Reality

I am officially one week into the new school year and I am missing Summer something awful. That's a lie. I'm not missing Summer. I'm mourning Summer. It's been a hard go, but such is life.

I am going to continue my culinary adventures, though. In fact, I think that this will become more than just an adventure and become more like therapy. I'm okay with that. Anything to keep me sane until June 2013.

Stay tuned. The best is yet to come :)

Love!
-E-

Forgotten Chicken

FORGOTTEN CHICKEN

It doesn't look like much, but damn is it good.

What you will need:

• 4-6 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 2 cups minute rice
• 1 can water

What you will need to do:

1. Mix the two cans of soup, the can of water, and the rice together 
2. Butter pan well
3. Pour rice mixture into pan, spread out evenly
4. Place chicken breasts on top of rice mixture
5. Sprinkle onion soup mixture on top of chicken/rice evenly
6. Cover with aluminum foil (very important!)
7. This is where the name "Forgotten Chicken" comes into play. You have two options:
1. Bake at 275 for 3 hours or until chicken is totally cooked
2. Bake at 350 for 1-1.5 hours or until chicken is totally cooked
8. Remove from over, scoop, nosh.

So, about this chicken. I was skeptical, but I needed something that I could throw together, put in the oven and forget about so that I could tend to other important things. I thought this would be a sloppy, mushy mess.It wasn't. The rice was perfectly cooked and tender, the chicken was crazy moist and flavorful, and the flavor balance was just right. I made this for the family dinner we hosted tonight and everyone loved it. I personally felt it was very good, but what I really appreciate is how simple it was to make. It was just as simple as mixing a few things together and throwing it in the oven.

I served this with a salad and the Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Bread (refer to previous posts). It was a fantastic combination and I look forward to making this in the future. 

Enjoy!

-E-

 

Red Velvet and Marshmallow Cupcakes

RED VELVET AND MARSHMALLOW CUPCAKES

 Sweet, sticky goodness.

What you will need:

• One box of red velvet cupcake mix and whatever you need to make it (if you want to make the cupcakes from scratch, more power to you.)
• Large marshmallows

What you need to do:

1. Bake the cupcakes according to the directions on the box.
2. When the cupcakes have 5 minutes left place a marshmallow on top of each cupcake. The marshmallow should be standing up. 
3. When the 5 minutes are up, put oven on broil. DO NOT WALK AWAY. You want the marshmallow to be slightly toasted, but not burned. 
4. When the marshmallows have toasted, remove and place on cooling rack. 
5. Take a silicone spoon (it won't stick) and squish the marshmallow down gently so that it spreads over the entire cupcake top.
6. Grub. 

Honestly, it took me a hot minute to get this sticky marshmallow thing down. Once I figured out my best method (it may be different for you, which is fine), it was cake and pie. Well, cake and ... marshmallow. 

It was yummy. And it can be totally versatile. The options are endless. I am excited to try this with chocolate cupcake and a little graham cracker. Hello, smore cupcakes! Soon...

Everyone loved these. The cake was super moist and the marshmallow was toasted just perfectly.All in all, a success.

Enjoy!

-E-

 

Garlic and Parmesan Pull Apart Bread

GARLIC AND PARMESAN PULL APART BREAD

Oh man, is this stuff good...

What you are going to need:

• 1 can of Southern Style Grands Biscuits (do NOT get the flaky kind!)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 stick of butter (I think that is the equivalent of 1/4 cup)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• bunt pan 

What you need to do:

1. Crank your oven to 350 degrees
2. Put the butter in the pan and place in over
3. Remove pan from oven when the butter is melted, be careful not to burn
4. As the butter is melting, pop the biscuits open and slice into 1/4's
5. Mix the biscuit pieces, garlic, and cheese together gently. You want the biscuit pieces to be coated, but not smooshed
6. Place the biscuit pieces into the pan and place in oven
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown
8. Remove from oven, place plate over pan, flip carefully, serve
9. Devour.

When I tell you that this is stupidly tasty, I mean it is SO EFFIN' GOOD. The boy was so excited to see I was making pull apart bread and that it was a savory loaf. It went perfectly with the chicken casserole I made for the family dinner we hosted tonight (recipe on that soon), and it was so easy and cheap to make. You could add any kind of herbs or spices you wanted to go with whatever it is that you're making. We are simply people, though... and the garlic and parmesan was just right. This will be a new regular in our house. In fact, my dad asked if I would make these for Thanksgiving (which his birthday happens to fall on this year). These are a lot like the little bread bites you can get at a lot of pizza places now, but better. They are seasoned just right and can compliment any entree. 

