Stitch 'n Dish

Moving

2010-08-26T08:58:00.000-04:00

I"m in the process of moving over to http://stitchndish.wordpress.com. Please come and visit me there.

Asparagus and Canadian Bacon Pizza Recipe

2010-08-22T20:03:00.000-04:00

What can I say, this recipe has it all: it is fast, delicious, and creates very few dishes. This can be made for an easy week night meal, or a fantastic lunch. Tonight I discovered it is wonderful with New Belgium Hoptober Golden Ale.

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium bowl mix together some asparagus, fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies, Canadian bacon, two heaping handfuls of Italian cheese blend, and a dab of olive oil.

Place two lightly oiled whole wheat tortillas, oil side down on a cookie sheet. Spread some pesto on the tortillas and divide the asparagus mixture between the two tortillas.

Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown around the edges.

Asparagus and Canadian Bacon Pizza

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Servings: 2

Ingredients

8 asparagus spears, chopped into 1 inch pieces
½ can (15 oz) of fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies
2-3 slices of Canadian bacon, sliced
3 tspsolive oil, divided
2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese
2 whole wheat tortillas
2 tsp pesto

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl combine the asparagus, tomatoes, Canadian bacon, cheese, and one teaspoon of olive oil. Use the other two tsps of oil to lightly oil the underside of the tortillas. Place 1 tsp of pesto on each tortilla. Divide the asparagus mixture between the two tortillas, and top with a light sprinkle of additional cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and brown around the edges. Enjoy.

Vegan Sweet Potato and Chick Pea Curry with Quinoa Recipe

2010-08-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

When I set out to make dinner this evening, I did not specifically intend to prepare a vegan dish, it just kinda happened as I kept adding ingredients. I think I've mentioned that I love curried sweet potatoes, and it was that love that inspired this dish.

To begin, rinse one cup of quinoa (keen-wah) in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

I made quinoa a few weeks ago for the first time, and my family loves it. It has replaced rice in most of our recipes.

Place the rinsed quinoa in a medium sauce pan with two cups of vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the quinoa cooks, grab a large sweet potato and peel it.

Next quarter the potato, cut each quarter in half and slice.

Dice up half of a sweet onion, and throw it in a skillet with some hot olive oil. Cook the onions until they become translucent. Be sure to stir them frequently, as you don't want them to brown.

Toss in the sweet potatoes, and cook until they begin to brown a bit.

Next add a tablespoon or two, depending on how hot you like it, of curry paste. Mix it all around, and let cook for two minutes until the house smells delicious.

Once the curry is fragrant, mix in ½ cup to a cup of vegetable stock, along with ½ cup of frozen peas. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes

Remove the lid and add a ¼ cup sweet mango chutney, a can of chick peas, and two to three heaping handfuls of fresh spinach.

Let the spinach cook down, stirring occasionally until you have something that looks like this.

Serve up with a side of quinoa and a little more mango chutney drizzled on top. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Chick Pea Curry

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
3 cups vegetable stock, divided
1 tbs. olive oil
1 large sweet potato, diced
½ medium sweet onion, dieed
1-2 tbs. curry paste
½ cup frozen peas
1 (15 oz.) can chick peas
1 tbs. sweet mango chutney
3 cups fresh baby spinach

Preparation

Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Place the quinoa in a large sauce pan with 2 cups of vegetable stock. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 5 minutes.

While quinoa simmers, peel and dice the sweet potato and onion. Cook onion in the olive oil in a large skillet until they become translucent. Add the sweet potatoes, and sautee until brown. Add the curry paste and allow to cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Mix in the peas and remaining cup of vegetable stock. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, stirring gently until the spinach cooks down.

Serve with a side a quinoa, and drizzle with more chutney. Enjoy.

Hand Knit Crew Socks: Complete

2010-08-18T20:58:00.000-04:00

Cast On Date: June 22, 2010
Completion Date: August 4, 2010

Remember back in June when I wrote about facing fears and starting my first pair of hand knit socks? Well, here they are!

The entire experience was much more pleasant than I had expected. I followed a free pattern from Unicorn Books and Crafts that was extremely easy to follow. At first I had to get used to the little needles, and thin yarn, and after three attempts to join correctly on the first sock, determination prevailed. The yarn is so soft, and these socks are custom tailored to fit my foot exactly. I cannot wait for cold winter floors so I have a good excuse to wear these socks!

Heath Bar Apple Dip

2010-08-12T14:40:00.002-04:00

This dip shows up at parties that my friends have all the time, and since I have started making it, it has become my most requested recipe. It is fantastic on Granny Smith apples, and some other less expected items such as carrots and pretzels. We have had a lot of fun experimenting with things to eat this dip on, and so far it is agreed that it should never be eaten on broccoli.

Heath Bar Apple Dip

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 0

Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
¼-½ cup crushed Heath Bar pieces

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl, and serve with apples, carrots, and pretzels.

Enjoy.

**Notes**
It is my preference to use slightly less than the ¼ cup of each sugar. Also, a light, or fat free cream cheese could be used, but I have never tried it. If you do, let me know how it is.

For those of you who have made this, what foods have you found that it is delicious on, and which have you found that should be avoided?

Grilled Salmon with Lentil Tabouli

2010-07-29T21:32:00.000-04:00

I came across this recipe in a Runner's World magazine and it sounded like the perfect way to make use of the last cup of green lentils that have been in my pantry since I made lentil soup ages ago.

To get started put a cup of green lentils in a pot with three cups of water over medium high heat.

While you wait on the lentils, chop half a cucumber, some parsley, green onions, garlic, and tomatoes.

Set those aside, and make the dressing by adding lemon juice and salt to some olive oil and whisking it all together.

Mix all the chopped vegetables together in a large bowl and toss with some dressing.

Get the salmon out and rub it with some salt and lemon juice. Rinse it off, and coat with a little bit of olive oil before throwing it on the grill. Grill on each side for six to seven minutes.

While waiting on the salmon the lentils will have finished cooking (about 15 minutes), drain them and rinse with warm water.

Toss them with the rest of the vegetables, and add more dressing to desired amount. When I made it, I put all the prepared dressing in, and it was too much for my liking. I would suggest using half to three fourths and saving the rest to use as salad dressing, as it was absolutely delicious.

When the salmon is finished grilling serve it over some tabouli and enjoy.

Since I am the only one in the family who really seems to like lentils, substituting quinoa or rice will be what I try next time.

Grilled Salmon with Lentil Tabouli

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 cup green lentils
3 cups water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup lemon juice (juice from about 3 large lemons)
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped roughly
½ seedless cucumber, diced
½ pint grape tomatoes, quartered
2 teaspoons of salt
1½ pounds of salmon cut into six pieces
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons olive oil

Preparation

Place lentils and water in a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, toss together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, scallions parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, and salt. When the lentils are finish, drain, rinse with warm water, add to bowl, and toss.

Wash fish with lemon juice and salt, rinse under cold water; dry with a paper towel. Coat with two teaspoons of oil and cut into six pieces. Oil a grill and place salmon on heated grill. Cook for six to eight minutes per side (until fish flakes easily with a fork). Serve over tabouli.

Chick Pea Salad in a Creamy Garlic and Herb Dressing

2010-07-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

This recipe is a result of one of those what-can-I-throw-together-for-lunch-today experiments.

Start by chopping half a cucumber with the seeds removed, a quarter of a red pepper, a quarter of a green pepper, a fourth of a red onion, about a cup of shredded carrots, a half cup of feta, and a can of drained chick peas.

Mix them all together.

This right here is beautiful. You could just stop here and top with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. I however, was on a mission to use up some small quantity items in the fridge. Okay, so some of the herbs came from the garden. For example, a tablespoon of fresh Greek oregano, about a teaspoon of mint, and from the fridge, some parsley.

Chop the herbs and set aside.

In a small bowl put a cup of fat free Greek yogurt.

Squeeze in the juice from one lemon. This little strainer is perfect for catching seeds.

Now toss in the chopped herbs and mix.

