Our Valentine's Dinner

I love putting together simple yet delicious meals for holidays. Sometimes I like giving them names too, I'm weird like that. This one is called "No such thing as too much shrimp."

Shrimp Appetizer

I posted this recipe last year. But I make it every year for Valentine's Day, so I'm posting it again this year. I love this stuff, it's so delicious!

8 oz. cream cheese
Cocktail sauce
1 can tiny shrimp, drained
Buttery snack crackers (Ritz, Town House, etc)

Place cream cheese on serving platter. Pour about 2/3 cup cocktail sauce on top, and top with shrimp. Serve with crackers.

Garlic Ginger Shrimp

I got this recipe from Angie, The American Homemaker. I attended her cooking class at the Pleasant Grove Macey's last week, and really enjoyed this recipe. I figured it would be perfect for Valentine's Day. It's a little pricier than my usual meals, but not by much. Besides, it was a special occasion.

1 1/2 tsp. ginger
4 cloves garlic (2 tsp. bottled)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt (this wasn't in the original recipe, but it needed it)
3 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cold water
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 package angel hair pasta (I used spaghetti)

Start water boiling for pasta.

In a large skillet, saute ginger and garlic in butter and oil for about one minute. Stir in broth, 1 1/2 tsp. parsley, and basil.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; add rinsed shrimp. Simmer for two to three minutes or until the shrimp turn pink.

Meanwhile, cook pasta. Add sauce to cooked and drained pasta. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Salad

Of course, we also had a simple salad, to round out the meal. Five-lettuce mix with chopped oranges and a honey mustard dressing. Colorful and yummy.

Chocolate Almond Pudding Cake

This was a fantastic ending to a delicious meal. It's a slightly healthified version, with less sugar and oil. It was rich and indulgent, but not overly so. Perfect with vanilla ice cream.

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 3/4 cups water
Vanilla ice cream, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix flour, granulated sugar, almonds, 1/4 cup cocoa, the baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, oil, vanilla and almond extract until blended. Spread batter in pan.

In 1-quart saucepan, mix brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa with wire whisk. Stir in water; heat just to boiling, stirring occasionally. Pour over batter.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes before serving (Haha, yeah right. We at it right away).

To serve, spoon warm cake into individual dessert bowls; spoon pudding from baking dish over cake. Serve with ice cream.

Fresh Salsa

I love making my own salsa - I never buy it anymore because it's really quick and easy! I posted a while back about making salsa in the blender with canned tomatoes. I love that recipe because, like I said, it's quick and easy and always turns out very yummy.

But sometimes I like a good fresh salsa as well. Tomatoes were on sale for $0.33 a pound when we did our grocery shopping this week, and we got a LOT of them! We also got jalapenos, because they were also on sale. I have a recipe for fresh salsa that my sister gave to me a long time ago. It uses essentially the same basic ingredients as the other salsa I make, except fresh tomatoes instead of canned and you just chop everything instead of using the blender. I hadn't made this salsa in quite a while, but decided that this would be the perfect time! Oh, it turned out so good! We ate the whole batch in one sitting.


Fresh Salsa
2 cups seeded and finely chopped tomatoes (about 4 to 5 small)
1 stalk green onion, finely chopped (I used about 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion)
1 to 2 hot peppers (green, red, serrano, jalapeno) seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice (or lemon)
2 to 3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, snipped into small pieces (substituted dried parsley)
1 small green pepper, seeded and finely chopped (didn't have, didn't add)
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced

Stir all ingredients together and cover, then chill for 2 hours or up to 2 days.


We served this over Cheesy Chips: Spread tortilla chips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with shredded cheddar, then sprinkle with chili powder. Heat in hot oven (about 450 degrees) until cheese is hot and melted.

Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Ball

I made this to take to a "Linger Longer" at our church on Sunday. Once a month, people sign up to bring edibles and we stick around after church and eat. There is a different theme every month. Once it was sweet breads; I brought banana bread. One month it was soups, and I made a delicious turkey vegetable soup. This month everyone was supposed to bring something to be eaten with chips or crackers. I thought about doing salsa or some sort of dip for tortilla chips. But I figured that lots of people would take that route, and decided to do a cheese ball instead. I made it similar to my jalapeno popper spread that I've made before, because I just totally love the flavor of jalapeno poppers!

