Valentine's Day Treats

Valentine's day is getting pretty close so I thought I'd add a few recipes I found online. I hope to try at least one of these out this year.

M&M Cookie Cups
Last year I made these cookie cups for my boyfriend. The cookie dough was a little difficult to work with, so mine didn't come out looking quite as nice as these, but they still tasted good. Next time I will refrigerate the dough for a bit and see if that helps. I gave the extra cookie cups to my sisters and their husbands - one of them took the M&Ms out and filled the cookie cup with ice cream and put the M&M's on top. These are great treats for kids!

Photo from Food Family Finds blog

Valentine M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
I found this recipe last year and I thought they were really cute. I ended up just making M&M cookies and not shaping them into hearts, but I wanted to share this idea!

Photo from The Bake-Off Flunkie blog

Shortbread Cookies
These are super cute!

Photo from The Thrifty Crafter blog

Chocolate Heart Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms are very popular among my family around Christmas. This version - with a heart shaped chocolate - is perfect for Valentine's Day! If you want to use a home-made cookie recipes, one can be found here. You could even use red or pink sugar instead of white sugar if you want to add a bit of color.

Photo from bettycrocker.com

Mixed Berry Bundt Cake
Williams-Sonoma has some delicious recipes on their website. I love berries so this one caught my eye. Plus, who could not like a cake in the shape of a heart? (The pan isn't available on Williams-Sonoma website, but you can find it here!)

Photo from Williams-Sonoma website

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Bread Dip

My friend Lisa's mom made this dip for a few parties that I went to and my sister and I loved it. She serves it in a bread bowl and cuts up pieces of bread for dipping. I decided to try it for the football games tomorrow. I had to run to the store to get a few of the spices I didn't have on hand. I couldn't find onion flakes or chopped onion spices, so I got minced onion instead. My local bakery was having a bread sale so I bought one round sourdough (to use for the bread bowl) and two round french boules (to use for dipping). My friend's mom uses rye and I think pumpernickel would go well too. You could really use any kind you like and get a variety of breads for dipping. I wasn't sure what people would eat so I just went with something basic. I also bought a bag of baby carrots in case the bread doesn't appeal to everyone. I'm excited to see how it comes out and what people think tomorrow!

Bread Dip

1 1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup plain yogurt

2 Tablespoons onion flakes or chopped onion (only used copped or flakes in the spice bottles, don’t use real onions)

2 Tablespoons parsley flakes

2 teaspoons dill weed

2 teaspoons celery salt

Round bread, plus extra bread for dipping

Mix all ingredients together and let set for at least 12 hours. If you want to add more spices after it sets, you can, but it takes about 12 hours for the taste to blend together.

Once it is ready to serve, hollow out a circle in a round rye bread (or whatever bread you choose). Put the dip into the bread and cut the remaining bread into bite-size pieces for dipping (dipping bread should be somewhat sturdy so it can be cut into bite-size pieces).

In addition to the above, you can also add chopped olives (about 12) and some people put chopped nuts (1/2 cup is plenty).

 Photos by JoJo

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Game Day Appetizers

Last night I was searching online for a simple dip recipe to make for the NFL Conference Championship games this Sunday. The first one that came to mind was a spinach artichoke dip, but I want something that I can make the day before and that is cold so it's easier for me to transport. I think I know what I will be making, but I wanted to post a few recipes that I found in case anyone else is looking.

Ranch Spinach Dip
This looks very simple and I love the presentation in the bread bowl! It also goes well with bread, chips, crackers or veggies.

Photo from Hidden Valley

Veggie Cream Cheese Roll-Ups
I went to a party once where someone had made these and I loved them. I don't know if this is the same recipe that they used, but it's close enough. You can use whatever veggies you like. If you love cream cheese like I do, this is a great appetizer to make!

Photo from Just A Pinch blog

French Onion Dip
This can be made very simply (with a Lipton Onion Soup mix packet and sour cream) or you can use a recipe like the one above that requires a little more work. I haven't made either, but french onion dip is always a hit so I wanted to include this!

Photo from seriouseats.com

Seven Layer Dip
I've always liked seven layer dip. It's easy to make and usually goes pretty fast at parties!

