How neat is that?
1.31.2011
Check It Out
1.29.2011
Magic Seven Layer Bars
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 stick of butter
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of butterscotch chips
1/2 - 1 cups of chopped nuts (I used pecans but walnuts would be great too)
1 1/4 cup of coconut
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 baking dish generously with cooking spray
Melt butter and mix into graham cracker crumbs. Press evenly into baking dish. Pour condensed milk evenly over the graham crackers. Distribute remaining ingredients evenly over graham crackers. Press down ingredients firmly with a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow dish to cool completely before cutting into bar. Enjoy with a nice cold glass of milk.
Happy Birthday!
1.23.2011
My First Pot Roast
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
kosher salt
A 3-5 pound chuck roast
2-3 onions
8-10 carrots
2-3 cups of beef stock
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 275
2. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and allow the pot to get really hot.
3. Generously salt the chuck roast on both sides.
4. Cut onions in half from root to tip then cut off the tops and bottoms and peel off the first layer.
5. When the pot is hot add the onions , brown them on both sides, then remove from pot.
6. Next, wash the carrots and rough chop into 2 inch pieces. Add them to the pot and brown slightly. Remove from pot.
7. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot. Place the meat in the pot and brown on both sides (about a minutes). Remove to a plate.
8. Deglaze the pot by whisking in 1 cup of beef stock.
9. Return the meat, carrots, and onions to the pot. Pour in enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway. Next, put in the rosemary and thyme and cover.
10. Place pot in the oven and roast for 3-5 hours depending on the size of your roast. For a three pound roast, cook for 3 - 3 1/2 hours. For a 5 pound roast, cook for 4-5 hours. Check the roast. It should be fork tender. Place on serving dish or cutting board and slice against the grain.
I served my pot roast with some delicious mashed potatoes. Make sure you spoon some of the juices in the pot over your meat and veggies.
Attention Dog Owners
1.17.2011
Here Piggy Piggy
We couldn't stop eating the pork long enough to shred it up.
Spicy Pulled Pork
- 4-7 pound pork shoulder/butt (We used around a 5 pounder)
-1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 tablespoon of salt and pepper to taste
-3 cloves of garlic
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 whole onion
Rinse and pat dry the pork
Rough chop the onion and throw it in a food processor along with all the other ingredients. Pulse the ingredients until combined. Once combined, take a whif of that, it's awesome. Then rub that deliciousness all over the butt. Throw that booty in a dutch oven with two cups of water and bake at 300 covered for 6-7 hours until tender. Be sure to turn it every hour. Raise the temperature to 425 and continue roasting uncovered until nicely browned about 15-20 minutes. Shred with fingers and forks. Enjoy!
This dish makes ALOT of pulled pork. We made pork nachos one night and pork sandwiches another. Promise you will try this dish. It was so so so good!1.16.2011
Marley's Got Talent
We discovered Marley's hidden talent yesterday....balancing on two legs. This dog will do just about anything for food and yesterday it was standing on two legs to lick our bowl.
1.09.2011
Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
- 2 Jalapeno peppers (seeded and diced)
- 1/3 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar but you could use just about anything)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup of milk
Directions
Cut jalapenos in half, lengthwise. Remove seeds. Finely dice.
Follow directions on the back of the corn muffin mix box and stir in jalapenos and cheese.
Bake as directed on box.
They were the perfect companion to a nice bowl of chili. They are slightly sweet and helps balance the smokiness of the chili. Click here for one of Chad's chili recipes to make with your corn muffins.
1.03.2011
The Best Enchiladas Ever!
Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
- 1 tsp. canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tbsp. of sugar
- 1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
- salt and pepper
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 10-12 (6 inch) soft corn tortillas
Directions
-Combine the onion, jalapeno, and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
-Place the chicken in the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
-Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer into a medium bowl. In one bowl should be the liquid and in another bowl the onion/jalapeno/tomato.
-Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup of each shredded cheeses, and cilantro (I used less cilantro than called for cause the hubby doesn't like it). Stir to combine.
-Preheat oven to 425. Oil a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Heat the tortillas for 30 sec. in the microwave to make them soft and pliable. Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of the tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat.
-Lightly spray the tops of the tortillas with cooking spray. Bake uncovered for 6-8 minutes until slightly browned.
-Reduce over temperature to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
-Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
1.01.2011
Happy New Year!
We said goodbye to 2010 by having a very nice dinner at Mortons Steakhouse. I had never been to Mortons before and was very excited for the experience. We had shrimp alexander, bacon wrapped scallops, iceberg salad, filet with Bearnaise sauce, asparagus with balsamic glaze, sauteed mushrooms and spinach, and their famous hot chocolate cake.