This is actually the first cheese ball I've made. I love cheese balls, and they're one of the first things I go to at a party if there's one being served. I didn't use a recipe, I just made one up and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Sauteing the jalapenos got rid of the spiciness, and there is plenty of bacon and cheese flavor. Yum!

Jalapeno Bacon Cheese Ball
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon
2-3 jalapenos, seeded and diced
Salt, garlic powder, chili powder to taste
Something to roll the ball in (I considered using bread crumbs, but decided on chopped walnuts)

Fry up the bacon until it's crispy. Crumble and add to cream cheese. Fry jalapenos in bacon grease until tender. Add to cream cheese and bacon. Add shredded cheese and seasonings. Mix together with fork (or your hands, teehee!) until well blended.

Form into a loose ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill.


Once hardened, take it out and pat it into a more perfect ball shape. Don't handle it too much or it will soften and you'll have to chill it again. Pour chopped nuts (or coating of choice) onto a plate, and roll the cheese ball in them until fully coated (This step was harder than it sounds. The nuts kept falling off. Just be persistent and keep pressing them into place). Wrap with plastic wrap. Chill until ready to serve (preferably overnight so the flavors have plenty of time to blend). Serve with crackers.


Isn't it pretty? Not bad for my first cheese ball!

If you want the cheese ball to be spicy, don't fry the jalapenos - add them raw. If you want it really spicy, you can even add more jalapenos. I wasn't sure how many people at church would appreciate a cheese ball that was super spicy, so I made sure to make it mild enough for everyone to enjoy.

Well, everyone except Jeff. He's in the process of being tested for food allergies, due to some very bad reactions he's been having. On the list are bacon and sausage and their various possible ingredients, and jalapenos. What terrible things to develop allergies to! So he won't be able to enjoy this particular cheese ball, but I'm sure there will be plenty of other things for him to eat tomorrow.

I mean, allergic to bacon? How unfair can life get?!


***Update*** Everyone loved the cheese ball! By the end of the Linger Longer, the entire ball had been eaten. Now that's what I like to see!

Jalapenos and Cactuses!

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we made some delicious Jalapeno Poppers (not so authentic Mexican) and Ensalada de Nopal, a cactus salad (about as authentic Mexican as they come). Both the jalapenos and the nopales were purchased at our favorite Mexican store, Rancho Market. And bother were super cheap and super delicious!

This recipe for jalapeno poppers comes from my Taste of Home Cookbook. We've made them a couple times, and love them so much! These are very flavorful, and so much better than the kind in the frozen food section. I made a half recipe, because these are best right out of the oven. If we want more, we'll just make more fresh. And since I've been craving them ever since we finished eating them, we probably will make some more later. :-)


Jalapeno Poppers
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled(I substituted imitation bacon bits, since that's what we had)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 pound fresh jalapenos, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
Sour cream, onion dip, or ranch dressing, if desired

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheeses, bacon, and seasonings; mix well. Spoon about 2 tablespoonfuls into each pepper half. Roll in bread crumbs.

Place in a greased baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 20 minutes for spicy flavor, 30 minutes for medium, and 40 minutes for mild. Serve with sour cream, dip, or dressing if desired (they're really good with or without this extra stuff).

I cooked them for 35 minutes today, because I wasn't in the mood for pain in my mouth - I just wanted the flavor. Other times we've done them spicier. They're delicious either way.


As for the Ensalada de Nopal, this was our very first time ever working with nopales, or cactus. Having never done anything with these before, we decided to buy them first and ask questions later. So today I googled "how to prepare nopales" and found this wonderful page, complete with tutorial and photos to help us in our journey. So following the steps outlined there, we plopped our cactus paddles down on a cutting board:


Sliced off the spines:


Cut it up into bite-sized chunks:


And boiled it up until it looked like mutated green beans. We were excited when our finished product looked just like the ones in the pictures we were referring to:


Then we used the guidelines given for making ensalada de nopal, omitting ingredients we didn't have. We ended up combining our boiled nopalitos with a chopped tomato and half of a thinly sliced white onion (a tip for reducing the bite in fresh onion - soak the slices in ice water for five to ten minutes before adding to the salad). We added a spoonful of canned green chilies (in place of the serrano chili), some salt and pepper, and a bit of vegetable oil and lemon juice. Mmm, doesn't it look good?