Photo from mccormick.com

Buffalo Chicken Dip
I made this dip a few years ago and was reminded of it last weekend when a friend made it for the games on Sunday. If you like buffalo sauce, you will love this! I used the Franks RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce, but you could really use any hot sauce that you like.

Photo from franksredhot.com

Tzatziki
My cousin suggested this recipe to me. I've never made or or even had it anywhere but a restaurant, but she said it was great. Plus, it's a little different from the more standard appetizers above, so I thought I'd add it to the mix. And, there's a video too!



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Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

One night I was looking for a simple chicken dish to make for dinner. I was searching on the Food Network and found a recipe for Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps. I had all the ingredients at home already so I decided to give them a try. I was making them for dinner, and not an appetizer, so I thought of making the chicken in strips instead of nuggets, but I decided to follow the recipe and make the nugget size. They were very simple to make and also quite tasty! These would be a great appetizer for a Super Bowl party.

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 4 breasts)

1 (1-pound) package bacon

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons chili powder

Preheat oven to 350˚.

Cut breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake at 350˚ for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

I don't have any photos of the ones I made, but here is a video on how to make these:





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Mini Cheesecakes

Many years ago, my godmother gave me a springform cheesecake pan as a gift. Cheesecakes were one of my favorite things to make, and still are. I've posted two recipes of cheesecakes I've made on here already, the Decadent Turtle Cheesecake and the Mascarpone Cheesecake with Almond Crust. I have a few other favorite cheesecake recipes that I'm sure will end up on here at some point, but I also enjoy making mini cheesecakes that are the size of cupcakes. I've only made one of these recipes before, but I will post a few others that I want to try in the near future too!


Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes
Raspberries are probably my favorite fruit. I love using them when I bake too. These mini cheesecakes look delicious, and they'd also make for a great Valentine's Day treat!

Photo from Annie's Eats blog

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes
Oreo's and cheesecake in one? You can't go wrong here! This recipe looks super easy and it would be a hit with anyone who likes Oreo's.

Photo from Cate's World Kitchen blog

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
These I have made before. It may not have been this exact recipe, but it was the same idea. It's very simple since the crust is a Nilla Wafer. You could really top this with any kind of canned or fresh fruit, but I like cherry pie filling so that is what I have used in the past.

Photo from Bakerella blog

Twix Cheesecakes
Twix are one of my favorite candies, so this caught my eye! This recipe is something you could use for any kind of chocolate candy or even just with chocolate chips. I love blogs with great photography, and I thought the pictures and instructions were very well done on this one!

Photo from Gingerbread Bagels blog

Mini Turtle Cheesecakes
Turtle cheesecake is one of my favorite and this mini version looks delicious! I will definitely be trying this.

Photo from Fake Ginger blog

Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Peanut butter, cheesecake, chocolate - all things I love! These look pretty rich but that's why making them mini is a great idea!

Photo from Sugar & Cloth blog

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
These look good, I love the chocolate on the top covering the cookie dough!

Photo from My Baking Addiction blog

Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake
The chocolate ganache on these is what made me post this recipe - it looks so good!

Photo from Annie's Eats blog

After seeing all these pictures, I want to make a few of these for a party. Maybe use one cheesecake recipe for the base and make various types of mini cheesecakes. It's always good to have a variety to suit everyone's tastes, and it would be pretty simple to do that with mini cheesecakes by adding different fruits on top or chocolates or cookies in the recipe! The best thing about these is you can be creative with them!

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Cavatelli

Every year for Easter dinner my family has my grandmother's homemade cavatelli. It's always such a treat. I have never made it by myself so I don't have any tips to offer, but I have some pictures of the last time I helped my grandmother make it a few years ago. This has always been my favorite kind of homemade pasta!

Cavatelli

5 cups flour

1 cup water + 1 Tablespoon

2 eggs

Mix all ingredients.  If dough is too hard, add a little more water.  Knead until smooth.

Place dough in a plastic bag to rest for 20 minutes or more.  Knead again and form into 2 balls.  Dough should not be hard.

