Taco Ring

I had a Pampered Chef party a few years ago and ever since, this is a favorite. I normally do it for company, but tonight we had it for just us. The kids think it's cool and we think it's delicious (and it uses up some of the Christmas chili fixin's).

Taco Ring

5/8 lb ground beef
1 1/4 ounces taco seasoning
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons water
16 ounces crescent rolls
1 medium green pepper
1 cup salsa
3 cups lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomato
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup black olives (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.
Brown ground beef and drain off the grease.
combine ground beef, taco seasoning, cheese and water. (I make the taco mix according to the directions and leave out the cheese because Queen Signa doesn't like cheese- makes it more runny and less pulled together, but still works).

Unroll crescent rolls, seperate into triangles. Arrange triagles in a circle on 13" baking stone with wide ends overlapping in center and points towards outside (there should be a 5" diameter opening triangle).

Using medium stainless steel scoop, scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring (filling will not be completely covered).

Bake 20-25 minutes.

Cut up the rest of the veggies and prepare to top your taco ring when done baking. We cup the top off the green pepper and core it and fill it with sour cream. Put this in the center of the pan and all the other things around it (or in separate bowls).

Snowman Float

This one isn't just for Christmas, so I figure it's not too late to post.

Snowman Float

Gingerale
Peppermint ice cream (not mint chip- actual peppermint)

Float the ice cream in a glass of gingerale and add a candy cane to the edge of the glass to make pretty.

Tastes delicious and is very fancy looking.

Christmas Chili

For Christmas, I made my traditional Christmas chili. I was going to make it and actually write down how much of everything I use so that I could have a recipe. Nope. Forgot and dumped stuff in. I'll try to make it again in a smaller batch and see if I can make it happen.

I did make some other things, including these which were so cute:



SNOW PEA HOLIDAY WREATH
(from Taste of Home, carol schneck, lodi, california)

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 pound fresh snow peas, strings removed
2 cups grape tomatoes

1 In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, garlic powder and seasoned salt. Place mixture in a pastry bag or heavy-duty plastic bag with a small star tip.

2 Pipe about 1/4 teaspoon of mixture onto the wide end of each pea pod. Arrange pods on a serving platter with cheese mixture toward the outside of the platter; fill center with tomatoes.

Yield: 20 servings

Beef and Pork Sugo

For our work Christmas party, we went to a place in Crockett called the Dead Fish. I love that place, especially for their Five Hour Pork and Beef Sugo. It's basically spaghetti sauce, but you can't stop thinking about it. I decided to try some recipes to hopefully find something close. This wasn't it, but it is a darned good sauce and if you are home one day it's easy except you have to be home to watch it and do stuff now and then.

Beef and Pork Sugo

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
4 tblsp olive oil
2/3 cup butter
1 yellow onion
Pepper
2 carrots (diced)
2 celery (diced)
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup beef stock
4 cups chopped canned whole peeled tomatoes

Heat oil and butter in a large pot. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook to sweetness. Add carrots, celery and another pinch of salt. Cook to slightly crisp, but done. Add the meat and brown until pink is gone. Add the milk. Cook on medium low until the liquid is gone (about 1 1/2 hours), stirring when you can.

Add nutmeg, wine, stock. Cook on medium low until the liquid is gone (about 1 1/2 hours), stirring when you can.

Put tomatoes in crockpot, add the beef mixture. Cook on low for 3-5 hours, stirring when you can.

Serve over pasta of your choice with a heap of Parmesan cheese and a glass of red wine.

Sugared Pecans

Yum. I love these.

Sugared Pecans

1 egg white, beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups pecan halves

Brush baking sheet with butter. Foam egg white. All all the spices and mix until opaque. Add pecans. Transfer to sheet. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Lemon Loaves

Do NOT (I repeat) DO NOT make one loaf instead of the five tiny loaves. Do not. Unless you use a different recipe. Just trust me on this one and then don't ask my family why we have a lemon loaf recipe here, but no one actually saw a lemon loaf. (hint: the middle was liquid, the outside was... the opposite). Just don't.

But do make this in the normal tiny loaves, as it's really good! (last year) and easy, too.

