese frosting. I am usually pretty appalled by the amount of oil that goes into a cake such as this, so I used applesauce to cut some of the oil out yet preserve the moisture.
Em's Carrot Cake
Ingredients
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped dates (depends on how much you like dates)
Frosting:
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, pineapple, brown sugar, white sugar and teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and cloves. Stir in carrots, dates & pecans. Pour into pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. I check my cakes at 30, and then every 10 min. after that to be sure not to over bake!
Frosting - In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Do not frost cake until cooled! Store in refrigerator.
Enjoy!
Despite everyone's love of carrot cake it occurred to me that we really didn't have a good carrot cake recipe amongst my family, s0 I decided after chatting with my dad about what makes a good carrot cake, to create my own.
This carrot cake is pretty dense, the way we like it, and has a rich cream cheese frosting. I am usually pretty appalled by the amount of oil that goes into a cake such as this, so I used applesauce to cut some of the oil out yet preserve the moisture.
Em's Carrot Cake
Ingredients
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped dates (depends on how much you like dates)
Frosting:
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, pineapple, brown sugar, white sugar and teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and cloves. Stir in carrots, dates & pecans. Pour into pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. I check my cakes at 30, and then every 10 min. after that to be sure not to over bake!
Frosting - In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Do not frost cake until cooled! Store in refrigerator.
Enjoy!
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