tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53863772218024530272023-11-15T22:18:41.332-05:00Kitchen AmbitionMy life in the kitchenTracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02683121064920910924noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-35866467600544975232012-03-28T07:38:00.003-04:002012-03-28T07:38:57.003-04:00The State of the Blog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a reason why I am not a professional blogger. It is because I cannot stick to any sort of consistency as you will see by referencing my last blog post, published in <i>February</i> in preparation for <i>Valentines Day.</i> Um, yeah. So I kind of got lazy. Yes, we've cooked...but just simple stuff that you probably wouldn't deem blog worthy. Grilled salmon, roasted veggies, some sort of couscous/quinoa/rice dish. {indulge in something sweet here} Eat and repeat. And honestly that's the way we prefer to eat around here, so why fight it? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here I am, with no recipe to share with you, wondering about the future of my blog. I love to write, I love being in the kitchen and thinking/reading/learning about food, but I don't have a recipe to fill up every post, nor do I have the desire to cook something new that often. I don't <i>love </i>photography; it's not a skill that comes naturally to me. But I do love sharing life through photos and words so will continue to try to take more pictures on a daily basis. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I've often thought about starting a new blog. Ideas come and go, but in the future, I see a lifestyle blog with a focus on cooking, but not having that as the main subject. More of a this-is-what-we-did-this-weekend, this-is-something-I've-been-thinking-about-a-lot-lately, here's-a-photo-of-a-meal-we-loved. But the last thing I want is for my blog to come across as self absorbed; so as I work on finding a way to share these things publicly, I'll continue to pop in here on KA with updates until I find the right format.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Thanks for reading. It means a lot :-)</span></h2>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-32175106593621419562012-02-13T07:33:00.001-05:002012-02-13T07:33:53.949-05:00Mushroom Truffle Oil Risotto<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WOAH where have I been?! Have you noticed a pattern with my blogging? I'll be a hard core chef and blogger extraordinaire for like 3 weeks straight, and then I seem to fall off the face of the earth for about a month. This happens for a few reasons. 1. I run out of creativity. 2. I run out of money - this hobby ain't cheap. 3. I get busy at work/social life. So that's what's been going on over the past month. I promise I'm still eating, and cooking, but nothing that is going to make you freak out, so I've sat in silence, waiting for the right opportunity to return to the blog world.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So....here I am! And I have something so exciting for you, it's going to knock your socks off. And if you don't have plans for Valentines Day, you should totally make this. Yes, you'll have to refinance your house so you can pay for the truffle oil, but it's worth it, I promise. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I followed <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/mushroom-risotto-recipe/index.html">this recipe</a> by Tyler Florence to the T. We had this about a month ago when our friends Jill and Lawson came over for dinner. We had lamb chops (thanks Lawson) and a salad and were sufficiently stuffed afterwards. Jill provided the truffle oil and left me with a little tupperware of some to use later which proves to me that she loves me. Because if <i>I </i>had gotten truffle oil for Christmas I wouldn't have shared it with anyone!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Mushroom Truffle Oil Risotto</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 4 - 6 (4 main course, 6 side courses)</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 quart chicken broth</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons olive oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 onion, diced and divided</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 garlic cloves, minced and divided</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 pound fresh portobello and crimini mushrooms, sliced</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 bay leaves (I omitted this step)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon truffle oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups aborio rice</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup dry white wine</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fresh Italian parsley, for garnish</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat the chicken broth in a medium sauce pan and keep warm. Cover.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add 1/2 the onion and 1 clove of garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms, herbs, and butter. Cook for about 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with truffle oil and add the dried porcini mushrooms which were reconstituted in 1 cup of warm chicken broth. Season again with salt and pepper, and remove from heat and set aside.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coat a saucepan with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the remaining onion and garlic clove. Add the rice and stir quickly, until it is opaque (about 1 minute). Stir in the wine and cook until it is all evaporated.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, with a ladle, add 1 cup of warm chicken broth and stir until it is nearly all absorbed. Repeat step until all of the chicken broth is incorporated in the risotto. Transfer the mushrooms to the rice mixture and stir in Parmesan cheese. Top with just a small drizzle of truffle oil and parsley before serving.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What are you doing for V-day? We're staying in, and I'm making risotto. Again.</i></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-27852244634766999782012-01-24T21:39:00.000-05:002012-01-24T21:39:41.276-05:00Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been cooking a lot these past few weeks but unfortunately haven't snapped too many photos. There was some delicious <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Chicken-Chili-11452">white chicken chili,</a> lots of grilled salmon with veggie sides, and of course, <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/11/johns-favorite-chicken.html">pan seared chicken</a>. One meal that I did manage to catch on camera is this stuffed mushroom recipe, and I'm really glad I did. This is a nice and light vegetarian dish that could also serve as a side if you were serving something grilled. Super easy, very flavorful, and pretty healthy (depending on how much cheese you use!) - these will definitely be made again in our house. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John and I made these a few weeks ago and both agreed we should have made more than just 2! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The filling is very similar to, and was inspired by, the <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/11/recipe-revisited-feta-salsa.html">feta salsa</a> that I've made so many times. Sun dried tomatoes, dill, feta cheese, and kalamata olives, all mixed with a little bit of olive oil. Feel free to play around with this mixture though, depending on what you have on hand. No need to make a trip to the store for dill if you have basil or parsley in your fridge. We topped it with a Mexican blend of shredded cheese, but I think monterrey jack or mozzarella would be really good too.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 2</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned with stems removed</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">olive oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup feta cheese</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons chopped dill</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat a grill pan (or the grill) over medium high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add the mushrooms and grill on each side for about 4 minutes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a medium bowl, mix together the sun dried tomatoes, feta, dill, olives, and about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Season with pepper if desired (no need for salt - the olives and feta are very salty!). Remove the mushroom caps from the grill, turn upside down and stuff with this mixture. Place on baking dish, top with shredded cheese, and cook under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve immediately.</span></div>
<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-85375186937286192392012-01-11T06:43:00.001-05:002012-01-11T06:43:18.128-05:00The Latest Holiday Recap Ever<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel a little ridiculous even doing a holiday recap right now since I've been MIA for so long but I'm going to, so don't be mad. How was your holiday season? Mine was a blast and totally exhausting! We were busy every single day for about two weeks which explains my lack of posting. I had such a great time, and am also really happy to be home! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hosted Christmas Eve dinner:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spent some quality time with my family up in Alpharetta.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Got together with my oldest bff's and their babies :-)</span></div>
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(<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had the famous "Frito Dish" that <a href="http://www.mayfields.wordpress.com/">Kelly's</a> mom used to make us - it was still amazing).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also went to a birthday party, had a bonfire at our house, and then went to the mountains for a few days over New Years! Had a great time up there with an awesome group.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I'm back to normal, which is kind of sad but also kind of awesome. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other news, a big thank you to <a href="http://susiemaeday.wordpress.com/">Susie Mae Day</a> for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The Liebster Blog Award is given to up-coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The rules for the Liebster Blog Award are:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.<br />2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.<br />3. Copy & paste the blog award on your blog<br />4. Reveal your 5 blog picks.<br />5. Let them know you choose them by leaving a comment on their blog.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So who are my nominations? </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. <a href="http://myverbalvomit.com/">My Verbal Vomit</a> - although I'm not sure if this qualifies because I'm pretty sure she has more than 200 followers, I found Kelly's blog several months ago and <i>love it</i>. Kelly's authenticity is so awesome, and I know I will always leave laughing after reading her posts!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. <a href="http://invitingabode.blogspot.com/">An Inviting Abode</a> - I love Ashley's home decor, entertaining, and lifestyle blog. She always has great ideas and highlights really beautiful pieces and spaces. I'm not creative at ALL so I love going there for inspiration!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. <a href="http://www.girlyeverafter.com/">Girly Ever After</a> - I met Heather at an Atlanta blogging event about a month ago and have loved reading her blog since then. Of course I'm partial because she has an adorable Golden Retriever, but I also love her recipes and thoughts.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. <a href="http://stacyeats.com/">Stacy Eats</a> - Another Atlanta blogger - I talked to Stacy the longest out of anyone at the blogging event and she was so sweet! I really enjoy her blog and realizing that we frequent the same restaurants and places around Atlanta so often. She's getting married next year so her workout posts will probably be pretty frequent too :-)</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. <a href="http://thankyouliving.blogspot.com/">Thank You Living</a> - "A Grateful Journal" - Lindsay blogs about things that make her happy and that she's thankful for. Her blog always makes me smile and feel optimistic. Definitely check it out!</span></span></div>
