I'm Not Going to Say It-At Least Not In the Title

Because of my recently gained obsession with cupcakes, I have begun a quest to make good scratch cakes. I've found my go-to chocolate mix. It's light and moist and just chocolaty enough. I've found my white. It's light and moist and tastes exactly like a delicious sugar cookie. I've found my peanut butter aalthough I cannot attest to the way it tastes. I don't like peanut butter but I was told it tastes fantastic and is perfectly moist. And I have found a coconut. It is equally delicious in its own right. My last experiment was with a yellow cake mix.

Of course the main difference between a yellow cake and a white cake is the use of egg yolks. Some white cakes use only whites. Mine uses whole eggs. Yellow cupcake recipes use only yolks, thus the yellow color. The recipe I tried used 8 egg yolks and made a fantastic cake but it was only barely yellow. I added yellow food coloring to deepen the color just a bit. I think I needed to use extra large rather than large eggs, the bigger yolks would've likely made the color of the cake a little darker. I'm not giving you the exact recipe here, because I need that to remain my secret for job security. Google yellow cake recipes from scratch and you'll pull up dozens of perfectly good ones. You'll have to find yours through the process of elimination just like I have.

To begin with, of course, you have to cream together butter and sugar. Use butter, not margarine in baking a the flavor is much better. I use margarine in most other instances but butter only for my cupcakes and frosting. The key to light and moist cupcakes is to REALLY cream the butter together. This means a minimum of 5 minutes, ten minutes would be preferable if you have a stand mixer. I don't have a stand mixer. I have a $15 Oster hand mixer that I got as a household shower gift 11 years ago. I do my five minutes but usually not a lot longer than that. If you can do longer, do it. The longer the better. Your creamed mixture should be very pale. Like this:

This of course if followed by:

Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each. I cheated and did 2 at a time because it took like 15 seconds to mix each one in. After the eggs, you'll add your flavoring, for this cake some vanilla extract. Use real vanilla, not imitation. It costs more but it tastes better.

At this point you should already have sifted together your flour and leavening agent, in this case, baking powder and salt. Almost every cake recipe will call for you to alternate adding the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture with a liquid. With this yellow cake, you'll add the flour mixture alternately with milk. I used buttermilk and increased it by 1/4 cup just to ensure the cake would be moist enough. You should begin and end with the flour mixture.

This is a horrible picture but this is what you end up with. Notice how pale it is? That's why I added the food coloring. Use a cookie dough or ice cream scoop to measure out perfect portions of dough. Cupcakes should not have muffin tops when you bake them, they're not muffins.

I frosted these cupcakes with a Chocolate Fudge truffle frosting I'd previously used on a peanut butter cupcake. This is the easiest frosting imaginable though it does tend to cost a bit to make. It will ice 2 dozen cupcakes if you're so inclined.

To begin with, pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream into a sauce pan. Bring to a near boil or scald. Meanwhile, chop up 12 oz. baking chocolate. I use semi-sweet because that's what I have on hand but you can use milk chocolate baking pieces if you'd like. The semi-sweet keeps the frosting from being overly sweet. Using milk chocolate would render a frosting that tastes exactly like a candy bar. Drop the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips into a heat proof bowl. When the cream has come to a near boil, pour it over the chocolate and stir until all of the chocolate has melted and the mixture is shiny

At this point, you have ganache. You could pour it over a cake and it would form a thin layer of chocolate. If you let it cool in the frig for 30-60 minutes, you could scoop it out and roll it into balls for truffles, hence the name. I didn't want to do that though, although I do enjoy a good truffle. I wanted whipped frosting so I put it in the frig to cool. When the chocolate, the bowl and the beaters were chilled but not too cold, it's time to whip it up. The idea is to incorporate as much air as possible. We want it to be light and fluffy. If the chocolate doesn't seem to be whipping up, put it back in the frig and let it chill a little longer. If you let it set too long, it will bet too firm to whip. You will be able to loosen it up and pipe it onto your cake or cupcakes but it will not be light and airy.

Of course you scrape the bowl as you whip to make sure you get all of that delicious chocolate. What you end up with is pure decadence.

This is what you end up with. To be honest, the chocolate was too rich and heavy for the lightness of this cupcake. It could hold up to the strong flavor of a peanut butter cupcake but it overwhelmed the yellow. Separately though, they were spectacular.

