Food and Recipe Blog

Need More Space in Your Kitchen?

Joi — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:35:03 +0000

You can never have…

…too much love in your heart
….too much chocolate in your mouth
… too much coffee in your cup
… too much money in your hand
….too much fun
….too many bracelets
…too many kids
….too many miracles
….too many Angelina Jolie dvds
… too many dreams
…. too much kitchen space

That’s not to say very many of these things are easy to come by. If you cook as much as I do, the last one is of the utmost importance to you. However, we pretty much have to make do with the space we have. I’ve also noticed something else – kitchen space is like money… you just use it all up, anyway! I currently have the largest kitchen I’ve ever been blessed with, yet I still find myself looking for more space. Just yesterday, while making a few batches of sugar cookies using my beloved shark cookie cutter from Oceana, I had to use the dining room table to place some of the cookies to cool.

If I’d had the gorgeous and space-saving kitchen cart above (the Free Shipping. Create a Cart with Wood Top by Homestyles – 9001-0031), I’d have been as cool as my shark cookies.

From Stacks and Stacks.com:

Looking for a little extra counter space and storage space? Here’s the perfect solution! This small kitchen cart will provide you with more space to cook on while not taking up much of your kitchen floor. This solid wood serving cart has one spacious utility drawer and two cabinet doors which open to storage with adjustable shelf inside. Also conveniently located on one side is a handy spice rack with towel bar and on the other side a paper towel holder. This kitchen island cart has a beautiful wood top and is available in 5 different finishes; red, white, black, oak and natural. Assembly required.

Click HERE for more information and to take advantage of the Free Shipping and to see the other gorgeous colors available. I’m going with the red for a couple of great reasons.

I have a lot of red and purple in my kitchen. I’m drawn to bright, happy, lively colors.
Red symbolizes the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team to me.
Red symbolizes the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team to my husband.

Number 3? That’s the money shot.

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Need More Space in Your Kitchen?

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Post tags: Kitchen Decor, kitchen space

Fluffy Blueberry Pie Recipe for the Win

Joi — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:52:39 +0000

The recipe below is for Fluffy Blueberry Pie and couldn’t be easier to make – this I promise. I also promise that it is so delicious, you’ll fight for the last bite. You can substitute peeled, sliced peaches for the blueberries and the pie will be just as remarkable. Either fruit would make an ideal Easter Pie recipe or a simple dessert for warm summer nights.

Fluffy Blueberry Pie Recipe

20 large marshmallows
1/4 cup whole milk
4 cups fresh blueberries (divided)
1 (8 oz) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked

In a heavy saucepan, combine marshmallows and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, stirring several times.

Stir in 3-1/2 cups of the blueberries (or peaches, if you go that route). Take out and set aside 1/2 cup of the whipped topping. Fold remaining topping into blueberry mixture.

Pour into crust. refrigerate for at lease 2 hours. Top off with the remaining blueberries and reserved whipped topping.

Once your familiar with the recipe, you’ll want to try out different fruit. I would imagine that raspberries would be amazing and blackberries would probably have your family throwing themselves at your feet. Note to self: Put blackberries on the grocery list….

Yield: One 9″ Pie or about 8 servings.

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Fluffy Blueberry Pie Recipe for the Win

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Post tags: blueberry recipes, Easter desserts, Easter Recipes, pie recipes, summer desserts, summer recipes

Eating Well on a Budget? For Reals?

Joi — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:00:15 +0000

One of the books I’d most recommend to anyone right now is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well on a Budget by Lucy Beale and Jessica Partridge. At a time when we’re all challenging ourselves to stay on a budget AND eat healthy, this is the book we absolutely needed the most. If you’re like me, you’d just about decided that eating as healthy as you wanted to was out of your budget. I was pretty much at that point when this outstanding book came along.

After arming myself with the knowledge and tips from these authors, I know that it isn’t just possible to eat well on a budget, it’s deliciously possible.

