The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,500 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 58 trips to carry that many people.
I love cold slushy drinks in the winter. Not sure why, but if you’re like me, you’ll love this concoction!
1/2 cup chocolate syrup (personal note: do NOT use the lite choc syrup, it’s almost bitter)
1 c fat free evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups ice cubes
Garnish: whipped topping and/or dark chocolate shavings
Combine the syrup, milk, vanilla and ice in a blender until smooth.
Pour into glasses and garnish if desired.
To make
If you’ve never cooked with balsamic vinegar before, do not be intimidated by the smell. It mellows out beautifully.
4 5oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T flour
1/4 t kosher salt
pepper
2 t olive oil
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
1 c chicken broth
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t dried thyme
1 T butter
Coat chicken breasts with a mixture of flour, kosher salt, and a dash of pepper. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and cook, turning once, 7 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add shallots to pan and saute until lightly browned. Add chicken broth, vinegar, and thyme. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until shallots are tender and sauce is syrupy (about 4 minutes). Stir in butter. Remove pan from heat. Plate chicken, and cover with sauce.
From Woman’s Day September 2010.
In the past two or three months, I have diagnosed myself with Celiac Disease. While I normally am not for diagnosing yourself, you are forced to do so when your drs won’t cooperate with you. (I think the fact that I am uninsured had a lot to do with it). They were too busy thinking I had cholera, or performing unnecessary surgery. Yes, both of those have happened. Anyhoo, I think I have celiac disease. Which means I cannot consume wheat, rye, barley or related grains. For the rest of my life. So I’m having to learn all over how to cook. Can’t thicken soups or make gravies with regular flour. Can’t use beefy onion soup mix to season things. Below is my first attempt at an actual GF recipe, as opposed to me just throwing stuff together. It sounds really good and I can’t wait to try it!
(From Wheat-Free Recipes and Menus by Carol Fenster, PhD.)
1 T canola oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 c fresh mushrooms, trimmed and halved
1 garlic clove, minced
1.5 t dried tarragon
.5 t ground black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can low sodium GF chicken broth
2 T cornstarch
2 T GF light sour cream or sour cream alternative
1 t grated lemon zest
4 c cooked purchased GF pasta (noodles or penne)
2 T chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, mushrooms, garlic, tarragon, and pepper. Cook, uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink, turning once. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and mushrooms to a platter and set aside.
Combine 2 T of broth with the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture and remaining broth to the skillet and cook, stirring, over medium high heat until thickened and bubbly.
Remove about 1/2 cup of the mixture and stir it into the sour cream. (if you use sour cream alternative, you may need to whisk it into the mixture or put it in a blender to fully incorporate it.) Return the sour cream mixture to the skillet along with the chicken and mushrooms. Stir in the lemon zest. Heat to serving temperature but do not boil. Serve over the hot cooked noodles and garnish with the parsley.
This recipe is from the Williams Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook.
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
kosher salt and pepper
2 oz fresh goat cheese
4 thin slices prosciutto
8 fresh sage leave
2 cups flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten with 2 Tbsp water
2 cups bread crumbs
1/4 c olive oil as needed
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Use a boning knife to cut a horizontal incision into each breast, without cutting the breasts in half, creating a pocket for stuffing.
Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Pound lightly with a mallet or small frying pan, until each breast is about 3/4 inch thick. When all the breasts have been pounded, rub each piece lightly all over with a little oil.
Stuff each pocket with about 1 1/2 Tbsp of the goat cheese, spreading evenly then follow with 1 slice of prosciutto, and 2 sage leave.
Arrange a plate with the flour, a bowl with the eggs, and a plate with the bread crumbs on a work surface. Dredge each stuffed breast in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip it into the beaten egg mixture, then dredge in the bread crumbs.
Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add 2 of the chicken breasts to the pan. Do not overlap the pieces, or the breasts will cook unevenly. Cook for 1 minute, then lower the heat to low and continue to cook for 2 minutes more. Using tongs, carefully turn the breasts and cook until golden on the second side and just becoming firm to the touch, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm while you cook the others in the same was, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve at once.
I love coffee, iced or hot. But I hate paying 5 bucks (or more) for a gourmet cuppa coffee. Here’s how I make my own iced coffee. (You can also use the final product in warm coffee, just heat it up in the microwave or on the stove.)
You need:
A french press (or 2 large bowls, a fine mesh strainer and some big filters. But it is worth the price to get the french press, much easier and not as messy).