And this picture is just to tease you all. 

And this picture is too cute not to include.

Okay, Finally, Here It Is-The Greatest Chili In the History of the World

A few weeks ago I was watching Food Network. The boys must have been asleep if I was allowed to turn the TV to anything but the 16 Nickelodeon or 23 Disney channels that we have. While I was watching Food Network, Nigella Lawson's show Nigella Bites or Nigella Express, I don't remember which. Nigella Lawson is a British cook. She is not a chef. Apparently she hates it when people say she is a chef. She says she is someone who just likes to cook.

During this episode, Nigella was making some sort of chili "casserole" type dish. It was a very dark and thick chili topped with a cornbread topping. I watched her make this dish. The chili looked great. Until she added the cornbread topping. It was a sweetened cornbread with cinnamon and cardamom in it. I thought that sounded gross to the extreme. Like I said though, the chili sounded great, so, the next day, it was pretty cool out and I made that chili. What? your asking. What does temperature have to do with chili? I don't make chili or soup after the weather warms up. It's just something I can't do, just like grill out when it's cold. Eating hot stuff that's meant to warm you up when it's 127 degrees outside just doesn't do it for me.

So, I made this chili. It was different than I usually make my chili but it was quite delicious. I think I stated on Facebook something like it was the greatest chili in the history of the world. I have a remarkable way with words, do I not?

Anyway, this is what the chili looked like.......

This is in the pot cooking. If you look to the side of the pot you can see that it has reduced a lot. That's what you want.

And we already know what it tasted like............

Meaning, you're going to be this excited about this chili when you taste it, except maybe you're hair is going to have been cut and your skin won't be so red unless you've dropped some of the chili on you. But you really are going to be this excited, I promise.
Here is the recipe............

Nigella Lawson BKCMom's Chili Con Carne

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili flakes, optional (completely dependant on your fondness for spice. I skipped it.)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 red peppers, seeded and finely diced (I used green)
1 pound ground beef
2  cups canned chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed

Heat the oil in a very large kettle or dutch oven and fry the onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add the chili, coriander, cumin, and stir well.

Add the peppers then break up the ground beef into the pan and, using a fork, keep turning it to separate it as the meat browns. Add the chopped tomatoes, ketchup, tomato paste, and broth stirring to make a rich red sauce. When the chili starts to boil sprinkle over the cocoa and stir it in. Add the beans and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 hours. At this point you can cool and freeze the chili, or just keep it in the refrigerator overnight.

Now, I didn't have the instructions when I made this chili. I made it the next day and guessed at a lot. The first strange thing about this recipe is that you don't drain the meat. If the fat grosses you out, use ground sirloin. Second, I didn't use coriander because I don't use coriander for anything else and don't keep it. I used some curry powder instead which lent a very earthy flavor to the chili. Third, let this cook a long time. It gets very dark brown and very thick. It also might require additional spices, as some of the flavor cooks out from the spices. I added some extra cumin, curry, and more cocoa, probably close to 1/4 cup total. The cocoa is not sweet so it doesn't lend any sweetness to the chili, just a dark flavor in the background that you never quite figure it out unless you know the recipe. I also used 1/2 a box of beef broth, about 2 cups, and let it cook down a long time. Smoosh the ground beef with the back of a wooden fork or spoon while it cooks to break it up very finely. I, for one, don't like big chunks of beef. .

Now, Nigella made this into a "casserole" type dish by chilling it in the frig overnight then topping it with a thin cornbread topping. This isn't my thing. Instead I made some very delightful mini cornbread muffins.

 For this recipe, I'm going to make a confession, it's straight off the back of the yellow Martha White yellow corn meal bag. It is very, very good. I am not including it here because I have faith in your ability to either google it or look on the back of the bag. That and I'm lazy. That's just how I roll.  

And now for the balsamic glazed peas that I was unable to stop eating Saturday when I made them.

Balsamic Glazed Peas

2 cups sugar snap peas, frozen or lightly steamed if fresh
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a large frying pan, brown the bacon. Usually when I make this recipe, I also throw in half an onion, finely chopped and let it fry with the bacon. Remove the bacon and onions if you use them but keep the fat in the pan. Add the balsamic and the sugar and whisk to mix. Allow it to start to cook and toss in the peas. Cook until the liquid is virtually gone. Then enjoy because they are DELICIOUS. Use frozen sugar snaps if you have to, just toss them in frozen and allow them to cook and glaze at the same time.

