Drinks: Mulled Cider Spritzers

I saw these on a segment of Studio 5 and new I needed to try them for a party. It was a hit. The smell is also an added bonus! :) For the segment and all the variations of the recipes, you can check it out here. I did alter my drinks (slightly) and wanted to make a few suggestions on some of the ingredient locations) so I shall give you my details.

{ingredients}
2 c. apple cider
2 c. Cran, Blue Blackberry juice (there were lots of options of cranberry juices at the store. I chose to go with the same one she used. But I would love to try the Cran-pomegranate... I think it will taste lovely)
2 Cinnamon Sticks, crushed (break it in half and smash it with the side of your knife... hard)
2 slices fresh orange peel slices, diced (small)
1 tsp. Whole Allspice
4-5 whole cloves
1/4 tsp. crystallized ginger pieces (I found some in the bulk section at the whole foods store. I got a couple of pieces for pennies and diced them up myself. It beats buying the expensive bottle.)
1/4 tsp. dried lemon peel (I bought a lemon, prepared to leave the peel out overnight, but found a bottle of it. I don't know if it makes much of a difference, but it was more difficult to track down.)
Ginger Ale (or Club Soda. I did use Ginger Ale)

{directions}
Place spices, ginger, and lemon peel into a muslin tea bag (you can purchase reusable muslin tea bags at a whole foods store).

In a medium saucepan, heat apple cider, berry juice, and tea bag to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Refrigerate until ready to use. (The juice comes in the perfect amount to double the recipe. It goes a rather long way though...)

To serve, place crushed ice into glasses. Add a splash of ginger ale. Pour cooled cider over the top. Lightly stir and garnish.

Makes 4 servings (though I would say, People like to sip cider so they can taste all the flavor, so I noticed that it makes more than that. Another tip is to use smaller glasses, it will last a little longer.)

No Bake Nutella Cheesecakes

I did some looking around Pinterest and found some absolutely delicious ideas for desserts for my Witches' Tea Party. Ultimately, I did not find exactly what I was looking for. So I pulled from an idea here and there and came up with a simple, yet rich and decadent dessert. Then I added some fun... accessories...

No Bake Nutella Cheesecakes
makes 6-8 personal servings

{ingredients}
crust:
3/4 c. Oreos, crushed
1 1/2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
3-4 Tbsp Butter, melted

Cheesecake
1 pkg cream cheese (softened)
2/3 c. Nutella
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2-1 c. Whipped cream

{directions}

Mix together cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar. Divide evenly in small containers (small jars work, I used these adorable mini cups I found.) Press firmly. Set aside. (For a whole cheesecake, you can double the crust recipe and put in in a spring form or regular sized pan.)

Beat cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Add vanilla. With a spatula, fold in 1/2 c. whipped cream. Add more until desired consistency is reached. (you could potentially make it more of a moose texture if you wanted) I wanted cheesecake, so I didn't add a lot more than 1/2 c.

Spoon Nutella mixture on top of the crust and refrigerate before serving. (1-2 hours before or overnight works great too. These were even good the day after too...)

To serve: add some whipped cream on top and serve cold. Does life get any better than Oreos and Nutella? I submit that it does not! Enjoy!

Bat Wings: Take 2

We had a successful witches' dinner this past weekend. The food was fun and delicious and yes, I served the dreaded bat wings to my guests. They all ate them just fine. They were even complimented on how tasty they were. And I am unsure whether the plate I sent home for one of the husbands will be shared... All that said, we did eat dinner in candlelight... The moral of the story, don't be deceived by appearances...

Mom made these two years ago for our annual Halloween dinner. My husband was unable to eat them then... but he had two last night. The trick seems to be not to look at it as you eat... You can find the original recipe with our past dinner here.

The side we ate them with was a garlic cauliflower-mashed potato recipe I found in a magazine. I altered it some (as I always seem to do) and they were quite tasty.

Cauliflower- Mashed Potatoes

I have tried a few recipes that substitute some of the potatoes with cauliflower for a healthier option. I have not liked them so far...and some of them are quite involved when it comes to combine it all... but this one is really good and pretty simple. (though, I have found with any of them that they are not actually that much healthier, as you add ingredients to make them taste better...)

Sorry, the only picture I have of them is with a bat wing on top... and we only need to see those once... Just picture mashed potatoes in your mind, and you've pretty much got it down. But you can see the entire dinner here.