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</span></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-16910671279144124862011-12-19T13:14:00.002-05:002011-12-19T13:14:33.642-05:00Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxRzR8uMXS9uzu7Va3sDaoZScEiy15ECfrJ_NWMqoecXgO1QaN6_rbuesI5HzLlfxOcaFoe2XWr6M8lI81dCeV3YhhrRQkH4-JDKAcTB_wkzBS_p3D7sZJWYkbnXQ5eaaCKgHQYZcklxZ/s1600/DSC_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxRzR8uMXS9uzu7Va3sDaoZScEiy15ECfrJ_NWMqoecXgO1QaN6_rbuesI5HzLlfxOcaFoe2XWr6M8lI81dCeV3YhhrRQkH4-JDKAcTB_wkzBS_p3D7sZJWYkbnXQ5eaaCKgHQYZcklxZ/s400/DSC_0013.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Growing up, my favorite ice cream was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>always </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mint chocolate chip. My dad would take my brother and me to Baskin Robbins after dinner all the time during the summer, and without fail I'd get a double scoop of mint chocolate chip in a cone. I still love the classic combination of mint and chocolate, especially this time of year. So when I saw some Nestle mint chocolate chips at Target I impulsively threw them in my cart. I've already gone back and bought more.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made these cookies for a volunteer day last Monday - as I've <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2010/12/pretzel-m-cookies.html">mentioned</a> in the <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2010/12/ladies-night-and-vegetable-lasagna.html">past</a>, my mom volunteers for Fugees Family - a great organization here in Atlanta that provides education and organized soccer programs for children of war torn countries. They are growing quickly and were recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning program. I was so proud! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will probably make these one more time before Christmas if I can find the time. I know I won't want mint chocolate anything come January so might as well getter done while there's a few weeks of indulgence left!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Recipe Source: <a href="http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/chocolate-mint-chip-cookies/">Two Peas and Their Pod</a></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Makes 3 dozen</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/4 cups flour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup white sugar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg (original recipe did not call for an egg but I added one)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup milk</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 bag mint chip cookies</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt and set aside. In an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until well combined. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Slowly add in the flour mixture in batches, add the milk in between, and combine well. Stir in the bag of chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 days.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough in tablespoon size pieces and press down slightly. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until done. Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet. Enjoy with a big glass of milk!</span></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-84110525961664294902011-12-13T07:23:00.000-05:002011-12-13T07:23:15.804-05:00Roasted Salmon with Herbs<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like my new casserole dish? It's Le Creuset and I got it at Marshalls - score! OK on to the regularly scheduled program:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm sorry for my little hiatus - it's been almost a week since my last post and since then we've been doing lots of fun holiday things - parties, shopping, baking. Good times - I can't believe there are only 12 days left until Christmas! It always seems like I blink and then it's here. This week we've got some festive stuff planned as well and I'm excited to celebrate.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week on one of the few nights we were home, I made this Roasted Salmon with Herbs from Ina Garten's cookbook, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Contessa-How-Easy-That/dp/0307238768/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323778949&sr=8-1">How Easy is That?! </a> </i>I'm a big Ina fan and want to go live in her house in the Hampton's, and also love her approach to cooking and entertaining - most of her recipes are very simple and focus on good ingredients vs. lots of difficult steps. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is no different. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're big salmon fans and probably have it every 8 - 10 days. Almost every time, it's seasoned with sea salt & pepper, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and dried dill weed, and then John grills it or pan sears it. He was working late so I took over and made this salmon and we were really glad to have the opportunity to change it up a little bit. Like most recipes, you could play around with the herbs based on what you have on hand, but I wouldn't skimp on the fresh dill - it's a classic pairing with salmon and really gives the dish a fresh, Mediterranean taste.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Roasted Salmon with Dill Weed</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Recipe Source: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Contessa-How-Easy-That/dp/0307238768/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323778949&sr=8-1">How Easy is That?!</a></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 2</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 salmon fillets</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 cup olive oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup minced green onions</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup minced fresh dill</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 cup dry white wine</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lemon wedges for serving</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a casserole dish with cooking spray. Place the salmon fillets in the dish and season heavily with salt and pepper. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle the mixture over the salmon. Let stand for 15 minutes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix the green onions and dill in a small bowl (her recipe calls for parsley as well, which I didn't have). Place over the salmon and pat down so it sticks. Pour the wine around the salmon in the dish.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until almost cooked through Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot with lemon wedges.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Are you a big salmon fan? If so what's your go- to way to serve it? Include links if you have them!</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-78283602944324824842011-12-06T19:15:00.001-05:002011-12-07T07:54:29.589-05:00Spinach Quiche<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay. I know I've posted about quiche <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/04/easy-quiche.html">plenty</a> of <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2010/01/simple-quiche.html">times</a> <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/06/sun-dried-tomato-pea-and-white-cheddar.html">before</a>, but if you are not making it as part of your dinner routine trust me when I say you are missing out! I'm not a big breakfast/brunch person (sorry <a href="http://thankyouliving.blogspot.com/">Lindsay</a>!), but I do like eggs, so I really enjoy having them the base of my dinner from time to time. Whenever we go through a stage of wanting to clean out our fridge, freezer, or even pantry, you can bet that a quiche is going to show up on the menu sooner or later. And since I'm currently cursing myself for being a <s>hoarder</s> <s>spender</s> bargain hunter who can't turn down a deal, we've been faced with a week where I'm swearing not to go to the grocery store because we've <i>got </i>to eat through what we have.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So. This quiche happened. And John and I both proclaimed it was the best quiche <i>ever</i>. The ingredient that changed it all? <b>Frozen</b> spinach. It gives you so much more volume, let alone bang for your buck. In the past I've sauteed a few handfuls of spinach and thrown it in the quiche, but this go round I put a whole 10 oz package of frozen (defrosted) spinach in there and it made all the difference. Granted, we are both veggie lovers, but the spinach to egg to cheese ratio really was perfect here. Try it and let me know what you think!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Wednesday! Halfway through the week! We have two holiday parties this weekend - I am soooo ready! One's tacky and one's fancy!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Am I the only one who starts looking forward to the weekends on Wednesdays?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Do you ever use eggs in your dinner, or are they only breakfast food in your mind?</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Spinach Quiche</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 4</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 frozen pie crust, defrosted </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 10 oz package frozen spinach</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 medium onion, chopped</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 eggs</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup half and half</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup grated white cheddar cheese </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 teaspoon nutmeg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">freshly ground black pepper</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup feta cheese</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Defrost the pie crust for about 10 minutes. Pierce with a fork several times. Bake for 10-12 minutes and remove from oven.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Defrost the frozen spinach and squeeze dry with a kitchen towel. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chop the onion and garlic, and saute on medium high for 5-7 minutes in a little bit of olive oil. Season with a little bit of sea salt and pepper. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach and cheese and mix well. Pour directly into the pie crust and top with feta cheese. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes or up to room temperature. Slice and serve.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-79933936689817073812011-12-06T07:08:00.001-05:002011-12-06T07:23:01.838-05:00Oven Roasted Potato "Chips"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwg6nyGE1jn40POlLMm_7W4Sh-14Vhegyp9nFnaZVNikyxfOe8lujLFqDB4ajGIRMcgriZe7HE8mv4aDR0pY2Z13yteZi-VvL30vaQOINpyHpSjvPFDZxfdz8Z11BDB_uSOy2gNO-wZ0Y/s1600/DSC_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwg6nyGE1jn40POlLMm_7W4Sh-14Vhegyp9nFnaZVNikyxfOe8lujLFqDB4ajGIRMcgriZe7HE8mv4aDR0pY2Z13yteZi-VvL30vaQOINpyHpSjvPFDZxfdz8Z11BDB_uSOy2gNO-wZ0Y/s320/DSC_0003.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's talk about potatoes. Every time I eat them, I think that I should make more potatoes. But for some reason I rarely buy them when I'm at the grocery store. They just seem so boring, sitting there, all brown and lumpy. But inevitably, when I <i>do</i> pick them up, I'm always surprised by how fun it is to make them and how good they are!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friend Blair made these roasted potatoes for us a few months ago and I knew I had to recreate them. I usually cut new potatoes into quarters and roast in big chunks. The trick with these; however, is to slice the potatoes very thin - probably 1/4 inch or thinner. Toss generously in olive oil, season as you like (I used sea salt, pepper, and cumin) and bake for a long time - like 45 minutes or so. You want to wait until they get really brown - you might even burn a few but that's ok. It just means the rest of them will turn out majorly crispy and crunchy and you can feel like you're eating potato chips but they're healthier because they're homemade and because you told yourself they are.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had these with seared tuna and asparagus. I made a bunch thinking we'd have leftovers but I'm <s>ashamed</s> proud to admit that we polished off the whole batch in one night. For a fun twist you could serve these with a dipping sauce, like honey mustard or blue cheese dressing. Or ranch. Because what wouldn't taste better with ranch?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw89Ntk65DVspA9r6GLSj1Y6M1mv1n1vkamfneow6MOF_OJ4H4G1NzTGyhRZBWi1zAsypSNK3O_wmZoK4YiQ-XYbEkxwBCp5T24esPPfrIuJeouGKx3gm1xrOE7xyqtvC_lXVp4GclUJMW/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw89Ntk65DVspA9r6GLSj1Y6M1mv1n1vkamfneow6MOF_OJ4H4G1NzTGyhRZBWi1zAsypSNK3O_wmZoK4YiQ-XYbEkxwBCp5T24esPPfrIuJeouGKx3gm1xrOE7xyqtvC_lXVp4GclUJMW/s400/DSC_0005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Oven Roasted Potato "Chips"</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 4 </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 - 6 large yukon gold potatoes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">olive oil, sea salt, pepper, seasonings of your choice (could use garlic, cumin, chili powder, etc).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the potatoes in olive oil, season heavily with sea salt and pepper and other spices if you choose.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lay out on a foil lined baking dish and do not overlap. Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes, or until potatoes are extra crispy. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.</span></div>
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-77139898962587090542011-12-05T07:20:00.001-05:002011-12-05T09:01:38.523-05:00Soft Gingersnap Cookies<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66JvpekQQh-BuWSqH_ulYt2kEjn-uFtC5jZ6cWOqJFbxof7IgNTNn55Wq0e13l7KGyw4y2Z5ZV3UcFnmTD9Trf1V_Uw4wawoJbAuv87E6MSXQZErTNtL3wCOhYjBc2SEaARIX8S_LaDbi/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66JvpekQQh-BuWSqH_ulYt2kEjn-uFtC5jZ6cWOqJFbxof7IgNTNn55Wq0e13l7KGyw4y2Z5ZV3UcFnmTD9Trf1V_Uw4wawoJbAuv87E6MSXQZErTNtL3wCOhYjBc2SEaARIX8S_LaDbi/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know some of you get mad at me when I post too many desserts so I'm trying my hardest not to overload you with cookie recipes this December. But this soft gingersnap recipe is one that you need to have this holiday season. Super easy, very soft and chewy, and they just taste like Christmas! We enjoyed them yesterday after running errands (me), working (John), and decorating our tree. The tree is from Costco and I think it's our best one yet!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a really busy but fun weekend - went to Kyma on Friday night with my parents for a very belated birthday celebration for my Dad, and then tailgated for the SEC championship on Saturday. No photos - new years' resolution is to get better about taking more people pictures!! But we had a blast. Saturday night concluded with Mellow Mushroom and wine on the couch :-) Last night after tree decorating and the Falcons, John smoked a whole chicken on the Big Green Egg and it was fantastic! It was nice to use the grill again, we've taken a little break. We watched some shows and I went to bed at 9:30 last night which might be a record - it felt awesome! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What was the highlight of your weekend?</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Did you do any cooking? </i>These cookies were the only time I was in the kitchen. That's usually how weekends go around here though!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Soft Gingersnap Cookies</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Recipe Source: </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/soft-gingersnap-cookie-recipe/">Two Peas and Their Pod</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 1/4 cup flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon ground ginger</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon ground cloves</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pinch of nutmeg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup brown sugar (original recipe calls for light, I used dark)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup molasses</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">white sugar to roll the dough in</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl and set aside. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the stand of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and well combined. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well. Slowly pour in the molasses and mix until combined. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until the dough is completely combined.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roll the dough in to tablespoon sized balls and roll in white sugar. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 8 minutes. Even if they look like they're not done, remove from oven. This is the key to making sure they're soft and not crispy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-23381746457363565842011-12-02T06:54:00.001-05:002011-12-02T07:30:03.192-05:00Look Mom, I Made a Pie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMZQZ0FnnufoEqacbGVP_cPxmlBuTCKHMbf1HXqOAdwnW-wyICeJYgKJIobBS-DKFCd5Mzqr9dlLYbY0gQjXxsgnqGv05poBmYoM4gwx7tWyN0qmUMlkOiofLPPKgkFNLQC9MFGerd6aa/s1600/DSC_0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMZQZ0FnnufoEqacbGVP_cPxmlBuTCKHMbf1HXqOAdwnW-wyICeJYgKJIobBS-DKFCd5Mzqr9dlLYbY0gQjXxsgnqGv05poBmYoM4gwx7tWyN0qmUMlkOiofLPPKgkFNLQC9MFGerd6aa/s640/DSC_0024.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanksgiving's well behind us at this point. I've finally stopped eating pie <s>for breakfast</s> leftovers, have taken a little break from baking, and cooking in general, and am ready to get back at it sooner rather than later! I did want to share this recipe and these photos with you first though, in case you want to put it on your to-make list for Christmas.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know about you but I've always been intimidated by making my own pie dough. Actually, dough in general kinda scares me, unless it's cookie dough, which you can't really mess up. But if it involves using a rolling pin, or even worse, <i>yeast</i>, I usually turn a blind eye to the fact that what I'm about to make is not going to be 100% authentic and pick up the pre made stuff at the grocery store. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that's not fun! Easy, yes. And I'm sure I'll do it again. But since it was Thanksgiving, and since I have about 4 pounds of butter in my fridge, I decided it was time to take the plunge and make an apple pie with homemade crust. Let me tell you - I wouldn't call this totally difficult, but I definitely wouldn't call it <i>easy.</i> That being said, now that I know how to make pie dough, I'm definitely going to make it again because it tastes soooooo much better than the premade kind. Just make sure you have a few hours before you start this process.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So. First you peel a boatload of apples. That wasn't fun. I cut myself. But John helped me chop them because I made him.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip33eGh5OwTYPJZC4RtBeEuMDumuB-PqmzDxvuafQWYDt8SOfZcc6f2KRR5GJgrR_S-rVyVnSWkeCWzrW56BSIakZOqa6FOoV-VGw1259ssQJEno2Uv8q2mV09ehv7A1v2mBr89IPAudJG/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip33eGh5OwTYPJZC4RtBeEuMDumuB-PqmzDxvuafQWYDt8SOfZcc6f2KRR5GJgrR_S-rVyVnSWkeCWzrW56BSIakZOqa6FOoV-VGw1259ssQJEno2Uv8q2mV09ehv7A1v2mBr89IPAudJG/s400/DSC_0013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPJ5TUb8w_PIk6wCIIeAY_1SS15W6k7DP6na4Fg-wXGnMsAB0Hg9DmflkMV96gE6wcHJiDf2srkaz08lDW_ynxhJn-2CSSSRGgCApWuUc1OpciknVmBbW5yzLv-5V37rm0tjgbTV9NTx2/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPJ5TUb8w_PIk6wCIIeAY_1SS15W6k7DP6na4Fg-wXGnMsAB0Hg9DmflkMV96gE6wcHJiDf2srkaz08lDW_ynxhJn-2CSSSRGgCApWuUc1OpciknVmBbW5yzLv-5V37rm0tjgbTV9NTx2/s320/DSC_0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uZ1Se8Nt4ye9MFPcRIiDlVqczMCx9wUmF6kredlDFrFISA9-aYNvM0F4LLT33IrY4ktn_zzBp_IZyafdWMwPgSbbOKenPBBJkmkojz5NVjWHlnkOdc4WXEryjPu19BWjHUvEbC_0hQT4/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uZ1Se8Nt4ye9MFPcRIiDlVqczMCx9wUmF6kredlDFrFISA9-aYNvM0F4LLT33IrY4ktn_zzBp_IZyafdWMwPgSbbOKenPBBJkmkojz5NVjWHlnkOdc4WXEryjPu19BWjHUvEbC_0hQT4/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the apples are peeled and chopped, you mix them with flour and sugar and cinnamon. Yuuuum. I definitely ate some just like that. Am I gross?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You make your pie crust (flour, very cold butter, very cold water, and sugar - details in the recipe below), put it in the fridge for up to 2 days, and remove and roll it out. Place in and around a pie dish.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4yuXD2qz0fmt9_XRgc4M-ErmP93sD2tA2I_V36pLgVbLGZsqUSecM-se-HERSk6lA3vwQD0jPEabFN18DivtovDa6d-f68Ldorh18eWCFxp11a06H9AhyphenhyphenlF-D9lABJzOqLgPUkKb123F/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4yuXD2qz0fmt9_XRgc4M-ErmP93sD2tA2I_V36pLgVbLGZsqUSecM-se-HERSk6lA3vwQD0jPEabFN18DivtovDa6d-f68Ldorh18eWCFxp11a06H9AhyphenhyphenlF-D9lABJzOqLgPUkKb123F/s320/DSC_0017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fill the pie dish with the apple mixture. Martha called for 4 pounds of apples; that was WAY too many. This probably ended up being 2.5 - 3 pounds.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take the other half of your dough and place on top of the apples, pinching all of the edges together with the bottom layer.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut little slits on the top so it doesn't explode, or something.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then you bake that mutha til it's done - make sure to place it on a cookie sheet while baking, because it will ooze out sticky apple stuff and ruin your oven if you don't.