This is how you're going to feel after you eat these peas. Pretend the plate in front of him is filled with peas instead of pancakes stuffed with vanilla pastry cream and topped with strawberries and whipped cream. I'm sure he would have been equally exited if that were the case. (Check out the pictures in the background, on my wall. I don't think one of them is straight. That was during the boys' climbing on the back of the couch and jumping off phase. I don't think I've straightened them up since them.)

And just because I can and really want to.......

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows with Cookie Crumbs

Chocolate Covered Baby

Time for a Blog

I guess it's time for me to do another post, as I haven't done one for a while. It's late. One boy has been in bed since 6:30 because that was as long as I could stand him. He did not have a nap today. We stayed home because of the weather and he was wound for sound the entire day. I absolutely stood him as long as I could, I swear to you I did. The other is sitting on the couch watching Phineas and Ferb which we watch all day, if we're not watching Spongebob Squarepants. I prefer P&F. They're much more clever than Spongebob, who is slapstick at best. We're still up because I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow as well. I haven't tried but I fully suspect that I won't be able to get out tomorrow, what with the 4 inches of snow we've gotten in the last 24 hours. I think I'll fry some chicken tomorrow. I know that's kind of random but it's what I've been thinking about. I like fried chicken. I really do.

So, here's how we've spent our time since I last posted a blog.

The hubby has gone to work. No, not with CSX. We're still waiting for them to call and don't expect to hear from them any earlier than after the new year. With his unemployment benefits up in the air, he's decided that he needs to do something to make some money. You will notice that I do not disagree with him. Since we go to church with wonderful people, one of them hooked him up with a job. He's doing something, I don't know what, and he's making double what he brought home in UI. That's pretty much all I care about. I went to Walmart the other day and didn't have to worry about what I spent. I'm not extravagant by any means, but I've not had that luxury in a long time. It was fantastic. Hubby says it's not easy, going back to work. He's getting up earlier than me now. I really do feel bad for him. Really I do. That's been the biggest thing that has happened.

Otherwise, we've just done little things. I've decorated the house for Christmas. That takes at least a few days as we put up 3 trees as well as other decorations. If you would care to see what they look like, check out the pictures on facebook. 

And of course, I've gone to work. Every day.

This weekend was the first that my husband has worked in a long time. Friday evening, we had Chinese food. I believe I ate about 15 pot stickers. I love pot stickers. Saturday, the boys and I went to get haircuts. This is never a pleasant situation as the baby screams like he's being stabbed in the eye with a chopstick. (Big BK brought home 8 pairs of chopsticks to use for his work. I'm sure it's only a matter of time until someone gets stabbed with one.) This time, the screaming was more sporadic rather than consistent. This made it a bit better. After the haircut adventure, we went to walmart to do the shopping. I love shopping with the boys. (^Insert sarcasm here.)
Sunday, between church services, the boys and I made some Outrageous Chocolate Cookies. I plan on making all of the family gift boxes full of cookies and candy as Christmas presents and I wanted to try out this recipe. It's a good thing I did because I learned the hard way to make allowances for the convection oven. Ben helped me. Thursday evening we'd made cut-out sugar cookies. He'd loved it and they were quite good-we don't ice our sugar cookies, hubby likes 'em plain. He wasn't as thrilled with the others as they were drop and bake cookies and he didn't get to cut anything out.

I'm pretty sure the baby liked them though........at least in dough form. :) Cute huh? You've probably seen this on my facebook already but I had to put it on here too. I couldn't resist.

And here's another cute one that I have to put on here. Hubby isn't going to like it but after ten years of marriage, I'm use to him not liking me.

This weekend we also had some guests at our house. My sister dropped her boys off while she went to finish Christmas shopping. This is the first or second time in 1-2 years that she's had any significant time away from the 3 of them. I'm not sure what's kept her from losing her mind because I've spent one day with mine and thought someone was going to be killed during that time. Anyway, she dropped the 1 year old, 5 year old and 6 year old off about mid afternoon. Yes, that's right... I had at my home a 1 year old, a 2 year old, a 4 year old, a 5 year old, and a 6 year old. I don't think my downstairs Christmas tree will ever be the same. I was exhausted by the time they left just a few years-hours, I mean hours, later. The entire experience made me glad that it's physically impossible for me to have anymore children.

