A Christmas Wish List

The little grandman was over yesterday. We played some Monopoly Jr and then after dinner he sat and made his Christmas Wish List while I was doing the dishes. The only help he received was how to spell Peyton Manning for the Peyton Manning Jersey at the top of the list. Everything else is pure Daniel.

We were able to decipher much of it but still have a few questions. It is nice to see he is thinking of others on his list. Momy and the bog. I think my favorite is the ping pog tavol.

What is funny is that we went shopping at Penney's yesterday morning and bought him 2 gakit's and some shrt's but they still made the list.

Happy Holidays.

The Best Salad In The World

This one is for you Patty. No pictures cause I haven't made it recently but it is delish.

1 head cauliflower
1 bunch of broccoli (3 stalks)
1 lb bacon
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 pkg sunflower seeds

Sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 TBS sugar
1 cup mayo

Finely chop cauliflower and broccoli. Cook bacon until crisp; cool, crumble and set aside.

In large bowl add cauliflower, broccoli, green onions (I add 1/2 of the bacon now to add flavor then add the rest right before serving so it is crisp). Add sauce and let set. Add sunflower seeds and rest of bacon right before serving. Enjoy.

Pecan Cheesecake Pie

First of all is it peeecan (like a green pea and a tin can) or is it pecahn (like pa con). I say it like pecahn. Probably depends on where you are from (like creek and crick, "Hey Ma, we are going down to the crick to catch some crawdads for supper).

Anyway, I am trying a little different pecan pie recipe this year. It's from Southern Living Magazine. Here are the basic ingredients. Plus a pie crust. I have to admit I take the easy way and buy the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts. They are pretty good.

You beat the softened cream cheese with egg, sugar, vanilla and salt to make the bottom cheesecake layer. Pour into the pie crust and spread evenly.

Sprinkle on chopped pecans. Then whisk together corn syrup, 3 eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Pour over pecans.

Place pie on baking sheet and and bake at 350 on lowest oven rack for 50-55 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack (about an hour). Now I was a little alarmed when I first took it out of the oven as it was all puffy and cracked. Not pretty.....

But in just a minute or two I could see it start to settle down and reach its goal shape. Now we're talkin.

Pecan Cheesecake Pie
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese softened
4 large eggs divided
3/4 cup sugar divided
2 tsp vanilla divided
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 cup light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350. Fit piecrust into a 9 inch pie plate according to package directions. Fold edges under and crimp.

Beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and salt at medium speed with electric mixer til smooth. Pour mixture into piecrust; sprinkle with pecans.

Whisk together corn syrup, remaining 3 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla. Pour over pecans. Place pie on baking sheet.

Bake at 350 on lowest oven rack for 50 to 55 minutes or until pie is set. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to two days.

Thanksgiving Tales

The wonderful Mr. H was home today working hard making pumpkin pies while I was at work. Bless his heart, he also makes the turkey. Well here is the first casualty of the day:

The pan the pumpkin pies sat on is beyond help. He put the pies in the oven directly on then rack THEN read the directions that said to bake the pies on a baking sheet. Instead of taking the pies all the way out so they wouldn't spill he opened the oven door and set the baking sheet on the oven door. Well the oven door is on an incline so when he set the pies on it the filling ran over the edges onto the baking sheet.



Rewind to last night when I gently reminded him to LAY a round of foil around the edge of the pie crust so it wouldn't burn. Well before he put the pies in he tightly adhered and sealed the foil around the pie crust edge.

Lo and behold when the filling oozed over the edges of the crust/foil the baking/burning filling became one with the crust/foil. And here you have:

A beautiful, decorative, shiny pie edge. They don't teach ya that in cooking school. I love that man.

Burritos

Made burritos for dinner tonight. I found that cooking the refried beans in with the ground beef makes a delicious filling.Here are the basics. Although beef in a chub......

Looks like this in the pan....nice, huh?

Anyway, brown the beef and then about halfway through I drain the grease and add some diced onion.

Then add the spices...I love these little jars from Cost Plus. I am starting to transition my often used spices to them. Nice wide mouth so the measuring spoons actually fit inside unlike most of the store bought jars.

Then add the tomato sauce and refried beans. Mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes.Warm your tortillas and add the beef mixture and whatever else floats your boat. I add shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tomatoes and shredded lettuce. But olives, avocado, salsa, etc., are also good options.

A couple of key points for successful burrito building/folding....Get large tortillas that are not too thick (otherwise too hard to fold). DO NOT (like I do) overfill the tortilla or you will end up with what I made, a Burraco:

My tortillas were fat and I filled them with too much stuff. I can't help myself. But I am working on it.

1 LB ground beef
8 oz can tomato sauce
16 oz can refried beans
1 small onion diced
1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet. Drain. Mix in remaining ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.

Wrap filling into tortilla with choice of toppings (cheese, sour cream, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, etc)

P.S. I am working on my camera settings for food pictures. Of course natural light is the best but it is getting darker much earlier here now so do not have much good daylight left at dinner time. These look a bit washed out.

Husbands and Chickens

I bought a few serving bowls yesterday because we realized our lack thereof during the Thanksgiving meal planning. I showed them to Mr. H who looked at me and said "Didn't they have any without the chickens?"

#1, What is wrong with chickens? #2 I think they are roosters..... #3 Again, what is wrong with chickens/roosters?

Keeping Up With The Jonses

We went to my brother Jay and SIL Lucy's house for football and pizza today. Arrived home to find this at the neighbors'

OK. So the pressure is on. Not even Thanksgiving yet.

Friday

So I think I am fighting a cold. Mr. H. was down with one last weekend and I thought I was clear. He even slept in the guest bedroom on his worst nights so he didn't cough all over me and spread his germs on me while I was sleeping. So yesterday had a few sneezes and sniffles. Sudafed and netti pot at the ready. Today feeling ok, just a bit run down. Now it's Friday night and I have choice to make......

