Stuffed Artichokes

For 4 medium to large artichokes I used:1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, 1 1/2 C kalamata olives, pitted, 2 medium tomatoes chopped, 1 1/2-2 c bread crumbs, 2-3 T anchovy paste, 1 C grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp. granulated garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper to taste, 1 C olive oil. In a food processor add ingredients in the above order, pulse until all ingredients are combined. Chop top 1/2" off the top of each artichoke, trim bottom and trim each leaf. Boil the artichokes for 15-20 minutes, rinse in cold water,drain. Fan out leaves, start filling each leaf on the artichokes, place some of the filling in the center of the artichoke. Place filled artichokes in a large stockpot, fill the stockpot to with a few cups of chicken broth. The lower 1 1/2" of the artichoke will be in the chicken broth. Cook on the stovetop for 2 hours on low-medium low.

Rigatoni Portofino

1 cup pine nuts
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
10 fresh parsley leaves
Coarse salt
1 1/4 cups olive oil
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Pinch of sugar
1 pound rigatoni
Directions
Place pine nuts, Parmesan, parsley, pinch of salt, and 1 cup olive oil in the work bowl of a food processor; pulse until combined. Add basil, and continue to pulse until mixture is smooth; set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and return to a boil. Add pasta and cook, according to package directions. Drain pasta; set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and return to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain pasta; set aside.
Puree tomato mixture through a food mill into the pasta pot. Place pot over low heat and add pesto. Add pasta, and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

King Athur No Knead Harvest Bread

3 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 3/4 cups cool water
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
13 3/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
4 ounces King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
14 ounces cool water
3 1/4 ounces dried cranberries
3 ounces golden raisins
4 ounces coarsely chopped walnuts
Directions
1) Mix the flours, salt, yeast, and water in a large bowl. Stir, then use your hands to mix and form a sticky dough.

2) Work the dough just enough to incorporate all the flour, then work in the fruit and nuts.

3) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature overnight, or for at least 8 hours; it'll become bubbly and rise quite a bit, so use a large bowl.

4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and form it into a log or round loaf to fit your 14" to 15" long lidded stoneware baker, or 9" to 10" round lidded baking crock.

5) Place the dough in the lightly greased pan, smooth side up.

6) Cover and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, until a slight indentation remains when you poke it with a finger. Just before baking, make several slashes to allow for expansion.

7) Place the bread in the cold oven. Set the oven temperature to 450°F.

8) Bake the bread for 45 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until it's deep brown in color, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers about 205°F. Remove the bread from the oven, turn out onto a rack, and cool before slicing.

Small Crimped Containers

Here is another simple poject. You can find detailed instructions and photos here:
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/01/18/valentines/

Beer Roasted POrk Shoulder

1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Salt and pepper
One 4-to 5-pound pork shoulder, thick skin removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
1 small bag of baby carrots
2cans of sliced potatoes
2 rib celery with leaves, chopped
1 T granulated garlic
1C beef broth
2 bottles beer
3 to 4 tablespoons flour
2 T sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Mix the caraway seeds with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and season the pork shoulder with the spice mixture.
2. In a medium roasting pan or large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the pork in the pan and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes total. Add the onions, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the beef broth to the pan and pour the beer over the meat also add the canned potatoes. Transfer to the oven and roast, basting occasionally with the juices, until the center of the pork registers 155° on an instant-read thermometer, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a platter, tent loosely with foil and let stand.
4. Strain the pan juices into a large heatproof bowl, pressing on the solids to extract any liquid. Skim the fat off the top, then pour the juices into a saucepan. Stir the flour into 1/4 cup water to form a paste. along with the sour cream. Whisk the paste into the pan juices and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Slice the pork shoulder and serve with the pan gravy.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

2 T Dijon mustard
4 slices cracked wheat bread
2 oz. deli turkey breast
2 oz. Havarti butter cheese
2 oz. ham off the bone
1 egg, beaten
1/8 C milk
1T butter
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
In a skillet melt the butter. Spread Dijon mustard to one side of each slice of bread.Divide turkey, ham and cheese between two slices of bread, stack. Place another slice of bread spread with Dijon mustard on top. In a shallow dish combine egg, milk and nutmeg. Dip both sides of each sandwich briefly in egg mixture. Fry each side in the skillet for 4 minutes on each side. Can sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with strawberry or raspberry preserves.

Ancini de Pepe (Frog's Eye) Salad

1/2 lb. Anini de Pepe
3 C fruit cocktail
2 tbsp. flour
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1 container Cool Whip

Cook macaroni as directed on package .Drain pasta, do not rinse. Beat together sugar, flour and eggs in a double boiler cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add to cooked macaroni. Let set overnight in refrigerator. Next day add fruit and Cool Whip; mix together

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

1 3/4 c. butter, softened
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
6 eggs
2 c. powdered sugar
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder
2 c. chopped walnuts

GLAZE:

3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
2-3T milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12 cup fluted tube pan or 10 inch angel food tube pan. In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add powdered sugar; blend well. By hand, stir in remaining cake ingredients until well blended. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 58 to 62 minutes. Cool upright in pan on cooling rack 1 hour; invert onto serving plate. Cool completely.
In small bowl, combine glaze ingredients until well blended. Spoon over top of cake, allowing some to run down sides. Store tightly covered. 16 servings.

