Category Archives: Cook

by | March 12, 2010 · 10:41 am

Oatmeal Cherry Bars

Towards the end of my pregnancy, I found myself with quite a sweet tooth. To attempt to curb that sweet tooth and stay (somewhat) healthy in the meantime, I made these oatmeal cherry bars which work great as  dessert or even better as a breakfast bar!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 C. old-fashioned rolled oats – finely grounded in a food processor
  • 1/4 C. whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 C. old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 2 C. light brown sugar 
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 C. of walnuts
  • 1 C. dried cherries
  • non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Stir together ground oats, flour, 1 cup of whole oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a large bowl. Set aside. 

Beat brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add oat mixture. Mix until combined. Mix in walnuts and cherries. 

Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Spread batter evenly across the pan. Scatter remaining oats across the top. Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. 

You can also substitute dried cherries for dried cranberries, dates or even chocolate chips!

Happy eating!

2 Comments

Filed under Breakfast, Cook, Treats

Tagged as ,

by | March 10, 2010 · 7:44 am

Red and Gold Oscar Party

I love being a hostess and can always seem to find an excuse to throw a party.  This year I decided to host an Oscar party for some of my girl friends.  We ate, drank, filled out our ballots and, most importantly, took in the fashion!

The invitations were made to look like Oscar envelopes.

The girls were greeted with ballots to fill out before the Oscars started.

We snacked on a spread of food that was all made using Wildtree products.

For Dessert, we ate red velvet cake iced with cream cheese frosting and topped with the hollywood sign!

Popcorn and movie theater candy were also available for guests to snack on.

What will be your next excuse to throw a party?

4 Comments

Filed under Entertain, Treats

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | March 8, 2010 · 9:19 am

Cupcakes On Demand!

I’ve received several requests for the recipes for some of the cupcakes I’ve featured lately so today I thought I’d share them! The Vanilla Bean & Chai Cupcake recipe is from the Lions, Tigers & Bears, Oh My baby shower and the Baby Got Bock Cupcake is the recipe I created for the Iron Cupcake: Beer competition. Baby Got Bock is a chocolate cake made with home-brewed dopplebock beer, caramel cream frosting and Heath bits – unfortunately I don’t have a real picture – so use your imaginations 🙂

Vanilla Bean and Chai Cupcake

Vanilla Bean & Chai Cupcakes
Chai Cupcakes
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C self-rising flour
1 C butter, room temp
2 C sugar
4 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C milk (not skim)
2/3 C chai concentrate
1 1/2 Tbsp chai spice powder OR approx. 1/2 tsp each: cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, ginger, cardamom

Vanilla Bean Frosting
2 sticks butter, room temp
6-8 C powdered sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 vanilla beans
splash half & half

Sugar Cookie Leaves
1/2 tube frozen sugar cookie dough
3 C powdered sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 egg white, room temp
food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and beat in vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine flours with a whisk and in a large measuring cup combine chai and milk.  Alternately work in about 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the liquid, beating well after each addition. Repeat until all ingredients are beaten in. Beat in chai powder or spices and adjust with additional spice as needed to taste.  Batter should be both sweet and slightly spicy. Pour batter into standard muffin tins, approximately 3/4 full and bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool completely.

For frosting, beat butter until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time, adding vanilla and half & half slowly for moisture to achieve desired consistency. Frosting should be thick and creamy. Slit vanilla beans length-wise and use a knife to scrape out the inside and seeds, adding to frosting. Beat well and pipe onto cupcakes.

Use a leaf cookie cutter (or a small circle and pinch the ends to form leaves) on rolled out sugar cookie dough. Bake 5-7 minutes. In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Use a whisk to whip in powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add green food coloring and frost cooled cookies. Frosting hardens quickly so work fast!

