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Manna of the Gods.

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

best. chocolate. chip. cookies. ever.

I prefer my cookies without chips… but these are so good, I’ll eat them WITH chips. 

 
(for scale… the cookies are 4.5″ in diameter.)

I got this recipe from the lovely Katie#s and recommend you all trying it :) 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
  • 1 c brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

    DIRECTIONS

  • Adjust oven racks to upper & lower to middle positions & heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
  • With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined. 
  • Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. 
  • Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.
  • Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.
  • Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy (about 18 minutes in my oven)

    • Posted in cookies, dessert, comfort food, super easy, baking | 2 Comments »

    White Chocolate Chip Cookies!

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    DH and I ate WAY too many of these in one sitting… blah. SO good though. Another AllRecipes find.

    INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 7 ounces macadamia nuts, chopped (skipped… I just doubled the white chips.)

    DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
  • Lightly grease cookie sheets.(I didnt, and they were fine.)
  • Beat butter and shortening until soft and creamy. Gradually add the sugars and beat well.
  • Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
  • Combine flour, soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture beating well after each addition. Stir in chips and nuts.
  • Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls (I recommend TABLESPOONS instead.) onto lightly greased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until done.
  • Remove to wire racks to cool.

    • Posted in dessert, super easy, baking | 1 Comment »

    Post 50… and no pictures.

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    You know something’s good when it doesnt last long enough to have pictures taken!

    Blueberry and Nectarine Cobbler!

    (the recipe is for Southern Peach Cobbler…. but I used what I had. It was amazing!)

    INGREDIENTS

  • 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (skipped, as my nutmeg went MIA before I started cooking.)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    Topping
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
    mix together and keep off to side:
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    DIRECTIONS

  • In a large bowl, combine fruit, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
  • Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them.
  • Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
  • Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

    And…. Vanilla Ice Cream to go with it!
    (warning : this recipe makes a GALLON of ice cream, so adjust accordingly.)

    INGREDIENTS

  • 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans evaporated milk
  • 1/2 pint heavy cream
  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 4 cups milk

    DIRECTIONS

  • In large bowl, beat together eggs, evaporated milk, cream, condensed milk, sugar and vanilla, with electric mixer.
  • Beat in pudding mix until smooth.
  • Pour into freezer canister of ice cream maker and add enough milk to bring mixture to fill line. (I just measured and added with everything else.)
  • Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

    WARNING: it takes FOREVER to freeze. Make the day before!

    • Posted in ice cream, summer favorite, dessert, comfort food, super easy, baking | 1 Comment »

    Maple Porkchops and Hot Crash Potatoes!

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    This was one of those nights where I couldnt figure out what to make… and I found these easy recipes… They were amazing! I highly recommend trying them! (DH hates carrots and loved these!) 

     

    These lovely chops came from Elizabeth’s Edible Experience… She added apple too… but we had apple last night, so I skipped it. VERY good… :)

    Maple Porkchops and Apples

    Ingredients

  • 4 Pork Loin Chops, 1/2 inch thick
  • 2 Tbsp. Butter
  • 12 Baby Carrots with tops, halved lenghtwise (I used baby carrots…)
  • 1 Medium apple, sliced and seeds removed
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup

    DIRECTIONS

  • Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. In skillet melt butter over medium heat; add chops.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low. Add carrots, apple, and maple syrup.
  • Cover; simmer for 8 minutes or until desired doneness.
  • Using slotted spoon, transfer chops, carrots and apples to platter; bring syrup mixture to a boil. Boil gently, uncovered, 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over chops and serve

     

    Hot Crash Potatoes
    These are a WC cult food right now… I got the recipe from Venice who got it from Pioneer Woman. 

    INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lbs of baby red potatoes (or how much you need), scrubbed clean
  • a few sprigs of freshly chopped flat leaf parsley & basil (didnt have either, so I just did salt, pepper and garlic powder.)
  • salt & pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil for drizzling and basting

    DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 450. 
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add potatoes.
  • When the potatoes are tender, drain.
  • Drizzle olive oil on a cookie sheet and place the potatoes on it and give plenty of room to spread out.
  • Use a potato masher and gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashes.
    Then rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it. Of course, you don’t want to absolutely smash it into the pan—you want it almost to resemble a cookie.
  • Repeat until all are flattened. Next, brush the tops rather generously with olive oil.
  • Next, sprinkle the potatoes with sea salt or Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Add some chopped fresh herbs.
  • Now throw them onto the top rack of a very hot (450-degree) oven, and cook them for 20-25 minutes. (Mine cooked while the pork cooked…) Or until they’re golden and crispy and sizzling.

    Enjoy!

    • Posted in summer favorite, comfort food, pork, super easy, baking | 1 Comment »

    Apple stuffed chicken

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    I wanted something a bit different… This was easy… but kinda blah. If you do it, add a BUNCH of seasonings.

    INGREDIENTS

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup chopped apple
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Italian-style dried bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

    DIRECTIONS

  • Combine apple, cheese, and bread crumbs. Set aside.
  • Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thickness.
  • Divide apple mixture between chicken breasts, and roll up each breast. Secure with toothpicks. (or skewers in my case)
  • Melt butter or margarine in a 7 inch skillet over medium heat. Brown stuffed chicken breasts. Add wine and 1/4 cup water. Cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. (I baked em- threw em in oven bags and forgot about them!)
  • Transfer chicken to a serving platter.
  • Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch; stir into juices in pan.
  • Cook and stir until thickened.
  • Pour gravy over chicken, and garnish with parsley. (we’re not gravy fans, so I skipped this too.)