Spread one ball at a time with a “liniature” (a long thin rolling “pin”).  Make it thin enough.  Cut into strips and curl with fingertips.

Cover the dough while making the Cavatelli so it does not get dry.

After forming Cavatelli, let dry a while and put into zip lock bags to freeze until needed.  They freeze very well.

 

Photos by JoJo

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Pinterest

If you love to cook or bake, you should check out Pinterest if you aren't already on it. I have a bad habit of not making recipes that don't have pictures of the finished product. I'm a very visual person so looking through pictures of food on this site is a helpful way for me to find recipes that I want to try. That's really all I use it for, but there are also crafts & DIY ideas and lots more. You can "follow" others and see everything that they pin as well as search for something specific, so it's a very useful site for new and creative ideas. A few of the recipes I've made have come from here, and I'm sure many others will!

Oh, and if you like any of my recipes, there is now a "pin it" button at the bottom of each one!

Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon Salt

A few months ago I found a recipe online for a whole roasted chicken and wanted to try it out. I read the comments and noticed that many people used a vertical roasting pan. I looked them up online and read a lot of reviews, but the one that caught my eye was the Weber 6408 Style Poultry Roaster. It had great reviews and I like that I can use it both in the oven and on the grill. It also has a liquid tray to hold wine, beer, juice, etc. and a cone-shaped infuser which holds the chicken. And to top it off (literally), there is a plug for the top of the chicken that keeps the steam inside, making the chicken moist and juicy instead of dried out.

I found the original recipe on The Food Network but made a few adjustments. First, my grocery store didn't have rosemary, but they had a "poultry blend" of rosemary, sage and thyme. I decided to give it a try, and I think the extra herbs gave it a great flavor. I also used a 6-pound Perdue Oven Stuffer Roaster, which has a thermometer that pops up when it's done. I had never made a whole chicken before, so this was helpful. I added 1/2 cup white wine to the liquid tray in my vertical roasting pan. Once the chicken was done, I set aside the remaining juices and used them as a "sauce" on my chicken when eating it. The chicken was moist enough that it did not need this, but I always like to add it.

This was a great recipe and my new roasting pan made it a breeze. I highly recommend both to anyone who enjoys roasting whole chickens!

Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon Salt

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Chicken:

2 whole chickens (2 to 3 pounds each) or 1 whole chicken (5-6 pounds)

3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 or 2 fresh rosemary sprigs

1½ lemons, cut into chunks

seasoned salt:

2 Tablespoons very finely minced lemon zest

2 Tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

2 Tablespoons sea salt, preferably gray salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375˚.

Rinse the chicken(s) inside and out and dry well with a paper towel.

Make the salt: in a bowl, combine the lemon zest, rosemary, salt and pepper, mixing well. Rub the chicken all over with the olive oil, and then rub with 3 tablespoons of the seasoned salt (reserve the remaining salt for another use). Tuck the rosemary sprigs and lemon chunks into the chicken cavity. You don’t need to truss the chicken.

Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan or on a vertical roasting pan and roast for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Makes 4 servings.

Poultry Roaster

Lemon zest, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt & pepper

Chicken filled with lemon halves and herbs

With cap on

Finished product!

Photos by JoJo

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Macaroni Grill Focaccia Bread

If you've ever been to Macaroni Grill, you've probably started your meal with their focaccia bread. Any time I went there I looked forward to eating this bread. I came across a recipe online a few years ago and have made it several times since then. Everyone always loves it and it accompanies many meals well. I tried another focaccia bread recipe recently (also with rosemary and sea salt) and I still like this one more by far. Some focaccia bread recipes are very flat breads (like the other one that I tried), and this is not which is something that I like about it. Of course, you can always use a larger pan and make it flatter if you wish, or use a round pan. I use a 9"x9" CorningWare dish and that works very well for me. I think I will start to use this focaccia recipe as a base and play around with substituting the rosemary for other ingredients (olives, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, etc.). This recipe is also very simple to make. If you use a mixer with the dough attachment, you don't have to knead it by hand and that makes it even easier.

Macaroni Grill Focaccia Bread

Serve this as they do at Macaroni Grill. Pour some olive oil into a saucer.  Freshly grate black pepper on top.  Tear off pieces of the focaccia and dip in the oil.