Cauliflower-Mashed Potatoes
makes 8 servings

{ingredients}
4 quarts water
2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, cubed. (the great thing about these potatoes is that they do not need to be peeled though you can peel them if you want a smoother texture. They also make very creamy mashed potatoes.)
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 c. butter, softened (I didn't soften my butter, just tossed it in with the steaming potatoes. It melts fast enough...)
2 (5.2 oz) packages garlic and herb cheese spread instead I used... a package of the Philadelphia's Savory Garlic Cooking Cream
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

{directions}
In a large pot, combine water and salt. Add potatoes and cauliflower. Bring to a boil over over medium-high heat. Cook 10-15 minutes, or until tender. (The smaller you cut, the faster they cook)

Drain well, and return to hot pot. Add butter, and cheese spread cooking cream. Mash with a potato masher until butter and cheese cream is melted. Season with a little salt and pepper, stirring to combine well.

I may have to try this recipe with the cheese spread, just to compare. But everyone thought they tasted great.

Humbled and Honored

I feel so honored!

The Liebster Award is for blogs that have 200 followers or less. The word “Liebster” is German for kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, valued, cute, pleasant, endearing and welcome.

The lovely Glitzy Pear, a fellow crafter and blogger nominated this humble little blog of mine as a recipient of this fun blogger award and I couldn't be more excited! Its a first for me, to be acknowledged by someone else for my little piece of cyberspace! So a big thank you to her for her thoughtfulness. You should check out her blog here, she's got some great projects! 

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

1. Each person most post 11 things about themselves.

2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, and then create 11 new questions for the people you tag with the award.

3. Chose some(5-10) bloggers (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post.

4. Go to their page and tell them about the award (social networks accepted).

5. If you have not done so already, follow the tagger and visit at least three nominees. Spread the love!

6. And remember, no tag backs!

As I can't say much for any of the other cooks who post here (Glenna and Janell mostly) I thought I would answer them for myself and accept it for all of us.

11 things about myself

1 I have two boys (1 little guy + a husband)

2 I love to craft and cook!

3 I love to plan/create parties 

4 I love to learn new things

5 My favorite thing to eat is pasta.

6 I want to learn photography.

7 Halloween is the biggest party of the year (followed closely by St. Patrick's Day).

8 My favorite color is green.

9 I want a puppy.

10 Fall is my new favorite season. Spring is hard to beat though...

11 My best friend shares the same name as me! 

Birth mother Baskets questions to me..

1. If you could meet anyone (dead or alive) who would it be?

2. What would you do if you had a free day all to yourself? 

3. Favorite place to eat out?

4. What are you most passionate about? 

5. Favorite vacation spot? 

6. What are you afraid of?

7. What would you do with a million dollars?

8. Best tip/advice you've received?

9. Who/what inspires you?

10. Something you can't live without?

11. Favorite Gummy Bear flavor?

Glitzy Pear's questions to me:

1. One spot in the world you would love to go? The Holy Land 

2. Favorite place in your house? I love spending time in the kitchen...when its not 95+ degrees...

3. Do you stop to smell the roses? I LOVE Roses. you better believe I stop to smell them!

4. Would you rather read or watch a movie? I'd love to say read... but I am lazy enough movies happen more than they should...

5. Your favorite sport team? BYU Cougars

6. If you could have anything for your house what would it be? A big, safe, fun backyard.

7. Favorite color? Lime Green! 

8.One dinner that your kids love to eat (made by you of course). My boys both love chicken roll-ups and curried chicken. 

9. Favorite day of the week- Friday or Saturday

10. What do want to drive when all the kids are grown- VW (lime green) bug,

11. Are you a neat crafter? I'd love to say "of course" but that wouldn't be totally honest... I like to be organized but there are a lot few unfinished projects sitting out more often than not...

MY Winners!
So here are my new favorite blogs and  I tell ya these ladies are amazing! Homemaking, Food, DIY, the list goes on! Go ahead and check them out and show them some love!

Be it Ever So Humble
{So Much} Jane and Eugene
Do or DIY
Little Magnolia Kitchen
A Slice of Our Life
Simple Inspiration 

Grandma's Corn and Potato Chowder

Grandma, Me, and Mom (Glenna)

In honor of the passing of such a special lady I thought it fitting to share a recipe that came from Grandma Barker. My mom made this delicious chowder for us as kids and we love it. I have made it for a few parties and I never take home extra... People always ask for the recipe.

