Teething Cookies--- HOLY COW!

Teething cookies aka "Biter Biscuits" aka Holy Mess!

There should be a notice on this box:  "Warning: bathing is required." This was his very first cookie and he enjoyed it immensely.

Sword fight anyone?

I'm gonna save this for later...right over here on my ear.

How can you deny such a cutie!! I will be thinking twice about when I give him these cookies though...wasn't prepared for this one!

My Momma's Meatloaf

I know, your thinking, "FINALLY a recipe we have actually been asking for."  Here it is folks, the infamous momma's meatloaf recipe.  The recipe, when younger, my friends would come over and inhale.  The meatloaf we all have dreams about. Start salivating....start licking those lips....start starving yourself now so you can eat as much as you like....

Momma's Meatloaf
2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1 cup Cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, diced
Milk, just enough to moisten, approx. 1/3-1/2 cup

Salt and Pepper, to taste
TOPPING
1/4 cup ketchup
1 t yellow mustard
3 T brown sugar


Mix first 8 ingredients together (using your hands is the best way to mix) in large bowl.  Be careful not to "overwork." 

 

 

 

 

 

Form into a loaf and place in a greased baking dish.  

Mix together the topping ingredients and pour over meatloaf. I typically double the topping because I love it!  

 

]Pour Sauce over the top of formed loaf and spread with a spatula or spoon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until thermometer reads done to your liking.


Slice and LOVE!

Newest purchase...

WOW~ 2 posts in one day?!?

I have been on a serious garage saleing kick lately. I have acquired a couple strange trinkets, typical of a garage sale including a 60's ash tray, strange food trays that look as if they had come from a prison (I love them but probably won't ever use them), a couple antique salt/pepper shakers, tea cups that i have the intention of turning into candles and a few cooking gadgets (the best spatula on earth that my mother has officially confiscated.) None, however have been as fantastic as this find, nor even close to as cute to model for the camera.  I definitely think he adds something to the chair don't you think???

Ok, so aside from my absolutely adorable model...Is this the greatest chair ever?

Gardening: The Results

 

So, the gardening season seems to be officially over due to the lovely frost that I awoke to this morning.  Although beautiful it was, I believe it is the death of all things left growing in our lovely little rockwall garden we have going here.  Of course, my being the slacker that I am, did not take any pictures of the herbs, tomatoes, strawberries (that never did really grow), cukes, yellow squash and zucchini.  I only photographed my mother's mutant "Honey I shrunk the kids plants" and our large crop of hot peppers. 

Here are the results:

 

 

 

 

Isn't the last pic sorta creepy! Inside of this strange looking pod is a large seed/bean that once dried you plant to grow the next season.

HELLO

 

Hellllloooooo there.......

Apology

I would like to start by apologizing for the stupid "green" text in the last food posting.  For some reason, blogspot will not allow me to change the color.  I have tried in my "edit posting."  It changes in the preview but once converted to a real post, back to green it goes...So apologies!

Second, I think I may start turning this into more of a "all purpose" blog rather than just food.  As you few followers know, my postings are few and far between.  This cooking and picture taking shit is difficult and I get into the groove and OOPS forgot to snap the picture.  So, expect some different and hopefully interesting posts to follow.

Chicken Marsala with Mustard and Mascarpone

To those whom have had my chicken marsala before this is "more or less" the recipe. I have been making this for some time so measurements and true recipe ingredients have flown out the window and I go by taste. It is really difficult to mess this recipe up so be creative, add your own twist and ingredients. Feel free to substitute as needed, however DO NOT use yellow mustard in place of the Dijon. If you happen to not have any you can use any "alternative spicy mustard or whole grain mustard or even honey mustard but not yellow. Just leave the mustard out if all you have is yellow. Alternatively if you happen to "date someone who doesn't like mustard" (I have trouble comprehending this every time I hear it since mustard is the greatest condiment on earth-Shana/Brian) again, just leave it out-- it will change the flavor but still be AMAZING!

Chicken Marsala w/ Mustard and Mascarpone

1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
S/P
2 T EVOO (or olive oil)
5 T butter
3/4 c chopped onion
1 lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced*
2 T minced garlic
1 c marsala wine
1 c (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese**
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, plus some for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

*Any mushrooms will do or you can leave them out, maybe add spinach?!?
** Cream cheese will work as well but do try to find the mascarpone it is sorta sweet and buttery and everyone should try it!

Season chicken with s/p. Heat the oil in large, heavy skillet over high heat.

Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.



Melt 2 T of the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender ~2 min.

Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate ~ 12 min. (Do NOT salt the mushrooms at this point, it will release their moisture to quickly and they will boil rather than "brown" and won't taste as good).



Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half ~4 min. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3 in slices. Return the chicken and any juices released back into the skillet. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the chicken is cook through and the sauce thickens slightly ~2 min. (Do not over do the simmering. The sauce will thicken too much and you will not have enough to coat the pasta)


Stir in 1 T of the parsley and season the sauce w S/P to taste. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain. Toss pasta w/ remaining 3 T butter and 1 T parsley. Season w S/P. Mound Fettuccine on plates. Spoon chicken mixture w sauce over, garnish w parsley and serve.


WARNING: If you mix the sauce with the pasta in advance and then serve it, the pasta WILL suck up the sauce and will be dry. SO, based on experience (and a few wrecked dishes) follow the directions and put butter on pasta first (saturates a lil so doesn't sop up sauce as much) and then put chicken and sauce over the top.

You can also just simply serve this with just the chicken, leaving out the pasta.

Eggplant Mezzaluna Ravioli

First and foremost, do not disregard this pasta if you do not like eggplant! I am not the largest fan of this strange purple veggie BUT it takes on its own crazy flavor in these ravioli's. You will be missing out if you do not at least attempt. This is, as the previous post, a Giada recipe. I seem to be grabbing her cookbooks over everyone else as of late so bare with me as I get the addiction out of my system.

Also, one more side note, I know many of you are looking for my "staple" recipes. The recipes in which I claim to have started this blog. I promise I will get to them shortly. I have just been in the experimentation mode and excited to cook new things.

1/3 c Olive oil (if you only have Extra Virgin just use that)
1/2 large onion, diced
1 large eggplant (1.5-2.0 lbs.), diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t chopped fresh oregano, plus 1 t fresh oregano for garnish*
1/2 c fontina cheese, grated (~2 oz.)
1/2 c whole-milk ricotta cheese**
1/2 t salt, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 t black pepper, plus more for sprinkling
1 package square wonton wrappers (~50-60 wrappers)
1/4-1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive oil, for garnish

* You must buy FRESH oregano, it will not taste right with dried and you MUST garnish once cooked because that is basically the flavor of the "sauce"
**Do not try to use skim milk ricotta, it is too watery and the ravioli's will have zero flavor-- these are pretty good for you already you will be fine with the whole milk stuff!

Heat the OO in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the eggplant, garlic and chopped oregano, and continue to cook until the eggplant is soft and falling apart, about 12 minutes (this often takes me longer than 12 minutes- make your salad or prep you sides during this time because you can leave it and only stir every so often). Transfer the eggplant mixture to a medium bowl and let cool.

Once cool, add the cheeses, salt and pepper. Place 6 wonton squares on a dry work surface (or how ever many you are comfortable making at once.) Place 1 teaspoon of the eggplant mixture on each square. Fold one corner over to the opposite corner (hard to explain via text- look at the pictures. Giada makes a rectangle with hers and then cuts them w a ravioli cutter- I have done this but it seems like an extra step to me- this is easier.)
Place the finished ravioli on dry baking sheet lightly sprinkled with flour. Continue to finish the remaining. (I freeze mine at this point and take out as needed)

To Cook: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add ravioli. Do not add all ravioli at one time because they are pretty delicate and will stick to each other and break open. Cook until ravioli's float to the top. (If cooking from frozen let them float a bit on top to make sure the inside warms) I use a slotted spoon and place directly on serving platter/plate. Salt and pepper them (important step!) Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with fresh oregano (also important step!) Enjoy!!!!!
Alternative options:
Fry them in some canola and serve with marinara. These are a GREAT appetizer.

Ribeye with Balsamic Steak Sauce

I am always on the lookout for a good runny sauce to drench my steaks in and this is a keeper! I will say, I do agree with most "red meat enthusiasts" that a good steak needs nothing but a little salt and pepper however what could possibly go wrong with an additional douse of goodness??? NOTHING!

I used a rib eye but the recipe that I finagled this from used a huge 3 lb porterhouse, which is probably why this makes a RIDICULOUS amount of sauce. I froze the unused portion of mine for a future steak that happens to get accidentally solidified into a fossilized charred lil' mound-of-meat (especially if my dad, Rick happens to be grilling) or simply for some yummy added flavor.

Balsamic Steak Sauce
3/4 c balsamic vinegar
2/3 c ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 sliced shallots
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Dijon
1/4 t allspice*
salt
pepper
sugar**
2-3 T butter

1 large steak (I used a large ribeye), grilled to your liking




















*if you do not have allspice you can substitute equal parts of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
**I added a small amount (less than a t.) at the end when tasting the sauce if you feel it should be sweeter.


Simmer all ingredients in medium saucepan until thickened, approx. 15 minutes.

























Strain, then whisk in some cold butter (i used 2 T but thought I could have used more.) The butter will give the sauce a "velvety" texture.














Drizzle over sliced steak. WARNING: This sauce is pretty potent, start with a drizzle and then serve additional sauce on the side.