Say what you mean, mean what you say!

2010 Christmas Cookie Exchange

2010-12-08T21:51:00.000-05:00

November 2010 - Islands of Adventure

2010-12-08T21:37:00.001-05:00

Recipe #52 - Mixed Berry Charlotte

2010-08-15T10:58:00.002-05:00

Mixed Berry Charlotte

Ingredients:

2 (3 oz) pkgs cake-like ladyfingers, split
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup hot water
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup almond or hazelnut liquer (Amaretto or Frangelico)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups blueberries, divided
2 cups raspberries, divided

Directions:

1. Line bottom of an 8.5" springform pan with parchment paper. Spray parchment with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Arrange ladyfingers, cut side up, over bottom and around sides of pan, making sure ladyfingers touch.

3. Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup hot water; let stand for 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve gelatin.

4. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter, and liquer at medium speeed with a mixer until creamy.

5. In a medium bowl, beat cream and sugar at medium-high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form; add gelatin mixture, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold cream mixture into cream cheese mixture. Spread half of cream mixture evenly over ladyfingers. Top with 1 cup blueberries and 1 cup of raspberries. Spread remaining cream mixture over berries. Cover and chill for at least 5 hours or up to 2 days. Top with remaining berries.

Option: You can also add 2 cups of blackberries to the berry mixture.

Recipe #51 - Quick & Easy Antipasta Skewers

2010-08-15T10:55:00.003-05:00

Quick & Easy Antipasta Skewers

Ingredients:

1 lb. salami
1 lb. mozzarella cheese
grape tomatoes
green pimento olives
1 bottle Ken's Italian dressing

Directions:

1. Cute cheese and salami into cubes.

2. Using 6 inch skewers, alternate ingredients onto skewers.

3. After all have been skewered, lay on platter and drizzle dressing over ingredients. Enjoy!

Recipe #50 - Blueberry-Almond Creme Muffins

2010-08-11T21:15:00.002-05:00

Blueberry-Almond Creme Muffins

Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup slivered almonds, chopped
1 can Pillsbury Grans Flaky Layers refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 blueberry preserves

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray 8 regular-size muffin cups with Pam.

2. In medium bowl, stir cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, almond extract and vanilla until smooth and creamy; set aside.

3. In medium shallow bowl, mix almonds and remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

4. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Separate 1 biscuit into 3 layers, Brush 1 layer with melted butter. Firmly press layer, butter side down, into almond mixture, coating evenly. Place layer, almond side down, in bottom and up side of muffin cup. Fill with 1 tbsp cream cheese mixture; spread evenly. Top with second biscuit layer; press edges of layers together. Spoon 1/2 tbsp of the preserves onto middle of second layer. Brush third biscuit layer with melted butter; firmly press, butter side down, into almond mixture. Place third layer, almond side up, on second layer; press edge of third layer into edge of second layer.

5. Repeat with remaining biscuits, refrigerating biscuits if dough become too soft to separate. Sprinkle any remaining almond mixture onto tops of biscuits.

6. Bake 17 to 27 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan to cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe #49 - Luau Chicken Sandwiches

2010-08-11T21:08:00.002-05:00

Luau Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 20 oz can sliced pineapple
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup mayo
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dill weed
6 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
6 lettuce leaves, optional

Directions:

1. Drain pineapple, reserving 1 cup juice and six pineapple slices (save remaining juice and pineapple for another use). In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the brown sugar, ground mustard, garlic salt, pepper and reserved pineapple juice; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coats; refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

2. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, Dijon mustard and dill. Refrigerate until serving.

3. Drain and discard marinade. Grill the chicken, covered, over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Grill pineapple slices for 1 minute on each side. Spread mayo mixture on rolls. Top with lettuce if desired, chicken and pineapple.

Recipe #48 - Cranberry Chicken Salad

2010-08-11T21:01:00.002-05:00

Cranberry Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup reduced-fat may
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 medium tart green apples, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 small onion, chopped

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, onion powder and salt; rub over chicken. Gill chicken, uncovered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 3 to 4.5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. When cool enough to handle, cut into cubes.

2. In large bowl, whisk may and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in the chicken, apples, cranberries, and onion. Serve on lettuce.

Recipe #47 - The Best Coffee Cake Ever

2010-08-11T20:59:00.002-05:00

The Best Coffee Cake Ever

Pioneer Woman strikes again with another tasty recipe. Gotta try this one!

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:
1-½ stick Butter, Softened
2 cups Scant Sugar
3 cups Flour, Sifted
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1-¼ cup Whole Milk
3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff
_____
FOR THE TOPPING:
1-½ stick Butter, Softened
¾ cups Flour
1-½ cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1-½ cup Pecans, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don’t overbeat. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9 x 13 (or LARGER!) baking pan. A cake pan with higher sides would be best.

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm—delicious!

Recipe #46 - Chocolate Hazelnut Terrine

2010-08-09T18:32:00.002-05:00

Chocolate Hazelnut Terrine

Ingredients:
1 cup crushed chocolate graham crackers
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup sugar
1 (12 oz) container whipped topping, thawed and divided
3 (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

Line 1 (10") loaf pan with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter, stirring until combined. Press into bottom of prepared loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, hazelnut spread, and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until smooth. Fold in 3 cups whipped topping. Reserve 1 cup cream cheese mixture in a small bowl. Spread half of remaining cream cheese mixture over chocolate crust.

Add melted chocolate to reserved 1 cup cream cheese mixture, stirring until smooth. Spread evenly over cream cheese layer in pan. Sprinkle evenly with hazelnuts. Cover with remaining cream cheese mixture. Spread remaining whipped topping evenly over cream cheese layer. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to 1 month.

Unmold terrine onto a serving platter; garnish with grated chocolate and chopped hazelnuts.

Recipe #45 - Oatmeal Raisin Cheesecake Crumble

2010-08-09T18:24:00.002-05:00

Oatmeal Raisin Cheesecake Crumble

Ingredients:

1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury Big Deluxe refrigerated oatmeal raisin cookies (12 cookies)
2 cups chopped pecans
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup old fashioned or quick-cooking oats

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In bottom of ungreased 13x9 inch pan, press cookie dough rounds evenly for crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the pecans; press firmly into dough. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add milk, vanilla and eggs; beat until well blended. On low speed, beat in 1/2 cup of the flour. Pour over crust; spread evenly.

3. In medium bowl, mix brown sugar and remaining 1/2 cup flour. Cut in butter, using pastry blender until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins, oats, and remaining 1 cup pecans. Sprinkle over cheese mixture.

4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until set. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

Recipe #44 - Maegan's Pasta Salad

2010-08-09T18:19:00.002-05:00

Maegan's Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
12 oz. tricolor spiral pasta
1 7.5 oz marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
12 oz. provolone cheese, cubed
12 oz. hard salami, cubed
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 15 oz. garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 5 oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained (can use black and green together)
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

Cook spiral pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in large bowl; add the artichokes, cheese, salami, peppers, beans, olives, onion and garlic.

Prepare salad dressing according to package directions; pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
2 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

Recipe #43 - Filipino BBQ Chicken

2010-08-09T18:11:00.003-05:00

Filipino BBQ Chicken

Ok, ok ... so it's not the most beautiful BBQ chicken I've ever cooked but all the charred goodness is really the tastiest parts ever! YUM! Sweet, sticky goodness!!!

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
½ cups Sugar
3 whole Bay Leaves, Torn Or Crushed
¼ cups Soy Sauce
3 cloves Garlic, Finely Grated
1 Tablespoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
12 ounces, fluid 7-up Or Sprite
5 pounds Chicken Leg Quarters Or Your Choice Of Chicken Pieces, Preferably Dark Meat, Cleaned And Trimmed Of Excess Fat

Preparation Instructions

In a large container that can hold the chicken pieces, combine all ingredients except chicken. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.

Take the chicken out and transfer the pieces to a large plate. While waiting for the chicken to come to room temperature, pour the marinade into a small sauce pan (or discard the marinade and pour the additional reserved marinade into a sauce pan) and boil over medium heat until the marinade is reduced to a sticky syrup. OR if you're a big CHICKEN like me, I just double the marinade and then stick half of it in the fridge before using the other half as the marinade with the chicken.

Heat your grill to 350 degrees or medium heat. Grill chicken pieces, bone side down, for about 8 minutes, then reduce the grill temperature to 275 degrees. Continue grilling bone side down for about 20 minutes, basting once. Flip the pieces over and grill for another 20 minutes, basting occasionally. Continue grilling, flipping, and basting until chicken is fully cooked. Check for doneness by piercing the joint to ensure juices run clear, or until chicken reaches 163F internal temperature.

Take chicken off the grill, tent with foil, and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe #42 - Bananas Foster French Toast

2010-08-09T18:02:00.003-05:00

Bananas Foster French Toast

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
6 tbsp. firmly packed dark brown sugar
kosher salt, to taste
4 day-old slices challah bread, 1" thick
6 tbsp unsalted butter
4 bananas, cut on bias
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. water

In bowl, whisk eggs, cinnamon, milk, 1 tbsp. brown sugar and pinch of salt. Pour half of egg mixture into deep pie dish. Soak 1 bead slice, turning once, 1-2 minutes. Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture. Pour any remaining mixture over bread until absorbed.

In skillet over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 tbsp. butter. Add 2 bead slices; cook, turning once, until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to wire cooling rack; keep warm in 200 degree oven. Repeat with remaining toast.

In skillet, over medium-high heat, melt 3 tbsp. butter. Add bananas; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Carefully pour in rum, then add 5 tbsp. brown sugar, vanilla, water and pinch of salt. Simmer until bananas are soft, 2-3 minutes. Serve french toast with bananas.

Recipe #41 - Candy Apple Pie

2010-08-03T21:42:00.002-05:00

Candy Apple Pie

From Mimi Hodge, winner of Good Morning America's "Pie of Emeril's Eye" Contest.

Ingredients:

For the Crust

1 1/2-cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3-cup butter (melted)

3/4-cup caramel ice cream topping

1 cup chopped pecans

For the Apple Filling

5 granny smith apples (remove peel and core and slice very thin)

5 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Topping

8 oz. package of cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

For the Topping

3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup caramel topping

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Make the Crust
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium size bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix well and press into a 10-inc pie plate, and up the sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden in color. Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely. Pour caramel into pie shell and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.

