Corn Flake Tarts with Amaretto Whip Cream

Corn Flake Tart

Melt together 1 bag of Marshmallows and 1/2 stick of butter in the microwave. ( about 3min )

Add 6-7 cups of coarsley crushed cornflakes- mix all together.

Coat your hands with butter and make into small balls. Press into muffin tins and shape to form a shell.

Freeze for 10-15 minutes.

Amaretto Whip Cream Filling

Whip together 1 quart of heavy whipping cream and 2 tbsp powdered sugar

fold in 1/4 cup of Amaretto after the cream is whipped and can form stiff peaks.

Fill the frozen tart shells with the whip cream and refreeze till you are ready to serve them.

Serve them while they are still frozen with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Yummy Yummy Yummy!

From our Christmas table to Yours

Merry Christmas!

Chargers to Decorate your Dining Table.

So over the last couple of weeks I have been working on a design for a  charger plate. This is what I have come up with. They are going to sell for $40.00 for a set of four ( not including freight). We are going to start offering them in, Black, Burnt Orange, French Blue and a Sage Green. But keep a watch as we are creating new borders for your Christmas Table.

Edge of the Black Charger

These are the Black Chargers

I used the Burnt Orange Chargers for my Thanksgiving table.

I decorated my Thanksgiving table with the Burnt Orange chargers.

Our Thanksgiving Table!

Burnt Orange Charger

Big Pancakes - Crepes

Big Pancake Batter

Making the pancakes.

Recipe

6 eggs

3 cups milk

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar ( I only use a 1/2 cup )

3 tbsp oil ( you can use melted lard also )

1 tsp salt

Beat eggs and sugar together, add the milk, mix in the flour. Add the oil and the salt.

I use a 1/4 cup measure to pour onto the griddle.

( 450 -500 degrees )

 they will cook quickly so keep an eye on them.

Banana topping

1/2  stick of butter

1/2 to 1 cup of brown sugar

4 banana's

Melt the butter and sugar together

add banana's....and if you want add a spicy Rum or Grand Marnier to give it a little kick!

Hope you enjoy this family favorite!

Beignets...Almost as good as the Jazz Kitchen's

Beignets

Step 1- take 2 tbsp yeast and add to 1 cup warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes, it will get a nice frothy top on it when it is ready to use. If the Yeast does not become forthy on the top start over with fresh yeast.

Step 2 - add 1 cup of flour to the yeast mixture and mix together. let this double in size.

Step 3- In a seperate bowl take 1 and 1/4 stick of softened butter and  2/3 cup sugar, cream this together.

             add in 3 eggs ( one at a time ) 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla and slowly add 3 1/2 cups flour.  start by doing this with a spoon and not the mixer. Once you get this all mixed together then you can use your mixer to finish mixing this together. It will be a soft dough.  Let this rise together for 1-1 1/2 hours or till it doubles in size.

 

When your dough has doubled in size then it is time to roll it out on a floured board. Roll it out to about 1" thick and cut into bite size pieces. They will rise and puff up in the hot oil when you are deep frying them.  fry them for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

In the Oil Hot Tub...Looking good

Ready to bite into them....Yummy!

Roll the Beignets in Sugar to finish them off!

Vanilla Cream Sauce for Dipping

Step 1 - seperate 12 eggs ( we need only the yolks )

to the egg yolks add 1 cup sugar and cream together

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 tbsp vanilla

Bring this to a simmer

When the cream and milk mixture is warm add it to the egg and sugar mixture slowly whisking it together

pour this back in to the saucepan and keep stirring with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken. This can take up to about 8 minutes.  Let cool and then place in the fridge. This sauce is so good on the beignets.

Granola Bars

So I found a recipe for Granola Bars on the internet through Pinterest...and they are so yummy. To make this my own...I added a couple of things that my family likes to eat in Granola bars. So here is the recipe. ( Mels Version )

2 cups oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds  
1/2 cup pecans 
toss this together with 3 tbsp canola oil to help with the toasting.

Toast on a baking sheet at 325 oven for about 10-15 min or until golden brown
  

                 
In a seperate bowl ( use a large one ) add the next ingredients;

1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup of dried cranberries or any other dried fruit that you like ( you can try Chocolate chips too )
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Add the oatmeal mixture to the bowl and mix it together.

In a saucepan pour 1/2 cup honey and 1 tsp of vanilla and bring to a boil. This is going to be your glue that holds the granola bars together. let is simmer for 3-4 minutes till it becomes quite thin and runny.