    Serve and enjoy!

    • Posted in chicken, super easy, baking | 1 Comment »

    The Infamous BakingBlonde Blondies

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    oh.
    my.
    god.

    These are amazing. They take minutes to make… a little while to bake… and forever to cool. All that said, you cant rush perfection. Spend the time to make them…. your thighs might hate you, but your mouth will love you forever.

     

    BakingBlonde’s Basic Blondies

    INGREDIENTS

  • 6-7 TBS butter, melted 
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder (optional, creates lighter blondie texture)

    DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Line an 8×8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.
  • In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues.
  • Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth.
  • Beat in egg and then vanilla.
  • Add salt, stir in flour and baking powder (if using).
  • Mix in any additions (some ideas below).
  • Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. (My oven’s funny- they baked for 30-35 minutes)
  • Cool on rack before cutting. (This is the hardest part. They take FOREVER to cool, and smell AMAZING.)

    Add in ideas:
    I did:

  • 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate or butterscotch chips (I did white chocolate)
  • 1/4 cup toffee pieces (I used 1/2 cup Heath bar pieces.)
    other ideas :
  • 1/2 tsp mint extract in addition to, or in the place of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds
  • 1/2 cup M&M candies
  • 1/2 chopped Reese’s PB cups

    Enjoy!

    • Posted in summer favorite, super easy, baking | 2 Comments »

    Breaded Baked Chicken.

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    We totally ran out of groceries… and ended up having breaded chicken twice in one week. Both were good…. the first one was a bit dry (I skipped the butter) and the second was super moist. 

     

    attempt #1 : chicken fried chicken… but baked.

    INGREDIENTS

  • 30 saltine crackers
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons dry potato flakes (i skipped because I didnt have them)
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
    Tori’s additions (based off of a reviewer’s recommendations) 
  • 1 T of seasoning salt
  • 1 tsp of pepper
  • 1 tsp of parsley
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika.

    DIRECTIONS

  • Place crackers in a large resealable plastic bag; seal bag and crush crackers until they are coarse crumbs.
  • Add flour, potato flakes, seasonings, and pepper to bag and mix well.
  • Beat egg in a shallow dish or bowl; heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • One by one, dredge chicken pieces in egg beat, then place in bag with crumb mixture, seal bag and shake to coat.
  • Reduce heat to medium and cook coated chicken in skillet for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown and juices run clear. (or bake until juices run clear.)

    attempt #2 : italian chicken. (I was craving carbs… the potatoes are missing from the plate… haha) DH and I usually do this without the breading… but wanted to try something new. This allrecipes.com version inspired us…..

    INGREDIENTS

  • 4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1 cup Italian salad dressing
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Minced fresh parsley

    DIRECTIONS

  • Place chicken in a greased 9-in. square baking dish.
  • Drizzle with salad dressing; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and salt if desired. (We dredged in dressing and coated in breadcrumb + cheese mixture)
  • Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

    • Posted in chicken, super easy, baking | No Comments »

    Chicken and Dumplings… the good, wet and dry?

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    I LOVE chicken and dumplings. It’s a terrible weakness. DH gets mad when I go through my phases where all I want to eat is Cracker Barrel. I found this recipe online- and its great. The problem? I can NOT get the final product to be “right.” The first time, it was perfect but dry. The second time, I added more broth, and it was like a chicken noodle soup- WAY too watery. Here’s the picture from the first time, and the original recipe. If you’re going to attempt this, make sure to have some extra broth on hand so you can play with it :)

     

    Original recipe from AllRecipes.com

    INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup cubed cooked chicken

    DIRECTIONS

  • In a bowl, combine flour, salt and poultry seasoning; cut in shortening until crumbly.
  • Combine egg and milk; stir into flour mixture just until combined.
  • On a heavily floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness.
  • Cut into 1-in. strips; cut strips into 2-in. lengths.
  • In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil.
  • Add chicken.
  • Reduce heat; drop dumplings onto simmering broth.
  • Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift the cover while simmering). 

    • Posted in comfort food, chicken, super easy | No Comments »

    okay.. here it is!

    Wednesday, June 18th, 2008

    in all of its pathetic glory….my lasagna.

    (this is the second one I’ve made EVER and it was not as layered as I would have liked. My Pyrex dish was just too shallow. there was also a layer of meat sauce UNDER it…) 

     

    Posted in comfort food, pork, super easy, ground beef, casseroles | 2 Comments »

    world’s best lasagna…

    Monday, June 16th, 2008

    I got this recipe from AllRecipes.com…. and slightly modified is simply amazing. I’m really picky about my sauce, and this blew me away :)

    I stole a stock picture…. DH’s is still to warm to take a good picture. (and I dont want to cut a piece out and waste it… I wont eat it.) 

      


    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
    • 3/4 pound lean ground beef (I did a pound, its what I had.)
    • 1/2 cup minced onion
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
    • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I couldnt find them, so I used finely diced and it was nice- left a bit of tomato in there.)
    • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
    • 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 2 tablespoons white sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
    • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
    • 1 tablespoon oregano (tori addition)
    • 12 lasagna noodles
    • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced (I used shredded)
    • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 


    DIRECTIONS

    1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, oregano, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Ours sat about an hour. Make sure to stir every few minutes to prevent burning!)
    2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. (I added 1/2 of my parmesan cheese in here too….)
    3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
    4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
    5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. (We were impatient- we only baked it for 30 minutes total.. oops :))

     

    Posted in pork, comfort food, super easy, ground beef, casseroles, baking | 2 Comments »

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