Make the Apple Filling
3. In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add apples and stir. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until apples are softened and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes and pour into pie shell. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Make the Cream Cheese Topping
4. In a medium bowl, using a hand held mixer on low speed, combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat from1 more minutes until bully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell. Bake for30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 4 ours. Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Make the Topping
5. Top with whipped cream, caramel and pecans and swirl with a knife. Slice and serve.

Recipe #40 - Creamy Lemon Crumb Bars

2010-08-03T21:37:00.001-05:00

Creamy Lemon Crumb Bars

Pioneer Woman - Need I say more?

Ingredients:

1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.

Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.

Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.

Serve cool.

Recipe #39 - Nutter Balls

2010-08-03T21:34:00.001-05:00

Hold on to your hats people ... these are Reece's cups on steriods! Recipe by Bakerella.

Ingredients:

1 package Nutter Butter Cookies
8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1 package Chocolate Candy Coating

Finely crush cookies in a food processor or place them in a Ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency.

Combine with softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.

Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet.

Melt chocolate candy coating as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate with a spoon. Tap off excess coating and slide balls on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.

Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!

Recipe #38 - Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta

2010-08-03T21:15:00.005-05:00

Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta

Here's a cheaters version of a recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients:

1 whole Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken from the Deli
1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
½ sticks Butter
3 whole Lemons, Juiced
¾ cups Heavy Cream
¼ cups milk
1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Pull all skin off cooked chicken. Tear chicken into chunks and set aside.

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and milk. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

Recipe #37 - Pineapple Mango Salsa

2010-08-03T21:10:00.003-05:00

Pineapple Mango Salsa

The perfect summer time dip! Another Pioneer Woman recipe (www.thepioneerwoman.com).

Ingredients:

1 whole Pineapple, Peeled And Diced
1 whole Mango, Diced
½ whole Medium Red Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced
Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 whole Lime, Juiced
Dash Kosher Salt
Dash Granulated Sugar (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Combine diced pineapple, mango, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. Squeeze in lime juice and add salt and sugar if needed. Stir to combine. Serve within an hour with tortilla chips or on top of chicken or fish.

Recipe #36 - Grilled Skirt Steak Soft Tacos with Mango Salsa

2010-06-16T19:39:00.003-05:00

These were even better than I thought they would be. The salsa was the key!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded and diced
1 TBSP finely diced red onion
1 small serrano chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 TBSP chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
2 limes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 skirt steak, about 1.5 lbs
vegetable oil
1 dozen 6" flour tortillas

1. Stir the mango, onion, chile, tomato, chopped cilantro and the juice of 1 lime together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Prepare a grill with high heat. Brush steak with oil, season all over with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until a thermometer inserted sideways into the meat registers 130 degrees for medium-rare, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, let rest 5 minutes. Cute steak crosswise into three sections, then thinly slice across the grain.

3. Microwave the tortillas in the bag for 20 seconds or until pliable.

Enjoy!

Recipe #34 - Baked French Toast

2010-06-16T19:29:00.003-05:00

This is a recipe from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. If you haven't checked out her site before, do yourself a favor and head over there NOW! www.thepioneerwoman.com. She is absolutely amazing!!!

Ingredients

FRENCH TOAST
1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
8 whole Eggs
2 cups Whole Milk
½ cups Whipping (heavy) Cream
¾ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
Topping
½ cups All-purpose Flour
½ cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
Fresh Fruit (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you’re using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

Recipe #33 - Pepper Encrusted Steak

2010-06-16T19:13:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

2 whole Ribeye Steaks
3 Tablespoons Fresh Ground Black Peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Caraway Seeds
1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste

Instructions:

Allow your steaks to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Pat steaks dry with a paper towel and season all sides with salt; set aside.

In a spice/coffee grinder, place your peppercorns, caraway and sesame seeds; pulse together until they are at desired consistency. Press pepper mixture liberally onto steaks on all sides. Place a cast iron skillet with the canola oil over high heat until pan is smoking hot. When pan is ready, place your steaks into the skillet for approximately 4 minutes on each side for medium. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for approximately another 6 minutes. Remove steaks from pan. Cover them loosely with tin foil and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice on a bias and serve.

Memorial Day - Shark Fishing

2010-06-06T13:18:00.003-05:00

Charlie, Alfie and I decided to go kayak fishing while visiting Pensacola over Memorial Day weekend. We initially were going to fish between Pensacola Beach and the mainland but when we arrived, the Gulf side was so absolutely calm and clear that we decided it was just too good to pass up so off we went. I was in the water first and after paddling out and looking down and seeing clear down to about 20', I decided to come back in and put on my PFD. I should have done this to begin with! So Alf and I were in the water and paddling out when Charlie finally got in and casts a bare hood to a manta ray. He hooked up and that ray took him for a ride up and down the beach. I finally get into position to take pic and he pull the ray up out of the water a few inches and the ray straightens the hook and gets away. Charlie was ear to ear grins!

We chased bait pods all over the place, saw a school of jacks swim right under my yak, and continue on before I could get my rod out of the holder. Alf and I got pretty far out when Charlie called me back in. Right after that phone call, I saw two black tip sharks surface to feed on this huge bait pod I had been chasing! As I got closer in where Charlie was, he yelled to me that he just broke off a shark. Right then a fin surfaces and it's wider than my two hand put together and it's coming right at me! I yell to Charlie and about 5 feet from my yak, it goes under --- under my yak for sure! Whew! For some reason, I felt better just not being able to see it. Within the next few minutes, Charlie hooks up with another shark. After 30 minutes of fighting it, Charlie is getting tired and that shark is pulling him in circles. We are both amazed that he hasn't broken the line yet since we are fishing with ultra light tackle, no wire leaders, 1 aught hooks and 8mm/20 lb. braid. Charlie yelled to Alf and Alf came in to witness the fight. Alf and I grab onto Charlie's yak to try and create more drag for the shark but every time the shark gets close enough to see the yak or daylight, he high tails it again. Finally, after 45 minutes, Charlie pulls the shark up high enough that his head is out of the water right next to the yak and he breaks through the line! WHEW! It was approx. a 7' bull shark and he pulled us about 3 miles off shore. WOW! What a fight! It's not something I would aim to do but in the moment, it was totally exciting!

Recipes #30-32 - Low Country Boil, Triple Chocolate Cake, and Strawberries and Cream Cake

2010-05-12T20:06:00.009-05:00

April brought two very important birthdays ... Daniel's 14th birthday and Robs' ahemmm birthday! Wahoo, finally a REASON to party! (Like we need one!) We had a great Low Country Boil with friends and family.

Here are some of the food highlights:

Low Country Boil

10 to 12 ounces crab boil spices
1 lemon, quartered
5 to 6 whole garlic cloves
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 to 3 peeled onions, quartered
9 ounces hot sauce
10 pounds smoked hot sausage
5 pounds tiny whole potatoes
25 to 30 ears corn
15 to 25 pounds medium or large shrimp

Directions

Start with a 20-quart pot filled over 1/3 with fresh cold water. In the pot add crab boil mix to the water. Squeeze juice from 2 of the lemon quarters into the water, and drop in the rinds. Add the garlic cloves, red and green pepper slices, onions, and hot sauce into the water. Bring to a boil, and then add sausage and potatoes. Bring to a second boil, and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes start to get soft. Add the corn for 5 minutes. Do not wait until water boils. Turn off the burner and add the shrimp. Cover and leave for 15 minutes. Drain immediately.

Triple Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch process baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup boiling water
Chocolate Mousse (below)
Dutch Chocolate Frosting (below)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round pans, 9x1 1/2". Beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on high speed after each addition. Beat in flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, vanilla and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Beat in boiling water until combined. Pour into pans.

2. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely.

3. Prepare chocolate mousse and dutch chocolate frosting. Split each layer horizontally to make 2 layers. Place 1 layer on cake plate; spread with 1/3 of the mousse. Repeat with second and third layers and remaining mousse. Top with remaining layer. Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Garnish with chocolate curls. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cake.

Chocolate Mouse
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
1 1/3 cups whipping (heavy) cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla

Place chocolate chips in food processor. Cover and process until finely ground. Mix 1/3 cup of the whipping cream and the sugar in 1 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is boiling. With food processor running, pour hot whipping cream through feed tube; process 10 to 20 seconds or until chocolate is completely melted. Scrape down sides of workbowl. Add oil and vanilla; process 10 to 20 seconds or until creamy. Pour into large bowl; cool at least 5 minutes or until room temperature.

Beat remaining 1 cup whipping cream in chilled large medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed just until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Dutch Chocolate Frosting
1 1/2 cups whipping (heavy) cream
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup Dutch process or regular baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all ingredients in chilled large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff.

Strawberries and Cream Cake

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons bake powder
2 cups sugar
1 package (4 serving size) strawberry-flavored gelatin
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pureed strawberries
Frosting (below)
1 1/2 cups whipping (heavy) cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/2 cups quartered strawberries

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and four 3 round pans, 9x1 1/2". Mix flour and baking powder in small bowl. Beat sugar, gelatin (dry) and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on high speed about 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on high speed after each addition. Beat in flour mixture and milk alternately on low speed. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and the pureed strawberries. Pour into pans.

2. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely.

3. Prepare frosting. Beat whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in chilled large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Place 1 layer on cakeplate; spread with 3/4 cup of the whipped cream and top with 3/4 cup of the sliced strawberries. Top with second layer; spread with 3/4 cup of the whipped cream and top with remaining 3/4 cup sliced strawberries. Top with third layer. Frost side of cake with frosting; pipe decorative edge around top edge of cake with frosting. Spread remaining whipped cream on top of cake. Top with quartered strawberries. Store covered in refrigerator.

Frosting
1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy.

More photos from the party:

Recipe #30 - Braised Beef Short Ribs

2010-05-05T18:54:00.003-05:00

OK, here's the delio ... I got this recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com - Rhee is my idol! Check out her site for step-by-step photo instruction. She's not lying when she says these are heaven on a plate. I served mine over garlic mashed potatoes instead of polenta. YUM!