As for the taste, I found that I really liked this salad. The cactus was similar to green beans, but with a wilder, more cactusy flavor, more tangy. The texture was a bit different, but I didn't mind it. Jeff wasn't a fan of the salad until he added some sweet vinegar salad dressing we have, then he liked it a bit more.

All in all, it was a fun culinary adventure. I've been cooking a bit more often now, usually simple things like scrambled eggs, pancakes, boxed macaroni and cheese, stuff like that. But it does seem like I'm getting a bit of my kitchen mojo back, which is a wonderful thing to me!

Stay tuned for more wonderful Mexican recipes on Saturday, when I post for My Kitchen My World. We've got some really good stuff planned!

Sourdough Bread with Creamy Cheese Dip

***I realized this after I posted the recipe, but today is National Sourdough Bread Day. What a great coincidence!***

I've been making sourdough bread off and on for a couple years. I recently started back up again and have a nice fresh batch of starter in my fridge. I love the tangy flavor of the sourdough. Plus it's super inexpensive - one of the cheapest breads you can make. After you have the starter (a simple mixture of yeast, flour, and water), all you need to make the bread is water, salt, and flour.

Sourdough does take a long time from start to finish. A little bit of planning ahead is necessary if you want the bread done on a certain day. But there isn't any more hands-on time for this bread than there is for any homemade bread. I'm trying to make bread once or twice a week so we always have some on hand.

Last night I went to a girls' night. We had a recipe exchange - everyone brought a favorite dish and copies of the recipe to share. I brought a fresh loaf of sourdough and a delicious creamy cheese dip. I don't have a printer and didn't want to hand write all those copies of this recipe, so this gave me a great excuse to go ahead and post it here. I've been meaning to for a while, so I'm glad I finally had a reason to get around to it!


The recipe I use comes from The Tightwad Gazette. I mostly quote the book directly.

Sourdough Starter
The first step is to make a starter. The simplest way is to mix 1 tablespoon of yeast with 2 cups of chlorine-free water (allow your tap water to "air out" in a jug for a couple of days) and two cups of white flour. Combine these in a glass, plastic, or earthware container - not a metal one. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow this mixture to sit at room temperature for at least 48 hours, until it foams and develops a pleasantly sour smell. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can also get starter from a friend who makes sourdough. (The sourdough books warn that if the starter turns orange, pink, or any other strange color, you should throw it out.)

Notes on using the starter:
~Each time you remove some starter, you must "feed" it. Just add back 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups flour, stir, cover loosely, and return starter to the refrigerator.
~You can use your starter, fresh from the fridge, for weeks at a time. Eventually the loaves may start to rise a bit more slowly. Whenever this happens, just leave the jar of starter out at room temperature overnight to speed its fermentation.
~If you are an infrequent baker, you'll need to drain off some starter and feed it at least once every two weeks to keep it alive.
~The starter separates in the refrigerator. This is normal. Always stir it well before using, and stir it well again when feeding.

Sourdough Bread (To make two loaves of bread)
5 1/2 cups flour (you can substitute whole wheat flour for 1 or 2 cups)
2 cups starter
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup water

Dissolve the salt in the water in a mixing bowl. (Some sourdough books say you should not use a metal bowl.) Add the starter, and then the flour (I have found that in a dry climate, 5 1/2 cups is sometimes too much. I start with 4 cups and just add more as necessary until it's the right consistency). Stir, then knead into a ball. Cover with a damp towel and let rise overnight at room temperature.

The next morning, punch down risen dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a round loaf, make an X-shaped slash on each top, and place the two loaves on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise at room temperature for about four more hours. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.


The dip I made to go with the bread was absolutely fantastic. I adapted a different recipe, but can't remember where I found it. This version is changed enough it's not really the same recipe anyway. It turned out so flavorful and delicious - I couldn't get enough!

Creamy Cheese Dip for sourdough
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 oz. black olives, sliced
Garlic powder and onion powder to taste (I added about a dash each)

Combine all ingredients with an electric mixer; beat until smooth. Refrigerate until serving.