You'd think with a toddler and one barely not a toddler, that my house would be fairly baby proof, right? If you think that then you would be wrong. It's not baby proof. Apparently, it's nowhere near baby proof. And that, my dear readers, explains a whole lot about the kinds of things that happen around my house even with mildly diligent adult supervision.

This is my boys at the train station during our "vacation". Cutie-patooties, huh?

Here's the recipe for the cookies I made. Do not overcook them They still taste good and would be perfectly fine if you wanted to have some with a glass of milk but they will be dry otherwise. They're meant to be chewy. The flavor is fantastic.

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

3. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.

Yep, Another One!

Hehe! How many of you saw that title and thought I was talking about another kid or something? Nope, I mean another recipe. I am, in no uncertain terms, not pregnant, just in case there's been some misunderstanding in the past. I no longer have the capability of becoming pregnant, at least according to my ob/gyn and insurance payments.

That being said, I made a recipe of potatoes for supper yesterday that are absolutely fabulous. I might make this method my official method for making mashed potatoes as well. They're called Soho Potatoes according to the recipe that I've had for nearly 2 decades. I can't think of a better name for them so I'll continuee to call them that. Here's how to make them. They are not for the faint of heart. They are made with a lot of butter and heavy cream. I'm pretty sure that's what makes them delicious. :)

Soho Potatoes

2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp chopped herbs (the recipe calls for dill, I used rosemary)
1 tbsp capers, chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cover potatoes and carrots with salted water in stock pot. Cook until crisp tender. Drain. Cool under running water.

In same pot, melt butter. Add potatoes and carrots. Saute for five minutes. Over medium heat, add cream, one tablespoon at a time waiting until each addition is absorbed.

Add herbs and capers if using, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

You'll completely blow your diet but it will be worth it.

Peach-Blueberry Pie

This recipe was a special request from Shaz. It's a simple recipe, just a basic fruit pie. Hope it's what she wanted. Now, I've got to think of a cool nickname like that.

Peach-Blueberry Pie

 

Ingredients

 

Double Pie Crust

Flour, for rolling

2 pounds peaches, pitted and sliced (or frozen if preferred)

1 pint blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits

1 egg, beaten with a drizzle of water

  

Directions

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven.

 

Prepare bottom pie crust.

 

Toss the fruit with the sugar, lemon, and cornstarch. Pile the fruit into the pie shell and dot with the butter. Cover with remaining crust, crimping edges. Cut 2 or 3 (2-inch) vents in the top of the pie and brush with the egg glaze. Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling up through the vents, 50 to 60 minutes. Cover the edges with aluminum foil if they brown too fast. Cool on a rack before serving.

If using frozen or extremely juicy fruit, increase cornstarch by at least a tablespoon.

 

Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Spinach Pasta

Just tried this recipe today. Found it online and changed it a little to suit my taste and ingredients. Give it a try. Hubby was just about licking the bottom of the bowl when he finished his first and second bowls.

Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Spinach Pasta

2 cups penne rigati, rigatoni or fiori pasta

1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp

One small onion, small dice

One small green pepper, small dice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 stick butter or margarine

2 tbsp. flour

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (use seasoning mix from Jambalaya Pasta recipe)

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup baby spinach

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

In large stock pot, bring 6 quarts heavily salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain.

In separate pot, melt margarine. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Saute on medium high until vegetables are tender. Add Cajun seasoning and pepper. Cook 3 minutes. Add flour. Cook one  minute, stirring to keep flour from burning. Slowly add chicken stock, stirring to fully incorporate. Add shrimp and tomatoes. Cook until shrimp are opaque. Add pasta and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cream and cheese. Stir through.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

The amounts listed in this recipe (flour, stock, spinach, cheese, and cream) are estimations. I didn't measure these things. Add enough broth to make a slightly thick sauce. The pasta will absorb some of the liquid so you don't want it too thick. It will thicken as it cools as well.