Ingredients:

8 whole Beef Short Ribs
Kosher Salt & Pepper To Taste
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
6 pieces Pancetta, Diced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 whole Carrots, Diced
2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
2 cups Red Or White Wine
2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
2 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary

Preparation Instructions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

Recipe #29 - Super Quick Ministrone Soup

2010-03-13T18:44:00.004-05:00

Oh so yummy and comforting!! This one is for you AMANDA! (I finally remembered to upload!)

Ingredients:

1 cup (4 ounces) tubetti pasta, or other small pasta shape

Extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups chicken stock

¼ pound pancetta, cut into 3 pieces

6 medium garlic cloves, each cut in ½ lengthwise

2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small onions)

1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)

1 cup small-diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves

1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 cups small-diced zucchini (green/yellow) (5 small zucchini)

2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large russet)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a baking sheet. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock.

In another large saucepan over high heat, heat ¼ cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pancetta and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and carrots.

Cook until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chopped herbs. Raise the heat to high. Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then bring it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes, skimming any foam off the top of the soup. Season generously with pepper. Add salt, to taste. Just a few minutes before serving, add the cooked tubetti pasta. Serve warm with Parmesan and olive oil passed at the table.

Cooking notes: Add the cooked pasta just before serving. If it sits in the soup too long, it develops a flabby texture. Tubetti (little hollow tubes) are the classic pasta for minestrone, but you could substitute another small shape of pasta.

Recipe #28 - Seafood Pasta

2010-02-22T19:33:00.003-05:00

I made this one up for my mom and cousin that were visiting this past weekend. We always have a seafood feast for visiting family. I served the clams on the side since Mom's doesn't like them. YUM!

Ingredients:

1 pound linguini

20 whole Giant Dry-packed Sea Scallops Or Jumbo Shrimp

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (heads off)

1 dozen clams (rinsed well)

4 Tablespoon Olive Oil

6 Tablespoon Butter

5 clove Garlic, Finely Diced

2 shallots, finely diced

2 whole Tomato, Chopped

2 cup White Wine, Beer, Or Vegetable Stock

1/2 Parsley, Finely Minced

pinch red pepper flakes, optional

juice of 2 lemons

Salt And Pepper

1. Cook the pasta in salted water per the instructions on the box. Drain and set aside.

2. In the meantime, prep all the ingredients and have them at the ready nearby. For the scallops, use a couple of layers of paper towels and pat very dry. Move the scallops to a clean sheet of paper towel and pat dry once more. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

3. Heat a large frying pan or saute pan over high heat. When hot, swirl in the 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the scallops to the pan, not touching. Give each scallop ample room so that they can sear properly. Cook for 2 minutes without touching (1½ minutes if using smaller pieces of scallops or shrimp) then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. Remove to a plate.

4. Turn the heat to low. Add the butter, shallots and the garlic. Saute for just 10 seconds and then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp turn pink and are almost done. Remove shrimp from pan.

5. Turn the heat to high and add in the white wine (or beer or vegetable stock), lemon juice and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the clams and cover. Cook until the clams are open then remove from the pot immediately. Once all the clams are removed, cook the sauce until reduced by half. Throw in the parsley and then return the cooked shrimp. Add in your cooked pasta. Stir well to let the sauce coat the pasta. Serve the scallops on the top of the pasta. (I don't toss the scallops because I don't want them to fall apart.) You can also add the clams back into the pasta or serve on the side.

Recipe #27 - Orange Chicken

2010-02-22T19:27:00.003-05:00

I was craving Orange Chicken the other night and The Tasty Kitchen once again came through for me. I take no credit for this recipe, I read and I followed directions - thanks to Kelly @ EvilShenanigans for this one:

Ingredients:

2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
¼ cups Cornstarch
Salt And Pepper
1 cup Fresh Orange Juice
1 cup Water
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
3 strips Orange Zest - 1" Wide By 2" Tall
½ cups Lightly Packed Brown Sugar
½ teaspoons Fresh Minced Ginger
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
4 whole Dried Red Chilies, Broken In Half
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, For The Slurry
2 Tablespoons Water, For The Slurry

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat about an inch of vegetable or canola oil to about 375F. Heat the oven to 250F.

In a large zip top bag, combine the cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add the chicken chunks and seal the bag. Toss to coat completely.

Add the coated chicken to the hot oil in two or three batches. Cook until lightly golden and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 F. Transfer the cooked chicken to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Hold the chicken in the oven.

In a sauce pan, combine the water, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar, orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and dry chilies. Stir to combine. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce reduce by 1/3.

In a small bowl, prepare the slurry by combining the cornstarch and water until smooth. Pour the mixture into the sauce and whisk until the sauce thickens. Take the sauce off the heat.

Place the orange sauce over medium low heat until hot, then add the fried chicken pieces. Stir to coat.

Serve immediately.

Recipe #27 - Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2010-02-22T19:18:00.002-05:00

This was my FIRST recipe in my brand spanking new Cuisinart 16 cup food processor that Charlie got me for Valentine's Day! He's a sweetie!!!

I cannot take credit for these awesomely delicious biscuits. I actually got the recipe from www.tastykitchen.com from a wonderful cook thewaspyredhead.

These are just as delicious as those biscuits you get at Red Lobster. Of course, my version has more garlic!

Oh, and sorry about the bad photo ... iPhone in the dark!

Ingredients:

1-¾ cup All-purpose Flour
1-⅔ Tablespoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Shortening At Room Temperature
4 Tablespoons Cold Butter Cut Into 1/2 Inch Pieces
6 ounces, weight Grated Cheddar (about 1 1/4 Cups)
¾ cups Whole Milk
FOR THE GARLIC BUTTER:
3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
2-3 clove Garlic, Smashed
1 teaspoon Chopped Fresh Parsley

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 F. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Pulse the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse till combined. Add the 4 tablespoons of cold butter; pulse 4 or 5 times, or until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Add the cheese and pulse 2 or 3 times. Pour in the milk and pulse just until the mixture is moistened and forms a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead until the dough comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.

Drop the dough onto the baking sheet in 1/4 cup portions, 2 inches apart, and bake until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the garlic butter. Melt 3 tablespoons butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Brush the biscuits with the garlic butter and serve warm.

Recipe #26 - Spaghetti and Meatballs

2010-02-22T18:46:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards, KWIM? Yesterday, it was back to a staple. I was influenced by The Pioneer Woman's Recipe and threw in a couple of her ideas with my own. If you haven't checked out PW's website, you should ... I'm TOTALLY addicted! www.pioneerwoman.com.

Ok, here's my S&M:

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 pound Ground Beef
2 pound Ground Pork
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ cups Fine Bread Crumbs
2 whole Eggs
¾ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan
1/2 cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
1 teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Splash Of Milk
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
½ cups Olive Oil
Sauce:
1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole (28-ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes
1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
½ cups White Or Red Wine (optional)
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
8 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (optional)
2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked To Al Dente

Preparation Instructions

To make the meatballs, combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, nutmeg, thyme and a splash of milk in a mixing bowl. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 25 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a heavy pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 8 at a time, turning to brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel after each batch. Set meatballs aside.

In the same pot, add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Pour in diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and wine, if using. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add meatballs to pot and stir in gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer.

Just before serving, stir in basil if using.

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, try a meatball sub. Just get a hoagie roll, spoon on some meatballs and a little sauce (lots if that's how you roll), top with parmesan and shredded mozzarella. Place under the broiler under everything is melted and yummy. Enjoy!

Recipe #25 - Chicken Adobo

2010-02-14T13:25:00.002-05:00

Yummy goodness is what this is! Heart warming, soul calming, mouth watering goodness!!!

This is one of those recipes my dad just throws together and I was fortunate enough that he showed me how a time or two. I had to actually stop and measure stuff for this one in order to make the recipe for you.

You don't have to service it over rice and corn, but that's how we roll in my house!

Ingredients:

1 whole cut up chicken (cut breast into 3 portions)
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 medium chopped yellow onion
4 cloves chopped garlic
4 Idaho potatoes cut into large chunks
1 bay leaf
1 tsp peppercorns

Place chicken into large pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Add onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Begin boiling over medium-high heat until chicken is almost done. Add vinegar, soy sauce, potatoes and peppercorns. Cook until chicken is done and potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes). That's it! SUPER easy and super tasty!!!

You can also use pork butt, pork chops or spareribs in place of the chicken.

Real Adobo doesn't have potatoes as far as I know, but since I'm only half Filipino, I added my American influence to it. YUM!

Recipe #24 - Chicken Enchiladas

2010-01-29T15:09:00.005-05:00

Here's another one of Pioneer Woman's recipes that has become a staple in my house. Try the recipe as written or try my variation: substitute chicken with 1.5 lbs. of ground beef. and instead of Mexican seasoning (which I couldn't find) use a packet of taco seasoning mix. I'm a big wimp so I only use one chipolte in my dish.

Chicken Enchiladas

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1½ cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon ¼ cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts.

Recipe #23 - Pioneer Woman's Quiche

2010-01-24T21:08:00.003-05:00

OK, this is BY FAR the BEST quiche I've ever tasted! Thank you Pioneer Woman!

Ingredients

¾ pounds Thick Cut, Peppered Bacon
1 stick Butter
1 whole Large (or 2 Medium) Onions, Very Thinly Sliced
2 box(es) (5 Oz. Each) White Mushrooms, Washed And Sliced
1 can (14 Oz.) Quartered Artichoke Hearts
1 whole Pie Crust, Or Half A Recipe Of "Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust"
7 whole Eggs
1-½ cup Heavy Cream
2 cups Grated Swiss Cheese
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Optional: Fresh Parsley, Fresh Chives

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside. Pour out excess grease but don’t clean the pan.

Melt butter in the same skillet. Add onions and cook for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and artichokes and cook for a few more minutes. Salt mixture to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

Roll out pie crust and press into deep dish tart pan. (May also use 2 standard pie crusts for this recipe.) In a large bowl, beat eggs with cream. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper, and set aside. (Add cayenne pepper if you’d like a little kick.)

With a slotted spoon, add mushroom mixture into egg/cream mixture. Stir together. Add bacon and stir. Add parsley or chives, if desired.

Pour into pie crust and press to submerge ingredients. Cover loosely with foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Bake for slightly longer if quiche is overly jiggly.

Remove from oven and allow to set for ten minutes before serving. Remove quiche from pan and slice into wedges.