Chocolate Dopplebock Beer Cupcakes

“Baby Got Bock” Chocolate Caramel Beer Cupcakes
3/4 C cocoa powder
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 C flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1 C dopplebock beer (stout or porter works too)
1 stick butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 C sour cream

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg cream cheese, room temp
1 stick butter, room temp
3 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
splash half & half
1/2 jar caramel ice cream topping
Heath bits

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and beat in vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Alternately work in about 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the beer, beating well after each addition. Repeat until all ingredients are beaten in. Pour batter into standard muffin tins, approximately 3/4 full and bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool completely.

For frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time, adding vanilla and half & half slowly. Beat in caramel and pipe onto cupcakes. Top with Heath bits.

Cupcake Tips:
Over time I’ve found that there are a few things I didn’t believe would make a difference but they do:
1. Mixing your dry and wet ingredients separately is worth the extra effort.  You get a better batter consistency and more even flavor.
2. Overbaking is the fastest way to kill your cupcakes. When in doubt, always set a timer for a little less time than the recipe calls for and test with a toothpick. You may have to monitor them for the next few minutes on your first batch but you’ll be able to pull them right away when the toothpick comes clean. Even a few extra minutes can dry them out.
3. Make sure your butter and cream cheese are both at room temp before you make cream cheese frosting. If you try to melt your butter (or something else) and beat it into cool cream cheese, it will get clumpy and gross.
4. Let your cupcakes cool completely before you frost. I’m talking a few hours or even over night. Otherwise you risk crumbly cake, melty frosting and a lot of frustration.

5 Comments

Filed under Treats

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | March 1, 2010 · 3:40 pm

Guest Blog: Meal Planning 101

We are over at Allstate’s Good Hands Community blog again today, sharing our money saving tips on how to plan out your meals for the week. Taking a little bit of time to plan before heading out to the grocery store will keep your wallet thick and your waste thin! 

Check out the GHC article today!

1 Comment

Filed under Cook

Tagged as

by | February 12, 2010 · 8:59 am

Valentine’s Day Breakfast in Bed

This may make me sound like the anti-woman, but Valentine’s Day has never been a big deal  to me. I do however, like to try to find some time to do something special to spend extra time with my man.

Tom works extremely long, hard hours all year-round, so for this Valentine’s Day, I decided to treat him to a little breakfast in bed – or perhaps – breakfast on the couch while watching SportsCenter. With a few cheap (and reusable!) touches from Target, I’ve put together a delectable Cinnamon French Toast with Cranberry Orange Chutney.

Ingredients (for 2):

  • 4 thick slices of brioche*
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 TBSP cinnamon
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • 2 C fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 TBSP orange zest
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

For Cranberry Orange Chutney:

In a medium sauce plan, mix cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, 1 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

For the Cinnamon French Toast:

Preheat griddle. Whisk eggs and milk together in shallow bowl. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Soak each piece of bread for 15 seconds on each side. Spray griddle (set at medium-high) with non-stick cooking spray. Place the bread on the griddle and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown (time will vary based on the type and temperature of your griddle).

Place french toast on a plate and top it with a spoonful of chutney. Don’t overdo the chutney, you do not want to take away the flavor of the french toast. Or, if you don’t like the taste of cranberries, simply serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and some warm maple syrup. This dish tastes great with an Orange Strawberry Banana Smoothie or a homemade latte.

*A note on bread:  I usually make french toast with whatever bread I have around the house. But if you are looking for the diner taste, go with a loaf of brioche. I picked mine up at Breadsmith. You can also go for challah or a country loaf cut into thick slices. The thicker and denser the bread, the better it soaks up all the good stuff and creates a moist and savory french toast!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

4 Comments

Filed under Breakfast, Cook, Holidays

Tagged as , , ,

by | February 10, 2010 · 8:18 am

Molten Chocolate Cake

A couple years ago, my husband and I went on cruise with some friends and discovered something called Molten Chocolate Cake.  We ate it every day for a week, sometimes requesting seconds.   It is a moist, souffle-like cake that is served in a ramekin.  When you put your spoon into the cake, the center is warm, gooey and all chocolate.