Enjoy!

-E-

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

 Seriously, guys. Seriously.

What you'll need:

• soft tortillas, large
•  2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I bought a full, cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and just pulled the meat off)
• 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 3 (tbsp) butter
• 3 (tbsp) flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies
• Cilantro

What you'll need to do: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan
2. Mix chicken and 1 cup of cheese. Roll up in tortillas ans place in pan.
3. Saute any veggies you might want to add in. We did pepper and onions. Once sauteed, place over rolled up tortillas. If this isn't your thing, skip this step.
4. In sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over Med heat until thick and bubbly.
5. Stir in sour cream and chillies. Do NOT bring to a boil. You do not want to curdle the sour cream.
6. Pour over the enchiladas and too with the remaining cheese. We added cilantro at this point, as well.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes and then under high broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.
8. Serve with any sides you like and nosh your heart out.

 We loved these. Our only complaint was that the sauce was a bit thin, so next time I am going to add a tiny bit more flour when making the sauce. Otherwise, this was great. It took about a hour to make, which was fine. It was fun to put together and was well worth the time and effort.

At this point I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

 
 

 Enjoy!

-E-

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Oh boy.

What you'll need:

• 4-6 chicken breasts
• I (16oz) jar of salsa, whatever kind you like
• 1 packet of taco seasoning, whatever kind you like 

What you'll need to do:

1. Pour the entire jar of salsa into the crock pot along with the entire packet of taco seasoning. Mix together.
2. Add in chicken, cover with some of the salsa mixture.
3. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, checking the chicken to make sure it's cooked.
4. Shred Chicken with a fork. This should be pretty effortless. Stir to integrate all the goodness.
5. Cook for an additional 30 minutes to give all the flavors time to come together.
6. Serve. Devour.

The boy and I used soft tortillas and served with our favorite taco add ins. Sour cream, cilantro, pico, shredded cheese, sauteed peppers and onions, etc. This was super tasty, super easy, and (y'all know this is the part I like best) super cheap. We did not have to go to the store for anything. Everything we needed, we had. 

We loved this and will be having it again. Leftovers for the boy's lunch is a plus.

Enjoy!

-E-

Cracker Pizza

Cracker Pizza

 Mine- Provolone and Fresh Basil

The Boy's- Mozzarella and Pepperoni

Before baking

I would like to rename this "cracker pizza" to, simply, Crack Pizza... because I'm pretty sure I might be addicted.

What you'll need:

• Cheese of your choice (For me, provolone. For him, mozzarella)
• Toppings of your choice (For me, fresh basil. For him, pepperoni)
• Tortilla wraps (the larger ones)
• Sauce of your choice (We used Classico Tomato Basil)

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place either your pizza stone thing or cookie sheet(s) into the oven to preheat as well.
2. Make your pizza on a clean, flat surface. Make sure to spread sauce close to the edge. 
3. When you are done making the pizza(s), take the sheets/stone out of the oven carefully.... 

..you know, or you'll get burned like I did. Oops. Take the sheets/stone out and place somewhere safe. carefully pick the pizza up and place on sheet/stone. NOTE: the more you add to the pizza, the heavier it will be making moving it to the sheet/stone.

4. Bake for ~10 minutes (at 425 degrees). Keep an eye on the pizzas, though. Once the cheese starts to get golden/brown, you're good to take them out.

5. Place cookie sheets on cooling rack and let sit. This will help the tortilla crisp on the bottom and you'll get all kinds of crispy cheese around the edge.

6. Cut, serve, devour. 

The boy LOVED this. It was the perfect individual sized pizza. I enjoyed mine, too. I just wish I had added a little something for crunch on mine. Either way, the possibilities with this are endless. Do whatever toppings float your boat, try a dessert version (brush tortillas lightly with melted butter, sprinkle on cinnamon sugar, bake for until it gets crispy, add toppings, devour), etc.  This would be great on nights you don't really feel like cooking, it would be a blast to make with kids, and you have complete and total freedom with this.

We will be making this again... and again... and again. Cheap, super easy, so very yummy, quick. Success! Well worth the burn, haha!

Enjoy!

-E-

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms

 Nom.