First, a few all-important facts:

You and your family won’t gain weight if you each eat about 2,000 calories a day per adult.
You don’t need to purchase more food than your target number of calories for the week.
You won’t be wasting food or letting it rot in the refrigerator. If it rots because no one eats it, be wary if you consider purchasing that food in the future.

Throughout the book, the authors provide a lot of what I call “Roadblocks” – thoughts and circumstances that lead us to choose poorly while at the supermarket or restaurant. They offer ways around, or through, these roadblocks. There are also great tips on saving money, staying on a budget, eating healthier foods, and making each calorie count.

There are also a lot of wonderful recipes… we’ll get to them in a minute!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well on a Budget has 21 chapters in all and is over 300 pages in length. I suppose you’d expect authors who are so budget conscious to give their readers even more than they paid for. I’m very grateful and you will be as well.

A Few of the Chapters From Eating Well on a Budget

The Best Nutrition at the Best Price

The Budget

Food and Menu Planning

Eating Out on a Budget

The Shopping List

More Ways to Save on Food

Breakfasts

Beef and Pork Main Dishes

Desserts

The next time you dine out at a sit-down restaurant, notice the price of coffee, tea, and a glass of wine. They’re probably higher than you thought. You may choose not to order them again. – - Page 18, Eating Well on a Budget

I was really glad to see that the authors covered all aspects of dining – at home as well as in restaurants. They’ve included great tips on saving money each and every time we place a bite or drink into our mouths.

Chapter 2 includes a clear, perfectly laid-out plan for starting to budget. They tell you the tools you’ll need (receipts, notebook, calculator) to become a budgeting whiz and how you’ll need to go about the process.

Food Preparation is covered in Chapter 5 and includes…

Cooking to save money
Preparing in quantity, eating in moderation
Making delicious use of leftovers
Keeping prepared foods on hand

Here’s one of the great tips (“Kitchen Wise“) from this chapter: Keep sandwich fillings on hand for quick meals on the run. You’ll need bread, mayonnaise or mustard, and fillings, such as cheese, sliced meats, tuna, or peanut butter. Add an apple or other piece of fruit, and you have a balanced meal.

Some of the Remarkable Recipes in Eating Well on a Budget

The recipes the authors have chosen sound delicious! What’s more, they’ve included dietary information, cooking time, prep time, serving size, and “Tasty Tidbits.” Again, giving the reader far more than he or she expected.

A few of my favorite recipes from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well on a Budget are:

Hummus
White Chili
Creamy Clam Chowder
Nine Vegetable Soup
Grown Up Peanut Butter and Jelly (YUM!)
Baked French Toast with Honey Walnut Syrup
Chile Egg Puff
Savory Spinach and Bacon Bake
Zesty Breakfast Burritos
Just Right Cheese Omelet (made with Monterey Jack Cheese!)
Hawaiian Ham Rollups
Egg Salad with Red Pepper and Walnuts
Ham and White Bean Soup
Red Chili
Quick Beef Fajitas
Lemon Pecan Stuffed Chicken
Herbed Salmon Cakes
Lasagna with Meat and Cheese
Fruit Glazed Carrots
Raspberry Banana Bread
Slow-Cooked Pudding and Fruit Cake
Cookies Flavored with Tea
Pear Cobbler
Buttermilk Corn Bread
Cheese Grits Casserole
Many, Many more!

Since we’re all thinking about Easter meals and Easter recipes, I thought I’d include the Fruit-Glazed Carrots recipe in the review. Save this one (better yet, print it out) for your Easter meal. There’s also a great recipe for Mustard-Glazed Ham in the book. Order today and you’ll be set long before Easter gets here!

Fruit-Glazed Carrots Recipe

Page 246, Eating Well on a Budget

4 cups sliced carrots
2 TBS water
2 TBS fruit jam or jelly – peach, strawberry, or apricot
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 TBS olive oil
dash salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place carrots in a microwave-safe bowl with water. Cover and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Drain well. Add jam, vinegar, and olive oil. Mix gently.

