Still Here

Hey everyone! I apologize for not keeping up with the blog. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer or whatever season it is where you are. 

Things have been a wee bit on the crazy side here. My son has been having a few health issues... but thank God he's doing better now. Thought I'd check in and see how you guys are and post a few pictures of what I've been up to since my last entry around Easter. Enjoy!

Baked Penne

Tomato and Olive Bruschetta

Blueberry Muffins

Pancetta, Kale, and Pan-Fried Potatoes

Sautéed Chicken with Carrots and Onions

Ree Drummond's Homemade Flour Tortillas

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandies

Mexican Breakfast Bites with Ree's Flour Tortillas

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandies Over Ice Cream

Semi-sweet Chocolate Bread Pudding

Nigella's Chocolate Mousse with Peanut Butter Sandies Crust

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Easter Ham

Hawaiian Pizza

Teenage Mutant Ninja Dough - a happy accident!

Two great tastes that taste great together (ahh... childhood flavor memory -- yes, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups as well!).

Morning Latte

Peanut Butter and Grape Jam - ha ha ha! 

St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef Casserole

Mini Pizzas

Mini Pizzas

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk

Ham and Cheese with Baby Spinach and Trader Joe's Corn Chips  - hee!

Ideas for a lovely Easter brunch

Biscuits

Home Fries

Bacon, Home Fries, and Biscuit

Waffles (I use a VillaWare waffle iron.)

Waffles and Syrup

Strawberry Shortcake

Chocolate Wafer Dessert

New Oven!

Happy, happy, joy, joy! 

My old Hamilton Beach Countertop Oven was in pretty bad shape. I used to have to use a flashlight to see inside and at times do the forbidden... open the oven to take a peek. Actually, the oven itself still worked (after 5 plus years). It was the cord that was about to go. The plug area was corroded and I was beginning to feel like it was a hazard. So, out it went! 

Goodbye oven, you served me well! 

The other day I was very fortunate to find a newer version of the same brand of countertop oven for only $40... such a deal! It was the last one on the shelf and perhaps that was why it was so cheap. Yippee! 

So without hesitation, I immediately fired it up and experimented by baking up a batch of these light and fluffy breakfast goodies. 

Note: If you happen to purchase a Hamilton Beach Countertop Oven, too, it's a good idea to make sure to run it at the highest temperature for one hour. It's also a good idea to have the windows open and have a fan on as well. The factory sealant will burn off and your creations won't be ruined. After that initial procedure, you're ready for culinary paradise. 

Breakfast Blondies

2 cups 365 brand High Fiber Morning O's (or your favorite bran cereal)

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup Extra Light Olive Oil (I use Philipo Berrio) 

1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter (or switch out with your favorite nut butter)

1 tsp salt, 

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/3 cups A.P. flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a food processor or blender, whiz cereal until it resembles coarse flour. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add buttermilk. Let soak for 15 minutes. Add olive oil, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and peanut butter. Mix well.

Add in salt, baking soda and flour, chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in all ingredients just until flour is absorbed. Batter will be thick. Do not over mix. 

Pour into baking pan lined with parchment paper (it forms a sling for easier removal  after cooking).

Spread and smooth out with an offset spatula. Trim parchment if it is too high around edges. 

Bake for 40 minutes or until light golden brown. Try not to over bake. 

Cool 10 minutes and then carefully lift up parchment paper and slide onto cooling rack. Cut into squares and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in airtight container. Enjoy! 

Lambsagna?

Lambsagna?

Yes, lambsagna. LOL. It's a word my husband made up when I served him lasagna prepared with ground lamb instead of ground beef. Honestly, it was a truly flavorful dish very similar to the lasagna roll-ups only in casserole form. What you'll need is:

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. package of lasagna noodles (cooked, drained and cooled)

2 lbs. sauteed ground lamb

1 lb. ricotta and 1 egg (mixed together with pinch of salt and pepper)

bread crumbs

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I adore Locatelli brand)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups baby spinach (toss into sauteed lamb -- spinach leaves will wilt)

olive oil

2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 cup tomato sauce thinned with a few splashes of water (to keep sauce from burning). 

Arrange a layer of pre-boiled noodles. Top first layer of noodles with sauteed ground lamb/spinach mixture. Sprinkle on 1/2 of bread crumbs, and top with a sprinkling of grated Locatelli. 

Next, arrange a second layer of cooked noodles, top with ricotta, egg, salt and pepper mixture. Smooth with a spatula and then sprinkle with 1/2 the mozz cheese.

Place a third layer of prepared noodles and top with remaining sauteed lamb/spinach mixture, bread crumbs, and more of the grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Place the forth and final layer of pasta into casserole and cover completely with remaining sauce, mozzarella and grated Peccorino Romano cheeses. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and cover with foil sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake for 1 hour. During the last 10 minutes of cooking time, remove foil and let cheese bubble and brown. Serve piping hot with crusty bread and a tossed salad. Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Brownies

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 

Today for Valentine's Day, my son thought he'd bring his grandmother a special treat along with a homemade card. To say the least, she enjoyed it very much. These brownies are super easy and taste so much better then the typical boxed brownie mix. Bake up a batch today for your family or special someone. :)

Valentine's Day Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 eggs lightly beaten 

1 cup brown sugar packed

1 1/4 cup extra light tasting olive oil (Filippo Berio is a nice brand)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. vinegar

In a large bowl, mix above ingredients until well combined. 

Add: 

1 1/2 cup all purpose white flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder

1tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Combine just until absorbed. Be careful not to over mix. Keep in mind batter will be very thick.

Prepare a heart shaped tin generously with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop even amounts of batter into each heart. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into batter comes out almost clean. Do not over bake. Makes 6.

Enjoy!

Happy 2014 Everyone!

Hope you all had an awesome holiday season! We had a fantastic Christmas and New Years! 

I dedicate this to Steven Long Mitchell whose encouraging tweet made this entry possible. I was losing motivation to keep up the blog until his tweet. One never knows how much a little encouragement can do for someone. 

You see, the television show The Pretender has been a huge part of our lives over the years. We actually visited The Centre for summer vacation 2002. So, thanks Steven! 

It's been a while since my last blog entry, so I've decided to upload some photos to check out from the last couple of months. Enjoy!