The BEST Pie Crust:

Ingredients

1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

Recipe #21 - Pasta E Fagioli Soup

2010-01-12T19:00:00.003-05:00

My husband's favorite soup at Olive Garden is the Pasta E Fagioli soup so I decided to try it at home. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
3 (10 ounce) cans beef stock
3 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
5 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
1 (20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
8 ounces pasta

Directions

Brown beef in a skillet.
Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except pasta.
Crockpot: Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. Stovetop: Cook on medium-low for 3-4 hours.
During last 30 min on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta.

Recipe #20 - New England Clam Chowder

2010-01-12T18:54:00.004-05:00

This is a recipe straight from my New England friends, The Hicks'. OMG! I don't like clams but this soup was delicious! A MUST try!

Main Ingredients

3 oz salt pork

2 c onion

6 c cubed Yukon Gold potatoes

Water- to just barely cover potatoes

15 oz clams (ground/ chopped), I prefer fresh, but canned would work

4 tbs butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce

4 tbs butter

4 tbs flour

Cook 3-5 minutes until mixture bubbly

Add 2 c milk or half and half

Cook until boiling to thicken

Cut salt pork into small pieces and cook in large pot until completely brown. Remove and discard- leaving the drippings in the pot.

Add onions and cook until clear.

Add potatoes and fill pot with water just to the level of the potatoes. Cook until tender- DO NOT DISCARD THE WATER.

Make the bechamel while potatoes are cooking.

Add clams to potato pot and stir well to cook.

Add butter.

At this point you could freeze to keep for later or refrigerate for the next day.

Add the bechamel prior to serving.

Serve with a pat of butter and oyster crackers.

Recipe #19 - Roast Prime Rib of Beef with Horseradish Crust

2010-01-12T18:48:00.003-05:00

OK, this is only my second time every making prime rib. It's my absolute fav! I made it for the day after Christmas ... it was more like a feast week for us. Good company, good food, good times. Thank you Tyler Florence for this recipe!

1 bone in prime rib beef roast, 3 ribs, about 6 pounds
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup grated fresh or prepared horseradish
Leaves from 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups canned chicken or beef broth

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the beef in a large roasting pan with the bone side down. (The ribs act as a natural roasting rack.) In a small bowl mash together the garlic, horseradish, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil to make a paste. Massage the paste generously over the entire roast. Put the pan in the oven and roast the beef until the internal temperature of the meat registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the beef to a carving board and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Pour off some of the pan drippings and place pan on stovetop over medium-high heat.

Add the white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by half. Whisk in the flour, then add the broth and continue to cook, whisking until sauce thickens into a gravy, about 10 minutes.

CRAP! Where did the time go?

2010-01-10T14:32:00.002-05:00

Not that anyone reads my blog, or that anyone is waiting on the edge of their seat for another recipe, but anyway ... where did all the time go. I swear I just updated yesterday ... or at least it felt like yesterday. I've been cooking, I swear. I mean, I have a pot of soup on now and dinner and dessert planned. I guess I just keep forgetting to post.

Here's what I've been up to:

My friend Abbey turned me on to www.tastebook.com. I'm going to have my very own cookbook to pass down to my kids (you know, in case they want to torture their children with my recipes). LOL! Anywho, my dad is onboard and SUPPOSED to be writing down his recipes. (I better call and remind him!) I have 40 something recipes in my album already and more to add - I've been on a roll!

Holidays - like everyone else, putting up/taking down/storing decorations. Returning/buying gifts, stocking up for next year.

Scrapping - Finally hit my mojo again and have scrapbooked 4 whole days in the last 2 weeks. I'm actually working on Christmas crafts for next year and my Cookie Exchange Album from this past Christmas.

Work - UGH! So thankful to be employed!

Family - Mom fell and broke her "good" arm in two places on New Year's Eve. Maegan was rear ended in a hit and run on Thursday. Thankfully Maegan wasn't hurt and her car is fine. Trying to help Daniel decide which high school to attend. Who knew they recruited high school students - AMAZING! Not that he's a star athlete or scholar but good enough to be invited to apply to the IB program at two nationally ranked high schools in J'ville.

Whew, I'm tired just thinking about all this. Better get going and stir that soup before I head out to the bookstore with Daniel. I'd prefer to stay indoors in this frigid weather but he's all excited about spending his gift card to Barnes and Noble.

I'll post soon ... (hello, is this thing on???)

Recipe #18 - Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

2009-12-29T20:59:00.002-05:00

One of my Dad's favorites. Simple yet super flavorful!

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

1 pound linguini

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup finely chopped parsley leaves

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Recipes #15-17 - Christmas Goodies!

2009-12-29T20:49:00.002-05:00

As you can see below, every year I host a Christmas Cookie Exchange. This year, my cookie was the "Almond Joy Cookie." This is my new favorite cookie. It tastes just like, if not better than an Almond Joy candy bar. I like mine cold from the fridge but they are yummy room temperature too.

Almond Joy Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups sweetened flaked coconut

- 1 cup almonds, chopped

- ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 egg whites

- Pinch of salt

- 10-12 ounces dark chocolate or milk chocolate

- Preheat oven to 350°F.

- Place coconut and macadamia nuts on large cookie sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, stirring frequently, about 12 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

- Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Grease parchment.

- Combine condensed milk and vanilla in large bowl. Mix in coconut and macadamia nuts thoroughly.

- Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Gently, fold whites into coconut mixture.

- Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. (Using a slightly greased cookie scoop helps make perfect ball shapes and keeps the batter from sticking.)

- Bake until macaroons just turn golden brown around edges, about 14 minutes.

- Cool completely on cookie sheets.

- Line another cookie sheet with waxed paper.

- Dip cooled cookie bottoms into melted chocolate. Place cookies, chocolate side down, on prepared cookie sheet. Using a spoon, drizzle remaining chocolate over the tops of the cookies.

- Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes. Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Store cookies in airtight container and refrigerate.

Makes approximately 24 cookies.

* You can melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring constantly or in the microwave on low power. I usually zap it in 20 second intervals stirring in the middle. Be sure to watch it closely as it will burn quickly!

Yields: About 3 dozen

It wouldn't be Christmas without Fudge. This super simple recipe is Charlie's favorite.

Fudge

2 tbsp. butter

1½ cups sugar

⅔ cup Carnation Evaporated Milk

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups (4 oz) mini marshmallows

1½ cups (9 oz.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped Diamond Walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring butter, sugar, evaporated milk and salt to a boil in medium-size, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, morsels, walnuts and vanilla. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into foil-lined 8" square pan. Sprinkle with walnuts, if desired. Chill until firm. Makes 2 pounds.

Variations: Milk Chocolate Fudge: Substitute 2 cups (11.5 oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Morsels. Butterscotch Fudge: Substitute 2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Flavored Morsels. Mint Chocolate Fudge: Substitute 1½ cups (10 oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Mint-Chocolate Morsels.

Oh so yummy Buckeyes. This is a super yummy and super simple candy to make. Get the kids in on this one!

Buckeyes

1½ cup Creamy Peanut Butter (preferably Jif)

2 sticks Butter, Softened

½ teaspoons Vanilla

6 cups Powdered Sugar

3 bars Semi-sweet Bakers Chocolate

Mix peanut butter, butter and vanilla together completely. Using dough hook attachment (or spoon if mixing by hand), add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix together until completely combined. Dough will look crumbly and dry.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Once all the dough is gone, place a toothpick in the center of each one of the balls. (This will help you dip them into the chocolate later.) Place cookie sheets in freezer until the balls are frozen.

Melt chocolate in the microwave or double boiler (I make my own with a small sauce pan and glass bowl). Dip balls ¾ of the way in the chocolate, holding them by the toothpick. Return dipped balls to the cookie sheet. Let cool and enjoy!

Yields: About 85 buckeyes

2009 Christmas Cookie Exchange

2009-12-17T19:30:00.000-05:00

2009 Christmas Cookie Exchange

View more presentations from mganoe.

Recipe #14 - Cinnamon Rolls

2009-12-06T20:16:00.003-05:00

This recipe comes from Ree Drummond. I LOVE Ree's blog and am totally addicted to reading of all her exploits. Check her out at www.thepioneerwoman.com. She's AMAZING!

First pic is of the rolls without frosting, the second pic is with LOTS of frosting (cuz that's how we roll), and the third is of my BFF Robs and son Daniel getting their sugar high on!

Ingredients

1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
3 cups (to 4 Cups) Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
_____
MAPLE FROSTING:
1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
½ cups Milk
¼ cups Melted Butter
¼ cups Brewed Coffee
⅛ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1 ½ to 2 cups melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Recipe #13 - Sausage Casserole

2009-12-06T20:14:00.001-05:00

Ok, I admit ... this isn't a new recipe to me but it was a special request. This one is for you Robs. A staple for easy morning cooking for a group. Mwah!

1 pkg. Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean® Pork Sausage
10 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups cubed bread
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)
1/2 cup thin-sliced green onions (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 F. In large skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, mustard and salt; stir well. Distribute half the bread evenly in a buttered 9" x 13" x 2" baking dish. Sprinkle with half the pepper, half the cheese, half the sausage and half of each optional ingredient. Repeat layering the casserole using remaining bread, pepper, cheese, sausage and optional ingredients. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole. Bake the breakfast casserole uncovered for 55-60 minutes, or until eggs are set. Tent with foil if top of breakfast casserole begins to brown too quickly.

Note: May be assembled ahead and refrigerated up to 12 hours before baking.

Recipe #12 - Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

2009-11-21T21:23:00.003-05:00

My friend Abbey came over tonight so we could try out this new recipe and work on her Cookie Exchange recipe cards. After chopping and slicing, oh and laughing alot, this dish came together very quickly with VERY GOOD results. The recipe is a knock-off from The Cheesecake Factory's same-named pasta dish. The dish was great as listed but next time I will try sun-dried tomatoes and maybe some artichokes! Enjoy!