Sprinkle in garlic powder to taste. I used about a half a teaspoon. Pour the creamy, garlic, herb dressing over the chick pea mixture and stir.

This was delicious, however there was slightly more dressing than I normally like. In the future I willt use only half of the dressing over the salad, and save the other half for dipping vegetables for a snack.

Chick Pea Salad in a Creamy Garlic and Herb Dressing

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 0 minutes Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can of chick peas, drained
½ of a cucumber, seeds removed and chopped
¼ of a red bell pepper, chopped
¼ of a green bell pepper, chopped
¼ of a red onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, shredded
½ cup feta cheese
1 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
juice from one lemon
1 tablespoon fresh Greek oregano
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh mint
garlic powder to taste, about a half teaspoon
salt and pepper to taste if desired

Directions

Mix together in a medium bowl the chick peas, cucumber, peppers, onion, carrots, and cheese. In a separate bowl combine the remaining ingredients to make a dressing. Pour as much dressing onto the salad as desired. Enjoy.

Turkey Pesto Wrap Recipe

2010-07-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

This is a new recipe that was fabulous. It is perfect for those hot summer nights when heating up the kitchen is impractical, or on a busy week day night. They can be made the day before, and would be an excellent lunch item.

All you need to get started are a few items: whole grain tortillas, pesto, fresh baby spinach, shredded cheddar cheese, turkey breast, and tomato.

Spoon some pesto into the middle of a tortilla, and spread out evenly.

Next place a layer of baby spinach on top.

Sprinkle on some cheese.

Layer on some turkey.

Add some tomato.

And start rolling.

I discovered placing the tomatoes a bit closer to the bottom of the tortilla and pulling them down as I rolled, helped it roll more evenly.

Slice in half, and serve with asparagus. If you are feeling less veggie, tortilla chips and salsa would make an excellent side for this wrap, too.

Each wrap contains just 332 calories! It seemed as if the cheese did not add much to the flavor to this wrap and could be omitted for less fat and calories. If calories are not much of a concern, mozzarella or parmesan might be a better flavor option with the pesto. Although one wrap with the asparagus and a glass of Pino Grigio was a satisfying meal for me, my husband required two wraps.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooke Time: 0 minutes Servings: 6 wraps

Ingredients

6 Mission Mutli-Grain Plus Flour Tortillas
6 tablespoons of Classico Pesto Sauce
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
12 slices of turkey
1 tomato, sliced thinly into 12 pieces

Preparation

Evenly spread the pesto onto a tortilla. Layer the ingredients in the order listed, placing the tomatoes near the bottom of the tortilla. Starting at the bottom, roll the tortilla up tightly. Slice and serve. Asparagus compliments this wrap as would chips and salsa. Enjoy.

Menu Planning Monday, Week of 7/19/2019

2010-07-19T14:48:00.001-04:00

Monday: Dinner Out
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Breast with corn on the cob and cole slaw
Wednesday: Turkey Pesto Wraps with Asparagus
Thursday: Hot Dogs with cole slaw
Friday: Tacos with Margaritas
Saturday: Grilled Salmon with Lentil Tabouli
Sunday: Left over buffet

The Turkey Pesto Wraps and Grilled Salmon with Lentil Tabouli are new recipes. If they are good, the recipes will be posted. Hope you have a great week.

Slap-Your-Momma Grilled Chicken Burritos

2010-07-16T15:20:00.000-04:00

This recipe was suggested to me recently, however it came with a warning: these burritos are so good they will make you want to slap your momma. Fortunately for my mom, she lives 500 miles away because these burritos live up to the reputation.

To get started line up your actors:

Pictured above is a lemon, sour cream, mexicorn, spicy brown mustard, black beans, an onion, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, tortillas, and some cooking spray.

Now it is time to discuss chicken. I frequently have cooked chicken in my refrigerator that I make in the crock pot, however this day, I did not. So, I took some frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breast and cooked them in boiling water over low heat for about an hour.

A rotisserie chicken would work, as would any cooked chopped chicken breast. I like the slow cook methods of crock pot, or poaching because it makes the chicken easy to shred.

I like shredded chicken for burritos.

Okay, so enough about chicken, because it is possibly the least interesting part of this burrito. Lets move onto the creamy cilantro dressing. In a small bowl mix some sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, onion, and cilantro. What happens in this bowl is nothing less than real world magic.

Next, open and rinse the beans and corn. For those of you with small kids, or kitchen elves as I like to call them, these are things that they can help with. As proof, here are my elves: one mixing the cilantro dressing, the other mixing beans and corn.

Okay, so maybe elf #2 was playing with a nectarine, but we were having a lot of fun making these burritos.

Back to the burritos!

So far, we have a bowl of delicious, creamy cilantro dressing, and bowl of beans and corn. Grab some shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, and tortillas.

Mix everything but the tortillas together in one bowl, and get ready to roll some burritos.

Rolling the burritos turned out to be a bit more challenging than I had expected. I think this has something to do with the tortillas I used. They were a whole grain tortilla, that was prone to cracking. Although whole grain tortillas are the more healthy option, a flour tortilla would likely function better. Start by placing a small amount of filling just below the center of the tortilla.

Flip the bottom half over, pulling the filling towards you, while folding in the sides.

Continue to roll the burrito the rest of the way.

Once all the burritos have been rolled, spray them with some cooking spray, and heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Grill the burritos in batches, pressing down on them, for a few minutes on each sided until the inside becomes warm and melted, and the outside is brown and crunchy.

Top with some salsa and guacamole, and serve with some tortilla chips to make a beautiful, delicious meal.

Fortunately I had been fore warned about the effects these burritos could have on one's family, so I came to the table equipped with a helmet. No mommas were harmed in the consumption of this meal.

Here is the recipe as it was given to me. Since I was using items already in the house, I used a light sour cream, and regular shredded cheddar.

Skillet-Grilled Mexican Burritos

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Servings: 8 to 10 burritos

CREAMY CILANTRO SAUCE

2 tsp. Dijon or Spicy Mustard

1 tsp. Lemon Juice

2 tsp. Chopped Onion

1/4 cup Cilantro leaves

1 cup Fat Free Sour Cream

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and stir thoroughly. Sit aside.

SKILLET-GRILLED BURRITOS

2 cups chopped cooked Chicken Breasts

1 (15 oz) can Black Beans, rinsed and drained (low sodium)

1 (11 oz) can Mexicorn

1 cup of grated fat free cheddar cheese

8 (8 inch) soft taco-size whole wheat tortillas, warmed

Vegetable Cooking Spray

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and add Creamy Cilantro Sauce. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Spread 3/4 cup of mixture just below the center of each tortilla. Fold opposite sides of tortilla over filling, and roll up. Coat burritos with cooking spray.

Coat a hot griddle or nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook burritos in batches over medium heat, pressing gently with a spatula, 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Salsa and Chips are a nice side serving, if desired.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

2010-07-09T13:57:00.001-04:00

Sweet potatoes are a favorite of mine. Every time I find a new way to eat them, I get all sorts of excited. Lately I have had a mild obsession with eating stuffed sweet potatoes for lunch. It is fast, delicious, and one of those meals that knock out your veggie requirement for the day.

To start, get a medium sized (about 5 inches) sweet potato. Wash, dry, and poke it with a fork.

Microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until the sweet potato is soft through out. While waiting on the microwave, mix some black beans, corn, and salsa in a bowl. I have been known to throw some peas, chicken, or rice into the mix, too. Honestly it all depends on what is in the fridge on any given afternoon.

Part of what keeps the obsession with this meal going is the chipotle salsa. I could eat this stuff all day long. I'm choosy about the brand, but it is absolutely delicious.

Once everything is mixed, slice open the sweet potato, and mash down the inside with a fork.

Stuff as much stuffing into the potato as it will hold, and top with a dollop of guacamole or sour cream and enjoy.