To serve, cut top off a loaf of sourdough. Cut out the inside of the loaf and tear up inside and top to use for dipping. Spoon dip inside the emptied loaf of sourdough.

I didn't take a picture immediately after arranging all this on the plate, which I do regret. I forgot to take the picture until this morning, after the bread had been thoroughly mutilated. But it still looks delicious to me!

Valentine's Dinner - Lasagna and More!

This is the big meal that Jeff and I have been planning all week. Rather than going out to eat on Valentine's Day, Jeff and I prefer to stay home and have a delicious, home cooked meal that's just a bit more fancy than we do for everyday meals. Tonight our menu included shrimp appetizer, garlic bread, salad, lasagna, and flourless cake for dessert.

Shrimp Appetizer
This is a dish I have made for Valentine's Day ever since Jeff and I were dating. Our first Valentine's Day, I wanted to impress him with my wonderful cooking skills so I made a big spaghetti dinner with fancy salad, and included this special little appetizer. I received the recipe at a Laurel's activity as a teenager and had never yet found an opportunity to try it. Jeff and I both enjoyed it so much that we've had it every year since. And it's simple and quick. It's a little more expensive than I usually do, but I made some changes this year to make it more budget-friendly.


1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 bottle cocktail sauce (this year I made my own; recipe to follow)
1 can tiny shrimp, drained (we found a package of small frozen shrimp for half the price and used that instead)
Buttery snack crackers (like Ritz, or the store brand)

Place cream cheese on serving platter. Pour cocktail sauce on top, and dump the shrimp on top of the sauce. Serve with crackers. Easy peasy!

Homemade Cocktail Sauce (from this recipe)
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon red wine or other vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (substituted mustard for the tang, and hot sauce for the kick)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (omitted)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine ketchup, vinegar, and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Add horseradish, to taste. Add lemon zest and juice; chill.

I didn't look at the recipe before we did our weekly shopping on Monday, and so didn't know that it required horseradish. Apparently, horseradish is an important part of cocktail sauce - I didn't see a single recipe that didn't call for it. My version with mustard and hot sauce definitely tastes different, but Jeff and I agree that it tastes good nonetheless! And with the cream cheese, shrimp, and crackers, the taste difference became almost negligible.

Garlic Bread


I sliced the loaf of bread I made yesterday into nice thick slices. Then I buttered each and sprinkled with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan. I reassembled the pieces back into a loaf, and wrapped it with foil, then toasted it in the oven for the final 15 minutes of baking time with the lasagna. I should have heated it a bit longer, because it wasn't fully warm (the butter didn't even melt all the way), but we were really hungry so we dug in anyway, and it tasted fine.

Salad


This was just a simple lettuce and lentil salad with vinaigrette. Nothing special by itself, but in the context of the meal, it just rounded it out a bit.

Lasagna
I used this recipe from allrecipes.com, making a few changes here and there to make it cheaper and easier. I rarely make lasagna with noodles, usually choosing to use rice instead because it's more inexpensive. For this special occasion, however, we chose to fork out for Wal-Mart brand lasagna noodles (I know, gasp, that's so expensive!) and I'm glad we did. This was a really yummy lasagna.


8 ounces lasagna noodles
1 pound ground beef (used 1/4 pound beef and 1 cup cooked cracked wheat)
1/4 cup minced onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (made my own with canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings)
1 (16 ounce) package large curd cottage cheese (used small curd, and added an egg to make it hold its shape better)
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (got away with slightly less)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain (Several reviewers said you can just soak the noodles in hot tap water for 20 minutes instead of cooking them, saving energy and therefore money. They finish cooking in the oven).

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute ground beef, onions, salt and garlic salt until meat is brown. Drain excess fat, add spaghetti sauce (and cracked wheat) to beef mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Line bottom of pan with three lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 of sauce mixture over noodles. Layer 1/3 of the cottage cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella over the cottage cheese. Repeat this layering process until all ingredients are used up.

Bake in the preheated oven for one hour (Cover with foil for the first 45 minutes, then remove foil for the final 15 minutes). Let stand for 10 minutes before serving (to let it solidify so it slices easily. We chose to eat our appetizer, bread, and salad while the lasagna set, so we weren't just sitting around waiting).