1/2 lb bow tie pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 slices pancetta, chopped in small pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup button mushroom
1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomato
1 cup milk
1/2 head roasted garlic, paste
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 fresh sage leaves, chopped fine
salt and black pepper (according to taste)
1/2 cup frozen green pea, thawed
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces (about 3 breats)

Directions

Boil pasta according to instructions on box drain and set aside. save 1/2 cup pasta water and discard rest.
Add oil to heated pan. Add Pancetta to the oil and let it render and get crispy a little for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Take pancetta out (leave oil in the pan) of pan and set aside.
Add onions to the skillet and caramelize them over low to medium heat. Add chicken and cooked until done.
Add mushrooms to caramelized onions and increase the flame to medium high. Sauté the mix for about 30 seconds.
Add red peppers and tomatoes to the mix and flip the mixture for about 20-30 seconds seconds until mixed well.
Add milk to the mix and bring it to simmer. Lower the heat and add roasted garlic paste to the mix and incorporate well.
Add cream cheese and parmesan to the mix and mix well -- let it simmer until cream cheese, garlic, and parmesan is mixed well into milk forming smooth sauce.
Add sage, salt and pepper (to taste) to the sauce and mix well. Add peas and pasta to mix and cook in the pan for a minute or so until pasta is well coated.
Add pancetta to the pasta and serve. (Use pasta water to thin the sauce if it gets too thick).

Recipe #11 - Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-11-16T18:38:00.003-05:00

With cooler weather coming (I am in Florida - I'm expecting any day now -- drumming fingers!), I thought it would be good to do a little warm comfort food. What's more warm or comforting that chicken noodle soup?

OK, I'm gonna go ahead and fess up ... I doubled my noodles which then soaked up a good portion of my broth. What can I say, I'm an overachiever! HA! Really, the noodles are my favorite part. I'm sure you will show more self restraint and put the recommended amount of noodles and not the WHOLE package! Either way, this is one yummy soup. Thanks to Paula Dean for this recipe from the Food Network. Try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

Stock:

1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
3 1/2 quarts water
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
3 chicken bouillon cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/3 cup cooking sherry
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan, optional
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
Seasoning salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Recipe #10 - Chicken Marsala

2009-10-28T19:40:00.001-05:00

OMG! This is SOOOO good! One of my new favs! You have got to try it!

From Tyler Florence and JoAnn Cianciulli, Food Network.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
8 ounces crimini or porcini mushrooms, stemmed and halved
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them; pound with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly.

Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once – do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Lower the heat to medium and add the prosciutto to the drippings in the pan, saute for 1 minute to render out some of the fat. Now, add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan; simmer gently for 1 minute to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Recipe #9 - Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

2009-10-28T19:29:00.002-05:00

OK, I don't know about you but I love pumpkin. YUM-O! And, I love cheesecake ... so what could be better than Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes? Right, NOTHING! (Yes, the Yum-O was a tribute to Rachel Ray - afterall, the recipe came from her magazine.)

Here's the recipe -- get crackin'!

Makes 1 dozen.

Ingredients:
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temp.
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large eggs, plus 5 large egg whites
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup light brown sugar
simmering water
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablesppon size pieces and chilled

1. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin pan with liners. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar for 3 minutes. Beat in 1 egg white and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, banking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, granulated sugar, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture.

3. Layer each muffin cup with some of the pumpkin batter, then the cream cheese mixture, then more of the batter. Bake until springy to the touch, 25 minutes. Let cool.

4. Using the electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, remaining 4 egg whites and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fill a medium saucepan with enough simmering water to reach a depth of 1 inch; place the mixing bowl on top. Whisk the mixture until it registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

5. Transfer the bowl back to the mixer and beat at high speed until fluffy; lower the speed and beat to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat at high speed for 5 minutes. Beat the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

6. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag; pipe large rosettes on top of the cupcakes.

ENJOY!

Recipe #8 - Chicken Piccata

2009-10-18T17:36:00.001-05:00

O so easy and very tasty! This one's for you Abbey! (You can skip the capers if you want!) :)

Recipe courtesy Sara Moulton, Sara Moulton Cooks at Home, Broadway Books, 2002

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon drained bottled capers, rinsed and chopped
Additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Thin slices lemon and chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Sprinkle a small amount of water on a large plastic sheet of plastic wrap. Place 2 of the breast halves on top of the plastic and sprinkle again with water. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder until about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining 2 breast halves.

Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow pie plate. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Working in 2 batches, place the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat on all sides. Shake off the excess flour and add to the skillet. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate or platter and cover loosely with foil. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.

Pour off the fat from the skillet and return the skillet to the heat. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring to pick up and browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer, turning often, until warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and the capers. Season with salt and pepper and heat just until the butter has melted. Serve on warmed plates with a spoonful of the skillet sauce, topped with lemon slices and parsley.

Recipe #7 - Morning Glory Muffins

2009-10-13T20:20:00.004-05:00

Inspired by a little coffee shop across the street from my office come these yummy muffins. With so much fruit and vegetables, they feel good for you! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple.
In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Recipe #6 - Best Lasagna Ever!

2009-09-27T19:45:00.002-05:00

Ok, ok ... maybe not the BEST in the WORLD, it's certainly one of the best I've ever made and quite easy to boot!

Angela - this one's for you! It's easy and tasty and I promise, you will have enough for several meals.

Recipe:

1.5 lbs ground beef
1 pound hot breakfast sausage (I prefer Jimmy Dean)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 14.5-oz cans of whole tomatoes
2 6-oz cans of tomator paste
2 tablespoons of dried parsley flakes
2 talbespoons dried basil
salt
1 10-oz package of lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups lowfat cottage cheese (you can use Ricotta but my family doesn't like it)
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese

In a skillet, combine ground beef, sausage, and 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook until brown, draining off half the fat. Pour in cans of whole tomatoes and tomato paste, dried parsley, and dried basil, and 1 tsp. of salt. Mix together thoroughly and simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, boil the lasagna noodles. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil to water. Cook the noodles "al dente." When noodles are finished, drain and rinse with cool water.

While meat and noodles are cooking, mix cottage cheese in a bowl with 2 beaten eggs. Add 1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp dried parsley, and 1 tsp salt.

Set up your "assembly line": meat mixture, 1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese mixture, and cooked lasagna noodles. Lay four cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan, overlapping as you go. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Then lay 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese slices on top of the cottage cheese mixture.

With the spoon, make a line through the middle of the meat mixture so you'll distribute it evenly. Spread a little less than half of the meat mixture over the mozzarella cheese slices. Spread it around until evenly distributed atop the mozzarella cheese slices.

Repeat the layering process ... begin with another layer of four lasagna noodles top with the remaining half of the cottage cheese mixture, top the cottage cheese mixture with another 1/2 pound of mozzarella, and finish with the rest of the meat mixture.

Top generously with parmesan cheese.

Place in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. You can cover and freeze it, unbaked or cover and refrigerate, unbaked, up to two days.

ENJOY!

Recipe #5 - Banana Blueberry Mini Loaves

2009-09-27T19:37:00.004-05:00

Good enough to be eaten as dessert!

I came home after a weekend away to find 4 very ripe bananas. What better way to make use of them than making banana chocolate chip muffins and these new banana blueberry mini loaves. YUM-O!

Here's the recipe:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup veg. oil
1 cup (2 medium) mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eaggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

Heat over to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour bottoms only of three 6x3.5" loaf pans. In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. Add bananas, yogurt, vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour into greased and foured pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator.

Yields 3 (12 slice) loaves.

2009-09-16T20:56:00.001-05:00

8-9-09 - Recipe #4 - Barbecue Prawns

2009-09-08T19:21:00.002-05:00

My friend Mark gave us some huge prawns so I decide to try out a new recipe. It turned out to be super easy and FAST! Oh, and they were quite tasty! Literally, the prawns were so big, I could only eat one. Charlie and Daniel managed to down 3 each.

Here's the recipe:

2 tbsp Pampered Chef Smokey Barbecue Rub (I'm sure you could substitute any rub)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Texas Pete or Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
16 jumbo uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp (13-15 per pound)
8 12 inch skewers, soaked

1. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat.

2. Combine rub, oil, hot sauce, and garlic in mixing bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to grill.

3. When ready to grill, lay shrimp flat on cutting board. Thread four pieces of shrimp evely down length of one skewer. Holding shrimp steady, insert a second skewer parallel to the first skewer. Repeat for remainder of shrimp.

4. Spray grill with pam or brush lightly with oil. Place skewered shrimp on grill. Grill 3 -5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque throughout. Turn using BBQ tongs.

Prep time: 20 minutes; Total time: 30 minutes

If you make these shrimp, I'd love to hear how you liked the recipe. Leave me a comment.

Fished Out!

2009-09-08T19:04:00.004-05:00

Ok, not really but I am pretty darn tired. My out of town company got sick at the last minute (hope you are feeling better Mom & Dad) so Charlie, Daniel and I spent 4 days in the kayaks fishing our hearts out. Unfortunately, we've been in flood tides and lots of wind so the fish were all kinds of stirred up as far as I was concerned but we did manage to catch some good ones.

We also got together with friends Sara and David and fished together for the first time. They got brand new Hobie Revo's and boy are they sweet. They good run circles around us while eating muffins and casting. Put us to shame for sure! It was fun to see them enjoying them!

We were a fleet of plastic boats on Monday morning. We launched before dawn and fished until after 2pm. It wasn't the best fishing day but any day on the water is a good day!

I didn't keep a very good count but I estimate on Friday, Charlie and I caught 2 24"+ reds, and about 14 trout; Saturday - more trout and a couple of rat reds; Sunday - I caught 3 rat reds, 18.5" red and a 24" red; and Sunday - we caught 6 rat reds, some really good sized croakers, a black drum, trout, and jacks. Of course, we REALLY wanted flounder but we just couldn't get one. O well! I guess there's always next weekend!

Fishing 8/30/09

2009-08-31T20:17:00.002-05:00

Charlie, Daniel and I hit the water in the yaks on Sunday. We got a REAL late start and didn't even get on the water til almost noon. Here's our catch for the day ... Charlie was skunked! LOL! Daniel caught a 26" red and I caught a 24.5" red. We were literally surrounded by flounder jumping out of the water. I've never seen that before. Try as we might, we could not get them to eat our bait. Next time!

Weekend Kayak Fishing

2009-08-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Charlie, Daniel and I did some kayak fishing on Saturday. It was so nice to be back in the kayak. We hit our usual spots and then some new spots too. I hooked up with two lady fish on some ultra light tackle. Boy, those fish can fight! It was thrilling seeing them jump up out of the water. Charlie managed to snap a picture of me going for the next to scoop up my fish.