Second to how delicious this is, is the fact that the entire meal is less than 300 calories!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooke Time: 10 minutes Servings: 1 Calories per Serving: 289

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potatoes
¼ cup black beans
¼ cup corn
¼ cup salsa
1 tablespoon guacamole

Directions

Wash and dry the sweet potato, then poke several times with a fork. Microwave on high for 5 minutes until the potato becomes soft through out.

While potato cooks mix the black beans, corn, and salsa in a small bowl.

Cut open the cooked potato and mash the insides down with a fork. Fill with the bean mix, and top with guacamole.

Sock Yarn to Socks: Here we go!

2010-06-22T16:09:00.001-04:00

Not too long after Christmas I picked up this beautiful, green, hand painted sock yarn from Yarns, Ect...

Cascade Yarns' Heritage is 75% merino superwash wool and 25% nylon: I was determined to make myself a pair of luxurious socks. However, other projects kept coming up, getting top priority. There was the ballet sweater, the teddy bear, the baby hat, the wash cloths. Oh how I went nuts making log cabin wash cloths for a while! Every time a project was complete, I'd go to my yarn bin, pull out the sock yarn and say, "Okay, today is the day," then I'd hold it, love on it a little, then put it away. I have now been sitting on this yarn for six months. Perhaps I'm hoping if I sit on it just long enough it will eventually hatch into a pair of beautiful, luxurious socks in just my size.

The truth is, this yarn scares me to death. Not only is it the most beautiful yarn I've owned, it is so very fine. And then there are the sock needles: so tiny! I'm frightened of turning this gorgeous, hand painted yarn into a disaster. So, I avoid it. I make a few more wash cloths, another hat, and use up the last bit of cotton yarn in my stash. Yesterday when I went to the yarn stash, and said, "Self, today is the day," it made it out of the bin and onto the kitchen counter.

By the end of the evening, and many expletives later due to knots and tangles, it was a ball.

Since there is no time like the present to face one's fears, as putting such matters off indefinitely cannot be healthy, cast on has commenced.

Wish me patience, as it will be needed!

Veggie Subs Recipe

2010-06-19T20:19:00.000-04:00

Be forewarned, this is a ridiculously large sandwich. That being said, it is delicious, and packed full of veggies. The whole family will eat it, and when I'm feeling particularly ambitious, homemade french bread is divinity. This is the perfect solution at the end of one of those days when you realized you've consumed no veggies.

Start by slicing a small red onion, and put it into a large bowl.

Next, slice up 1/4 of a large red bell pepper and add it to the bowl.

Slice 1/2 of a green bell pepper and add it to the bowl. This is where things start to get pretty.

Grab a couple of large portabello mushroom caps, wipe them down well with a wet paper towel, and remove the stems. Then take a minute to admire them, for they are truly magnificent.

Once your admiration is complete, slice them, and add them to the bowl.

Next in a separate bowl, whisk together 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Add this to the bowl and toss.

Let this sit for a few minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°, then sautee them over medium heat in a large skillet until the mushrooms are brown, and the veggies slightly soft.

While the veggies are cooking, shred some Monteray Jack cheese. The pre-shredded stuff just doesn't melt right, so take the time to put a block to the grater and you won't regret it.

To assemble the subs, take two small french loaves and cut them in half. Next, cut the halves in half to make sub-like rolls. Stuff the veggie mix into the bread and top with cheese. Place the subs into the oven about three to five minutes to melt the cheese. Serve it with some baked chips, and call it a meal.

Veggie Subs

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 small red onion
1/4 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
2 large portabello mushroom caps
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
2 to 4 ounces shredded Monteray Jack cheese
2 small french loaves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Slice the vegetables and place them in a large bowl. Mix the oil, vinegar, and seasoning in a separate bowl, then toss with the vegetables.

Sautee the vegetables over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, and the mushrooms brown.

Cut the french bread in half to make four sub rolls, and stuff each with the vegetable mixture and top with cheese.

Bake sandwich for three to five minutes until cheese is melted.

Mango Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

2010-06-10T09:17:00.001-04:00

This fast and delicious smoothie is refreshing way to start the day.

Mango Breakfast Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: NA Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 cup non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
1 medium banana
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed*
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 ounce mango nectar* *(Trader Joe's)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Use additional almond milk to achieve desired consistency.
Enjoy.

*Almonds make a great substitute for flax seed.

**Orange juice makes a good substitute if mango nectar is not available, however the resulting smoothie will be less sweet.

Steaks on the Grill

2010-06-04T19:43:00.001-04:00

It is the time of year that I try using our grill for every meal. Okay, perhaps that is a slight exaggeration, lets say, every dinner. The current mission is to see exactly what is grillable, because I think the answer to this is everything..One of the prettier meals recently consisted of grilled fillet mignon, large portabello mushrooms, asparagus, and onion. Sauteed onions and mushrooms are usually served with steak at our house, however I decided to see how the meal came together with them grilled instead.

All of the players were drizzled with olive oil, then seasoned with Kosher salt, course ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

The grill was preheated to 500° and everything was arranged just so before turning the heat down to medium. After two minutes with the lid closed, everything was rotated and cooked and additional two minutes to create the nice crisscross grill marks. Everything was flipped, and repeated for the other side, for a total grilling time of 8 minutes.

The end result was a perfect medium steak, with delicious grilled veggies.

Fantastic No-Plan-Ahead Pizza Crust

2010-05-24T23:03:00.000-04:00

Up until yesterday I was making pizza crust in my bread maker on the dough cycle, and it took 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. It is very good, and worth the wait if you can remember 2 hours before you want to have dinner that you need to start it.

Frequently I don't remember then we order a pizza.

I was mentioning this to a dear friend a few days ago, when she asked why it took so long. She then proceeded to give me her recipe, that takes 20 minutes from start to finish.

It sounded too good to be true. So yesterday, I gave it a try.

This might be the reason we never order pizza ever again.

20 Minute Pizza Crust

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes with toppings Servings: One large pizza

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°.

In the bowl of a kitchen mixer combine water, yeast, and sugar with a fork. Let stand for five minutes.

Next add the remaining ingredients, and mix with a dough hook until all ingredients are well blended, 3 to 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm place 10 minutes.

Press dough onto a lightly oiled pizza pan, or cookie sheet (the oil gives the crust extra crunch and prevents sticking) and top with your favorite toppings. Bake for 15 minutes or until desired doneness.

So, what are your favorite homemade pizzas? Leave a comment, I need ideas, as I have a strong desire to make pizza.

This one in the photo is a BBQ Chicken Pizza. I shredded two leftover teriyaki grilled chicken breast and mixed them with 2 cups of Trader Joe's Pizza Cheese Blend and a cup of BBQ sauce. I spread that mix over the unbaked dough, put the rest of the bag of cheese on top, and baked for 15 minutes. Delicious!

Knit Teddy Bear Project

2010-05-13T21:43:00.001-04:00

After completing the ballerina wrap it was time for a fun and simple project. There is a pattern in Simply Baby by Debbie Bliss that I have been wanting to try, however the pattern looked a bit intimidating. After reading it over two or three times, I decided it wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought (flash back to chemistry labs!) and with some modifications, the perfect project. After my less than satisfactory experience with the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn, I decided to head to my favorite local store Yarns Ect... to find a suitable substitute. Looking through all the yarns I finally decided on two 50g ball Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool in Fruitcake and one 50g ball of Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk in Vanilla. Once I started, I had so much fun, the bear was complete in no time.

Cast on Date: April 22, 2010

Date of Completion: May 10, 2010

As knit by me:

Materials
2 50g ball Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK in Fruitcake
1 50g ball Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK in Vanilla
Pair of US size 5 knitting needles
Washable toy filling

Gauge
25 sts and 54 rows to a 4 inch square in garter stitch using US 5 needles

Abbreviations
m1- make one stitch.
k2tog- knit two stitches together
sskI-slip, slip, knit "improved"
kfb- knit into front and back of next stitch
tbl- through the back loop

Body (Back)
With size 5 needles cast on 22 stitches in fruitcake.
Knit 10 rows.
Continue in garter stitch and increase one stitch at each end of next row and 6 following 6th rows. I uses a make one stitch. 36 stitches.
Knit 7 rows.
Shape bottom
Next row: K1, sskI, k13, k2tog, sskI, k13, k2tog, k1. 32 stitches.
K1 row.
Next row: K1, sskI, k11, k2tog, sskI, k11, k2tog, k1. 28 stitches.
K1 row.
Next Row: K2, sskI, k9, k2tog, sskI, k9, k2tog, k1. 24 stitches.
K1 row.
Continue decreasing 4 stitches ever other row in this way until 8 stitches remain.
K1 row.
Next row: K1, sskI, k3tog, K1.
Next row: [k2tog] twice.
Next row: k2tog and fasten off.

