More helpful links

These are some great tips and tricks from one of my favorite websites- Better Homes and Gardens They have great recipes, great tips, party and entertaining ideas, and so much more. I have the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and I use it all the time. Love it!

How to bake and frost a cake.

How to chop vs. mincing

Cooking with Herbs

Peeling and seeding tomatoes

How to roast poultry

How to broil meat

How to cook fish

How to toast nuts

How to roast garlic

Step by step egg cooking techniques

How to cut up a whole chicken

No more food pyramid

I'm sure you have all seen this on the news a few weeks ago. But just in case you didn't know.. the food pyramid is no more. I am kinda glad because I didn't like the second version at all. This is a much simpler way to show what you should, and shouldn't, be eating.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ 

Greatest news EVER!

I just saw on the Food Network website that The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, is getting her own show!!! It's about time! I am SO excited! She is my absolute favorite. I love her recipes. Her blog has been a favorite of mine for years! She has inspired my cooking and taught me so much it's ridiculous. I cannot wait to watch her show! yay!!!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-pioneer-woman/index.html

Caprese Salad

I love Caprese Salad. Who doesn't love mozzarella and tomatoes?! So here are two ways you can make it.

3 tomatoes, sliced
1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

layer alternating tomatoes, mozzarella, adding a leaf of basil between each layer, on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

You can also make a bite size version of this by chunking up mozzarella into bite size pieces, slicing cherry tomatoes into halves, and either chopping your basil or using the herbs in a tube where the basil is already finely chopped in oil. Toss it all together with some light extra virgin olive oil, add a little salt and pepper, and you have a bite size version that your guests can spoon out a little easier. Same great taste.

This past weekend I bought some goat cheese curds at the farmers market and decided to use that in my bite size caprese instead of mozzarella. It has a great bite to it that also works with the basil really well. I loved it.

This is a super fast way to put something fresh out for your guests, or for yourself, that's a little different from the norm.

Helpful Hint: Frying Bacon

Are you like me and hate to fry bacon? It never works out well for me. I end up with half burnt, half under-cooked bacon and grease splattered everywhere. So I rarely ever do bacon for that reason. But finally I have found the solution to "frying" bacon! My handy-dandy Broiler Pan ! This morning I did a little test. I got out my frying pan and my broiler pan. Set the oven broiler on HIGH and placed one package of bacon out on my pan. In the time it took for me to burn 3 pieces of bacon in my frying pan, I had an entire package of bacon perfectly cooked and ready to go from the oven. Yep. Last time I will ever FRY bacon. By cooking it in the oven I had zero mess, evenly cooked bacon, and the best part- all the grease was in the dripping pan below and my bacon wasn't soaking in it! So this is my "helpful hint" for today- never fry bacon again!

   When using the broiler pan remember to spray both sides of the top piece, and the bottom piece with cooking spray and it will clean much easier. Make sure your oven broiler is set to HIGH and move the rack up. About half-way through you will need to flip the bacon over to make sure it gets cooked through. It takes about 5 minutes total cooking time. And did I mention no mess!? Can't beat that! :-)

Some helpful links for some tips and tricks in the kitchen

I posted a couple of charts yesterday but it was taking over my feed. So instead I am going to post a few links that I thought you might find helpful. These are in the back of my favorite Betty Crocker Cookbook, and these are from their website. If you have any you would like to share, please pass them along! :-)

Common Ingredients: Yields and Equivalents Chart from Betty Crocker

Emergency Substitutions Chart from Betty Crocker

Cooking tools

Knifes and Cutting

Pans

Pantry Basics

Equipment Glossary Page

Ingredients Glossary

Techniques Glossary

Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake

OK so thanks to The Pioneer Woman for posting this recipe. It is Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa cake from Steel Magnolias. It looked so good and I just happened to have a can of fruit cocktail in the pantry so when the kids took their nap I made one really quick. It is SO good. As soon as I tasted it I had memories of Meemaw and my Aunt Mildred fill my head. I don't know if they made this (or something similar..) when I was younger, or what? Mom said it is similar to a dump cake they used to make a lot. And I know it tastes a lot like Meemaws "lazy cobbler" she used to make with canned peaches once in a while. Anyway, it is really good. A little on the rich side, but good. And how much easier can you GET? Really?! Anyone could make this. I suggest serving it with cool whip or maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy! 

Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake

From: The Pioneer Woman

1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 can fruit cocktail- with the juice
softened butter for the pan
cool whip or vanilla ice cream to serve on the side


Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 inch square baking dish with butter. Stir together flour, sugar, and fruit cocktail with the juice until combined. Pour into pan and bake until warm and bubbly and a little brown on top. Serve with cool whip or vanilla ice cream. Yummy! 