Transfer carrots to a lightly oiled 8×8x2 or 9×9x2 inch baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes. Serve hot or chill 20 minutes before serving.

Variation: Try orange marmalade or chutney to intensify the flavor of the carrots. For a spicy taste, substitute 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce for the vinegar.

Kitchen Wise: The sauce for these carrots tastes great on other vegetables as well, such as broccoli, snap peas, and spinach. You can also serve the sauce on the side for dipping. – Page 246, Eating Well on a Budget

Hmmmmm, I just happened to think of another way to use this sauce. Have you ever made homemade fried jalapenos? This sauce (particularly if you use Red Plum or a berry-based jelly) would be outstanding to dip fried jalapenos in.

Do yourself, your family, and your budget a huge favor and head over to Amazon right now to order this wonderful book. I wouldn’t recommend it to you if I didn’t know 100 percent that you’ll love it as much as I do. Here’s the link to healthier eating and a happier budget: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Well on a Budget

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Eating Well on a Budget? For Reals?

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Post tags: carrots recipe, cookbook review, Easter Recipes, eating healthy

Chipotle Corn Chowder Recipe from Dave Lieberman

Joi — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:24:38 +0000

March is popular month for many reasons. As a sports fan, I associate it with March Madness (Go UK!) and pre-season baseball. Those of us who are nature lovers, associate it with the return of robins and other favorite birds and the blooming of beautiful flowers, plants, and trees. But March has more up her sleeve than all of this. Did you know that March is also National Nutrition Month?!

Who knew? Quite the over-achiever Miss March.

Your family will love this chock-full-o-veggies chowder recipe from Dave Lieberman, campaign spokesperson for Del Monte “Value without Sacrifice” and Chef and Author of The 10 Things You Need to Eat: And More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Ways to Prepare Them.

Tip from Dave: Just because you’re cooking doesn’t mean you have to slave in the kitchen. There are simple things you can do to create delicious, memorable meals that don’t require a lot of time or money. My biggest tip this year is for budget-conscious consumers to stock up on pantry staples to supplement fresh or frozen items.

And with nutrients such as fiber and vitamin C, Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn is a staple item that everyone should have in their pantry!

Chipotle Corn Chowder Recipe

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
Flesh from a 3-to-4 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart reduced-sodium College Inn® Chicken Broth
1 can Del Monte® 50% Less Salt Whole Kernel Corn, drained (Dave’s pick for a lot more quality and nutritional value, without sacrificing taste)
2 chipotle peppers, roughly chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 thyme sprigs
to taste salt
to taste black pepper, freshly ground
1 small bunch cilantro, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped

Directions:

Heat the butter or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and/or squash and onion and cook 5 minutes.
Add the flour and stir into the onion and pumpkin. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring all the while. Add the corn, chipotle peppers, cream, and thyme and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin/squash is fork tender but not falling apart.
Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in most of the cilantro leaves, reserving some for garnish.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro leaves.

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Chipotle Corn Chowder Recipe from Dave Lieberman

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Asparagus Soup

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Post tags: Cookbooks, Dave Lieberman, healthy meals

Delicious Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Joi — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:20:02 +0000

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Yesterday I made a gorgeous Red Velvet Cake – to celebrate baseball getting back into swing. Sure, it’s pre-season but that’s enough for any baseball fanatic worth his or her salted peanuts to get excited about. Since my family is ALL about the St. Louis Cardinals, the dessert obviously had to be red and white.

Naturally, I went with a homemade Cream Cheese Frosting for my Red Velvet Cake. The Duncan Hines Cream Cheese frosting isn’t bad (at all, in fact), but there’s just something extra special about homemade Cream Cheese frosting. I switched up my favorite recipe a little this time because I was feeling it and I loved the results. I believe it was better than ever this time.