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then you have a pie! Let it sit for 6 hours or until completely cooled. Serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream. Save leftovers for pointless consumption.</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apple Pie</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recipe Source: For the dough: <a href="http://annies-eats.net/2010/06/30/basic-pie-dough-tips-and-tricks/">Annie's Eats</a>. For the pie filling: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/341735/apple-pie">Martha Stewart</a></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the dough: (note that this is the ingredients for two pie crusts so you can make a pie with a top/bottom. If you are making a pie with just a bottom crust, cut this in half).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 1/2 cup flour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoon sugar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 sticks butter, very cold and cut into small pieces</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 tablespoons very cold water</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the filling:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">juice of one lemon</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4" slices</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup sugar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons unsalted butter</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the dough: </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Mix just to blend. Add the butter and mix on medium low until the butter is cut into the flour and the largest pieces are about the size of a pea. You want it to be sandy and crumbly. Then add the water, mix on low until a ball is formed. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you're ready to make the pie:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the rack set in the lowest position. Prepare a pie dish and set aside.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remove dough from fridge, cut in half, and roll each crust out on a floured surface until it is a little bigger than the circumference of the pie dish that you're using. Place one part of the dough in the pie dish and keep the other half for the top.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Squeeze about half of the lemon juice in a large bowl and as you add the chopped apples to it coat with more so they don't brown. Once you have all of your apples peeled and chopped, add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt and mix together. Place the filling on top of the pie dough, putting a little bit more in the center. Dot with butter. Roll the other pie dough over the top, and crimp the bottom and top edges together.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place on a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes. Lower heat to 375 and bake for 50-60 more minutes, or until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling. Remove and cool completely before serving.</span></div>
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-22218506440593734502011-11-29T08:01:00.000-05:002011-11-29T08:01:00.463-05:00Mint Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are the brownies that I made for <a href="http://www.mayfields.wordpress.com/">Kelly</a> and her family that I mentioned yesterday. The ones that are addictive as crack. You better believe I made a double batch so we could get in on the indulgence too. I found the recipe on <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/">epicurious</a>, which is one of my favorite cooking websites. Their recipes always deliver and this was no exception! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These brownies would be perfect for a holiday get together - the combo of mint and chocolate makes me think of Christmas! John said they tasted like a Peppermint Patty. They did, but more fattening :-) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They end up fudgy as opposed to cake like, which in my opinion, is the way brownies should be. (Fudgy!) And who can resist the buttercream peppermint frosting on top?! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recipe is very easy but it does take some time - you start by making the brownies, then you let them cool and add one layer of frosting, let them cool again before you add the second layer. It's worth the wait though, I promise! I'll definitely be making these again before the holiday season is over, and you should too!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Mint Brownies</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Recipe Source: <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mint-Brownies-4316">Epicurious</a></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Yields 12 brownies (I doubled this)</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the brownies:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 stick butter</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cups sugar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup flour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pinch of salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>For the toppings:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup powdered sugar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 stick butter, room temperature</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon whole milk (I used 1% and it was fine)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8x2 baking dish and set aside.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir the butter and chocolate in a small sauce pan over low heat until fully melted and combined. Set aside. In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the chocolate/butter mixture, flour, peppermint and vanilla extract, and salt. Mix just enough to combine. Pour in baking dish and bake for about 25 minutes, or until you can stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. Cool slightly.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the peppermint frosting (first layer), beat the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, peppermint extract, and milk on high speed until creamy. Spread over warm brownies and cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the chocolate topping, stir the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan over low heat until well combined. Cool slightly, then pour over the cooled brownies/frosting and spread evenly. Cool for another hour or until frosting is completely set. Cut into squares.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cover with foil and store at room temp, although I froze a batch of these for a few days and they turned out just as good as they were on the first day.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What are you planning on baking this holiday season?</i> I still want to tackle gingerbread cookies (soft!!), sugar cookies, and some sort of chocolate peppermint cake. </span></div>
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-54122787125859327352011-11-28T07:29:00.001-05:002011-11-28T07:46:25.431-05:00Scenes from the Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lmbJOR4uXEtg2K_DbG7Ro6fRNYsuvqHNisN55ez_bORufwrVgyAaBUwfXrGdl1kNv_AcpqniJYSMxVUVGwE8ECVdEhCOjn3Er1v9RkowCu4L-cikNqRGvKkKcLL-6GIB9XubYdk2Yd60/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lmbJOR4uXEtg2K_DbG7Ro6fRNYsuvqHNisN55ez_bORufwrVgyAaBUwfXrGdl1kNv_AcpqniJYSMxVUVGwE8ECVdEhCOjn3Er1v9RkowCu4L-cikNqRGvKkKcLL-6GIB9XubYdk2Yd60/s640/DSC_0025.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What an amazing Thanksgiving break! We spent so much time with family and friends and also had a good amount of down time this go round which is unique for us! I had big plans to clean out closets and organize in that down time but really just spent it reading, eating/drinking, and watching football. Don't regret it at all!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some photos from our second Thanksgiving which took place on Friday:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJvFuZ4z5pFs3CoO1iKeTTlLTiCp8kFs5NElIfq3weYRc6bxG9ZUjxlAMSl0xfiw3QNYFVVynkAeji3-tBfVLE0XIyzx2kRODEtGmjHFGq5LUlJw5dxyAToLKa8gsI4kzMhq1KfDb_xbP/s1600/DSC_0038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJvFuZ4z5pFs3CoO1iKeTTlLTiCp8kFs5NElIfq3weYRc6bxG9ZUjxlAMSl0xfiw3QNYFVVynkAeji3-tBfVLE0XIyzx2kRODEtGmjHFGq5LUlJw5dxyAToLKa8gsI4kzMhq1KfDb_xbP/s400/DSC_0038.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHaiWQYheWPlGVvJPMrb-iz82LKBKkJRBll7Y8u61gi0pTX5pA5sZuJO2TItzmOE0QnwrnkHqDmrLc3byRoRpuJb9lWwY9wsvRLRvEkL0m8esjkDESobbSkt5fkc_kIkxth9hmGSjeyau/s1600/DSC_0039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHaiWQYheWPlGVvJPMrb-iz82LKBKkJRBll7Y8u61gi0pTX5pA5sZuJO2TItzmOE0QnwrnkHqDmrLc3byRoRpuJb9lWwY9wsvRLRvEkL0m8esjkDESobbSkt5fkc_kIkxth9hmGSjeyau/s320/DSC_0039.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TcdwacTLtqZ6escVyk5Ijgt_pOtZtO0aJkxJX1ScgXgZ8K10sgVyeMtrDeDEu3jSfH9PeV1IhjoMWMPu0dCuHVx_1HtuH-TilhTe2qKYx_8YmpB5TScH4TGoA9e8fpsTZ4FMXXZxaFkJ/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TcdwacTLtqZ6escVyk5Ijgt_pOtZtO0aJkxJX1ScgXgZ8K10sgVyeMtrDeDEu3jSfH9PeV1IhjoMWMPu0dCuHVx_1HtuH-TilhTe2qKYx_8YmpB5TScH4TGoA9e8fpsTZ4FMXXZxaFkJ/s400/DSC_0043.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrDobJToQ0cNE7I1sgIg6V0LPzFRJ6DP2JN18j6_FvdrTJQjqL1Z3VksLPoHx69LsAQygPk_26uO5EWF2YED4r6XmYJk4YVJDKqnObh9bA5my7cqwwfccQefEVcFXRamR9FR0kim6eqqs/s1600/DSC_0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrDobJToQ0cNE7I1sgIg6V0LPzFRJ6DP2JN18j6_FvdrTJQjqL1Z3VksLPoHx69LsAQygPk_26uO5EWF2YED4r6XmYJk4YVJDKqnObh9bA5my7cqwwfccQefEVcFXRamR9FR0kim6eqqs/s320/DSC_0045.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgem77a6-mlSdpSG9NUbh6OBoqa-BKxfsaWmWH2pl8ytra3vWnVdKyYlsudfT96wQFRb072jzCJ3vh5CFfpNIvma-J8hTfIHVbRfzHnoymncjY2WVGfcH4xnV1XXhbsyacqsQCSdLMtOuMd/s1600/DSC_0049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgem77a6-mlSdpSG9NUbh6OBoqa-BKxfsaWmWH2pl8ytra3vWnVdKyYlsudfT96wQFRb072jzCJ3vh5CFfpNIvma-J8hTfIHVbRfzHnoymncjY2WVGfcH4xnV1XXhbsyacqsQCSdLMtOuMd/s400/DSC_0049.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug1jl7yvnyX3h0WTSqZXFjkLA4Rn6SfGe9cVXNm173xLUb7XVOsXrvICJbxUj0RuLbGo02iEl_fFrYCn8wkGuaRG2AAUbFeBYX7g2XavCCbHUBTJlCnt7nSlhs7jNmrR9SK92dAXMXYoS/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug1jl7yvnyX3h0WTSqZXFjkLA4Rn6SfGe9cVXNm173xLUb7XVOsXrvICJbxUj0RuLbGo02iEl_fFrYCn8wkGuaRG2AAUbFeBYX7g2XavCCbHUBTJlCnt7nSlhs7jNmrR9SK92dAXMXYoS/s320/DSC_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhb4ZzJK3mG8bxd-KVSOEYGQZw3AG7wNMt6re6HOklznkgiSxtzmIDbF-L7Ry6nouEOPsemZ9DP5tm7nerm6VuCnRCQP-CM9EO_EO6lPe_BPUPP456Z4nQzLtGtPjCIO5AkurJRiR9icA/s1600/DSC_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhb4ZzJK3mG8bxd-KVSOEYGQZw3AG7wNMt6re6HOklznkgiSxtzmIDbF-L7Ry6nouEOPsemZ9DP5tm7nerm6VuCnRCQP-CM9EO_EO6lPe_BPUPP456Z4nQzLtGtPjCIO5AkurJRiR9icA/s320/DSC_0056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBbYdAPS-ZO6PPQVk6kKLbDoAzpuugC2wmUtKQN8qozlFFw3gIBt5aNzSo_01ttY_HhK6ClCl2yM1geCy6HaOvmfRZeobdk7Tnoa-dcUO_CScKGKiKqBrjMhuNmA3YzlH4s9nYrbYu9zL/s1600/DSC_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBbYdAPS-ZO6PPQVk6kKLbDoAzpuugC2wmUtKQN8qozlFFw3gIBt5aNzSo_01ttY_HhK6ClCl2yM1geCy6HaOvmfRZeobdk7Tnoa-dcUO_CScKGKiKqBrjMhuNmA3YzlH4s9nYrbYu9zL/s320/DSC_0059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything was amazing! We spent Thanksgiving day with John's family (16 people) and then Friday with my parents (just the 4 of us). A really good balance and we had a great time at both celebrations. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday we went to tailgate down at GA Tech's campus for the UGA/Georgia Tech game. Then we went and watched the game at Cypress Street in Midtown. It was a really fun day and we won the game which made it even better! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday we got to go see <a href="http://www.mayfields.wordpress.com/">Kelly</a> (one of my oldest friends and also one of KA's most faithful commenters :-)) and her new baby girl Molly! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We brought them dinner which included</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/11/healthy-banana-bread.html">healthy banana bread</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, these</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/11/corn-muffins-with-sun-dried-tomatoes.html">corn muffins</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and this</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2010/11/chicken-tortilla-soup.html">chicken tortilla soup</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. And some brownies that are as addictive as crack that I will be posting about soon!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was so fun to hang with her adorable family and play with 18 month old Kaden. He's freaking adorable and we had fun reading him LOTS of books and trying to get him to sit still while saying "cheeeeese" for the camera. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baby Molly! 3 weeks old and doing great. She slept the whole time like a good little newborn.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know how Kelly and Trey do it....2 under 2 is a handful!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now it's back to the grind and it's appropriately cold and rainy outside. How many weeks til Christmas? ;-)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a great week. <i>What was the highlight of your Thanksgiving break?</i></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-80738872688958394382011-11-25T08:36:00.001-05:002011-11-25T12:59:01.228-05:00Thankful<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am so blessed and thankful for so many things.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For John, who is my best friend and biggest support system. He never lets me down and makes every day something to look forward to. I am so excited about spending forever with him.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For my family - all of them - who are fun loving, close friends, and understanding. I am so lucky to have such awesome families all here in Atlanta and close by.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For my girlfriends. I am extremely fortunate to be friends with such genuine, beautiful, unique ladies. I've always said "I don't fight with my friends" and it's true. So glad to have you guys in my life. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For my health. I am so happy to be alive, well, and able to move freely. It should never be taken for granted.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For books. Reading has always been one of my biggest de-stressors and hobbies. I love reading and know that there will never be enough time to read all of the books I want to.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For exercise. John will be the first to tell you that I'm not myself if I haven't had my exercise - I am so happy that I know exactly what will make me feel better and keep me sane. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For our military. Close friends and family members, and strangers alike, keep us safe and happy at home while they are deployed defending our freedom.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For our home. It may be tiny but I love it so much. We've spent so many good times here with friends and family, and on our own, grilling out on the porch, planting flowers, etc. I love our neighborhood and the unique charm that each home has. I love the location - we have the ability to walk to locally owned restaurants and shops, but it's also just a short drive from the gym, Costco, Publix, and the mall. All places that I am thankful for.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, how could I forget, SAM. I'm so grateful that we have such a happy little guy who makes me laugh every day. I love his joy of life and think humans could stand to learn a lot from dogs.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What are you most thankful for this year?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-34755905756669040392011-11-23T14:50:00.001-05:002011-11-23T14:53:32.121-05:00Thanksgiving Eve<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just wanted to pop in and say hello - are you busy getting ready for Turkey Day? I had the day off and have been baking all afternoon...can't wait to share the recipes with you next week! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Also, I changed commenting forums (from Blogger to Disqus) which will hopefully make the comments section much more interactive - I can finally answer questions and you'll get notified with follow up comments. It should be easier if you don't have a blog to leave a comment now. Try it out and we'll see what happens! The one downside is it totally wiped out ALL of the comments on every post on my blog! I am so sad and if anyone knows how to recover this please let me know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hope everyone is safe and happy this Thanksgiving! See you all soon with lots of fun stuff!</span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-24388631135313125342011-11-21T20:17:00.001-05:002011-11-22T17:15:01.317-05:00Sweet and Spicy Rosemary Walnuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ9sudgcXKS8p6FKJDycNtmoG-L3Nkg2tyU9SvzxJwq-1YzRz8G8e4i9BOYqJcxLiWofK-xk4XqWG8LQmPREvIsL2zQF_RJAyXoZ0cTm8C4YxdIet_8WHiZ6L7TUEFnU4PDPxO9yYNdVp/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ9sudgcXKS8p6FKJDycNtmoG-L3Nkg2tyU9SvzxJwq-1YzRz8G8e4i9BOYqJcxLiWofK-xk4XqWG8LQmPREvIsL2zQF_RJAyXoZ0cTm8C4YxdIet_8WHiZ6L7TUEFnU4PDPxO9yYNdVp/s400/DSC_0004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have a big ol' rosemary bush in our herb garden that grows and grows and grows, despite the weather, despite how much I water it, or despite how long it's neglected. I love that rosemary bush and it always makes me happy that I spent the $3.99 at Lowes a few years ago. While basil takes time, patience, and a lot of sun, rosemary thrives no matter the condition.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I saw <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/brown-sugar-rosemary-walnuts-recipe.html">this recipe</a> pop up a few weeks ago it looked surprisingly interesting to me. I'm not usually a huge fan of candied nuts but this sounded...different. More herby. Less sticky sweet. More natural. I took a lot of creative liberty with this concoction and ended up using one of my favorite spices in the world - cayenne pepper - to give the nuts a little kick. <i> (I wonder if I'll get any weird google results for just typing "give the nuts a little kick?") </i> Egg whites serve as the binding agent as opposed to butter which is traditionally used in these types of recipes. The result? A light but filling, crispy, flavorful walnut with just the right amount of earthiness, thanks to the rosemary. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRK8sElo3dqrCFHLuFxXoBEuE2a8_5JYW4u9i9-bFXcFDgpfWm_OAqMPLqVxDcAfRJjhxcL7C34SmmR11NvClYSXfgBELyWC4eIaoxqCut5anoPkLYUzGDrM-kCYVLKZ-SdjyVZv4Qq9_/s1600/DSC_0013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRK8sElo3dqrCFHLuFxXoBEuE2a8_5JYW4u9i9-bFXcFDgpfWm_OAqMPLqVxDcAfRJjhxcL7C34SmmR11NvClYSXfgBELyWC4eIaoxqCut5anoPkLYUzGDrM-kCYVLKZ-SdjyVZv4Qq9_/s400/DSC_0013.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I volunteered to bring these to Thanksgiving at my in-laws this year - John's in charge of the mashed potatoes which are my mom's secret recipe! Then Friday, we're going to my parents house for Thanksgiving part deux. I'm making apple pie. I'm kind of scared. I'll talk to you about that next week. In the meantime, try these nuts for a light appetizer or snack.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What are you assigned to bring to Thanksgiving this year? Have you made it before? </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sweet and Spicy Rosemary Walnuts</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Makes 4 cups</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup brown sugar</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons sea salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 egg whites</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 lb walnuts</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 300 degrees.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix together the brown sugar, salt, rosemary, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the egg whites together. Mix the walnuts in egg whites until they are all coated. Add the sugar mixture and mix well, until the mixture is evenly dispersed amongst all of the walnuts.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a plastic or glass container. These will keep in an airtight container for about a week.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-33718901859178845702011-11-21T09:06:00.001-05:002011-11-21T16:23:12.822-05:00Chicken Meatloaf Stuffed with Spinach and Mozzarella<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhlAMKqlc6_8udA24qK48M07P6nkGOf4S832KJyEdElghLDacJ4_7gkOLajtxO-Tt6nFbDHU5oEJdJoomncdIQ2VUG5vRVL_7m6A8g8seImkRZ1YRlfPotUJmxfbsghZdcCvjqVMRIa1W/s1600/DSC_0015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhlAMKqlc6_8udA24qK48M07P6nkGOf4S832KJyEdElghLDacJ4_7gkOLajtxO-Tt6nFbDHU5oEJdJoomncdIQ2VUG5vRVL_7m6A8g8seImkRZ1YRlfPotUJmxfbsghZdcCvjqVMRIa1W/s400/DSC_0015.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not a girl who grew up eating meatloaf slathered in ketchup and for that I am eternally indebted to my mother. That being said, if any of you are in a relationship with a man, you can relate to my need to feed him something besides <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2010/09/coconut-curry-stir-fry.html">veggie stir fry</a> and <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/11/best-chocolate-chip-cookies.html">chocolate chip cookies</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My<a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2009/11/turkey-meatloaf-with-feta-and-sundried.html"> turkey meatloaf with sun dried tomatoes and feta</a> is <em>always</em> the requested meatloaf in this house, but it might have been given a run for its money last night thanks to <a href="http://www.peanutbutterrunner.com/">Jen</a> over at <a href="http://www.bakinandeggs.com/">Bakin and Eggs.</a> When I saw this recipe pop up on her blog a few weeks ago I bookmarked it immediately and knew I'd want to make it soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I figured since it's Thanksgiving week you all would like to see a nice light recipe, because we're all <strike>dieting,</strike> <strike>throwing in the towel</strike>, saving up for the big day. This is not that recipe. But don't be mad, be glad! It's so good and different - I've never had a stuffed meatloaf before and let me tell you, if you haven't either, you're missing out. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZabTUdKktsLsZhoc_-uoOVSnGasriolo6gtJMf288x-POaEN0FAwqOCK_U-IUVXqzzCmmTU5vVkZu8u4Y-z5PIZrn6t8DgWKbCQcRqRzX8WvvrCrf4Gu4SZJ3AzBJAq3uhth0qSh_uJ9K/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZabTUdKktsLsZhoc_-uoOVSnGasriolo6gtJMf288x-POaEN0FAwqOCK_U-IUVXqzzCmmTU5vVkZu8u4Y-z5PIZrn6t8DgWKbCQcRqRzX8WvvrCrf4Gu4SZJ3AzBJAq3uhth0qSh_uJ9K/s640/DSC_0018.