Body (Front)
With size 5 needles cast on 22 stitches in fruitcake.
Knit 10 rows.
Continue in garter stitch and increase one stitch at the end of the next row and 3 following 6th rows. Use the same method of increase as used on the back. I used make one stitch. 30 stitches.
Knit 2 rows.
Belly color contrast
Next row: k14, change color to vanilla and k2, change color to fruitcake and k14
Knit 1 row using correct color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k13, change color to vanilla and k4, change back to fruitcake and k 13
Knit 1 row using correct color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k1, m1, k11, change color to vanilla k6, change back to fruitcake k11, m1, k1. 32 stitches.
Knit 1 row using correct color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k12, change to vanilla k8, change to fruitcake, k12
Knit 1 row using color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k11, change to vanilla k10, change to fruitcake, k11.
Knit 1 row using color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k1, m1, k9, change to vanilla k12, change to fruitcake, k9, m1, k1. 34 stitches.
Knit 1 row using color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k12, change to vanilla k10, change to fruitcake, k12.
Knit 1 row using color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k13, change to vanilla k8, change to fruitcake, k13.
Knit 1 row using color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k1, m1, k13, change to vanilla k6, change to fruitcake k13, m1, k1. 36 stitches.
Knit 1 row using color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k16, change to vanilla k4, change to fruitcake k16.
Knit 1 row using color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k17, change to vanilla k2, k17.
Knit 1 row using color pattern in previous row.
Next row: k36 using fruitcake.
Knit 1 row.
Shape bottom

Next row: K1, sskI, k13, k2tog, sskI, k13, k2tog, k1. 32 stitches.
K1 row.
Next row: K1, sskI, k11, k2tog, sskI, k11, k2tog, k1. 28 stitches.
K1 row.
Next Row: K2, sskI, k9, k2tog, sskI, k9, k2tog, k1. 24 stitches.
K1 row.
Continue decreasing 4 stitches ever other row in this way until 8 stitches remain.
K1 row.
Next row: K1, sskI, k3tog, K1.
Next row: [k2tog] twice.
Next row: k2tog and fasten off.

Head
With US size 5 needles cast on 32 sts with fruitcake.
Knit 2 rows.
Next row: [kfb, k6, kfb] 4 times. 40 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [kfb, k8, kfb] 4 times. 48 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [kfb, k10, kfb] 4 times. 56 sts.
Knit 30 rows.
Next row: [sskI, k10, k2tog] 4 times. 48 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [sskI, k8, k2tog] 4 times. 40 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [sskI, k6, k2tog] 4 times. 32 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Continue to decrease in this pattern until 16 sts remain.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [sskI, k2tog] 4 times. 8 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [sskI, k2tog] twice. 4 sts.
Cut yarn, and pull through remaining stitches to gather.

Snout
With US size 5 needles cast on 36 sts in vanilla.
Knit 10 rows.
Next row: *k1, k2tog; repeat from * to end. 24 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [k2tog] to end. 12 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitches to gather.

Legs
Make 2 pieces.
With US size 5 needles cast on 8 sts in vanilla.
Knit 20 rows for the bottom of foot.
Continue in garter st and cast on 14 sts at beginning of next 2 rows. 36 sts.
Knit 6 rows.
Decrease 1 stitch at the beginning of next 10 rows. 26 sts.
Change to fruitcake and knit 30 rows.
Next row: k5, sskI, k2tog, k8, sskI, k2tog, k5. 22 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k4, sskI, k2tog, k6, sskI, k2tog, k4. 18 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k3, sskI, k2tog, k4, sskI, k2tog, k3. 14 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k2, sskI, k2tog, k2, sskI, k2tog, k2. 10 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k1, sskI, k2tog, sskI, k2tog, k1. 6 sts.
Next row: [k2tog] 3 times.
Next row: k3tog and fasten off.

Arms
Make 2 pieces.
With US size 5 needles cast on 4 sts in vanilla.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [kfb] 3 times, k1. 7 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [kfb] 6 times, k1. 13 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: [kfb] 12 times, k1. 25 sts.
Change to fruitcake and knit 36 rows.
Next row: k2tog tbl, k8, k2tog, k1, k2tog tbl, k8, k2tog. 21 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k2tog tbl, k6, k2tog, k1, k2tog tbl, k6, k2tog. 17 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k2tog tbl, k4, k2tog, k1, k2tog tbl, k4, k2tog. 13 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k2tog tbl, k2, k2tog, k1, k2tog tbl, k2tog. 9 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k2tog tbl, k2tog, k1, k2tog tbl, k2tog. 5 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: k2tog tbl, k1, k2tog. 3 sts.
Next row: k3tog and fasten off.

Ears
Make 2 pieces
With US size 5 needles cast on 13 sts.
Knit 4 rows.
Decrease 1 st at each end of next row and 3 following alternate rows. 5 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Increase 1 st at each end of next row and 3 following alternate rows. 13 sts.
Knit 4 rows.
Bind off.

Finishing
Sew two body pieces together, leaving the shoulders (cast on edges) open. Evenly fill with washable toy filling then sew seam. Sew back seam of head, leaving the neck (cast on edge) open. Evenly fill with stuffing. Sew snout seam, leaving cast on edge open. Position and sew to the head, filling lightly. Sew bas of head to the shoulders. Fold each ear in half and sew to the head. Sew the front seam of each leg, then sew the bottom of foot into place, leaving a small opening . Evenly fill each leg with filling, sew closed, and sew to body. Sew each arm seam leaving a small opening. Fill each arm and sew closed. Sew arms to body. Make eyes, nose, and mouth from felt or yarn and sew firmly in place.

Menu Planning Monday, Week of 5/10/2010

2010-05-10T13:53:00.000-04:00

I plan my menu every week, however I frequently forget to post it. For those of you interested this is what is being served up this week.

Monday: Banana Pancakes (recipe to post), Pasta Leftover, Flying Saucer $3.00 Pint Night

Tuesday: Mango Smoothie (recipe to post), Lunch Sandwich, Rosemary Chicken Pizza
Wednesday: Oatmeal with almond milk, Hummus Wraps, Mediterranean Omelet (recipe to post)
Thursday: Cereal and milk, Chef Salad, Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Apricot Sauce
Friday: Oatmeal with almond milk, left overs, dinner at a friend's house
Saturday: Cereal and Milk, Lunch Sandwich, Crock Pot Meat Sauce and Pasta with a side salad
Sunday: Waffles, Hummus Lunch, Crock Pot Chili (recipe to post)

Hummus and Vegetable Lunch Wraps

2010-05-06T14:50:00.000-04:00

My friend who writes Books and Bites recently posted about some lunch wraps she made, and they sounded so good I ran out that day to pick up ingredients for my own. If you are interested in finding out how good healthy can taste, try these wraps.

Start by placing a piece of plastic wrap on the counter. On it, lay a whole grain tortilla and spread some hummus.

Next, sprinkle with some grated carrots,

tomatoes,

cucumbers,

and avocado

Wrap it all up and refrigerate.