Topless Blueberry Pie

Aunt Linda sent this to me. It looks REALLY good. If I can find some good blueberries, I will be trying it soon! Thanks Aunt Linda! :-) 

Topless Blueberry Pie

from Linda R. (found on allrecipes.com) 

¾ cup white sugar

3 T cornstarch

1 pinch salt

1 cup water

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 T butter

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

1. In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water and 1 cup of blueberries. Cook and stir over medium heat, until thick, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add butter and let cool about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining blueberries.

3. Pour into baked pie shell and cool in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.  

Snickers Salad

OK I found this in a Taste of Home recipe booklet. I just made it to test it before I posted it... yeah that's why... and it was ridiculously good. Oh my. I will be making this the next time we have a family get together for sure. Yumm. So easy, took five minutes to throw together, and very satisfying. 

Snickers Salad

From: Taste of Home 

1 package instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups cold milk
4 snickers bars, cut into bite size chunks
4 large apples, cut into bite size chunks
1 container cool whip


In a mixing bowl whisk together pudding mix and milk. Let set for 2 minutes or until quick-set. Fold in cool whip, then apples, then snickers. Serve. 

Easy Homemade Pizza!

This isn't so much a recipe as just a good idea for a quick dinner. We love to make homemade pizza. It's super easy and depending on your toppings can be cheaper than ordering take out. We usually start with a pre-made pizza crust that at our local Wal-Mart we find next to the pasta sauce. Almost always 2 crusts in a package, and no need to refrigerate it. Instead of using a jar of pizza sauce we always use a jar of Prego sauce. It is a little thicker and we just like the taste better. I never use a whole jar- on two pizzas I may use almost half the jar. Then of course sprinkle with your favorite cheese, for us it's just plain ole' mozzarella. After that the toppings are endless. My favorite is to boil a chicken breast ahead of time and shred it, add some banana pepper rings, and some kind of vegetable. Can't beat it. Here are some other topping suggestions. Making pizza with the kids would be a fun way to get them involved in the kitchen! Have fun with it!

Artichoke Hearts
Avocado
Black Beans
Broccoli
Cherry Tomatoes
Green Bell Peppers
Olives
Lettuce (taco pizza!)
Mushrooms
Onions
Spinach Leaves
Squash
Zucchini
Basil
Green Onions
Jalapeno Peppers
Rosemary
Basil
Anchovies
Shrimp
Lobster
Oysters
Salmon
Blue Cheese
Feta Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Monterey Jack Cheese
Goat Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Ricota Cheese
Bacon
BBQ Chicken
Shredded Chicken Breast
Ground Beef
Chorizo
Ham
Meatballs
Pepperoni
Proscuitto
Salami
Turkey
Pineapple

...you get the idea. Let the kids pick out their favorite toppings and help make the pizza. They will have a blast!

Why I love Temp-tations Cookware.

OK So I have always wanted a set of bakeware that you can put in the oven, then go straight to the table with it, then put it straight in the fridge. I am all about tupperware but I love the idea of only needing to dirty one dish. I saw this on QVC last year and asked for it for Christmas. Mom and Jeff ended up getting me a few pieces. One of them was this set. I absolutely LOVE it. I use the 9x13 pan almost every week, and sometimes more than once. It is just amazing. I put my casserole in it to bake, put it in it's trivet to serve, and when we are done I snap the lid on and slide it in the fridge for leftovers. How cool is that?! I would love to have another 9x13.. or 2.. like this. Plus for the amount of stuff you get- this is a great price. I also have a set of their soup bowls with lids on them that we use quite often, love the handles. All of these really keep the food warm too. Oh! And don't let me forget how easy it is to clean! I haven't had any problems with food coming right off with zero effort. Even baked on stuff that usually is such a pain to get clean. Can't beat it!


Temp-tations set I own from QVC. Check it out. $50 for the whole set.
http://www.qvc.com/Temp-tations-Old-World-16-piece-Oven-to-Table-Set-Search-Results.product.K27938.html?sc=K27938-SRCH&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-3-_-K27938

Spaghetti Stoup

Another good looking recipe from Gena!

Spaghetti Stoup

From: Gena

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into a small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
2 small ribs celery from the heart, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups tomato sauce or 1 (14-ounce) can plus 1 (8-ounce) can
3 cups chicken stock, available in a box on the soup aisle
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal mix (meatloaf mix) available at butcher counter
1/2 cup grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano, plus more to pass at table
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a few handfuls
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup basil leaves, torn or shredded
1 loaf Italian crusty bread, for dunking

Directions
Preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stock and cover pot. Turn up heat and bring to a fast boil.

While soup comes to a boil, mix the ground meat with cheese, bread crumbs, egg and parsley. Roll into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls.

Remove lid from soup and slide balls into soup. Bring back to a boil then stir in spaghetti. Reduce the heat and simmer soup 10 minutes more, until pasta is tender and balls have cooked through. Stir in basil and remove "stoup" from the stove. Serve soup with bread and cheese.

Easy Tortellini Soup

This looks delicious! I can't wait to try it. This was sent to me by my cousin, Gena. Thanks Gena! 