Flourless Chocolate Cake
I've been planning this cake almost all month. I found it on allrecipes.com and thought it looked so decadent and rich that I had to try it! Perhaps, considering how much food we ate for dinner, it might have been better to have a light dessert, but I was insistent. It was this cake or nothing at all!

My favorite picture of the meal - this is the only picture I got in natural light, and it shows!

4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped (used chocolate chips)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch round cake pan (I used my springform pan, it's the only 8-inch round pan I have), and dust with cocoa powder.

In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter (or use the microwave). Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely (I think mine was a bit undercooked, it wouldn't come off the bottom of the pan. It turned out very fudgy and delicious, so undercooked isn't necessarily a bad thing). Slices can also be reheated for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.


Just a note - this cake is supposed to fall. It rises a bit in the oven, gets kind of puffy, but then it falls and gets dense. Don't worry, that's supposed to happen. It's dense and fudgy and light and melts in your mouth and has got to be the most decadent dessert I've ever made!

And there you have it - our entire day of Valentine's foods! (In case you missed them, here's the links to our breakfast and lunch). I love holidays!

Our New Year's Eve Treats!

I know a lot of people get excited about the New Year. There are resolutions to be made and eventually abandoned, and the chance to turn over a new leaf and begin life with fresh zeal and a new outlook. These are definitely good things to be excited about. But as for me, I'm mostly excited about the food. Big surprise, huh - that seems to be my favorite part of just about any holiday.

There are two things in particular that I look forward to on New Year's Eve, and we made them and have been devouring them tonight just like we have been for years. Every year we buy a couple big bag of tortilla chips and everything we need to make these two dips. I love both of these. I would just as soon throw away my right shoe as only make one of these. It has to be both. The cool freshness of the Traveling Tacos is a refreshing contrast to the warm heaviness of the Hearty Cheese Dip, and they're both so great!

Traveling Tacos (a layered taco dip)

I don't have exact amounts, so I guessed about how much I used tonight.
1 can refried beans
1/2 to 3/4 cup salsa
1 to 2 cups guacamole
8 to 16 oz. sour cream
Shredded cheese
Sliced olives
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded lettuce

Combine refried beans with salsa. Spread in a pan. The pan and amounts depend on how much you want. For our little family, we do an 8-inch casserole dish. Layer on top of the bean mixture: guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced olives, chopped tomatoes, and shredded lettuce. Chill for a few hours, and serve with tortilla chips.

Here's a nice picture of all the layers in the pan - it looks so fresh and colorful!

Hearty Cheese Dip

This supposedly feeds 20, so we usually cut it in half and it serves the two of us and the kids quite nicely
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground sausage
16 oz. jar picante sauce
8 oz. jar diced tomatoes with green chilies
28 oz. can refried beans
4 oz. chopped olives
3 lbs. Mexican Velveeta

Brown meat; drain. In a large pot, melt cheese, stirring every few minutes. Add picante sauce and tomatoes to melted cheese. Stir well. Cook for five minutes on medium high heat. Add remaining ingredients to cheese mixture; stir well and cook another 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips. Yummy!


There you have it - our family's treasured New Year's Eve fare. We've been eating these dips in my family since I was a teenager; I look forward to getting to make and eat these all year long! I remember one year I had to babysit for New Year's Eve. My mom actually sent my younger sister over just before midnight with a little of each of these dips, just so that I could participate in the tradition. My sister and I watched a movie and snacked on Traveling Tacos and Hearty Cheese Dip together, and then Mom came back and picked her up a little while later. How cool is that?

Homemade Salsa

I found a blog today called 50s Housewife. Mostly I was looking for homemaking blogs, because I am in serious need of inspiration and motivation in that area. But this lovely housewife also has a fair share of delicious-looking recipes on her blog. I was really excited when I found her recipe for Easy Homemade Salsa. We have several fresh jalapenos from my parents' garden, and they have been waiting to be used (I actually can't believe that we've had them for several days and have only just now started using them!) so I knew I had to give this simple recipe a try.