Picking Blackberries

It's blackberry season, one of my most favorite times of the year. Well, of course that doesn't include Christmas or Thanksgiving. Or my birthday, when it's actually acknowledged. We've spent a couple of days now harvesting blackberries. If you've ever done this, you know how sometimes unpleasant it can be. If you've never done this, come by, I'll take you. Then you'll really appreciate it when I make you a cobbler. Blackberries have thorns. A lot of thorns. Sometimes the only way you know you've been stuck with one is that you feel it because they're sometimes virtually invisible. Big BK is a great blackberry picker so long as he doesn't get stuck. In that case, he whines a lot. I've nicknamed him the "blackberry squeezer". He doesn't like that and instead would prefer to be called the "cherry picker". I can't give you an explanation for this. I don't know why he's settled for that name. I'm not sure if he's ever seen a cherry much less picked one.

I've made four blackberry cobblers so far. They're super easy. I myself prefer blackberries fresh, out of hand, especially the big, fat ones that are so ripe that if you apply any pressure at all you'll be covered with juice. They're fantastic. In lieu of that, I don't mind a cobbler if it's warm and has a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting all over it. I'm not wild about the texture of cooked blackberries though because the ratio of pulp to seeds is skewed by the cooking process. The seeds are what really get me. Here is my recipe for blackberry cobbler. Try it. It's super easy and super cheap. I'd say, after picking my own blackberries which don't cost a thing, a cobbler to feed 8 people might cost a dollar.

BKC Mom's Blackberry Cobbler

1 Stick Margarine or Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Self-Rising Flour

1 Cup Milk

3 Cups Blackberries, picked through and rinsed

Powdered Sugar to sweeten berries

Toss berries and powdered sugar together so that berries can macerate. I never actually measure berries, adding as many or as few as I want.

In a 13 X 9 baking dish, melt margarine or butter.

In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, and milk. Whisk together until thoroughly combined. Batter will be thin. This is a good time to add flavorings such as vanilla or cinnamon if you want it though the batter is good enough just the way it is. When I measure the sugar I use a scant cup full because of the sugar I've added to the berries.

Pour batter into pan with butter. Top batter with berries. Bake at 350 degrees until top is lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly or you will burn your tongue!

Enjoy!

Blueberry Pancakes with Vanilla Cream, Sweetened Strawberries, and Fresh Whipped Cream

This morning I made breakfast. It was fantastic. I've never had pancakes so good in my life. You have to try it. It'll change your life. I can't stop thinking about it. This is the recipe.

1 Pint Fresh Blueberries
Pancake Batter
Butter or Margarine
1 Pint Fresh Strawberries
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Make Vanilla Pastry Cream ahead of time:

Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolk and flour in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half. Transfer to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil, about 5 minutes. Boil 1 minute. Pour into medium bowl. Stir in vanilla. Press plastic onto surface of pastry cream. Cover; chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

For Strawberry Filling:

Trim and quarter whatever amount of strawberries that are left after your punks have gotten into them, eaten them all over Walmart, then made a snack of them before bed. Rinse. Toss in bowl with powdered sugar. Set aside and allow them to macerate (let the sugar draw the juice out of the berries, making a syrup).

For the pancakes:

Use your favorite pancake recipe. Buttermilk is my preference. If you have to use a boxed mix, that's okay too. Whatever floats your boat.

Whip up a bowl of pancake batter. Heat a 10 inch saute pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon butter or margarine and when it's melted, ladle in pancake batter to make the desired size pancake. (To ensure all the pancakes are the same side, I use a ladle full per pancake.)  Rinse whatever amount of blueberries that are left after your punks and hubby have gotten to them and made a snack of them. In my case, about 1/2 pint. Generously dot pancake with blueberries. Flip when browned on bottom, cook until done. Remove to plate.

Whipped Cream:

Pour heavy whipping cream into mixing bowl. Use mixer and mix on high until cream begins to thicken and form soft peaks. Add sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until firm peaks are formed. Chill until ready to use.

To Assemble Pancakes:

Place one blueberry pancake on plate. Spread generously with cooled vanilla pastry cream. Add desired amount of strawberries. Layer second pancake. Top with generous dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with additional strawberries and blueberries, if you have any. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Now enjoy. And you will enjoy. No kidding, they are fantastic. You won't even need syrup with them, they are that good.

This is my boys helping and enjoying the fresh whipped cream.

Strawberry Napoleons

This recipe uses the left overs from above.