Glass Magnets

These magnets are super easy and fun as well. I first found the idea on this fun blog:http://www.skiptomylou.org/?s=magnet&submit=Go For this project you need 1"glass gems from the floral or craft department, 1" round magnets, pretty pictures. You trace the glass gem over the picture you want to use, then you clip out the picture and Elmer's glue it onto the gem. Leave it to dry over night. Now all you need to do is peel the backing off the magnet( I bought the magnets that have adhesive already on them) press it on the gem and you are done.

Pizza Sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
4 anchovies
3/4 teaspoon dehydrated onion
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

In a sauce pan melt anchovy in a bit of the oil. Add the tomato paste and water. Now add the Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, onion, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together. Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired. It is best if the sauce is prepared a dy in advance and left in the refrigerator for flavors to blend.

Heart

1. With the back of the bill facing up, fold up 1/3 along on it's length, then fold down top edge. At center, fold one side up perpendicular to bottom. Fold second side to match. Turn the bill overand fold down about 1/4" along the top edge. Fold in about 1/4" of the outer and center top corners. Turn over again. It's done.

Fun with Dollar Bills

For the dollar bill shirt and pants go to:http://abigcupoftea.blogspot.com/2008/07/money-pants.html she has a great blog with fun ideas.

No Knead Dinner Rolls

2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for pan and brushing
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for shaping dough
Directions
Pour warm water into a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add sugar, butter, eggs, and salt; whisk to combine. Add flour; mix until incorporated and a sticky dough forms. Brush top of dough with butter; cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface. With floured hands, roll dough into a thick log. Cut into 18 equal pieces (halve log, cut each half in thirds, then cut each piece into thirds again).
Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter. One at a time, flatten each piece of dough, then fold edges toward the center, pressing to secure, until a smooth ball forms. Place dough balls in prepared baking pan, smooth side up (you should have 3 rows of 6). Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic wrap; brush rolls with butter. Bake until golden and rolls sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 35 to 40 minutes (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Pull rolls apart, and serve warm.

Sesame Chicken, Broccoli and Carrot Patties

2 C Jasmine rice(prepared as per package directions)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp. granulated garlic
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into large florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced
Directions
Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, and fill with 1 inch water; set aside for broccoli. Cook rice according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch. Add chicken; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
In a large stock pot heat 1" of vegetable oil for frying the chicken. Fry in batches until crispy but not overcooked. Meanwhile, place saucepan with steamer basket over high heat; bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Heat sauce in a separate pan and serve with the chicken, rice and broccoli.
For the Carrot Patties
1/2C self-rising flour
1/4 C water
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
2 1/2 C shredded carrots
Oil for frying
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Stir in carrots. In a small bowl, combine the remaining salt, cayenne and pepper; set aside.
In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Make patties with the carrot mixture squeeze out some of the water.Drop in the oil a few at a time, ; cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with reserved seasoning mixture

Daring Baker August Challenge

This months daring Baker Challenge was Eclairs. I have never made Eclairs so this was a fun and tasty challeng e for me. I followed the pate a choux recipe, used chocolate pudding for the filling, chocolate sauce for the topping and star and moon sprinkles for the top. I had a vanilla filling but it was a flop so I had to throw out the whole mess and switch to chocolate. Great challenge. Tasty.I learned from this challenge to be sure and cook the pastry long enough or they will deflate and make a slit where you will split the pastry after you remove them from the oven for the steam to escape.


Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• ½ cup (125g) whole milk
• ½ cup (125g) water
• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the
boil.

2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium
and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very
quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You
need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough
will be very soft and smooth.

3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your
handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.
You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do
not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you
have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it
should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately. Pipe the dough onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degree F in the middle of the oven.

For the filling I made a chocolate pudding.
I only use the chocolate sauce for topping. It is great on its own.


Chocolate Sauce
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1½ cups or 525 g)


• 4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 g) water
• ½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1) Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.

2) It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Sauteed Zucchini

2C shredded zucchini
2T olive oil
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
2T chopped fresh basil
2T grated Parmesan Cheese
Sautee zucchini in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 3 min., stirring occasionally. Add basil and garlic; cook an additional 3 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Stuffed Cherry Peppers

2 slices white bread, crust removed andbread torn into small pieces
1/2 c buttermilk
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 C grated Parmesean cheese
2T chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
1tsp. granulated garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cherry peppers, tops cut off and seeded
Combine bread and buttermilk, let stand for 10 minutes, stirring often with a fork until a paste forms.Now combine all ingredients but the cherry peppers. In a crockpot place 1 C marinara sauce. Stuff the cherry peppers with the meat mixture and line the bottom of the crockpot. if you have any remaining meat mixture, make meatballs and place on top of the stuffed cherry peppers.Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Monster Cookies

2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. peanut butter - smooth
6 eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking soda
3 c. quick cooking oatmeal

Mix in order given using mixer. Transfer batter to large container and add the following:

6 more c. quick cooking oatmeal
2 c. Nestle chocolate chips

3C plain M & M's
Mix until well blended. Form cookies -- I used a medium sized ice cream scoop. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 dozen cookies. Freezes well.
I found this recipe athttp://abigcupoftea.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html. She has fun childrens crafts and projects.