Serve with some fresh fruit and a glass of milk to make a meal.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: None Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 Trader Joe's Whole Grain Tortilla Wraps
2 Tablespoons Trader Joe's Garlic Hummus
1 Tablespoon shredded carrots
1 Tablespoon diced tomatoes
2-3 slices of fresh cucumber, halved
1/4 small avacado

Preparation

Spread hummus on tortilla, and layer the rest of the ingredients. Roll the wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

On the Needles: Knit Teddy Bear

2010-05-04T15:01:00.000-04:00

At this stage in life, everyone is having babies. Giving a knitted gift is something I enjoy doing, however, many of the common items such as blankets, sweaters, and hats can take a long time to make, and are quickly outgrown. So, I trying my hand at a teddy bear. The pattern is from Simply Baby by Debbie Bliss, and the yarn I chose is the Extrafine Merino Wool from Sublime. After my experience with the Baby Cashmerino, I went to my local yarn store and asked for a suitable substitution. So far, this is an amazing product. I have finished the head, the body, the snout, and a leg. A full post, including pictures, will come when the project is complete.

Crock Pot BBQ Pork Ribs Recipe

2010-04-29T13:57:00.001-04:00

Pork is served rarely in our home, but when it is, this is one of my favorite recipes.

What you will need: a crock pot, some pork ribs, a sweet onion, an apple, salt, pepper, and a jar of your favorite bbq sauce.

Start by seasoning the ribs with salt and pepper. I cut the slab of ribs in half so they fit nicely in the crock pot.

Next, grab your onion. Cut off the ends, peel off the skin, cut it down the middle, and slice.

Place the seasoned ribs into the crock pot and cover with sliced onion.

Add the bbq sauce, and about a half cup of water.

Next, slice an apple. I have a favorite way of cutting it off the core and then slicing.

Anyway of slicing an apple will work, though. Toss the apples on top of the ribs, too.

Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 8 to 10 hours. Serve this with a side of cole slaw and a side of dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 8 to 10 hours Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 slab of baby back pork ribs
salt
pepper
1 small sweet onion
1 apple
1 jar bbq sauce

Preparation

Slice the slab of ribs in half, season with salt and pepper, and place in the crock pot.

Slice the onion and the apple.

Place the onion on top of the ribs, followed by ¾ of the jar of bbq sauce (reserve the rest for dipping), ½ cup of water, and the sliced apples.

Cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours. In a hurry, cook on high heat 4 to 6 hours.

Serve with cole slaw or a baked potato with additional bbq sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy.

Citrus Herb Marinade Recipe for Filet Mignon

2010-04-25T14:10:00.001-04:00

The weather has been nice, and the flowers are planted in the garden, so naturally it is time to bust open the grill. To start this year off right, we made filet mignon marinated in a citrus herb sauce.

To start, grab a small bunch of fresh herbs. I used oregano, thyme, and rosemary because they are abundantly available from the garden.

Pull them off the stems, wash, and chop with a large clove of garlic.

Toss these into a plastic bag with a zipper.

Set inside a large liquid measuring cup: it will help not make a mess as you add the olive oil. Oh hey, add some olive oil.

Note the princesses in the back helping to make dinner.

Next toss in some Worcestershire sauce, Kosher salt, and coarse ground pepper.

Then squeeze in the juice from one lime.

Open up your steaks, and grab some tongs.

Place the steaks in the bag,

and give them a good mixing. Put the bag back into the measuring cup, and let them sit in the fridge for at least four hours.

Grill the steaks to your liking, and serve with a big old loaded potato, or a salad if you prefer something less filling.

Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus a minimum 4 hours marinating time Cook Time: 10 minutes Servings: 2

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
juice from 1 lime
2 fillet mignon steaks, 6oz. each

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a large plastic Ziplock bag and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours. Over night is best. Grill over medium high heat until steaks are cooked to desired temperature.

Ballerina Sweater Take Two: Complete!

2010-04-20T13:45:00.003-04:00

About three months ago, I began making a ballet wrap sweater for my 3 year old daughter. I have made many sweaters, some from patterns, and a few from my own imagination, and thought would be a fun, simple project. After all, I had been hording this beautiful Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino wool for almost a year.

The nightmare of this project began as soon as I pulled the label off the yarn and began winding it into balls. There were several, more than acceptable, places in which the yarn was unraveling, noily, or knotted. Each of the four skeins of yarn had issues, however, I chose to just cut out the bad parts, and go with it. I had just finished a challenging blanket using the same yarn, and had no problems with any of those five skeins.

After creating a 4 inch gauge swatch, measuring a few favorite sweaters, and a very cooperative daughter, I had all the materials, and measurements needed to design. The inspiration to design, as opposed to follow a pattern, came from a new book Design It, Knit It: Secrets from the Designer's Studio by Debbie Bliss that I had just purchased. Confident in my calculations, I put the needles to the yarn, and a month later, had all the pieces ready for assembly. Upon completing the shoulder seams, it was possible something was wrong. The two front panels just did not lay correct. Once the sleeves were attached, there was no denying something was terribly wrong with the design. The shoulders did not lay correctly, the neck seemed too narrow. My daughter tried it on, and there was no way to make it work, much to both of our disappointment. For days I poured over my measurements and calculations, but was unable to determine the error. So with much lamentation, I pulled it all out, and once again returned the yarn to balls.

This time, with the help of a pattern from Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoë Mellor, I set needles to the yarn again, although with much less enthusiasm. I found the entire process to be tedious, I was annoyed with all the breaks in the yarn, but six weeks later all the pieces were completed. To be honest, it wasn't my best work, but it was complete, and considering the condition of the materials, I was pleased.

Trying out a blocking technique I discovered on Chic Knits made assembly much easier. All the pieces of the sweater were rolled up into a damp towel and allowed to dry over night.

An odd process, really. It is unbelievable that there is an entire toddler sized sweater wrapped up in that thing.

The front edges were put into place, and it was really beginning to look like a sweater, when much to my dismay I realized I did not have enough yarn to complete the assembly! The pattern called for four skeins of this specific yarn, and that is what I had, well minus what was bad and had to be removed. Just about in tears, I called my friend, who was also making the baby blanket I had just finished, and begged for just a few yards of yarn. Luckily she likes me enough to share. The assembly was complete!

A few finishing touches of satin ribbon, et voilà, something beautiful is born.

Fortunately she has irresistible, big, brown eyes that smile when she is happy making it worth every stitch.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2010-04-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite cookie. Nothing makes the house smell more like home than a batch of these lovelies baking in the oven.

To begin, preheat the oven to 350°F and round up the usual suspects: all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix them up in a medium sized bowl, and set aside.

Next, get the second group of rascals: butter flavored shortening, butter, light brown sugar, milk, vanilla, and egg. Many recipes call for butter, or shortening, however I have found mixing them gives the perfect consistency of a crunchy outside with a chewy inside.

Whip the butter and shortening together first until creamy. Add the sugar, milk, and vanilla and blend.
Lastly add the egg until just blended. It will look creamy and delicious.

Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture a half cup at a time, until all has been mixed.

Place the dough in a medium bowl and mix in the chocolate chips by hand. An excellent way to make these even more delicious is using the triple chip trick: ½ cup each semi sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and butterscotch chips. I only had the semi sweet chips on hand, so that is what you see in the picture.

Using a small scoop, create even portions of dough.

Then roll them into balls by hand. This will make very pretty cookies.

**Note: For portion control, I only bake 1 or 2 dozen cookies at a time. Once I have them rolled into balls, I pop them into the freezer on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until frozen. The the dough balls can then be put into a plastic freezer bag, and baked as desired. I put them directly from freezer to cookie sheet and bake an additional 2 minutes.**

Bake 12 to 15 minutes until cookies are golden brown. If you prefer a more chewy cookie bake 12 minutes. If you prefer more crunch bake 15 minutes.

Allow them to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them to cool completely.

The cookies on the left are Peanut Butter Toffee and the cookies on the right are the chocolate chip.

Grab a big glass of milk, and enjoy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes Servings: 4 dozen

Ingredients

½ cup butter, unsalted and softened
½ cup butter flavored shortening
1¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
2½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ to 2 cups chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine butter and shortening until creamy. Add brown sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Beat an egg into the creamed mixture

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture ½ cup at a time until blended. Add the chocolate chips by hand.

Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet using a small scoop about 3 inches apart. Roll dough into balls by hand. Bake one sheet at a time on middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes until cookies are light brown on top.

Cool two minutes on cookie sheet, then remove cookies to foil or a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

2010-04-15T21:40:00.001-04:00

Chicken and dumplings is the one dish that everyone in the family will eat. It is delicious, comforting, and when prepared my way, guilt free.

To begin, get a large sauce pan heating over medium heat with some olive oil. To this add some diced yellow onion. I prefer Vadalia when available.

Stir occasionally and cook until they become translucent. Once this happens, add some celery for company.

Allow these to simmer for two or three minutes, then add some carrots, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and shredded chicken. I took the picture before putting in the chicken, but believe me, this is where you want to throw it in the pot.

**Note: On the topic of chicken, I use precooked shredded chicken that I make in the crock pot. A rotisserie chicken can be used, or just add chopped boneless breast at this point and sautée until chicken is fully cooked.**

Let all those guys get acquainted for a bit, then pour in some water and chicken bullion cubes.

Put a lid on the pot, bump up the heat, and bring the soup to a boil. While you wait for that to happen, follow the directions on the Bisquick box to make dumpling dough. I use skim milk when making dumplings and they are fantastic.

About 10 minutes later, drop the dumpling dough into the soup in small balls. Mine are about 2 tablespoons of dough per ball. Once all the dumplings are in the pot, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the dumplings are completely cooked. Gently push the dumplings under the broth once or twice to help them along.

Uncover to reveal this. Or something very similar.

Ladle into bowls with as many or few dumplings as desired. Enjoy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup onion, diced
½ cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken, precooked and shredded*
6 cups water
6 bullion cubes
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk

Preparation Instructions

In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent. Add the celery and cook for two minutes. Add the carrots, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until all the seasonings are well incorporated.

Pour the water and bullion cubes into the pan, and increase heat to bring the soup to a slow boil. Once the soup is boiling, reduce heat and place a lid on the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the soup simmers, combine Bisquick and milk in a medium size bowl. Drop dough into the boiling soup 2 tablespoons at a time to form dumplings. Once all the dough is in the pot, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes over low heat. Stir dumplings occasionally. Enjoy.

* Each week I prepare 3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast in my crock pot to shred and have on hand for recipes later in the week. Season the breast with salt and coarse ground black pepper, then place them in the crock pot with 2 cups of chicken stock, and cook on low for 8 hours.

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies Recipe

2010-04-14T21:02:00.002-04:00

Today for no other reason than to have fun, cookies were baked in the middle of the afternoon.

To start, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Next, in a large bowl combine shortening, peanut butter, light brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.

This looks horrible, I realize, especially since I used ¼ cup chunky peanut butter. Trust me, and mix it up. Also throw in an egg, and beat just until blended.

Ah, there, isn't that better? Glad you trusted me.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this a half cup at a time to the peanut butter mixture, until all of it has been incorporated.

**Tip: do not confuse the lock lever on your mixer with the speed lever, as I did, or the clean up will be horrific.**

Lastly, mix in the toffee pieces by hand.

Using a small scoop, make balls of dough, and roll them in some excess toffee bits. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake them for 8 minutes, then let them cool for 2 minutes on a wire rack.

Remove the cookies to a plate to finish cooling.

Once cool, enjoy one immediately. Well, if you can only have one you are strong. I do apologize, for they truly are obscenely delicious, and totally worth the clean up if you miss the tip.

Ingredients

½ cup shortening
¾ cup peanut butter (I used ½ cup creamy and ¼ cup chunky because I like the crunch)
1¼ cups packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ cups toffee bits (I used the Heath Bar pieces found in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips)

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375°

Beat the shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla until well blended. Add the egg and beant until just blended.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into the peanut butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in 1 cup of the toffee bits, and save the rest for topping.

Using a small scoop, make balls of dough and roll them in the remaining toffee bits. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes, and let cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove cookies to a wire rack or plate until they cool completely.

Yields 3 to 4 dozen cookies depending on what size scoop used.

Crock Pot Meat Sauce for Pasta Recipe

2010-04-08T20:35:00.002-04:00

This is a delicious gem that I stumbled upon on Taste of Home.

Start off by browning one pound of ground beef (93/7) and one pound of mild Italian sausage in a large pan.

Next toss in one medium green pepper, one medium onion, one cup carrots, and two cloves of garlic all finely chopped.

Mix in one tablespoon of brown sugar, one tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer all ingredients to a large crock pot along with one can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained, one can (8 ounces) tomato sauce, one can (6 ounces) tomato paste, and one cup of water.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or if you are in a hurry like I was tonight, 4 hours on high. Serve over any pasta, tonight we chose penne, and top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

Quick and Easy Wash Cloths: Three

2010-04-07T21:11:00.001-04:00

The third of a series of quick and easy wash cloths is complete. This project is worked in garter stitch, using increase and decrease techniques.

Using Paton's Grace cotton yarn and US size 5 needles cast on 3 stitches.

The first row, knit all three stitches.

The second row, knit the first stitch, make one stitch (increase), knit the next stitch, make one stitch, then knit the last stitch. There are now five stitches.

The third row, and all other odd rows, knit all stitches.

The fourth row, and all other even rows, knit one stitch, make one, knit all stitches except the last in the row, make one, knit last stitch. There are now seven stitches.

Continue working the increase pattern until you have 61 stitches, ending with an odd row. Pictured in green.

Next knit the first stitch, slip slip knit (decrease), knit all stitches until three remain, knit two together by inserting the right needle into the left stitch of the pair, knit the last stitch. There are now 59 stitches.

Knit all stitches in the next row.

Continue working the decrease pattern until you have 5 stitches remaining. Pictured in brown.

Slip slip knit, knit one stitch, knit two stitches together.

Knit the last three stitches together, and pull yarn through the last stitch.

** Place a safety pin on the increase/decrease side of the wash cloth as a reminder**

Quick and Easy Knit Wash Cloths: Continued

2010-03-31T14:09:00.001-04:00

The second of a series of easy knit wash cloths is complete.

Using Paton's Grace yarn, and US size 5 needles cast on 60 stitches. Knit the first stitch, move the yarn to the front of the work between the needles, purl the second stitch, then move the yarn to the back of the work between the needles. Repeat this pattern for all stitches to the end of the row. Flip the work, and repeat the pattern starting with a knit stitch.

This pattern is called single ribbing.

Continue to work in the single rib pattern until the wash cloth measures six inches in length. The finished cloth should be a six inch square.

The fabric will look like stockinette stitch but it will be elastic, and lay flat without any curling.

** If stitches needed to be added or taken away to obtain a six inch wide square, make sure there is an even number of stitches for the single rib pattern to work out correctly.**

Crusty Homemade Bread Bowls Recipe

2010-03-21T16:12:00.000-04:00

Crusty Homemade Bread Bowls

6 bread bowls

1 cup water
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine or quick active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water into bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.

Select dough/manual cycle. Do not use delay cycles.

Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes on lightly floured surface.

Grease outside of six 8-ounce custard cups. Place cups upside down on ungreased cookie sheet. Divide dough into six equal pieces. Roll or pat each piece into 7-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Shape dough circles over outside of cups. Cover and let rise in warm place 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly puffy.

Heat over to 375°. Mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water: brush generously over bread bowls. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. carefully lift bread bowls from custard cups-bread and cups will be hot. Cool bread bowls up right on wire rack.

*1 Bread Bowl: 204 calories (20 calories from fat); 2 g fat (0g saturated); 35 mg cholesterol; 360 mg sodium; 50g carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber); 7g protein.

**Success Tip: When placing the dough circle over the cup, do not let the dough curl under the edge of the cup. It will bake onto the edge of the cup and be difficult to remove.

Recipe Source: Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook, page 190.

Knitting Quick Tip: Cast on Length

2010-03-19T23:04:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick tip. When casting on a large number of stitches it can be difficult to know how much yarn will be needed. To make a good estimate, wrap the yarn around the needle to be used as many times as stitches need. For example, if you need to cast on 130 stitches, wrap the yarn around the needle 130 times. Then give yourself an additional inch or two.