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I apologize for the picture below, because I personally think looking at ground, raw chicken is disgusting, but I wanted to illustrate how the bottom half of the uncooked meatloaf should look before you put it in the oven. The trick is to put half of the mixture (recipe below) in the loaf pan, then make an indentation in the mixture, leaving one inch around all sides, to add the spinach and mozzarella. You then put the other half of the meatloaf mixture on top of the filling, cover with marinara sauce and cheese, and bake it. YUM!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6RSz4Z4qqipHmZIoQbxP2W9UZ-IAcafKL-e7wJIC2b9Ih3r_q3J5uyU3rdJfJGzRiyxNo7lukGqzgk6NQHFBBP4YqPxIxiXGc_JuUfQTkPUuz-Iy3myaVOG1NAZa_yyX6mc9JnOiuV60/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6RSz4Z4qqipHmZIoQbxP2W9UZ-IAcafKL-e7wJIC2b9Ih3r_q3J5uyU3rdJfJGzRiyxNo7lukGqzgk6NQHFBBP4YqPxIxiXGc_JuUfQTkPUuz-Iy3myaVOG1NAZa_yyX6mc9JnOiuV60/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chicken Meatloaf Stuffed with Spinach and Mozzarella</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Recipe Source: barely adapted from <a href="http://bakinandeggs.com/2011/11/09/mozzarella-and-spinach-stuffed-chicken-meatloaf/">Bakin' and Eggs</a></span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ingredients:</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 lb ground chicken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3/4 cup marinara sauce, divided</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 cup bread crumbs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 teaspoon Italian seasoning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 teaspoon ground pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 white onion, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 minced garlic cloves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 eggs, lightly beaten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (squeeze water out with a dish rag)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Directions:</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a loaf pan and set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In a large bowl, add the chicken 1/4 cup marinara sauce, bread crumbs, seasoning/herbs, onion, garlic, eggs, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until combined but do not over mix. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the spinach and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Place half the mixture in the loaf pan, create the indentation mentioned above, and fill with spinach and cheese. Place the remaining chicken mixture on top. Pour remaining 1/2 cup marinara sauce on top of meatloaf. Bake for about 45 minutes, remove, add the remaining mozzarella cheese, and bake for about 10 more minutes, until chicken is cooked. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until juices have been absorbed and chicken is 160 degrees.</span><br />
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-31290711001369542542011-11-18T08:13:00.001-05:002011-11-18T08:28:49.599-05:00Recipe Revisited: Feta Salsa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKdrngPsOBRFVKhp6HCsi2voKITpScXmIE_vMXwpkS178oB5ESR4MseZOwEQTLlpiq3wxbMxFmtn_ZBlI4ogNN3Xpt6Er_eAHqzB4L1ry6WBLHHVdA382NTVR01ad9fNyHuVucWDdju4n/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKdrngPsOBRFVKhp6HCsi2voKITpScXmIE_vMXwpkS178oB5ESR4MseZOwEQTLlpiq3wxbMxFmtn_ZBlI4ogNN3Xpt6Er_eAHqzB4L1ry6WBLHHVdA382NTVR01ad9fNyHuVucWDdju4n/s640/DSC_0011.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Need an appetizer to bring to Thanksgiving dinner this year? I've made this dip a few times, and every time I make it people ask right away for the recipe. I could send them to a <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2009/09/feta-salsa.html">post back from 2009</a>, back when I had about 1.5 blog readers, or I could re-post it now, for the handful of new followers I've gained in 2+ years of blogging :-) I've also gained slightly better photography skills, and when I say slightly, I mean I got a big camera and took a 4 hour <i>outdoor </i>class in 90 degree heat with <a href="http://mayfields.wordpress.com/">Kelly</a> that we bought with a Groupon and I want to feel like I'm getting my money's worth.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So anyway - this dip. I made it for my office's Thanksgiving pot luck yesterday and a lot of people remembered that I had made last year too. It really is SO good and could be used as not only an appetizer, but an interesting side dish, or even could be a vegetarian entree, filled in pitas. That sounds good. Maybe I should do that with the <s>leftovers</s> second batch that I made and is in my fridge.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS5f0Pa3X1ijK2bZR7piiDlLwbKgyMI2s7eQHJZtr8nKDOdwqtW_uAP9jFxfGsDpMb-c0-IVsGzInotlHG_8tTDleHlgzpYUNcplh8TZy7aIXLnFWHvzWSrFH0XgY0KRSLP_yMzM9rAUl/s1600/DSC_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS5f0Pa3X1ijK2bZR7piiDlLwbKgyMI2s7eQHJZtr8nKDOdwqtW_uAP9jFxfGsDpMb-c0-IVsGzInotlHG_8tTDleHlgzpYUNcplh8TZy7aIXLnFWHvzWSrFH0XgY0KRSLP_yMzM9rAUl/s400/DSC_0003.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can play around with the ingredients based on what you have or what herbs you like. Last time I used green onions, dried dill, and fresh basil, this time, I used fresh dill, fresh parsley, and green onions. You could also add pine nuts, capers, garbanzo beans...whatever you like. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZTMzErNxOv9baOLG4ognSvTe2hZ_mDCy2m39WbPmnBC9wlnS08TgXElMbkRtcj5vPF9b0c_sVdaQjBQysHLrBetMN8iUYBl_WwWlHjFTCKJMVRiDTj6LgBxP7WAOIua2lOi3T_TW-P0p/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZTMzErNxOv9baOLG4ognSvTe2hZ_mDCy2m39WbPmnBC9wlnS08TgXElMbkRtcj5vPF9b0c_sVdaQjBQysHLrBetMN8iUYBl_WwWlHjFTCKJMVRiDTj6LgBxP7WAOIua2lOi3T_TW-P0p/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Feta Salsa</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Recipe Source: Smitten Kitchen</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup feta cheese</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil (I drain and rinse mine first)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons fresh dill</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons fresh parsley</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 chopped scallions</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine everything in large bowl. Add desired amount of olive oil. No need for salt + pepper; the feta and olives provide plenty of salt. Serve with pita chips or corn chips.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you have a tried and true appetizer recipe? Link away!</span></div>
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-37037979835401137172011-11-16T07:33:00.001-05:002011-11-16T07:52:09.126-05:00Chicken Parmesan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I definitely go through phases with what I like to cook, and I guess it's Italian week here on Kitchen Ambition. I hope you try the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/11/stuffed-shells-with-ricotta-and-herbs.html">stuffed shells recipe</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> soon because it's totally a keeper! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another keeper is this one...Chicken Parmesan is the ultimate comfort food and could not be easier to make. I've been making variations of this recipe for years; I think it was one of the first things I made for John when we started dating so there's always some nostalgia when I make it now (at least for me...I don't think he remembers!) I think now I've finally perfected the recipe by adding lots of seasoning to the bread crumb/parmesan mixture including some red pepper flakes for heat. The most traditional way to serve this is on top of angel hair pasta with some nice garlic bread; we lightened it up a little last night by serving it with some couscous seasoned with olive oil, s+p, and fresh chives. The recipe is my own, compiled after years of trying different herbs, bread crumb/parmesan ratios, and cooking methods. I hope you love it as much as we do!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chicken Parmesan</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 2</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg, beaten</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup bread crumbs</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon thyme</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon rosemary</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon garlic powder</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon sea salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup marinara sauce (<a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2009/12/marinara-sauce.html">homemade</a> or your favorite jar)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons fresh chives, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pound the chicken breasts until they are about 1/2 inch thick. (This will help them cook more evenly and stay tender). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine the next 8 ingredients (bread crumbs through the pepper) in a medium bowl and set aside. Place the beaten egg in another bowl. Using tongs, coat the chicken in the egg first, then the bread/parmesan mixture. Place immediately in hot pan and cook on each side until brown, about 4 minutes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place the chicken in a prepared baking dish and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with marinara sauce, chives, and mozzarella cheese, and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly (probably another 6-8 minutes). Remove from oven and enjoy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-66514786081029529532011-11-15T07:40:00.001-05:002011-11-15T07:40:02.220-05:00The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUI61FKJ1pqm3EqemLqACo58DJrB6nThy0saMXpDy1CMqXwbhFJ5bZ0lx7z92x85FtAANIvvYliGnW29bnL7ZhFxZYQe3b9i0UpC7MWdWWWqpuOjR0WxVQTxBXtVF0AaGQGt8aiQmnwyZg/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUI61FKJ1pqm3EqemLqACo58DJrB6nThy0saMXpDy1CMqXwbhFJ5bZ0lx7z92x85FtAANIvvYliGnW29bnL7ZhFxZYQe3b9i0UpC7MWdWWWqpuOjR0WxVQTxBXtVF0AaGQGt8aiQmnwyZg/s400/DSC_0004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is nothing in the world that a perfectly cooked chocolate chip cookie can't make better. A self proclaimed cookie addict like me can tell you plenty of different cookie recipes that I've enjoyed but bottom line is if I had to eat one cookie for the rest of my life it would be chocolate chip. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually make the recipe on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip bag but this weekend I googled "best chocolate chip cookies" and stumbled upon </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/10/alices-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/">this recipe</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. I made the cookies exactly as Alice from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://savorysweetlife.com/">Savory Sweet Life</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> directs so I'll direct you to her blog for the instructions. I agree with her that creaming the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes really make the cookies...they are perfectly crispy on the edges but soft and chewy on the inside. Now get them out of my house...</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Do you have a "go to" chocolate chip cookie recipe?</i> I remember in college I used to make them from the Betty Crocker mix (where you just add an egg and butter) and John would tell me that I made the world's best chocolate chip cookies...ha!