I had spent the past 3 years trying to find a recipe for this delicious cake and am happy to say that I have finally found one that rivals  the cake we had on the cruise.   I think it is the perfect treat to share with your special someone on valentines day.  It is rich, chocolaty and oh so good.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients for Cake Centers:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream

Ingredients for Cake:
Nonstick cooking spray
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
2 whole large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cake flour

Directions for centers:
Melt chocolate and cream together in double boiler and mix together until well combined. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until firm. Then, scoop out the chocolate and form it into 6 equal sized balls and refrigerate until needed.

Directions for cakes:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray six 4-5 ounce ramekins with cooking spray.

Melt chocolate and butter together in double boiler until well blended.  Using an electric mixer, mix eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla extract on high speed for about 5 minutes or until thick and light.

Fold the melted chocolate mixture and flour into the egg mixture until just combined and divide batter evenly into greased ramekins.  Then, place a chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin.

Bake about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Top with powdered sugar or berries and whipped cream.

One bite and you will be in chocolate heaven!

2 Comments

Filed under Cook, Treats

Tagged as ,

by | February 8, 2010 · 9:28 am

Valentine’s Date Night In

I like a night on the town as much as the next girl but sometimes a Valentine’s Day filled with crowded restaurants and overpriced menus feels like more of a hassle than it’s worth.  When we don’t feel like dealing with all the hoopla, my husband and I splurge on quality ingredients and have a special, low-key date at home.

For half the price, you can easily make a steakhouse caliber meal that’s perfect for an intimate dinner with your beloved, an impressive surprise for your date or a swanky treat for your girlfriends.

Peppered Steak with Port Wine Sauce

Grilled Peppered Steak with Port Wine Sauce
Beef Tenderloin or New York Strip steaks*
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil
1/2 C + port wine
1/2 C beef broth
1/4 C half & half
1/4 C onion, minced
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter

* I used elk tenderloin, which I know most people don’t have just hanging around.  But if you happen to have wild game available, venison and elk steaks are tasty, organic and free!

For the sauce, add diced onions and butter to a medium sauce pan. Cook until onions begin to soften and dust with flour, stirring out all flour lumps. Add port wine and whisk smooth. Cook for 5-10 minutes, allowing wine to reduce. Stir in beef broth and mustard and continue to reduce. Season with salt & pepper. Add half and half and whisk well. Turn heat down to low and continue reducing until your steak and potatoes are done.

Drizzle steaks very lightly with olive oil and salt both sides.  Liberally pepper all sides of each steak so that you will achieve a peppery crust. Turn on your grill to high heat – between 400 and 500 degrees. Put steaks directly on the heat and cook for approx. 3-4 minutes on each side for a steak between 1-1  1/2 inch thick. This will vary depending on the thickness of your steak. Cook until medium rare or when the steak just begins to firm up if you push on it.

Garlic Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Confession: This recipe came about because I grabbed red salad potatoes at the store with plans of making Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  I’ve used red potatoes before in mashed potatoes but the variety I grabbed was designed for salads and turned gummy when I mashed them.  In attempt to salvage them, I added a few ingredients that my mom uses during the holidays and baked them. Side dish saved…however, go with baking or Yukon potatoes and you’ll have better results with consistency 🙂

Garlic Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs baking potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Tbsp butter
splash half & half
1/4 C low fat sour cream
1/2 C cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
salt, pepper

Preheat the over to 400. Fill a large pot with water. Salt water and add potato chunks. Bring to a boil and cook over med-high heat until potatoes are soft, about 25-30 min. Drain water from potatoes using a colander and put them back into the pot. Cut butter in to chunks and use a hand mixer to beat potatoes until creamy, slowly adding half and half until you achieve the right texture. Potatoes should be creamy and fluffy but not runny. Beat in garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sour cream.