Thaw a box of frozen puff pastry dough. Cut into 6 rectangles. Bake as package directs until puffed and brown. Cool and then spilt each horizontally into two layers.

Place one piece of pastry onto plate. Layer with vanilla cream, strawberries, and whipped cream. Top with second layer of pastry. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy.

In this picture, I used three layers of pastry dough and repeated the vanilla cream, strawberries and whipped cream once. That made a very big napoleon, big enough that I was able to share with the boys.

Glazed Carrots (Copper Pennies)

This is my all-time favorite side dish. I make it all the time. The boys love it. I love it too. I take the carrots off of their plates when they aren't looking.

Glazed Carrots

1 lb carrots
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. brown sugar

If you're using baby carrots, wash them and put them into a pot of salted water to cook until fork tender.

If you're using regular carrots, find someone to peel and cut them into 1/2 inch slices, a house guest or cousin from Ohio or someone like that. If you can't find someone, then peel carrots and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Rinse and place in a pot of salted water to cook until fork tender. About 10 minutes or so.

When carrots are fork tender, drain. Return to pan and add butter, brown sugar, and salt to taste. Toss together and cook until carrots are glazed, about 2 minutes.



This recipe is easy to increase. Add 1 tbsp. of sugar and butter for each pound of carrots. If this is too much glaze, decrease butter and brown sugar to 1 tbsp. each. They are called Copper Pennies if you slice the carrots. Get it? They look like copper pennies. Baby carrots don't look like copper pennies.  

BKC Mom's World Famous Creamy Potato Soup

My potato soup is fantastic, if I do say so myself. (I've not been blessed with false modesty as a personality trait.) At the baby's birthday party last year, I was assured that it was quite fantastic. This is the recipe.

Creamy Potato Soup

5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. butter or bacon fat, if you've got it
2 tsp. dried thyme or rosemary
Fresh or dried parsley
1 tbsp. flour
2 cans chicken stock
1 tbsp. fresh thyme or rosemary, whichever dried herb was used
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
1 cup cream
Shredded cheese
Chopped green onions or chives
Bacon bits

In a large stock pot, heat butter or bacon fat. Add chopped onions, garlic, thyme or rosemary, parsley and 1 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Saute until onions are golden. Add flour and saute for 1 minute, cooking until raw flavor is removed from flour. Add one can chicken broth and 1 tsp. salt. Stir to losen any bits on the bottom of the pot. Add remaining chicken stock and 1 can water,  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until potatoes are cooked through. Use a fork or a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes. Add 2 cups milk and fresh herbs and bring to a boil. Don't let it boil over. Cook a few minutes, until thickened. Add cream and stir together. Taste for seasoning. Add salt or pepper if necessary.

Serve with sprinkle of cheese, onions, and bacon bits.


***I don't actually measure anything when I make this recipe. If this soup isn't as thick as you'd like, add more flour the next time you'd like. I don't know exactly how much I use so I can't give you a more precise measurement than what I've given here. I've actually used instant potato flakes to thicken this recipe, just pour some in a bowl, add a little liquid from the soup, mix until smooth, then stir into the soup. It works very well and you can use it to thicken the soup once it's essentially cooked.

Jambalaya Pasta

The first time I had Jambalaya Pasta was at O'Charlie's. It was delicious. This recipe is equally so. Try it. It's a little spicey so cut down on the amount of pepper in the spice mix if you don't like spicey.

Jambalaya Pasta

1 lb. penne regate or ziti pasta
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. peeled, deveined large shrimp, thawed if frozen
Spice Mix (recipe follows)
3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 lb. adouille or polish sausage, cut into 1/2 slices
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Paremesan

Cook pasta in pot of well-salted water until nearly done, about 10-12 minutes. Drain. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in 14-inch skillet or pot. Season the shrimp well with the seasoning mix. Saute the shrimp 1 minute per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Season the chicken well with the seasoning mix and add to the oil. Saute about 3 minutes, turning so that pieces brown evenly. Remove the chicken and set aside with the shrimp.

Place the onions, peppers, garlic and sausage in the oil and saute until the sausage is lightly browned and the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, thyme, 1 tbsp. of seasoning mix and cook for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, the chicken, and the pasta as well as 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally until the meats are cooked through, the pasta is done, and most of the cooking water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil and the parmesan cheese. Toss to combine and serve while hot.