Charlie went by himself the next day and managed to get a good flounder and trout to round out his slam for the www.321fish.com tournament. Currently, he's in 2nd place. He's already out this morning trying to improve his score. Good luck Charlie!

I hope you all had a great weekend too!

8/15/09 - Recipe #2 - Chicken Pot Pie (The Lady and Son's)

2009-08-16T19:13:00.004-05:00

I'm on a freakin' roll over here!!!

I tackled another recipe last night ... another Paula Dean recipe, or more specifically, The Lady and Son's. I actually worked with puff pastry! I know, pick yourself up off the floor, I did -- really! One of the best things about this recipe is that it's REALLY fast. Without further ado ...

The recipe says it makes 4 servings but I made 4 ramikins and still had a huge bowl of leftover stuffing so I put some frozen biscuits on top and baked it up. YUMMO! The overall flavor is great. I really enjoyed the puff pastry top (I'm a little carb-o-holic!) It really didn't puff up like I thought it would within the second five minute baking so I turned the oven on the 375 and baked until it looked right to me.

OH, did you notice ... that's a LATTICE top! Hell yeah! I'm freakin' amazing! LOL!!!

Here's the recipe. If you make it, let me know what you think!

4 sheets frozen puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
4 chicken breast halves, or 2 cups leftover cooked chicken
Seasoned salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken base
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 small yellow onion, minced
1 cup frozen green peas, cooked
1 cup chopped cooked carrots
Pinch fresh grated nutmeg, optional

Directions

Special equipment: 4 (2-cup) individual baking dishes

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut each sheet of frozen puff pastry into 1-inch strips, 8 inches long. On a large cookie sheet, weave strips into a lattice large enough to cover each pot pie. Brush beaten egg onto each lattice square. Bake for 5 minutes, or until dough has risen and turned light golden brown. Set aside until ready to assemble pies. Leave oven on at 350 degrees F.

Filling:

Season chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into chunks. Alternatively, you may use precooked chicken.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and then slowly add flour, stirring until consistency of peanut butter, but not brown like a roux. Slowly add cream and keep stirring. Add chicken base, garlic, and onion and stir until thickened. Add peas, carrots, nutmeg, if using, and cut up chicken. Remove from heat. Fill 4 individual oven-proof bowls with chicken mixture and then top each with a pre-cooked lattice square. Bake for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Any remaining pie filling may be frozen.

8/14/09 - Recipe #1 - Cinnamon Rolls (Paula Dean's Recipe)

2009-08-15T20:42:00.003-05:00

Ok folks, let's get this party started. Yesterday, I was all inspired ... carried my happy a$$ to Williams-Sonoma, picked up some All-Clad measuring spoons (seriously, I NEEDED them!) and a cupcake cookbook and ran home to make something yummy. Uh, yeah that didn't happen until 9:00 pm - yep, that's when I decided I would make Paula Deen's cinnamon rolls. Wahoo! Time to break out the measuring spoons! So I started at 9:00 pm and didn't get finished until 11:30. Yeah, that's what I said (WTF!)!!! Gosh, but the WHOLE house smelled like yummy cinnamon and raisins! Who knew you had to let those puppies rise TWO times! Sheesh! Good thing I had Big Brother to keep me company. So, by the time they were done, I was too tired to photograph and post them, so this morning I nuked them slightly and tried to take a good picture of them. (Insert a new found respect for those food dresser people that make food look so dang yummy in print - it's HARD!) Oh, ok, I'll take some responsibility since I'm not a great photographer. So here you go mah peeps! Don't they look yummy?!

Here's my review ... they were good and cinnamony but too sweet for me personally. Daniel loves them!! I think next time, I'll let them rise longer (an hour and a half instead of the hour I did). I may try and bake them longer too because I could taste the granules of sugar in the layers instead of just melty goodness. I will make them again. I just love Paula Dean!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Dough:

1/4-ounce package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional

Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 6 tablespoons hot water

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired. Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices.

Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Inspired!

2009-08-14T20:21:00.002-05:00

So a couple of weeks ago, I saw the sneak peek of Julie and Julia. It was really good - much funnier than I expected. Meryl Streep is AWESOME! Anyhow, it really inspired me to start baking again. I used to be an avid baker. When we lived in our last house with the small kitchen, I would bake goodies all the time and feed them to my family and co-workers. Then, when we moved into our current house and I re-designed the new kitchen - you know complete with the double ovens, 15' peninsula, stone countertops, specialty cabinet for my Kitchen Aide mixer - well, I lost interest in baking! Go figure!!!

Lately, I've been trying to better about cooking. You see, I'm not a great cook and I've never really enjoyed it at all. I've considered it more a chore than anything else. My dad was always the cook in our family and he's an awesome cook! One of those cooks that just mixes stuff together, never measures, just go with it kind of cooks. Well, who could compete with that??? When my dad would go out to sea, Mom and I survived on frozen dinners and an occasional cooked meal. Mom's a good cook but doesn't enjoy it much either.

When Charlie was furloughed in March, I began cooking more because I had to. We've always been a two income family and it scared me to death that we would have to really stick to a budget. I mean, BUDGET? ME???? Can you say, "IMPULSE SHOPPER?" Yeah, I'm bad and completely spoiled by Charlie! So, I started cooking more and I kind of started liking it. I'm convinced my family will eat anything but I was really pleased when my Aunt Pat came to visit and raved about my food. Me ... go figure!

Now, Charlie has been furloughed AGAIN! No more eating out more than eating in. This time, it doesn't feel like such a chore ... all the cooking. And now, I'm trying new recipes and I want to start baking again. I'm even going to take a cake decorating class. Who knows, maybe one day ... (pipe dreams!)

Anyway ... oh yeah, the point of all this. I'm pledging to try at least ONE NEW RECIPE a week for a year! You heard it here folks! LOL! Oh, and I'm going to share it all with you complete with pictures so stay tuned this may be a complete disaster!!!

Oh, and to all my guinea pigs, I mean FRIENDS, I hope your hungry! LOL!

Brace Face!

2009-08-14T20:14:00.002-05:00

LOL! My baby got braces yesterday. As usual, he was his good spirited self about the whole thing. No, he didn't want them but he saw the logic in getting them. :) He's so funny! Immediately afterwards, we went to his 8th grade orientation. So many kids yelling, "Daniel! You got braces!" He just smiled and waved. He's so sweet!! Personally, I think he's just as handsome!

Creating a Monster!!!

2009-08-02T21:52:00.002-05:00

Who would have guessed that taking my friend Robs and her husband Manny fishing would turn Robs into a FISHING monster!!! That girl outfished us all! It was such a great day on the water. We caught lots of fish and a variety of species. Robs caught a bonnet head shark among other things and Manny got spooled by something HUGE! We only left because we ran out of bait!!! DANG! I'm sure this was only the first of many fishing trips with Robs and Manny. They are so much fun -- we love them!

4th of July

2009-08-02T21:46:00.002-05:00

Ok, I have to admit, we are REALLY boring!!! Fourth of July for us means, cooking out, playing in the pool, and walking down the street to view the downtown fireworks from the bridge in our neighborhood (10 miles away). It hasn't always been this way, but Mom hates crowds and with her hips, it hard for her to walk more than a block without pain. So, this is our celebration ... it may not be exciting to you but it's JUST PERFECT for me ... family and good times - what more could you ask for?

Mom and Aunt Pat Visit

2009-08-02T21:39:00.002-05:00

We've been so lucky in that Mom and Aunt Pat have visited a couple of times this summer. We love having them here. They love for Charlie to take them fishing. I just wish we could do it more often. Halee was able to come this last time. It was great spending time with her. She's growing into a very lovely young lady.

Fishing with the Robs and Family

2009-08-02T21:32:00.002-05:00

Mary and Bob were visiting in June and we were so lucky to have a day fishing with them. It was so hot but they toughed it out and lasted into the early afternoon. We then headed home, played in the pool and had a big old fish fry. We had such a great time. Can't wait for next time Mary!

Father's Day

2009-08-02T21:30:00.001-05:00

I know, I know ... I'm so far behind in my blogging. I'll try to catch up tonight ...

Here are the kid's and Charlie on Father's Day (oh and the furbabies too!).

Am I the luckiest girl in the world or what?

2009-05-27T20:23:00.003-05:00

We visited Alfie and Margie for Memorial weekend. We had such a great time kayak fishing and hanging out with family. Bradenton area is really pretty and has great fishing areas! We can't wait to visit again.

After a few mornings of getting up before the sun rose, spending the day in the sun fishing, Charlie just passed out in the "sleeping" chair. Bella wasn't having any snoring tho and would wake paw him when he started making too much noise!

Fishing with the Moms!

2009-05-27T20:17:00.004-05:00

Mom and Aunt Pat came to visit and of course, the first thing they want to do is go fishing! Although we got stuck in a rain storm, that didn't stop them. The fish turned on and we were in for the long haul.

Unfortunately, Aunt Pat's big fish slipped right through Charlie's fingers and got away before I could snap a picture. I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose Aunt Pat - LOL!

Garden Update

2009-05-27T20:12:00.002-05:00

Mom and aunt pat hit my garden to harvest my beans and peppers. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the garden will make it with all the rain we've had in the past few weeks.

My First Kayak Fishing Tournament

2009-05-03T21:05:00.004-05:00

On May 2, 2009, I entered my first kayak fishing tournament. A big feat considering it was only my 4th time in a kayak. I was confident all would be well, afterall, I was with Charlie, Daniel, Alfie, Britt, Armando and Ayden. The Drag-On fishing team in full-force!

We started the day at 6:00 a.m., launching before the sun rose. Within an hour, I had my first bite. I thought it was a decent Red only to be amazed when I netted my biggest trout ever -- a 23" trout! Yes, you can see the pure joy on my face. Thankfully, Charlie was close-by and could take the pictures for me -- it's a photo and release tournament. The rest of the day, I was skunked. I ended up placing 9th overall in the Trout Division. Not bad for 430 fisherman.

The big disappointment for the day was that I bought two raffle tickets to win a Wilderness Tarpon 140. The winning card was the Ace of Diamonds -- I had the Ace of Hearts!!! The good news is that I did win a pair of Costa del Mar sunglasses ($130 prize).

The GREATEST news of all is that Alfie won 2nd in the Red division and Armando placed 15th in the Flounder Division. This is the first time we've had multiple placements in the family team so we were all excited about it.