When your honey is ready pour over the granola mixture and mix till all coated with the honey. Use a

9 X 13 baking sheet lined with parchment paper ( you need this so that it can be removed easily from the pan.) lightly coat the parchment paper with canola oil with your hands. This helps the granola mixture to not stick to your hands when you are pressing the mixture onto the pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Ready to eat!                            

Hope you enjoy these...they are really simple to make and really heatlthy too.

Enjoy!!!!

Our Day at the Pumpkin Patch

Rylee's first time at a pumpkin patch!

 









Daddy, Rylee and Mommy

                                             







            Rylee and her Papa.
A shoulder ride...that's the way to travel!

In the pumpkins!

                                                            Waiting on a Woman!

Fun Times in the Kitchen with Friends

We had some friends over for Marvins Birthday and we ended up in the kitchen for a quick blog...this recipe has a different spin on the crusty cheesy bread that I have already posted. This is great for a large group of people. You can see by all the people that wandered through the kitchen that night...that was only a couple. The rest of them were in the backyard dancing to the wonderful DJ and Karaoke music of Jayme and Woody...You guys are the best!!!!!

 I made a huge pot of Steak Chili for the party and I served it up in mason jars...so easy for everyone to handle.

I hope that you enjoyed this little video. My friend Brenda is such a kick...we are going to do some real cooking soon....Maybe Thanksgiving.

Pictures from our Brunch at the BArn

Table at the Barn...It has an amazing view!

Here is the view from the barn....Gorgeous!

Jazzed up Orange Juice...Fill a blender 1/2 full of crushed ice. pour in ornage juice till about 1/2 full, add 1or 2 banana's Blend till becomes frothy and turns to a light yellow color. top off in the glass or pitcher with a splash of Sprite or Sparkling water to give it some fizz. To make it a "Big Girl" Beverage add Champagne! 

Here is a picture of the Brunch cassarole...it was so Yummy!

Here are thePeeps at the Barn...they are never quite sure what they are going to be surprised with!

 From right to left...Marvin- My Amzing and wonderful hubby, Liz and Ron they have been working for us for about 12 years, Leonardo - named our canvas after him...he is the master at stretching canvas  Thus the name Leonardo Canvas!

Breakfast Brunch

This cassarole has everything in it that you want for breakfast.

1 package of ground sausage ( or you can use Bacon too )

1 small to medium onion

1-1 1/2 loaf of crusty bread cut into small cubes ( I used a baguette )

2-3  cups of grated cheese ( I used a mixed blend )

1 cup cottage cheese ( you could use ricotta for this too )

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp nutmeg ( I grated my own )

1/4 tsp ground pepper

Cook sausage in a large skillet until cooked through. Add onion and cook till tender.

Spread 1/2 of the bread cubes in the bottomof a 13 X 9 baking dish Layer the bread with half of the meat, onion, cheese and cottage cheese.Ttop with the remaining bread cubes and cheese, meat and onions, and all the cheeses. ( its like a breakfast lasagna )

Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl until foamy. Add the spices and pour over the top. Press the bread into the milk to make sure the bread is covered and moist.

( you  can let this stand for a few minutes to make sure the bread is all coated. )

Bake in a 350 preheated oven for about 40 - 50 minutes.

Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot

I hav been having a bit of problem with my video and voice...so I have also posted the recipes below for you.

Chicken Stew

3 or 4 chicken breasts ( you can use chicken thighs too but you will use a few more of them )

1 envelope of onion soup mix

1-2 cups of frozen pearl onions

2cups of halfed fresh mushrooms ( you can use more if you like )

1 cup dry red wine ( remember if you don't like the taste of the wine it won't be good for cooking...if you drink it - cook with it )

Brown your chicken pieces in a large skillet ( drizzle a bit of olive oil in it )

Place your meat in the crock pot, Sprinkle the top of the chicken with Onion soup mix, mushrooms, pearl onions. Pour the wine over the top cook in the crock pot for about 4 1/2 - 5 hours on low. you can cook this on high if you want for about 2 1/2 - 3 hrs also.

Garnish with some fresh snipped basil...and serve over mashed potatoes.....Yummy !  

Jazzed up tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwhiches



Jazzed up Tomato Soup

This is really easy...All I did was make a can of tomato soup to the directions.However instead of one can of milk I used half and half and milk. It makes is a little richer...but oh so yummy. Then i just chop in about 6 or 7 basil leaves add fresh groud pepper to taste. let it simmer for a few minutes.  Thats it!
When you go to serve it add a dolop of sour cream to the top and a little more fresh ground pepper.