What you'll need:

• 1lb. green beans
• 8 oz. mushrooms
• 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Minces garlic, to taste
• fresh parmesan cheese
• gallon sized ziplock bag 

** I did not follow this to a T when I made it. I just used whatever green beans (certainly not a pound) and the mushrooms (probably 5 oz.) that I had. I still used the recipe's amount of oil and vinegar, though... and it was still very tasty**

What to do:

1. Wash green beans and mushrooms, dry.
2. Cut green beans into pieces so they are all roughly the same size (remember to cut the ends off). Do the same with the mushrooms.
3. Put veggies into ziplock. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic to the bag. Close/secure bag and then shake or use your hands to make sure everything gets nicely mixed and coated. Place in fridge for about 30 minutes to marinade.
4.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Pour the mixture out onto a cookie sheet. Spread everything out to ensure it is in a single layer.
6. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Check veggies for doneness. Once to your liking, remove from oven.
7. Grate or shred or roughly cut pieces/chunks of fresh parmesan onto the veggies, left melt.
8. Grub and nom.  

I made these last night to go along with the leftover baked spaghetti and, well, tasty is an understatement. My dad's neighbor gave me a bag of his home grown green beans and I had some mushrooms that needed a purpose and I figured this was a good way to get those bad boys outta my fridge and into our bellies. 


The only thing I would change is that I would add a bit more garlic and probably pair this with something way less heavy. That being said, we both enjoyed this a great deal. The flavor was dead on, the green beans were crispy, the mushrooms weren't too soft or soggy, the balsamic paired very well with the parmesan (doesn't it always?)... this will be a reoccurring thing, for sure.


Enjoy!
-E-

(Twice) Baked Spaghetti

(Twice) Baked Spaghetti

 Once Baked...

Twice Baked Spaghetti

My family refers to this recipe as "E's Specialty". This is a recipe that I've had for quite some time. It is just something that I saw and thought could be good for a variety of occasions, etc. Needless to say, I've now made this for housewarmings, birthdays, anniversaries, and for everything in between. Sometimes I just make it for family so they don't have to worry about dinner that week. Either way, everyone loves it and it seems as though, for some reason, it's my "thing". At first I followed the recipe to the very last syllable. After a couple of times I realized this was a recipe that was meant to be a very basic template. It was too ordinary.If I followed the recipe enough so that it would act as a guide and then just made it my own it could be truly great. So, that's what I did.

For the sake of this blog, I am going to include both the original recipe and then my modified awesomeness.

The Original Recipe:

What you'll need:

• 1 (8oz) package of spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 (24oz) ricotta cheese
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (25.75 oz) jar Prego Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce (use whatever sauce you want, y'all)
• 1 (8oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with non-stick aluminum foil (non-stick side toward the food, duh).
2. Cook spaghetti; brown ground beef.
3.  Combine how cooked spaghetti with butter; stir until butter melts and coats spaghetti. Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese; stir to coat. Arrange spaghetti in an even layer in foil lined pan. Spread ricotta cheese over spaghetti. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
4. After browning ground beef, drain. Put back in pan and add pasta sauce and heat until bubbly. Spoon over cheeses. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining parmesan cheese.
5. Cover with non-stick foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil cover and continue baking 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (If you refer to the pictures at the beginning of the post you will notice that the first picture is what your baked spaghetti will look like here)

This is a good recipe. But, as I said before, it is a bit basic and tedious, I think. My recipe still is a little time consuming, but I take shortcuts and make variations that will certainly help the time move more quickly and will make your life a bit simpler.

My Version:

What you'll need:

• Essentially you will need all of the same ingredients, with these variations:
• no butter/margarine
• a small container of low fat ricotta
• minced garlic or garlic powder
• pepper
• Italian seasonings
• more cheese, baby
• Please note that when I make this recipe I typically make a double batch, but I eyeball the amount of each ingredient. Sometimes I end up wiht extra ingredients and simply find another way to use them and sometimes I come up short. Either way, I make do. That being said, you can modify the quantity and make as big or as little a batch as possible.
•  I bake this in one of the one time use aluminum pans you can buy in the baking section. 