Cake Pops

2010-03-18T21:37:00.004-04:00

I love food on a stick. It is just more fun.

Ask anyone, they will tell you.

Especially if they are under the age of 10.

While web browsing one evening I came across one of the most amazing blogs: Bakerella. This incredibly creative person puts all sorts of desserts on a stick. I have made many cookies on a stick over the past few years, thanks to my Wilton cookie pop pan, but the lovely things on this site put my cookies on a stick to shame. The most intriguing item was cake pops. After viewing these, I went to the store the next day to try it out. My friend was having a birthday and it seemed like a fun gift. The recipe as given works easily. It is simple, and really fun to make.

My first attempt was a bouquet of balloons.

They were delicious.

Then a few days later, I went to a Superbowl party.

They were a big hit. Delicious, and cute. Too bad my photography skills are shameful. This picture does them little justice.

These really are fun to make, and the possibilities are endless. Hopefully in there will more of these in the future.

Ballerina Sweater Update: Gaining Momentum

2010-03-16T21:14:00.000-04:00

Since the ballerina sweater debacle, my knitting momentum has been more or less non existent. Only because my daughter so desires this sweater do I continue to push myself through the second iteration. The back panel and two front panels have been successfully completed, and so far it seems the original design was too wide in the shoulders. I was suspicious there was also error in the sleeves in the original design, and will begin the second try this evening. Having the three largest pieces complete has boosted the morale, and the project is finally gaining momentum.

Artisian Bread Bowl Recipe

2010-03-14T21:28:00.000-04:00

I have been a little crazy this past month, and have made bread bowls from scratch at least once a week. The Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup is delicious in a bread bowl, and the husband has been perfecting his beer cheese soup skills, which is also amazing in a fresh bread bowl.

Admittedly if you notice my backside a bit fuller, the bread bowls are the reason.

Until recently, my favorite recipe for bread bowls was from the Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook. In fact, it was my only recipe. The dough is easy to make in the bread machine, and it is easy to handle. The bowl is formed by molding the dough over oven safe ramekins and baking. They taste good, look cute, but are a bit small. To try to make a slightly larger bowl I tried bigger ramekins, however the dough seemed to get stretched too thin on the bottom and not bake properly, or hold soup well.

Next, I decided I would try to just form small round loaves with the dough,

and hollow them out.

This was better, however, the bread ended up a bit too chewy.

After a month of searching, baking, and eating, it has been decided that the following recipe is my favorite.

Artisan Bread Bowls

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, enough to make a smooth, soft dough

Let yeast dissolve in warm water until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients—by hand, mixer or bread machine— and knead till you've created a smooth dough.

~~Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes; it should become puffy~~. Divide the dough into 5-6 pieces, depending on how large you want your bread bowl to be. Roll each piece into a ball. Place on a lightly greased or parchment covered baking sheet.

Cover the bread bowls with greased plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to 24 hours); this step will give the bread bowls extra flavor, and a delightfully crisp-chewy texture. Two or more hours before serving, remove the bread bowls from the refrigerator. Uncover, and let them sit for about one hour while you preheat the oven to 425°F.

Just before baking, slash the top surface of the bowls several times with a sharp knife to allow them to expand. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the bowls are deep brown, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.

I still use my bread machine to make the dough, thus skip the part crossed out. This dough is a bit more challenging to handle, but the bowls come out beautiful, big, and delicious.

The next time you plan on making soup, give some homemade bread bowls a try. They really bump up the fun factor. Enjoy!

Tip: These bowls also freeze well and are easy to reheat. Thus they can be made whenever you have the time.

Snickerdoodles

2010-03-11T20:14:00.000-05:00

This wonderful Snickerdoodle recipe comes from Books and Bites. When I make cookies I always substitute half the butter for butter flavored Crisco. So in this recipe I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco. This substitution gives the perfect chewy to crunch ratio.

Once the dough was mixed, a scoop was used to make uniform balls.

The balls were then rolled in a cinnamon sugar mix, and placed on a cookie sheet to bake.

They came out looking scrumptious.

Just in case they weren't irresistible enough, I then dipped some of them into Wilton's chocolate candy.

And then, just in case they weren't fun enough, I put a few on a stick. Everything is more fun on a stick.

A Stickerdoodle. And yes, this is two cookies with a stick sandwiched between them, and chocolate acting as the glue.

It really is quite obscene.

My apologies.

Sweet Lemon Salmon

2010-03-09T21:18:00.000-05:00

We love salmon. Ever since the hubs and I were in college we have made salmon at least once a week. My favorite way to prepare it was a recipe from Rachel Ray's 365: No Repeats, and it still is the husbands preferred method, however it is a lot of work, and it makes so many dishes. After reading a recipe on my friend's blog Books and Bites that was very similar, but much simpler, I formed my own version.

Start by preheating the oven to 400°F. Next place three or four, four ounce fillets in a glass baking dish, skin side down. Season the fillets by squeezing juice from one lemon over them, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Next top each fillet with two tablespoons of brown sugar and mash it all down.

Place the salmon in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until it is cooked through.

Drizzle some of the sauce over each fillet on the plate before serving.

Including prep time this dish takes less than a half hour to prepare, and it is all done in one small baking dish. Enjoy!

Dinner Menu for the week of March 8, 2010

2010-03-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

Here is our dinner menu for the week.

Monday: Flying Saucer $2.75 pint night with the hubs.
Tuesday: Tacos and Margaritas
Wednesday: Ham and Potato Soup in Artisan Bread Bowls
Thursday: Lemon Glazed Salmon with brown rice and asparagus
Friday: French Toast with turkey sausage and fresh fruit
Saturday: Homemade Mac and Cheese Broccoli Bake with salads
Sunday: Leftover buffet

Banana Bread

2010-03-08T21:43:00.000-05:00

One morning when grabbing a banana for breakfast I found they had all gone brown. Well you know the old saying: when life hands you brown bananas, make banana bread!

The cast of characters for this performance: banana, sugar, shortening, eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.

Get started by creaming the shortening in sugar together until it is fluffy.

Next add the eggs and beat until well mixed. Add the banana and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together and gradually added to the mixer. Finally add walnuts to complete the batter.

I love baking these in my mini loaf pan to facilitate portion control, and use a scoop to maintain even sizes for baking.

Bake at 375 degrees for exactly 30 minutes.

The loaves come out perfect every time. Delicious.

Garlic and Rosemary Spiced Skillet Potatoes Recipe

2010-03-04T22:51:00.000-05:00

If you have not had these garlic and rosemary potatoes, stop what you are doing, and immediately proceed to the kitchen.

Start by rounding up a few ingredients: red skin potatoes, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, kosher salt, and coarse ground pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, slice the potatoes, chop the garlic and rosemary, and get ready to work.

Pull out the caste iron skillet.

If you do not have one, shame on you.

However, in this unfortunate event, any skillet that is oven safe will do. Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet and heat over medium high heat. On my electric stove the dial is set on six. Add the garlic and allow to simmer. It should not turn brown quickly, and it should smell really good. If the garlic begins to brown too quickly, lower the heat slightly.

After a minute or so add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Stir to get the the potatoes coated, then allow the potatoes to brown for about two minutes before stirring again. Sprinkle them with a bit of cayenne if you like some heat, stir a third time, and allow the potatoes to brown for an additional two minutes.

Once they look something like this, pop them in the oven for ten minutes. Pull them out, give them a good stir, then put them back in for another five to ten minutes. When finished, they should look like this.

Quick and Easy Knit Wash Cloth: Perfect Beginner Project

2010-03-03T23:55:00.001-05:00

It is starting to feel as if the yarn for the ballerina sweater is cursed. First there was the entire rip it out mishap, followed by me leaving my pattern at my daughter's dance class last weekend. So to take my mind off the woes, I started some quick and easy wash cloths. These are possibly the best beginning projects for aspiring knitters. Scarves are traditionally the first things people learn to knit, but now that I am making these wash cloths, it seems as if they should be the A-list project for beginners. Like scarves, they are made of simple beginning stitches, however they are much smaller, thus knit up quite quickly. The commitment to the project is less and the sense of accomplishment much greater. Also, unlike scarves, there is more opportunity to then progress one's knitting skills by slightly varying the pattern, and still getting all the above mentioned perks.