Lemon Loaves

Lemon cake mix
Package instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tblsp lemon juice

Mix pudding and cake mix. Add eggs, oil and water. Beat 10 min at medium. Pour into MINI LOAF PANS (5). Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Mix sugar and lemon juice. Spoon over hot loaves while still in the oven. Remove.

Pistachio Loaves

Yesterday I decided that I wanted to make some loaves for us to nibble on. I decided on Pistachio Loaves (mini) and a Lemon Loaf (regular sized). I have made these several times, but for some reason, this time two of the pistachio loaves stuck in the pan and one fell on the floor when I was karate chopping it out and one just broke into pieces. Great. It's a delicious and easy (when they come out of the pan) recipe, though, and I love having it around.

Pistachio Loaves

1 package yellow cake mix
1 pistachio instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tblsp brown sugar
2/12 tsp cinnamon

Combine cake and pudding mix. Add sour cream, eggs, oil, and water. Beat until blended. Pour into loaf pans (5). Combine pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. Cool 10 min before removing to wire racks.

Praline Cookies

My new favorite. These are AMAZING (and I even forgot the vanilla like a moron, so they could be EVEN BETTER!). From Pampered Chef:

Praline Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans (I left them pretty hefty sized, rather than finely chopped)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Microwave butter on high until melted. Add sugars, egg, flour, and vanilla. Mix well (I didn't even use a mixer for these cookies). Add pecans. Mix well. Drop spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking pan (I use stone). Bake 12-15 min. Cool 2 minutes on pan and then remove to cooling rack. Let cool for a couple more minutes and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

YUM!

Snickerdoodles

My all time favorite cookies. I don't even know where the recipe came from this year, but there are millions of recipes. This one is good.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (plus 1/3 cup for later)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (for later)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat 2-3 minutes. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Chill 2 hours. Form in balls and roll in 1/3 cup sugar plus 2 tsp cinnamon mixture. Flatten balls with bottom of a glass. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Brown Sugar Crisps

I made these last night from a recipe that Sheri sent. They are sort of like chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips and with nuts. We like them.

Brown Sugar Crisps

2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
3 tblsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup walnuts (I think I'll do 1 1/2 cups next time)

Cream eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla. Combine flour, soda, and salt. Add to egg mixture. Stir in nuts. Divide in half. Roll in 2-inch log in wax paper. Twist ends and refrigerate overnight or a couple of hours. Cut in 1/4" slices and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies

Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies

I saw these cookies on a blog I frequent and thought they were so pretty and yet maybe not too difficult. I made a double batch and they were easy and also some of the most beautiful cookies I've ever made. I do think I like my shortbread cookies more sugary than this recipe and so I may try a different version next year, but these are wonderful! The below is posted from her blog and linked in the link.

http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/12/09/red-velvet-shortbread-cookies/

RED VELVET SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, cut up
1 Tbsp. red food coloring
3 ounces white chocolate (with cocoa butter), coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. shortening
festive sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Cover and process with on/off turns until combined. Add butter and red food coloring. Process with on/off turns until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Then continue to process until mixture begins to clump together.

2. Scoop dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until nearly smooth. Roll or pat dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 1-1/2-inch round cutter, cut out dough. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press scraps together and reroll.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until centers are set. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

4. In a heavy small saucepan, melt white chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate. If desired, sprinkle with festive sprinkles, nonpareils or chopped pistachios. Let stand on waxed paper until set.

Yield: About 24 cookies.

Cooking Tips:
*I made the dough using a food processor, which was easiest because it takes a bit of processing to allow the crumbs to clump together and become the proper consistency for rolling. If you’d like to try the hand-mixing method: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter and food coloring until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together (it will take a while for the dough to come together). Form mixture into a ball, kneading until smooth.
*I used gel paste food coloring to color my cookies (instead of the liquid food coloring). It’s more concentrated, and you can add more of it to get a deeper color without adding liquid to the mixture. Don’t overdo it though, or you’ll end up with red stained fingers as you eat your cookies!
*For storing: Place cookies in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Source: Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Thai Chicken Fettuccine

This is a super eacy recipe and tastes like a million dollars. We had it when Todd and Austin were here once and it was a big hit.