What to do:

1. Cook spaghetti and brown ground beef simultaneously. Drain spaghetti, put back in pot. Drain beef well, put in bowl.
2. Preheat over to 400 degrees F.
3. Get your pan and smear (I love that word, haha) a few spoonfuls of pasta sauce on the bottom of the pan. this will help keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. Smear some on the sides if it will make you feel better... I don't :)
4. Layer in the following way:
1. Spaghetti (enough so that you don't really see the sauce underneath, but stay mindful.. you don't want to run out before you're done layering)
2. Grated parmesan cheese to coat (I just do it straight out of the container and I don't measure it. shake the cheese out until the whole layer has cheese on it)
3. Ground beef (eye ball it. Again, you want enough for each layer you intend on doing)
4. With a teaspoon, scoop out some ricotta cheese and, with your finger, push the scoop onto the ground beef. Don't spread the dollops out yet. Do at least 4 dollops.
5. Pasta sauce (again, eye ball it. use as much or as little as you want, but remember you need enough for the whole batch). Now, take a spoon and spread the pasta sauce around. This will also spread the ricotta out and mix them up a bit into a delicious, cheesy, saucy combination of goodness.
6. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, pepper, and powdered garlic (as much or as little as you'd like). If you are going to do minced garlic, just stay mindful not to overkill.
7. Cover with shredded mozzarella. (I always add a little extra shredded cheese on the top)
8. Repeat!
5. Once your done layering, loosely cover with foil.
6. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes covered. Remove foil, bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

**This is where you can stop, if you want. The dish will be totally tasty at this point. I, however, typically make and bake this once the day before I know it will be served. I do this for time efficiency more than anything. On the day it is to be served I pop it back in the oven at 425 degrees F until heated through. This depends on the oven. At my house it takes roughly 45 minutes. At my folks' house, it would take an hour. After this is completed you will have something similar to the second picture. My family digs it a little crispy, hence why I let it get just barely dark on the top. Please also note that when I bake it the second time I put foil on the top until 10 minutes before I remove it from the oven. **

And that's that. Serve with salad and garlic bread or whatever suits your fancy. My family is insane over this baked spaghetti. Be prepared for leftovers, though!

My family was in town from MA for the last week and I made this the night we had our family dinner. I was hosting 10 people and I literally made a baked spaghetti that was roughly 15 pounds (this is the one pictured at the beginning of the blog). The whole of us only ate roughly half the pan. However, I made such a massive batch because I knew the next day was a low key day and no one would want to cook, so it was lunch for the following day. There was just enough left for the boy to have last night for dinner, so it worked out really well. This is something that can be made in advance,  leftovers can be frozen, etc, etc, etc.

Modify in any and every way you can imagine. Add veggies, use ground turkey or chicken (I've used turkey before and liked it very much), get creative with seasoning, herbs, spices, etc.

Have fun and, more importantly...

Enjoy!

-E-

Zesty and Creamy Italian Chicken (Crock Pot)

Zesty and Creamy Italian Chicken (Crock Pot)

This is one tasty dinner, y'all.

This is a recipe I found that explained how to make just the chicken in a crock pot. I have included how I dressed it up below.

What you'll need:

• 4-6 chicken breasts
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1 packet zesty Italian seasoning
• Other things I added:
• fresh basil
• garlic, to taste
• fresh Parmesan cheese 
• pasta of your choice

How to make it:

1. In a pan, combine the cream cheese and the cream of chicken soup. Heat and stir until smooth.
2. In the crock pot, add chicken and sprinkle the zesty Italian seasoning on top. Make sure each piece of chicken gets some of the zesty goodness. (This is also when I added the garlic).
3. Pour the cream cheese and cream of chicken soup mixture over the chicken.
4. Cook on LOW for 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked.

What I did to dress it up:

• Cook pasta, drain, plate
• Place chicken and sauce on top of pasta. Dress that ish to impress.
• I shaved fresh Parmesan cheese on top and added fresh basil.   
• Grub.

We really liked this recipe. I would not recommend using spaghetti simply because you want a pasta that is going to hold onto the sauce a bit better. The boy said he wouldn't change anything and was very excited for leftovers. I enjoyed this, though half way through the meal I realized that a lot of what I've been making has been super creamy, rich pasta dishes. So, there is going to be a change in the kind of recipes I make very soon. Either way, this was served with a side salad and garlic bread. We will be enjoying this again, though probably not for a while. Gotta switch it up! 

Enjoy!

 -E-

Simple Iced Coffee

Simple Iced Coffee

What you'll need:

•  2 teaspoons instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 6 oz. milk
• creamer or flavoring of your liking

In your cup:

1. Add the instant coffee and the sugar, then pour in the water and stir to combine.
2. Add milk, stir.
3. Add in your flavoring (I use Coffee House's vanilla caramel creme), stir.