Huge thanks to Mike and Michelle who put on this event every year. It is the world's largest kayak tournament and they raised $40,000 for Daniel Memorial and the Guy Harvey Foundation.

I can't wait for next year!

Yak, yak, yak ...

2009-04-18T19:37:00.003-05:00

LOL! So, Charlie got a new kayak for an early birthday present. He's IN LOVE with it! LOL!

Since we now have 3 yaks, we borrowed a 4th and the whole family went out today. It was mine and Maegan's first time. I loved it -- Maegan, not so much. We spent 4 hours paddling and fishing. We didn't catch anything and the wind was really kickin' so we called it a day. Here are some pics.

Scrap-Tastic's American Idol 2009 Contest

2009-04-15T14:44:00.004-05:00

For the past several weeks, I have been participating in Scrap-Tastic's American Idol contest. I love this series of contest because they always challenge me to try things I may not normally do and to really stretch my creativity. Here are my submissions ... now cross your fingers and let's hope I win! Wahoo!

Beautiful was my first submission to qualify for the contest.

Without You was the 1st Challenge - This layout had to have 10 pp's and personify a song of your choice. I chose "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson. I used lots of flowers, hearts and swirls to give it a romantic feel.

Men was my 2nd Challenge layout - Unplugged! We could use no pp on the layout and we had to use stamps and we had to make our own embellishments. I printed my own patterned paper and use fun shapes and white pen for decoration. I also masked a frame around my cardstock using ink. All my buttons are made of hand-cut chipboard and corkboard. The title I drew and handcut from an office transparency. I then used alcohol inks to color it so it would stand out against the background papers.

Guilty was my 3rd Challenge layout - Karaoke! We had to scraplift a DT girlie and use 3 different embellishments. This one was easy for me. I have always admired Robin's work. I used buttons, stickers and chipboard as my embellishments.

Love was my 4th Challenge layout - Rock It Out! We had to use lots of shiny stuff -- glitter, rhinestones, etc. and we had to use stamps. I blinged this bad boy out!!! I used stickles all over the background paper. I glittered my title. I used glitter buttons and Say it in Crystals flourishes. I used journaling stamps to distress the pp a little and word stamps as part of my journaling. It's really spectacular in person (if I do say so myself - hee hee!)

Sunshine was my 5th Challenge layout - We Love the ... We had to pick a decade and make our layout reflect that decade. We had to choose a song from that decade and have the song represented on our layout. I chose "Walking on Sunshine" from the 80's. I chose neon colors that really popped against a white background. My film strip transparency and my sun both represented the title of my song.

Happy Go Lucky was my 6th Challenge layout - Composition! We had to explain how we compose our layout using picture area, depth, line, and value.

Birthday is my Final Challenge layout - We had to create a double page layout and use masking as our technique. We also had to make up lyrics to a song for our journaling. I chose Maegan's 21st birthday pictures and 50 Cent's "In da Club" for my song lyric inspiration. I created masks using my Cricut and used Glimmer Mist and ink on the background pp. I also used the negative of the mask to create a flocked swirl and butterfly and to emboss a gold swirl on the right side.

All in all, a great contest series. I love being pushed to create something new using techniques I may not have tried on my own. TFL!

Gardening

2009-04-07T18:24:00.004-05:00

We usually plant a garden each year but that garden usually consists of a tomato plant and maybe cucumbers. This year, we planted multiple tomato plants, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, peppers, beans, and lots of herbs. Charlie even built a fence around the garden so the dogs wouldn't trample the plants. He did a great job. Here's the garden after just one month.

Journaling

2009-04-05T21:50:00.002-05:00

I purchased a new scrappy book about journaling ("Your Words, Your Story" by Michele Skinner) and I'm hooked. I've even asked my friend Cheryl if I could have a forum on Scrapbook-Oasis.com to post hints, tips and journaling prompts. Now, don't get discouraged ... I'm no professional, heck, you'll find my grammar and spelling errors than you can shake a stick at but this is me trying to get my story down for future generations. I don't want to leave just pretty pictures. I want my kids to know the stories behind the pictures.

My first journaling prompt on Scrapbook-Oasis.com is to write about the economy and how it has affected you and/or your family. Here's my take:

Post Getaway!

2009-03-30T18:41:00.005-05:00

I've just returned from a fabulous getaway with my girls for a scrappy weekend. We had a great time and I got alot done. Here's some of my stuff:

Challenge

2009-01-31T13:05:00.002-05:00

I took a challenge over at CMK and created a layout about love without using red or hearts. Here's my submission:

And here's my challenge as posted on Scrapbook-Oasis.com -- create an All About you Layout for January listing your goals or resolutions for the year. Here's mine:

2009-01-31T12:57:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I've been REALLY bad about not posting lately. Here are some layouts I've done in January. I hope you like them!

2009-01-04T17:05:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! Hope everyone has a happy, healthy new year. We brought in the new year in the usual way ... Charlie and Daniel asleep and me counting down in my scrap room. :) All is well though ... better than getting ran over by a drunk driver!

Thought I'd share a few projects/layouts I've been working on lately.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-01T20:13:00.001-05:00

Photobucket Album

2008 Christmas Cookie Exchange

2008-12-07T22:59:00.001-05:00

2008-11-11T21:35:00.001-05:00

Another fun filled day of fishing in the Jacksonville area. It was sunny and warm ... oh, that is, until the wind kicked in and despite 3 layers of clothing, I froze my patooti off! We were successful at catching fish though. Most importantly of all, QT with my DH and DS. Gosh, I love living in Florida!!!

2008-11-11T21:30:00.004-05:00

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays. Here are a few shots of our family.

2008 Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T21:48:00.003-05:00

Daniel and I visited the pumpkin patch this past Sunday. It was such a beautiful day! Here are a few pics ...

I'm a new Mommy!!!

2008-10-15T20:00:00.004-05:00

This is our new dog, Tank. He is a 3.5 year old English Bulldog. He's such a sweetie! His head is huge and his hips are so small. He does look like a little tank.

Tank went to the vet on Monday and it turns out, he has a severe double ear infection, a skin condition, and a fungus from scratching the skin condition. He got an updated Rabies shot without flinching and we left with a bag full of medicine. He's feeling MUCH better already and doesn't put up a fuss about all the medicine (especially since the pills are stuffed into a hot dog before he eats them).

He's adorable and fitting right in with the family, Lola and Trey already.

Now, this is the life ... a Sunday afternoon nap on the couch! Lola does it so well! Check out that comfy sleeping position. She sleeps unlike any dog I've seen before. I just want to curl up with her on the couch and take a nap myself! Sweet dreams!

One last time ...

2008-08-17T17:54:00.005-05:00

Vacation getaway that is ... one last time before school starts back up. We made a weekend trip to Orlando to visit Sea World's Aquatica. We had a BLAST!!!! So much fun. Funny enough, Charlie ran into a co-worker and then we all ran into my cousin Armando and his family. My other cousins Alfie and Margie came to visit from Bradenton and we got to hang out at the resort and do some shopping (wahoo! IKEA). Here are some pics from the weekend.

It's been a whirlwind ...

2008-07-21T12:56:00.003-05:00

My life, that is. Not stop, do this and do that, always adding to my lists. The two things I haven't been able to do alot of is scrap and blog. Hopefully that will all change in the next few weeks and things can start to settle down.

We've been in the midst of a remodel on the house. We tiled the great room and are getting a brand new master bathroom, which meant the master bedroom is reconfigured, and sprucing up the hall bath with a new vanity, countertops, sinks, fixtures, lighting and finally most of the house is being repainted. WHEW!

I've been living out of the guest bedroom for the past month and currently we are down to one bathroom sink that has no countertop which makes getting ready in the mornings a challenge.

We did go on vacation to Virginia for the week and visited my brother-in-law, niece & great nephew, and nephew. We had a great time and it was nice getting to stay more than just a couple of days. We visited Busch Gardens in Williamsburg -- hadn't been there in 20+ years. Boy have things changed.

Here are some pics from our visit

Where does the time go?

2008-05-26T18:49:00.005-05:00

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I blogged. Life is racing by at a mile a minute these days. Thank goodness school is almost out for the summer -- MOM needs a break! LOL!

To all my friends out there - thank you so much for all your support. It means the world to me!

Here are some layouts I've worked on for the last few months. To be honest, I haven't scrapped that much except for a retreat in April and one Friday night last weekend. I hope that my track record will improve over the summer!

Blog Challenge

2008-03-16T20:44:00.003-05:00

In response to Jolynn's blog challenge at scrapbook-oasis.com:

*Where did you meet your husband? High school football game.
*What was the first thing you said to your husband? Hi, I'm Melita. (He had his friend introduce him to me.)
*Where was your first date? Charlie got a group of our friends to come over to my house and then we all went to an arcade (Flipper McCoys) -- it was the 80's! LOL!
*Where was your first kiss? Flipper McCoys!
*Where did you get married? Norfolk, VA
*How long have you been married? 21 fabulous years!
*How long did you date? almost 5 years -- all thru high school and married the next year
*Long or short engagement? Depends -- he proposed when I was 16 but then we broke up off and on and then when I went to visit relatives in Virginia Beach we just kind of picked up where we left off. Except we got married before I returned to Jacksonville.
*How old is he? 42 in May
*Who eats more? He does but I'm bigger - no fair!
*Who said I love you first? He did.
*Who is taller? He is.
*Who sings better? I do.
*Who is smarter? LOL! Depends on the subject.
*Whose temper is worse? MINE!
*Who does the laundry? Me.
*Who does the dishes? Me and the kids.
*Who pays the bills? Me.
*Who mows the lawn? Him.
*Who cooks dinner? Both.
*Who drives when you are together? He does.
*Who is more stubborn? Definitely HIM!
*Whose parents do you see the most? His parents have passed, so mine.
*Who proposed? He did.
*Who has more friends? I do.
*Who has more siblings? He does.

I've been tagged!

2008-02-20T18:50:00.002-05:00

Here's the jist of it:

You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name. Each fact must begin with that letter. If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name. After you've been tagged, you need to up-date your blog with your middle name and answers. At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a

My middle name is Lynn. Considering my name was Melita Lynn Legaspi, I always considered "Lynn" to be the "white" part of my name. Personally, I think Mom was pretty drunk during the whole naming process but she assures me she wasn't. She must have known what she was doing because I always get compliments on my name (after they stutter thru trying to pronounce it).