Here’s the recipe. Take note that this is for a huge Red Velvet Cake, so you might want to half the recipe. Then again, it’s so delicious, you might want more than you actually need!

Outstanding Cream Cheese Frosting

2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese)
1 stick margarine
4 teaspoons half and half (use a little more if you want it creamier)
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 – 8 cups powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese, stick of margarine, half and half, and vanilla in a large bowl on low until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and blend until it’s has a glorious spreadable consistency.

After I frosted the cake, I covered the top with chopped walnuts and it was almost too beautiful to cut into. Almost.

I always make a little extra frosting than I’ll need for one reason and that reason is a beautiful girl named Brittany. My dear, lovely daughter wasn’t born with “a” sweet tooth – every single one in her head is a sweet tooth. She has her own little system for serving herself a piece of cake as a result. She inserts the cake knife, cuts out her piece of cake… then at the last minute, returns to the cake for an extra helping of icing. This, of course, leaves exposed parts of the cake, so I’ve learned to keep extra frosting on hand in the refrigerator for patching up what has become known as “Brittany’s Barrens.”

Sometimes I use the leftover frosting to frost cookies. My resident cookie monsters love that. It’s also wonderful on store-bought muffins.

This morning, I was in the process of making some of those remarkable Pillsbury Toaster Strudels (the Strawberry and Cream Cheese variety) when I got a yummy idea. Instead of using the little packet of icing, I broke out my Cream Cheese frosting and… voila!…. something Heavenly was even more so.

This is a truly delicious frosting and makes cakes, cupcakes, and cookies better than they have a right to be.

The Pillsbury Dough Boy would squeal with delight for this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe on his Pillsbury Toaster Strudels!

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Delicious Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

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Coca-Cola Collectors: A Kitchen Collection

Joi — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:28:37 +0000

Coca-Cola, more than just about any logo or brand you can think of, symbolizes true Americana. That’s why (along with the upbeat attitude and great taste) so many people are drawn to Coca-Cola collector’s items. My mom collected Coca-Cola metal trays, bottles, and a whole host of other products and when she suddenly and unexpectedly decided to move on to Heaven, I gave all of her beloved Coca-Cola products a place to call home.

I’ve fallen in love with the logo and collector’s items, myself, and now consider myself a collector of all things Coca-Cola. I think it’s a great image, a great logo, and a big, beautiful slice of American history.

What’s not to love about that?

Red ‘Enjoy’ Pot Holder

Good with Food Replica Metal Coca-Cola Sign

Sign Of Good Taste Placemat

Retro Coke Napkin Dispenser

Click through any of the links for LOTS more. You’ll find vintage metal signs, tumblers, towels, and things you never even thought of. The website also features Sprite, Diet Coke (a personal favorite!) and Fanta.

By the way, speaking of Coca-Cola, have you ever tried Coke Zero? In my opinion, it tastes just like regular Coca-Cola… fantastic! For some reason (probably has a lot to do with baseball games and picnics), Coke tastes like summer to me. A hot dog and an ice cold Coca-Cola… it’s always the right time for that combination.

For a great Coca-Cola Cake Recipe, click the link!

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Coca-Cola Collectors: A Kitchen Collection

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Coca-Cola Cake: A Fun and Delicious Recipe!

Joi — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:27:07 +0000

Coca-Cola Bathing Beauty Replica Metal Sign

Cocoa-Cola Cake Recipe

STEP 1
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter
1 cup Coca-Cola
3 Tbs cocoa

Mix the sugar and flour in a large bowl. Combine the oil, butter, Coca-Cola and cocoa and add to the dry ingredients.

STEP 2
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk

Add and mix well.

STEP 3
1-1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Fold the marshmallows into the delicious mixture and bake in a greased and dusted with cocoa 9×13 inch pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

STEP 4
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbs cocoa
5 Tbs Coca-Cola

Bring to a boil.