** To help your iced coffee to maintain the coffee flavor you love and obsess over (that is, if you're anything like me...), simply use coffee ice cubes instead of regular cubes. Purchase an ice cube tray for this purpose. Whenever you have leftover coffee, set it aside until it is totally cooled. Fill the ice cube tray with the coffee, freeze. Whenever you make your iced coffee, use the coffee cubes to avoid your iced coffee from becoming watered down and less than tasty**

I made this for the first time this morning to drink as I typed the previous post. As I began sipping on it I realized that the recipe was too simple and too good not to share. Honestly, it tastes just as good as something you'd pay $5 for out and about.  As you know, I am a woman of simple taste, but if you prefer your coffee dressed to the nines I do have to suggest you give this a go at least once. Add whatever you need to give your iced coffee the kick you desire.

Enjoy!
-E-  

Pesto and Beef Sausage Pasta

Pesto and Beef Sausage Pasta

You will need:

• Pasta of your choice, as much as you need
• Philadelphia Cooking Creme, creamy pesto
• Beef sausage
• Fresh basil, to taste 
• Whatever seasonings you want

 (This is so easy, y'all)

1.  Boil pasta. I add a pinch of salt and a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to my water right after it begins to boil and right before I add the pasta.
2. Grill Sausage. We like ours pretty crispy.
3. Once pasta is cooked, drain and add back into pot, but not back on the heat. Add the Philadelphia creamy pesto cooking cream. The amount you add will be determined by: A) how much pasta you've made and B) how creamy you want it. I added in 2 generous tablespoons, as I was only cooking for the two of us, plus the boy's lunch the following day. Stir in the cooking creme.
4. Cut the grilled sausage to whatever sized pieces you want and then add and mix in with the pasta.
5. Give everything a minute to come together and add in the fresh basil.
6. Grub.

The boy and I LOVED this. It has been a busy last few weeks and we didn't feel like worrying about dinner. The boy looked at me and told me be creative. I tossed the sausage to him, asked him to grill it up really quickly and slapped the rest together on a whim as he grilled. I served this with garlic bread and a small salad. It was a really nice meal that took no time and we made with whatever we had around. I typically am not very good with "throw together" meals, but I'm proud of this one, simple as it may be. I think it shows that I'm starting to think about flavors and combinations in a more strategic way.

I have to admit, I was a little jealous that he got to take the leftovers to lunch, haha. But, we will be making this again and I will be sure to reserve some for my own lunch the following day :)

I don't really think there is anything about this that I would modify, though there is room for any modifications you see fit. Try it this way and, if you don't like it, change it up in any way that makes sense to you. Either way, I think you'll find you're going to love this.

Enjoy!

-E-

Hawaiian Chicken

Hawaiian Chicken

It doesn't look pretty in the crock pot, y'all.

But it looks mighty tasty in my bowl.

Here's how to make this tastiness:

• 4-6 chicken breasts (I did 4)
• 1 (16.5 oz) jar Hawaiian BBQ sauce (I found mine at Target)
• 1 can crushed pineapples (this sweetens it up, so add less or more to taste)

- Toss everything in your handy dandy crock pot for 6 hours on LOW... and grub.

It really is just that easy and your house is going to smell so sweet.

The boy loved this. I served it over jasmine rice and we had steamed broccoli on the side. 

Overall, this was pretty tasty. The flavors were dead on and the chicken was incredibly moist and tender. It was literally falling apart in the best possible way. No knife required. However, this leads us to my only criticism. There was nothing to give it any kind of crunch. The rice was a good idea, but there has to be something to add that will give it enough of a varying texture so that it doesn't seem almost mushy. The boy didn't mind this texture concern, so it may just be me. Perhaps you could add in a veggie or two, serve with a crispy bread, or something. As you can tell, texture is important to me.

We will be making this again, as it is super tasty and absurdly easy. Best part? Leftovers.

Enjoy!

-E-

3 Ingredient Pulled Pork

3 Ingredient Pulled Pork (crock pot)

 

• 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
• 1 (12 oz) can of root beer (you could also use Dr. Pepper)
• 1 (18oz) bottle of BBQ sauce

1. Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker and pour can of root beer over the meat
2. Cook and cover on LOW for 6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork
3. After pork is cooked, drain and discard the root beer.
4. Shred pork and place back into the slow cooker.
5. Pour BBQ sauce over pork and stir.
6. Warm, serve, enjoy.