Easy Tortellini soup

From: Gena

Ingredients

3 uncooked Italian sausage links
1 quart water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian stewed tomatoes
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup, undiluted
2 cups broccoli coleslaw mix
2 cups frozen cut green beans
2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
grated Parmesan cheese


Directions Cut sausage into 3/4-in. pieces; brown in a Dutch oven or soup kettle. Drain. Add water, tomatoes, soup, coleslaw mix and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Uncover; add tortellini. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until pasta is tender. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired

Pasta Salad- Mix and Match!

This is a great article I found in the last issue of Food Networks Magazine. I had been looking for a GOOD pasta salad and this was a great answer. It gives you lots of options to change it up, and to pick according to your tastes. First I will post the article with all the options, and then I will tell you what I picked to put together at the end. Here is a link to the article online as well. 

Mix and Match Pasta Salad

Food Network Magazine

1. Choose a Pasta

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1/2 pound of any of these pastas as the label directs; drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Pick a Protein (Optional)

Add 1 cup of any of these ingredients, if desired.

Chicken, cooked and chopped

Steak, cooked and chopped

Ham or salami, cubed

Roast beef, chopped

Canned tuna, drained and flaked

Lump crabmeat, picked over

Shrimp, cooked and chopped

Eggs, hard-boiled and chopped

Baked tofu, chopped

3. Pick Your Vegetables
Add 2 of these vegetables or beans, 1 cup each. (To blanch vegetables, boil until crisp-tender, then drain and cool in ice water.)

Broccoli florets, blanched

Corn kernels, blanched

Carrots, shredded

Cherry tomatoes, halved

Green beans, blanched and chopped

Frozen peas or snap peas, blanched

Celery, sliced

Cucumber, diced

Red onion, diced

Bell pepper, diced

Asparagus, blanched and chopped

Canned chickpeas or white beans, drained and rinsed

4. Pick a Mix-In
Add 1/3 cup of any of these ingredients.

Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Roasted red peppers, chopped

Olives, pitted and chopped

Any cheese, shredded or crumbled

Any nut, toasted and chopped

Bacon, cooked and crumbled

5. Dress the Salad
Make one of these dressings, then pour over the pasta salad and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for up to 3 hours.

Vinaigrette

Whisk 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 minced shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.

Creamy Herb

Whisk 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons sour cream, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 cup chopped mixed herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Oil

Cook 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes in 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat, stirring, 3 minutes; let cool. Season with salt and pepper.

Creamy Parmesan

Mix 1/4 cup each mayonnaise and sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon finely grated garlic, 3/4 cup grated parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste.

What I picked: I chose a regular rotini pasta, boiled 3 chicken breast and cut them into chunks, diced celery, diced green bell pepper, shredded mozzarella, and sliced greek olives. The dressing I chose was the creamy herb and it was delicious! For the mixed herbs I bought a tube of herbs in oil from the produce section of cilantro and basil and used about a tablespoon of each one instead of chopping them fresh. It worked out perfectly. I wasn't totally in love with the olives with this mixture, would be better in one of the vinaigrette dressings I think, but mom loved them. Next time I make this with the creamy herb dressing I think I will do boiled eggs instead of the olives, and I think tomatoes would have been perfect in this as well. I can't wait to try the other 3 dressings and different ingredients to find the right mixture for the right dressing. It was fun! :-) Pasta salad doesn't have to be boring and tasteless- this was delicious and I will make it again!!

Tip: Another reason I like this dish is it is a good way to use what you have in your pantry already. The chicken I used was leftover from homemade pizza I made. I boiled the whole package and only used 1 chicken breast so I had it in the fridge ready to go for this one. Most of the vegetables I used I had cut fresh in my fridge for snacks and I just diced them into smaller pieces. So this is a good way to use leftovers up or use up any fresh produce you may have before it goes bad. It seems I always have a tupperware container of something in my fridge that I end up having to throw out because I bought more than we needed. This way I didn't have to do that this week! Yay!  

Mom's Meatloaf

This is my Mom's recipe for Meatloaf. It is hands down the easiest and best tasting way to make it I have ever had. Yumm. Had this for dinner last night and looking forward to leftovers for lunch! :-) 

Mom's Meatloaf

By Judy R. 

2-3 lbs ground 80/20 ground beef
3/4 sleeve of saltine crackers, crumbled
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup milk
4 T ketchup
2 eggs
More Ketchup for top
4 slices American Cheese.


Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix all ingredients (except cheese and ketchup for top) with your hands until all is blended well. Form into loaf and put into a loaf pan, bake for 1 hr 20 minutes or until middle reaches temperature of 170 degrees. Remove from oven and top with slices of cheese, and cover with desired amount of ketchup. Place back in oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Slice and serve while hot! 


Note: A great idea for leftovers is to get a good sandwich bread from the deli and make meatloaf sandwiches the next day. SO GOOD!