I'm glad I did. The 50s Housewife says, "I don't thinks it's ever lasted more than 24 hours at my house. My husband nearly drinks the stuff." It's so true - Jeff couldn't get enough of this salsa, he would have been drinking it out of the bowl if I hadn't slapped his hand away - I wasn't done with it yet!

Homemade Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes - it looks like she uses a 28 oz can, I just used a 14 oz
1/4 to 1/2 of an onion - I used about 1/3
About a teaspoon bottled minced garlic
Fresh cilantro - I didn't have this, and substituted a couple tablespoons dry parsley
1 fresh jalapeno
Salt to taste

Toss everything in your blender. Or set it in gently. Either way.


Whirl it around in the blender until it's the right consistency and texture. Then you're done! You can let it sit in the fridge for a while to allow the flavors to blend, but it's easy to get impatient. :-)

Calories per 1/4 cup - about 15


I made some quesadillas specially to go with this salsa. I made the tortillas from scratch using the recipe on the back of our bag of Masa harina, then cooked them on the stove with cheese to make quesadillas. I didn't get any pictures of the quesadillas, because we were too busy eating them. Fresh homemade quesadillas served with fresh homemade salsa are so delicious!

One of the best parts about this is that I finally got a chance to use my beautiful little salsa bowls that I bought at D.I. a few weeks ago. They're just like the ones used in Mexican-American restaurants. Lotsa fun!

Little Lemon Tassies and an Award

Our Relief Society is having a quilting bee this evening (I know - isn't that so quaint and cute?), and everyone was asked to bring little treats to snack on while we quilt. I had about half a can of sweetened condensed milk in the fridge left over from when I made Ranch Bean Soup. This milk was, of course, not left in the can, but stored properly in a plastic container. Foods go bad faster when you leave them in the can, and that leads to throwing away food, which isn't frugal at all!

But I digress. I tossed together a few ingredients and came up with these delicious little tarts. I've used this crust before, and am always pleased with the results. Usually we just fill the tarts with jam, but I wanted something a little more special (and something that used the sweetened condensed milk).

Little Lemon Tassies
Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg

Filling:
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter, and stir in egg until a dough forms. Press dough into bottom and up sides of miniature muffin tin (makes 24). Set aside.

For filling, mix sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice until well-combined. Spoon into little crusts, about 1-2 tsp. filling per crust.

Bake at 350 for ... um ... I don't really know how long I baked these. I just went until the crust and the filling were nicely browned. Just keep an eye on them, I guess.

These are delicious little treats. I won't admit to too much, but I will say that not all 24 of these little babies are going to make it to the quilting bee this evening. :-)



On to the award!

I want to thank Barbara from Barbara Bakes for giving me this Smile Award. I just recently found Barbara's blog, and was absolutely smitten with her Surprise Cookies - beautiful chocolate cookies topped with marshmallows and chocolate frosting. Now I like her blog even more!

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times--we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids

These are the rules:
1. The recipient must link back to the award's creator (http://www.thebabblingsofmere.blogspot.com/)
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

It's nice to know that my blog is being read and enjoyed, and that it makes someone smile. It sure makes me smile to create all the foods and posts that I do.

Here are my nominees for the Smile Award:

1. Stephanie of A Year of CrockPotting - This is the coolest blog ever! Stephanie made a New Year's Resolution to use her crock pot every day in 2008, and so far she's made it 204 days. She never fails to post her recipes and experiences with them, good or bad. And whether the dish turned out fantastic or terrible (most of them turn out great), her posts always make me smile!

2. Bakerella - Bakerella makes the cutest cupcake pops in the blogosphere! Not only does she make all sorts of cute cake ball treats, but so many other delicious baked delights. Every time she posts something new, there is definitely a smile on my face.

3. Michelle of Fabulous Food! - Michelle does something called Around the World - every week she features a menu of dishes from a different country. She has featured Austria, England, France, and Germany. I can't wait to see where she'll take us next!

4. Drew of How to Cook Like Your Grandmother - Drew uses real ingredients to make real foods. He also posts step-by-step instructions and frequent tutorial videos to make sure that anyone who reads his blog will be able to cook just like a Grandmother. He's got a fun sense of humor that permeates his posts and always makes me smile.