STEP 5
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add to the boiled cocoa and Coca-Cola. Combine and pour over the hot cake. Delicious!

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Coca-Cola Cake: A Fun and Delicious Recipe!

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The Easiest Broccoli Casserole Recipe Ever

Joi — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:34:57 +0000

Buy at AllPosters.com

Fast and Easy Broccoli Casserole

2 (10 oz) packages chopped broccoli
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese
1/2 stick margarine

TOPPING:
1/2 stick margarine
25 Ritz crackers

Cook broccoli according to the directions on the package. In microwave, melt margarine and cheese together. Mix with broccoli. Pour into a greased casserole dish.

Mix together TOPPING ingredients and pour over broccoli mixture. Cook at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Could it possibly get any easier than that?!

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The Easiest Broccoli Casserole Recipe Ever

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Make Starbucks Drinks at Home

Joi — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:54:50 +0000

I’m a Starbucks fanatic and a green tea addict – so it’s only logical that I’d be a Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino fanaddict. When the weather’s cold, I almost always go with Chai Tea Lattes, Skinny Caramel or Mocha Lattes, or hot tea – but when the weather begins to warm up, they know what I’m there for.

My youngest daughter, Stephany, and I are completely hooked on the Green Tea Frappuccinos made with whipped topping on top and drizzled with raspberry syrup. Some people like the syrup mixed in with the green tea, itself – but it’s much prettier and much tastier if they just drizzle some on top. We both threw ourselves into one yesterday while out enjoying every single digit of the 49 degrees. That may not sound too warm, but it is when your weather’s been in the 20’s longer than my aunt was. She outsmarts the rest of us. She spends about 20 years in each decade.

While driving along slurpping, ooohing, and ahhhing, I thought how outstanding Starbucks Raspberry Syrup would be on smoothies, ice cream, pound cake, white cake with white icing, cool whip covering strawberries or hot green tea, my hand… This stuff is that good.

I jumped online and found that you can order some of your very own. In fact, you can order any of their remarkable syrups and get all kinds of remarkable in your kitchen. Think about the possibilities with each of these:

Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup

Starbucks Caramel Syrup

Starbucks Hazelnut Syrup

Starbucks Vanilla Syrup

Click through any of the flavors listed for more information – there are also Sugar Free versions available. My mind just doesn’t spend much time with the words sugar free. Sometimes when I’m huffing and puffing on the treadmill I wish it did. But, there you have it.

I’d recommend each one of these perfect syrups for flavoring coffee and/or using in the seductive manners I described. Whatever you do, you MUST grab a bottle of the Starbucks Raspberry Syrup and a bottle of the Starbucks Caramel Syrup.

You can have a lot of success making Starbucks-like drinks at home, but having great coffee, great tea bags, and these flavored syrups are essential. And delicious!

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Make Starbucks Drinks at Home

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If You Vote For Me, I Promise More Chocolate Posts

Joi — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:20:31 +0000

Sweet! Get Cooking has been nominated in Saveur’s 1st Annual Best Food Blog Awards - in the Best Kitchen Tools and Hardware Coverage category. It would mean a lot to me to win the category, so, if you could (pretty please with chocolate on top) do me a favor and vote for Get Cooking I’d be ever so grateful. And as my campaign promise states in my title, I’ll feature more chocolate desserts on the blog.

And my plate.

When you click the link below, you’ll go to Saveur’s beautiful website. I’ll link you straight to the Blog Awards Page. When you’re on their site, look on the right to find the category “Best Kitchen Tools and Hardware Coverage.”

After registering – which takes less than 1 minute – find your way back to the right category and click the little white button in front of “Buttermilk Press” under the Get Cooking image. Here’s the link: Saveur’s Food Blog Awards

Yay! You will have done your part to make my day…. actually you already did that simply by being here. True, that.

Thank you!

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If You Vote For Me, I Promise More Chocolate Posts

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