Grilled Cheese Sandwhich

Another really easy sammy...I just cut up a baguette on the angle ( it looks a bit prettier ). For the cheese I used provolone and gruyere. It makes for a little sharper and nuttier taste. Butter the bread on both sides ( outside only )  then grill for a few minutes on both sides to a golden brown. These little sammy's are great for dipping into the soup!

Enjoy this one on a rainy day!



Waffle Sammy's

Waffle Sammy's

Waffle Recipe

11/2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Put flour, sugar,baking powder and salt into bowl. Stir well and make a well in the center.

Beat eggs until frothy in a seperate bowl. Stir in milk and melted butter into the well. Beat only until smooth. Fill hot waffle iron according to the directions.





Sausage Patties

1 lb Ground pork sausage ( you can use whatever ground meat you like )
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp fennel seeds ( crush these in your palm a bit )
 1/8 tsp fresh grated nut meg ( I like to use more for my sausage )
1 tbsp syrup



Mix all this together and make into patties.
 Place them into a hot fry pan and cook unitl they are brown and crispy.

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade

1 can of either frozen Lemon or Limeade made per the directions

1-2 cups Frozen Berries ( Strawberries, Blueberries, Rasberry )

Blend up the berries in a blender to desired consistency

add the berries to the lemonade.

sparkling lemon soda ( Sprite or Club Soda works to ) add this to the lemonade to make a bubbly as you like.

Juice from a lime and lemon

Lemon and Lime slices for Garnish

Zuppa Toscana or Zuppa Temecula

1 lb ground Italian Sausage

1/2 -1tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 large diced sweet onion

8 strips of bacon ( cooked till crunchy to break apart)

2 tsp galic puree or grate a clove on fine hand grater

( this is easy to make if you want - crush a clove on a board and add salt to make a paste )

10 cups of water

5 cubes of chicken bouillon ( you can use chicken stock if you like )

1 cup heavy cream

3-4 large potaotes ( not peeled but sliced thin ) keep these in a bowl of water to keep from going brown

1/4 bunch of kale ( this is to your liking- somepeople like a lot of kale in the soup )

Saute Italina sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate this after it has been cooked while you are preparing the other ingredients.

In the same pot, saute the bacon, onions and garlic for about 15 minor untilt he onions become tender.

Mix together the chicken bouillon and water ( or the stock if that is what you are using ) then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. cook until boiling. add potatoesand cook until soft, but not mushy. ( about 20 min )

add heavy cream and cook till heated. Stir in the sausage. add the kale just before serving.

Delicioso!!!!

In the Kitchen with Mark & Marit

Buon Appetito!

Profiteroles Sweet and Savory

                                                                        Profiteroles

1 cup of Water

1/2 cup butter  

 Bring water and butter to a boil in a larger pot

1 cup Flour

1/4 tsp salt

add to the water mixture until it forms a soft but still ball

Add 4 eggs one at a time, beat well. Spoon mixture onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.

To make this a savory puff add 1/2 - 1 cup of Gruyere Cheese to the dough mixture.

Breakfast at the Barn

FInal touches on the Tenderloin dinner

Marianted Beef Tenderloin in Garlic and Olive Oil

Start this by roasting your cloves of garlic in about 1 cup of olive oil in your oven at 400 degrees for about 20 - 25 minutes or until they start to turn an nice honey golden brown...then let it cool before you start to marinate the meat in this. You can marinate it in a Zip Lock baggy too if you want or a pan...whatever works for you...just remember to stuff some of the garlic peices into the meat pockets that you made.

Easy Appy Time

Panna Cotta Recipe

4 cups Milk

1/2 cup Sugar 

Put this into a sauce pan and heat till sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 tsp of Vanilla.

While the milk is heating, in a seperate bowl take 2 packets of Knox Gelatin and add to 6 Tablespoons of cold water. Let stand for a couple of minutes to soften the gelatin. 

When the milk is heated and sugar is disolved add the gelatin to the warm milk and stir till the gelatin is dissolved in the milk. 

Take your bowls that you are going to use for the desert and drizzle about 1 tsp of honey in the bottom of each bowl. Then take a ladle and pour the milk mixyure into each bowl. Put into the fridge for about 4-5 hrs to let the Panna Cotta firm up.