L = Loyal -- I consider myself a loyal wife and friend. It's very important to me.
Y = Young -- LOL! I don't really feel like I'm getting older, only my kids are! :)
N = Nice -- OK, don't laught -- I try to be nice but I admit, I'm not always successful!
N = Naughty -- Now here's a trait I can relate to!

I'm gonna tag... Robs, Dionne, Tessa, and Karen

Have fun girls!!

My Lola Bone Album

2008-02-18T08:52:00.004-05:00

Here's my latest creation using a bone shaped clear album. I really used ALOT of bling because ... well, that's how I roll! LOL!

O Scrappy Day!

2008-02-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

I Had a great scrappy day yesterday with my girlies at TCS. It's been months since we scrapped together at a local scrapbook store. I was first in line when the store opened at 10am and didn't leave there until 10pm. I managed to crack out 6 new layouts (my goal was 2)! WOW! I found some serious mojo!

Thanks to my buds - Robs, Dionne, Terry, Cheryl, Jenny, Lesley, Tracy, Andrea and Kris -- I had a great time. Can't wait for March!

2 Month Surgiversary!

2008-01-27T10:20:00.001-05:00

Yep, the 26th marked my 2 month anniversary since my surgery. I was feeling a little bummed that I haven't lost a whole lot of weight ... 36 lbs. to date. However, once a month I get Charlie to do all my measurements and compare to my pre-surgery self. Well, to date, I have lost ...

ready??? ...

29.25 inches!!!!

Now that made me feel better!

I won't bore you with all the details but here are a couple of highlights ... 6 inches in my waist and 6.5 inches in my hips! Wahoo!

I actually bought a couple of pair of new pants/jeans yesterday because all my others are falling off -- or as Claudine would say, "I'm slipping right out of them."

Thanks for everyone's encouragement!

New Layouts ...

2008-01-27T10:17:00.001-05:00

Here are some layouts I created at the PJ Crop and a couple that I finished the day after.

SVC PJ Crop!

2008-01-23T19:14:00.000-05:00

Just survived the PJ crop this past weekend. A full 28 hours of fun with the girlies! The most fun was just hanging out with my besties and acting like morons! LOL!!!

Congrats to Jean, Jacqui and Leslie for winning the layout, altered item, and card contests respectively. You ladies rock!

LOLA update!

2008-01-09T19:45:00.001-05:00

Lola weighs 6.2 pounds at 7 weeks old. Her boo-boo's from her mommy are almost healed.

This is Lola's favorite sleeping position ... on her back. Usually her paws are straight up and she's snoring. She's just the cutest thing ever!

Daddy acts all big and bad but we know he's a softy at heart. Look at them all snuggled up together.

Frozen in Time!

2008-01-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

As part of Scrapbook-Oasis blog challenge ... the challenge is to snapshot your family now so you can go back in a year and see who's changed the most.

Charlie, a/k/a, DH - Charlie is 41 and still very active. He plays on two softball teams and is still an avid fisherman. He has been experiencing some back problems and has therefore been seeing a chiropractor for a few weeks. He swears he feels SOOOO much better after being "cracked." He still watches fishing and hunting on tv - BORING! He has been rooting for the Jaguars this season - that's a change! Usually he just taunts me during the games. I'm still hopelessly in love with him after almost 21 years of marriage!

Maegan, a/k/a DD - Maegan will be 20 yo this weekend. Gosh, time flies!!! Maegan is working at Belk's for the holidays but swears she is going to find something that pays more. Maegan is an avid my-space freak! She has registered for college classes starting in February. Everyone pray that she passes the math class!!! No boyfriend. Loves clothes and Guess purses.

Daniel, a/k/a DS - Daniel is 11 and in the 6th grade. Sixth grade has been a challenge. Not because he isn't smart enough, he just keeps deciding that he doesn't need to do work in class. He does great on tests and quizes but the classwork = 0. I'm hoping he finally gets it! He's saying all the things I want to hear right now, I'm just hoping he means it! He still LOVES to read. I bought him over a dozen books for Christmas and he's already into the 2nd one. He likes playing video games but isn't obsessed with it. No girlfriend -- says he isn't ready. YAY!

Scrapbook Oasis 2008 Queen Bling Contest

2008-01-01T22:54:00.000-05:00

In celebration of the the new year, we are hosting the 2008 Bling Queen Contest. The Oasis is a community full of scrapping divas and we are looking for a creative diva to start the year off with a big bling! Check out our online store to stock up on bling (i.e., Stickles, Glimmer Mist, Prima Crystals) for this contest! www.scrapbook-oasis.com Rules… - The 2008 Bling Queen contest will be open for entries as of January 1, 2008. - You MUST HAVE a minimum of 25 posts in our forum to enter. Link to Forum www.scrapbook-oasis.com - Entries must contain some sort of bling. (Don't forget to list ALL supplies used.) - Entries must be uploaded to our 2008 Bling Queen section of our gallery. GALLERY LINK http://www.scrapbook-oasis.com/gallery/index.php - Entries MAY NOT BE winners of any other contest/publications. Upload as many entries as you’d like. The more the merrier. - The last day to upload entries will be January 30, 2008 at 11:00pm EST. (No EXCEPTIONS!) - Winners will be announced on February 1, 2008. No purchase is necessary to win. - Winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to the Scrapbook-Oasis store!!

Here are a couple of my latest DT assignments:

New Addition to the Family!

2007-12-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

Meet LOLA. Charlie surprised me with Lola this weekend. He got her while visiting his brother in Virginia. She is a 6 week old, Olde English Bulldog. The marks on her face are from her mommy trying to wean her. Ouch

Scrapbook-Oasis Blog Challenge 12/26 - New Years Resolutions!

2007-12-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

I don't really think of them as resolutions but more like goals for the year.

1. Be a Better Mom, Wife, Daughter - Always room for improvement, especially in my case. Specifically, spend more individual time with each person in my life. Don't get bogged down by the daily routine and remember to enjoy the moments.

2. Be a Better Friend - I'm horrible about keeping in contact with people. 2007 was about finding out who my real friends are and cutting out the negative people in my life. Sounds harsh but they can really suck the life out of you. Anyways, shouldn't friendship be a two-way street? 2008 is about nurturing my true friendships and hopefully making new friends along the way.

3. Get Healthy - Yes, it's a standard! Argh! Hopefully this is MY year! I've already begun my lifestyle change. Just need to get back into the gym routine.

4. Be More Patient and Forgiving - Not my strong suits for sure but I will try.

5. Have fun, be adventurous, laugh alot! Sounds like a crazy resolution but I think it should be a daily priority so it's going on my list!

Happy New Year to you all and I hope you make and keep your resolutions!

Scrapbook-Oasis Blog Challenge 12/19

2007-12-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

Today's blog challenge is to tell about our typical Christmas Day.

Funny enough, it's usually my husband, Charlie, who is the first up. If the kids aren't up yet, he will go and wake them up and then wake me up with "the kids are already awake." (Yeah, I'm on to him!) So, I get up but it's still awhile before the presents can be opened. We still have to wait for my parents to get up and get "awake" which usually involves lots of coffee and grooming. I usually throw in some cinnamon rolls or some such while everyone is waiting. We always do stockings first as a primer. Everyone gets socks for Christmas in their stocking!

Charlie always plays Santa and passes out the presents ... well, he stacks each persons in a pile for them to have at it. We watch the kids rip into theirs and then when they are done we have at ours. I'm usually always last to open because I have the camera glued to my face the whole time.

You know those picture perfect settings where everyone is all dressed up and looking adorable. Yeah, that's not us. We are barely hair brushed, teeth brushed, mix-matched PJ's, no make-up wearing people. Christmas morning pictures can be brutal!!! There is a strict "NO CLOSE-UP" policy Christmas morning for the photographer. :)

Everyone takes their loot to their rooms and the cooking ensues. Since my family doesn't care for turkey on Thanksgiving and we have ham Thanksgiving, we try and do something different for Christmas. We've done seafood and prime rib but I have to say my favorite is a Filipino Christmas! My dad is the most awesome cook. So give me pancit and lumpia for Christmas any day. YUM-O!!!!

After gorging ourselves, we usually settle down to watch some football or whatever DVD's were under the tree. The kids either join in or are hip high in new toys and gadgets to be played with. I usually make a few phone calls to wish distant relatives a Merry Christmas and then the rest of the evening is spent with family.

Ahhh, Christmas ... it's a joyous time of year!

Scrapbook Oasis Blog Challenge

2007-12-12T18:26:00.001-05:00

Challenge: Tell us about your favorite holiday memory.

My favorite memories of Christmas actually rarely happened at my own home. You see, we were a Navy family so we bounced from coast to coast away from my mom's family in Alabama so every holiday we could, we would travel from California, Maryland or Virginia to Brewton, Alabama. The traveling part wasn't my favorite. It was being around tons of family that I only saw once or twice a year. It was tables and tables full of food; bellies rolling with laughter; and kids running here and there making fast friends with cousins they didn't remember from the year before. Since my Granny's passing a few years ago, my mom's family doesn't get together that often anymore. You would think in this modern age with cell phones and email, we would be better at keeping in touch ... unfortunately, I am the worst! But I keep those memories close to my heart and remember them every year. I hope my own home provides those same treasured memories for my kids and one day, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Christmas Photo Shoot!

2007-12-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

A couple of pics from our Christmas photo shoot ...

SCRAPBOOK OASIS TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS CHALLENGES AND SALES!!!!!!

2007-12-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

Scrapbook Oasis is hosting a Twelve Days of Christmas event full of challenges,
beginning December 10, 2007 and ending December 21, 2007. Each day a new
challenge will be issued. Challenges will range from uploading a layout to
participating in a forum. Each day we will choose a random participant to
receive a RAK. Layouts need not be new to participate. You may enter as many
times as you like for more chances to win.

DECEMBER 4-23, we are offering a 15% STOREWIDE HOLIDAY SALE!!

This special offer is IN ADDITION TO our everyday 10% discount pricing!

Yep, I may be known for my typos - but this is not one of them, you can really
save 25% or more off of your entire order.

NO COUPON CODE REQUIRED Just add $30 or more to your shopping cart and the extra
15% discount will automatically apply.

www.scrapbook-oasis.com