5. Jeanette of Jeanette's Kitchen - Jeanette is a woman after my own heart. Her recipes are simple and delicious, just the type of recipes I grew up with, and still enjoy today. She has two kids, the same ages as mine, so I know that her recipes are going to be little-kid-friendly. That makes me smile!

One more picture to smile about:

Kitchen Klutzes of America, Unite!

Today being National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day, I decided to do something simple. Yet special. So for each meal of the day, I prepared something that's simple enough for a klutz to prepare, but special enough for a holiday.

Breakfast:
Crepes

Crepes are one of those kinda fancy things that look fun, taste great, and are fairly simple to make. The only drawback is that you cook them one at a time, so they are a bit time-consuming. But totally worth it!

Crepes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 tbsp. melted butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Lightly butter a 6- to 8-inch skillet and heat over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into skillet and immediately rotate skillet until the batter is a thin, even film over the bottom. Cook until the batter is no longer shiny and the bottom is lightly browned. Do not flip. Remove the crepe with a spatula or by inverting the pan over a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. This recipe makes about 15-18 crepes, depending on the amount of batter you use for each crepe. Serve with pudding, fruit, powdered sugar, pie filling, and/or jam. I chose pistachio pudding and bananas. Crepes can also be used as a main dish with meat and/or vegetable fillings.

Prepare filling before making the crepes. That way you can serve and eat them as they come off the pan. They're better fresh.

Note: This recipe is not entirely klutz proof - you need to keep an eye on it. I forgot about the last crepe and left it on for too long:

Lunch:
Rotini Bolognese

I chose this for the fancy name. Now, this is definitely not a traditional bolognese sauce. I looked up bolognese sauce just before writing up this post, and it is an Italian meat-based, slightly tomato-y sauce usually served over spaghetti. This recipe, originally titled "Bolognese on a Budget" has no meat. It features lentils, canned tomatoes, and onions. That being said, I still liked this sauce. I've never had real bolognese sauce anyway, so I don't think it really matters either way.

Rotini Bolognese
1 cup lentils
1 3/4 cups water
2 (14.4 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 cubes bouillon (I used 1 chicken and 1 beef)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rotini (or pasta of your choice)

Rinse lentils under cold running water and drain. Place the water and lentils in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until lentils just begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and onions into the lentils; bring to a gentle simmer. Crumble the bouillon cubes into the lentil mixture and stir until it's dissolved. Simmer for about 15 minutes more, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.

Dinner:
Cheese Fondue

This was my favorite meal today. I've never made fondue, but hey, there's a first time for everything. I had fun with this meal - it was really easy, and tasted fantastic!

Cheddar-Swiss Fondue
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground dry mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Extra flour
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

In a medium saucepan over low heat, mix together milk, broth, Worcestershire sauce, ground dry mustard, garlic and flour. Heat until almost boiling. Toss extra flour with cheese, just enough to coat the cheese (only about 1-2 tbsp, add it slowly. This wasn't in the original recipe, but helps to improve the texture of the fondue). Gradually stir cheese into milk/broth mixture. Continue heating until all the cheese has melted. Transfer to fondue dish (or crock pot) to keep fondue warm and cheese melted. Serve with stuff like vegetables, bread cubes, or meat.


I thought that this fondue would be fantastic with bread cubes. The only problem was that we had no bread in the house. We don't buy bread anymore, and I just didn't have any made. Well, I searched online for a quick bread recipe that was fast, simple, and not sweet or crumbly. After looking over several recipes, I found one for yeastless focaccia, and decided I had a winner. I skipped all the herbs on top because it was to be used for dipping. When I made it, I fell absolutely in love - this was the easiest, quickest bread recipe I've ever made! (though it wasn't exactly the prettiest...)


Yeastless Focaccia
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

Stir together water, flour, baking powder, and salt until it forms a ball of dough.

Plop dough into greased baking pan. Using oiled fingers, spread dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Dough will be sticky and elastic. It does not have to be perfectly even, but make sure there are no holes. Rub the top and sides of dough with olive oil.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until just golden.

Let cool slightly, the cut into cubes to serve with the fondue.


To make this into a more traditional focaccia loaf, sprinkle with cayenne pepper, garlic salt and basil before baking. After it's baked for 20 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan, then return to oven for final 5 minutes.