There's nothing as comforting as a warm, creamy, potato chowder on a chilly fall or winter day. This soup is also easy to make. So without further ado,
Grandma Barker's Corn and Potato Chowder:


{ingredients}
1/4/ c. butter
4 c. potatoes- peeled and diced
2 1/4 c. water
3 sliced green onions
1 can of corn-drained

6 Tbsp. butter
6 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp dill weed (I usually just add some until its throughout the sauce... it ends up being more like a tsp. but you can be the judge)
1 tsp salt
2 c. grated cheddar cheese

{directions}
Bring 1/4 c. butter, water, potatoes and onion to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn.
Melt the 6 T. butter in another pan. Stir in flour and remove from heat. Gradually add the milk and return to heat. Stir until thick and smooth. Add seasonings.
Stir sauce into potatoes. Heat through but do not boil. Add cheese about 5 minutes before serving and stir in to melt it. Keep warm over low heat.

You can add diced ham or bacon bits if desired.

This is best served with some warm cornbread with honey butter. Just sayin'... *wink*

And here is the recipe card for you! Click on the picture and save it to your computer. Then you can print away!

Slow Cooker: Peach Cobbler

There's nothing like fresh peaches in the summer time. There's nothing quite like peach cobbler. Yum! I found a recipe for slow cooker apple crisp/cobbler online and thought I would adapt it into Peach Cobbler instead (who's complaining right?). It turned out so moist and yummy! I will have to make it again to get a picture of it because it was gone before I found my camera! The only change I would make to it now is add more peaches... there wasn't quite enough for my liking...

{ingredients}
canned, sliced peaches (I used 1 29 oz can. but next time I will use more.- though the moisture of one can was just about right.)
1 dry yellow cake mix
6 Tbsp butter - melted
ground cinnamon to taste.

{directions}
1. In a 4-5 quart slow cooker add your peaches. (just dump it in. juices and all!)
2. next you add the cake mix on top. (do not mix it in.)
3. evenly poor (or spoon on) butter over the cake mix. (again, no stirring!)
4. sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the pile**
5. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours. (Do not mess with it. Don't even lift the lid for a sniff. It lengthens the cooking time. And don't worry, after 4 hours it will look like its supposed to. Even at 3 1/2 hours it might look like it needs something. Just trust the cooker to do its job!)

Side note: you want your slow cooker to be at least 1/2 full or just over. Too much or too little will result in less-than-desired results...

**you could also stir in some cinnamon to the dry cake mix before putting the cake mix in if you want it spread through out the cake a little more evenly. But if you spread it out evenly on top, you still get the cinnamon goodness!

Now enjoy! Yum!

Rice Cooker: Swedish Meatballs & Rice

My dear friend gave us a rice cooker for our wedding (love her!). It comes with a steaming tray and serving ladle. Up until now, I have used it to cook... rice. and we have steamed broccoli in it once or twice... But after a little bit of "research" I found there is a lot more you can do with this seemingly humble appliance.

Here it is, my first (of many) no-heat meal. I must admit, this "no-heat" thing is quite an exciting challenge for me. It is stretching me and my creativity to new heights. It is rather exciting. Tonight was a total shot in the dark, but I gave it a try and it didn't turn out too bad... not amazing, but not bad...

Swedish Meatballs & Rice:

White rice went into the main cooker part. I added the required water and started it up. When there was about 10 minutes left on the rice time I added some frozen Swedish meat balls (we picked up a bag while we were at IKEA) to the steaming tray.

The sauce was made up of cream of mushroom soup, some dried chopped onions, and a little water to thin it a bit. We added a few fresh herbs as a garnish (we gave rosemary a shot, and it was pretty good...)

Not the most amazing meal I've ever made, but it was a good first try. More (hopefully better) recipes to come!

Cooking Creativley

July was a blur this year. We found out at the end of June that we would need to move by the end of our lease (Jul 31) so we found ourselves frantically searching for a new place, packing, moving, and everything else that comes with moving... Now we are in our new place. The boxes are being unpacked and we are starting to get settled. The kitchen is unpacked (for the most part) and I can resume cooking again soon...

The only problem? No air conditioning. I have made spaghetti since moving in, but it heated our house to an uncomfortable heat. So I have realized that I need to be a little more creative in my dinners for the rest of the hot weather... Its a challenge to come up meals that do not require stove or oven... but I have been brainstorming and I believe I have a few ideas.

1. Crock pot is the obvious choice. I am not very practiced at slow cooking (I am told it is easy... how hard is it to turn on you ask? It might be better to skip that question...)

