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Archives for December 2013

C’s picks.

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c's picks 29
How rare it was to have a lazy weekend smack dab in the middle of December. Christmas bark making play dates, sledding, a fun sleepover, cozy dinners in – it’s been great! Here is our weekly menu plan line up for the upcoming week – the last one before Christmas, AH! 

Sunday night we’ll dine on homemade chicken parmesan. Is there anything better than that and the Homeland season finale? I think not.

Monday let’s lighten things up a bit. Homemade chicken noodle soup with crusty bread sounds perfect. Mom’s recipe of course.

Tuesday will be a leftover night.

Wednesday I’m planning on making a big batch of this homemade bolognese sauce during nap time. Will plan to share as it makes so much!

Ropa Vieja will be simmering away in the crock pot all day Thursday. Served over brown rice, it’s a huge hit in our family.

And that brings us to Friday. His & hers pizza and White Christmas are on the agenda. I could not be more obsessed with a movie, please tell me you’ve seen it. 

That’s our kitchen line up for the week – what’s cooking in yours?
C

Cookie contest recipe – finalist #2!

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salted caramel thumbprint cookies

Congrats to Jennifer N – you are our second finalist in our cookie contest, woohoo!

Jennifer submitted a salted caramel thumbprint cookie recipe which is unlike any Christmas cookie I had made before. That combined with it sounding utterly divine put it in the running of our top 3.

Instead of writing about the story of baking these with my boys I thought it might be fun to show you. Our first ever ‘in the kitchen’ video from A Life From Scratch can be found below. It could not have been planned better. The boys were (both!) in good moods, the snow was lightly falling, and somehow we were all in festive gear. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed baking these delicious treats!

Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
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Cookies
  1. 1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
  2. 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
  3. 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  4. 1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
  5. 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Caramel
  1. 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
  2. 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  3. 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla.
  3. Separately, sift together the flour and salt.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar.
  5. Mix until the dough starts to come together.
  6. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat square.
  7. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
  8. Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls.
  9. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  10. Hold the cookie steady with one hand and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger.
  11. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until they're just a little golden brown on the sides.
  12. While they're cooling, make the caramel.
  13. Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Do not stir.
  14. Cook over medium-high heat to a dark caramel, swirling as it begins to brown to distribute the sugar.
  15. While the sugar and water are going at it, heat up the cream in a saucepan or microwave just until warm.
  16. Take off the heat and add your room temperature butter.
  17. Whisk the butter in, being sure it's totally combined.
  18. Add your warmed cream and whisk vigorously.
  19. By now your cookies should be cooled. Spoon a teaspoon of warm caramel into the indentations of your cookies and top with sea salt.
  20. You can eat right away (the caramel will be goopy and wonderful), or let sit for 2 hours so the caramel sets.
  21. Fancy and fantastic!
Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen
Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Charming crackers.

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southern thumbprints

How darling are these?

The recipe comes from a Southern gent – so, they are sure to please a crowd. Ginger (one of my 3 moms) gave me his (signed!) cookbook, and this would be a standout recipe from it. You’d think making a homemade cracker would be daunting, wouldn’t you?

Not these Southern Thumbprints. Simply mix together, chill, and bake off before your guests arrive. You can top them with anything from strawberry jam (what I used) to apricot (what Ginger likes to use) or spiced jalapeño – what I have visions of using. 

Your guests will fall in love as easy as it is to fall for a southern accent.

Southern Thumbprints
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 10 ounces blue cheese
  2. 3/4 cup butter, softened
  3. 1 1/2 cups flour
  4. 3 TBS poppy seeds
  5. 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
  6. 1/8 tsp white pepper
  7. 1/8 tsp flaky sea salt
  8. 1/3 cup good jam - your choice of flavor
Instructions
  1. With a mixer, beat cheese and butter on medium speed until fluffy.
  2. Slowly add in your flour, poppy seeds, and salt. Beat until just combined.
  3. Roll into 3/4 inch balls. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
  4. After chilling, arrange on a baking sheet lined with pharchment paper and slowly press a thumbprint into each ball of dough.
  5. They don't have to be perfect, in fact mine were a bit messy but still tasted lovely...!
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until golden.
  7. After cooling and right before your guests arrive, fill each thumbprint with some jam.
Adapted from James Farmer
Adapted from James Farmer
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/
Eat up,

C

C’s picks.

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IMG_0738
M is gone for 90% of this week, so, my week will be filled with less menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up the kitchen. More of calling Jimmy Johns, Lou Malnatis, and my mom will be on the agenda. Oh, and of course anything I want to watch on the TV once the kiddos go down: Housewives – Vanderpump Rules – it’s all so bad but I just can’t.look.away. MB, a good friend, recently told me to fold laundry while I watch it to feel just a bit better about myself. Genius!

M is home for just one meal this week so I want to make it good. Have to keep him wanting to come home, right? I’d love your vote – I’m between these 3 recipes:

  1. Chicken & corn chowder. Seems just like home in a bowl.
  2. Skillet lasgana. We just made this last week but oh my goodness. It was ridiculous.
  3. Or, we could just go super manly with this: 1770 house meatloaf with garlic butter sauce.

Thoughts?

C

garlic parmesan chicken and noodles.

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garlic parmesan chicken and noodles

Typically when you think of chicken and noodles all baked to bubbly perfection in a deep casserole dish, you’re thinking about how delicious it is – but, it comes at a cost. Let’s face it, most casseroles are served with their fair share of butter and cream of condensed soups. Honestly, as delicious as it all can be, I don’t even want to think about what is in those cans.

Meet this tasty dish, garlic parmesan chicken and noodles. You get the hearty from the chicken and noodles, but it’s all wrapped up in a much lighter and easy on the jeans sauce. The top isn’t forgotten as it’s sprinkled with a breadcrumb parmesan mixture that gets that come hither golden color. Go ahead – with this one, you can have seconds.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles
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Ingredients
  1. 12 ounces extra-wide egg noodles (I used whole wheat)
  2. 1 2 - 2 1/4 pound purchased roasted chicken
  3. 1 cup frozen peas
  4. 4 cloves garlic, minced
  5. 1 3/4 cups whole milk or light cream
  6. 1 cup breadcrumbs (white or wheat)
  7. 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  8. 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  9. fresh thyme
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain.
  3. Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones. Discard skin and bones; shred chicken.
  4. In a saucepan combine chicken, peas, garlic, and whole milk; heat through.
  5. Cover and keep warm.
  6. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl and add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and melted butter.
  7. Stir noodles and remaining Parmesan cheese into hot chicken mixture.
  8. Heat and stir until bubbly.
  9. Divide among four individual casserole dishes or one large one.
  10. Top with the bread crumb mixture.
  11. Bake for 5 minutes or until top begins to brown.
  12. Sprinkle with fresh thyme.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Eat up!

C

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