Do I take a shot of the nasty green stuff and crash at 7:00pm and try to nip this sucker in the bud....or have a frosty cold delicious beverage (see the blue mountains tells ya it's frosty cold) and relax with some fine conversation with Mr. H. We both like soup. Just askin...

Lessons

So I was IM'ing with my niece and one of her responses was "inorite?" I spent a few minutes trying to pronounce the word......not in my vocabulary.....finally got it...."I know right?" Where can I find the manual?

Found it! http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp

10Q

Le Creuset meet Chicken Tortilla Soup

Have I said how much I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven? I have it sitting on my stovetop. #1 because I use it alot and #2 it's too darn heavy to move in and out of the cupboard. So there it sits all pretty just waiting to cook up something delicious. Just made Chicken Tortilla Soup and it was, yes, delicious. I'll put the recipe at the end but here is the skinny:

Saute a diced medium onion, green pepper and jalapeno in olive oil til soft. Throw in some diced garlic for 30 seconds.

Then add 1/2 cup white wine. If you don't have any that's ok just add an extra 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth when adding the other wet stuff but it's fun to do the one for the pot and one for me while cooking. Then add the rest of the ingredients (except for the black beans, I add when the shredded chicken goes back in) including chicken breasts and bring to a boil. And yes I washed my hands before and after.

Simmer about 15 minutes then fish out the chicken breasts and shred with 2 forks.

Throw the shredded chicken back in with the black beans and simmer another 30 minutes.

Serve, topped with weapons of choice. I swirl in a little sour cream and crush some tortilla chips on top. And I warm a few flour tortillas for dippin. Heaven on earth. The picture does not do it justice. And how about that fabulous dishware....bought about 15 years ago at Mervyn's. These suckers will not break and until they do can't justify buying new ones.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 TBS Olive Oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 jalapeno diced
1 green pepper diced
4 cloves garlic diced
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 14 oz cans chicken broth (low sodium)
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1-2 cans black beans rinsed (optional)

Saute onion, green pepper and jalapeno in olive oil until soft
Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds
Add white wine and saute another 30 seconds
Add the rest of the ingredients except black beans and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes
Remove chicken breasts and shred with 2 forks. Return to pot with black beans and simmer about 30 minutes.
Serve with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips and warm flour tortillas on the side

Football and Hail Mary

I like to spend time with my grandson Daniel and nephew Collin. A usual outing is to the park with footballs and scooters, then McDonalds or Burger King (whichever has the best toys in the kid's meal-sorry San Francisco-yes we still allow kid's meals in Arizona) and then finish it off with some frozen yogurt.

So we were throwing the football the other day and Daniel said he wanted to be the quarterback. Here's how the conversation went:

Gram:  "Which quarterback do you want to be?"

Daniel: "Hail Mary"

Gram & Collin: "Huh?"

Daniel: "You know, Hail Mary"

Gram: "Daniel. that's the name of a pass"

Daniel: "No, the quarterback, Hail Mary"

Gram & Collin: "Who does he play for?"

Daniel: "I think the 49ers"

That's why I love playing with these wonderful boys....

Gingerbread Tunnel Cake

Fall weather and the delicious smell of gingerbread.....this is a bundt with a cream cheese tunnel.
I think the next time I make it I'll add some fresh grated ginger along with the powder. I was already in line at the grocery store and was browsing a cooks illustrated magazine. They had an updated gingerbread cake recipe and they used fresh grated ginger but I was already in line and it was very busy so didn't want to leave my spot.

Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground ginger
In medium bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in egg, sugar, flour, vanilla and ginger until blended. (at this point I would recommend putting the filling in the fridge. i left mine out on the counter and it was too thin for the tunnel, it immediately ran to the edges as you'll see)

Heat oven to 350 and lightly coat bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cake:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 TBS ground ginger (here is where I'd substitute for some fresh ground ginger and split between the wet and dry)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup mild molasses
3 eggs
1 cup lukewarm milk (100-105 degrees)

In medium bowl whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cloves.

In large bowl beat together butter and both sugars until smooth and creamy about 2 minutes. Beat in molasses.Tip: Spray the measuring cup with Pam and the molasses slides out easily.

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. On low speed beat in flour mixture alternately with milk in 3 additions ending with flour. Yum....

Pour half the batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Transfer filling into small plastic bag and snip off small piece from corner. Pipe filling in ring into center of pan trying to keep from touching side of pan. This is where the refrigerated filling makes a difference. Mine sat on the counter and immediately oozed to the edges instead of forming a nice centralized tunnel:

Top with remaining batter covering filling completely. Bake in 350 oven 50-55 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out fairly clean. Let cool on wire rack for 5 min then invert pan onto rack; gently tap sides to release cake (i ran a thin knife around the edges to make sure it releases easily). Let cool.

If you like a glaze beat 2 cups of confectioners' sugar with 2-3 TBS milk and drizzle when cake is cool. Can also deck it out with crystallized ginger or almonds for garnish.And voila:

Le Creuset and meatballs

Fall has arrived in Arizona. We can actually cook and enjoy warm hearty meals.

Two of my favorite gifts this year:  The New Best Recipe: All New Edition cook book and my 7 1/2 Qt Le Creuset French Oven.

There is a Le Creuset outlet store in AZ and they have a big fall sale in October. Bigger discounts on discontinued colors (hence the dark green pot shown above). Got mine for less than half of the retail price. Lovin it. Mr. H. said it was my best batch of spaghetti and meatballs yet. I think the key is that the pot encourages such wonderful brown bits when cooking the meatballs without burning them. Dump the grease after cooking them but leave the naughty bits in the pan to flavor the sauce.