School of Fish

Dried apricots, Pretzels, Chocolate Chips, Frosting.
Make a slit in the back of a dried apricot, push pretzel in. Place a drop of frosting on the top of the apricot to hold the chocolate chip, for an eye.

Chicken Stuffing Bake

@ boxes Stove Top stuffing
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C sour cream
1/4 C milk
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3 small cans chopped mushrooms
Prepare stuffing according to package directions. In a bowl combine soups, milk and sour cream. Spoon some of the soup mix on the bottom of a 9"X13" pan. Place chicken breasts on top then drained mushrooms and remainder of soup mix. Place cooled stuffing on top. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 60 minutes.

Chili

2 T vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 C chili powder
1/4 C tomato paste
4 T ground cumin
1 T red pepper flakes
2-3 lb. ground beef
1 can hominy
1 can red kidney beans
1 28 oz. can fire roasted whole tomatoes
2-4 T minced chipotle chili in adobo sauce
3 T fish sauce
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle regular beer
3 T cornmeal
In a skillet saute the garlic and onion. Add the beef and cook until there is no longer any pink. Drain off the excess oil. Place in a crockpot with remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours. For the last 2 hour leave the cover half off to thicken the chili. Serve with grated cheddar cheese and Tabasco(red and green).

Cornbread with Honey Pecan Butter

Honey Pecan Butter
1 stick butter, at room temp.
1/4 C water, at room temp.
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/2 c honey
1/3 C toasted, chopped pecans
Mix butter, water and oil evenly. Mixture will be soft. Add honey and blend until smooth. Add nuta and mix in to incorporate. pour into a small container and chill until firm.
For the Cornbread
1 box jiffy cornbread mix
1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix
Follow directions on boxes of cornbread and cake mix; mix batters together. At this point you can add in sliced, jalepenos, cheese or corn. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with crumbs, in a pie plate that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Apple Pie

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 T vinegar
Directions
To make the dough for the pie crust, mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
For the filling you need 5 C chopped apples, 1 c sugar, 1T each: cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, 3T flur and 1 T lemon juice. Place filling in the bottom shell and dot with butter. Place top crust on and poke some holes. Brush milk or heavy cream on top and sprinkle sugar on top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 55 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Quick and Easy Donuts

Quick and Easy Doughnuts

1 container buttermilk refrigerator biscuits (I used the small 7 oz. package from Aldi's)
cooking oil (enough to fill pan to 1")
cinnamon and sugar
prepared frosting or powdered sugar

Heat oil until it is very hot. With a doughnut cutter, cut biscuits. Drop in hot oil. Flip as they brown - it only takes a minute, depending on how hot the oil is. Cook the centers also.

Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Ice with prepared frosting, coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture or powdered sugar as desired.

Makes 10 doughnuts and 10 doughnut centers

Marmalade Short Ribs

2 small onions
12 beef short ribs
salt and pepper
1/2 c marmalade
3/4 C barbecue sauce( I used K.C. Masterpiece)
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 C Frank's red hot sauce
Place onions in the bottom of a 5 quart crockpot. season ribs with salt and pepper on both side. Place on top of the onions. In a small bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients. Pour over the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove the ribs from the crockpot.Strain and defat the cooking liquid, serve on the side.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch from Rachael Ray

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
One 16-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
3 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, melt half of the chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter over low heat. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 cup peanut butter, then 2 cups rice cereal. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan; refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Wash out the saucepan.
2. In the saucepan, combine the remaining 2 sticks butter and the salt; melt over medium heat, stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining peanut butter and the confectioners' sugar. Spread half of the peanut butter mixture over the cereal layer. Top with the remaining 1 cup cereal.
3. In a small bowl, microwave the remaining chocolate at medium power until melted, 1 1/2 minutes. Stir into the remaining peanut butter mixture. Spread evenly on the cereal-topped peanut butter layer; refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes. Cut into 16 pieces.

Buttermilk Chicken Drumsticks

4 C buttermilk
2 packets (1.06 oz. each) buffalo wing seasoning
1/3 c C Frank's red hot sauce
4 lb. mini chicken drumsticks
In a large bowl combine buttermilk, wing seasoning, and hot pepper sauce. add wings, toss to coat. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Heat grill to medium high heat for 15-20 minutes. Oil grate before you start cooking. Remove wings from refrigerator, let stand at room temp. for 30 minutes. Remove from marinade and discard marinade. Place on hot, oiled grill and grill for 10 minutes per side. serve with blue cheese dressing and celery.

Fireworks in a Glass

Fill a tall clear glass with room temperature water, leaving about 1" of space at the top. Pour 3 T vegetable oil in another small glass and add 2 drops of 2 different food colors. Gently mix once or twice with a fork to break up the drops. Slowly pour the oil mix into the water. The beads will begin to burst through the oil.