Thai Chicken Fettuccine (from Taste of Home)

1 cup salsa
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

For sauce, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Set aside.
Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Add red pepper; cook and stir until crisp-tender.
Drain fettuccine; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro. Yield: 4 servings.

Maple-Flavored Chicken

This is Sheri's recipe and we eat it A LOT! So delicious. And I get to think of them when we eat it, as we had it at the beach house when they visited!

Maple Chicken

1 c ketchup
1/2 c maple syrup
2 tbs prepared mustard
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 boneless chicken breasts

Put all in crockpot and cook on low 4-5 hours or until chicken is done. Remove meat and shred. Return to sauce. You can do them on buns, but we do them like chicken soft tacos, with sour cream, etc. And I at least double the recipe as I use more chicken. I put as many as my crockpot will hold which varies based on the size of the breasts. We freeze what is left over and use it for next time.

Pecan Tassies

This is an old Pampered Chef recipe and I love it. Super easy and yet comes out like a million dollars!

Pecan Tassies

Tart Shells-
½ cup butter, softened
1 (3oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup flour

Filling-
2 tblsp butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add flour. Mix until a soft dough forms. Cover. Chill at least one hour (or overnight). Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls of dough into cups of ungreased mini-muffin pan. Press into dough to form a tart shell (use something round like the back of a wooden spoon). For filling, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Fill tart shells evenly with filling mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when completely cool.

Festive Holiday Bark

This would have been better if I'd followed the directions... I forgot to mix it all up BEFORE pouring into the cookie sheet...

Festive Holiday Bark

16 oz. vanilla coating
2 cups small pretzels
½ cup red and green M&Ms

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Melt candy coating. Add remaining ingredients. Toss to coat. Spread mixture thinly on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Let stand until set. Break into pieces.

Gingerbread Loaf

I made this last week and it came out FANTASTIC. We love it. It’s the first gingerbread I’ve done from scratch and I’m so happy with it. I got it from a magazine called Quick Cooking.

Gingerbread Loaf

4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
5 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ¼ tsp ground cloves
1 ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup maple syrup
2 tblsp vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, syrup and oil. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thin). Pour into two greased 9x5 x3 inch loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 min. before removing to wire racks.

Christmas

I like to bake things for Christmas, but not for gifts. If I do gifts, they all burn and it's entirely not at all fun.

So as I make things this Christmas, I'll post the review and the recipe.

Three recipes coming up!

Menus and Planning

For the past few months, I've been practicing monthly menus. We spend WAY too much money on groceries and household items (i.e. the stuff from Walmart and Target) and so i'm trying to make sure eating out is NOT the norm. I'm not saying it is working, but at least it's fun.

I have an excel spreadsheet that I use and I list out the activities for the month and then the meals I've planned. I try to do 2 new recipes a week and then 2 tried-and-true recipes and then 2 staples (hot dogs, burgers, spaghetti).

For the recipes for things, I link my Excel spreadsheet to OneNote, where I keep the actual recipes. That way, I just click each day to see what I'm making and how to make it. For the common ones, I have them on recipe cards, which is the plan for all of them. Someday.

Monday, 12/7: Vera's Tuscan Chicken

Vera’s Tuscan Chicken
(Chicken Wings and Peas)

Ingredients:
10 Chicken Wings
1 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
5 Cloves Chopped Garlic
1 Large Can Tomato Sauce
1 Pkg Frozen Peas
3 Pinches Cinnamon
1 Pkg Small Pasta Shells

Directions:
Brown wings in hot olive oil. Add parsley and garlic and lightly brown. Add tomato sauce, peas and cinnamon. Cover tightly and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve over cooked small pasta shells.
Serves 3

Thighs or breasts can be substituted for wings
Veal can be substituted for chicken
Zucchini can be substituted for peas

*****

This recipe was a recipe of "Auntie" Vera Mariani. She was a fantastic cook and wonderful woman, who never wrote down any recipes. Thankfully my mom spent time with her cooking and writing and so we have this recipe of Vera's. It's delicious, homey and easy. Requirements in our house.

What are you making for dinner?

Whatever it is, it will be listed here. Unless Marc's making it and then just the name is listed here. Or if we go out. Or if I don't have a clue what we had.

Anyway, I need a place to store tried-and-true recipes, so this is it. Enjoy!