Then, there are all the benefits the finished project has to offer. They are so diverse and wonderful for having around the house for dishes, bodies, dusting, and they make fantastic gifts. A good friend of mine once gave me a gift basket with a few of these, some dish soap, bathroom soap, and a candle. It was a great gift.

My current project is being worked from Paton's Grace cotton yarn on US size 5 needles. I started by casting on 40 stitches, then started working in garter stitch (knit all stitches on both sides of the work). After working 72 rows I had 6 inch square.

Weave in ends and voilà, a beautiful wash cloth.

Garlic Shrimp with Brown Rice Recipe

2010-03-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

So tonight I tried a new recipe from Gina's WW Recipes and it is a keeper. Even the picky three year old ate most of her dinner. It was delicious, few ingredients, and delicious. Oh, and did I mention it is healthy? Seriously, what more could you want from a recipe?!

To start off I pulled out the old rice cooker.

I have been going through my kitchen and getting rid of all those nifty gadgets that seemed like such a good idea when we were registering for wedding gifts, but have not actually been used in the past six years. This was the rice cooker's audition for the role of kitchen gadget number 5 in our kitchen. It was sprayed down with Pam, then filled with 1-1/4 cups of long grain brown rice, 2-1/2 cups water, and two chicken bullion cubes.

I flipped the switch then checked back several hours later to find it warming the best rice that has been cooked in this house in six years.

How could this gem be in the back of our cabinet collecting dust? The injustice!

About 20 minutes before I wanted to serve dinner, I round up the major players: shrimp, olive oil, garlic, limes, and cilantro.

Over medium high heat the oil, garlic, and red peppers were sauteed.

Next the shrimp went in with a dash of paprika and salt. They were sauteed for 2 minutes or so before being joined by the cilantro. The end result was this.

These beautiful babies were then paired with the rice in a bowl to give this lovely combination.

The entire meal was rounded off with a small side salad and a glass of Spanish white wine. A delicious, fast, healthy weekday meal. The whole family enjoyed it and it will be one of our keepers.

Dinner Menu for the week of March 1, 2010

2010-03-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

Here is what's for dinner in my house this week.

Monday: About 15 MinuteTortellini Soup from Rachel Ray: 365 No Repeats
Tuesday: Garlic Shrimp over brown rice from Gina's WW Recipes and a side salad
Wednesday: Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken with brown rice from Gina's WW Recipes
Thursday: Lemon Glazed Salmon with rosemary red skin potatoes and broccoli
Friday: French Toast with turkey sausage and fresh fruit
Saturday and Sunday: Dinner out and leftover buffet.

Ham and Potato Soup Recipe: Delicious and Frugal

2010-02-28T22:01:00.002-05:00

This recipe is one of my favorites, and appears on our menu every other week or so. It is delicious, simple, and frugal.

To start off get out the crockpot. Next fill it up with potatoes, celery, onion, ham, water, bullion cubes, salt and pepper. If you have all day, turn it on low. If you only have a few hours, put it on high. You should now have something that looks like this.

Four to eight hours later your house should smell divine, and the potatoes tender. About a half hour before you would like to serve the soup, get out a small sauce pan, butter, flour, and milk. Melt the butter over low heat, and whisk in the flour.

Next, slowly add the milk to the sauce pan, stirring constantly. Allow the sauce to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.

Now mix this into the crockpot and cook for 20 minutes. The soup will be creamy and ready to eat.

I serve this soup in homemade bread bowls. And top with shredded cheddar, bacon bits, sour cream, and chives. I'm currently experimenting with different bread bowl recipes, and will post which are my favorites.

Espresso After Dinner Drink

2010-02-27T22:34:00.001-05:00

What more could a coffee lover hope for after a low key dinner of scrambled eggs and toast?

How about a better name for this delicious drink. Ideas?

Espresso After Dinner Drink

2 oz. Pinnacle Le Doublé Espresso Vodka

1 oz. DeKuyper Creme de Cacao

1 oz. Half and half

McCormick cinnamon and sugar mix

Rim martini glass with the cinnamon and sugar. Mix vodka, creme de cacao, and half and half over ice. Pour into rimmed glass omitting ice.

Rosemary Chicken Pizza

2010-02-26T21:40:00.002-05:00

Friday night, oh how I look forward to you and all the promise of fun you bring. Since I started staying home the days can begin to blend together, so to keep our relationship fresh, something must be done to keep you standing out from the other days of the week.

That is what I was thinking of when I came upon the recipe for Rosemary Chicken Pizza.

It all started with rounding up a few of the Usual Suspects: sun dried tomatoes, rosemary, and mozzarella cheese.

And a homemade pizza crust on a new pizza pan.

Then it progressed to some mingling of the Usual Suspects with some Lemon Grilled Chicken and fresh parsley and rosemary from the backyard garden. Unfortunately my photography does no justice to the beautiful colors in this bowl.

The party really got started when it all was spread over the dough and topped with a mozzarella and swiss blend. Half also was given the pleasure of red onion slices, the other half was denied this pleasure per the request of a doe eyed little girl.

Twenty minutes later things had heated up to perfection.

Friday night, we have surpassed fresh, I am once again totally enamored of you.

Sweet Potato and Brown Rice Curry

2010-02-26T16:44:00.000-05:00

I love curried sweet potatoes. It is ridiculous, actually, how much I enjoy eating sweet potatoes prepared this way. I could eat them every day, and get massive cravings on a regular basis. However, it recently occurred to me that I may be the only on in my family who feels this way. So, yesterday when the latest attack came upon me, I decided to not subject my family to my craving, and prepared this amazing dish from items that were already in my fridge. It was quick, delicious, healthy, and dare I say, vegan.

Curried Sweet Potatoes and Brown Rice

1 medium sweet potato, skinned and chopped

1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp curry paste (I use Patak's Mild Curry Paste)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sweet peas

1/4 cup green lentils, cooked and drained

1/4 cup black beans, cooked and drained

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium skillet heat olive oil and add the onion. Let the onions cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently until they begin to soften. Add the sweet potatoes to the skillet and brown. Mix in the curry paste and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add water to the skillet, mix, put on a lid, and allow the potatoes to simmer for about 5 minutes or until soft. Remove lid, and mix in the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until all ingredients are warm

The Ballerina Sweater Take One: Fail.

2010-02-25T20:09:00.000-05:00

My daughter, who is three and a half, is taking a dance class and going through a phase where she does not want to wear long sleeves. Since it is winter, and cold in the dance studio, it seemed reasonable to knit a ballet wrap around sweater. I had some beautiful pink Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn just calling my name, so I began to design. Measurements were made from both a well fitted sweater, and my daughter's body. A gauge swatch was made, and all calculations complete. Excited to make something beautiful for a loved one, I began to knit. A month later, all the pieces were complete.

As I began to assemble the sweater I realized something had gone terribly wrong. When put together, it just wasn't right.

I double checked the measurements, the gauge, the calculations, but much to my disappointment, the error could not be found. Bummed and discouraged, the entire work was taken apart, and reduced once again to beautiful balls of yarn.

A good friend of mine gave me a book, Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoë Mellor, that has a pattern for a ballerina wrap, and the process has begun again. Lets hope for a happier ending.

Welcome

2010-02-25T19:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Stitch and Dish!

Recently I was asked the question: "What do you knit?"

Good question. As I pondered the answer I thought, too bad I don't have a list of my knitting projects. So I began rummaging through the house finding all the items that I have knitted. I found hats, scarves, sweaters, blankets, and began to take snapshots. Before I knew it, one thing led to another, and a blog was born.

Here will be a place to track current knitting projects, and adventures in cooking.