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-39710870281948871242011-11-14T07:12:00.000-05:002011-11-14T07:12:32.120-05:00Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Herbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrXlKnmbdcwhVVCClmPFbWUZEqfNd3ZS5frARkQ8UA050l3bjBvpPtl1KV7Nx4B8TaXahn3pNvJQTx3xnpZBmF17lTWTsxwtQmCo5VXHxM_u3wAXtdw-NJH__HDjxFyiOQNaw4ugXw_Mt/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrXlKnmbdcwhVVCClmPFbWUZEqfNd3ZS5frARkQ8UA050l3bjBvpPtl1KV7Nx4B8TaXahn3pNvJQTx3xnpZBmF17lTWTsxwtQmCo5VXHxM_u3wAXtdw-NJH__HDjxFyiOQNaw4ugXw_Mt/s400/DSC_0013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's funny to me that before Thursday I had never attempted to make stuffed shells. I love Italian food so much (who doesn't?) and make a lot of pasta, risotto, and lasagna. Maybe stuffed shells never occurred to me because they are usually on the heavier side; I was happy that this recipe turned out much lighter than the traditional version. The lemon zest gives an interesting, bright, and fresh flavor, and the addition of fresh herbs really makes this dish taste special. The homemade tomato sauce couldn't be easier and is so much better than using a premade marinara sauce (don't get me wrong - that's a pantry staple of mine, but I'm glad I had the time to make my own this go round). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/">Heidi Swanson</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> can do no wrong; if you're not reading her blog you must add it to your list.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The part I love about this recipe is Heidi's encouragement to play around with the ricotta filling - her recipe includes chives but she urges you to add different herbs, olives, vegetables, etc. You could even add ground beef, turkey, or sausage to this recipe if you'd like. I used chives and fresh basil, because basil makes everything taste better!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thankyouliving.blogspot.com/">Lindsay</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> came over and enjoyed this meal with John and me. Served with a simple spinach salad and French bread. And lots of red wine! We had an awesome night that ended up in usual fashion with us all cracking up over random stuff. So glad that I've got her in my life!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Herbs</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Recipe Source: slightly adapted from <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/stuffed-shells-recipe.html">101 Cookbooks</a></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 4</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lemon zest</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>For the sauce:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup olive oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 teaspoon sea salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 garlic cloves, minced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>For the filling:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 15 ounce container reduced fat ricotta cheese</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg, beaten</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon sea salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup grated mozzarella cheese</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 bunch chives, minced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped basil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 box jumbo shells</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prepare a casserole dish with cooking spray, and add zest of 1/2 lemon. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prepare the sauce by mixing the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic cloves in a cold sauce pan. Heat on medium high and cook for about a minute, only until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes and remove from heat.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make the filling, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, and mozzarella in a mixing bowl. Add the 2/3 of the chopped herbs and combine. Set aside the remaining herbs to top the dish when it's done cooking.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cook the pasta according to package directions. Remove and drain, and let sit until it's cool enough to handle. Add about 1/3 of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture, and place in a single layer in the dish. Pour the remaining 2/3 of the sauce over the prepared shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with remaining herbs, and let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-60123596543711438302011-11-10T08:39:00.003-05:002011-11-10T08:39:38.546-05:00Goop Fish Tacos<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we were driving home from the mountains on Sunday, we passed a Mexican restaurant and it immediately sparked my craving for Mexican food. I told John that we had to have fish tacos this week and he completely agreed! I remembered making a fish taco recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's blog, <a href="http://goop.com/">Goop</a>, back in May for a large group that were a big hit and knew that I wanted John to try them too! </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgAzE2w_7fcdD7OjzNbOrvVFbCjVrdP_OU85sRX9Y33YNp2ukqeUD2RNK4D4mZJGUPJu_2LVToN0J1kF3FMovwRjn1vUHmMKBfC9r6vkKgwU7jSOWhrAVG3uOaOwNJcLyQvbopBNWI346/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgAzE2w_7fcdD7OjzNbOrvVFbCjVrdP_OU85sRX9Y33YNp2ukqeUD2RNK4D4mZJGUPJu_2LVToN0J1kF3FMovwRjn1vUHmMKBfC9r6vkKgwU7jSOWhrAVG3uOaOwNJcLyQvbopBNWI346/s400/DSC_0007.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">By the way, tacos are the hardest food <em>ever</em> to photograph...just saying...</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can use any flaky white fish you'd like - I chose tilapia because it's a lot less expensive than halibut, what the recipe calls for. I think next time I might try something with a little bit more flavor though, since I only purchased 1/2 a pound for the two of us.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Regardless of what fish you use, these tacos are awesome - the sauce is what makes it so unique! Here's what you need for the sauce - put it all together in a blender and go to town:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBPgUoassYftH7Fo9-a3jVmyzQCSR_1aYd-V4o7e3DjJ1oRCRE-WFL24e0mHHQLuDuB-YXFzKU70T7Dqm1bflJwZ9XxpDWgwRYn6og-vkt8sAW2cYRaOfQUaad1oYWJH82YhJnk3nDaID/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBPgUoassYftH7Fo9-a3jVmyzQCSR_1aYd-V4o7e3DjJ1oRCRE-WFL24e0mHHQLuDuB-YXFzKU70T7Dqm1bflJwZ9XxpDWgwRYn6og-vkt8sAW2cYRaOfQUaad1oYWJH82YhJnk3nDaID/s400/DSC_0002.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><em>What's your favorite at home Mexican food?</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> Mine's definitely any version of enchiladas...which makes me want </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span id="goog_729728587"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/#!/2011/09/buffalo-chicken-enchiladas.html">these</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span id="goog_729728588"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><a href="http://goop.com/">Goop</a> Fish Tacos</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Serves 8 (I halved the recipe)</em></span><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ingredients:</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">one bunch cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">juice of 5 limes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 small white onion, roughly chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 cloves garlic, smashed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (we kept the seeds in)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 tablespoon garlic powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 tablespoon cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1 tablespoon paprika</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">coarse salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2 lbs white fish, any kind</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 cup white wine</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Directions:</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em>Comibine the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, onion, garlic, jalapeno, garlic powder, cumin, and paprika in a blender and add a pinch of sea salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high and add the fish. Cook until brown, a few minutes on each side (cooking time depends on the fish itself). Add the white wine and cook for another minute or so. Pour the cilantro mixture into the pan and stir until all of the flavors are combined. Serve immediately on corn or flour tortillas, with sour cream, cheese if desired, avocado, and/or pico de gallo.</span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-82656788383440428002011-11-09T07:59:00.002-05:002011-11-09T07:59:20.741-05:00Healthy Pumpkin Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKfoQWf7Jl2o0iB53o1v3hUoBV3st8bkwePqDEbiHfYL33w4WI6xCxKsbpasSMF8vBPOcvk6q3t252TviBVmf8WZJISf05x1Cm2fZApBylLfK2Y2Rya0Ceg1qlCShU1cAE9P2fnp74hx7/s1600/DSC_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKfoQWf7Jl2o0iB53o1v3hUoBV3st8bkwePqDEbiHfYL33w4WI6xCxKsbpasSMF8vBPOcvk6q3t252TviBVmf8WZJISf05x1Cm2fZApBylLfK2Y2Rya0Ceg1qlCShU1cAE9P2fnp74hx7/s400/DSC_0002.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I just posted about </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/11/healthy-banana-bread.html">Healthy Banana Bread</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> last week, but here I am again with another </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><s>cake</s></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> quick bread that I couldn't wait to tell you about. It really is that good. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With fall in full force, I tend to want to bake, eat baked goods, and think about what I want to bake next constantly. Does that make me odd? OCD? Don't answer that.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway...cookies have always been my go-to choice when I get the itch to bake, but as I've mentioned recently, I've been trying to lighten it up a little bit before we go full force into the Christmas season pretty soon. I've got several cans of Libby's pumpkin puree in my pantry that I stocked up on at the beginning of fall, so I googled a handful of pumpkin bread recipes and combined them together to come up with this one. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPekBmQ9ZbfGvvdLjRBs-VyYpCRPOsnZcXxEbW2xEKzIZyPUn-s7lYst1nXLgN8I4hhGdMf5w4vy0E9ocqK53NDK6g8hYNNoedMcX_QBi2sP01sKsqverbP_BIP9N23t4hhEYvI3-ph7Z/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPekBmQ9ZbfGvvdLjRBs-VyYpCRPOsnZcXxEbW2xEKzIZyPUn-s7lYst1nXLgN8I4hhGdMf5w4vy0E9ocqK53NDK6g8hYNNoedMcX_QBi2sP01sKsqverbP_BIP9N23t4hhEYvI3-ph7Z/s400/DSC_0004.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless of whether you love to bake, go make this bread. You'll love it, you'll eat it for breakfast </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>and</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> dessert every day, and you'll come back for more soon! Don't forget that breads like this always freeze well; you can slice it up into individual servings and then freeze, so when you want a piece just pull one out and defrost it. Or you can put the whole loaf on your counter and devour it in a few days. But who would do that? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Healthy Pumpkin Bread</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 8</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup whole wheat flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup white flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon ground ginger</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon ground cloves</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup packed brown sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 tablespoons water</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup canola oil </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup milk (any type is fine - I used almond milk)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup canned pumpkin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup golden raisins</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup chopped walnuts</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a separate bowl, mix together all of the wet ingredients. Stir into the dry mixture until well combined but do not over mix. Fold in the raisins and walnuts. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into pan and bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to let cool completely on a drying rack.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-84498992028004594882011-11-08T06:23:00.001-05:002011-11-08T06:23:18.001-05:00Corn Muffins with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Garlic (The Best Cornbread I've Ever Made!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSsI8VU532Pd9AIg2lXEmnA0VE8IRvKY4ZlMVVXjtbIed52Ep6TxTh3qIuBNZPHg0m6biw0vuPd8RAUBf7zU3ZY-Jnff0pFcMklV5iLioenNBIWQpxKXuEDVF6gh0BhmsHx-Bi54XDHJS/s1600/DSC_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSsI8VU532Pd9AIg2lXEmnA0VE8IRvKY4ZlMVVXjtbIed52Ep6TxTh3qIuBNZPHg0m6biw0vuPd8RAUBf7zU3ZY-Jnff0pFcMklV5iLioenNBIWQpxKXuEDVF6gh0BhmsHx-Bi54XDHJS/s400/DSC_0001.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You guys have seriously got to try this recipe. Calling them something as simple as corn muffins doesn't even do them justice because they are totally on a different level. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These muffins are made with buttermilk and sour cream (I used reduced fat) - that being said, the ingredient list isn't so horrible that you feel guilty eating a few either. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the sour cream and buttermilk makes these muffins very dense and moist, the addition of sun dried tomatoes and corn takes them up a notch for sure. I think next time I might try adding bacon bits or chives instead of the sun dried tomatoes and see how they turn out!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember making these for the first time probably 5 years ago. I had my family over for chili and made these on the side. My mom emailed me first thing the next morning and demanded I give her the recipe! Turns out it's from an old episode of the now defunct <i>Everyday Italian</i> - this was so long ago that I had apparently written down the recipe while watching the show. I went on the Food Network's website to print out the recipe and couldn't even find it there anymore. So I relied on my chicken scratch on a recipe card (blast from the past!) to recreate these!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recipe makes 12 very large corn muffins; I made a batch on Sunday and froze half <------makes me really happy knowing that next time we make chili or soup I can reach in the freezer and pull one of these out!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Corn Muffins with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Garlic</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 12</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Recipe Source: Everyday Italian</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 boxes corn muffin mix (I used <a href="http://www.jiffymix.com/">Jiffy</a>)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups corn</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 eggs, whisked</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup buttermilk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup sour cream</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together (corn muffin mix, corn, sun dried tomatoes, garlic). In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream until well combined. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined, but do not overmix.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let the mixture stand for about 3-4 minutes, then place into prepared muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-11286924412360505932011-11-07T07:49:00.002-05:002011-11-07T07:49:53.565-05:00Weekend Away + Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We spent the weekend in Cashiers, North Carolina at a friend's mountain house. We were actually there for a good friend's wedding in Highlands, NC at the <a href="http://www.oldedwardsinn.com/">Old Edwards Inn</a> but decided to save some money and stay at the cabin. We ended up really enjoying being in the cabin and took full advantage of the fireplace, beautiful scenery, and down time. Lots of reading, listening to music, cooking, and hiking took place. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdF_vq6d_Sjf1yM90faKjfXMLuEdh8vOoWZc3YOg12qIB7mEXFHyvvHV9K_0lQHT_ENzjIcBR2mZL1amjmL1FdmU1uN6aVFBUsaUztfb-VHzrr-KrrHgMMPRGWVsvkjAD7NYR83NuaKf2/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdF_vq6d_Sjf1yM90faKjfXMLuEdh8vOoWZc3YOg12qIB7mEXFHyvvHV9K_0lQHT_ENzjIcBR2mZL1amjmL1FdmU1uN6aVFBUsaUztfb-VHzrr-KrrHgMMPRGWVsvkjAD7NYR83NuaKf2/s640/DSC_0012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pan seared salmon (because the grill ran out of propane!), roasted potatoes + asparagus - seasoned with garlic, paprika, s+p b/c it's all we had up there! Ended up being a really good meal.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdA48Rv9d6fOq4rmQsvgCpGbD8aR5obNRKn5Ahkay3-lphFk8Uexjsl3Wodojav8LYJ5SyA-PwU87vvY-SDQg3QvUbTEIlsmByXVGcdfWzZ9RXsgKC3E6i4UcaHaa6DBDKBt4TCjcviK1/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdA48Rv9d6fOq4rmQsvgCpGbD8aR5obNRKn5Ahkay3-lphFk8Uexjsl3Wodojav8LYJ5SyA-PwU87vvY-SDQg3QvUbTEIlsmByXVGcdfWzZ9RXsgKC3E6i4UcaHaa6DBDKBt4TCjcviK1/s400/DSC_0022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hike was about 2.5 - 3 miles and just strenuous enough to get our heart rates going. We thought we were turning into pro hikers until we saw dads carrying their kids on their shoulders on the way down! There were some really great views from the top and the weather was perfect - probably about 48 - 50* and sunny.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't get any pictures from the wedding but it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've been to in a long time - what an awesome venue and location! John and I both definitely want to return to this beautiful area which is only 2 and a half hours away from Atlanta. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We came home yesterday and did the usual unpack, laundry, mail etc routine that comes with returning from being out of town, and I got out the crock pot to make one of my favorite slow cooker recipes - BBQ Beer chicken!! I can't get enough of the crock pot this fall - especially on <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2011/11/crock-pot-pumpkin-cauliflower-soup.html">Sundays</a>. It's just such a time saver - I love throwing everything in there and going on with my day! I've made this recipe two or three times this fall already - it could not be easier and the recipe is SO good. Please try this while football season is still in full force. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 2</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Recipe source: <a href="http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/10/crockpot-bbq-beer-chicken/">How Sweet It Is</a></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (you could also use breasts - but the thighs are much more tender)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon onion salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon paprika</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon garlic powder</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 oz beer (use a heavy beer - about half the bottle)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12 oz barbecue sauce </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spray the slow cooker with non stick spray. Place the chicken thighs, season with onion salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour the beer and barbecue sauce over the chicken and stir. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for up to 8 hours. Shred the chicken and use the remaining sauce in the crock pot to pour on top. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serve on sandwiches or by itself.</span></div>
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5386377221802453027.post-52315703697100376682011-11-04T08:19:00.000-04:002011-11-04T08:19:28.485-04:00Couscous with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Pine Nuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTcvC6_o7chAwXgi6_Y4-devxclcFxjg5o7ckrjm1f2oF_cWe_Pbux3ETT02-xs2Vh6NGwnp3pnyEdrgIk0f_A2aep1zKYADDky_1o0D8fKaWI5uqX6V1ZpiM08j1A-l8hWlwhhHjYCNB/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTcvC6_o7chAwXgi6_Y4-devxclcFxjg5o7ckrjm1f2oF_cWe_Pbux3ETT02-xs2Vh6NGwnp3pnyEdrgIk0f_A2aep1zKYADDky_1o0D8fKaWI5uqX6V1ZpiM08j1A-l8hWlwhhHjYCNB/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're headed off to the mountains this weekend for a friend's wedding. I'm so excited to get away for a couple of days and disconnect, go hiking, watch football, <i>and </i>go to the wedding - it's like the best of both worlds! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But before we go, I wanted to pop in and share one of my most frequent side dishes with you. If you don't have couscous in your pantry, you should for one reason - it takes 5 minutes to make. Literally. You boil water (or vegetable or chicken broth), add couscous, remove from heat and cover, and in 5 minutes you're done. More often than not I doctor it up with whatever is in my pantry - my favorite way to make couscous is my version of <a href="http://kitchenambition.blogspot.com/2010/04/houstons-couscous.html">Houston's Couscous</a>. This week, I made a combination that I thought was worth repeating and sharing. I think it would be a pretty side dish during the holidays because it's red and green!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are you up to this weekend? Doing anything fun? Have a great weekend, see you Monday!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Couscous with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Pine Nuts</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Serves 4</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup uncooked couscous</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 - 2 tablespoons of olive oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup diced buffalo mozzarella</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup spinach, chopped</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup pine nuts</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sea salt & pepper</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Directions:</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boil a cup of water and add a little bit of olive oil and salt. Add couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Garnish with more chopped spinach and serve.</span></div>
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485372901341944676noreply@blogger.com1