9 Tablespoons olive oil (divided use)

3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsifted semolina flour

½ teaspoon salt (divided)

1½ Tablespoons quick-rising dry yeast

1½ cups hot (between 120 and 130°F) milk

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Pour a scant tablespoon of the olive oil into a 9” square cake pan; spread evenly to cover bottom and sides. Place all-purpose flour, semolina flour, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and all of the yeast in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. (The mixing can be done by hand as well). Blend ingredients on medium speed. Reduce speed to low and slowly add hot milk. Raise the speed to medium and continue mixing for 5 minutes (or knead about 8 to 10 minutes by hand).

Sprinkle bottom of cake pan with a little flour. Remove dough from bowl and spread out evenly in pan. Cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove towel. Brush dough with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle top with additional ¼ teaspoon salt and rosemary. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Bread dough spread in pan before rising

Bread dough after rising for 30 minutes

Dough with olive oil, rosemary and sea salt on top

Fresh out of the oven!

Half of the bread

Photos by JoJo

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Cheese Ball

In a few weeks it will be every football fan's favorite day of the year - Super Bowl Sunday! I've found a few recipes that would be perfect for a Super Bowl Party. Yesterday I found a recipe for "Cheese Ball Blitz", a cheese ball in the shape of a football! I think this is a really cute idea. My family has a cheese ball recipe that I've had a few times and is really good, so I'll post that one instead of the one I found online that I've never had (although that is linked above if you want to check it out). If you love cheese and are having or going to a Super Bowl party, this appetizer will be a hit!

Ann’s Cheese Ball

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese

1 8-ounce Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar (red wrapper)

1 12-ounce Wispride Port Wine cheese spread

Walnuts or pecans, chopped

Soften cheeses. When they are at room temperature, mix cheeses together with either your hands or a mixer. Form into two balls or one large one. Roll in chopped walnuts or pecans. Decorate with cherry if you wish. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.

Serve with your favorite crackers.

Photo from snackpicks.com

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Pound Cake

One of the best baked goods I've ever had is my Aunt Paulette's Pound Cake. It is my "go to" recipe when I have extra sour cream and want to use it before it goes bad. This recipe is delicious, whether you eat it plain for breakfast or dessert, serve it with berries and whipped cream, or use it in a trifle. It's not as heavy as some other pound cakes that I've had and it has such a great taste to it. You can make a swirl one with chocolate, but I always just make the yellow cake. I think it tastes better that way, but everyone has their preferences. I've also made this in loaf pans and mini loaf pans (those make perfect gifts!), but making it in an angel food pan seems to come out the best for some reason. I've never tried this recipe in a bundt pan so I'm not sure how that would turn out. I'll have to experiment with that sometime. I have noticed that when I've made this in the loaf pans the center sometimes sinks in a little. Either way, it always tastes good. And what's even better is it's very simple to make - you combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix them together. It doesn't get much easier than that! I usually make two recipes and freeze one pound cake for later. Make sure if you're baking in a dark or nonstick pan to check on the cake before the time in the recipe. Mine were done in 55 minutes and probably could have even come out of the oven a few minutes earlier than that. To make it look nice, sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the top. You will not be disappointed with this recipe!

Edit August 2022: This batter comes out a bit better if you cream the butter and sugar together first, then add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla and mix it well, and then add the dry ingredients last.

One-Step Pound Cake

2¼ cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1¾ cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 cup sour cream

3 large eggs

*2 Tablespoon cocoa (optional, omit for yellow pound cake)

Grease and flour a 10” tube or bundt pan.  Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl.  Blend at low speed.  Mix 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake at 325° for 60-70 minutes.  Cool at least 30 minutes in pan.

*If cocoa is used, you may also use ½ cup of whole wheat flour and reduce the all-purpose flour to 1¾ cups.

(Instead of baking in tube or bundt pans, you can bake this in 2 loaf pans – if so, reduce baking time by 10 minutes – check so that it does not get too dry.)

Pound cake batter

Fresh out of the oven!

Make two - freeze one for later!

Photos by JoJo

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