All in all, we've had a great day, eating great foods that were easy and fun to make. Happy Kitchen Klutzes of America Day!

NOT Your Mom's Tuna Salad

We decided we needed something quick, simple, and light for lunch. And it had to involve tuna. We have lots of tuna, because I get 4 cans per month from WIC and we don't eat that much. So I got online and searched for tuna recipes. And I found this. (Yes, it's from allrecipes.com. What can I say? They've got some great recipes!)

Cinnamon-Curry Tuna Salad
2 (6 ounce) cans water packed tuna, drained and flaked
2 teaspoons mayonnaise (I used 3 tsp)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (I reduced this to 1/2 tsp)
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.
This is not a typical tuna salad. It has a very strong flavor. The reviews for this recipe were mixed - some loved it, some were very less than enthusiastic. When I first tasted it, I was of the less-than-enthusiastic variety. But the more I ate, the more I loved it! I served this over saltine crackers and cheese, and sprinkled it with coconut and raisins. The coconut and raisins really made it ultra special.Serves 4
126 calories per serving

Honey Roasted Peanut Brittle

Jeff found this recipe online. We have lots of peanuts, and he loves the flavor of honey roasted, so he decided to give it a try. We all really like the results - both Jeff and Zaylee kept snitching pieces as I was trying to photograph it!


Honey Roasted Peanut Brittle
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. oil
2 cups peanuts

Mix sugar and salt in small bowl. Set aside.

Bring honey, water, and oil to a boil in a saucepan. Add peanuts.

Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

When liquid is almost all gone add sugar/salt mixture and continue stirring on low until sugar turns reddish-brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and spread in one layer on cookie sheet or foil. When cool, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Our Cinco de Mayo Festivities

Cinco de Mayo is another one of those slightly, but not entirely, random holidays that Jeff and I like to celebrate with an all-out meal. I started planning tonight's meal around lunchtime today, and started preparing right away. Now, hours later, we've eaten and enjoyed our meal, and I can say that all my work (though it wasn't really hard) has definitely paid off!

Our Cinco de Mayo Menu:

• Appetizer: Chile Onion Polenta
  
• Main Course: Soft Tacos with corn tortillas, taco meat, homemade salsa, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, cheese, and Creamy French Italian Dressing
• Side: Spanish Rice
  
• Dessert: Leche Quemada

The recipes:

Chile Onion Polenta
3 cups cold water
1 cup cornmeal
1 envelope onion soup mix
4 oz. can green chilies, drained
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Bring the water to a boil in a 3 qt. saucepan. With wire whisk, stir in the cornmeal and onion soup mix. Simmer uncovered, stirring constantly for 25 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chilies and corn.

Spread the mixture in a lightly greased 9" baking pan and sprinkle with cheese. Let stand for 20 minutes or until firm. Cut and serve.

Taco Meat
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder

Combine meat and seasonings. Cook until meat is browned. Drain off fat.

Simple Salsa
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 4-oz. can green chilies, drained
2 tbsp. dried minced onions
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried parsley

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Process for a few seconds until mixture is blended but still chunky. Let mixture stand at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 1 cup.

Creamy French Italian Dressing
3 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 1/2 tsp. dried minced onion
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup

In a blender, process all ingredients until completely incorporated. Pour into 2-cup container with tight-fitting lid. Let stand at room temperature several hours. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Spanish Rice
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salsa

Combine rice, water, and salsa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the water reaches the level of the rice. Shut off heat, cover pan, and let sit for 20-30 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed and rice is done. Fluff with fork and serve.

Leche Quemada (Burnt Milk)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Whipped topping

Divide milk between 3 4-oz. ramekins. Cover each ramekin with foil. Place in shallow baking dish, and add water 1 inch deep. Bake at 425 for 1 hour. Serve warm or cold with whipped topping.

Another recipe for this is as follows: Place unopened can of milk on a rack in a large pot. Cover with water. Boil for 4 hours. Carefully remove can from pot and chill in refrigerator. When cold, open top of can and invert onto serving plate. Open bottom of can and push out the milk, now a firm custardlike burnt milk dessert.

Buen provecho!