2. Microwave is the second most obvious choice. Again, I am not skilled at cooking with a microwave beyond heating up leftovers... and I don't think my husband will go for a month of Easy Mac...

3. Grill. My favorite option as my husband likes to do the cooking on the grill. I am more than okay with that.

4. Electric Griddle. Eggs, grilled cheese... pancakes... anything else I can cook on this?

5. I have a rice cooker that also steams veggies! What a brilliant idea I have just had!

6. Salads are cool and yummy. Hopefully I get enough in my Bountiful Basket this week to work something out...

7. Smoothies are great for cooling off on a hot summer day/evening. All it takes is a blender.

I could use any ideas or suggestions or recipes anyone has. I am trying to stay positive, but lets face it, I'm spoiled and I miss my AC (even if it was a swamp cooler before... yep... spoiled...).  More to come on these adventures as new discoveries are made!

Mexican Rice

This was easier than I thought it would be. And the flavor was pretty good.

{ingredients}
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
1 C. uncooked long grain white rice
2 c. warm water
1 1/2 tsp Caldo de Tomate (tomato boullion)

{optional ingredients}
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder

{directions}
In a mixing bowl whisk together water, Caldo de Tomate, and optional spices. Set aside.
Drizzle oil into a non-stick saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Add rice and cook several minutes, stirring constantly until rice is slightly puffed and golden.
Add water mixture to rice, stir, and cover pan with lid. Reduce heat to low and allow rice to simmer for 20-25 minutes until water has been absorbed.
Remove from heat, fluff rice with a fork, cover with lid and allow to rest 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Other Serving Suggestions:
drizzle some sour cream, add a few dashes of hot sauce, fresh guacamole, etc.

Avocado Almond Muffins

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. slivered almonds
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. milk
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled & pureed

Blend flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and almonds. In a small bowl beat together butter, milk and pureed avocado. Beat egg and add to liquid mixture. Combine with dry ingredients and blend until just moistened. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees. Invert onto rack until cool.

NOTE: These were a little sweeter than I would have preferred. Next time I'm going to try cutting the sugar amount just a little.

The Art of the Easter Egg + How to Hard Boil an Egg.

Little Man is still a little young to dye the Easter eggs this year. It was convenient that Easter came at the end of my week to plan our date night. I boiled up 2 dozen eggs to color in hopes that I could use them the next day for deviled eggs on Easter Day. (strange that deviled eggs are common on the day we celebrate Christ... just sayin')

We had fun with all the colors that came in the PAAS original package. We chose to use vinegar as it gives a more vibrant color. Here's a look at our creative outlet.

Here is the awesome creativity that comes from the hubby...

needless to say, it hasn't been eaten yet...

I mentioned that I was hoping to use these lovely eggs for my deviled egg contribution to Easter dinner. I am now pro at boiling the eggs to perfectly golden centers (after that oh-so-helpful food science class) and I wasn't worried. Until we tried to peel them...

This is one of the better ones... and not pretty enough for little chick-lets coming out of their eggs... the moral of the story? (one I forgot, even after my food science class)

Buy your Easter eggs about a week or two before you boil them up for decorating. The fresh eggs have hearty albumen (the yucky clear gooey stuff when the egg is raw... that turns white when you cook it) that holds to the shell very well. As an egg ages, that albumen (see, you learned a new word today!) thins a little and is less able to stick to the shell, thus it is easier to peel a boiled egg.

How to boil an egg:
1. place desired amount of eggs in bottom of a pan (choose a small pot if you are only doing a few eggs.)
2. cover eggs (barely cover) with cold water.
3. cover pan and bring to a rolling boil.
4. just as it comes to a rolling boil (I mean, rolling bubbles, rolling. Not the wimpy sorta-bubbles) take the pot off the heat.
5. Let the eggs sit in the hot pot for 15 minutes. -more and you will get that yucky grey-ish film on your yolk. less and the middle of the yolk is not completely cooked (and it wont come out of your egg nicely for your deviled eggs)
6. after 15 minutes, cold shock your eggs to stop them from cooking. Take the pot, and run cold water over the eggs until it has replaced the hot water and is cold to the touch.

I did boil another set of eggs... for dinner... I followed a method for peeling them that I found via Pinterest. You can see her post for the "World's Easiest Boiled Egg" here. They peeled beautifully, but...I was in a rush and I cooked them for 14 minutes and they didn't turn out. Moral of this story? Do NOT rush the art of the boiled egg...