I was on the fence about this recipe because I am not a big fan of pork. Now, don't get it twisted. I LOVE bacon. I ADORE extra crispy bacon. However, pork and I have a hate/hate relationship. I do believe it stems from my mother's pork chops. She would buy the cheapest chops, shake and bake the life out of them, and throw them on the Foreman. We would then eat them with apple sauce and canned green beans. Yes, I blame her...

I digress. The boy has been growing tired of chicken and turkey and, I must admit, I have been too. I eat red meat typically only once a week, as it is a trigger food for my migraines, so there is not a lot of red meat in this house. I decided to give this pork dish a shot and, well...

It was amazing. We made it with a honey BBQ sauce and served it with some simple roasted potatoes. I threw some BBQ slaw on top of mine, as well as some onions, for some crunch. I wouldn't change the recipe, though next time I will shred the pork a bit finer. And, to top it all off, your kitchen is going to smell mighty tasty.

Enjoy!
-E-

PS- I feel like I should just leave this here, just to drive the point home...

Hand-Cut Baked Parmesan Fries

Hand-Cut Baked Parmesan Fries

• 3 Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and washed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the potatoes into wedges and place into a medium bowl.
3. Pour olive oil, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese on the potatoes wedges. Toss the potatoes to completely coat them in the oil, seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Toss the potatoes. Continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
5. Serve warm.

I made these bad boys about a week ago. I made them to go along side the boy's banging turkey burgers and I knew that they would be good because, well, there was cheese involved. We are cheese fiends, to say the absolute very least.

These were good. I made the mistake of cutting the wedges too big and/or not cooking them long enough. They were still tasty and the flavors where certainly there, but we like our fries crispy, which these weren't. Next time I intend to make smaller cuts and cook them a little longer.

I took a couple left over fries the following morning and made home fries out of them. I basically cut them into squares and threw them on the griddle. They got good and crispy and the flavors were all still intact. I ate them with over medium eggs and a lovely cup of coffee. I will say, this is how I prefer them.

You could modify these in any number of ways. Small, large, whatever seasonings you want, whatever cheese you want.

Make these. You'll dig them. They certainly beat anything that comes out of a bag.

Enjoy!
-E-

Nutella Cookies

This venture is going to start off short and sweet. Literally.

Nutella Cookies:

1 cup Nutella (I just did the whole 13 oz jar)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 whole egg

Preheat your oven to 350
Mix ingredients in a bowl (It will be messy, but I just dove right in with freshly washed, dry hands and made it happen)
Roll into 1" balls
Place on cookie sheet
Flatten out
Cook 6-8 minutes, depending on how soft/hard you like your cookies (I like mine crispy on the edges, soft in the center)
Take out when set, let cool.

Grab a glass of milk and grub. These cookies are pretty amazing. They are quick to make, fast to bake, and won't last long. The best part is that you can modify however you see fit. Add nuts or anything you'd like!

Enjoy :)
-E-

Welcome

It is the first official week of my summer break and what better way to celebrate my release from my concrete cave (cell #124E) than starting a new adventure?

I thought to myself long and hard about what I wanted to do and how I wanted it to go. Lots of ideas went through my head before I realized something- I have a hard time keeping up with blogs. I've tried blogging about weight loss (ha!) and just life, but I either got bored or totally forgot about it. Laziness and forgetfulness. God, I'm a bum. That being said... I had an epiphany.

I love Pinterest. In fact, I'm addicted. But I don't really care about the home improvement ideas or the gardening tips, though some are pretty awesome. What I zoned in on were the recipes. Since I can remember I have loved to compile recipes. I don't know why, I just always have. I actually have a binder full of recipes that will "one day" grace my table and stomach. Thing is, most of them are from magazines that require you to cook with ingredients and tools that are either way outside of a teacher's modest budget or are just way out of my skill set. That is what makes Pinterest a beautiful thing. People post things for everyone. It is simple, just as it should be,

So, I'm going to try this blogging thing yet again with renewed purpose. I am going to cook my way through my summer break. I am going to learn how to cook and cook well. I am going to try all kinds of fun and exciting things. I am going to cook with love for those I love because, as we all know, sharing is caring.

This blog will chronicle my adventures and misadventures. My successes and my failures. I will post the recipe along side any modifications I made or would make. I will include pictures when I can and will be honest in the turn out. Because, honestly, food is good and I love food.. and I know you do too.

That being said... grab a chair, pull up to the table, and grab a fork. Let's get this show on the road.