Transfer potatoes to a baking dish and top with cheese. Sprinkle paprika and more salt and pepper over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and slight crisped.

Pair with: a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or a peppy Shiraz for wine or a robust porter or stout such as Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter or Founder’s Breakfast Stout for beer

Check back later this week for more Valentine’s Day ideas!

5 Comments

Filed under Cook, Holidays, Main Dish

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | February 4, 2010 · 9:15 am

Guest Blog: Easy, Affordable Entertaining

Today we’re over at the Allstate Goodhands Community doing another guest blog. With the economy what it is, many of us are giving up the little luxuries like going out to dinner.  Today Katie shares an affordable meal that’s perfect for entertaining friends or having a date night in.  Stuffed Chicken with Balsamic Reduction is a go-to recipe when you want to serve something that looks fancy but is deceptively easy to make.

Visit the GHC website to read more and get the recipe!  Plus last day to comment on the Christine Tavares pottery giveaway!

Stuffed Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertain, Main Dish

Tagged as , , , ,

by | February 3, 2010 · 8:14 am

Goat Cheese, Apple and Pine Nut Pizza

I love experimenting in the kitchen. Some of my favorite recipes happen by accident when I am forced to substitute ingredients because I have run out of something. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but each time I learn something new and have even created a few favorite recipes.

One really easy way to experiment with flavors in your kitchen is to make homemade pizza. I always try to have pizza crust on hand because whenever my refrigerator and pantry shelves are empty, I can still come up with enough ingredients to make a pizza.

That is actually how I created this recipe. The combination of toppings may sound bizarre, but one bite and you realize it really is divine!

Goat Cheese, Apple and Pine Nut Pizza

1 apple, very thinly sliced
goat cheese
handful of pine nuts
about ½ cup mozzarella cheese
1 prebaked pizza crust
olive oil

Preheat your oven to450 degrees.

Take your pizza crust and lightly brush it with olive oil. Top with a very thin layer of mozzarella cheese, followed by desired amount of goat cheese, apple slices and pine nuts. Drizzle with olive oil and top with any dried herbs you may have on hand, I used marjoram and thyme.

Place directly on oven rack and bake for 8-10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Enjoy!

9 Comments

Filed under Cook, Main Dish, Quick & Easy

Tagged as , , ,

by | February 2, 2010 · 9:10 am

Budget Barista: Make Your Own Latte

Trying to kick your pricey Starbucks habit but not willing to give up your daily coffee fix? Over the holidays, I watched my aunt, Synara, make her own easy, cheap “lattes” – without an espresso maker or a fancy, expensive cappucino machine. Her secret weapon is just a simple, $12 tool: a frother!

Bodum Schiuma milk frother

I tracked down a Bodum Schiuma frother at Target on sale for $6 but even at full price, you can make hundreds of drinks for less that what you’d pay for a few stops at your favorite coffee shop and they taste just as good. Now I know the purists out there will say this isn’t really a latte because by true coffee standards, it isn’t.  However, it’s still a great way to satisfy your cravings without breaking the bank!

How to make a latte

“Faux” Latte for One
1/2 mug milk
4-5 scoops ground coffee (stronger varieties, like a French Roast, work best)
approx 2 C water
optional: 1/2 – 1 Tbsp flavored creamer or honey

Make coffee using your standard coffee maker, only double the ratio of coffee beans to water to make the coffee extra strong. Pour milk into a large, microwave-safe coffee mug. Add creamer or honey, if you are using it.  Microwave milk for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stick frother into milk and froth until milk is foamy. Microwave for another 30 seconds.

Pour brewed coffee into mug by tilting the mug slightly and pouring coffee along the inside of the glass, as you would a beer.  This allows you to avoid ruining your foam.  Simply clean off your frother with a little soap and water and enjoy!

6 Comments

Filed under Drinks, Fab Finds

Tagged as , , ,