Shrimp-Stuffed Shells

This recipe came out of a Cooking Light magazine. I made some adjustment with the supplies I had on hand... They were pretty good, and pretty healthy too. My husband says I can definitely make them again. :)

The recipe said that you can find potato starch near the cornstarch in the grocery store. It also explained that the shrimp goes into the pasta shells raw to prevent it from over cooking while the pasta bakes.

{ingredients}
20 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about 8 oz)
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c. chopped shallots
2 Tbsp minced garlic (about 6 cloves) {I used some garlic powder... as I didn't have the other stuff}
1/2 c. (4 oz) cream cheese {you can use 1/3 less fat version}
1/4 c. milk
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/3 c. chopped fresh basil {nope didn't have any of these. I used Italian seasoning instead}]...}
1 lb medium shrimp- peeled, deveined, and coarsley chopped {I had pre-cooked, frozen shrimp. So I thawed them and used them instead. It is also important to take not of the coarsly chopped... I used a food processor and it made them a little too fine it made a funny texture.}
1 Tbsp potato starch {I had no idea what this was... and didn't get any before trying it...}


{directions}
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cook pasta 7 minutes, or until al dente, omitting salt and fat. Drain well. {I only cooked them for 5 minutes so they were less likely to break. upon filling and baking...}
3. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots; cook 4 minutes, stirring ocasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Add cream cheese mixture to shrimp; toss well.
5: {this is where I took the liberty to make them my own way} Put the mixture in a ziploc bag and cut one of the corners off. Use it to squeeze it into the shells.
6. Coat a 9 X 13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray; spread 1 c. marinara sauce over the bottom of dish. Arrange shells in prepared dish; top with remaining 2 cups marinara. Sprinkle shells evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until shrimp is done.

Huevos Rancheros

Mom sent me to a cooking class to learn some different breakfast foods. She told me that Huevos Rancheros is one of my dad's favorite things. Not that I can cook authentic mexican food... but these were pretty good anyway! I made them for my family and they all had seconds. So I take that to mean they were decent.

{ingredients}
6 eggs
6 corn tortillas
2 cups black beans- drained
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 small can (4 oz) chili peppers- chopped
1 large can chili verde sauce
2 c. salsa
1 1/2 c. queso fresco (found in the normal cheese isle)
salt and pepper

{directions}
In a skillet, lightly brushed with oil, toast corn tortillas. In a small saucepan, combine the beans, cumin, chili powder, and chopped chili peppers and heat (simmer) until bubbles.
In another saucepan, combine the salsa and the verde together and bring to a bubble. In the same skillet, spray with nonstick spray and cook each egg until sunny side up until the yolk is semi firm- salt and pepper the eggs.
Place the tortilla on a plate, spread 1/2 c. of beans over it. Next add the egg and smother with the verde salsa. Finally, sprinkle generously with queso.

*Tip #1: keep the oven at a low temperature to keep tortillas warm. 
*Tip #2: when cooking in bulk, cook the eggs until they are almost done. Let them finish cooking in the warming oven while you prepare the rest and are ready to serve. Nothing is worse than cold breakfast foods...

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Was introduced to this dish at a family gathering and fell in love with it. Easy and delicious . . . what more could you ask?

Puree in blender:
1/2 jar marinara sauce (24-26 oz.)
1 can white beans, drained
1 jar roasted red peppers (7 oz.)
2 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic

Heat:
1 can chicken broth
Remaining 1/2 jar marinara sauce.

Add blended red sauce and 1/4 c. basil. Top with Parmesan cheese.

(I found my roasted red peppers at a dollar store. Great price!)

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This recipe came from Studio 5. I saw it and have been craving it ever since. Turns out, it is delicious. The only problem I ran into was what to serve it with... I decided on some broccoli for some greenery... yum.

{ingredients}
3 c. chicken- cooked and cubed
2 c. cubed ham
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. (12 oz) half and half
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 T. butter
3 T. flour

Topping: (mix together following)
1/2 c. dried bread crumbs
1 tsp melt butter
1/2 c. grated Swiss cheese

{directions}
1. Saute onions in butter, add flour. Stir half and half and bring to a boil until thick, stirring constantly. In a separate bowl, mix together chicken, ham and cheese. Pour sauce over and mix well.
2. Pour into a 9X13 pan.
3. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

**If freezing:
Step 2: place in a disposable pan, sprinkle with topping. Cover with foil and freeze.