1 cup coarse ground coffee (either use your own grinder or grind it at the store. Using pre ground coffee will mean your coffee will be crunchy)
1 qt cold fresh water
Bamboo skewer, long plastic spoon, or a chop stick
1 qt container to store in the fridge
some time
I will write these instructions for using a french press, since it is easier. The amounts will not vary if using the bowls. Put a qt of water in your french press (it will come up to the bottom of the band around the top). Add the ground coffee. Stir with a bamboo skewer, (do NOT use metal, it will eventually crack the french press). Put on the cover, but do not plunge. Allow to sit over night. Gently plunge the coffee, and pour into the storage container (I use a rubbermaid one that fits in the door of the fridge).
To mix up some coffee, add equal parts coffee and milk in a mug, flavor and sweeten as desired. To make hot coffee, mix equal parts water and coffee, heat as desired, then sweeten and add cream. I use about 4 oz coffee and 4 oz milk, but play around with the ratios and see what suits your taste. I usually add some sugar free vanilla torani syrup. This is a great way to use flavored coffees, since the long brewing time really develops the flavor.
This method of brewing also reduces the acidity and the caffeine content of the coffee.
Enjoy!!
I’m not going to give amounts, just use what you need to suit your family’s appetites and taste.
Caramelized garlic chicken:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts (either pounded thin or butterflied)
oil
minced garlic
brown sugar
In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add about 3 T minced garlic. Stir, but take the pan off the heat before the garlic browns. Add in an equal amount of brown sugar. Stir to dissolve, and set aside. Put chicken on a large roasting pan covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Brush the chicken with the oil. Bake at 500* for 10 minutes. (At this point, the brown sugar started to scorch where there wasn’t much oil, so I took it out, and added about a half inch of chicken broth). Continue cooking for another 8 minutes.
Roasted Parmesan Potatoes:
Potatoes, cubed
oil
seasonings (i used garlic powder, salt pepper, oregano and a bit of tarragon).
Parmesan
Place cubed potatoes into a casserole dish. Pour some oil over and season. Combine to coat evenly. Cook at 500* for 10 minutes. Take out and stir, continue cooking for 8 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and broil until cheese is golden brown.
Southern Style green beans:
2 cans green beans
Superior Touch better than bullion beef base (about 3 T)
In a saucepan or microwave safe casserole, combine beans and base. Cook until base has melted and beans are heated through.
1 cup brown rice, already cooked according to note directions (or you can cook it at the same time, but it will take about 45 minutes).
3 large chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces.
2 portobella caps, chopped
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup cream or milk (i used heavy cream, simply because i wanted to make sure it was used. I don’t use a lot of it, and was afraid i would have to throw it out).
In a 2 qt casserole, put cooked brown rice on the bottom and season with salt, pepper, tarragon, parsley, garlic powder, and oregano (or whatever you want).
In a large pan, saute’ chicken in a bit of oil. Deglaze pan with chicken broth, then remove chicken with a slotted spoon and put on top of the rice. Reduce chicken broth by about 1/3 over high heat. Pour into a bowl, set aside. Add a bit of butter, brown mushrooms. When brown, add 1 T butter and 1 T flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the chicken broth. Allow to thicken about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Slowly add cream or milk. Pour into casserole and stir to coat chicken and rice. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Note: To cook rice, use 1 cup brown rice (I use mahatma) and 2 3/4 c water. Bring water to a boil, add rice. Cover and reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.
Not putting amounts because it’s really not an issue with this recipe, just use to suit your family’s size and tastes. Depending on the sides you fix, this could be dinner on the table in 45 minutes.
Flour
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Salt
Thin Sliced Pork Chops
Mushrooms, sliced
Garlic, minced
Marsala wine (abt 1 cup)
In a bowl or shallow pan combine flour and seasonings. Dredge pork chops to coat. Meanwhile heat enough oil for frying the pork chops in a pan. When the oil is hot, add about 4 chops at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Remove and drain the chops (a great way to drain fried food is a wire rack or roasting rack over paper towels). When all chops are finished, brown mushrooms and garlic in remaining oil. Add about a cup of Marsala wine and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the chops and simmer until they are hot.
I served with roasted mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) and Sauteed corn with butter. Would also be good with roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice, Brussels sprouts, sauteed asparagus or squash/zucchini.
This is a cake that is rich and decadent. It uses a cake mix, but I tweaked it a bit. It makes 12 servings, but it is so rich you could stretch it to 16 or 24.
Cake:
1 Duncan Hines Devils Food cake mix
semisweet chocolate chips, I used half of a large bag
Vanilla extract, about 1 tsp.
Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Add chips and vanilla. Bake according to directions on box. Let cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
Nestle’s Chocolate Lover’s Icing:
BEAT 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and milk until smooth. Makes 2 cups.