Seasoning Mix

2 1/2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients. Store in an air tight container.



This recipe is super easy and very delicious. It's a bit spicy but my baby was eating it with little to no complaint. You won't be upset that you took the time to make it. 

BKC Mom's World Famous Creamy Chicken and Noodles

This is the recipe for my chicken and noodles, which are delicious beyond comprehension if I do say so myself. I've made them so much that I never measure anything. The measurements given here are mostly a guess. Depending on how your recipe is turning out, decrease or increase the amount of liquid.

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

4 Chicken Breasts
2 Cans Chicken Broth or Stock
Water
1 Small Onion, chopped
3 Medium Cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 Lb. Carrots, peeled and diced
4 TBSP. Butter
2 TBSP. Flour
Salt
Pepper
1 TSP. Dried Thyme
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1/2 Package Egg Noodles
1 Small Package Frozen Peas
8 oz. Heavy Cream

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in stock pot. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken in butter until cooked through and slightly brown. Remove chicken. Add remaining butter, onions, garlic, carrots, dried thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
Saute vegetables until golden. Add chicken back to pan along with flour. Continue to saute, stirring, about 1 minute to cook out raw flour flavor.

Add a couple of ounces of stock to pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits off of bottom (This is called deglazing). Add remainder of chicken broth and at least 1 can of water, more if necessary to allow enough broth to cook noodles. Add noodles to pot and boil until noodles are almost tender. Add salt and pepper to taste, thyme sprigs, cream, and peas. Cook until noodles are tender. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Remove thyme stems upon serving.


***Use stock instead of broth for more deep flavor.
***Use skin-on cuts of chicken. Cook chicken in seperate pot. Remove skin and discard. Use cooking liquid in place of canned broth. Cut up cooked chicken and add to pan after vegetables are cooked. Cook until chicken has a bit of color. Follow recipe from that point.

Easter Recipes

These are some of the recipes that I served during our Easter dinner.

Strawberry Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tbsp cornstarch
1 package straberry flavored gelatin, 4 serving size
2 cups water
4 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 9-inch pie shells, baked and cooled

Cook sugar, cornstarch, gelatin and water until thick; cool. Place berries in the pie shells. Pour gelatin over fruit. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve with whipped cream or whipped topping.

****Warning: Do not overfill these pie crusts. You could wind up with super-sticky gel all over your kitchen. Trust me, I know.
****Warning: Do not get distracted and let the gelatin mixture boil over. It will burn and smoke, stink and cause your smoke alarm to go off. If it does boil over, clean it up before it cools without burning all of the flesh off or your fingers or it will ruin your smooth top range. Trust me, I know.

Stuffed Mushrooms

24 ounces White Button Mushrooms
Stems from 24 ounces of White Button Mushrooms, finely diced
1/2 pound Hot Pork Sausage
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown and crumble sausage. Set it aside to cool. In same pan, saute onions and garlic for about 2 minutes or until tender and slightly brown. Pour in liquid to deglaze pan, scraping delicious bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until liquid has evaporated. Add in chopped mushroom stems and cook for a couple of minutes. (I actually just add the mushroom stems to the onions and garlic and cook at the same time.) Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg. Stir in Parmesan. Add cooled sausage mixture and cooled vegetables. Stir together and refrigerate until firm.

Fill the cavity of each mushroom. Don't mound filling up too much as mushrooms will shrink when baked.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

****These mushrooms are fantastic and can be made ahead of time. Just fill then refrigerate until needed. Bake right before serving.

Sweet and Smokey Bacon-Wrapped Sausages

2 packages L'il Smokies cocktail sausages
1 lb. package bacon, brown sugar or maple cured is good for this recipe
Brown Sugar, at least a pound
Toothpicks.

Cut bacon in to half, then half again so that each strip is now cut into quarters. Wrap each sausage in bacon, securing with a toothpick. Arrange wrapped sausages in baking dish or slow cooker. Cover with brown sugar, using enough brown sugar that sausages are thoroughly covered. If it's necessary to layer sausages, cover first layer with sugar then add additional layer of sausages. Bake or cook in slow cooker until bacon is completely cooked, in this instance, the crispier the better. These suckers are super hot, the brown sugar and bacon fat make a delicious sauce but they will burn you unless you let them cool just a little. Serve warm although they are delicious at any temperature.