When you are ready to serve your desert you can invert the pudding on to a desert plate or just serve it in the bowl or pretty glass that you poured it into.

If you are going to invert the desert here is a tip...place the bowls into a warm water bath....it will let go quite easily. alos remeber ti put the plate upside down on the top of the bowl before you flip it over.

Hope you enjoy this Italian pudding!!!!

Easy Savory Tart

This tart is so Yummy!!! When you make it be creative with your add ins...you can use things like Sausage, Mushrooms, Fontina Cheese, Figs, Apples, Panceta...all of these will taste ymmy!

Cooking with my sister

Street Tacos!

"Part 1"

"Part 2"

Pizza Night with Friends

Not Your Typical Mac N Cheese!

"Part 2"

"Part 3"

Focaccia Bread

"Part 1"

"Part 2"



"Part 3"

Esspresso Rub Filets With A Splash of "Happy"

"Part 1"

"Part 2"



Chicken Parmigiana

"Part 1"

"Part 2"

"Part 3"

"Part 4"

Cheers!

Steak & Potatoes

A Basbeball Sirlion Steak With Dressed UpRed Potatoes

"Part 1"

 

"Part 2"

"Part 3"

 

Just so you all know...I do make veggies too.

Cheers!

Comfort Food from A Crock Pot

Here's the Recipe...Enjoy!

4-5 Chicken Breasts FROZEN (depends how many your feeding)

1- 28oz can of diced tomatoes

A generous amount of Italian Seasoning (Oregano, Basil, Rosemary) you can buy this as a spice mix at your grocer.

Fresh or Jared garlic ) what ever you prefer...but don't be shy about using lots of garlic in this recipe.

Salt & Pepper to taste

Turn crock pot on high for 4-6 hrs. The cooking time depends on the size of your chicken breasts and the temperature of your crock pot.

When it is time to serve up your dinner, break apart the chicken pieces so that they are more bite sized. serve over a pasta like Penne, Shells or sometimes I serve it with mashed potatoes for something different.

this dinner goes great with Garlic Cheese bread and a salad.

To change this up a bit add some fresh mushrooms, peas, or even Broccoli would be good. But remember to add this near the end so that the veggies don't get mushy...we don't like over done veggies!!!

Cheers Friends...PS don't forget the great glass of wine to go along side this.

Pork Chops & Potaotes

Hi Everyone,

So the second part of my video never seemed to post and i think that it was probably too long....Sorry! So here is the recipe for you.

Pre heat your oven to 350.

Pork Chops - I used a pork tenderloin and cut them myself about 1" thick. Put your chops in a hot skillet with about 2 -3 tbsp butter. cook about 3- 5 min on each side. Add sliced onions and garlic to the pan and cook till tender and carmelized. Add some good red wine, to the pan to deglaze it. This gets all the little bits of flavor to loosen from the pan.  I used a Sangiovese ( it also pairs very well with this dinner) To finish the dish put it in the oven for about 5 minutes.

I served this with Garkic Lemon Chive potatoes. These are really simple to make. Pre boil some little red potaotes and when they are finished cut them in half. in a sauce pan add a stick of butter, zest from a lemon and about 1/4 cup of chopped chives. when this is melted toss the potatoes in it. place the cut side down on eother a grill pan or your BBQ to get those nice grill marks on them.  They look really pretty when you plate them.

So I hope that you try this recipe and i hope that you enjoy it as much as Britt and I did.

Cheers!

Pork Chops and Potatoes

"Part 1"

So here is the first video for my blog! I had so much fun cooking with Brit and showing you all how to make Pork chops and potatoes! The outcome was so delish. Hope you like this meal as much as Brit and I did!

 

P.S Remeber to enjoy a great class of wine!

My First Post!

Hi Friends,

A lot of you have asked me to blog about sharing my time in the kitchen...not sure why...I'm just a regular Mom and Grandma who loves to feed her friends and family. Social gatherings are the perfect way to try new recipes and share the family favorites too. Food just seems to bring people together!

I love to cook and have a little bit of fun in the kitchen with whoever is going to be here for any meal whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, but I really try to keep it simple so that I don't spend too much time in the kitchen. In my early days of cooking it was all about getting food to the table fast and feeding the family basic meals...now I enjoy being more creative, and adding new and different things to old recipes. (Marvin thinks it was because I started watching the The Food Network ...he is probably right but I'm sure his tummy thanks me!)

So, now that you know where to find me, check back often for some recipes of my families favorite foods and how you can make them your favorites too!

Melodie